Individual Differences in SLA How do individuals differ

Individual Differences in SLA How do individuals differ in learning languages? I. e. , what are some ways in which people differ that might have an effect on SLA? Four categories of differences: • Cognitive • Affective • Physiological • Social 1

Individual Differences in SLA: Cognitive Intelligence – IQ tests. What do these tests measure, and what don’t they measure? How many kinds of intelligence are there? Aptitude, the ability to learn quickly. Scholars suggest that language aptitude consists of: • phonetic coding ability • grammatical sensitivity • rote learning ability foreign language materials • inductive language learning ability. De. Keyser, R. (2000). The robustness of critical period effects in second language acquisition. SSLA, 22, 499– 533. 2

Individual Differences in SLA: Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency -- The language ability required for academic achievement; requires longer to develop than Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS). Cummins, J. (1979) Cognitive/academic language proficiency, linguistic interdependence, the optimum age question and some other matters. Working Papers on Bilingualism, No. 19, 121 -129. 3

Individual Differences in SLA: Cognitive Learning styles – our preferred (natural, habitual, “without thinking”) way of learning. • field in / dependence (seeing details as separate v. seeing holistically) • reflectivity / impulsivity • category width (tendency to categorize items broadly or narrowly) • analytical / gestalt • aural / visual 4

Individual Differences in SLA: Cognitive Learning strategies – the conscious decisions we make about the learning task. • metacognitive strategies – advance organizers, self evaluation, etc. • cognitive strategies – elaboration, inferencing, and so on. • social strategies – scaffolding, cooperation Carson, J. , & Longhini, A. (2002). Focusing on learning styles and strategies: A diary study in an immersion setting. Language Learning, 52(2), 401– 438. 5

Individual Differences in SLA: Affective “Personality” in HLAL = Affective differences, which mean differences related to our feelings or emotions • Extroversion / introversion – learners’ assertiveness /adventurousness, or lack of same • Inhibition – note Guiora (1972). What is the “instrument” used to measure inhibition? • Tolerance for ambiguity • Competitiveness • Self-esteem • Risk taking • Sensitivity to rejection • Empathy 6

Individual Differences in SLA: Affective “Personality” in HLAL = Affective differences, which mean differences related to our feelings or emotions • Anxiety Elkhafaifi, H. (2005). Listening comprehension and anxiety in the Arabic language classroom. Modern Language Journal, 89(2), 206– 220. • Motivation Wright, M. , & Mc. Grory, O. (2005). Motivation and the adult Irish language learner. Educational Research, 47(2), 191– 204. 7

Individual Differences in SLA: Physiological Age – the critical period hypothesis De. Keyser, R. (2000). The robustness of critical period effects in second language acquisition. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 22, 499 – 533. Hakuta, K. , Bialystok, E. , & Wiley, E. (2003). Critical evidence: A test of the critical-period hypothesis for second-language acquisition. Psychological Science, 14(1), 31– 38. 8

Individual Differences in SLA: Physiological Gender Brantmeier, C. (2003). Does gender make a difference? Passage content and comprehension in second language reading. Reading in a Foreign Language, 15(1), 1– 27. 9

Individual Differences in SLA: Social “Identity and ethnic group affiliation” – “social dynamic or power relationship between languages [and the people associated with them]” (HLAL, p. 65). To this, add “socialization”: adjustments required of learners as they acquire languages situated differently relative to those social and power relationships. Lam, W. S. E. (2004). Second language socialization in a bilingual chat room: Global and local considerations. Language Learning and Technology, 8(3), 44– 65. 10

Individual Differences in SLA: Group Presentations Five or six people per group on: 1. Age – Hakuta, K. , Bialystok, E. , & Wiley, E. (2003). 2. Gender – Brantmeier, C. (2003). 3. Anxiety – Elkhafaifi, H. (2005). 4. Motivation – Wright, M. , & Mc. Grory, O. (2005). 5. Styles and Strategies – Carson, J. , & Longhini, A. (2002). 6. Socialization – Lam, W. S. E. (2004). What is the research paradigm and method in the study? 11