Ideas of a Good Language Learner

Marina Wiens, Stephanie Hanisch, Maren Wolf, Vildan Aytekin

Table of Contents

Introduction

Good language learner characteristics Research & problems on the topic

Variables Learning styles & success Motivation Learner beliefs Inhibition and anxiety Ethnic groups

Dicussion

Who is a ‘good language learner‘?

Intelligent

Able to learn quickly (Aptitude)

Motivation

Age

Outgoing personality

Remaining Issues

How did research identify the personal characteristics that make one learner more successful than another?

To what extent can we predict differences in the success of SLA if we have information about learners’ personalities?

Research on Learner characterictics

Select group of learners and give them a questionnaire to measure the type and degree of their motivation.

Some kind of test is used to assess their Language Proficiency.

scoring (Correlation)LPTVARIABLES

A good language learnera is a willing and accurate guesser 1 2 3 4 5

b tries to get a message across even if specific language knowledge is lacking

1 2 3 4 5

c is willing to make mistakes 1 2 3 4 5

d constantly looks for patterns in the language 1 2 3 4 5

e pactises as often as possible 1 2 3 4 5

f analyses his or her own speech & the speech of others 1 2 3 4 5

g attends to whether his/her performance (..) 1 2 3 4 5

h enjoys grammar exercieses 1 2 3 4 5

i begins learning in childhood 1 2 3 4 5

j has an above-average IQ 1 2 3 4 5

k has good academic skills 1 2 3 4 5

l has a good-image and lots of confidence 1 2 3 4 5

Problems

We can not directly observe and measure variables

Social and educational backgrounds

Characteristics are not independent from each other

successful because of motivation or

motivated because of success?

Conclusion

Researches seek to know how different cognitive and personality variables are related and how they interact with learners’ experiences so that they can gain a better understanding of human learning.

Educators hope to help learners with different characteristics achieving success in Second Language Learning

Intelligence

Traditionally = performance on certain kinds of tests associated with success at school

Link between IQ and L2-learning predicting success

IQ rather related to Metalinguistic knowledge than to communicative ability

IQ influences language analysis and rule learning

Nevertheless students with weak academic performance often succeed in L2-learning

Theory of Multiple Intelligences - Howard Gardner (1993)

Traditional IQ tests asses only limited range of abilities: verbal intelligence

strength in the language arts: speaking, writing, reading, listening

verbal intelligent pupils most successful because this kind of intelligence lends itself to traditional teaching

Aptitude

Specific abilities predicting success in language learning

John Carroll (1991): aptitude = ability to learn quickly

Hypothesis: learner with high aptitude may learn easier and quicker but others may also succeed if they keep up

Aptitude Tests

Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) by Carroll and Sapon 1959

Pimsleur Language Aptitude Battery (PLAT) by Pimsleur 1966

Computer tests by Paul Meara 2005

Several Components of Aptitude

Ability to Identify and memorize new sounds Understand the function of particular

words in sentencesFigure out grammatical rules from

language samplesRemember new words

Aptitude Test Results

Positive correlations of performance in Aptitude Tests and foreign language performance at times of Grammar Translation and Audiolingual Methods

Communicative Approach common belief: measured abilities irrelevant for LA

Other beliefs: some measured abilities predict success in communicative settings

Other Beliefs

Leila Ranta (2002): good language analytics => most successful in SLL without focus on grammar

Nick Ellis (2001): Working Memory = most important predictive variable

Peter Skehan (1989)

Due to learners’ individual differences of strengths and weaknesses in the components of abilities they succeed in different instructional programmes

Learning Styles

Simlpy put: various approaches or ways of learning

Reid (1995): Learning style = individual’s natural, habitual, and preferred way of absorbing, processing and retaining new information and skills

Perceptually-based learning styles

Visual Learners (Eye)

Aural Learners (Ear)

Kinaesthetic Learners (Physical Action)

Cognitive learning styles

Field dependence (holistic/global thinking)

tendency to see the perceptual field as a whole without analyis of single parts of the field: “seeing the forest for the trees”

learner excels in classroom learning which involves analysis, attention to details, and mastering of exercises, drills, and other focused activities

Field independence (analytical thinking) tendency to break the field down into its component parts

and to seperate details from the general background learner achieves higher success in everyday language

situations beyond the classroom; tasks requiring interpersonal communication skills

Interaction of Learning Styles and Success in Language Learning

unchangable differences or development through experience?

Insufficient research in this area

a single teaching method will never suit the needs of all types of learners

variation of methods needed to accommodate all types

Motivation and attitudes

Robert Gardner has carried out a program ofresearch on the relationship between alearner's attitudes toward the second or foreignlanguage and its community, and success insecond language learning.

But it is difficult to know whether positiveattitudes produce successful learning orsuccessful learning engenders positiveattitudes.

Motivation and attitudes

Motivation in second language learning is a complex phenomenon.

It has been defined in terms of two factors

Learners' communicative needs

Attitudes towards the second language community

Motivation and attitudes

Zoltán Dörnyei developed a process-oriented´model of motivation that consists of three phases:

1) 'choice motivation'

2) 'executive motivation'

3) 'motivation retrospection'

Motivation in the classroom

Graham Crookes and Richard Schmidt point to

several areas where educational research has

reported increased levels of motivation for

students in relation to pedagogical practices:

1)Motivating students into the lesson

2)Varying the activities, tasks, and materials

3)Using co-operative rather than competitive goals

Learner beliefs

Learner beliefs can be strong mediating factors in their experience in the classroom.

Learners' instructional preferences will influence the kinds of strategies they use in trying to learn new material.

Inhibition and Anxiety

Discourages risk taking Negative force for second language

pronunciation performance Experiment:

small amount of alcohol better pronunciation

Larger doses of alcohol pronunciation deteriorated

Dynamic and dependent on situations and circumstances

Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety ScaleItem Strongly

AgreeAgree Neutral Dis

agreeStrongly

disagree

I never feel quite sure of myself when I am speaking in my English class.

I don't worry about making mistakes in English class.

I tremble when I know that I'm going to be asked to speak in English class.

Even if I am well prepared for English class, I feel anxious about it.

I feel easy when native English speakers are with me.

Anxiety can also have a positive effect on learning

Motivation and focus an success

Positive term “tension”

Anxiety can be both useful an harmful

Not personality alone but the combination with other factors contributes to second language

learning!

Ethnic group affiliation

Languages exist in social contextsChildren and adults are sensitive to social

dynamics and power relationshipsStudents reluctant to speak in situations of

imbalanced powerLearners with a high degree of accuracy

perceived as “less loyal to their ethnic group” than those with a “foreign accent”

Thank you for your attention!