scholarly journals The Dynamics of Individual Differences in Teaching/Learning of English as a Second/Foreign Language

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
Sultan H. Alharbi

The subject of individual learner differences (IDs) in English as a Second/Foreign (ESL/EFL) Language teaching and learning is an area which has been much debated and investigated. Since these differences vary according to the geographical or cultural influences of the learners, variations in results and opinions among language instructors are inevitable. However, the indubitable fact is that these differences considerably influence the ESL/EFL language learners’ performances. Individuals are different in personality styles, and these personality styles are influenced by age, cultural background and a whole lot of other factors. These IDs lead to dynamism in language acquisition. The current study thus examined three set of IDs to determine how they affect the learning style preferred by individuals. The individual differences analyzed in this study include: race, exposure to English Language, and personality type (i.e., introvert or extrovert). The study concluded that while race and exposure to English Language affected the preferred learning style significantly as expected English language acquisition, personality style, however, did not have an influence on the preferred learning style for this study sample. IDs are extremely complex, with a large number of variables. As a result, it is critical for researchers as well as English language instructors to identify the source of the problem from a psychological standpoint and consider variables that would aid in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) improvement.

The education field is constantly venturing into many creative forms. Interactive learning is a hands-on approach to boost students' engagement and confidence. With new innovation, interactive learning enables students to reinforce critical thinking and problem-solving abilities in second language acquisition. Thus, the aim of this research is to design and create new interactive tool for second language teaching which can benefit both teachers and ESL students. This teaching and learning tool can be used for the 4 basic skills in ESL classrooms namely reading, listening, speaking and writing. A total of 30 students from a rural public secondary school were involved in this study. This interactive tool can help in building students’ motivation in learning especially among the low proficiency students and create autonomous learners who enjoyed and have fun while learning English. In conclusion, it is hoped that this research could add knowledge to the field of interactive tools and promotes creativity among second language teachers.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 108
Author(s):  
Zahra Mahdikhani ◽  
Amir Rezaei

<p>Student engagement has become a frequently used term in the vocabulary of Higher Education, and particularly among those involved in research associated with teaching and learning. It has been shown that despite the passage of time, the importance of engaging all students in their education continues to resonate strongly with families, students, educators, and researchers (Appleton, 2008). Student engagement in education has been gathering more and more attention; however, most of the studies in this field focus on the school engagement in general. It is currently argued among educators that student engagement is very significant concept, where individual differences between students in terms of their ability, cultural background and motivation are more considerable (Brown, 2005; Biggs, 2003; Prosser and Trigwell, 1999). </p><p>This study investigates the importance of language engagement<strong> </strong>in<strong> </strong>second language acquisition.<em> </em>One of the significant roles of engagement in language acquisition is its perspective on reading. Much research has focused on engagement and it is clear from these studies that as students are more engaged academic performance is hence improved.</p>


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Abdul Karim Bin Madasa ◽  
Ramiaida Bt Darmi ◽  
Hazleena Bt Baharun

The prominent role of the English language has led to the teachingof the language as a second languageworldwide at tertiary level as a requirement to be assured of better prospects in a student’s life. English language teaching (ELT)has been anever-ending topic as it is seen as an uphill task for teachers due to the motivation factor in the acquisition of the language among the learners.Hence, one of the most valuable concepts used in relation to the success and failure in second language acquisition is motivation. It is apparently one of the most important constructs of individual differences (IDs).As the theories on motivation are countless, this paper is limited to its focuson review of relevant literature andinvestigation on the broad self-determination theory (SDT) that embodies three different types of motivation: (i) autonomous regulation, (ii) controlled regulation, and (iii) amotivation, and its relationship with the acquisition of English as a second language (ESL). It is concluded that the SDT plays a vital role in second language acquisition (SLA) with particular reference to ESL; and its implications could have a positive effect on the implementation ofELT in the higher education institutions (HEIs).This paper is mainly aimed at establishing the motivational factors related to the SDT and its important role in the teaching and learning of ESL in the HEIs.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 164
Author(s):  
Syahfitri Purnama

<p>There are some factors regarding which aspect of second language acquisition is affected by individual learner factors, age, learning style. aptitude, motivation, and personality.<strong> </strong>This research is about English language acquisition of fourth-year child by nature and nurture. The child acquired her second language acquisition at home and also in one of the courses in Jakarta. She schooled by her parents in order to be able to speak English well as a target language for her future time. The purpose of this paper is to see and examine individual learner difference especially in using English as a second language. This study is a library research and retrieved data collected, recorded, transcribed, and analyzed descriptively. The results can be concluded: the child is able to communicate well and also able to construct simple sentences, complex sentences, sentence statement, phrase questions, and explain something when her teacher asks her at school. She is able to communicate by making a simple sentence or compound sentence in well-form (two clauses or three clauses), even though she still not focus to use the past tense form and sometimes she forgets to put bound morpheme -s in third person singular but she can use turn-taking in her utterances. It is a very long process since the child does the second language acquisition. The family and teacher should participate and assist the child, the proven child can learn the first and the second language at the same time.</p>


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 1218-1224
Author(s):  
Ms. Aletta Mweneni Hautemo ◽  
Mr. Lukas Homateni Julius

Majority of Namibian learners are not native speakers of English, that is, they barely speak English in their homes. Yet English is the medium of instruction in many Namibian schools. Many Namibian learners therefore face the double challenge of acquiring the English as the language of teaching and learning (Medium of Instruction) and at the same time developing the appropriate reading and writing proficiency needed to meet the requirements of the curriculum. This situation has created numerous teaching and learning problems which ultimately contribute to poor literacy levels among many Namibian learners.This paper focuses on language acquisition and literacy. It explores factors that contributes to effective English language acquisition as well as investigate and evaluate how the school context supports English language acquisition of the Upper Primary learners at an urban school in Namibia. Since the study targeted young learners, it has covered their reading skills, reading tools and resources such as the library and classroom which provides a rich learning environment. A qualitative interpretive approach was used to explore the factors that contribute to effective learners English second language acquisition. The theoretical framework was informed by Krashens conception of acquisition (1981; 1982). Data collection methods consisted of questionnaires and interviews were used. The findings indicated that the provision of well-structured classroom activities containing comprehensible input structures a bit beyond the learners current level and a low affective filter to allow them to acquire the second language easily. Moreover, error-based activities help learners to test hypothesis, revise and modify them and in the process develop good language awareness skills that help them to acquire and learn the language consciously. This paper suggests that a good supporting environment for reading, which is scaffold by enough assistance by the teachers and peers helps learners develop good language acquisition and learning skills.


Author(s):  
Tuan Van Vu ◽  
Dinh Ngoc Tran

Learning styles play an important role in teaching and learning, especially in second language acquisition. This study aims to investigate the perceptual language learning style preference of 385 first-year university students in Vietnam. Adapting Reid’s (1984) learning style questionnaire is used as a data gathering tool in which it was responded and retrieved via students’ emails incorporated with Google form. The results revealed that freshmen were active learners since they mostly belonged to 4 major learning styles, namely Tactile, Auditory, Group, and Kinesthetic learners, and 2 minor learning styles, i.e. Visual and Individual learners. In addition, the study did not find the differences between gender as well as major and non-major English students in comparison with learning styles. Besides, freshmen’s English academic achievement was highly influenced by their learning styles. The research findings contribute resourceful references to the formation of stakeholders’ policies on English language teaching and learning, teachers of English, and future studies.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (s1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiri Lev-Ari

AbstractPeople learn language from their social environment. Therefore, individual differences in the input that their social environment provides could influence their linguistic performance. Nevertheless, investigation of the role of individual differences in input on performance has been mostly restricted to first and second language acquisition. In this paper I argue that individual differences in input can influence linguistic performance even in adult native speakers. Specifically, differences in input can affect performance by influencing people’s knowledgebase, by modulating their processing manner, and by shaping expectations. Therefore, studying the role that individual differences in input play can improve our understanding of how language is learned, processed and represented.


2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 56-64
Author(s):  
Saifa Haque

Expectation influences motivation and performance in Second Language Acquisition (SLA). Students’ expectation also plays a significant role in curriculum development. This paper focuses on the expectations of the students in an English language classroom and how they want to be taught. From a study on 45 students of Stamford University Bangladesh, the researcher tried to find students’ expectations about content, factors behind the expectations and effects of expectations in a language classroom using semi-structured interviews. It was found that students have expectations regarding their course content, teaching-learning style and education management. Several factors such as professional need, education background, social beliefs, personal goals and personality of the students worked behind their expectations and their expectations played a significant role in their classroom behavior and performance. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nelta.v19i1-2.12080 Journal of NELTA, Vol 19 No. 1-2, December 2014: 56-64


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-69
Author(s):  
Hafilah Zainal Abidin ◽  
Taufik Lock Kim Wai

Learning literature, as part of the English Language Syllabus, has been practiced in many countries. In Malaysia, literature is incorporated as a component and an authentic means of learning the language with the hope that students acquire the desired language skills. However, poetry, one of the genres in the component, is the least favourable among students. This paper investigates students’ attitude towards learning poetry and the challenges they encountered learning poetry. Data from 120 respondents were collected through questionnaire and interviews. The findings revealed that the selection of texts for poetry in the literature component and teacher’s methodology play a role in cultivating students' interest in learning not only the language but also the context, culture, and values as well as inculcating a positive attitude towards learning poetry in second language acquisition.


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