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

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.

Increasing Motivation among Language Learners through Individualized Assessment

An extensive body of research has shown that motivation is integral to successful and sustained language learning (Carreira, 2005; Cheng & Dornyei, 2007; Crookes & Schmidt, 1991; Dornyei, 1994; Ehrman, Leaver, & Oxford, 2003; Gardner, 2005; Matsumoto & Obana, 2001; Yang, 2008; Yu & Watkins, 2008). Maintaining student motivation in all aspects of language instruction, particularly assessment, can be challenging for multiple reasons, including learner differences, access to technology, and, most recently, reactions to pandemic learning. Instructors therefore face the challenge of creating assessments that not only evaluate students’ performance but also promote their ability and desire to learn. Based on the results of an action research project, this article highlights the benefits of two types of individualized assessment used to improve students’ motivation while evaluating their performance: work cycle projects and a course portfolio. Using qualitative data collected from student reflective statements, I argue, first, that the ability to choose assessment topics and types motivates students to focus closely on course content and work creatively; these choices ultimately improve their desire to learn course material more than traditional assessment types. Second, encouraging learners to utilize and reflect on their strengths using a portfolio as a form of assessment allows students to understand their strengths and weaknesses and empowers them as learners, thereby improving their motivation.

Balinese Students Pronunciation in Learning English: A Case Study of Sixth-Grade Students at SDN 1 Petulu Ubud

This study is aimed to identify how the Balinese students pronounce English consonants and to analyse the factors that influenced the Balinese student’s pronunciation in pronouncing English consonants. This study was conducted as field research and the data was collected from the Balinese student’s pronunciation by recording their voices in pronouncing the target phonemes. Besides, interviewing was also done to know the factors that influence them in pronouncing the target phonemes. Data of this research was descriptively analysed by using qualitative methods and analysed by the theory proposed by Roach, Brown, and Harmer. The consonants chosen were the consonants that mostly do not occur in their native language structure such as /f/, /?/, /?/, /?/, /v/, /ð/, /z/, /?/, /?/ and the chosen English consonants that are pronounced differently from what it has written is /k/. The Balinese students were not familiar with those phonemes caused they found difficulties when they pronounced those phonemes sound. Foreign language pronunciation of the students was influenced by some factors: Age, First language interference, Learner differences (student’s aptitude and intelligence), and Motivation (teacher and other students).

Learning in Higher Education Under the Covid-19 Pandemic: Were Students More Engaged or Less?

This study explored students’ learning experiences in higher education during the Covid-19 pandemic. A journal writing methodology was used to extract learners’ reflective thoughts regarding their living and learning during the pandemic outbreak. The results were interpreted through the views of relevant student engagement frameworks. The students’ structural factors (family, support, and pressure) were impacted because of political and sociocultural factors (restrictive measures in response to the pandemic outbreak) within which the university factors were embedded (total closure with online education, subsequent reopening allowing physical attendance, and later principal distance education with approved exceptions), which collectively and psychosocially influenced students’ life and studies. The learners self-adapted via their individual efficacy to tackle the unfamiliar situations by digitally reaching out to family/friends and enhancing skills/self-learning; learner differences in learning style and preferences were noted. Online courses offered flexibility for learning independent of time and space while social presence in the learning community during online lessons remained less effective; traditional values of face-to-face physical classrooms were recognised among some learners. Learners’ perceived effective engaging measures underscored the importance of ensuring learner well-being (counselling and mask-wearing), learning independence (online lecture recordings and optional attendance), and strengthening online learning experiences (building the learning community, enhancing class dialogue, and demonstrating problem-solving techniques). Recommendations for engaging learning were discussed.

Working Memory and Language Aptitude in Relation to Listening Strategy Instruction in an Instructed SLA Context

The present small-scale study explores whether working memory (WM) and language aptitude (LA) explain any variance in L2 listening comprehension beyond baseline listening ability and explicit strategy-based listening instruction in an instructed EFL setting at the tertiary level. In a pretest/posttest non-randomized group design, the experimental group (N = 19) received explicit strategy-based listening instruction for 12 hours while the control group (N = 17) followed their regular L2 listening course syllabus. L2 listening comprehension was measured with an L2 academic listening comprehension test. WM measures (Foster et al., 2015) included an operation span task (OST), a symmetry span task (SST), and a rotation span task (RST). LA was assessed with LLAMA (Meara, 2005). The findings revealed the effectiveness of strategy-based intervention for L2 listening comprehension. A hierarchical regression analysis indicated that baseline listening scores explained about 52% of the variance in the post-listening scores, while listening strategy instruction explained an additional 16% of the variance. On the other hand, WM and LA did not explain any variance in listening comprehension scores, suggesting that the two individual learner differences in the present study are not significant predictors of L2 listening comprehension.

The Contributions of Crosslinguistic Influence and Individual Differences to Nonnative Speech Perception

Perception of a nonnative language (L2) is known to be affected by crosslinguistic transfer from a listener’s native language (L1), but the relative importance of L1 transfer vis-a-vis individual learner differences remains unclear. This study explored the hypothesis that the nature of L1 transfer changes as learners gain experience with the L2, such that individual differences are more influential at earlier stages of learning and L1 transfer is more influential at later stages of learning. To test this hypothesis, novice L2 learners of Korean from diverse L1 backgrounds were examined in a pretest-posttest design with respect to their perceptual acquisition of novel L2 consonant contrasts (the three-way Korean laryngeal contrast among lenis, fortis, and aspirated plosives) and vowel contrasts (/o/-/ʌ/, /u/-/ɨ/). Whereas pretest performance showed little evidence of L1 effects, posttest performance showed significant L1 transfer. Furthermore, pretest performance did not predict posttest performance. These findings support the view that L1 knowledge influences L2 perception dynamically, according to the amount of L2 knowledge available to learners at that time. That is, both individual differences and L1 knowledge play a role in L2 perception, but to different degrees over the course of L2 development.

Variety, Volatility, Intensity: Understanding Key Characteristics of Individual Learner Differences

Individual Learner Differences (ILDs), such as motivation, anxiety, and willingness to communicate, account for varying rates and extents of successful L2 learning. Traditional quantitative approaches to studying ILDs render constructs to a one-size-fits-all explanation of factors and relationships that affect learning outcomes. A Complex Dynamic Systems Theory approach to studying ILDs rectifies this situation and supports teachers by investigating the interrelated, variable, and situated aspects of ILDs. In this study, students selected ILDs that most impacted their partner’s classroom participation. They then used idiodynamic methodology, a relatively new research method, to elicit factors that influenced changes to their partner’s ILDs in class. Unexpected constructs, such as concentration, happiness, and anger, were chosen. Within those ILDs, a wide range of volatility and intensity of change was reported. Internal-, linguistic-, topic-, social-, and stage-of-the task-factors initiated chains-of-events leading to variations in ILD constructs. Implications for pedagogy and further research are discussed. 第二言語学習者の学習速度や到達レベルの違いは、モチベーション、不安感、話をしたいという意欲の様な「学習者の個人差」に起因する。従来の個人差を研究する定量的アプローチでは、学習結果に影響を与える要因や関連性について画一的な説明であったが「複雑ダイナミックシステム理論」の導入によって、複雑な相互関係や変動性、直面している要素等を複合的に調査できる様になった。本研究において、学生は、活動相手の従業参加に最も影響を与えた個人差の要素を自身で選択した後、その要因を導き出す為に、新しい研究法である「イディオダイナミック法」を使用した。その結果、集中力、幸福感、怒りの様な想定外の要素が選択され、変化の頻度や起伏の浮き沈みが広範囲に及ぶ事も判明した。内面的、言語的、トピックや社会的な要素、タスクの進度状況等の要素が一連の出来事に起因し、学習者の様々な個人差の構成に影響を与えた。本論文では教授法や更なる研究結果も述べる。