Individual Differences in SLL

The notion of the learner as a language processor considers variables such as:

• power relations, identity and ethnicity.

• social class and gender.

• age, motivation and personality.

The notion of the L2 learner as a social being considers variables such as:

• Ethnicity, gender and power relations.

• Language aptitude, personality and intelligence.

• Learning strategies, attidude and willingness to communicate.

Intelligence is usually associated with performance in IQ tests.

• True

• False

IQ tests may be more stronly related to:

• metalinguistic knowledge

• communicative ability

Howard Gardner's theory of ______ _______suggests that IQ tests measure only a limited range of abilities.

Language aptitude hypothesizes that:

• A learner with high aptitude may learn with greater ease and speed but other learners may not learn at all.

• A learner with high aptitude may learn with greater ease and speed but other learners may also be successful if they persevere.

These are some examples of tests that were designed to measure language aptitude:

• Multiple intelligences and learning styles test

• Modern language aptitude test, Pimsleur language aptitude battery and computer-based LLAMA aptitude test.

• Pimsleur language aptitude battery, attitude towards the language questionnaire and the motivational self-system test.

Check all the language aspects traditionally measured by aptitude tests.

• Sound identification

• Vocabulary learning

• Listening

• Syntax

• Grammar rules

An individual’s natural, habitual, and preferred way of absorbing, processing, and retaining new information and skills is referred to as:

• language aptitude

• motivation

• intelligence

• learning style

Some types of learning styles can be:

• visual, musical and spatial.

• Field-independent, kinaesthetic and self-confident.

• visual, aural, kinaesthetic and field-dependent