Individual Differences in Second Language Learning

Every teacher knows that learners are notoriously variable in how successful they are at acquiring a new language. This interdisciplinary volume questions what it is that makes each of us good or bad

Providing a comprehensive survey of cutting-edge work on second language learning, this Handbook, written by a team of leading experts, surveys the nature of second language learning and its implications for teaching. Prominent theories and methods from linguistics, psycholinguistics, processing-based, and cognitive approaches are covered and organised thematically across sections dealing with skill development, individual differences, pedagogical interventions and approaches, and context and environment. This state-of-the-art volume will interest researchers in second language studies and language education, and will also reach out to advanced undergraduate and graduate students in these and other related areas.

Providing a comprehensive survey of cutting-edge work on second language learning, this Handbook, written by a team of leading experts, surveys the nature of second language learning and its implications for teaching. Prominent theories and methods from linguistics, psycholinguistics, processing-based, and cognitive approaches are covered and organised thematically across sections dealing with skill development, individual differences, pedagogical interventions and approaches, and context and environment. This state-of-the-art volume will interest researchers in second language studies and language education, and will also reach out to advanced undergraduate and graduate students in these and other related areas.

This book explores current thinking about the role of corrective feedback in language learning and teaching. Corrective feedback is a topic that is of relevance to both theories of second language lea

This book explores current thinking about the role of corrective feedback in language learning and teaching. Corrective feedback is a topic that is of relevance to both theories of second language lea

It is a well-known fact that some adult second language learners learn more rapidly and/or to a higher level of proficiency than others. Some of these individual differences have been linked to differences in cognitive and perceptual abilities under the umbrella term of 'language aptitude'. The notion of language aptitude has undergone recent developments, one of which is the proposal that language aptitude includes cognitive abilities that involve implicit processes and that are advantageous in learning a language without awareness. This Element defines implicit language aptitude, examines tasks that can be used to measure implicit language aptitude, and provides an overview of relevant research in this area.

This volume presents a series of empirical studies which focus on affectivity in relation to both individual learner differences, and language learning experiences, motivation and attitudes.The volume

This volume explores the cognitive neuroscience of second language acquisition from the perspectives of critical/sensitive periods, maturational effects, individual differences, neural regions involve

Bringing together an international team of researchers, this volume explores practice in second language learning - activities which aim to develop skills in or knowledge of a second language. The book begins with two theoretical overviews of practice as applied to learning to speak in a second language and in cognitive accounts of second language acquisition. This theory underpins the volume, which is split into two main sections: receptive and productive practice. The studies look at practice in English, German and Spanish as a second language in various contexts including traditional classrooms, periods of study abroad and online language learning. The differing research designs used mean that the chapters contain clear implications for classroom pedagogy and further directions for research, teaching and learning in different contexts.

This book presents original, empirical data from quantitative and qualitative research studies in the field of language learning aptitude, ability, and individual differences. It does so from the pers

Bringing together an international team of researchers, this volume explores practice in second language learning - activities which aim to develop skills in or knowledge of a second language. The book begins with two theoretical overviews of practice as applied to learning to speak in a second language and in cognitive accounts of second language acquisition. This theory underpins the volume, which is split into two main sections: receptive and productive practice. The studies look at practice in English, German and Spanish as a second language in various contexts including traditional classrooms, periods of study abroad and online language learning. The differing research designs used mean that the chapters contain clear implications for classroom pedagogy and further directions for research, teaching and learning in different contexts.

Teaching to Individual Differences in Science and Engineering Librarianship: Adapting Library Instruction to Learning Styles and Personality Characteristics applies learning styles and personality cha

Second Language Learning and Language Teaching provides an introduction to the application of second language acquisition research to language teaching. Assuming no previous background in second langu

Second Language Learning and Language Teaching provides an introduction to the application of second language acquisition research to language teaching. Assuming no previous background in second langu

This volume presents the findings of a large-scale study of individual differences in spoken (and heard) language development during the school years. The goal of the study was to investigate the degr

This volume presents the findings of a large-scale study of individual differences in spoken (and heard) language development during the school years. The goal of the study was to investigate the degr

Peer Interaction and Second Language Learning synthesizes the existing body of research on the role of peer interaction in second language learning in one comprehensive volume. In spite of the many ho

Peer Interaction and Second Language Learning synthesizes the existing body of research on the role of peer interaction in second language learning in one comprehensive volume. In spite of the many ho

The anecdotal view of language acquisition is that children learn language with apparent ease, no instruction and in very little time, while adults find learning a new language to be cognitively challenging, labour intensive and time-consuming. In this book Herschensohn examines whether early childhood is a critical period for language acquisition after which individuals cannot learn a language as native speakers. She argues that a first language is largely susceptible to age constraints, showing major deficits past the age of twelve. Second-language acquisition also shows age effects, but with a range of individual differences. The competence of expert adult learners, the unequal achievements of child learners of second languages, and the lack of consistent evidence for a maturational cut-off, all cast doubt on a critical period for second-language acquisition.

Although Cooperative Learning has steadily grown in popularity in second-language classrooms, few resources are available that cover the topic in depth. Cooperative Learning in Second Language Teachin

This book describes a three-year research project which built on students’ learning experience, and addresses the issue of individual differences in mainstream primary schools in Hong Kong. The Learni

Investigates the links between problems in learning oral and written language, what causes may underlie both of them, individual differences among children both with in the two areas and in the relati

Research from the neurosciences and behavioural sciences highlights the importance of individual differences in explaining human behaviour. Individual differences in core psychological constructs, such as intelligence or personality, account for meaningful variations in a vast range of responses and behaviours. Aspects of chess have been increasingly used in the past to evaluate a myriad of psychological theories, and several of these studies consider individual differences to be key constructs in their respective fields. This book summarizes the research surrounding the psychology of chess from an individual- differences perspective. The findings accumulated from nearly forty years' worth of research about chess and individual differences are brought together to show what is known - and still unknown - about the psychology of chess, with an emphasis on how people differ from one another.

Most human beings grow up speaking more than one language; a lot of us also acquire an additional language or languages other than our mother tongue. This Element in the Second Language Acquisition series investigates the human capacity to learn additional languages later in life and introduces the seminal processes involved in this acquisition. The authors discuss how to analyze learner data and what the findings tell us about language learning; critically assessing a leading theory of how adults learn a second language: Generative SLA. This theory describes both universal innate knowledge and individual experiences as crucial for language acquisition. This Element makes the relevant connections between first and second language acquisition and explores whether they are fundamentally similar processes. Slabakova et al. provide fascinating pedagogical questions that encourage students and teachers to reflect upon the experiences of second language learners.

The volume Learning second language pragmatics beyond traditional contexts is a collection of studies dealing with the acquisition of second language pragmatic competence in different learning context

This book offers a comprehensive account of individual differences variables as well as contextual factors that impinge on second language learners’ willingness to communicate (WTC). Firstly, it adopt

The Second Language Learning Processes of Students with Specific Learning Difficulties is the only recent book available to offer a detailed and in-depth discussion of the second language learning pro

Task Sequencing and Instructed Second Language Learning provides theoretical rationales for, and empirical studies of, the effects of sequencing language learning tasks to maximize second language lea

"Task Sequencing and Instructed Second Language Learning provides theoretical rationales for, and empirical studies of, the effects of sequencing language learning tasks to maximize second language le

Language in academic settings, also referred to academic language, has gained attention in the field of second language learning owing to new understandings of the complexities of language inherent in

Second Language Learning Theories is a clear and concise overview of the field of second language acquisition (SLA) theories. Written by a team of leading academics working in different SLA specialism

Second Language Learning Theories is a clear and concise overview of the field of second language acquisition (SLA) theories. Written by a team of leading academics working in different SLA specialism

Test Yourself: Personality and Individual Differences provides essential learning and practice through assessment for your psychology students. It enables year 1 and 2 undergraduates to assess their c

Strategies in Learning and Using a Second Language examines what it takes to achieve long-term success in languages beyond the first language. Distinguishing language learning from language-use strate

In a series of studies specially written for this volume, Studying Speaking to Inform Second Language Learning offers the applied linguist research on spoken interaction in second and foreign language

This volume brings together the current theoretical interest in reconceptualizing second and foreign language learning from a sociocultural perspective on language and learning, with practical concer

This innovative book focuses on the relationships among self-regulated language learning strategies, students' individual characteristics, and the diverse contexts in which learning occurs. It present

First booklet in the Language Olympic series. For English as Second Language (ESL) and English Language Learning (ELL) tutoring.

This module on technology in language learning provides novice and experienced second and foreign language (L2) teachers alike with an introduction to the field of computer-assisted language learning

The Handbook of Technology and Second Language Teaching and Learning presents a comprehensive exploration of the impact of technology on the field of second language learning. The rapidly evolving lan