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Learning A: Learner's Differences in Foreign Language

Individual learners differ in their ability to acquire a foreign language due to certain characteristics. Some key learner differences identified in the document are personality, age, motivation, and language environment. Introverted learners tend to be more accurate while extroverted learners are more fluent. Younger learners often acquire language more rapidly than older learners. Motivation also influences success, with integrative motivation being more effective than instrumental motivation. The learner's environment can help develop their language skills when there is ample input. Considering these individual differences is important for effective language teaching and learning.

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Asmaa Baghli
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26 views

Learning A: Learner's Differences in Foreign Language

Individual learners differ in their ability to acquire a foreign language due to certain characteristics. Some key learner differences identified in the document are personality, age, motivation, and language environment. Introverted learners tend to be more accurate while extroverted learners are more fluent. Younger learners often acquire language more rapidly than older learners. Motivation also influences success, with integrative motivation being more effective than instrumental motivation. The learner's environment can help develop their language skills when there is ample input. Considering these individual differences is important for effective language teaching and learning.

Uploaded by

Asmaa Baghli
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Learner’s differences in foreign language

Learning a foreign language has always been the interest of educational researchers. They had found

that within the same educational environment, no two learners are alike. That is, each learner has specific

capacities of acquiring a target language. So, Learners’ language acquisition success or failure is basically liked

to some individual features that may have a great impact on the learning process. Thus, scholars raised two

main questions: what is meant by learners’ differences? And what are the characteristics that can distinguish

these learners?

“The individual differences” had been simply defined as anything that can mark a person as a distinct and

unique human being. Then, a wide debate was opened by researchers focusing mailing on these uncountable

factors that characterize every single learner from others. Hence, they agreed on that personality’s factors

besides to self-confidence, age and motivation should be the starting point since these are invariably seen as

principal learner variables.

To start with, individual’s personality has an undoubted role in learning a foreign language. The most

researched personality feature in language learning has been the Extraversion–introversion aspect. That is:

Every learner has a particular personality that leads him to act differently. Some learners tend to gain their

energy from the internal world; these are called “introverted learners”. Such learners are more accurate and

show greater cognitive control. In contrast to the “extroverted learners”, who have the tendency to take risks

about their language and this is assessed when it comes to communicative oral competence.

Likewise, extraverted learners are found to be more fluent than introverts: introverts may be more

anxious, hence, they tend to make more errors, and they are unable to produce utterances of great length.

Thus, their language learning development will be broken-down.

In addition, some learners are considered as being “authoritarian”. That is, such learners refuse any

interaction or guidance and like only to be heard. They merely like to be obeyed. So, these learners tend not to

succeed in their learning. In comparison to the “submissive learners” whom act according to what they have

been ordered. They follow teacher’s guidance and so, they tend to be as good learners.

Here, the main role of the teacher is to know how to maintain the balance between these two kinds of
learners in order to make their learning successful.
On the other hand, other learners are noticed by their “shyness”. They are less participating in class

and this prevents them from learning. Therefore, the teacher principal role is to provide such learners with a

secured environment, a simple smile may help and push them to go out of their shyness’ circle.

Furthermore, regarding the learner’s ability of language acquisition, there is an evidence to suggest that

older learners seem to acquire language less rapidly than younger learners. For this reason, the “learners’

age” was put forward as an important element that may influence the learning process. It was also studied in

terms of “rate” and “route”.

In other words, some younger learners are characterized by their rapid acquisition of language. These

learners are commonly able to learn quickly and within a limited time. They tend to be better than the older

people in terms of “oral competences” (, i.e.) “pronunciation” and “intonation”. On the contrary to the older

ones whom are said better in writing because of their long experiences.

Regarding the route, the later refers to the different manners and methods used by learners in the

second language learning. That is, each learner uses a number of diverse procedures in order to learn the

target language. Thus, both “rate and route” are of paramount importance in determining language learner’s

differences.

“Motivation” had been the other major area for research into individual differences. That is

motivation’s degree plays a vital role in second language learning. It has been assumed that motivated learners

are expected to be more competent and qualified than non-motivated learners. This term” motivation” that

could be simply defined as possessing great enthusiasm toward learning is categorized as the foremost feature

that has a tremendous impact on language learners’ development.

“Robert Gardner” had distinguished between two main “motivational orientations: integrative and

instrumental motivation”. The former type “integrative” concerns learners who want to learn a language in

order to enter the community of its speakers. For this reason, they tend to have a high aspiration to learn and

succeed.

Unlike the second “instrumental motivation” learners who consider language only as potential tool

which may be simply useful. In other words, learners with “instrumental motivation” want to learn a language

for the purpose of obtaining some practical goals such as a job, graduation, or the ability to read academic

materials. This form of motivation is thought to be less likely to lead to success.


The different goals behind learning a language differ from learner “A” to “B”. One may be intrigued to

the language (A) while other may consider it just as an additional option. However, it is generally believed that

“Integrative motivation” is much more workable and efficient that the instrumental one”.

Additionally, extroverted learners are measured as having a higher self –confidence. That is

“confidence” was another important factor that results either in the success or failure of language learners.

In other words, self-confident learners are more courageous and willing to take risk in learning. They tend to

easily achieve success. In contrast to those learners who luck confidence. These learners usually experience

anxiety in learning. Henceforth, the latter weakens the learner and results in his language learning’s delay, and

othertime in his total failure.

Moreover, “the language environment” has been seen as another significant factor that makes the

learners different. Simply put, when learners are exposed to great amount and qualified “input”, they tend to

be more competent in second language learning, in the meantime, learners who luck input exposure are less

performing. Thus, the communicative environment helps in developing the learner’s language.

Finally, distinguishing one learner from another has always been the interest of many scholars. Their

objective was to set down the main factors that mark learners’ differences. They had also accentuated on that

considering the learner’s differences is of paramount importance in both Teaching and learning a foreign

language.

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