A special approach to the individual characteristics of students in foreign language teaching

We suggest that an alternative approach to this topic would be a constructivist one, focusing on how individual learners make sense of their learning situations in ways that are personal to them. We then propose three areas that could fruitfully be explored in order to reach a better understanding of individuals; self-concept, locus of control and attribution theory.

Linguistic ability is a combination of different properties. This is the ability to master phonetics, vocabulary, grammar, to master the skills of oral and written speech. Each of these abilities is a complex formation and consists of several simpler properties.1

A great deal has been written in language teaching books and journals about the importance of considering individual differences in learning a foreign language. In many respects this statement reflects commonly accepted wisdom within the language teaching world. Few textbooks on language learning would claim to be comprehensive without reference to this area, and some have even devoted whole books to it. It is undoubtedly true that learners bring many individual characteristics to the learning process which will affect both the way in which they learn and the outcomes of that process. However, just what those characteristics are and exactly how they affect the learning process is much more unclear. A moment‘s thought will probably bring to mind such apparently obvious examples as age, gender, personality, aptitude, intelligence and motivation as characteristics influencing our success in learning a foreign language. Other less obvious but widely researched characteristics relating to language learning have been cognitive styles and strategies, anxiety and preparedness to take risks.

In fact, the very term individual differences has been taken from psychology, where an even more vast literature exists on the topic. However, we would argue that there are a number of problems with the approach that has often been taken to work in this area in terms of the selection of particular learner characteristics for investigation, the measurement of those characteristics, and the actual practical application of such measurements. One of the main problems is that the research is often of very little practical value to teachers and other practitioners. Rather than providing insights into how learners differ and how best to help them, the very nature of the research and, in particular, the approach taken to measurement, has somehow lost sight of the individual.

In order to understand our concerns we need to look briefly at the research methodology that has frequently been used in examining individual differences. Interest in this topic arose mainly within a psychometric tradition of psychology, that is, one concerned with the scientific measurement of such human traits and abilities. For many psychologists, the road to progress has been seen as developing an increasing accuracy in the measurement of human characteristics such as intelligence, extroversion, risk-taking behavior and so on. The results of such measurements have then been used to predict individuals learning capabilities, and action has often been taken as a result of these predictions, for example, streaming learners, or grouping them by ability.

Thus, it seemed to be a perfectly logical step in language learning research to build upon previous work in psychology by attempting to measure individual characteristics and relate these to language learning outcomes. For example, there is research to show that the more intelligent people are, the easier it is for them to learn a foreign language, or that learning a language depends to some extent on having an aptitude for languages, or that risk-takers are more successful language learners.

There are literally hundreds of research studies which have investigated the contribution of individual differences to language learning in this way. Summarized briefly, the psychometric approach that has generally been taken to such studies is as follows:

• ■    a hypothesis is made that a particular characteristic is likely to influence success in language learning;

• ■    a means of assessing that characteristic is selected or constructed;

• ■    aspects of that characteristic and success in language learning are both measured, usually with reference to a specific group of learners;

• ■    the results of the two measures are submitted to statistical analysis and statistically significant relationships are sought;

• ■    conclusions are drawn about the contribution of the particular characteristic to learning a language.

Many of us believe that individual differences that are inherent in learner can predict success or failure in language learning. Such belief may be based on our own experience or that of people we have known. For example, many teachers are convinced that extroverted learners who interact without inhibition in the second language and seek opportunities to practice language skills will be the most successful learner. In addition to an outgoing personality, other characteristics often believed to predict success in language learning are intelligence, aptitude, motivation, and age at which learning begins.

Even in first language acquisition, the rate of development varies widely. Some learners can string together five-, six-, and seven-word sentences at an age when other learners are just beginning to label items in their immediate environment.

It has been observed countless times that, in the same foreign language class, some students progress rapidly while others struggle along making very slow progress. Even in what seem to be ideal conditions, some learners seem to make little progress in learning. Researchers have tried to identify the personal characteristics that make one learner more successful than another. In your experience - as a second language learner or teacher - which characteristics seem to you most likely to be associated with success in second language acquisition in the classroom? Which ones do you think are less important? The characteristics can be classified into several categories: motivation, intellectual abilities, personality, and learning preferences. However, many of the characteristics can not be assigned exclusively to one category. It might also be seen as an aspect of motivation if the learner is willing to make mistakes in order to get a message across.

Matkarimova G. Formation of the english scientific competence in students of non-factual faculties. International journal. Moscow.2019.

"Экономика и социум" №11(78) 2020