English Litrature
Eva Eddy: ON THE INVOLVEMENT OF COGNITIVE PROCESSES IN THE ACQUISITION OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR BY SLOVAK LEARNERS
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1 INDIVIDUAL LEARNER DIFFERENCES
1.1 Introductory note
Apart from those factors that influence the acquisition of a foreign language in general (namely the role of the language environment, the role of input, the role of the first language and internal processing – for more information, cf. Eddy, 2011), there is a set of such influences that vary from one learner to another and differ according to a learner’s inner characteristics. Authors within the field distinguish various factors which, as they believe, influence second or foreign language acquisition. Among these, individual learner characteristics play a central role.
Liao (1996:1) distinguishes the following cognitive factors of second language acquisition: (1) intelligence, (2) aptitude, and (3) language learning strategies.
Lujan-Ortega (2000) proposes (1) age, (2) aptitude/intelligence, (3) motivation, (4) learning/cognitive style, and (5) personality. Skehan (2002) argues that in literature four main areas are emphasised when considering individual differences in second and foreign language learning: (1) language aptitude, (2) learning style, (3) motivation, and (4) learning strategies. He adds that, according to Dewaele and
Furnham (1999), personality is also of certain importance. Bond (2002), in her research on successful language learners, is more accurate in stating the factors that may aid one’s language learning and draws more detailed perspective: (1) age, (2) exposure to foreign language in infancy, (3) immersion, (4) intelligence,
(5) personality, (6) attitude and motivation, (7) relationship between first and target language, (8) sensory style, (9) learning strategies, and (10) other factors
(mimicry, musical
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1 INDIVIDUAL LEARNER DIFFERENCES
1.1 Introductory note
Apart from those factors that influence the acquisition of a foreign language in general (namely the role of the language environment, the role of input, the role of the first language and internal processing – for more information, cf. Eddy, 2011), there is a set of such influences that vary from one learner to another and differ according to a learner’s inner characteristics. Authors within the field distinguish various factors which, as they believe, influence second or foreign language acquisition. Among these, individual learner characteristics play a central role.
Liao (1996:1) distinguishes the following cognitive factors of second language acquisition: (1) intelligence, (2) aptitude, and (3) language learning strategies.
Lujan-Ortega (2000) proposes (1) age, (2) aptitude/intelligence, (3) motivation, (4) learning/cognitive style, and (5) personality. Skehan (2002) argues that in literature four main areas are emphasised when considering individual differences in second and foreign language learning: (1) language aptitude, (2) learning style, (3) motivation, and (4) learning strategies. He adds that, according to Dewaele and
Furnham (1999), personality is also of certain importance. Bond (2002), in her research on successful language learners, is more accurate in stating the factors that may aid one’s language learning and draws more detailed perspective: (1) age, (2) exposure to foreign language in infancy, (3) immersion, (4) intelligence,
(5) personality, (6) attitude and motivation, (7) relationship between first and target language, (8) sensory style, (9) learning strategies, and (10) other factors
(mimicry, musical