INDIVIDUAL FACTORS in the LEARNER´S DEVELOPMENT
Date: 31st October 2013
Assignment:
The following are taken from learner self-reports. Read, determine and explain what aspects of their learning the learners attend to and assess. See the example provided.
For Example: Now that I 'm in the 1st year of Bachillerato, I feel I 'm not making any progress:
The student is showing a lack of motivation. It is quite common that after some years of foreign language study, the student may feel that he/she is not making any progress as syllabuses at different levels tend to repeatedly cover the same grammatical areas; at times the degree of difficulty is the only thing that changes.
This comment may also be related to what Selinker calls "fossilisation", that is, we reach a certain stage in our language learning when no noticeable progress is made.
Note: In each of your answers, try to relate each learner´s self-report to the study materials, by identifying, for example, the type of motivation displayed by the student, his/her learning style or any learning strategies used, and any personality factors which may seem relevant, etc. You are NOT expected to offer teaching suggestions for how to deal with each student, nor to make judgemental comments on these students´learning habits and styles. The length of each answer should be similar to that of the example provided above.
1. I think one problem for me and perhaps everyone else learning a language is you have to be stimulated to learn.
The student shows lack of motivation to continue learning the foreign language; maybe because the lessons are teacher-centred and he/she feels that he/she needs the teacher to motivate them thus encouraging in the student extrinsic motivation. The student shows that he/she depends on others to learn, becoming field dependent. Maybe there are no affective strategies developed.
2. I 'm only
Bibliography: Palacios, I.; Gassó, E.; Hockly, N.; Ball, P. Individual factors in the Learner´s Development . FUNIBER.