Factors causing differences among individuals in terms of success in L2 acquisition

Introduction

As all the five fingers of a hand are not equal, everyone in a classroom or community cannot learn a language equally. There are many factors that actually cause differences among individuals in terms of success in L2 acquisition. This is one of the essential topics to be talked about in SLA research. According to Dörnyei (2005), individual differences are "enduring personal characteristics that are assumed to apply to everybody and on which people differ by degree." Through individual differences, we can understand why some people can achieve almost native-like proficiency in a foreign language while others never appear to go much further than a fundamental level.

Age

Age of acquisition is one of the significant factors that need to be considered while learning a different language. This factor is at a time complex and controversial. Many researchers have portrait this issue in their research papers in a different way. Another vital point is a second language can either be learned naturally or through instruction. So, if we talk about the natural process (for instance, at home) first, most of the time, children can acquire language faster than adults. This is because children love to watch songs, cartoons, and other videos with fun, and they implicitly learn that language without being aware of it. On the other hand, through instruction (for example, in the classroom), adults can acquire language faster than children because adults feel the necessity and importance of concentrating on a lecture. According to Long (1990), it is challenging for language learners of more than 15 years of age to acquire native-like fluency, and there is also an absence of a proper accent. Saville-Troike (2006) disagrees with Long (1990) and said in her research that "some older learners can achieve native-like proficiency, although they definitely constitute a minority of second language learners."   

Intelligence

Intelligence has a role in language learning as a cognitive component. Intelligence is the general ability to learn something, and it grows with time and practice. Moreover, through various research, it has been proved that intelligence differs from person to person. So, to get proper evidence, intelligence needs to be measured by an IQ (intelligence quotient) test. For instance, in a classroom, about 10 to 15 students are acquiring a second language. So, after a significant time, they were asked to give IQ tests on vocabulary, grammar, story construction from pictures, and others. After evaluating the test, it will be seen that each learner's performance on all of these tasks is different.

Aptitude

Aptitude refers to the ability to learn anything genetically. In the context of SLA, language aptitude refers to have a blend of several abilities, for instance, the ability to identify and memorize the sound pattern in a new language, the ability to identify grammatical functions of words in sentences, the ability to memorize new vocabularies, etc. Skehan, (1989) believes that aptitude has consistently been linked with L2 success but remains one of the under-investigated areas of SLA. Therefore, it is very much crucial for a learner to have an aptitude for learning languages. However, if a learner has a high aptitude, he/she can learn the language fast and efficiently than the person who has a low aptitude.

Learning Style

Learning style refers to an individual's natural, habitual, and preferred way of absorbing, processing, and retaining new information and skills (Reid 1995). So, basically, a learner can implement four styles to learn L2 or any other new skills. They are visual (learning via images, graphs, maps, etc.), auditory (learning via talking or listening), reading & writing, and kinesthetic (learning via activities and trying them). Moreover, a teacher or student doesn't need to follow a definite learning style. Every learning style is the best in its way. Therefore, a learning style through which I have acquired my L2 easily might not be convenient to my other L2 learner friends. Other than this, according to Witkin (1973), there is another set of learning styles known as cognitive learning styles, and it is of two types. One is field-independent (left brain dominance), and the other is field-dependent (right brain dominance). Field-independent style learners see things analytically; their mathematical and logical side of the brain is more active while learning. In contrast, field-dependent style learners see things holistically; their visual, auditory, and tactile perception is more active while learning.

Learning Strategies

Learning strategies are defined as 'behaviors or actions which learners use to make language learning more successful, self-directed, and enjoyable' (Oxford 1989). So, it is mainly a precise method of approaching a task or problem. The learners of L2 use learning strategies as a means of simplifying the new cognitive challenging linguistic system. There are three types of strategies that O'Malley and Chamot suggested in 1990 in their research, and it became one of the most operative models for supporting learning strategies in the classroom. The strategies are metacognitive (resources in the head, for example, planning, self-assessment, self-monitoring), cognitive (resources in the hands, for instance, elaboration, revising, mnemonic devices, note-taking, organizing), and social/affective (communication with peers, for example, asking other for clarification). Through these strategies, educators would successfully determine the convenient method for learning a second language for their students.

Personality

Personality may affect the acquisition of a second language as it differs from person to person. For instance, some people are extroverts, and some are introverts. Many believe that in the case of language learning, extrovert people make more progress than introverts. This is because introverted people are less likely to speak with other people, and we all know how vital communication is while learning a language. In contrast, extroverted people are really carefree, and they even like to contribute in communication with minimal knowledge as they believe by making mistakes, they will learn. Another characteristic of personality would be inhibition or risk-taking. In many cases, it has been seen that adult learners are very much inhibited about what they say or will say. On the other hand, most children do not think about self-consciousness, so they are called risk-takers and make more progress in learning a different language. According to Brown (2001), taking risks is not just about taking risks but learning from your "failures."

Self-esteem

Brodkey and Shore (1976) revealed that self-esteem seems to be a significant variable in SLA, mostly in view of cross-cultural factors of second language learning. Coopersmith (1967) defines self-esteem as a personal judgment of worthiness expressed in the individual's attitudes towards himself/herself. Self-esteem in a person can both be high and slow. Most of the time, it depends on the people around us. For instance, if someone comments negatively on my speaking skill, my confidence level may decrease. But if I do not consider it and give more time to my speaking skill, my confidence to speak in front of everyone will automatically rise. However, many people take the negative comment seriously and put a complete full stop to learning the language.

Motivation

Motivation is essential for people of all ages to make progress in any work. We never know even how little inspiration can help a learner to learn a second language effectively. So, motivation can be gained from our parents, teachers, relatives, friends, mentors, facilitators, colleagues, and others. As English is actually a foreign language in our country (Bangladesh), many people hesitate to speak or talk in English, thinking they might speak out wrong and other people might start judging them. But, if they get enough motivation from the initial stage, they can make more progress in learning a second language. Furthermore, some get the motivation to develop English for personal growth, while others get the motivation to improve English for career growth. So, a learner will give effort according to the motivation he/she receives. Besides this, some learners can also be self-motivated after watching their progress in language learning due to external pressure.

Conclusion

We can finally understand from the above discussions that individual differences play a vital role in second language acquisition. It is obviously true that all learners are different from one another as they all have different goals and motives. The educators as ELT practitioners should be skilled enough to help the learners improve their shortcomings and achieve their goals regarding second language acquisition. However, the factors causing differences among individuals in L2 acquisition vary from researcher to researcher according to their study. For instance, according to Skehan (1989), individual differences noted in research are cognitive and affective factors, language aptitude, language learning strategies, and motivation. According to Larsen-Freeman and Long (1991), age, cognitive, hemisphere specialization, learning strategies, other factors, personality, and socio-psychological factors. According to Ellis (1999), affective state, age, aptitude, beliefs, learning style, motivation, and personality. According to De Raad (2000), attitude, capacities, emotions, gender, height, ideology, interests, skills, socio-economic status, and value. According to Revelle (2000), cognitive ability, culture, emotional reactivity, ethnicity, interpersonal styles, gender, and society. According to Cooper (2002), ability, mood, motivation, and personality. According to Dörnyei (2005), aptitude, anxiety, creativity, learning styles, language learning strategies, learner beliefs, motivation, personality, self-esteem, and Willingness to Communicate. So, they all basically differ due to researches held at different times and places. Moreover, now more improved types of equipment for conducting research have been introduced to collect and store accurate data. Therefore, there might be addition or subtraction in the individual learner differences in L2 acquisition within the next new years.