Investigating Individual Learner Differences in Second Language Learning

This edited book brings together ten empirical papers reporting original studies investigating different facets of individual variation second language learning and teaching. The individual difference factors covered include, among others, motivation, self, anxiety, emotions, willingness to communicate, beliefs, age, and language learning strategies. What is especially important, some of the contributions to the volume offer insights into intricate interplays of these factors while others attempt to relate them to learning specific target language subsystems or concrete instructional options. All the chapters also include tangible implications for language pedagogy. The book is of interest to both researchers examining the role of individual variation in second language learning and teaching, teacher trainers, graduate and doctoral students in foreign languages departments, as well as practitioners wishing to enhance the effectiveness of second language instruction in their classrooms.

1. Kata Csizér, Ágnes Albert and Katalin Piniel The interrelationship of language learning autonomy, self-efficacy, motivation and emotions: The investigation of Hungarian secondary school students.- 2. Amy. S. Thompson, Liss Kerstin Sylvén, Yao Liu, Fahad AlharbiPsychological aspects of self across contexts: A comparison of China, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Turkey, and the United States .-3.Joanna Zawodniak i Mariusz Kruk The changing nature of foreign language anxiety: The case of individual learners.- 4. Harumi Kimura Investigating second language pronunciation anxiety in the Japanese context.- 5. Anna BorkowskaIn-class willingness to communicate in English among third agers: Results of a questionnaire study.- 6. Teresa Maria WlosowiczVocabulary learning strategies and the representation of L2 and L3 words in the mental lexicon.- 7. SharfiAlgahzoPronunciation learning strategies used by EFL university students: A classroom-based investigation.- 8. Magdalena Szyszka Foreign language learners’ pronunciation learning beliefs and strategies.- 9. Adelina Sánchez Centeno and María Celina BarbeitoOral corrective feedback in university EFL contexts: The interplay between students’ and teacher’s beliefs.- 10. Melanie Ellis Inside a language teacher education course room: The dynamic process of prompting reflection on early L2 reading.