Investigating Individual Learner Differences

This course is appropriate for practising teachers and new teachers who are interested in language learning and teaching issues. The course examines a range of psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic differences found among learners considering them in the context of the second language classroom and the implication of these differences implications for language teaching pedagogy. In particular this course enables students to explore what theory and research tell us about the relationship between language learning and language aptitude, language attitudes and motivation, age, gender, anxiety and language learning strategies and considers how these individual variables interact with the language learning process. The course links closely to Language and the Learner offering an opportunity to consider the relationship and implication of central theories and concepts in Language Learning to the individual learner. The course offers the opportunity to consider learners as individuals and to discuss and develop pedagogical approaches that take into account learner commonalities and differences and to situate the individual differences in the wider context of general language teaching and learning theories. After an overview of the field, each session considers a different aspect of individual learner differences examining the theory and research and drawing out the practical implications for teaching practice. Credit Level: 11 Year taken: Postgraduate