Individual differences in SLA (aptitude, motivation, & anxiety in second language acquisition)

Summary

This video delves into the significance of individual differences in second language acquisition (SLA), highlighting factors like language aptitude, motivation, and language anxiety that influence SLA success. It clarifies that while all healthy children can acquire their first language, not everyone succeeds in learning a second language. The script discusses the role of language aptitude as a talent for language learning, the impact of motivation on SLA, and how language anxiety can negatively affect performance. It also touches on the types of motivation and the potential for anxiety to have both positive and negative effects, emphasizing the importance of recognizing these individual differences in language teaching.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Individual differences significantly impact second language acquisition, unlike first language acquisition where all healthy children succeed.
• 🔍 Language aptitude, motivation, and language anxiety are the main individual differences known to influence second language learning.
• 🎓 Language aptitude is a specific talent for learning new languages and is distinct from general intelligence.
• ⏳ The Foreign Service Institute data shows that diplomats with higher language aptitude acquire speaking proficiency faster in a second language.
• 📊 Language aptitude is measurable using tests like the Modern Language Aptitude Test, which predicts success in learning an L2.
• 🔄 While language aptitude is generally stable and not easily trainable, newer research suggests it may change to some extent.
• 🚀 Motivation is crucial for successful second language learning, with more highly motivated learners tending to be more successful.
• 🔄 Motivation types such as integrated and instrumental motivation have different impacts on L2 learning in various contexts.
• 🤔 The relationship between motivation and L2 achievement is complex and may involve both correlation and causation.
• 😓 Language anxiety can negatively affect L2 performance, but it can also fluctuate based on the learning context and individual experiences.
• 🔄 Anxiety's impact on L2 learning is bi-directional; it can be both a cause and a result of poor language performance.
• 👨‍🏫 Teachers should recognize individual differences, work to maintain high motivation and low anxiety among learners, and provide positive experiences to enhance L2 learning.

Q & A

Why are individual differences important in second language acquisition?

Individual differences are important because they can significantly affect the success of learning a second language, unlike first language acquisition where all healthy children can naturally acquire their mother tongue given enough linguistic input.

What is language aptitude and how does it influence second language acquisition?

Language aptitude is a natural talent for learning new languages. It influences second language acquisition by allowing some individuals to learn a second language faster or more easily than others, given the same amount of exposure and learning time.

How does the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) help in predicting language learning success?

The MLAT measures four abilities crucial for language learning: phonemic coding ability, grammatical sensitivity, rote learning ability, and inductive language learning ability. Scores from this test can predict how quickly and successfully an individual might learn a new language.

Is language aptitude the same as general intelligence?

No, language aptitude is distinct from general intelligence. A person can have a high IQ but not necessarily have high language aptitude, and vice versa.

What is the relationship between motivation and second language acquisition success?

Higher motivation tends to lead to more successful second language acquisition. Motivated learners are more likely to persist and engage in the learning process, which contributes to their language proficiency.

What are the different types of motivation mentioned in the script?

The script mentions integrated motivation, which is the desire to be part of the target language community, and instrumental motivation, which views language learning as a tool to achieve a specific goal.

How does language anxiety affect second language performance?

Language anxiety, which includes feelings of nervousness, worry, and stress, tends to result in poorer second language performance. It can hinder learners' ability to effectively communicate and learn in their second language.

Can language aptitude change or is it stable over time?

Language aptitude is generally considered stable and does not change dramatically within the same individual. While newer research suggests it may be trainable to some extent, the evidence is not yet convincing.

What is the correlation between language anxiety and second language achievement?

Language anxiety has a negative correlation with second language achievement, meaning that higher levels of anxiety are associated with lower levels of language proficiency.

How can teachers address individual differences in second language acquisition in their teaching?

Teachers should recognize and accommodate individual differences by keeping learners' motivation high and anxiety low. They can provide positive experiences and feedback to enhance motivation and reduce anxiety.

What is the potential positive effect of a certain level of anxiety in language learning?

A moderate level of anxiety or nervousness can sometimes have a positive effect by helping learners concentrate more on the learning process.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Individual Differences in Language Learning

This paragraph introduces the concept of individual differences in second language acquisition and their significance. It contrasts the universal acquisition of first languages with the varying success in learning second languages. The speaker highlights factors such as language aptitude, motivation, and language anxiety as key individual differences affecting language learning outcomes. The paragraph also mentions that while age is an important factor, it will not be discussed due to the complexity and breadth of the topic.

05:00

📚 Understanding Language Aptitude

The second paragraph delves into the concept of language aptitude, which is defined as a natural talent for learning languages. It explains that while all healthy individuals can learn their first language, some people have a higher propensity for acquiring second languages. The Foreign Service Institute's data is cited to illustrate how different levels of language aptitude can affect the speed and proficiency of second language learning. The paragraph also clarifies that language aptitude is distinct from general intelligence and introduces the Modern Language Aptitude Test as a tool for measuring this aptitude.

10:03

🔍 The Stability of Language Aptitude

This paragraph discusses the traditional belief that language aptitude is stable and not easily changeable within an individual. It mentions that newer research challenges this view, but the evidence remains inconclusive. The speaker suggests that while language aptitude may not dramatically change, it could potentially be influenced to some extent, indicating a need for further research on the malleability of this trait.

15:04

💪 The Role of Motivation in Language Learning

The fourth paragraph examines motivation as a critical factor in second language acquisition. It differentiates between two types of motivation: integrative, which is the desire to join the target language community, and instrumental, which views language learning as a means to an end. The speaker explains how these motivations can impact language learning in different contexts, such as naturalistic and foreign language settings, and how motivation levels can affect the success of language acquisition.

20:04

😬 The Impact of Language Anxiety

The fifth paragraph addresses language anxiety, the feelings of nervousness and stress associated with learning and using a second language. It describes how anxiety levels can vary among learners and change depending on the situation. The speaker discusses the negative effects of high language anxiety on language performance and the potential for a bi-directional relationship between anxiety and language learning success, where poor performance can lead to increased anxiety, and vice versa.

25:06

👨‍🏫 Educational Implications and Summary

The final paragraph summarizes the impact of individual differences such as language aptitude, motivation, and anxiety on second language acquisition (SLA). It emphasizes the dynamic nature of motivation and anxiety and their potential to influence SLA either positively or negatively. The speaker also touches on the importance of recognizing these differences in educational settings and suggests strategies for teachers to maintain high motivation and low anxiety among learners. The paragraph concludes by reiterating the significance of these factors in the language learning process.

Keywords

💡Individual Differences

Individual differences refer to the variations among people in traits, abilities, and characteristics. In the context of the video, individual differences are crucial because they significantly impact the success of second language acquisition. The script discusses how not all people succeed in learning a second language, unlike first language acquisition, which is a natural process for healthy children. Examples from the script include language aptitude, motivation, and language anxiety as factors that contribute to these differences.

💡Second Language Acquisition

Second language acquisition (SLA) is the process of learning a language after the first language has been acquired. The video's theme revolves around understanding why not all individuals succeed in SLA, contrasting it with the universal success in first language learning. The script delves into factors that influence SLA, such as language aptitude and motivation, which are integral to the learners' success or failure in this process.

💡Language Aptitude

Language aptitude is an individual's natural talent for learning new languages. The script explains that some people have a higher language aptitude than others, which allows them to acquire a second language faster or more easily. The Modern Language Aptitude Test is mentioned in the script as a way to measure this ability, which is distinct from general intelligence and can predict the speed and ease with which an individual can learn a new language.

💡Motivation

Motivation in the script is defined as the enthusiasm or reasons for doing something, specifically for learning a second language. The video emphasizes that stronger motivation leads to more successful SLA. It also distinguishes between integrated motivation, which is the desire to be part of the target language community, and instrumental motivation, which views language learning as a tool to achieve other goals. The script provides examples of how these types of motivation influence SLA in different contexts.

💡Language Anxiety

Language anxiety is the nervousness, worry, or stress learners feel when learning or using a second language. The script explains that higher language anxiety tends to result in poorer second language performance. It also notes that anxiety can change within the same individual depending on the situation, and it can have both negative and positive effects on language learning.

💡Foreign Service Institute

The Foreign Service Institute is an organization mentioned in the script that trained diplomats. The data from this institute is used in the video to illustrate the impact of language aptitude on the speed of second language learning. The script references how diplomats with different levels of language aptitude achieved varying levels of speaking proficiency after 720 hours of training.

💡Integrated Motivation

Integrated motivation is a type of motivation discussed in the script where learners want to be part of the target language community. It is associated with a desire to integrate into a new society or culture. The video explains that this type of motivation has a strong positive correlation with second language achievement in naturalistic settings, such as when an immigrant learns the language of their new country.

💡Instrumental Motivation

Instrumental motivation, as described in the script, is the motivation to learn a language as a tool to achieve something, such as passing entrance exams. The video notes that while instrumental motivation can lead to higher second language proficiency, it may decrease once the goal is achieved, as exemplified by Japanese learners losing motivation after passing university entrance exams.

💡Correlation

Correlation in the script refers to a statistical relationship between two variables, such as the relationship between motivation or anxiety and second language achievement. The video explains that while there is a positive correlation between motivation and language learning success, it does not necessarily imply causation. It also mentions negative correlations, such as the relationship between smartphone usage and academic grades.

💡Causation

Causation is the relationship where one event causes another. The script discusses the difference between causation and correlation, emphasizing that just because two variables are correlated, it does not mean one causes the other. The video explores the possibility that motivation and language learning success could have a bidirectional relationship, where both can influence each other.

💡Educational Implications

Educational implications in the script refer to the practical considerations for teachers when teaching a second language. The video suggests that teachers should recognize individual differences, strive to maintain high motivation and low anxiety among learners, and provide positive experiences to enhance language learning. It highlights the importance of understanding and addressing the factors discussed in the video to improve SLA outcomes.

Highlights

Individual differences in second language acquisition are significant as not all people succeed in learning a second language, unlike first language acquisition.

Learners differ in many factors that affect their success in second language acquisition, such as language aptitude, motivation, and language anxiety.

Language aptitude is a talent for learning new languages, with some individuals having a higher aptitude than others.

Motivation plays a crucial role in second language acquisition, with stronger motivation leading to more successful learning outcomes.

Language anxiety can negatively impact second language performance, with higher anxiety levels often resulting in poorer proficiency.

The Foreign Service Institute data shows that diplomats with higher language aptitude acquired different levels of speaking proficiency after 720 hours of training.

Language aptitude is distinct from general intelligence, with individuals having high IQs not necessarily having high language aptitude.

The Modern Language Aptitude Test is a widely used tool to measure language aptitude and predict the success of language learning.

Language aptitude is considered stable and not easily trainable, with newer research not yet providing convincing evidence of changeability.

Different types of motivation, such as integrated and instrumental motivation, have varying impacts on second language acquisition in different contexts.

Integrated motivation is positively correlated with second language achievement in naturalistic settings, while instrumental motivation is a weaker predictor.

In foreign language learning contexts, instrumental motivation is also positively correlated with second language proficiency.

The relationship between motivation and second language achievement is bi-directional, with motivation potentially causing successful learning and vice versa.

Language anxiety can change within the same individual depending on the situation, and it can have both positive and negative effects on learning.

Anxiety can negatively affect second language performance, but a moderate level of nervousness might help with concentration.

Teachers should recognize individual differences among learners and strive to maintain high motivation and low anxiety levels in the classroom.

Positive experiences provided by teachers can lead to higher motivation and lower anxiety, contributing to better language learning outcomes.

While language aptitude, motivation, and anxiety are key factors, other individual differences such as age also impact second language acquisition.

Transcripts

in this video i'm going to talk about

individual differences in second

language acquisition

so why are individual differences in

secondary equation

important everyone probably knows that

not all people succeed in secondary

nucleation

this is in sharp contrast with false

language acquisition

because all healthy children can acquire

their mother tongue or first language

given enough linguistic input

however we all know that not all

individuals succeed

in acquiring a second language

and the individual differences in

success in secular

acquisition come from

at least some of them come from

individual differences

that are part of the learners themselves

so the learners individuals

they differ in many factors and some of

those factors

have strong effects on secondary

acquisition

so these are the main individual

differences that are known

to influence secondary psychologically

language aptitude motivation and

language anxiety

language aptitude is a talent for

learning new languages

and some some people have higher

languation than others

motivation what is motivation

i think you know what a motivation is um

but i i'm i'm gonna explain it later

stronger motivation leads to more

successful second language acquisition

and also motivation is influenced by

many factors

language anxiety

higher language anxiety tends to result

in poorer

second language performance

so obviously these are important

in this video i'm not going to talk

about

the learner's age even though this is

also a very important

factor in second language acquisition

because

i just can't talk all of it

um this is too important um

so um i'm not going to talk about

dalan's age

in this video

so first let me talk about language

aptitude

so language aptitude is a talent for

language learning

and but but it's also true that everyone

has an ability

for language learning because healthy

people can acquire their l1

giving enough input but it's it's also

true that some people are better

at learning a second or foreign language

than others

so these people can learn their l2

faster or more easily than other people

so given um the same time

in the same input some people are faster

than

other people who are slower

so so in this case um we say that these

people

have higher language aptitude so they

can learn

l2 faster or more easily

so this is a very interesting data

so this data shows that uh elite

learners with higher language aptitude

countdown and l2 faster

so this data comes from this

organization

called the foreign service institute

institute in america

i'm not quite sure whether this

institute still exists because this data

is quite old

but it seems that this at this institute

um

diplomats diplomats are trained

and this uh data among other things

reports

uh excuse me this data report among

other things

that after 720 hours of elite learning

at this place english-speaking diplomats

with different language aptitude

have acquired different levels of

secondary speaking proficiency

so these numbers represent

levels of second language proficiency

these diplomats have attained

so if the number is high like here

it means that they have attained a

higher level of second language

proficiency

okay and here we have different

um language aptitudes minimum aptitude

lowest altitude average aptitude normal

altitude and superior

aptitude good aptitude and

here we have language groups language

groups

from group 1 to group 4. and actually

these languages in group 1 they are the

easiest

for native english-speaking people and

these

languages in group 4 the these languages

are the most difficult for

english-speaking people

as you can see in these numbers

given the same amount of exposure

given the same length of learning

people with higher aptitude

have attained a higher level

of speaking proficiency

so um the speed of second language

learning

dependent on um

how high these people's language

aptitude was

but it's also dependent on which

second language which language

they learnt okay

so both language aptitude

and this linguistic factor are

important

and language aptitude is not actually

the same

as general intelligence so language

aptitude

is at least partly different from

general intelligence

so some people have high iq other people

have low iq

but people with high iq iq means

intelligent coordinate people with high

iq

do not always have high language

aptitude

so these two types of people

can be different so someone

can be good at languages

but um that that doesn't necessarily

mean that

that person those people

have high iq and there are also

other people who have high iq but

who are not really good at languages

and how can we measure language aptitude

the most widely used test of language

aptitude is

this it's called the modern language

aptitude

test so it's a very very old test

but actually newer tests of random

aptitude

are not clearly better than this one

so this is simply a great test

and we can use the this test to predict

who or which learners can learn

a new tool rapidly isn't it great

interestingly this test is taken in

one's

mother tongue

for example native english speakers take

this test

in english

excuse me so this so these

are sample questions from the modern

language aptitude test

you can find them on the on the internet

so uh native english speakers take

this test in english so they

answer these questions in english and

based

on their scores we can predict

how successful they will be if they run

an l2 so this suggests that there is

something in common

between your l1 and your l2

okay so there is some

kind of common basis for your

l1 and for your l2

and the modern language aptitude test

measures

four abilities one phonemic code

coding ability concerning pronunciation

or phonology

to grammatical sensitivity concerning

grammar or syntax

three wrote learning ability concerning

vocabulary or lexicon

for inductive language learning ability

concerning pattern recognition

i think you can see that all of these

are actually very important in language

and language learning obviously

and um one question that

many researchers have been pursuing is

this

whether language aptitude changes or not

so does it change or is it trainable

or is it stable it doesn't change

and it has been long thought that

language aptitude does not change

in the same individual so it's stable so

it's not

trainable newer research

challenges this view but actually the

evidence

so far is not convincing so i think we

can say that

language aptitude does not change

dramatically

it may change to some extent but it

doesn't change dramatically

in the same individual

okay next i'm going to talk about

motivation

so what is motivation motivation is an

enthusiasm for doing something

or reasons for doing something okay

and obviously second language learners

have a motivation to run

an l2 otherwise they will not run any l2

so

they they i think they have some kind of

motivation

but some second language learners have a

strong motivation

while others have a weak motivation

and what is the importance of motivation

actually

more highly motivated editor learners

tend to be more successful

in l2 learning

so you need to be motivated if you want

to attain

a high level of second language

proficiency

and actually this is different from

fostering equation because success

in fast learning and creation does not

really depend on

motivation so all healthy children

just naturally acquire their first

language

and there are different types of

motivation

the most well-known

types are these integrated motivation

and instrumental motivation

proposed by these researchers so what is

integrated motivation integrated

motivation is a desire

to be part of the target language

community

so integrate means to bring someone with

particular characteristics

into a group so for example

let's say you are an immigrant to

america

so you're born in japan but you move to

move to america

and you want to live there so you're an

immigrant to america

and you want to be part of the american

society

and you want friends you want to keep

living there etc

so in this kind of case you may have

strong integrated motivation

so you want to be part of the english

community

and what is instrumental motivation

an instrument is like a tool so people

with

an instrumental motivation for edit

learning cdn2

as a tool to achieve something for

example passing entrance exams

and integrative motivation

has great impacts on second language

acquisition

so integrative motivation sport is

positively

correlated with second language

achievement in naturalistic

sla so people with higher integrative

motivation tend to achieve a higher

level of second language proficiency

in this kind of context so naturalistic

sla

is like if you if you are born in japan

and move to america and

start learning english there it's

naturalistic sla

so in natural secrecy instrumental

motivation

this one instrumental motivation

is a weaker predictor of secondary

achievement

so the impact of integrated motivation

is stronger in naturalistic yesterday

but in foreign language learning

foreign language learning is is like you

know

you you are born in japan and grew up in

japan

and you learn english in japan

so in japan english is a foreign

language

it's not really used

for communication at all so in this kind

of case

instrumental motivation is also

positively correlated with

eligible achievement even though it's a

weaker predictor of elite achievement in

naturalistic sla

so um in foreign language learning

higher instrument motivation leads to

higher

second language proficiency

however there is a problem here once

learners have achieved their goal

their instrument motivation rapidly goes

down so this is exemplified

by this japanese learners of english

tend to lose their motivation to learn

english

after they have passed university

entrance exams

i think many people have experienced

this

and here there is an important correct

uh sorry important question

is this relationship between motivation

and second language achievement

is it a correlation or causation

the effects of motivation on education

achievement

have been reported by correlational

studies

so what is the correlation there are two

kinds of correlations positive

correlation

and a negative correlation so this shows

a positive correlation and this shows a

negative correlation

so a positive correlation is like this

when the value of one factor let's say

here

is high the value of another factor

is also high so for example taller

people tend to weigh more so if you

compare babies with adults

um babies are short and weigh less

and the doubts are taller and way more

so there is a positive correlation

between height and

weight and a negative correlation is

like this when the value of one factor

is

high the value of another factor is low

for example students who use a

smartphone smartphone for longer hours

tend to have lower academic grades so

this is a negative correlation

and importantly correlation does not

mean causation

so causation means that a causes b

but correlation just means a and b are

correlated but it's not clear

which causes which

does a equals b or that's b cause a

we are not sure so there are different

possibilities here

possibility one is that higher

motivation causes more successful health

learning

i think this is true but there is

another possibility

successful eight learning motivates

learners more

i think this is also true so probably

this third possibility

is true so both are true

okay let me talk about language anxiety

learners feel nervous worried or

stressed when learning or using

an l2 so language and anxiety is these

feelings of

nervousness worry and stress okay

and it's known that some elite learners

are more anxious than others

for example some runners become nervous

when they have to speak their l2

in front of many people while others

don't

you know some people are

more anxious but other people are more

relaxed

but it's also true that anxiety changes

within the same individual

because language anxiety depends on

particular situations

and can change in

the same individual so

please imagine a situation where you

have to

speak your l2 with

a classmate who speaks the same n1

and you you speak your l2

with that person impairment it is just

you and that person i think you feel

more relaxed

however if you have to speak your l2 in

front of many runners

many classmates in the class maybe you

feel more anxious

and if there is only one

non-native speaker you

and all the other people in the room in

the same room

are native speakers and we have to go to

the front

and we have to speak your second

language

in front of those native speakers

i think you will feel even more anxious

so language anxiety can change in the

same individual

and just like motivation

anxiety influences second language

learning

and performance so research has already

shown that language anxiety has negative

effects

on psychological learning so according

to these researches

it has been shown that language sorry

anxiety

negatively affects performance in the

second language in some cases

anxiety provides some of the highest

highest simple correlations of attitudes

so so anxiety is a kind of attitude

simple correlations with second language

achievement

so if you have high language anxiety

your psychologist performance will be

lower

but again we have to ask this question

is it just a correlation or is it

causation because unsuccessful secondary

learning may lead to more

language anxiety

typically young children who are

learning

a second language young second and

second language journals

do not have much language and anxiety at

least initially

so young children are happy and relaxed

but if if they experience experience

something negative

in their second language learning they

may start to have

language anxiety so negative experience

resulting from poor second language

performance

for second language performance may

cause

anxiety so in this case anxiety is the

result

so it's the result not the cause

of unsuccessful end learning

so the relationship can be

bi-directional

so we have this

effect in this direction but we may

also have this

and it's also true that there are some

positive

effects of anxiety so feeling too

anxious typically leads to

poor edited performance this is also

true however feeling just a little

nervous

may help you concentrate more

i think this is also true and in this

kind of case the word tension

is used so the word tension is more

neutral word

than anxiety and it's sometimes used to

describe

positive aspects of just a little bit of

anxiety

and there are some educational

implications

so first teachers have to recognize

that learners have individual

differences and

some of those differences contribute to

success or failure in sla

so first teachers have to recognize this

fact this

fact and teachers have to make efforts

to keep second languages motivation high

and to keep their anxiety low

and even if it's difficult to change

learner's language aptitude

teachers can give learners positive

experiences

which will lead to higher motivation and

lower anxiety

so if you want to become a teacher of

english please try to

praise your students achievements and

also give them

positive feedback

okay to summarize um individual

differences such as language aptitude

motivation

and anxiety have very clear effects on

sla

there are actually some other factors

some other individual differences that

impact sla and the uh

one of the most important um factors is

the learner's age but i couldn't talk

about it

in this video

learners with higher language aptitudes

learn

anal 2 faster okay there are some people

who have higher language aptitudes and

they can run on youtube

faster and more easily and lungs after

it does not change

dramatically greatly in the same

individual but motivation

and anxiety do change

dynamically actually and motivation and

anxiety can be the result as well as the

cause of good or poor edited performance

and there are different types of

motivation instrumental sorry integrated

motivation and instrumental motivation

and they have different effects in

different contexts

and anxiety can have both positive and

negative effects and teachers must take

these factors into account

when teaching an l2

thanks for listening