Predictors of success in foreign language learning

BA seminar 2016/2017
Lecturer: Malgorzata Jedynak, PhD
Main theme:
Predictors of success in foreign language
learning
The course has an insight into intricacies of individual variation in second language
acquisition. It focuses on various factors related to biology, learners' affect, cognition, and
first language background. All these factors have been proved to correlate highly with
learners' foreign language success.
The course elucidates the role of age of onset related to critical period hypothesis
which may determine FL success, particularly in pronunciation. An insight will be also given
into learner’s affective and social factors such as motivation and attitude, willingness to
communicate, attributions and locus of control, self-efficacy beliefs, self-esteem and related
self-concept, autonomy, coping competence, anxiety and empathy. Finally the role of
language aptitude, the use of strategies and linguistic repertoire will be discussed.
Aims:
practical and theoretical preparation to BA thesis writing in the fields of
 Second language acquisition
 TEFL methodology
 Psychology related to L2 teaching
Detailed coverage:
1. The role of age in successful FL learning.
(the critical period versus sensitive period hypotheses, the younger=the better in the
long run, the older=the faster, the effect of age on various language aspects)
2. Affective and social factors.
(motivation and attitude, willingness to communicate, attributions and locus of control,
self-efficacy beliefs, self-esteem and related self-concept, autonomy, coping
competence, anxiety, empathy)
3.
Language aptitude.
(ability vs aptitude vs intelligence; MLAT and PLAB tests; multiple intelligences)
4. Learner strategies.
(various typologies by O'Malley (1985) , Rubin (1987) and Oxford (1990), Stern
(1992); self-regulated learning)
5. Language repertoire
(language distance theory, positive and negative transfer, cross-linguistic
interference, language identity of multilinguals)
Course type: seminar and conversational class
Examples of research issues investigated in BA thesis:
 L2 learners' language attainments in various age groups + implications for FL
teachers (e.g. young learners, adolescent learners versus adult learners)
Examples of BA paper topics
- " Foreign language active and passive vocabulary acquisition by
kindergarten children and middle school youngsters"
- "Inductive and deductive grammar teaching in adolescent and adult
learner groups"
- " FL pronunciation learning by pre-puberty and post-puberty groups"
 L2 learners' affecive factors and their impact on attainment in various language
aspects and skills + + implications for FL teachers ( e.g. analysis of personality
factors or motivation and their impact on grammar learning or speaking)
Examples of BA paper topics
- "Motivational profiles of foreign language learners"
- "Enhancing motivation by FL teachers in various age groups"
- "Anxiety and its effect on speaking in L2"
- " Implications of the attribution theory for foreign language teachers"
- "Willingness to communicate of L2 learnersin various age groups"
- "FL learners' attitudes towards learning various English pronunciation
models"
 L2 learners' cognitive predispositions for L2 learning + implications for FL
teachers (e.g. contribution of language aptitude, various intelligence types, and
learner strategies to L2 success)
Examples of BA paper topics
- "Predicting L2 achievements by language learning aptitude tests"
- "Gardner's multiple intelligences and FL learning"
- "Metacognitive strategies and L2 grammar learning"
- "Mnemonics (memory) techniques and L2 vocabulary learning by adolescent
learners"
- "Communication strategies used by advanced learners of English"
 Learners' linguistic repertoire (e.g. L1 or L2) and its impact on learning
successive languages (L3, L4 etc.)
Examples of BA paper topics
- "Lexical, grammar and pronunciation errors of students learning L2 German
and L3 English"
- "Cross-linguistic interference in Polish students of L2 English and L3 Russian"
- "Language identity of multilingual speakers of Polish, English, Chinese and
Korean"
Bibliography:
1. The role of age in successful FL learning.

Jedynak, M. 2009. Critical Period Hypothesis Revisited. The Impact of Age on
Ultimate Attainment in the Pronunciation of a Foreign LanguagePeter Lang GmbH
Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften: Frankfurt am Mein.

Lenneberg, Eric (1967). Biological Foundations of Language. New York: Wiley.

Mayberry, R. I.; Lock, E. (2003). "Age constraints on first versus second language
acquisition: Evidence for linguistic plasticity and Epigenesis". Brain and Language 87:
369–384.

Rokita-Jaśkow, J. 2013. Foreign Language Learning at Pre-primary Level. Parental
Aspirations and Educational Practice. J. Rokita-Jaśkow. Kraków: Wydawnictwo
Naukowe Uniwersytetu Pedagogicznego w Krakowie
2. Affective and social factors.

MacIntyre, P.D.; Clément, R.; Dörnyei, Z.; Noels, K.A. (1998). "Conceptualizing
willingness to communicate in an L2: A situational model of L2 confidence and
affiliation". The Modern Language Journal 82 (4): 545–562.

Dörnyei, Z. (2005). The psychology of the language learner: Individual differences in second
language acquisition : L. Erlbaum.

Dörnyei, Zoltan (2001). Motivational Strategies in the Language Classroom.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Csizér, K., & Dörnyei, Z. (2005). Language learners' motivational profiles and their motivated learning
behaviour. Language Learning, 55 (4), 613-659.

Gabryś-Barker, D., et al. 2012. Affect in Second Language Learning and Teaching
Tom 2,Wydanie 2 z Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching.

Pawlak, M. 2012. New Perspectives on Individual Differences in Language Learning
and Teaching. Springer Science & Business Media.

Piechurska-Kuciel, E. 2008. Language Anxiety in Secondary Grammar School
Students. Wydawn. Uniwersytetu Opolskiego.
3.
Language aptitude.
 Biedroń, A. 2012. Cognitive-affective profile of gifted adult foreign language learners.
Słupsk: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Akademii Pomorskiej w Słupsku.
 Gardner, Howard (1999), Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st
Century, Basic Books
 Kathleen S. (2004). Kincheloe, Joe L., ed. "Multiple Intelligences Reconsidered".
Counterpoints v. 278. Peter Lang.
 Rysiewicz, J. Opis Testu Uzdolnień do Nauki Języków Obcych - TUNJO.pdf
http://corydoras.nazwa.pl/ptn/index2.php?id=372
4. Learner strategies.

Anna Uhl Chamot. Issues in Language Learning Strategy Research and Teaching.
Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching 2004, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 14-26 ©
Centre for Language Studies,National University of Singapore.

Michońska-Stadnik, A. 1997. Strategie uczenia się i autonomia ucznia w warunkach
szkolnych.
5. Linguistic repertoire

Pavlenko, A. and Blackledge, A. (Eds). (2004). Negotiation of identities in multilingual
contexts. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters

Chlopek, Z. 2011. Nabywanie języków trzecich i kolejnych oraz wielojęzyczność.
Aspekty psycholingwistyczne (i inne). Third and Additional Language Appropriation
and Multilingualism. Psycholinguistic (and other) Aspects.. Wrocław: Wydawnictwo
Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego.

Gass, S., and Selinker, G. 1992. Language Transfer in Language Learning. John
Benjamins Publishing.