This review paper explores the role of individual differences in second language vocabulary learning, focusing on three key factors: out-of-class exposure (e.g., viewing TV, playing video games and listening to songs), strategic vocabulary learning, and motivation. Individual differences significantly impact vocabulary learning, making it crucial…

Over the past decade, the focus of investigation in individual differences (IDs) research has shifted from the utilization of large-scale questionnaire surveys toward the adoption of methodological diversity and development of new approaches to second-language (L2) communication (Dörnyei and Ryan [2015]. "The Psychology of the Language…

The aim of this review is to synthesize empirical studies on undergraduate language learners' experience abroad during a time period of a year or less. To help provide a framework to this synthesis, we begin our review by tracing the recent evolution of empirical mixed-method research on the learner, identifying problems and characteristics that…

Game-based learning is getting popular in both K-12 schools and colleges. Research is needed to understand how engagement can influence learning and what specific factors of game-based learning that affect learners. In this study, we reviewed a total of 20 empirical studies from refereed journals that examined student engagement in game-based…

Success in second language learning is often related to the concept of 'motivation'. Motivation is the most used concept for explaining the failure or success of a language learner. This paper collected and reviewed the literature of motivation in second language acquisition (SLA) form prominent journals in the field. The role of motivation as one…

The aims of this paper are to review research literature on the role that the second language (L2) and foreign language (FL) environments actually play in the development of learners' target language (TL) pragmatic ability, and also to speculate as to the extent to which individual factors can offset the advantages that learners may have by being…

This paper reviews the corpus of research on feedback, with a particular focus on formative feedback--defined as information communicated to the learner that is intended to modify the learner's thinking or behavior for the purpose of improving learning. According to researchers in the area, formative feedback should be multidimensional,…

Goodenough's (1976) findings on field dependence/independence are extended here by focusing on the information processing stages of attention, encoding in short term and working memories, and storage and retrieval processes of long term memory. The reviewed research indicates that field independent and dependent individuals differ in the ability…

The study of the role of students' interest in their learning has seen a resurgence in the past 20 years. This chapter examines the ways in which adolescents' interests develop, differ from those of younger children, and contribute to their developing sense of self. The chapter helps to explain why many adolescents lack academic interests and how…

Reviews research conducted on adult populations dealing with correlates or predictors of proficiency in a second language. Four classes of individual difference variables are considered, including (1) attitudes and motivation; (2) language aptitude and intelligence; (3) language learning strategies; and (4) personality variables. (83 references)…

A distinction is drawn between students' ability to understand information and their personal acceptance and valuing of that information. Results of a small-scale study are used to suggest that students may differ in their levels of acceptance of information. Ideas regarding possible future research are discussed. (Author/JMD)

Evaluates relevance of existing instructional research on computer-assisted instruction, programed instruction, instructional video, and instructional television to the study of interactive video; describes several assumptions about interactive video use which require validation and study; and proposes a propositional framework to guide the…

This discussion of the relationship between self-directed learning, adult development, and distance education presents findings from researchers in the field of autonomous learning. In addition, the implications of self-directed learning for the curriculum and teaching methods in distance education are considered. The document is divided into the…

Provides information about the curriculum characteristics of first- and third-year high school Spanish textbooks and determines what differences exist among the texts involved. Study results indicate that these textbooks are consistently "deficient" on nearly all of the dimensions examined. (Author/SED)

The term "ethno-lingual relativity" is defined as a perspective that is not limited by one's own cultural and linguistic experiences, but rather is open to the contrasting cultural and linguistic patterns of other peoples. It is hypothesized that having an ethno-lingually relative perspective can facilitate one's ability to learn a new language.…