INDIVIDUAL LEARNER DIFFERENCES AND DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES

Abstract

Research findings have not yet been able to give a complete answer to questions such as: „Should a learner possess a natural aptitude or linguistic intelligence to learn a second language successfully?“, „To what extent do motivation and learners’ personality traits impact the process of second language learning?“ and „Are children better learners than adults?“. Considering these questions we will try to give a brief overview of the components that make up the notion of individual differences and, above all, their impact on learners’ success. At the very beginning, the terms age, intelligence, aptitude and motivation will be analyzed and their impact on learners’ progress will be explained. In addition, this paper will define the notion of learning styles and will provide some guidelines for teachers how to teach heterogeneous classes effectively. This paper will try to give a clear picture of the significant role of individual learner differences in second language acquisition and will try to determine which factors have the greatest impact on learners’ success.