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Individual Differences Among Learners
Most theories of learning are attempts to
describe universal human traits in learning.
They seek to explain globally how people
perceive, filter, store, and recall information.(Brown,
1994:103)
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These models of learning do not account for
the plethora of differences across individuals
in the way they learn.
While we all exhibit inherently human traits of
learning, every individual approaches a
problem or learns a set of facts from a unique
perspective.
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Other than individual traits such as
intelligence, motivation, attitude, personality,
level of first language, empathy and age,
cognitive variations such as aptitude, learning
styles and learning strategies do encourage or
inhibitsecond language learning.
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The development of individualised instruction ispartly due to a
wish to release the learners fromthe need to work at the same
rate.
Another possibility is to stream students intodifferent classes
for different levels of aptitude,say highfliers, average, and below
average.
Providing different teaching methods and final
exams for different types of aptitude might notbe such a good
ideas as this would be a luxury interms of staffing and
expertise.
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Moreover, the student whose performance isdismal in one subject
may be gifted in another.
Thus, only in individualised or self-directedlearning perhaps
can this be overcome.
It is common knowledge among teachers thatlearners differ in
their preferences in languagelearning.
Some need to learn grammatical rules, othersclaim to know them
intuitively.
Some cannot remember anything unless theywrite it down, other
have very good memories.
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These have been attributed to differences incognitive or
learning styles in individuals.
Learning styles mediate between emotion andcognition and refer
to the ways a student prefersto go about learning (Chitravelu et
al., 1995:11)
Cognitive style has also been defined as apersons typical ways
of thinking, seen as acontinuum between field-dependent
cognitive
style in which thinking relates to context andfield-independent
style in which it is independentof context (Cook, 1991: 86)
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In second language learning, it may be
incorrect to assume that learners should be
either field-dependent or field-independent.
It is more likely that people have general
inclinations, but given certain contexts, can
exercise some degree of an appropriate style.
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Learners of different learning styles employ
different strategies of learning (De Bono, 1976;
Toncheva, 1992; & Chryschocoos, 1992 in
Bahiyah, 1993: 32)
As such, Chitravelu (1995:12) suggests that a
teacher should be sensitive to and accommodate
the students preferences for learning styles andstrategies to
bring about improved learner
satisfaction and attainment.
