Individual Differences and Processing Instruction - James F. Lee

Individual Differences and Processing Instruction - James F. Lee

1. Individual Differences in Instructed Second Language Learning: Working Memory, Aptitude and Age Differences

Individual Differences and Processing Instruction - James F. Lee

Alessandro G. Benati [+-]
University of Portsmouth
Professor Alessandro Benati is Professor of Second Language Acquisition and Head of School of Languages and Area Studies at the University of Portsmouth. He is internationally known for his research in second language learning and teaching, with special emphases on processing instruction. He is a pioneering researcher in the area of second language acquisition (SLA) and has built a reputation on two fronts. On one front, he is a premier Italian language scholar producing the most empirical work on the teaching and acquisition of Italian in the world. On the other front, he is a scholar in the more general field of instructed SLA, with an emphasis on the effects of formal instruction on the acquisition of grammatical properties by second language learners. He has a strong publications record with 12 established monographs, chapters and articles in international journals (Language Awareness, IRAL, and Language Teaching Research).

Description

This collection of essays builds on the authors’ previous work and aims to open an additional branch of research in processing instruction, and to stimulate further research. This is the first collection of studies that empirically addresses the role that individual differences, such as age, gender, and native language background, might play in the results generated by processing instruction. In this chapter, three major areas of inquiry within the theoretical and empirical framework concerned with the effects of individual differences on second language learning will be briefly presented. The author will examine working memory, language aptitude and age from a cognitive and psycholinguistic perspective. The concepts of working memory, aptitude and age differences will be explained and the relevance of these factors to second language acquisition highlighted.

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Citation

Benati, Alessandro G.. 1. Individual Differences in Instructed Second Language Learning: Working Memory, Aptitude and Age Differences. Individual Differences and Processing Instruction. Equinox eBooks Publishing, United Kingdom. p. 3 - 18 Nov 2013. ISBN 9781845533441. https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/view-chapter/?id=21679. Date accessed: 25 Apr 2024 doi: 10.1558/equinox.21679. Nov 2013

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