A Review on Learners’ Factors in Language Learning

陳競

【Abstracts】Based on the literature of learners individual factors available， this essay tries to present the systematic relation between factors that can be controlled and those cannot. And a further exploration is carried out to elaborate on the specific learners controllable factors such as learning strategies， attribution and learners anxiety.

【Key words】learners factors； language learning； uncontrollable factors； controllable factors

It is widely acknowledged that since mid 1970s in the last century， a shift has been seen in language learning from teachers to learners. One portion of the factors in the learning process， which is the interior individual learner factors， gradually， is getting into the perspective of language teachers and linguists. Along with the shift， researches of various directions are springing up.

1. Learners Uncontrollable Factors

Learners factors， based on the feature of them， can be classified into two main categories： controllable factors and uncontrollable factors by Wen Qiufang， one of the currently leading researchers in foreign language teaching and learning in China.（Wen， 1993） Those factors coming with the learners from the time they are born or during the long procedure of their growth that stay beyond the effect of the learners subjective efforts in the certain research time， are considered uncontrollable， such as family background， educational accumulation， previous work experience， physical health， height， learning aptitude， etc. The purpose of scientific research in language learning is definitely to shed some lights on the possible methods in order to improve teaching and learning both from teachers and students sides. Its emphasis， therefore， usually is removed from the uncontrollable factors.

2. Learners Controllable Factors

Those factors that are changeable or improvable through the systematic training of a learner with the positive goal of enhancing his or her leaning efficacy in certain technique are called controllable factors. Among the substantial body of research focusing on controllable factors in language learning， learners individual factors are explored not only from the perspective of language learning in the general sense（蘇紅蕾， 王秋紅， 2008： 102-112）， but also in specific practice of language learning skills（易冬鳳， 2004）. To name a few， they are learners learning styles， learning strategies， motivation， beliefs， learner anxiety， etc.

2.1 Learning styles

Learning styles refer to a range of competing and contested theories that aim to account for differences in individuals learning. A learners learning style is his or her natural， habitual and preferred way of absorbing， processing and retaining new information and skills （Reid 1995）. There are many different learning styles models and only a few models are described below.

Visual （spatial）： Visual learners prefer seeing （using pictures， images， and spatial understanding）. They convert words into images in the brain.

Aural （auditory-musical）： Aural learners prefer listening （using sound and music， etc.）.

Verbal （linguistic）： Verbal learners prefer using words， both in speech and writing.

Tactile （kinesthetic）： Tactile learners prefer learning via experience （using their body， hands and sense of touch）.

Logical （mathematical）： Logical learners prefer using logic， reasoning and systems.

Social （interpersonal）： Social learners prefer to learn in groups or with other people.

Solitary （intrapersonal）： Solitary learners prefer to work alone and use self-study.

2.2 Learning Strategies

There is a considerable debate on appropriate ways of defining learning strategies. Researchers have not gained a common understanding of learning strategies. Some definitions of learning strategies proposed by different researchers are as follows： Chamot（1987）： Learning strategies are techniques， approaches or deliberate actions that students take in order to facilitate their learning. Rubin（1987）： Learning strategies are strategies which contribute to the development of the language system which the learner constructs and affect learning directly. Oxford（1989）： Language learning strategies are behaviors or actions which learners use to make language learning more successful， self-directed and enjoyable.

A complete definition of learning strategies is not available. However， the definitions above show that no researchers define language learning strategies in exactly the same way. All these definitions provide insights into understanding the process of learning a language. It is not surprising that till now， no consensus have yet arrived on the definition of strategy. But， the list of definitions of language learning strategies taken from the literature reveals a number of controversial issues（Ellis， 1994）. The understanding of the definition of language learning strategies is directly related to the classification on them.

Sometimes the definitions are the yardsticks of the classifications or， taxonomy， and also the basic foundations for strategy study. And according to Wen Qiufang（1993）， strategies include environmental factors （such as cultural background， learning conditions， teaching environment， learning task） and learners own factors （such as learning motivation， effort， learning style and gender） related to the learning strategies. Rebecca Oxfords （1990） research tries to draw a distinction between direct strategies and indirect strategies in learning.

2.3 Learners Anxiety

Anxiety is another crucial factor related to English learning. Spielberger（1972） defines anxiety as “an unpleasant emotional state or condition， which is characterized by subjective feelings of tension， apprehension， and worry， and by activation or arousal of the automatic nervous system”. And most of researchers followed this definition. Language anxiety is described as fear or apprehension occurring when a learner is expected to perform in the second or foreign language（Garder and MacIntyre， 1993）. Three components of foreign language anxiety have been identified （Horwitzetal， 1986）. A. Communication apprehension， arising from learners ability to adequately express mature thoughts and ideas； B. Fear of negative social evaluation， arising from a learners need to make a positive social impression on others； C. Test anxiety， or apprehension over academic evaluation.

3. Implication

It is believed that many factors affect language learning， among which， learners learning styles， strategies and their anxiety have been found to be the main influential ones in determining the final success of language learning. Though there is no particular method that can suit the needs of all learners， teachers can take learners learning styles， strategies， and anxiety into account to help learners broaden their repertoire of learning and thus develop more flexibility and create greater possibility of success in their language learning.

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