This document discusses several key differences between language learners, including age, sex, aptitude, motivation, cognitive style, personality, and learning strategies. Younger learners may have advantages like brain plasticity and fewer inhibitions, while older learners have benefits such as learning capacity and real-world knowledge. Research has found some differences in language acquisition between males and females, though the causes are still unclear. Individual aptitudes like phonemic coding ability also impact learning. Motivation depends on goals, beliefs, and perceived value of language mastery. Cognitive style, personality, and preferred learning approaches further differentiate learners.

1. DIFFERENCES IN
LEARNERS
Student: Roberto Alvear
Teacher: Mgsc. Mónica
Pinto
Subject: Language
Acquisition
University: ESPE

2. 1.AGE
- It is a myth that younger people learn faster or better than older
people. Older people can learn better
- “Success” in learning a language has different points of view
(pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary)
- Advantages of younger students: brain plasticity, not analytical,
fewer inhibitions, weaker group identity, simplified inputs.
- Advantages of older students: Learning capacity, analytical,
pragmatic, better L1 knowledge, real world knowledge

3. 2.SEX
- Western cultures believe that females tend to be better L2 learners
than males.
- It might be that there are sex differences in language acquisition and
processing, but it hasn’t be proved yet.
- Some differences might be because of the different types of brains.
- -Other differences might appear due to hormonal variables.

4. 3.APTITUDE
- Phonemic Coding Ability: The ability to hear and convert into
phonemes.
- Inductive Language Learning Ability and Grammatical Sensitivity:
Related with central processing.
- Associative Memory Capacity: Related with how ítems are stored in
memory and recalled.

5. 4. MOTIVATION
- Main Components: Significant goal or need, desire to attain
goal, relevance of L2 learning, belief in success or failure of
L2, value of potential rewards.
- Types of Motivations: Integrative (based in interest in L2)
and Instrumental (based on perception of the value of L2)

6. 5. COGNITIVE STYLE
- It is related with the way how people learn and it works
in pairs 2 opposite traits
- Field-dependent and Field-independent
- Global and Particular
- Holistic and Analytic
- Deductive and Inductive
- Focus on Meaning & Focus on Form

7. 6. PERSONALITY
- It is related with cognitive styles and it works in pairs
of2 opposite traits
- Anxious and self-confident
- Risk-avoiding and Risk-taking
- Shy and Adventuresome
- Introverted and Extroverted
- Inner-directed and Other-directed
- Reflective and Impulsive
- Imaginative and Uninquisitive
- Creative and Uncreative
- Empathetic and Insenstivie
- Tolerant of ambiguity and Closure-oriented

8. 7. LEARNING STRATEGIES
- Meta-cognitive: They try to regulate language
learning by planning and monitoring
- Cognitive: Based on direct analysis or synthesis
of linguistic material
- Social/Affective: It believes in interacting with
others.

9. SOURCE: Introducing
Second Language
Acquisition (Muriel Saville-
Troike, Cambridge
University Press,2006)