This document discusses differences in language acquisition between various groups of language learners. It compares young and older learners, male and female learners, and outlines several factors that influence language learning ability including aptitude, motivation, cognitive style, personality, and learning strategies. Specifically, it notes that young learners acquire language more easily due to brain plasticity, memory, and exposure to real-life situations, while older learners are more likely to retain an accent. It also suggests that males and females differ in their language learning strengths, such as boys learning better visually and girls performing better in grammar.

1. DIFFERENCES IN L2 LEARNERS
LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Mishell Arreaga

2. YOUNG LEARNERS OLDER LEARNERS
The young learner`s brain is like a
sponge which absorbs and processes
new information quickly and easily.
Limited learning capacity because of
brain maturation.
The young learner likes to interact with
others; the learner receives a great
amount of language input.
The adult learner does not look for
interactive communication so he
receives poor language input.
The young learner`s memory is
phenomenal; it retains easily a lot of
information.
The adult learner`s memory elasticity
decreases and it becomes more difficult
to retain information easy.
The young learner acquires a native-like
language knowledge by being exposed
to real life situations.
The adult learner is more likely to
develop a foreign accent and to be
grammatically less natural.
AGE

3. BOYS GIRLS
Boys learn better a language by seeing
using visual aids.
Girls tends to be better in grammar and
spelling.
Boys are better in understanding and
figuring out compositional rules.
The girls` brain shows more activity when
learning a language.
Boys automatize language skills better
and giving place to an affective language
learning.
Girls are good in remembering difficult
linguistic forms.
Boys acquire language through its sensory
system.
Girls are semantically and verbally more
competent.
SEX

4.  Being apt to learn a language consists on:
 1. phonemic coding ability: being capable to decode incoming
speech sounds.
 2. inductive language learning ability: being capable to figure
out how the rules governing the language work.
 3. grammatical sensitivity: knowing the function of each
linguistic element.
 4. associative memory capacity: to be able to memorize linguistic
forms accurately and to use them appropriately.
APTITUDE

5. A feeling of determination to achieve some desired goal; there are
two types of motivation:
 Integrative motivation: the learner acquires the second
language because he desires to fit in a society where the L2 is
spoken.
 Instrumental motivation: the learner acquires a second
language because he needs it to fulfil another goal like having
better job opportunities, for graduating, or for traveling.
MOTIVATION

6.  A certain manner of perceiving and processing information;
there are different cognitive styles:
COGNITIVE STYLE
Field-independent: recognize objects no
matter the complexity of the background.
Field-dependent: the field should be clear,
if not, things are not perceived easily.
Global: capable of perceiving things as a
whole.
Particular: individuals considers specific
things for information processing.
Holistic: individual looks for the general
idea of something.
Analytic: capable to analyse each detail
within a context.
Deductive: the learner discovers the rules
governing the L2 by themselves.
Inductive: the learner prefers to analyse
the rules governing the L2 to learn it.
Focus on meaning: special attention is
given on learning the meaning of the L2.
Focus on form: a predisposition on
learning forms and features of the L2.

7.  Some types of personalities seem to provide better language learning
results like: imaginative, creative, empathetic and tolerant.
 Anxious learners are predisposed to have language learning issues which is
caused by having a low self-confidence.
 Extrovert personalities are always interacting which is important during
language learning; introvert personalities are effective language learners.
 Inner-directed/other-directed and reflective/impulsive personalities are not
really factors that influence positively nor negatively the learning process of
the learner.
 Shy versus adventuresome; shy personalities may not enjoy language
learning as an adventuresome learner would do; they may do it better in
learning.
PERSONALITY

8. METACOGNITIVE COGNITIVE SOCIAL/AFFECTIVE
Strategies
consisting on
preparing the
learners on what
they are going to
expect during the
lesson.
Strategies which
consist on
brainstorming; mind
mapping; scanning;
summarizing; such
activities promote
language learning.
Such strategies
demands to the
learner to be
interactive; to ask
questions; to give
comments; on the
part of the teacher
to give feedback or
washback.
LEARNING STRATEGIES
Methods implied on teaching a subject depending on the learning style;
personality and motivation of the learner.