The role of individual differences in L2 writing

Abstract

Although the role of individual differences in second language (L2) speech has been extensively studied, the impact of individual differences on the process of second language writing and the written product has been a neglected area of research. In this paper, I review the most important individual difference factors that might explain variations in L2 writing processes and discuss the influence of these factors on how L2 learners exploit the language learning potential of writing tasks. First, the role of cognitive factors will be explored, and recent research investigating the relationship between writing performance and aptitude and working, and phonological short memory, will be presented. Next, the potential role of motivational factors, such as language learning goals, self-efficacy beliefs and self-regulatory capacities that influence the psycholinguistic mechanisms of L2 writing and the way students learn about the target language through writing, will be explored. The paper concludes by suggesting new directions for researching the interactions between individual learner variables, writing processes and second language acquisition.

Corrective Feedback and Writing Accuracy of Students Across Different Levels of Grammatical Sensitivity

“…Related to the grammatical sensitivity, different students are believed to have different levels of grammatical sensitivity (Kormos, 2012). To know the level of students' grammatical sensitivity, it is necessary to conduct an aptitude test such as "Modern Language Aptitude Test" (MLAT) or the "Language Aptitude Battery" (LAB) (Krashen, 1981).…”

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“…According to Kormos (2012), writers are privileged to move backward and forward recurrently, and this can result in more precision with linguistic elements and consequently with "languaging". Languaging has been defined by Swain (2006) as a "dynamic, never ending process" through which the learners make meaning and learn language simultaneously (p.196).…”

“…Although the contribution of learner-related variables in developing language competence has been sufficiently investigated in other language skills (e.g., speaking and reading), and even in L1 writing (Dörnyei & Kormos, 2000;Kormos & Trebits, 2012), the link between L2 writing and learner factors is still unexplored. It is expected by Kormos (2012) that individual writers with varying cognitive abilities will show different efficiency levels in managing the complex cognitive and linguistic processes of writing, and in utilizing the beneficial function of writing for L2 development.…”

The Distinctive Nature of Task Repetition in Writing. Implications for Theory, Research, and Pedagogy

“…12795/elia.2014.i14.02 a result, an emphasis on orality and input processing ostensibly overweighs the attention paid by SLA scholars to written language learning and written output practice. Suffice to say that crucial issues of concern in SLA theory and research have been explored primarily in connection with spoken language, be it the role of individual differences (but see Kormos, 2012), the role of implicit and explicit knowledge sources and learning processes (but see Shintani & Ellis, 2013;Williams, 2012), or current disciplinary debates over complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) measures in their application to L2 performance (cf. Housen, Kuiken, & Vedder, 2012, but see Norris & Ortega, 2009;Ortega, 2012).…”