UNIT 13: LEARNER CHARACTERISTICS

In this unit, I learned some of the learner´s characteristics which are important to know in order to help students learn a language. These characteristics include motivation, as we have already seen in unit 9, it is important to keep learners´ desire up to study a foreign language and it depends on learners and teachers. In addition, teachers have to take into account the learners´ learning style because they vary depending on each individual. It refers to the different ways in which a learner like to learn or how she/he learns best. We have different learning styles the most common are: visual- when learners learn by watching, auditory- when they learn by listening, kinaesthetic- when they learn by touching and moving, and so forth. We cannot say exactly who has certain learning style because one student may have more than one learning style. Furthermore, we have to think about the learners´ learning strategies. They refer to the ways that learners choose and use to learn language. For example, some learners may choose the repeating strategy for remembering new words whereas other learners may choose paraphrasing or asking the teacher to give feedback on their language use.  Maturity is also part of learners´ characteristics because each student have a different level of maturity. For instance, children are commonly known for their short attention span, teenagers because their concentration is still developing, and adults because of their capacity to concentrate for longer periods. Finally, the learners´ past language learning experiences influence in the learning process, especially, in teenagers and adults since they have had a previous experience learning a foreign language. To apply all knowledge about this topic, I would first try to find out what my students´ characteristics are. For example, I can use some questionnaires to find out which learning style predominates overall the group, or just by observing in which ways they like to work best. After that, I can prepare activities according to their preferences, for example, I can prepare communicative activities for the ones who are impulsive and like to use foreign language. On the other hand, I can bring a handout where they have to focus on form rather than on meaning. As a conclusion, teachers have to discover what their learners´ characteristics are in order to analyze which activities they can bring to the classroom to make their learning successful.

There are some links below that I consider useful and have more information related to this topic.

·         Weimer, M. (2014). Seven Characteristics of Good Learners. Retrieved from http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/seven-characteristics-good-learners/
·         Pappas, C. ( 2013).  8 Important Characteristics of Adult Learners. U.S. Retrieved from http://elearningindustry.com/8-important-characteristics-of-adult-learners

·         Languages & Children. (2009). Characteristics of Young Learners. Retrieved from http://www.pearsonhighered.com/assets/hip/us/hip_us_pearsonhighered/samplechapter/0205535488.pdf

You can also watch this video:

·         Marcy, P.(2013). Personal Characteristics of Language Learners. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJsk-O0U_z4&list=PLpn-Of7Xlrg4BLJd2nI25yoWTcLMy4MBI