Individual differences in Computer Assisted Language Learning Research

This book syntheses cutting-edge research on the role of individual differences (IDs) in the field of SLA and in computer assisted language learning. It also outlines the theoretical and methodological issues at the heart of this research, presents empirical findings and charts future directions of this research. Pawlak and Kruk provide an overview of the latest theoretical developments in research on IDs in SLA as well as methodological considerations that are crucial when researching individual variation, with special emphasis on data-collection procedures that are most prominent in CALL. The book goes on to summarize and explore a body of empirical evidence concerning the role of individual difference factors in CALL, singling out existing gaps, methodological problems, and areas in need of further investigation. Finally, the authors provide a guide on how empirical investigations of individual difference factors in CALL can be improved by incorporating latest developments from the broader field of SLA. This book will be of great interest to postgraduates and scholars in the domain of applied linguistics and second language education who are interested in CALL, as well as those studying and undertaking research in second language learning and teaching.

Introduction 1. Overview of selected CALL-based technologies 2. Key developments in research on ID factors in SLA 3. Methodological issues in investigating ID factors 4. Overview of research on ID factors in CALL settings 5. Conclusions and Future Directions

Miroslaw Pawlak is Professor of English at the Faculty of Pedagogy and Fine Arts, Adam Mickiewicz University, Kalisz, Poland, and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, State University of Applied Sciences, Konin, Poland. His research interests include grammar instruction, corrective feedback, individual differences factors and classroom interaction. Mariusz Kruk, Ph.D., works at the University of Zielona Góra, Poland. His main areas of interest include individual difference variables (e.g., boredom, motivation, anxiety) and the application of technology in foreign language learning and teaching.