Böcker av Miroslaw Pawlak

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.

The last few decades have seen extensive research focusing of the relative effectiveness of different instructional options that can be employed in teaching grammar structures (e.g., deduction and induction, different types of corrective feedback, input-based vs. output-based practice). However, the contribution of such pedagogical intervention and the resulting knowledge of target language grammar are mediated by a number of factors related to a specific context, the properties of the features being taught and, most importantly, individual learner profiles. Nonetheless, research into the moderating role of individual difference variables has been scant, limited to only several factors, and seldom taking into account complex interactions between variables. The book seeks to fill this evident gap by investigating the mediating effect of selected cognitive and affective factors on explicit and implicit (or highly automatized) knowledge of the English passive voice. In doing so, the studysheds the so-much-needed light on the predictors of second language grammar knowledge but also, to some extent, on the usefulness of instructional techniques used to develop it.

The empirical part reports the findings of an empirical study which aimed to examine the changes in the levels of boredom experienced by a group of English majors in English classes and identify the factors accounting for such changes.

This book investigates individual differences variables as well as contextual factors that impinge on second language learners' willingness to communicate (WTC). It combines a macro- and micro-perspective to bring the reader closer to understanding the mechanisms underlying WTC in specific contexts.

The book aims to dispel some of the myths surrounding the place of oral and written error correction in language education by providing an exhaustive and up-to-date account of issues involved in this area, taking the stance that the provision of corrective feedback constitutes an integral part of form-focused instruction.