Analyses Of A Decade Domestic Empirical Research On Individual Differences In SLA

Individual differences (IDs) have been a hot issue in the field of second language acquisition. A growing number of studies have shown that IDs in second language acquisition (SLA) process of learners play a vital role, having become the indispensable part of second language acquisition research. The research of IDs in China began in the middle of1980s and flourished in the mid-90s especially since2000. Empirical researches in this field are booming whether in the scope or methodology.Individuals separate themselves from the others due to differences which make one as a unique individual in oneself. Personal factors are highly idiosyncratic features of each individual’s approach to the learning of a second language. Learner differences affect the rate and ultimate success of SLA. Individual learner elements which have been constantly mentioned and core variables as related explanations for language learners’behavior characteristics at different stages of the learning process refer to motivation, language aptitude, learning strategies, learning style, personality, and intelligence etc.Domestic research in the last decade focuses on some aspects of individual differences. However, there are fewer comprehensive researches. Some researches just changed subjects or modes which are actually duplications of the same issue. Under the similar frame of surveys, sometimes the findings go to be consistent.Through more systematic, broader and comprehensive analysis and summary for domestic empirical researches on individual differences of second language acquisition in a decade in CNKI (2000-2011) from10influential foreign language core journals, the present situations of studies are demonstrated in this paper.Based on Dornyei’three-level framework, articles of motivation are summarized and analyzed. Learners’language self-confidence and achievement could be enhanced by lowering anxiety, attributing correctly and establishing self-efficacy. In the study of the learner level, perceived L2competence study needs more empirical researches but the factor, language anxiety, is involved much more attentions which increased fast in past two years. We need to pay close attention to every detail in learning situational level related to students by case studies.Empirical articles of language learning strategy mainly concentrate on the perspective of basic language skills. Listening strategy, speaking strategy, reading strategy and writing strategy researches are balanced. Relatively, vocabulary strategy researches are being paid more attention. Some scholars studied learning strategy from metacognitive, cognitive and socioaffective aspects. And metacognitive strategy mostly connects to basic language skills. As a single factor to be considered, strategy is studied mainly from two angles:investigations and strategy training. In the future, learners’cognitive process and emotional changes need to be explored at length.Empirical studies on learning style, personality and intelligence are relatively in a shortage state. Field independence and field dependence mainly take up empirical researches of learning style which need to be deepened in this area. Personality and intelligence are classic individual differences. However, extroversion and introversion are the mainly mentioned types in studies without combining other components. Intelligence factor is involved in integrated studies rather than as a specialized topic.This paper still has limitations. The author summarized articles’contents of IDs without other factors like aptitude and just mentioned some researchers’methodologies not all of them. Relationships of every factor are not observed prominently which is analyzed under certain frameworks or a certain perspectives.Based on the analysis of IDs articles, further studies are needed. As changing factors, IDs need to be studied by combining multiple disciplines both within foreign language area and psychology, pedagogy, neurology and other fields cooperated with diverse research methodology. Much deeper tracking case studies related to all ages are needed. We could not only consider about achievement but also need to put greater emphasis on process-oriented researches rather than make an immediate evaluation of the grades. It is hoped that the effort of more researchers together should be made to find out much specific and feasible ways for students to learn foreign languages better.