Abstract
This chapter focuses on motivation and self-concept and their role in oral production in early learning of English as a foreign language. A review of major research findings considering the relationship of these individual learner differences and oral performance by young foreign language learners is followed by presentation and discussion of the study the author carried our with Croatian learners of English as a foreign language. The participants, aged 11 at the start and 14 at the end of the study, were followed for 4 years. Each year their motivation and self-concept were measured by means of smiley questionnaires and oral interviews, while their oral production was elicited each year through picture description tasks and personal oral interviews. The study offers interesting evidence of the dynamics of young learners’ motivation and self-concept and their relationship with their developing oral performance. Implications of the findings are considered as well.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alexiou, T. (2009). Young learners’ cognitive skills and their role in foreign language vocabulary learning. In M. Nikolov (Ed.), The age factor and early language learning (pp. 46–61). Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter.
Arnold, J. (2007). Self-concept as part of the affective domain in language learning. In F. Rubio (Ed.), Self-esteem in foreign language learning (pp. 13–29). Newcastle, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Bagarić, V. (2007). English and German learners’ level of communicative competence in writing and speaking. Metodika, 14, 239–257.
Bernaus, M., Cenoz, J., Espí, M. J., & Lindsay, D. (1994). Evaluación del aprendizaje del inglés en niños de cuatro añ os: Influencias de las actitudes de los padres, profesores y tutores. [Assessment of EFL learning in four-year-old children. Impact of teacher, parent and gardian attitudes]. APAC of News, 20, 6–9.
Damon, W., & Hart, D. (1988). Self-understanding in childhood and adolescence. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Dörnyei, Z., Csizér, K., & Németh, N. (2006). Motivation, language attitudes, and globalisation: A Hungarian perspective. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Enever, J. (Ed.). (2011). ELLiE: Early language learning in Europe. London, UK: The British Council.
Fekete, H., Major, É., & Nikolov, M. (Eds.). (1999). English language education in Hungary: A baseline study. Budapest, Hungary: British Council Hungary.
García Mayo, M. P., & García Lecumberi, M. L. (Eds.). (2003). Age and the acquisition of English as a foreign language. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Graham, S. (2004). Giving up on modern foreign languages? Students’ perceptions of learning French. The Modern Language Journal, 88, 171–191.
Haenni Hoti, A., Heinzmann, S., & Müller, M. (2009). “I can you help?”: Assessing speaking skills and interaction strategies of young learners. In M. Nikolov (Ed.), The age factor and early language learning (pp. 119–140). Berlin, NY: Mouton de Gruyter.
Harris, J., & Conway, M. (2002). Modern languages is Irish primary schools. An evaluation of the national pilot projects. Dublin, Ireland: Institiúid Teangeolaíochta Ḗireann.
Harris, J., Forde, P., Archer, P., Fhearaile, S. N., & O’Gorman, M. (2006). Irish in primary schools. Long-term national trend sin achievement. Dublin, Ireland: Department of Education and Science.
Harter, S. (2006). The self. In W. Damon, R. M. Lerner, & N. Eisenberg (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology. Vol. 3. Social, emotional, and personality development (pp. 505–570). New York: Wiley.
Heinzmann, S. (2013). Young language learners’ motivation and attitudes. London: Bloomsbury Academic.
Hung, Y.-J., Samuelson, B. L., & Chen, S.-C. (2016). The relationships between peer- and self-assessment and teacher assessment of young EFL learners’ oral presentations. In M. Nikolov (Ed.), Assessing young learners of English: Global and local perspectives. New York: Springer.
Julkunen, K. (1994). Gender differences in students’ situation- and task-specific foreign language learning motivation. In S. Tella (Ed.), Näytön paikka opetuksen kulttuurin arvioiuti [Evaluating the culture of teaching] (pp. 171–180). Helsinki, Finland: University of Helsinki, Department of Teacher Education.
Kiss, C. (2009). The role of aptitude in young learners’ foreign language learning. In M. Nikolov (Ed.), The age factor and early language learning (pp. 253–276). Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter.
Kiss, C., & Nikolov, M. (2005). Preparing, piloting and validating an instrument to measure young learners’ aptitude. Language Learning, 55(1), 99–150.
Kolb, A. (2007). How languages are learnt: Primary children’s language learning beliefs. Innovation in Language Learning, 2(1), 227–241.
Kubanek-German, A. (2003). Frühes intensiviertes Fremdsprachenlernen. Bericht zur wissenschaftlichen Begleitung eines Modellprojekts des Kultursministeriums des Freistaates Sachsen [An intensified programme for teaching modern languages to children by the Saxon Ministry of Education. Research Report]. Braunschweig/Dresden.
Lan, R., & Oxford, R. (2003). Language learning profiles of elementary school students in Taiwan. IRAL, 41, 339–379.
Low, L., Brown, S., Johnstone, R., & Pirrie, A. (1995). Foreign languages in primary schools: Evaluations of the Scottish pilot projects 1993-1995. Final report. Stirling, Scotland: Scottish CILT.
Low, L., Duffield, J., Brown, S., & Johnstone, R. (1993). Evaluating foreign languages in primary schools. Stirling, Scotland: Scpttish CILT.
Masgoret, A., Bernaus, M., & Gardner, R. C. (2001). Examining the role of attitudes and motivation outside of the formal classroom: A test of the mini-AMTB for children. In Z. Dörnyei & R. Schmidt (Eds.), Motivation and second language acquisition (pp. 281–295). Honolulu, HI: The University of Hawaii Second Language Teaching and Curriculum Center.
Masgoret, A., & Gardner, R. C. (2003). Attitudes, motivation, and second language learning: A meta-analysis of studies conducted by Gardner and associates. Language Learning, 53, 123–163.
Medved Krajnović, M. (2007). Kako hrvatski učenici govore engleski?/How well do Croatian learners speak English? Metodika, 14, 173–190.
Medved Krajnović, M., & Letica Krevelj, S. (2009). Učenje stranih jezika u Hrvatskoj: politika, znanost i javnost [Foreign language learning in Croatia: policy, research and the public]. In J. Granić (Ed.), Jezična politika i jezična stvarnost [Language policy and language reality] (pp. 598–607). Zagreb, Croatia: Croatian Association of Applied Linguistics.
Mercer, S. (2011). Towards an understanding of language learner self-concept. Dordrecht/Heidelberg/London/New York: Springer.
Mihaljević Djigunović, J. (1993). Investigation of attitudes and motivation in early foreign language learning. In M. Vilke & Y. Vrhovac (Eds.), Children and foreign languages I (pp. 45–71). Zagreb, Croatia: Faculty of Philosophy.
Mihaljević Djigunović, J. (1995). Attitudes of young foreign language learners: A follow-up study. In M. Vilke & Y. Vrhovac (Eds.), Children and foreign languages II (pp. 16–33). Zagreb, Croatia: Faculty of Philosophy.
Mihaljević Djigunović, J. (2002). Language learning strategies and young learners. In B. Voss & E. Stahlheber (Eds.), Fremdsprachen auf dem Prüfstand. Innovation-Qualität-Evaluation (pp. 121–127). Berlin: Pädagogische Zeitschriftenverlang.
Mihaljević Djigunović, J. (2009). Individual differences in early language programmes. In M. Nikolov (Ed.), The age factor and early language learning (pp. 199–225). Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter.
Mihaljević Djigunović, J. (2014). Developmental and interactional aspects of young EFL learners’ self-concept. In J. Horváth & P. Medgyes (Eds.), Studies in honour of Marianne Nikolov (pp. 53–72). Pécs, Hungary: Lingua Franca Csoport.
Mihaljević Djigunović, J. (2015). Individual differences among young EFL learners: Age- or proficiency-related? A look from the affective learner factors perspective. In J. Mihaljević Djigunović & M. Medved Krajnović (Eds.), Early learning and teaching of English. New dynamics of primary English (pp. 10–36). Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Mihaljević Djigunović, J., & Bagarić, V. (2007). A comparative study of attitudes and motivation of Croatian learners of English and German. Studia Romanica et Anglica Zagrebiensia, 52, 259–281.
Mihaljević Djigunović, J., & Lopriore, L. (2011). The learner: do individual differences matter? In J. Enever (Ed.), ELLiE: Early language learning in Europe (pp. 29–45). London: The British Council.
Mihaljević Djigunović, J., & Medved Krajnović, M. (Eds.). (2015). Early learning and teaching of English: New dynamics of primary English. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Mihaljević Djigunović, J., & Vilke, M. (2000). Eight years after: Wishful thinking vs facts of life. In J. Moon & M. Nikolov (Eds.), Research into teaching English to young learners (pp. 66–86). Pécs, Hungary: University Press Pécs.
Muñoz, C. (Ed.). (2006). Age and the rate of foreign language learning. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Murphy, V. A. (2014). Second language learning in the early school years: Trends and contexts. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
National Framework Curriculum (2001). Zagreb: Ministry of Science, Education and Sport.
Nikolov, M. (1999). “Why do you learn English?” “Because the teacher is short.” A study of Hungarian children’s foreign language learning motivation. Language Teaching Research, 3(1), 33–56.
Nikolov, M. (2002). Issues in English language education. Bern, Switzerland: Peter Lang.
Nikolov, M. (Ed.). (2009a). Early learning of modern foreign languages. Processes and outcomes. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Nikolov, M. (Ed.). (2009b). The age factor and early language learning. Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter.
Nikolov, M. (2016). A framework for young EFL learners’ diagnostic assessment: Can do statements and task types. In M. Nikolov (Ed.), Assessing young learners of English: Global and local perspectives. New York: Springer.
Nikolov, M., & Józsa, K. (2006). Relationships between language achievements in English and German and classroom-related variables. In M. Nikolov & J. Horváth (Eds.), UPRT 2006: Empirical studies in English applied linguistics (pp. 197–224). Pécs, Hungary: Lingua Franca Csoport, PTE.
Pinter, A. (2011). Children learning second languages. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
Šamo, R. (2009). The age factor and L2 reading strategies. In M. Nikolov (Ed.), Early learning of modern foreign languages: Processes and outcomes (pp. 121–131). Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Seebauer, R. (1996). Fremdsprachliche Kompetenzen und Handlungskompetenzen von Grundschullehrem. Empirische Evidenz und Neuorientierung. [Linguistic competence in the foreign language and work competence of primary school children. Empirical evidence and new directions]. Praxis des neusprachlichen Unterrichts, 43(1), 81–89.
Szpotowicz, M., Mihaljevic Djigunovic, J., & Enever, J. (2009). Early language learning in Europe: A multinational, longitudinal study. In J. Enever, J. Moon, & U. Raman (Eds.), Young learner English language policy and implementation: International perspectives (pp. 141–147). Reading, UK: Garnet Publishing Ltd.
Tragant, E., & Muñoz, C. (2000). La motivación y su relación con la edad en un contexto escolar de aprendizaje de una lengua extranjera. [Motivation and its relationship to age in language learning in the school context]. In C. Muñoz (Ed.), Segundas lenguas. Adquisición en el Aula (pp. 81–105). Barcelona, Spain: Ariel.
Tragant, E., & Victori, M. (2006). Reported strategy use and age. In C. Muñoz (Ed.), Age and the rate of foreign language learning (pp. 208–236). Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Vilke, M. (1976). The age factor in the acquisition of foreign languages. Rassegna Italiana di Linguistica Applicata, 3, 179–190.
Vilke, M. (1982). Why start early? In R. Freudenstein (Ed.), Teaching foreign languages to the very young (2nd ed., pp. 12–28). Oxford: Pergamon Press.
Vilke, M. (1995). Children and foreign languages in Croatian primary schools: Four years of a project. In M. Vilke & Y. Vrhovac (Eds.), Children and foreign languages II (pp. 1–16). Zagreb, Hungary: University of Zagreb.
Vilke, M. (2007). English in Croatia: A glimpse into past, present and future. Metodika, 8(14), 17–24.
Wenden, A. (1999). An introduction to metacognitive knowledge and beliefs in language learning: Beyond the basics [Special Issue]. System, 27, 435–441.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Djigunović, J.M. (2016). Individual Learner Differences and Young Learners’ Performance on L2 Speaking Tests. In: Nikolov, M. (eds) Assessing Young Learners of English: Global and Local Perspectives. Educational Linguistics, vol 25. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22422-0_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22422-0_10
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-22421-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-22422-0
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)