Over the past decade, the focus of inquiry into the psychology of SLA has shifted from the analysis of various characteristics within individuals towards a greater consideration of individuals' dynamic interactions with diverse contexts. This revisit of the bestselling The Psychology of the Language Learner reflects on these developments by challenging some of the assumptions upon which the original text was based, maintaining the familiar structure of the original, while situating the discussion within a very different theoretical framework.
Preface 1. Introduction: Individual differences - then and now 2. Personality 3. Language Aptitude 4. Motivation 5. Learning Styles and Cognitive Styles 6. Learning Strategies and Self-Regulation 7. Other learner characteristics 8. Conclusion: Looking back and forward