Psychological Traits and Task-Based Learning of EFL Learners

In EFL context, some learners outperform their peers in language classes. Such difference is believed to be due to individual differences among language learners. Apparently, some individuals are more successful than the others in mastering the language although the language has been identical in all cases. The way we learn is fairly affected by our personality. Practitioners suggest that understanding the personality type can help teachers know why students approach tasks differently. Also, there is a contradiction between predictions of psychologists and applied linguists in respect to the relationship between extraversion and L2 learning as extroverts are mostly stereotyped to be better learners. Psychologists claim that extraversion is a drawback because an extravert has less cortical arousal, is more easily inhibited, and has a limited long term memory. In contrast, many applied linguists predict that extraversion is an advantage for learning a second language because an extravert elicits more input and produces more output. The current case study focuses on extrovert and introvert students to examine whether or not they perform differently on task-based language activities.

Reza Gholami is a PhD Candidate of TESL at Putra University, Malaysia and holds a Master of TESL as well.He has been teaching English in EFF/ESL contexts since 2000.He is the author of Mr Alphabet 1&2 published in Iran in 2005 and has published papers in international journals,too. He serves as a reviewer for few international journals/conferences.