Includes bibliographical references and index.

CHAPTER 1 - Introduction: Definitions, brief history, and taxonomy of individual differences -- Definition -- Brief history of individual differences in second language studies -- Taxonomy of individual differences and the structure of this book

CHAPTER 2 - Personality, temperament, and mood -- Definitions -- Different approaches to the study of personality -- Personality and learning -- Personality and language learning and use -- Conclusion

CHAPTER 3 - Language Aptitude -- Basic conceptual issues -- Language aptitude research: From the beginnings to the 1990s -- Traditional issues in language aptitude research -- New research directions and perspectives -- Conclusion

CHAPTER 4 - Motivation and 'self-motivation' -- Three phases of L2 motivation research -- New conceptual issues -- Reframing L2 motivation as part of the self-system -- L2 motivation and SLA research -- Educational implications: Devising motivational strategies -- Conclusion

CHAPTER 5 - Learning styles and cognitive styles -- What are learning styles? -- Cognitive styles -- Kolb's model of learning styles -- Assessing cognitive and learning styles -- Cognitive and learning styles in L2 studies -- Practical implications -- Conclusion

CHAPTER 6 - Language learning strategies and student self-regulation -- Do learning strategies exist? -- Learning strategies in L2 studies -- Learning strategies and student self-regulation in educational psychology -- Conclusion

CHAPTER 7 - Other learner characteristics -- Anxiety -- Creativity -- Willingness to communicate -- Self-esteem -- Learner beliefs

CHAPTER 8 - Conclusion

References

Definition index (glossary)

Author index

Subject index

"Research results over the past decades have consistently demonstrated that a key reason why many second language learners fail - while some learners do better with less effort - lies in various learner attributes such as personality traits, motivation, or language aptitude. In psychology, these attributes have traditionally been called "individual differences." The scope of individual learner differences is broad - ranging from creativity to learner styles and anxiety - yet there is no current, comprehensive, and unified volume that provides an overview of the considerable amount of research conducted on various language learner differences, until now. Each chapter in this new volume focuses on a different individual difference variable. Besides a review of the relevant second language literature, Zoltán Dörnyei presents a concise overview of the psychological research involving each topic. A key concern for the author has been to define the various learner factors as measurable constructs and therefore the discussion includes a summary of the most famous tests and questionnaires in each domain." (Book Cover)

"A wide range of readers will benefit from this book--students in linguistics, applied linguistics, modern languages, and psychology programs; second language teachers participating in in-service training courses; and researchers in second language acquisition and psychology." (Publisher's Website)