Definitionsof Ability FactorsofAbility Ability

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2.4 Ability

2.4.1 Definitionsof Ability

AccordingtheOxfordDictionary,“Ability ispossessionofthemeansorskill todosomething.”Itmeansthatsomebodysomethingwhohasabilityisabletodo something.Someonemeasuredorassessedthatshehecould dosomething withthe abilityshehehas.Ifsomeonehasability thensheheisconsideredtobedoing something witheffectiveoritscontrary.Suchthing canbeobtainedby way of learningand practicingcontinuously. AccordingtoRobbin2007:58capabilityconsistsoftwofactors,namely: 1.Intellectualability thattheskillsneededtoperformavarietyofmentalactivity- thinking, reasoningand problemsolving. 2.Physicalabilityistheabilitytoperformtasksthatrequirestamina,skill,strength, and similar characteristics. Carroll1993 an influentalpsychologistin thefield of educationallinguistics divided thefour abilitycomponentsasfollows: 1. Phonetic codingabilityisabilityto perceive distinct sounds, associate a symbolwith thatsound and retain thatassociation. 2. Grammaticalmemoryisabilitytorecognizethegrammaticalfunctionofa lexical elementword,phrase,etc inasentencewithoutexplicittraining in grammar. 3. Associativememoryisabilitytolearnassociationsbetweenwordsinforeign language and their meaningsand retain that association. 16 4. Inductivelearningabilityisabilitytoinferorinducerulesgoverningthe structureof alanguage.

2.4.2 FactorsofAbility

AccordingtoEllis1985,thereareseveralfactorswhichmayaffectapersons abilityin learningaforeign language: 1. PersonalFactorsaredivided intothreeheadingsasfollows: a Group dynamics Differencesinabilitylevelofdifferentstudentsin understanding aforeign languagecausecompetitivenessamong students.Thiscompetitionencourages studentstobe able tomaster aforeignlanguagewithactivelearning intheclassroom or even suppressthestudentsasenseof mistrustin studyingaforeign language. b Attitudesto theteacher andcourse material Theroleof the teacher intheclassinapplicating the teaching styletothe studentandteachingmaterialsareusedbystudentsalsoaffectstudentsabilityto learnaforeignlanguage.Mostly studentpreferusetheirownlearningpathssuch as student- studentinteractionintheclassordemocraticteaching style.Studentsalso prefer useavarietyof materialsthana coursebook. c Individual learningtechniques Somestudentspushthemselvestobeabletouseaforeignlanguageby using theirownlearningtechniquessuchaspreparingandmemorizingvocabulary lists lookslikeindictionary,learningwordincontextmeansstudentspickupsome 17 vocabularyfromparagraphthatusuallyusedincontext,andpracticingvocabulary meansusevocabularyin asentence,conversation, playing games, etc. 2. GeneralFactorsdivideinto : a Age Ellissays,“...children arebetter languagelearnersthanadults.”Itmeans that theleveloflanguageacquisitionatchildhoodbetterthanadulthood.Becausethe moreweolder themorewelackof ability inlanguagelearning. Althoughthereare adults who are able tolearn the language, and theywho hasthereach higher levelsof proficiency. b Intelligence andaptitude Intelligence and aptitudeinfluence the abilityin learningL2.Learner who has highlevelinintelligenceandaptitudeis abletounderstandtheusingofL2rapidly especially informalteachingmethodinsomeskillssuchasreadingcomprehension, dictation, and freewritingbut much lessof in naturalisticSLA. c Cognitivestyle Cognitivestyleisatermtousethe mannerinwhichpeopleperceive, conceptualize,organize,andrecallinformation.Ittalkabouttheprocessinreceiving theinformationunderstanding ofSLA.Howthelearnersable tounderstandthe foreign language and usepracticallysuchasin communication andtesting. d Attitude and Motivation Gardner andLambert1972define‘motivation’ interms of theL2 learner’s overallgoalororientation,and‘attitude’asthepersistenceshownbythelearnerin 18 striving foragoal.Ifthelearnershavemoreor lessmotivationin learningL2,itwill beshownintheirattitude.GardnerandLambertdividemotivationintointegrative andinstumental.Integrativemotivationoccursforlearnerwhowant tomaintain their mothertonguewhentheylearnaL2.ItmeanstheynaturallylearnL2forhaving knowledge.Instrumentalmotivationoccursforlearnerswhowant tolearningL2for functionalsuchaspassinganexamination,furtheringcareeropportunities or facilitatingstudyof other subject. e Personality Personalityrefersto personal traits. In pshycology, personalitydivideinto : - Extroversion andIntroversion :Extrovert learn L2 rapidlythan introvert becausethey havemorecontactwithothers.Themorewehavecontactwith otherindividual,themorewecanuse languagepractically andbecome habitual. - Socialskills:AccordingtoStrong1983therearesevensocialstylesbut only ‘talkativeness’andresponsiveness’whichmoreeasy inlearningL2 rapidlybecause theyhave interactwith othersin using L2 practically. - Inhibition:InhibitionisnegativefactorstatedbyGuiora1972a;1972b.It determinethewayofthelearnersintakingriskwhilelearningL2andturn leadsto increased self-consciousnessof learnersin learning L2. 19

2.5 Test