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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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2.5 Test