Good Language Learners’ Qualifications and Social -Promotion: A Case Study in the Iranian Context

Journal of Studies in Learning and Teaching English

شناسنامه علمی شماره، دوره 1، شماره 2، فروردین 2012، صفحه 41-64

نویسندگان

Parviz Maftoon؛ Mehrdad Amiri^*

Tehran Azad University

چکیده

Research in the area of characteristics of good language learners have
been the home of choice for SLA researchers since mid 1970. In this
regard, both learning and learner variables have been researched (see
Griffiths, 2008). Yet, one of the features almost left intact in this scope is
the relationship between the characteristics of good language learners and
the promotional feedback they receive through their social achievements.
The present qualitative study has focused on two successful language
learners achieving moderate social and professional promotions. These
subjects had received almost high scores in the IELTS academic module.
They were interviewed to see which strategies they usually pick up in
their language learning development. Since the researcher was familiar
with the participants for years the previous observations also were taken
into consideration. The subjects also were asked to write down about what
has made them successful language learners and the significant points

in this regard. The interviews, observations and writings cited above
were organized and analyzed. The results presented the researcher with
a tentative perspective about the characteristics of these two language
learners. Then these characteristics were compared with the ones cited in
the good language learners’ literature (Griffiths, 2008) to see their novelty
or commonality. The results revealed good language learners make use
of similar strategies already cited in the related literature. The only new
factor which the language learners of the case study presented was that the
job promotion, social achievement, and even educational development of
these cases were highly bound to and affected by their second language
development and their self- initiating strategies in L2 learning. Since this
factor might be highly related to instrumental or situational motivation, it
can be concluded that some good language learners are highly potential
to make use of their second language development to find better jobs and
achieve more privileged social achievements

کلیدواژه‌ها

Promotional feedback؛ social achievements؛ Educational development