ABSTRACT
This study investigated the relationships between individual differences (IDs) and depth of processing (DoP) across different conditions of computer-mediated language instruction. Randomly assigned to treatments offering no feedback, right/wrong feedback, or syntactic tree diagrams as feedback, 76 university Japanese learners interpreted sentences containing the reflexive jibun (‘self’). The participants completed a battery of ID measures and questionnaires describing their approaches to the activities. The results of multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that different IDs (e.g., rote memory, grammatical sensitivity, metalinguistic knowledge, linguistics coursework) predicted different aspects of deep processing (e.g., hypothesis testing, rule formation) as well as learners’ reported memory for exemplars and grammatical structures, and that some of these relationships differed across conditions. The findings suggest that cognitive profiles and information on learners’ formal study of linguistics can inform the development of computer-mediated language learning programs seeking to promote deep processing through tailored instructional design.
