individual-differences
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- PaperTESOL Quarterly10 Jul 2026
The Grit–Goal Relationship in Language Learning as a Dynamic Process: A Goal Self‐Concordance Perspective
Hitoshi Mikami
A mixed-method study with Japanese English majors applied goal self-concordance theory to examine how L2 grit relates to the pursuit, adjustment, and abandonment of language goals. Findings indicate that grit levels do not always correspond to attaining self-concordant goals, and that considering multiple goal layers is crucial for understanding the grit–goal relationship.
Original abstract
Second language (L2) grit, a noncognitive ability that underlies the pursuit of language goals, has attracted growing scholarly attention. However, the grit–goal relationship—including why certain goals are set and how grittiness relates to their pursuit—remains underexplored, as L2 grit has largely been examined in relation to researcher‐selected proxies of goals. In this context, this mixed method study applied the goal self‐concordance framework (Henry, 2021) to analyze how goals aligned with one's sense of self and future direction are pursued, adjusted, and sometimes abandoned and how L2 grit relates to these processes. Questionnaire and interview data were collected from fourth‐year English majors in Japan ( N = 8) to examine how L2 grit related to their goal development histories. The findings suggest that (a) L2 grit levels do not always correspond to the attainment of self‐concordant goals and (b) attention to multiple layers of goals may be important for understanding which aspects of L2 grit are associated with the pursuit of self‐concordant goals.
- PaperDOAJ — Language assessment1 Jan 2026
Rethinking L1–L2 differences: the role of explicit cognitive abilities
Panagiotis Kenanidis, Armine Garibyan, Ewa Dąbrowska
A study tested adult native English speakers on grammatical comprehension in their L1 and an artificial L2, finding that language analytic ability and non-verbal reasoning contributed to variance in both languages. Results challenge the traditional view that L1 and L2 acquisition rely on fundamentally different processes by showing explicit learning mechanisms play a role in both. Considerable interindividual variation in L1 performance further questions the assumption of uniformity in native grammar acquisition.
Original abstract
Despite longstanding assertions that first language (L1) and second language (L2) acquisition rely on fundamentally different processes, recent research increasingly questions this dichotomy by exploring the cognitive mechanisms underlying them. The present study investigates the contribution of two explicit learning abilities, language analytic ability and non-verbal abstract reasoning, traditionally deemed irrelevant for L1 acquisition, in accounting for individual differences in grammatical comprehension in both L1 and L2 contexts. Adult native speakers of English were tested on their ability to comprehend various syntactic structures in their L1 as well as in a newly acquired artificial language. Our findings revealed that language analytic ability and non-verbal reasoning contribute to variance in grammatical comprehension in both languages. Additionally, considerable interindividual variation was observed in the L1 task, challenging the prevailing view of uniformity in native grammar acquisition. These results underscore the role of explicit learning mechanisms in both native and non-native language acquisition and suggest that the cognitive factors influencing them are more similar than previously recognized.