ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses some of the reasons why individual differences arise and what the research suggests about them. It reviews several prominent ID factors. Potential frameworks such as affective versus cognitive IDs can be problematic because there are both affective and cognitive dimensions to all of the concepts. Similarly, the concepts could be considered through a time-perspective, contrasting some IDs which can fluctuate rapidly, such as anxiety, with those that are quite stable, such as learner personality traits. Then the chapter deals with how the ID factors fit together; we use two different approaches, one that has been used extensively in the research literature and one that is rather new to the field. It isolates key areas of dispute and debate in the area of ID factors. Finally the chapter discusses how language practitioners might capitalise on their learner's individuality.
