The Importance of Learnıng Abılıty and Desıre in the Learnıng Process of Students Who Are Learnıng German As A Foreıgn Language

Abstract

The aim of this study is to indicate the importance of learning desire and ability especially in learning process of German as a foreign language. Besides, the necessity of strategy according to individual learning styles of German learning students is in the foreground. Learning is affected by both internal and external factors. This should be taken into consideration while planning a course. Learning is both an individual and psychological process based on two basic elements such as learning desire and success. In learning process, learning desire, learning ability and learning success complementarily constitute a unity. Students gain learning skill through learning ability and this reflects on performance and success. Learning desire is the dominant factor between skill and success in learning process. Especially, these learning factors should be taken into account in foreign language education. However, they are unfortunately not. Unless language learning awareness improves, language learning process will not take place effectively. As it is started above, learning is an individual process and for this reason appropriate strategies for each learning style should be learned. Language learning awareness can only be improves by knowing learning strategies which affect learning desire, ability and success. If learned know how to learn, their desire will also increase. Thus, it is highly significant to analyse the learning strategies and their necessity for foreign language courses. This study shows how learning desire and ability affect learning process of German as a foreign language. Learning desire and ability will be initially explaines in order to show how the relationship between them have an influence on learning process. The data, depending on these factors, was gathered via SILL (Strategy Inventory for Language Learning) at Ondokuz Mayıs University in the fall semester of 2015-2016 academic year. The survey was implemented on 43 students in freshman year. The results suggest that the students who are learning German as a foreign language are not fully aware of their own learning styles and learning strategies. The study shows that students who are learning German as a foreign language show effort for learning, however, they lack ability to learn