Assignment 2 – Focus on the learner LEARNER’S PROFILE
Sonia Meirelles is a 27-year old Brazilian student, in the Intermediate English class, who has been studying English for 13 months (since August, 2011). Sonia has a degree in Biology and used to work as a biology teacher in a regular school, however she is currently unemployed. She then decided to start taking English lessons, so she could have more chances when trying to find a job.
She enjoys the English classes as she believes it is not only about learning a language but also about learning a different culture.
After observing the student and applying questionnaires, I could determine Sonia has high visual and interpersonal intelligence.
During classes, Sonia
Vocabulary:
Although there is lack of vocabulary, Sonia effectively communicates by using other words that could possibly make her listener understand what she means.
e.g: When I go to the beach, I get red. (Sunburned)
There is also a lot of L1 interference related to vocabulary, as false cognates are usually present in her speech. Sometimes it is not only a word itself, but the register.
e.g: I understood I can continue to speak and say one thing in a different form, I can try to do explication. (try to explain)
EXPLICATION is a formal word which means the act of making things clear, or the act of EXPLAINING something. As we were having an informal conversation in class, she chose the wrong register when using EXPLICATION because of L1 interference. Explication and Explanation are false cognates as in Portuguese their registers are the opposite. Explication would be informal and Explanation more formal.
Try to do explication is also a strong signal of L1 interference, as she translated it word by word.

Pronunciation:
Sonia can cope with linking sounds quite often, as well as the contraction forms (e.g; She’ll / She’s) and sentence stress after drilling a couple of times.
She has difficulty producing the θ (e.g.: thing |’θɪŋ| and think |’θɪŋk|), differing long and short vowel sounds (e.g.: