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Abstract
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With the advent of modern technologies and new ways of learning that were unknown several years ago, it is clearly interesting to investigate learner individual differences (IDs) in different computer-assisted EFL learning environments. Among individual differences that include cognitive, affective, and social factors, affective factors seem to be of great importance in studying EFL learners' performance. It is an undeniable fact that, obviously, students learn in a variety of different ways and no single methodology is effective for all of them, each learner has his/her own way of learning that is mostly dependent on their personal characteristics. However, with the emergence of computer and its application in academic fields, nowadays most of the EFL learners prefer to attend online courses rather than attending to traditional classes that may be time consuming for them. Using online courses for learning a foreign language can have tangible advantages for those motivated learners who are busy and unable to go to classes based on rigid and predetermined schedules. Still, these learners like traditional learners who attend normal classes have specific features that may affect their success or failure in learning. Thus, the present study attempts to investigate individual differences and affective factors of online EFL learners and compare them with the corresponding features of traditional EFL learners. The affective factors being studied in this research include motivation, self-efficacy, and anxiety.
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