Ehrman, M. E. (1996). Understanding second language learning difficulties. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

This book is directed at classroom teachers, and primarily at those who have students who are not doing that well. The emphasis is on diagnosing their students' learning patterns and determining the sources of difficulties in learning an L2. She focuses on learning styles, affective factors, and learning strategies. Her case studies are of late teenagers and adults. There are about 35 cases mentioned, most working on FLs but some on ESL. She discusses how to do observations (Ch. 2) and interviews (Ch. 3). She then deals with cognitive learning styles (Ch. 4), field independence and field sensitivity (Ch. 5), personality models (Ch. 6), the affective dimension: motivation, self-efficacy, anxiety (Ch. 7), and background factors and learning strategies (Ch. 8). Ch. 9 is about putting together the info from questionnaires, tests, and language aptitude instruments. Ch. 10 is about looking at students in context, Ch. 11 about when outside help is needed, and it ends with teachers helping students on their own (Ch. 12).