LANGUAGE APTITUDE

PETER SKEHAN

JAYPEE C. DE GUZMAN
CONTENTS

Introduction

Historical Discussion

Core Issues
Data and Common
Elicitation Measures

Applications

Future Directions
 INTRODUCTION
This chapter reviews a wide range of issues
in language aptitude. After contextualizing ,
historical introduction, section then cover
the role of context in aptitude functioning;
the relationship of aptitude and dyslexia;
the wider analysis of memory relevant to
the aptitude.

This also provides some contemporary

aptitude debates, a brief survey of the
developments in aptitude measurement, as
well as discussion of the pedagogic
implications of aptitude work.
HISTORICAL DISCUSSION
-

J.B.
Cognitiv
e
Psycholo
-he studied the

CARR
gist
structure of
cognitive abilities
-his

OLL assumption
s were:
a. The constellation of

(1957) abilities that capture the

notion of foreign language is
distinct from the other
cognitive abilities
b. Aptitude is
fairly
c. stable
in nature
Aptitude
is
compone
 his contributions:
1. The most significant theorist of language
aptitude with his four factor view of aptitude. (1:1.
Phonemic Coding Ability; 1:2. Inductive Language;
1:3. Grammatical Sensitivity; 1:4. Associative
Learning.)

2. He devised a large number of foreign language

aptitude sub-tests and achievement tests in the
languages they were learning.
 This test battery contains
five sub-test (Number
Learning, Phonetic Script,
Hidden Words, Words in
Sentences and Paired
Associates)

Creator of MLAT The focus of his test

(Modern Language STAN is on achieving
predictive power
Aptitude Test) LY that explanation
SAPO
N
(1957)
 PLAB (Pimsleurs Language Aptitude Battery)
PIMSLEUR Targets younger learners & emphasizes a
(1966) more auditory perspective

PETERSEN DLAB (Defense Language Aptitude Battery)

Developed by the US military & intended to
& AL-HAIK be more discriminating than the MLAT with
(1976) high ability learners

PARRY & VORD means WORD in the artificial

CHILD (1990) language

GREEN
(1975)
 CORE ISSUES
APTITUDE AND LEARNING CONTEXT
KRASHEN, Explored the potential of aptitude measures for acquisition-rich
1981 or informal learning.

WESCHE, Explored interactions between aptitude profiles (analytic vs.

1981 memory oriented learners) & teaching methodology (analytic vs.
situational).
REVES, 1982 Explored whether aptitude is predictive not simply in classroom
context but also for informal learning.
SKEHAN, Explored language learning in the British Army and demonstrated
1986 the context of communicative approach to Arabic instruction for
English L1 learners.
HARLEY & Explored whether there were differences in aptitude relevance as
HART, 1997 a function of age.

ERLAM, 2005 Investigated the relevance of aptitude measures to different

instructional context.
Investigated aptitude linked to instructional context.
Continuation
APTITUDE AND DYSLEXIA
CARROLL, 1965 Proposed the construct of phonemic coding
ability for the component of aptitude
concerned with the processing of sound.
PIMSLEUR, Proposed a sound-symbol association ability,
1968 which reflects the capacity to learn and
operate new sound-symbol mappings.
SPARKS & Proposed the Linguistic Coding Deficit
hypothesis to account to the two types of
GANSCHOW, difficulty (mild dyslexia & dyslexia)
1991
Continuation
APTITUDE AND MEMORY
SKEHAN, 1982 Argued that the capacity to analyze larger quantities
of material so that it can be retained more
effectively, and the capacity to memorize material
lacking in familiarity are also relevant to aptitude.
WATERS & Measures which emphasize the central executive
tend to use span tasks here computation is a major
CAPLAN, 2003 influence on the memory score.
GATHERCOLE, Measures which emphasize the phonological buffer
tend to use nonword repetition tasks, for examples,
2006 ( tablus & acklar)
WEN, 2009 The correlation between working memory scores on
each of these measures is generally in the range
0.30 & 0.40.
One can see the relevance of working memory, and its
centrality in language aptitude (MIYAKE & FRIEDMAN,
1998) by considering the following stages in L2 processing .

INPUT PROCESSING
NOTICING & HANDLING
FORM & MEANING
SIMULTANEOUSLY
PATTERN
IDENTIFICATION
COMPLEXICATION/RESTR
UCTURING
ERROR AVOIDANCE
RESPONSE TO
FEEDBACK
AUTOMATIZATION/
LEXICALIZATION
Different views on the role of PWM
with grammar & morphology
learning:
ELLIS & On the basis of a theoretical outlook
SINCLAIR, emphasizing chunk learning and the
importance of frequency, report data on
1996
PWM correlations with morphological
learning and agreement rules.
MACKEY ET AL., Investigated this possibility and were able to
2002 show that high working memory participants
in their study were also benefit more from
feedback.
WILLIAMS & Report relationships between PWM and the
LOVATT, 2003, learning of sequences of familiar morphemes
important in grammar learning with a semi-
2005
artificial language.
The issue of aptitude and acquisition is not al
theorizing. There have been some interesting
acquisition-aware studies.

APTITUDE AND SECOND LANGUAGE

ACQUISITION
ROBINSON, Used aptitude results in a study
1995 involving four intervention
conditions (instructed; rule-search;
implicit & incidental)
DE GRAAF, Compared a rule-explanation with
1997 a non-explanation condition for
the learning of an artificial
APTITUDE AND A CRITICAL PERIOD
DE KEYSER, Proposed that post-critical period arrivals who had
high levels of achievement, that is , learners who
2000 seemed to defy the existence of a critical period,
had high language aptitude.

BIALYSTOK, Criticized DeKeyers claim on the basis that

number were very small.
2002
ABRAHAMSS Approached the issue slightly differently.
Showed that for arrivals before the age of 12
ON & aptitude is widely distributed.
Interpreted this to mean that high foreign
HYLTENSTAM language aptitude is required in order to
, 2008 compensate for late arrival.
Explored the role of foreign language aptitude in
language attrition and report that higher language
aptitude Spanish L1 immigrants to Sweden lost
 APTITUDE COMPLEXES
Robinson (2007) builds upon the this structure to discuss aptitude
complexes, in which broader ability patterns are linked to different
learning contexts. He emphasize four learning contexts.

Explicit rule learning Learning via recasting

(memory for contingent (Noticing: memory for
text; metalinguistic rule contingent speech)
ROBINSON,
rehearsal)

Incidental teaching 2007

- Incidental teaching oral
written mode mode
(memory for contingent (memory for contingent
text; deep semantic speech; deep semantic
processing) processing)
 DATA & COMMON ELICITATION
MEASURES
MLAT (Modern Language LLAMA Aptitude Test
Aptitude Test) Computer based test
Omnibus aptitude test battery and Available for free download
was develop in 1950s Accessible without the L1 being a
Distinguished by its factor
comprehensiveness, accessibility, Loosely based on MLAT
and the likelihood that it will still be There is sub-test probing sound
used in research studies recognition
Disadvantage: restricted since it
has military history
CANAL F (Cognitive Ability for
Novelty in Acquisition of Language -
Foreign
It was developed with awareness of cognitive
psychology and of attentional function
Little different from the others in the openness and
differentness of its rationale
Disadvantage: restricted since it has military history
Comparison of different foreign
language aptitude batteries
MLAT LLAMA CANAL-F
PHONEMIC CODING ABILITY / /
GRAMMATICAL SENSITIVITTY /
INDUCTIVE LANGUAGE / /
LEARNING
PAIRED ASSOCIATES / / /
WORKING MEMORY /
ATTENTIONAL PROCESSING /
WORKING MEMORY TO LONG- /
TERM
MEMORY CONNECTIONS
 APPLICATIONS

Although This would imply This is also a The major potential

selection is potential rather area for educational
using aptitude application, however,
widespread information to than real has to be instructional
within explain to application of modification. This
education, this is learners where aptitude. offers the prospect of
increasing the overall
not a major they might have effectiveness of
application with difficulties and instruction, as
aptitude. so which types learners are matched
of methodology INSTRUCTIO
with appropriate
methodologies.
NAL
SELECTION would be REMEDIATIO
COUNSELING MODIFICATIO
easiest. N
N
 FUTURE DIRECTIONS
The issue is whether
Universal Grammar is still
available., or whether it is
partially available (into
various ways partial has
been defined (White, 2003),
or not available at all.
Robinsons proposal on
Establishing whether aptitude complexes, or
inductive language more generally,
learning concerns implicit interactions between
or explicit knowledge learners aptitude
(Carpenters, 2008). components and variation
in learning conditions.