Language aptitude: Multiple perspectives

Doughty, Catherine J.; Mackey, Alison

doi:10.1017/s0267190521000076

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…In recent years, a growing number of scholars have undertaken a thorough examination of the relationship between aptitude and second language acquisition ( Skehan, 2012 ). Their discussions span various perspectives, investigating the content and characteristics of aptitude, along with its associations with factors like age, instructional methods, and other pivotal aspects of language learning, including the distinction between explicit and implicit knowledge ( Robinson, 2005 ; Doughty and Mackey, 2021 ; Li and Zhao, 2021 ). Among these factors, investigating age and learning ability has consistently been a focal point of empirical research in this field.…”

Section: Factors Influencing Second Language Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Key points of contention include whether aptitude represents the “upper limit” of language learning and whether the components of aptitude play distinct roles in various learning stages of second language learners, such as the beginning and proficiency stage. These unresolved issues warrant further research and exploration ( Kakhramonov, 2020 ; Doughty and Mackey, 2021 ).…”

Section: Factors Influencing Second Language Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors influencing second language learning based on the research of Lightbown and Spada

Qiao

2024

Front. Psychol.

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Deep insights into the factors influencing second language learners can positively impact learners’ self-intervention and guide language teachers in selecting appropriate teaching materials and strategies. Drawing from Lightbown and Spada’s framework encompassing motivation, aptitude, personality, intelligence, and learner preferences, this paper examines the relationship between individual learners’ characteristics and second language learning effects across five aspects by dialectically considering the research methods suitable for different learner variables. By incorporating recent research and offering practical implications, this paper has the potential to contribute valuable insights to both researchers and practitioners in the field of language education.

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Section: Factors Influencing Second Language Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Factors Influencing Second Language Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors influencing second language learning based on the research of Lightbown and Spada

Qiao

2024

Front. Psychol.

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Bilinguals outperform trilinguals in implicit language aptitude: the mediating role of selective attention

Huang,

Li,

et al. 2024

Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development

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Sixty years of second language aptitude research: A systematic quantitative literature review

Chalmers

Eisenchlas

Munro

et al. 2021

Language and Linguist. Compass

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Second language (L2) aptitude has been broadly defined as the rate and ease of initially acquiring a second language. Historically, L2 aptitude has been understood as a stable trait that predetermined L2 achievement, regardless of individual learners’ efforts to acquire an L2. This traditional view of L2 aptitude as fixed and stable has led to it being a relatively neglected area of research within second language acquisition (SLA) studies. The little research that was in fact conducted was diagnostic in nature, and mostly used tests such as the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) to select potentially gifted L2 learners. Given that six decades have passed since the publication of the MLAT, now is a good time to revisit the literature and investigate whether L2 aptitude continues to be viewed as an individual difference of little interest to SLA research. While summative literature reviews of L2 aptitude research have been written, few systematic reviews exist. This article conducts a systematic quantitative literature review (SQLR) to provide a principled, comprehensive and reproducible synthesis of research into L2 aptitude published over the last 60 years (1959–2019). In this SQLR, close to one hundred journal articles and PhD dissertations were examined to discern generalisations and limitations in the field. This SQLR identifies a shift in the rationale for L2 aptitude testing, in which a diagnostic focus has been replaced by an explanatory perspective. Furthermore, our article points to a renewed interest in L2 aptitude research, which has come to be characterised by a more nuanced and sophisticated understanding of the concept and its components.

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Language aptitude: Multiple perspectives

Cited by 3 publications

References 22 publications

Factors influencing second language learning based on the research of Lightbown and Spada

Factors influencing second language learning based on the research of Lightbown and Spada

Bilinguals outperform trilinguals in implicit language aptitude: the mediating role of selective attention

Sixty years of second language aptitude research: A systematic quantitative literature review

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