scholarly journals IMPLICIT LANGUAGE APTITUDE: CONCEPTUALIZING THE CONSTRUCT, VALIDATING THE MEASURES, AND EXAMINING THE EVIDENCE

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 473-497
Author(s):  
Shaofeng Li ◽  
Robert DeKeyser
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Language Aptitude ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Linguistic Input ◽  
Transitional Probabilities

AbstractThis article discusses the conceptualization, measurement, and validity of a recently emerged construct in the field of second language acquisition (SLA)—implicit language aptitude (alternatively “implicit aptitude”). Implicit aptitude is a set of cognitive abilities that enable learners to make unconscious computations of the distributional and transitional probabilities of linguistic input. Implicit aptitude is key to an accurate understanding of the cognitive foundation of language learning and contributes significantly to the advancement of SLA theory and pedagogy. The article starts by clarifying the concept and components of implicit aptitude, elaborating its role in SLA theories, identifying its attributes, and discussing its measurement. It then synthesizes the empirical evidence on its divergent, convergent, and predictive validity, which refers to whether it is distinct or separable from explicit aptitude, whether measures of implicit aptitude are correlated, and whether it is predictive of learning outcomes, respectively. Next, the article provides an overview of the seven empirical studies included in this special issue that examined implicit aptitude from various perspectives. The article concludes by identifying future directions.

APTITUDE AND SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

2005 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 46-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Aptitude Tests ◽  
Advanced Level ◽  
Learning Success ◽  
And Performance

Recent second language acquisition (SLA) research into the cognitive abilities implicated in implicit, incidental, and explicit learning, and in learning and performance on tasks differing in their information processing demands has prompted new theoretical frameworks for conceptualizing L2 aptitude. This research is reviewed and related to measures of abilities operationalized in existing aptitude tests, as well as to measures of abilities that are the focus of more recent research in cognitive psychology. Finally, prospects for developing aptitude tests to serve the purposes of predicting both early and advanced level language learning success are discussed in the light of the SLA findings and aptitude frameworks reviewed.

Individual differences, cognitive abilities, aptitude complexes and learning conditions in second language acquisition

2001 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 368-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Learning Condition ◽  
Learning Conditions ◽  
Complex Hypothesis ◽  
Acquisition Processes

Individual differences in resource availability, and the patterns of cognitive abilities they contribute to, are important to:• explaining variation between learners in the effectiveness of second language (L2) instructional treatments;• describing differences in implicit, incidental and explicit L2 learning processes; and• explaining child-adult differences in acquisition processes, and therefore to any general theory of second language acquisition (SLA).In this article I describe a framework for research into the effects of cognitive abilities on SLA which is based on four interlocking hypotheses. These hypotheses are drawn from research in psychology, education and SLA and, where possible, I present evidence to support each of them. The hypotheses are:1) the Aptitude Complex Hypothesis;2) the Ability Differentiation Hypothesis;3) the Fundamental Difference Hypothesis; and4) the Fundamental Similarity Hypothesis.The hypotheses, and the relationships between them, define an Aptitude Complex/Ability Differentiation framework for further examining the influence of individual differences in cognitive abilities on SLA, and for developing a theoretically motivated measure of language learning aptitude. I argue that such research should adopt the interactionist approach described by Snow (1994) to identifying individual difference/learning condition interactions at a number of levels. I illustrate some of these interactions.

scholarly journals Applied cognitive linguistics and foreign language learning. Introduction to the special issue

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Hijazo-Gascón ◽  
Reyes Llopis-García
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Cognitive Grammar ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Second Languages

Abstract This introduction provides an overview of the intersection between Applied Cognitive Linguistics and Second/Foreign Language Learning. First, the relevance of Cognitive Linguistics (CL) for Applied Linguistics in general is discussed. The second section explains the main principles of CL and how each relates to the acquisition of second languages: (i) language and human cognition, (ii) language as symbolic, (iii) language as motivated; and (iv) language as usage-based. Section three offers a review of previous literature on CL and L2s that are different from English, as it is one the main aims of this Special Issue to provide state-of-the-art research and scholarship to enhance the bigger picture of the field of Second Language Acquisition beyond English as the target language. Spanish as L2/FL in Applied Cognitive Linguistics is the focus of the next section, which leads to a brief overview of the papers included in the Issue, featuring Spanish as the L2 with L1s such as English, French, German and Italian. Polysemy, Motion Events Typology, Cognitive Grammar and Construction Grammar are the Cognitive Linguistics areas addressed in the contributions here presented.

Individual differences in second language acquisition

AILA Review ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 42-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoltán Dörnyei
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
Prominent Feature ◽  
Learner Characteristics ◽  
The Individual

Ever since the early days of its existence, the field of psychology has been trying to achieve two different and somewhat contradictory objectives: to understand the general principles of the human mind and to explore the uniqueness of the individual mind. The latter direction has formed an independent subdiscipline within the field, usually referred to as individual difference (ID) research. IDs are a prominent feature of SLA because a great deal of the variation in language learning outcomes is attributable, either directly or indirectly, to various learner characteristics. This paper first provides an overview of the five most important ID variables (personality, aptitude, motivation, learning styles and learning strategies) and then concludes by describing certain common themes in contemporary ID research.

scholarly journals Book Review: Positive Psychology Perspectives on Foreign Language Learning and Teaching. Edited Collection by Danuta Gabryś-Barker and Dagmara Galajda.

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 142-147
Author(s):  
Sonja Babic
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Human Functioning ◽  
Positive Character

Traditionally, within psychology, the focus has been on the negative aspects of human functioning and how to improve and treat problems. Positive Psychology (PP) emerged to balance the field by ensuring a consideration of both positive and negative dimensions; to examine what goes well in life as well as instances of disorder and dysfunction. As a result, PP concentrates on “positive emotion, positive character traits, and institutions that enable individuals to flourish” (MacIntyre, 2016, p. 3). PP has recently started gaining researchers’ attention in language learning and teaching (MacIntyre, Gregersen, & Mercer, 2016), although it is still in its infancy within Second Language Acquisition (SLA). This volume is one of the first few edited collections to address this nascent field. It comprises theoretical, practical and empirical studies of foreign language learning and teaching through the lens of PP. It encompasses four main sections, namely, introducing PP in SLA; focus on learners: positive interventions; focus on teachers: personal and professional wellbeing; and, focus on assessment: achievement and success.

scholarly journals Introduction: Special Issue on Assessment as Pedagogy in Education Abroad

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Kris Acheson ◽  
Lan Jin ◽  
Aletha Stahl ◽  
Katherine Yngve
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Cultural Responsiveness ◽  
Learning Objectives ◽  
Macro Level ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Education Abroad ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Differentiated Learning

This essay introduces the Special Issue on Assessment as Pedagogy in Education Abroad, which seeks to answer the question: How can we guide educators toward specific and intentional alignment of learning objectives, the learning context, and learner capacities and needs so that students achieve the desired learning outcomes? The Guest Editors briefly describe the articles selected for the special issue, focusing on three categories: Macro-Level Studies, Micro-Level Studies, and Innovative Approaches. Future directions for assessment in education abroad are suggested, with a focus on leveraging assessment to increase community reciprocity, cultural responsiveness, differentiated learning, and access in education abroad. Abstract in Spanish Este ensayo presenta la colección especial de Frontiers sobre el tema, “El uso pedagógico de la evaluación de aprendizaje,” que trata la cuestión de ¿cómo se puede guiar los maestros en la planificación intencional de alcanzar objetivos de aprendizaje en contextos específicos y con una variedad de capacidades estudiantiles? El equipo de editoras invitadas describe resumidamente los artículos incluidos en la colección, enfocando en tres categorías:  los estudios de investigación a nivel macro, los a nivel micro, y los estudios con métodos innovadores. Se ofrecen recomendaciones para futuras investigaciones en el área de estudios de la educación internacional, con énfasis en el aprovechamiento de la evaluación de aprendizaje estudiantil para mejorar la reciprocidad comunitaria, la capacidad de sensibilidad cultural, la enseñanza diferenciada, y el acceso a la educación internacional. Abstract in French Dans cet essai, nous présentons le numéro spécial sur l'évaluation comme outil didactique, sujet destiné à répondre à la question : Comment guider les éducateurs à aligner les objectifs d'apprentissage, le contexte d'apprentissage, ainsi que les capacités et les besoins des étudiants afin que s'achevent les résultats d'apprentissage visés ? L'équipe de rédacteurs invités décrit en résumé les articles sélectionnés pour ce numéro en misant sur trois catégories : les études au niveau macro, les études au niveau micro, et les approches innovatrices. On propose également des orientations futures en soulignant l'exploitation de l'évaluation d'apprentissage afin d'augmenter la réciprocité communitaire, la sensibilité culturelle, l'apprentissage différencié, et l'accès à l'éducation à l'étranger. Abstract in Mandarin 本篇引言概述了一期以留学教育为背景的关于教育学评估的特刊。此特刊旨在回答这一中心问题：如何引导教育者有意识并具体地将学习目标，学习背景，与学生的能力和需要互相契合，以便让学生获得预期的学习成果？客座编辑简要描述了入选在特刊的文章，其中包括了宏观研究，微观研究，和创新方法三个类别。本文以借助评估来增加留学教育中的群体互惠，文化回应教学，差异化学习和途径为中心，对未来留学教育评估的发展方向提出了建议。

scholarly journals Directed Motivational Currents (DMCs) in Self-directed Language Learning: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-212
Author(s):  
Ismail Xodabande ◽  
Esmat Babaii
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Positive Emotionality ◽  
The Core ◽  
Mobile Assisted Language Learning ◽  
Core Characteristics

Directed Motivational Currents (DMCs) postulated as a novel motivational construct in second language acquisition (SLA) research to explain periods of intense and enduring behavior in pursuit of a highly valued goal or vision. Nonetheless, much of the discussion related to this new motivational phenomenon has remained theoretical, and only a limited number of empirical studies have investigated its various dimensions in language learning. The current qualitative study employed interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore a period of intense motivation experienced by an Iranian language learner in self-directed and mobile assisted language learning. The findings provided further empirical evidence for the triggering stimulus and the core characteristics of DMCs in terms of goal/vision orientedness, a salient facilitative structure, and positive emotionality in explaining the essence and the universal meaning of the phenomenon experienced by the participant of the current study.

The trends and developments of L2 Japanese research in the 2010s

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-127
Author(s):  
Yoshiko Mori ◽  
Atsushi Hasegawa ◽  
Junko Mori
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Pedagogical Issues ◽  
Learner Motivation ◽  
Pragmatic Development ◽  
Syntactic Development ◽  
Critical Approaches ◽  
Based Instruction

AbstractThis article updates the trends and developments of Japanese as a second language (JSL) research since Mori and Mori (2011) by reviewing nearly 200 selected empirical studies published in English or Japanese between 2010 and early 2019. The first section of this review examines the cognitive aspects of second language (L2) Japanese development, focusing on vocabulary and kanji (i.e., Chinese characters transferred into Japanese) learning, syntactic development, and the issues surrounding reading and writing. The second part investigates sociocultural issues in L2 Japanese development and use, including pragmatic development, multilingual/translingual perspectives, and multilingual youth. The third section explores the role of affective variables (primarily learner motivation) in L2 Japanese development. The last section considers various pedagogical issues, including corpus-based studies and the development of materials and resources, instructional designs and classroom studies, technology-enhanced language learning and new instructional models, critical approaches to teaching Japanese and content-based instruction. The review of these themes illuminates trends and emerging areas of interest in post-2010 L2 Japanese research inspired by current developments in applied linguistics and second language acquisition (SLA) research, as well as unique features of Japanese language and sociocultural contexts.

African Americans in World Language Study: The Forged Path and Future Directions

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 97-112
Author(s):  
Uju Anya
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Black Students ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Education ◽  
World Language ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
World Languages ◽  
Language Study ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThis article examines the history of African Americans in the academic study of world languages and presents an overview of inquiry on the topic. The paper focuses on the impact of race in second language acquisition (SLA) as exemplified through the experience of black students in language education and study abroad. It discusses objectives, policies, instructional priorities and strategies, conditions, and materials related to how black students have in the past, are currently, or should be engaged in language learning. The article examines the path forged by African Americans in world language study, signals gaps in the present body of knowledge, and suggests future directions for investigations into this important topic in the field of applied linguistics and SLA for ARAL's 40th anniversary.

scholarly journals Declarative and Procedural Memory as Individual Differences in Second Language Aptitude

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Buffington ◽  
Kara Morgan-Short
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Memory Systems ◽  
Procedural Memory ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Language Aptitude

Domain-general approaches to second language acquisition (SLA) have considered how individual differences in cognitive abilities contribute to foreign language aptitude. Here, we specifically consider the role of two, long-term, cognitive memory systems, i.e., declarative and procedural memory, as individual differences in SLA. In doing so, we define and review evidence for the long-term declarative and procedural memory systems, consider theories that address a role for declarative and procedural memory in L2 acquisition, discuss evidence in support of the claims that these theories make, and conclude with discussion of important directions and questions for future research on the role of declarative and procedural memory as individual differences in assessing L2 aptitude.

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