From a Simple Testing Tool to Advanced Computer-based MLAT Test: A Century of Aptitude Testing

The beginning of the aptitude concept, as well as aptitude testing, or, in other words, measuring one’s predispositions to foreign languages dates back to the 1920’s when the first aptitude tests, like the Iowa Foreign Language Aptitude Examination, or the Luria-Orleans Language Prognosis Test came into existence Carroll 1962. Since that time, aptitude tests have gone through a multitude of different transformations — from simple testing tools that resembled intelligence tests to an advanced computer-based version of the most influential Modern Language Aptitude Test developed by Carroll and Sapon in 1959 Dörnyei and Skehan 2003. Apart from them, researchers from different countries have attempted to create their own unique versions of the MLAT, like the Hungarian HUNLAT battery Safar and Kormos 2008, the Polish version named TUNJO Rysiewicz 2011, or even the CANAL-F battery based on an artificial language Kocic 2010. Therefore, the main goal of this paper is to provide a thorough theoretical analysis and review of the available aptitude testing batteries and find the differences and similarities between them. What is more, the paper aims to describe the components of all the possible aptitude tests and discover the potential behind the testing tools that examine one’s natural predispositions effectively. Apart from the general knowledge about aptitude testing available anywhere nowadays, it is necessary to understand how the tests work, and what they expect from a participant taking part in such an initiative. As they are often compared with intelligence tests, the purpose of this paper is to show that aptitude tests constitute a different tool, and measure different abilities and skills than a set of intelligence related instruments. To reach this goal, I examine the tools available, describe their properties and potential success rate, analyze their components and compare them with the other batteries.

APTITUDE AS GRAMMATICAL SENSITIVITY AND THE INITIAL STAGES OF LEARNING JAPANESE AS A L2

In this article, we challenge the notion that aptitude—operationalized as grammatical sensitivity as measured by the Words in Sentences section of the Modern Language Aptitude Test—is central to adult second language (L2) acquisition. We present the findings of a study on the acquisition of two properties of Japanese, head-final word order and case marking, by naïve learners of Japanese as a L2 who had no prior knowledge of this language or any other head-final, case-marking language. Participants underwent an input treatment in which they heard and saw basic subject-object-verb sentences in Japanese and were subsequently tested on these basic sentences and also on sentences to which they were not exposed during the treatment (i.e., polar questions and embedded clauses). Reading times on grammatical and ungrammatical sentences served as measures of underlying sensitivity to violations of grammatical word order for both the basic sentences and the novel sentences. Our results yielded three groups of learners: those who showed sensitivity to violations of basic word order, polar questions, and embedded clauses (parameter reset); those who showed sensitivity to violations of basic word order and polar questions only (partial parameter reset); and those who showed sensitivity to violations of basic word order only (no parameter reset). Because our measure of aptitude as grammatical sensitivity did not emerge as a factor distinguishing the three groups from one another, we argue that this component of aptitude is not a factor in whether learners are able to reset parameters. We also found that all participants, regardless of group, demonstrated sensitivity to case-marking violations, suggesting that aptitude as grammatical sensitivity plays no role in the acquisition of underlying features related to case or to the surface-level markings of case in Japanese.

Aptitude, age and cognitive development

In the validation studies of the Modern Language Aptitude Test-Elementary (MLAT-E) (Carroll & Sapon 1967) and its Spanish version, the MLAT-ES (Stansfield & Reed 2005), the total scores across grades increase unsteadily. At no point, though, has this increase been discussed. Similar results are found in the present study, which addresses this issue from two viewpoints, age and the supposed stability of language aptitude. The participants in this study are bilingual Catalan-Spanish children in grades from 3 to 7. 325 participants took the MLAT-ES and 304 participants took its Catalan version (MLAT-EC). The analyses of the children’s performance in both tests suggest that the higher the grade, the higher the final score. However, the difference between the means of the total score is consistently larger between grade 3 and 4 than between the other grades. Besides, this increase seems to plateau between grade 6 and 7. Results are discussed in relation to the influence that children’s age and cognitive development in middle childhood seem to have on children’s language aptitude development.

Long-term relationships among early first language skills, second language aptitude, second language affect, and later second language proficiency

ABSTRACTFifty-four students were followed over 10 years beginning in first grade to determine best predictors of oral and written second language (L2) proficiency. Predictor variables included measures of first language (L1) skill administered in first through fifth grades, L1 academic aptitude, L2 aptitude (Modern Language Aptitude Test), and L2 affect (motivation, anxiety). All participants completed 2 years of L2 study in high school. Findings revealed strong correlations between early L1 skills and later L2 proficiency, but the Modern Language Aptitude Test was the best predictor of overall L2 proficiency and most L2 proficiency subtests. However, L1 word decoding was the best predictor of L2 word decoding skills. Early L1 skills, L2 motivation, or L2 anxiety added a small amount of variance to the prediction models. Findings suggested that language-related variables are the most robust predictors of L2 proficiency. Results are discussed in the context of long-term cross linguistic transfer of early L1 skills to later L2 aptitude and L2 proficiency.