This quantitative study focuses on the relationship between foreign language learners' aptitude and proficiency test scores. Four groups of 136 beginning students received six months of Initial Acquisition Training (IAT) in four different language categories, according to the level of complexity for an English speaker: French (Category I),…

This study examined the second language (L2) development of adult learners of Spanish at three levels of proficiency during and after a semester of instruction. A fundamental goal was to identify cognitive and psychosocial individual differences (IDs) that can explain between-learner variation over time in order to expand our understanding of the…

This collection of papers assesses the validity of the MLAT. It is not self-evident that a test designed for English speaking university students in America and validated there is necessarily valid in an English university. The differences between American English and British English are evident, and American universities admit a greater…

Early language aptitude tests were generally tests of ability in English or work-sample tests in the target language or an artificial language. Recent work has involved various correlational studies and factor analyses to determine what factors correlate most with success in foreign language learning. Approaches include: (1) correlations of…

"Linguistic ability" is a widely misused term in foreign language literature. This confusion prompted an investigation into language aptitude testing, the specific goals of which included determining: the distribution of language aptitude across ability range; the validity of Pimsleur's suggestions of combined verbal and auditory scores;…

"Listening Recall" is a listening comprehension test which discriminates over a wide range of proficiency. Unlike traditional tests, requiring multiple choice responses, it is a listening cloze procedure; a narrative passage accompanied by a written version with deletions. Particularly suited to low proficiency learners, test has high…

This study attempts to determine the extent to which performance on educational tests is dependent upon language proficiency. Three questions are involved: (1) Will the dictation and the cloze tests prove to be as successful in distinguishing degrees of proficiency among native speakers as among second language learners? (2) How well will scores…

This compilation lists 286 current second language testing research projects in the United States and abroad. Each listing provides the name of the principal investigator, address, title of project, areas covered by the research, and a 50- to 100-word descriptive statement of the project. Date of completion or projected completion of each project…

The Language Aptitude Symposium papers include: "Prognostication and Language Aptitude Testing, 1925-62" (Bernard Spolsky); "You, the Government, and Language Aptitude" (Government Roundtable; abstract only); "Styles of Thinking and Learning" (Robert Sternberg); "Current Research in Measuring Listening"…