&lt;b&gt;Working memory, phonemic coding ability and foreign language aptitude: potential for construction of specific language aptitude tests - the case of cantonese&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;DOI:10.5007/2175-8026.2011n60p045

Chan, Erica On-Ting; Skehan, Peter; Gong, Gwendolyn

doi:10.5007/2175-8026.2011n60p045

Cited by 16 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Chan, Skehan & Gong, 2011;Wen, Biedroń, & Skehan, 2017). There are some differences between current models of working memory, but they have commonalities in regard to the conceptualization of this construct and to the account given of its processes.…”

Section: The Working Memory Dimensionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Language aptitude: Desirable trait or acquirable attribute?

Singleton

2017

SSLLT

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The traditional definition of language aptitude sees it as "an individual's initial state of readiness and capacity for learning a foreign language, and probable facility in doing so given the presence of motivation and opportunity" (Carroll, 1981, p. 86). This conception portrays language aptitude as a trait, in the sense of exhibiting stability over long periods of time and being immune to training. The trait view of language aptitude tends towards the notion that it is innate, and indeed language aptitude has often been associated with the popular notion of a "gift for languages" (cf. Rosenthal, 1996, p. 59). The view of language aptitude as an innate trait has, however, long been questioned (see e.g., Neufeld, 1978). Recently, this questioning has intensified (see Singleton, 2014), especially since the development of a widespread consensus that working memory needs to be recognized as an important component of language aptitude (see Wen, 2016). Working memory was also once thought of as a trait, but is now recognized as susceptible to the influence of experience and instruction (see e.g., Williams, 2012). The present paper will track the trajectory of the above theoretical discussion and will explore the implications of the stage it has now reached.

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Section: The Working Memory Dimensionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Language aptitude: Desirable trait or acquirable attribute?

Singleton

2017

SSLLT

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“…Moreover, WM measures overlap with fluid intelligence test results (Conway, Macnamara, & Engel de Abreu, 2013;Engle, Laughlin, Tuholski, & Conway, 1999b;Kane, Conway, Hambrick, & Engle, 2008). It is quite likely that WM, with its origin in and dependence on rapid developments in modern cognitive science, may hold the very key to elaborating the concept of foreign language aptitude (Chan, Skehan, & Gong, 2011;DeKeyser & Koeth, 2011;Miyake & Friedman, 1998;Sawyer & Ranta, 2001;Wen, 2016;Wen, Biedroń, & Skehan, 2016). There is much evidence for this suggestion.…”

Section: Working Memorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Polish Listening SPAN: A new tool for measuring verbal working memory

Zychowicz

Biedroń

Pawlak³

2017

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Individual differences in second language acquisition (SLA) encompass differences in working memory capacity, which is believed to be one of the most crucial factors influencing language learning. However, in Poland research on the role of working memory in SLA is scarce due to a lack of proper Polish instruments for measuring this construct. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the process of construction and validation of the Polish Listening Span (PLSPAN) as a tool intended to measure verbal working memory of adults. The article presents the requisite theoretical background as well as the information about the PLSPAN, that is, the structure of the test, the scoring procedures and the steps taken with the aim of validating it.

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“…Therefore, since the speed and the success in learning an L2 depends on the (typological, geographic, genetic or other) relationship between L1 and L2, target language-specific aptitude tests such as the one recently developed by Chan et al (2011) should be the focus of future research.…”

Section: Conclusion and Final Remarksmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another very important issue brought up recently by Chan et al (2011) concerns the fact that all-purpose aptitude tests are practical, but not fully reliable. Therefore, since the speed and the success in learning an L2 depends on the (typological, geographic, genetic or other) relationship between L1 and L2, target language-specific aptitude tests such as the one recently developed by Chan et al (2011) should be the focus of future research.…”

Section: Conclusion and Final Remarksmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These are particularly obvious in L2 beginners who often show great difficulties in simultaneously focusing on form and meaning (VanPatten, 2004). Hence, a complex cognitive task such as L2 processing requires high WM capacity in order to cope with the real-time problem, especially when trying to learn from the input, and to modify and restructure the underlying interlanguage system (see Chan, Skehan, & Gong, 2011).…”

Section: Some Major Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Chapter 3. Language learning aptitude and foreign language learning

Aguado¹

2012

Perspectives on Individual Characteristics and Foreign Language Education

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There is a great variability in the rates, the routes, the processes, and the outcomes of different individuals' attempts in learning foreign languages. What is responsible for this enormous variation? Is it the learners' affective predisposition, their motivation, their intelligence or other cognitive factors or abilities? A number of studies have provided convincing evidence for the assumption that aptitude is one of the strongest predictors of academic success. For example, in their large-scale survey of individual differences, Ehrman and Oxford (1995) found that aptitude measures were the variables that most strongly correlated with second or foreign language (henceforth L2) proficiency. According to their findings, 25% of individual difference variation can be predicted and explained by aptitude scores. Sparks, Patton, Ganschow, and Humbach (2009) also describe L2 aptitude as the "single best predictor of achievement in an L2" (p. 727). It is thus not surprising that the investigation of language aptitude is considered one of the most promising areas of SLA research. At the same time, there is a great deal of questions to be answered. For instance, it is still not clear how the basic construct language aptitude (henceforth LA) should be conceptualized. Note that while a remarkable amount of effort has been put into the development of tests to measure L2 aptitude, much less work has been invested into defining the underlying construct. Such a defini-1. I dedicate this chapter to Prof. Dr. Brigitte Handwerker (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) on the occasion of her 60 th birthday. Inspired by her work on chunks, I became increasingly interested in aspects such as working memory and analytic ability, which are the two central components of the language aptitude construct discussed in this chapter.

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<b>Working memory, phonemic coding ability and foreign language aptitude: potential for construction of specific language aptitude tests - the case of cantonese</b><br>DOI:10.5007/2175-8026.2011n60p045

Cited by 16 publications

References 29 publications

Language aptitude: Desirable trait or acquirable attribute?

Language aptitude: Desirable trait or acquirable attribute?

Polish Listening SPAN: A new tool for measuring verbal working memory

Chapter 3. Language learning aptitude and foreign language learning

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