Language aptitude

ability - talent, skill, or proficiency in a particular area / possession of the means or

skill to do something. 1 of cognitively-based lrnr diffs

lg. apt: lg ab
lrng. ability: 1’s potential to acquire new knowl

intelligence: general aptitude, transferrable to many areas of performance

analitical intelligence the ability to analyze and evaluate ideas, solve problems and make decisions.

aptitude complexes - ID variable clusters (few of em may or may not contribute more to SLA than others) or,
as he called them, aptitude complexes.

aptitude treatment interaction ATI- concept that some instructional strategies (treatments) are more
or less effective for particular indivi duals depending upon their specific abilities. As a theoretical
framework, ATI suggests that optimal learning results when the instruction is exactly matched to the
aptitudes of the learner

auditory ability - “the ability to receive and process information through the ear”

working memory - a cognitive system with a limited capacity that is responsible for temporarily
holding information available for processing.

working memory span - the overall capacitoy of the working memory

Structure of working memory

- phonological loop - specialized verbal component of working memory, concerned with the
temporary storage of verbal and acoustic information
- visuospatial sketchpad - the visual equivalent of the phonological loop, responsible for
integrating spatial, visual, and kinesthetic information into a unified representation,
- central executive – controls the attentional behavior of the working memory. constitues the
supervisory attentional system that allocates attentional resources and regulates the selection,
initiation and termination of processing functions.
- episodic buffer – storage counterpart of the central executive, combines info from different
sources and modalities into a single, multifaceted code or „episode

multiple intelligence - human cognition and potential in terms of different ‘intelligences’ such
as verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, spatial, intrapersonal, interpersonal,
musical, naturalist, and existential.

General intelligence:

crystallized intelligence - intelligence involves knowledge that comes from prior learning and past
experiences, based upon facts and rooted in experiences.

fluid intelligence - the ability to perceive relationships independent of previous specific

practice or instruction concerning those relationships."
Fluid intelligence involves being able to think and reason abstractly and solve problems. This
ability is considered independent of learning, experience, and education.

implicit memory - type of long-term memory that stands in contrast to explicit

memory in that it doesn't require conscious thought. It allows you to do things by
rote.
language aptitude - prediction of how well, relative to other individuals, an individual can learn a
foreign language in a given amount of time and under given conditions

LCDH Linguistic coding difference hypothesis- core is the idea that one’s capacity to learn an L2 is
closely related to the individual’s L1 learning skills, and L2 learning difficulties stem in part from
deficits that also occur in native language acquisition.

dynamic testing - which aims to identify learning potential in contrast to static tests that measure
learning achievements
MLAT, PLAB: tests to measure lg aptitude: research, predicting future success, to tailor lg
teaching

CARROLL

purpose: research, selection, tailoring lg teaching according to the apt level, program evaluation,
predicting future success

grammatical sensitivity - ability to recognize the grammatical function of a lexical element (word,
phrase, etc.) in a sentence without explicit training in grammar

phonetic coding ability - ability to perceive distinct sounds, associate a symbol with that sound and
retain that association

rote learning ability - ability to learn associations between words in a foreign language and their
meanings and retain that association

inductive learning ability - ability to infer or induce rules governing the structure of a language

inductive language learning ability - This is the ability to infer the rules that govern the
use of language.
CANAL-FT – Grigorenko (2000) latest attempt to measure lg apt.
-based ont he triarchic theory of human intelligence or the theory of succ int

creative intelligence - involves going beyond what is given to generate novel and interesting ideas.

practical intelligence - that individuals use to find the best fit between themselves and the demands
of the environment

verbal intelligence - refers to specific human language-based skills which are considered to
reflect latent general abilities
 Learning and cognitive styles

field dependence/independence theory: ppl can be categorized if they are dependent ont he
structure of the prevailing visual field

field dependant: cant see obvious shit when looking for small objects

independent free of the influence of the whole field when they look at the parts, so they can notice
details

Riding’s VAKT model: the perceptuals modes or learning channels through information is transmitted

visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile: hands-on

Kolb’s model of lrng styles: based on the permutation of two main dimensions (concrete vs abstract
active vs reflective)

accomodators – (concr+act) Accommodators have the most hands-on approach, with a

strong preference for doing rather than thinking. They like to ask 'what if?' and 'why
not?' to support their action-first approach

assimiliators – (abstr+refl) Assimilators have the most cognitive approach, preferring to

think than to act. The ask 'What is there I can know?' and like organized and
structured understanding.
They prefer lectures for learning, with demonstrations where possible, and will
respect the knowledge of experts.

convergers – (abstr+act) They like facts and will seek to make things efficient by making
small and careful changes. Convergers think about things and then try out their
ideas to see if they work in practice.

divergers – (Concr+refl) Divergers take experiences and think deeply about them, thus
diverging from a single experience to multiple possibilities in terms of what this
might mean. They like to ask 'why', and will start from detail to constructively work
up to the big picture. They are generally influenced by other people and like to
receive constructive feedback.

Ehrman&Leaver construct - reorganizes a number of established style dimensions under a new,

comprehensive, and parsimonious superordinate construct, only one superordinate stlye dimension,
with the two poles labeled ectasis and synopsis

ectasis - ectenic learner wants or needs conscious control over the learning process

synopsis - synoptic learner leaves more to preconscious or unconscious processing

Riding’s system of cognitive styles: wholist-analytic, verbal-imagery

wholist: info to integrated whole

analytic: organized into parts

verbal: represent info thinking verbally

imagery: mental pics of info

impulsivity - multifactorial construct that involves a tendency to act on a whim

reflectiveness - deliberate response, quiet thought or contemplation

verbalizers - Verbalizers tend to focus outward and prefer a stimulating environment

wholists - wholists tend to see a situation as a whole (hence the label), have an overall perspective, and
appreciate the total context, can also easily lose sight of the details

Kolb’s learning style inventory: 9-item self-description

questionnaire used to det a studs lg lrng style: experiencing,
initiating, reflecting, imagining

Motivation
instrumental orientation - associated with the concrete benefits that language proficiency
might bring about, such as career opportunities or increased salary
integrativeness + motivation - Some learners have a personal affinity for the people who
speak a particular language. This is the second type of language learning motivation
described by Gardner and Lambert and is called integrative motivation.
AMTB – Attitude/Motivation Test Battery: Multicomponential motivation questionnaire:
useful self-report instrument
linguistic self confidence )

s- c The belief that one is capable of producing results, goals, perform tasks and accomplish
goals.
l s c: major motivational factor in lrng the other comms lg, determines the lrnr’s future
desires for intercult comm and the extent of identification w/ the l2 group
attribution theory dörnyei - it highlighted the temporal nature of motivation, in other words,
people’s past experiences are linked with their future achievement efforts by means of causal
attributions as the mediating link.
Dornyei&Otto process model – aims to describe aspects of motivational development
divides into 3 stages: pre: generated-> organizing, goal actional: mot maintained, post: self-
reflecting
group dynamics - social unit of the classroom is clearly instrumental in developing and supporting
the motivation of the individual

demotivation – specific external forces that reduces or deminish the motivational basis of a
behavioral intention Dörnyei
directed motivational currents (DMCs) -process of engaging in tasks that are rewarding
because they make you „better”, key word: self-fueled
possible selves – are specific representations of one’s self in the future states, involving
thoughts, images and senses
ideal self - ideal self-image that has a substantial L2 component are more likely to be motivated to
take action in pursuing language studies than their peers without such a self-image.

ideal l2 self - it concerns a desirable self-image of the kind of L2 user that one would ideally
like to be in the future. If peoplesee a discrepancy between this and their current state, they
may be motivated to learn a new language or further develop their proficiency in an existing
one.
ought self: a desired self that possessess attributes relevant to future behaviors and goals
self discrepancy theory - The self-discrepancy theory states that people compare themselves to
internalized standards called "self-guides". These different representations of the self can be
contradictory and result in emotional discomfort. Self-discrepancy is the gap between two of these
self-representations.  motivation to reduce the gap

imagined community - groups of people not immediately tangible and accessible, with
whom we connect through the power of the imagination, membership in virtual language communities
associated with globalization - benefiical impact on lg learning+ identity forming

motivation intrinsic - Intrinsic motivation involves engaging in a behavior because it is personally

rewarding; essentially, performing an activity for its own sake rather than the desire for some
external reward.

extrinsic- Extrinsic motivation occurs when we are motivated to perform a behavior or engage in an
activity to earn a reward or avoid punishment.

motivational orientation of lg teaching (molt) - to assess the interaction of L2

teachers’ actual motivational behaviors with students’ level of engagement in
specific language tasks

motivational strategies

person-in-context relational view of

motivation
self determination theory (SDT) - Deci ryan focuses on extrinsic and intrinsic aspects of
motivation, how self-det is influenced by classroom0

socio educational model of l2 acquisiton - In the socio-educational model the complex of

attitudes toward the learning situation and motivation reflects an integrative motive that
promotes language learning. Whether integrative motive exists in EFL settings or whether it
is more relevant to ESL contexts has been an issue of debate for years.
 Learning strategies and self regulation

learning strategies:the processes which are consciously deployed by the learner in order to learn and
use a lg more effectively

O’Malley- Chamot taxonomy:

metacognitive strategies: thinking about learning

cognitive strategies: transformation of tasks

Social/affective strategies: interpersonal behavior

Oxford taxonomy:

Cognitive: ass. btw new and known info

mnemonic: using formula

metacogn: planning, organization

compensatory: using context to replace missing info

affective: regulation of emo and moti

social: interaction

metacognitive knowledge: ass w/ the knowledge of cognitive tactics, procedural knowledge and
conditional knowledges

metacognitive monitoring: refers to the processes such as monitoring task difficulty and matching
achievements standards

self regulation: refers to a degree in which individuals are active participants in their own learning

self regulatory capacity: refers to the ability with which exert control over their own learning
processes

Personality

big five model: ppers. model that intends to apply 5 major pers factors as independent
grounds (2-2 score )
1. agreeableness h-s: friendly, likeable – l-s: cold, rude
2. conscientousness h-s: organized, efficient – l-s: lazy, late
3. neuroticism vs emotional stability h-s: worrying, depressed l-s: calm, relaxed
4. extraversion vs introversion: h-s: active, passionate l-s: passive, quiet
5. openness to exp: h-s: imaginitive, creative l-s: unartistic, practical
temperament: pers. traits that are rooted in our biological setup
mood: a changing state of mind that is not completely random (causal af)
NEO-PI: upgraded Big 5 model, each factor has 6 more facets
MBTI: Myer-Briggs type indicator: Indicates various aspects of one’s psycholigcal setup.
Used to measure l2 lrng. style.
4 bipolar types:
extra-intro: where people get their energy from, outer or inner world.
sensing-intuition: how people perceive the world or gather info.
thinking-feeling: how ppl arrive at conclusions
judging-perceiving: how ppl take action

Individual differences

characteristic adaptation - that is, the various beliefs, goals, and strategies that individuals
tend to employ in response to specific situations.
dynamic systems - not only are individuals a product of the constant interactions between
their various individual attributes and contexts, but those attributes themselves are also
multicomponential in nature and make up a holistic dynamic framework.
dispositinal traits – includes those personality features that tend to be stable over time and across
situations

emotions
individual differences (ID)
integrative life narratives - that individuals construct to define who they are, to connect with
others, and ultimately to regulate behavior.
trait
trait complexes
trilogy of mind - represent three mental dimensions that have continuous dynamic interaction
with each other and cannot exist in isolation from one another. these r cognition, motivation,
and affect, reasoning, spirited, appetitive part

Other learner characteristics

anxiety – anxiety provoking situations: we forget things that we would otherwise know
trait anxiety - rait anxiety refers to a stable predisposition to become
anxious in a cross-section of situations;
state anxiety is the transient, momentto-moment experience of anxiety as an emotional reaction to the
current situation.
beneficial/facilitating: anxiety helps certain ppl in certain situations
inhibitory/debilitating: worsens performance

creativity: closely related to intelligence, refers to the ability of being able to create
something original and new, inventiveness
test of creative thinking: associations, unusual uses, common problems
epistemological beliefs: about the nature of knowledge and learning (Wenden)
self-esteem: closely related to self-confidence
implicit theories - implicit theory of intelligence refers to his or her fundamental underlying
beliefs regarding whether or not intelligence or abilities can change, entity theory and
incremental theory- entity- fixed traits + intelligence, inceremental- malleable human
conditions, capable of developing through effort
explicit beliefs: aware of, more powerful
implicit beliefs: not aware of, less powerful
mindsets: fixed mindset – belief of standarad skills that cant be changed, growing mindset:
thru conscious effort, the set of skills may be improved
perceived behavioral control: related to wtc. is concerned with the diff level of performing a
given behavior
narrative identity - concerned with the ways in which people organize and understand their
experiences and memories in the form of various narratives such as stories, excuses, myths, or
explanations, serving as the foundations of their self-concept