In response to a previous article, this article addresses issues raised about the identification of subjects as learning disabled and the use of the Modern Language Aptitude Test as a predictor of success. (JL)

Provides a partial characterization of the nature of language aptitude through correlations and factor analyses of the Modern Language Aptitude Test and Primary Mental Abilities Test. Also discusses whether second-language learning ability is better conceptualized as a unitary or a composite factor. (EKN)

THE MAJOR PART OF THIS CONFERENCE REPORT DEVELOPS THE CONFERENCE THEME, "INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING," AS PRESENTED BY THE PRINCIPAL SPEAKER, JOHN B. CARROLL. HIS PAPER TREATS RATE OF LEARNING, SPECIALIZED TRAITS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE APTITUDE (PHONETIC CODING ABILITY, GRAMMATICAL SENSITIVITY, ROTE LEARNING ABILITY,…

Examines the Modern Language Aptitude Test and identifies as the lowest common denominator in three of its four parts an individual's short-term Memory capability. Concludes that this test cannot indicate an individual's linguistic aptitude because it does not take into consideration the role of two key aspects of language learning: long-term…

This article presents an interview with Dr. John Bissell Carroll, who was considered by many to be the premier psychologist in the 20th century in terms of contributions to educational linguistics. In retrospect, this occasion has very special significance, as it was one of the last interviews that Dr. Carroll granted near the end of his…

Subjects were 45 Italians who were studying English as a second language. They were administered the Modern Language Aptitude Test and a cloze test and were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their language study. The researcher then analyzed the interrelationships among the subjects' linguistic aptitude, language study history, and level…

Colleges and universities often permit students classified as learning disabled (LD) and other students not classified as LD to substitute courses for or waive the foreign language requirement. The Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) has become an increasingly popular assessment tool to determine which students can or cannot pass foreign language…

In response to an earlier article on foreign language learning disabilities in college students, the article reports on a similar study using the Modern Language Aptitude Test and concludes that, as yet, tests are not adequate to determine a disability affecting foreign language learning. (DB)

Presents results of an investigation into the test-retest reliability of the short form of the Modern Language Aptitude Test, with Canadian samples. (AM)

This paper investigates the difference in achievement among 20 University of Utah students of modern standard Arabic. One group of 11 students followed an intensive eight-week summer course, and a second group of nine students studied the same course during a regular academic year. Also reported on is the correlation between achievement and…

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…

The Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) was part of a project examining biographical, motivational, attitudinal, personality, and cognitive aptitude variables in 1,000 adult students preparing at the Foreign Service Institute for overseas assignments, with various subsamples completing different instruments. Data were analyzed using correlation,…

A new program at Boston University that identifies students who would have great difficulty fulfilling their foreign language requirement is described. This program offers an alternative sequence of courses designed to help these students achieve foreign language learning success. (LMO)

An innovative classroom-based approach to reading instruction in the context of Spanish instruction was proposed. The effects of this instruction on the pronunciation ability of students were analyzed. The subjects were 30 adult missionary trainees who had no previous exposure to Spanish. The dependent variable was measured using two instruments.…

This address to school counselors discusses the role of aptitude and attitudes in learning French as a second language with attention to the senior elementary and high school levels. The Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) and the Attitude Motivation Inventory (ATI) were administered to students. The MLAT and abilities it is designed to assess…