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Native language predictors of foreign language proficiency and foreign language aptitude

Sparks, Richard L., Patton, Jon, Ganschow, Leonore, Humbach, Nancy, Javorsky, James·2006·Annals of Dyslexia
DOI 10.1007/s11881-006-0006-2
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Abstract

Fifty-four students were tested at specific time intervals over 10 years to determine best native language (NL) predictors of oral and written foreign language (FL) proficiency and FL aptitude. All participants completed two years of Spanish, French, or German. Each was administered measures of NL literacy, oral language, and cognitive ability in elementary school. A measure of FL aptitude was administered at the beginning of ninth grade and FL proficiency was evaluated at the end of the 10th grade. Among the variables, NL literacy measures were the best predictors of FL proficiency, and NL achievement and general (verbal) intelligence were strong predictors of FL aptitude. Results suggest that indices of NL literacy as early as first grade are related to FL proficiency and FL aptitude nine and 10 years later. Findings provide strong support for connections between L1 and L2 skills, and for speculation that "lower level" skills in phonological processing are important for written language development and oral proficiency in a FL.

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  • Sparks et al. (2006) found that measures of L1 literacy and L1 vocabulary from first through fifth grades predicted 58% to 73% of the variance on the MLAT administered in high school.

    “The finding that a measure of L1 literacy was also the strongest predictor of L2 aptitude on the MLAT is similar to those in Sparks et al.'s (2006) longitudinal study, which found that measures of L1 literacy and L1 vocabulary from first through fifth grades predicted from 58% to 73% of the variance on the MLAT administered in high school.”

    From The prediction from MLAT to L2 achievement is largely due to MLAT assessment of underlying L1 abilities (2023) · cites this paper as Sparks et al. (2006)

  • Sparks et al. (2006) found that L1 skills, especially L1 literacy and L1 vocabulary, predicted 58% to 73% of the variance on the MLAT and 30% to 43% of the variance in L2 achievement.

    “A study described earlier in the review found that L1 skills, especially L1 literacy and L1 vocabulary, predicted from 58% to 73% of the variance on the MLAT and from 30% to 43% of the variance in L2 achievement (Sparks et al., 2006).”

    From The prediction from MLAT to L2 achievement is largely due to MLAT assessment of underlying L1 abilities (2023) · cites this paper as Sparks et al., 2006

  • Sparks et al. (2006) found stronger correlations between MLAT scores and L2 word decoding (.61), L2 reading comprehension (.62), L2 writing (.58), and L2 listening/speaking (.54).

    “However, in their 10-year study, Sparks et al. (2006) found stronger correlations between MLAT scores and students' performance in L2 word decoding (.61), L2 reading comprehension (.62), L2 writing (.58), and L2 listening/speaking (.54).”

    From The prediction from MLAT to L2 achievement is largely due to MLAT assessment of underlying L1 abilities (2023) · cites this paper as Sparks et al. (2006)

  • L1 literacy skills and L1 vocabulary knowledge in elementary school explained from 65% to 72% of the variance in L2 aptitude on the MLAT measured several years later in ninth grade.

    “students' L1 literacy skills and L1 vocabulary knowledge in elementary school explained from 65% to 72% of the variance in L2 aptitude on the MLAT measured several years later in ninth grade (Sparks et al., 2006).”

    From The prediction from MLAT to L2 achievement is largely due to MLAT assessment of underlying L1 abilities (2023) · cites this paper as Sparks et al., 2006

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Authors
Sparks, R. L., Patton, J., Ganschow, L., Humbach, N., & Javorsky, J.
Venue
Annals of Dyslexia
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2006-03
Volume
56
Issue
1
Pages
129-160
ISSN
  • 0736-9387
  • 1934-7243
DOI
10.1007/s11881-006-0006-2
Cited by
86
References
1
Language
en
Licence
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)

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