Aptitude in Second Language Acquisition
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23683801 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Peter Robinson (0000-0003-2833-8030, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-6 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-10 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | CHAPTER |
| Venue | Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics (SOURCE_BOOK) |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0035 |
| OpenAlex | W4210754788 |
| ISBN | 9781405198431 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 31 |
Aptitude for language learning is a theoretical construct, operationalized in the form of a test, which aims to predict individual differences between learners in the extent of successful second language acquisition. This article describes traditional measures of language learning aptitude, such as the Modern Language Aptitude Test, and then argues for the need to develop new tests of aptitude which are situationally and developmentally sensitive, in the sense that they can predict successful learning in different implicit, incidental, or explicit learning conditions, and the situations that give rise to them, and across the range of proficiency levels, from beginner to advanced stages of second language development. Two recent measures of aptitude that may be able to meet this need, the LLAMA and Hi‐LAB aptitude tests, are discussed in conclusion.
Aptitude · Cognitive psychology · Comprehension approach · Developmental psychology · Language acquisition · Linguistics · Mathematics education · Operationalization · Second language · Second-language acquisition · Second-language attrition · Educational and Psychological Assessments · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Language Development and Disorders · Psychology
Aptitude and Second Language Acquisition
Human Cognitive Abilities
Task switching
Theorising and updating aptitude
The Robustness of Critical Period Effects in Second Language Acquisition
Statistical Learning by 8-Month-Old Infants
Metalinguistic Knowledge and Language Ability in University-Level L2 Learners
Scrutinizing LLAMA D as a measure of implicit learning aptitude
The Development of the Defense Language Aptitude Battery (Dlab
The Robustness of Aptitude Effects in Near-Native Second Language Acquisition
Hi-Lab
Individual Differences and the Fundamental Similarity of Implicit and Explicit Adult Second Language Learning
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0.2 |
| Citation span | 2016 - 2020 (5) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |