Reading, mathematics, language, second language aptitude scores and personality type as predictors of success in beginning second language study

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a single variable or a combination of variables that predicted success in second language learning as measured by the final examination among beginning students of Spanish in grade 7.; The literature revealed no recent predictive studies examining second language aptitude testing in an average school setting. Researchers have examined various independent variables in an attempt to understand why some students are successful in learning a second language while others are not; however, their research has not led to a clearer understanding of differing degrees of success. A language learner's orientation to the outer world may affect a student's willingness or desire to learn the language (Myers & McCaulley, 1990). Krashen's Monitor Model (1978) incorporates input affective traits and cognitive processes. Problem-solving and hypothesis-testing have been linked to success (Pinker, 1984; White, 1989), while mathematical intelligence (Gardner, 1987) forges a link between language acquisition and mathematics since both fields rely upon pattern-making and problem-solving.; The sample was drawn from a single suburban public middle school in a middle-class neighborhood; of the 234 suburban middle socio-economic students enrolled in Spanish 7 in the two years of this study, 193 students were both granted permission by their parent/guardian to participate and took all of the assessments used to provide the data. Pearson product-moment correlations and multiple regressions were applied to analyze the data and answer the research questions.; The major findings and conclusions were: (1) The best single predictor of second language achievement was the CAT-Language score, with approximately 32% accuracy. (2) A combination of mathematics, reading and language scores on the California Achievement Tests can predict the success of students in beginning second language study with approximately 50% accuracy.