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ERIC Number: EJ1127814
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1041-679X
EISSN: N/A
Correlating Aptitude with Oral Proficiency: A Quantitative Study of DLAB and OPI Scores across Four Language Categories
Santizo, Isabelle Poupard
Applied Language Learning, v27 n1-2 p73-96 2017
This quantitative study focuses on the relationship between foreign language learners' aptitude and proficiency test scores. Four groups of 136 beginning students received six months of Initial Acquisition Training (IAT) in four different language categories, according to the level of complexity for an English speaker: French (Category I), Indonesian (Category II), Tagalog (Category III), and Arabic (Category IV). This study attempts to identify variations within the correlation among those four languages by analyzing the relationships between aptitude and proficiency scores from each category. The data gathered consisted of students' Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB) and Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) test scores. Results showed that the correlation between DLAB and OPI was moderate amongst French and Tagalog languages, the correlation with respect to Indonesian was almost nonexistent, and null for Arabic. The complexity of the foreign language categorization process, tests' reliability issues, and a fixed course length regardless of language category are some factors that could have contributed to the calculation of different correlation coefficients. Further studies based on experimental research are recommended to help substantiate causality to the findings derived from this study.
Defense Language Institute, Foreign Language Center. Academic Journals, 1759 Lewis Road Suite 142, Presidio of Monterey, Monterey, CA 93944-5006. Tel: 831-242-5638; Fax: 831-242-5850; e-mail: aj@pom-emh1.army.mil; Website: http://www.dliflc.edu/#homepage-tab|3
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A