Foreign Language Aptitude Components and Different Levels of Foreign Language Proficiency Among Chinese English Majors

Abstract

This study aims to explore the relationship between language aptitude components and different levels of English proficiency among Chinese English majors. Sixty-four second-year English majors from a university in Beijing participated in the study. An aptitude test composed of three subtests of Pimsleur Language Aptitude Battery and two self-developed subtests was administered to the participants. The students’ scores on two national English proficiency tests (Test for English majors – Band 4 and Band 8, abbreviated as TEM-4 and TEM-8) were used as measures of their English proficiency. Correlational analysis, multiple regression analysis and t-tests were conducted. Results showed that different aptitude components had different relationship with different levels of language proficiency. Regression analysis showed that two aptitude components (sound discrimination and memory for text) were significant predictors of both of the students’ TEM-4 and TEM-8 scores, while only inductive language learning ability could significantly predict their TEM-8 scores. Further analysis showed that students with higher and lower TEM-4 and TEM-8 scores also differed significantly in different language aptitude components. The results lend support to Skehan’s hypothesis (A cognitive approach to language learning, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1998) that different language aptitude components play different roles in second language acquisition when the learner is at different levels of proficiency.