Language aptitude and language awareness: Polyglot perspectives

IF 2.8 1区文学 0 LANGUAGE & LINGUISTICS

Annual Review of Applied Linguistics Pub Date : 2021-03-01 DOI:10.1017/S0267190521000027

Kenneth Hyltenstam

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引用次数: 3

Abstract

Abstract This paper discusses the notion of language aptitude as a factor contributing to successful language acquisition achievements in polyglots. The difficulty in distinguishing between what is, indeed, language aptitude and what is language awareness is the main focus of the paper. A polyglot is operationalized here as a person who, after puberty, (a) acquired/learned at least six new languages (L2s), (b) commands at least six L2s at an intermediate or advanced proficiency level, and (c) presently uses these languages relatively unimpededly in oral interaction. The article draws specifically on a controlled investigation of ten polyglots who were extensively interviewed and tested for language aptitude, motivation, language awareness, and use of language learning strategies. Results show well above average, often outstanding, aptitude scores and an immediate preference for explicit learning. It appears that the combination of strong motivation and high levels of language aptitude and language awareness is what makes polyglots unusually successful second language learners. This paper suggests that language aptitude is both a prerequisite for developing high levels of language awareness and (since the two concepts are partially overlapping), much of the dynamism sometimes ascribed to aptitude is indeed awareness.

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语言能力与语言意识：Polyglot视角

摘要本文讨论了语言能力的概念，认为语言能力是在多语言学习中取得成功的一个因素。区分什么是语言能力和什么是语言意识是本文的主要关注点。在这里，多语言者是指在青春期后，（A）获得/学习了至少六种新语言（L2），（b）掌握了至少六门中等或高级熟练水平的L2，以及（c）目前在口语交流中相对不熟练地使用这些语言的人。这篇文章特别引用了一项对十名会说多种语言的人的对照调查，他们接受了广泛的采访，并对语言能力、动机、语言意识和语言学习策略的使用进行了测试。结果显示，学生的能力倾向得分远高于平均水平，通常表现突出，并立即倾向于显性学习。看来，强大的动机、高水平的语言能力和语言意识相结合，是多语者在第二语言学习中取得非凡成功的原因。本文认为，语言能力是发展高水平语言意识的先决条件，而且（由于这两个概念部分重叠），有时归因于能力的大部分动力确实是意识。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Annual Review of Applied Linguistics Multiple-

CiteScore

6.70

自引率

5.40%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Annual Review of Applied Linguistics publishes research on key topics in the broad field of applied linguistics. Each issue is thematic, providing a variety of perspectives on the topic through research summaries, critical overviews, position papers and empirical studies. Being responsive to the field, some issues are tied to the theme of that year''s annual conference of the American Association for Applied Linguistics. Also, at regular intervals an issue will take the approach of covering applied linguistics as a field more broadly, including coverage of critical or controversial topics. ARAL provides cutting-edge and timely articles on a wide number of areas, including language learning and pedagogy, second language acquisition, sociolinguistics, language policy and planning, language assessment, and research design and methodology, to name just a few.