Aptitude Test

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Definition of Aptitude Test

Generally,An aptitude test is designed to assess what a person is

capable of doing; to predict what a person is able to learn or

do given the right education and instruction. It represents a

person's level of competency to perform a certain type of task.

Examples of aptitude tests include:

A test assessing an individual's aptitude to become a

fighter pilotA career test evaluating a person's capability to work as an

air traffic controller

A test given to high school students to determine which

type of careers they might be good at

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Language Aptitude Test

Defining aptitude has always been somewhat difficultand the usual method was to define it in terms of thetests used to measure it (Ellis 1985).

What seems to be the predominant view is that it is

not a unitary concept, but rather a set of abilities whichenhance language learning in individuals.

Carroll and Sapon define aptitude as a complex ofbasic abilities that are essential to facilitate foreign

language learning (cited in Drnyei 2005: 23), whichincludes discriminating sounds and associating themwith written symbols and identifying grammaticalregularities of a language (Ellis 1985).

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According to H. Douglas Brown & Priyanvada

Abeywickrama (2010), an aptitude test isdesigned to measure capacity or general

ability to learn a foreign language a priori

(before taking a course) and ultimatepredicted success in that undertaking.

Language aptitude tests were supposedly

designed to apply to the classroom learning ofany language.

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PURPOSES OF LANGUAGE

APTITUDE TEST

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helping learners identify their preferences for

learning;

thinking about learning styles, and then looking

at how these can be developed;

and developing learner autonomy by teaching

learners how to study effectively.

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Aptitude test are designed to assess your

logical reasoning or thinking performance.

Consist of multiple choice questions

Administered exam conditions strictly time (might

allow 30 minutes for 30 or so questions

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Examples of Aptitude Test

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Modern Languages Aptitude Test

(MLAT) Dissatisfied with the previous aptitude tests,

predominantly based on grammar-translationmethodology, Carroll and Sapon devised the MLAT test,which puts forward the four-component view of

language aptitude (Skehan 1989).

The components measured by this paper-and-penciltest battery are:

Phonemic Coding Ability

Grammatical Sensitivity

Inductive Language Learning Ability

Memory and Learning

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Pimsleur Language Aptitude

Battery

PimsleursLAB test was devised for testingchildren aged 13 to 19 (Skehan 1989). I

The test designed are less concern about memory

and a greater emphasis on the inductive learningability.

Pimsleur included motivation in the concept oflinguistic aptitude, thus broadening it and

acknowledging that learners interest in a foreignlanguage plays an important role in the learningprocess (Drnyei 2005). .

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THINGS TO CONSIDER IN

APTITUDE TESTDon't ever stick to one question.

Ask whenever in doubt.

We should not be nervous or stressed out as this

test is conducted to check what one alreadyknows and if he/she has the right skills.

Scrutinize the paper for 5 minutes and make anapproximate calculation of how many questionscan be solved in the given time.

Leave the question if you don't knowthe answer for sure but don't try and attempt itfor the sake of attempting it

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CRITICISM OFAPTITUDE

TEST

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Two other major criticisms were related to

Krashenstheory and the distinction between

language acquisition and language learning.

o One is the presumable lack of practical

explanatory value, i.e. aptitude tests are only

relevant in terms of prediction.

o The other is Krashensargument that aptitude

plays an important role in formal teaching

situations only (Skehan, 1989), whereas it is

irrelevant in the process of natural acquisition.

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This argument will be dealt with later in thispaper. As far as the first one is concerned, Skehanadmits that it is not without foundation.

A counter-argument may be that, despite somedrawbacks regarding explanatory values of

aptitude tests (which are predominantly causedby the lack of research in that area, and not by theresearch which would point towards the totalabsence of valid explanation), they still remain

good and valid predictors of learners possibleachievement in the process of foreign languagelearning.

(http://www.komunikacijaikultura.org/KK1/KK1Kocic.pdf)

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In simpler words

Individual differences in language learning

make aptitude test irrelevant to be carried

out.

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Learning a language involves differentabilities at different stages of development.The MLAT and other current aptitude tests

dont measure these.

Learning a language takes place in

many different situations and classroomcontexts.The MLAT and other current aptitudetests are insensitive to these.

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REFERENCES

http://gorenet.com/aptitude-

techniques/things-to-remember-in-aptitude-

test

(http://www.komunikacijaikultura.org/KK1/KK

1Kocic.pdf)

Douglas,B. H., & Abeywickrama,P. (2010). Language

assessment: Principles and classroom practices. WhitePlains, NY: Pearson Longman Education