An Experiment in Improving Achievement in Foreign Language Through Learning of Selected ...

103 Pages·2012·1.25 MB·English

DOCUMENT RESUME
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Polit7er, Fohert L.; Weiss, Louis
AUT9OR
An 7xPeriment in Tmproving Achievnt in Toreior.
TITLT
.
Lancuage Through Learning of Selected Skills
Associated with Language Aptitude. 'final Report.
INSTITUTION
Stanford Univ., Calif. School of Rducation.
SPONS AGENCY
Office of Education (D97W), Washington, D.C. Bureau
of Research.
BUREAU NO
PR-L7-1001
PUB DATE
Jul fo
OFC-4-f-01097-1231
CONTRACT
102p.
NOTE
EDRS PRICE
EDRS ?rice IF-$0.65 PC-$6.c9
DESCRIPTORS
*Achievement Tests, *Aptitude Tests, Cultural
Education, *Language Ability, language Development,
Language Instruction, Language Proficiency,
*Language Pesearch, *Language Skills, Language
Tests, second Language Learning, Sex Differences,
Skill Development, Statistical Data, Sta:!y Skills
ABSTRACT
This two-phase experiment was conducted to
determine:
(1) whether foreign language aptitude as measured by
standard aptitude tests (Pimsleur Lanruage Aptitude Pattery,
can be significantly
Ca roll -Sapon Modern Language Aptitude Test)
increased by training, and
whether increases in language aptitude
(2)
so obtained would result in better language achievement. Phase one
involved an !SLAT-trained experimental group and an untrained control
group. Phase two involved a Pimsleur-trained experimental grour,
a
control group that received cultural enrichment, and a group that was
involved in the acquisition of study skills. The experiment indicated
that specific training in language aptitude may very well be an
important educational tool, though it is probably most effective if
undertaken before any exposure to foreign language learning.
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Final Report
An Experiment in Improving Achievement in
Foreign Language Through Learning of
Aptitude
Selected Skills Associated with Language
Robert L. Politzer, Principal Investigator
Louis Weiss, Assistant Investigator
Prepared under
Contract No. OEC 4.6-051091-1231
for
U.S. Office of
Education
School of
Education
Stanford University
Stanford, California
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Co7ltract No. OEC 4-6-051097-1231
An Experiment in Improving Achievement in Foreign Language
Through Learning of Selected Skills Associated with
Language Aptitude
Final Report
July 1969
U. S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare
OFFICE OF EDUCATION
Bureau of Research
School of Education
Stanford University
2
Final Report
An Experiment in Improving Achievement in Foreign Language
Through Learning of Selected Skills Associated with
Language Aptitude
Contract No. OEC 4-6-051097-1231
Louis Weiss
Robert L. Politzer
Assistant Investigator
Principal Investigator
The research reported herein was performed pursuant to a
contract with the Office of Education, U. S. Department of Health,
Contractors undertaking such projects
Education and ,Ielfare.
under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely
Points
their professional judgment in the conduct of the project.
of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent offi-
cial office of education position or policy.
Stanford University
Stanford, California
ACK1dO4LEDGMENTS
The investigators would like to express their gratitude
to all those who mare possible the experiments which are reported
Thanks are due to the teachers and high school stu-
herewith.
dents whose classes were used in Phase I of the experiment and
to the staff and officials of the Defense Language Institute
(West Coast Branch) for allowing experiments to be conducted in
We also wish to
conjunction with their training program.
acknowledge the help given by Dr. Michio P. Hagiwara and
Mrs. Karen Kvavik in the construction of the training; materials
used in Phase I and by Dr. Carl Rinne, Mr. John Duncan and
Mr. Philip Sedlak in the administration of the experiment and
the evaluation of the results of that phase of the study.
Phase II of the study was conducted in the Palo Alto
Unified School District, and the investigators wish to express
their particular thanks to the teachers of the Palo Alto schools
who cooperated in the writing of the training materials and
Particular thanks
whose classes took part is the experiment.
are due to the administration of the Falo Alto Unified School
Uistrict and especially to the Director of Research, Dr. Bruce
The investigators are also indebted to Dr. Janet
Keepes.
Elashoff of the Methodology Unit of the Stanford Center for
Research and Development in Teaching for advice and assistance
with the statistical treatment of the experimental data.
Robert L. Politzer
Principal Investigator
Louis Weiss
Assistant Investigator
-
ABSTRACT
The purpose of the experiment was two-fold.
It was
designed to determine whether foreign language aptitude as
measured by standard foreign language aptitude tests (Pimsleur
LAB, Carroll -Sapcn MLAT) could be significantly increased by
specific training and whether increases in language aptitude
brought about by ouch training resulted in better achievement
in foreign language study.
The experiment was conducted in two phases.
For the
first phase of the experiment, training materials based pri-
marily on the MLAT and dealing essentially with sound-symbol
relltion and awareness of structure in English were pre.eared.
The training materials were used in the Defense Language Insti-
tute West (Monterey) as well as in various high schools in the
Selected language classes were used as
San Francisco Bay area.
experimental training groups and their achievement on post-tests
in language aptitude and on criterion tests in the foreign
language was compared with the achievement of control groups
The post-tests
which were not exposed to the aptitude training.
did not show clear-cut differences between experimental and con-
trol groups on either language achievement or aptitude tests.
They did indicate, however, that both experimental and control
groups showed gains in language aptitude which were significantly
larger than those which might be due to any retest effect.
The training materials used for the second phase of the
experiment were based primarily on the Pimaleur Language Apti-
tude Battery and emphasized the development of inductive language
The second phase of the experi-
learning and reasoning ability.
ment was conducted in the Palo Alto Unified School District with
three pairs of first year Junior High School classes (2 Spanish,
The experimental classes received apti-
2 German and 2 French).
tude training while the control classes were exposed to cultural
vii
5
materials.
Both the aptitude training and the cultural material
training took place concurrently with initial training in the
foreign language.
In addition, the aptitude training was also
offered to a group of classes which concentrated on the acquisi-
tion of study skills rather than on the study of any specific
foreign language.
The experiment showed that all classes involved (Experi-
mental, Control and Study Skills) made gains in language aptitude
which could not be accounted for by a simple retest effect.
In
addition, there was a general tendency for experimental classes
to achieve somewhat higher than control classes on both the
second aptitude test and the language achievement tests which
were administered as part of the experiment.
This tendency was
particularly pronounced among male subjects.
The difference in
achievement of male experimental subjects over male control sub-
jects on the LAB post-test almost reached the .05 level of sig-
nificance and on at least one of the language tests (Final
Achievement in Spanish) male experimental subjects performed
significantly better than male control subjects (p < .05).
The
experiment indicates that specific training in language aptitude
may very well be an important educational tool, though it is
probably most effective if undertaken before any exposure to
foreign language learning.
viii
6
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
FOREIGN LANGUAGE APTITUDE AND
INTRODUCTION:
APTITUDE TRAINING
1
PHASE I OF THE EXPERIMENT
7
Procedure
7
Experimental Design
7
Training Program
7
Results and Discussion
12
Defense Language Institute Experiment
12
The High School Experiment
18
Summary and Conclusions
28
PHASE II OF THE EXPERIMENT
31
Procedure
31
Experimental Design
31
Training Program
32
Criterion Measures
35
Student Attitude Measures
38
Second Control Groups
41
Results and Discussion
44
Pimsleur Language Aptitude Battery (LAB)
Post-test
44
Aptitude Training Progress Test
56
Language Achievement Tests
64
Summary and Conclusions
76
REFERENCES CITED
79
Appendix
List of Training Materials and Criterion
I.
Tests Written Especially for the Experiment
81
.
Correlations of Pimaleur LAB Pre-tests and
II.
Post-tests with Experimental Criterion Tests
82
.
Student Attitude Scale
84
III.
Unadjusted
Aptitude Training Progress Test:
IV.
Means and Standard Deviations for All Classes
85
86
Analyses of Covariance
V.
7
LIST OF TABLES
Table
Page
Defense Language Institute Experiment:
Summary
1.
of Mean Scores for Al! Classes
14
Gains and Differences in Gain in Aptitude
2.
13
Rank Order of Classes in Initial Aptitude and
3.
16
Aptitude Gain
Mean Scores and Gains for Army Language Aptitude
4.
Test for First and Fourth quartiles, All
Languages Combined
17
Total Mean Scores and Gains on Pre-test and
5.
Post-test of Army Language Aptitude Battery
18
.
Summary of Mean Scores
High School Experiment:
6.
20
for All Classes
Mean Scores on Final Progress Tests
22
7.
Gains and Differences in Gains on MLAT 2, 3, and
8.
4 for All High School Classes Combined
19
.
. .
Differences in Gain in Aptitude Tests Between
9.
23
Top 25% and Bottom 25%
Differences in Gain in Aptitude Tests Between
10.
24
Experimental and Control Groups
Mean Scores on MLAT, Total Test
25
11.
3, and 4 Made by 9th
Mean Scores on MLAT 2,
12.
26
Grade Students in High School Experiment
.
Pre-test Means, Post-test Means, and Net Gains
13.
on MLAT 2, 3, and 4 for Classes from Which
27
Complete Results Were Available
40
Attitude of Studentn to Experiment
14.
43
Class Means and Gain Scores on Fimsleur LAB
15.
.
Unadjusted
Piresleur Language Aptitude Battery:
16.
46
Means, Standard Deviations and Gain Scores
.
xi
8
Table
Page
Pimsleur Language Aptitude Battery Post-test:
17.
Adjusted Means, Male and Female Control and
and Experimental Groups
55
Progress Test--Listening:
Adjusted Means for
18.
Male and Female Control and Experimental
Groups
61
Progress Test--Grammar:
Adjusted Means for Male
19.
and Female Control and Experimental Groups
64
.
.
Language Achievement Test and Final Achievement
20.
Male and Female Control and Experi-
Test:
mental Groups
74
Language Achievement Tests--Male Subjects:
21.
t-Test of Significance of Difference Between
Adjusted Means
75
xii
9