This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Oller, J. W. Articles by Jarvis, L. H. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Testing relations between language (verbal) and nonverbal abilities in children and adults acquiring a nonprimary language

University of Louisiana at Lafayette, joller{at}louisiana.edu

Kunok Kim

Chung-Ang University, Seoul

Yongjae Choe

Dongguk University, Seoul

Lorna Hernandez Jarvis

Hope College, Holland, Michigan

General sign theory per Oller et al. (2000a, 2000b) predicts that, to the extent that valid measurements are possible, nonverbal abilities should correlate positively with primary language abilities (Hypothesis 1). Further, nonverbal abilities of persons in the early stages of acquiring a nonprimary language should correlate significantly more positively with proficiencies in their primary language than in their nonprimary language (Hypothesis 2(a)); but as persons approach parity between their primary and any nonprimary language, correlations between nonverbal scores and proficiencies in the two languages should both be positive and not significantly different (Hypothesis 2(b)). The Cattell-Horn theory predicts that nonverbal abilities should correlate equally with primary and nonprimary skills throughout the course of development. Gardner’s theory predicts nonsignificant correlations. Hypotheses 1, 2(a) and 2(b) are examined in within-subjects, repeated measures designs. Study 1 examines 50 children acquiring EFL in a bilingual school in Mexico, and Studies 2 and 3 examine 165 and 203 Korean adults learning EFL. Hypotheses 1, 2(a) and 2(b) are confirmed (p < .01). The Gardner and Cattell-Horn predictions are disconfirmed.

Language Testing, Vol. 18, No. 1, 33-54 (2001)
DOI: 10.1177/026553220101800102


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?