Intelligence
A link between intelligence and second language learning has been reported by several researchers. Over the years, many studies using a variety of I Q tests and different methods of assessing language learning have found that intelligence levels were a good means of predicting how successful a learner would be at language learning. Furthermore, some recent studies have shown that intelligence may be more strongly related to certain kinds of second language abilities than others. For example, in a study with French immersion children in Canada, it was found that while intelligence was related to the development of French second language reading, grammar, and vocabulary, it was unrelated to oral productive skills (Genesee 1976). Similar findings have been reported in other studies where intelligence was highly related to performance on reading, dictation, and writing tasks, but not on listening comprehension and free oral production tasks. These findings suggest that intelligence is more related to those second language skills which are used in the formal study of a language (i.e. reading, language analysis, writing, and vocabulary study), but that intelligence is much less likely to influence the way in which oral communication skills are developed. Therefore, intelligence seems to be a strong factor when it comes to learning second languages in classrooms, particularly if the instruction is formal. When the classroom instruction is less formal, however (i.e. more communicative), so-called `intelligence' (as measured by I Q tests) may play a less important role.

Aptitude
There is evidence in the research literature that some individuals have an exceptional `aptitude' for language learning. Lorraine Obler (1989) reports that a man, whom she calls CJ, has such a specialized ability. CJ is a native speaker of English who grew up in an English home. His first true experience with a second language came at the age of 15 with formal instruction in French. CJ also studied German, Spanish, and Latin while in high school. At age 20, he made a brief visit to Germany. CJ reported that just hearing German spoken for a short time was enough for him to `recover' the German he had learned in school. Later, CJ worked in Morocco where he reported learning Moroccan Arabic through both formal instruction and informal immersion. He also spent some time in Spain and Italy, where he apparently `picked up' both Spanish and Italian in a `matter of weeks'. A remarkable talent indeed! There may be few learners like CJ, but research does show that human beings exhibit a wide range of aptitude for learning a second language.

The `aptitude' factor has been investigated most intensively by researchers who are interested in developing tests which can predict how successful a language learner will be. The most widely used aptitude tests are the Modern Language Aptitude Test (??T LAT) and the Pimsleur Language Aptitude Battery. Both tests measure characteristics such as: (1) the ability to identify and memorize new sounds; (2) the ability to understand how words function grammatically in sentences; (3) the ability to figure out grammatical rules from language samples; and (4) memory for new words. It is thought that learners will be more successful if they have these abilities. Although there have been a number of studies examining this factor, the results are in no way conclusive. One of the most serious problems is that it is not clear what the abilities are that constitute aptitude. That is, many of the behaviours associated with it may just as easily be associated with another learner characteristic such as general intelligence or personality. Furthermore, the abilities which are associated with success in an academic course may not be as closely linked to the success some people have in `picking up' a language.