This book traces and summarizes the author’s theoretical insights and empirical findings in the field of foreign language education. The volume explores individual differences in L1 ability and their connection to L2 aptitude and L2 achievement, L2 anxiety as an affective or cognitive variable, and the relationship between L1 and L2 reading.

Acknowledgements Foreword Richard L. Sparks: Introduction and Overview Part 1: Theoretical Insights into L1-L2 Relationships: IDs in L1 Attainment and the Linguistic Coding Differences Hypothesis (LCDH) 1. Richard L. Sparks and Leonore Ganschow: Searching for the Cognitive Locus of Foreign Language Learning Difficulties: Linking First and Second Language Learning 2. Richard L. Sparks and Leonore Ganschow: The Impact of Native Language Learning Problems on Foreign Language Learning: Case Study Illustrations of the Linguistic Coding Deficit Hypothesis 3. Richard L. Sparks: Examining the Linguistic Coding Differences Hypothesis to Explain Individual Differences in Foreign Language Learning Part 2: Empirical Support for L1–L2 Relationships and Cross-linguistic Transfer 4. Richard L. Sparks, Jon Patton, Leonore Ganschow, Nancy Humbach and James Javorsky: Long-term Cross-linguistic Transfer of Skills from L1 to L2 5. Richard L. Sparks, Jon Patton and Julie Luebbers: Individual Differences in L2 Achievement Mirror Individual Differences in L1 Skills and L2 Aptitude: Cross-linguistic Transfer of L1 Skills to L2 6. Richard L. Sparks, Jon Patton, Leonore Ganschow and Nancy Humbach: Do L1 Reading Achievement and L1 Print Exposure Contribute to the Prediction of L2 Proficiency? Part 3: Relationships Among IDs in L1 Attainment, L2 Aptitude, and L2 Proficiency 7. Richard L. Sparks, Jon Patton and Leonore Ganschow: Profiles of More and Less Successful L2 Learners: A Cluster Analysis Study 8. Richard L. Sparks, Jon Patton, Leonore Ganschow and Nancy Humbach: Long-term Relationships among Early First Language Skills, Second Language Aptitude, Second Language Affect and Later Second Language Proficiency 9. Richard L. Sparks, Jon Patton, Leonore Ganschow and Nancy Humbach: Subcomponents of Second Language Aptitude and Second Language Proficiency Part 4: L2 Anxiety: Affective Variable or Cognitive Variable? 10. Richard L. Sparks and Leonore Ganschow: Foreign Language Learning Difficulties: Affective or Native Language Aptitude Differences?  11. Richard L. Sparks and Leonore Ganschow: Is the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) Measuring Anxiety or Language Skills? 12. Richard L. Sparks and Jon Patton: Relationship of L1 Skills and L2 Aptitude to L2 Anxiety on the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale Part 5: Relationships between L1 and L2 Reading Ability 13. Richard L. Sparks: Language Deficits in Poor L2 Comprehenders: The Simple View 14. Richard L. Sparks, Jon Patton and Julie Luebbers: L2 Reading Comprehension is Hard Because L2 Listening Comprehension is Hard, Too 15. Richard L. Sparks: Identification and Characteristics of Strong, Average and Weak Foreign Language Readers: The Simple View of Reading Model Part 6: Individual Differences in L1 Achievement, L2 Aptitude and L2 Achievement 16. Richard L. Sparks: Explaining Individual Differences in L1 Ability and their Relationship to IDs in L2 Aptitude and L2 Achievement Part 7: Epilogue and Future Directions 17. Richard L. Sparks: Conclusion: Toward a Model of Language Aptitude Appendices References Index