A Student Profile of the Successful Chinese Learner

at the United States Military Academy

Johannes W. Vazulik, Ph.D.
Professor and Director of Curriculum and Assessment
Department of Foreign Languages, Center for Languages, Cultures, and Regional Studies
United States Military Academy, West Point, NY

Sherri Bellinger
United States Military Academy, West Point, NY

The recent increase in foreign language requirements at West Point necessitated a review of the Military Academy’s language placement procedures and prompted an investigation to determine possible predictors of success in Arabic, Chinese, and Russian. This study examined the abundance of standardized test results, course grades, and other information from cadets' composite records to identify factors that could reliably predict success in language study at West Point. Results obtained thus far show moderate to strong correlations between specific data points and success in the study of Chinese that will be useful in student advisement. Inasmuch as these findings are language specific and similar data points may be available to other institutions offering Chinese courses, this paper should be of interest to foreign language faculty and administrators throughout the Greater New York area.