A few predictors in foreign language study

The purpose of this paper was to attempt to isolate factors which might be used to predetermine student success in a high school language class. The factors included not only grade averages in courses already taken and Otis IQ scores but social and family relationships as well. An effort was made to determine if there might be information on students normally available at the school office or from an interview with the student which might be related to student success in foreign language. One of the problems encountered by parents and educators is how to advise students regarding subjects they should take. Students become frustrated when taking courses for which they have little aptitude and may drop out of school as failures when they might have been quite proficient in another area of study. Perhaps grades or some other measurement of success in school or the social and home life of the student might provide information that would be a clue.The motivation of children is a problem for many parents. A child may have a good IQ and not the necessary initiative and drive to succeed in high school. Parents try to motivate in many ways including praise, reward, criticism, belittling, threats and punishment. While this paper is not primarily designed to determine psychological factors in motivation, some hints or ideas might be found that are useful.Thesis (M.A.