What Really Drives Language Learning Success: Talent or Hard Work?

Abstract Is talent or hard work more important in language learning success? Grit research suggests that perseverance and passion predict success over and beyond talent. As such, this study aimed to address three objectives: (a) to test whether second language (L2) grit predicts proficiency beyond aptitude, (b) to examine the relative effects of grit and aptitude (and their subcomponents) on proficiency, and (c) to investigate how these cognitive and noncognitive traits interact. Data were collected from 256 undergraduates at an elite university who completed a questionnaire, a language aptitude test, and an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) reading test. Findings revealed that L2 grit and aptitude predicted English proficiency positively, with grit showing incremental validity. Moreover, interaction analyses revealed that high perseverance could offset low aptitude, and high aptitude combined with high passion and persistence led to the strongest L2 outcomes, highlighting the joint power of effort and talent.