Age‐Related Differences in Explicit and Implicit Foreign Language Aptitude: A Dual‐Pathway Model of Distinct Cognitive and Affective Mediators

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of age on foreign language aptitude (FLA) constituents and their underlying cognitive‐affective mechanisms. We recruited 85 Chinese‐English bilingual participants, categorized into two age groups: 44 adolescents aged 13–17 and 41 adults aged 18–25. Results revealed a double dissociation: adolescents outperformed adults in implicit language aptitude (ILA), while adults excelled in explicit language aptitude (ELA). Mediation analyses showed that selective attention (SA) fully accounted for age differences in ELA, whereas time perception partially mediated the age‐ILA relationship. These findings suggest that age influences FLA through distinct cognitive and affective pathways, with positive effects on ELA and negative effects on ILA. Based on these results, we propose the dual‐pathway model of age‐driven FLA (DP‐AFLA), which provides a framework for understanding how distinct cognitive‐affective mechanisms shape age‐related FLA patterns. This study advances theoretical understanding of age‐related FLA dynamics and offers practical insights for age‐tailored language instructional strategies.