- Schmitt, N., Ng, J. W. C., & Garras, J. (2011). The Word Associates Format: Validation evidence. Language Testing, 28(1), 105-126.
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摘要:Although the Word Associates Format (WAF) is becoming more frequently used as a depth-of-knowledge measure, relatively little validation has been carried out on it. This report of two validation studies tackles various important WAF issues yet to be satisfactorily resolved. Study 1 conducted introspective interviews regarding students' WAF test-taking behavior along with interviews on featured target words to determine how accurately the most common scoring system for the WAF reflects the examinees' actual knowledge of the words. Analysis is provided concerning WAF accuracy and item answering strategies and patterns. Study 2 repeated the interview procedures from Study 1 with several modifications, including the addition of a receptive dimension in the word knowledge interview. The various WAF-scoring methods were compared, and the format types (6 and 8 option), distractor types, and distribution of answers were examined in depth. Both studies indicate that the WAF reflects true lexical knowledge fairly well at the extremes of the scoring scale while scores in the middle do not lead to any reliable interpretation. Furthermore, there is the likelihood that the WAF may both underestimate and overestimate vocabulary knowledge. Suggestions regarding item construction and use of the WAF are given to improve its accuracy and reliability. [Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications, Ltd., copyright holder.]
关键词:applied linguistics, language testing and assessment, Test Validity and Reliability, Language Tests, Vocabulary Learning, Students
- Alptekin, C., & Tatar, S. (2011). Research on foreign language teaching and learning in Turkey (2005-2009). Language Teaching, 44(3), 328-353.
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摘要:This is an overview of research on applied linguistics and foreign language education in Turkey, surveying nearly 130 studies from the period 2005-2009. Following a brief presentation of the history and current sociopolitical situation of foreign language education in Turkey, the article focuses on research that characterizes the most common interests of academics and practitioners in the following areas: foreign language teaching and teachers, foreign language learning and learners, foreign language teacher education, the four language skills, measurement and evaluation, and the relationship between language and culture. Our discussion of each area is based on information extracted from local professional journals, conference proceedings and papers and Ph.D. dissertations. The studies examined reveal that, in general, practical concerns assume priority over theoretical issues, a substantial proportion of research being conducted on EFL learning and teaching. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, non-native language instruction languages other than English, applied linguistics, non-native language learning languages other than English, Second Language Instruction, Turkey, Second Language Learning, Second Language Teachers, Students, English as a Second Language
- Dixon, D. (2011). Recent literature concerning the support of initiatives promoting language learner autonomy around the world. Language Teaching, 44(2), 266-276.
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摘要:A review essay is presented that covers the following books: (1) Andrew Barfield and Stephen H. Brown [Eds], reconstructing autonomy in language education: Inquiry and innovation (Basingstroke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007); (2) David Gardner [Ed], Learner autonomy 10: Integration and support (Dublin: Authentik, 2007); (3) Terry Lamb and Hayo Reinders [Eds], Supporting independent language learning: Issues and interventions (Franfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 2006); (4) Richard Pemberton, Sarah Toogood, and Andy Barfield [Eds], Maintaining control: Autonomy and language learning (Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2009); and (5) Terry Lamb and Hayo Reinders [Eds], Learner and teacher autonomy: Concepts, realities and responses (Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2008).
关键词:applied linguistics, non-native language learning languages other than English, Second Language Learning, Language Acquisition, Self Instruction, Teachers, Students, Language Teaching Methods
- Papi, M., & Abdollahzadeh, E. (2012). Teacher motivational practice, student motivation, and possible L2 selves: An examination in the Iranian EFL context. Language Learning, 62, 571-594.
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摘要:The present study aims to provide observational evidence on the relationship between teachers' use of motivational strategies and students' motivated behavior in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context of Iran. To this end, 741 male learners of English from 26 secondary school classes taught by 17 teachers participated in the study. The teachers' use of motivational strategies and the students' motivated behavioral codes were measured using a classroom observation instrument originally developed by Guilloteaux and Dornyei (2008). Furthermore, the participating students completed a questionnaire that consisted of both situation-specific and general-motivational scales. Finally, a post hoc rating scale was employed to evaluate the teachers' overall motivational practice. The results showed that the teachers' motivational practice is significantly related to the students' motivated behavior. Further, while no differences were found between high-motivation and low-motivation learner groups in terms of their ideal second language (L2) selves, the low-motivation group had stronger ought-to L2 selves. The results will be discussed with reference to the socio-educational context of Iran. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, English as a second/foreign language instruction, Second Language Teachers, Students, Iran, English as a Second Language Instruction, Social Factors, Motivation
- Karoly, A. (2012). Translation competence and translation performance: Lexical, syntactic and textual patterns in student translations of a specialized EU genre. English for Specific Purposes, 31, 36-46.
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摘要:This paper reports the findings of a study aiming to reveal the recurring patterns of lexical, syntactic and textual errors in student translations of a specialized EU genre from English into Hungarian. By comparing the student translations to the official translation of the text, this article uncovers the most frequent errors that students made and links these errors to the elements of translation competence. In order to achieve these goals, textual analysis and retrospective interviews were used. The findings show that translation errors occur at every level of language, and they follow recurring patterns, stemming from different elements of translation competence. The outcomes of the study may aid specialized EU translation teachers in designing course syllabuses by highlighting which elements of translation competence to focus on. [Copyright The American University; published by Elsevier Ltd.]
关键词:applied linguistics, translation human generated, Translation, Students, Translation Methods and Strategies, Hungarian, English, English for Special Purposes, Language for Special Purposes
- Parkinson, J. (2011). The Discussion section as argument: The language used to prove knowledge claims. English for Specific Purposes, 30, 164-175.
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摘要:Writing the Discussion section of a laboratory report or dissertation is difficult for students to master. It involves complex causal, conditional and purposive argument; this argument guides the reader from acceptance of the relatively uncontroversial data to acceptance of the writers knowledge claim. Students benefit therefore if they are assisted in acquiring the lexico-grammar commonly used in discussion of results. To explore the lexico-grammar of Discussions, this article relies on two small corpora, one of physics research articles and the other of student physics laboratory reports. The article employs both a clause by clause analysis and concordancing software to identify the key ways of expressing these meanings. It finds the means employed in the student writing to be more congruent, more emphatic and less closely argued than in the research article corpus, and suggests specific grammatical resources which might form the subject of tasks from which students could benefit. Discussion sections in student laboratory reports and research articles are compared. Expression of causal, conditional, purposive meaning is considered. The laboratory reports rely on a smaller range of resources to express these. They use, in particular, conjunctions rather than nominal groups, verbs, or adverbial groups. Research articles are more persuasive and less emphatic than student lab reports. [Copyright The American University; published by Elsevier Ltd.]
关键词:applied linguistics, language for special purposes, English for Special Purposes, English for Academic Purposes, Scientific Technical Language, Academic Writing, Students, Writing
- Harumi, S. (2011). Classroom silence: Voices from Japanese E F L learners. ELT Journal, 65(3), 260-269.
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摘要:This article explores Japanese EFL learners' classroom silence in a Japanese EFL context. The existence of silence in second language learning contexts can be a source of conflict between students and teachers and even among students themselves. It can also bean obstacle to acquiring the target language. In order to tackle this problem and to illustrate the dynamic characteristics of classroom silence, this study draws on insights from the ethnographic approach and interprets the roots, functions, and meanings of silence from a sociocultural perspective. It was conducted through a questionnaire survey which aimed to elicit learners' and teachers' views on silence and also to examine whether a mismatch of perceptions exists. The issues of identity and the role of cultural and contextual factors in the use of silence are discussed and possible pedagogical approaches which could be implemented in varied learning contexts are suggested. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, English as a second/foreign language instruction, Classroom Communication, Silence, Students, Second Language Teachers, Japan, English as a Second Language, Teacher Attitudes, Student Attitudes, Cultural Factors
- Kuo, I. C. (2011). Student perceptions of student interaction in a British E F L setting. ELT Journal, 65(3), 281-290.
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摘要:This article reports on an investigation into how learners in a British EFL setting perceive the classroom practice of student-student interaction and why it is perceived in these ways. Adopting qualitative non-experimental methods, I first explored issues leading to the concept of 'usefulness' and identified factors that appeared to have affected learners' perceptions. I then placed the individual learners' perspectives within his/her personal biography, so as to provide a more in-depth description. The findings suggested that learners in a British EFL setting perceived the classroom practice of student-student interaction in ways that reflected their initial motives and goals, their expectations of an English course in the United Kingdom, and their wider experiences of living and studying. They also suggested that learner interaction within real classroom contexts was interesting in its potential for interpersonal and intercultural communication but relatively unhelpful in the acquisition of certain aspects of the L2. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, English as a second/foreign language learning, interpersonal behavior and communication, cross-cultural communication and behavior, Learning Environment, Classroom Communication, Students, English as a Second Language Learning, Peers, Cross Cultural Communication
- Ruecker, T. (2011). The potential of dual-language cross-cultural peer review. ELT Journal, 65(4), 398-407.
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摘要:This article explores the potential of dual-language cross-cultural peer review and how it improves on traditional monolingual and monocultural peer review. Drawing on scholarship related to international exchange programmes, peer review, and two-way immersion programmes in the United States as well as data collected while facilitating the proposed model of peer review in Chile, the author explains how the type of peer review discussed here may help students develop writing abilities in their second language while promoting greater cross-cultural understanding. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing, applied linguistics, language for special purposes, Second Language Writing, Academic Writing, Language for Special Purposes, Students, Writing Ability, Chile
- Jauregi, K., de Graaff, R., van den Bergh, H., & Kriz, M. (2012). Native/non-native speaker interactions through video-web communication: A clue for enhancing motivation. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 25(1), 1-19.
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摘要:One of the main objectives of the European Networked Interaction in Foreign Language Acquisition and Research (NIFLAR) project is to make foreign language learning and teaching processes more relevant and rewarding for reaching intercultural communicative competence. This is realized by offering foreign language learners and pre-service teachers opportunities to engage in meaningful interaction with each other through video-web communication (VC), according to the requirements set by relevant interaction tasks. In this article, we present the actions taken in the project to enhance students' motivation and the effect VC sessions have on motivation, as measured by pre-, mid-, and post-questionnaires participants filled in prior and after virtual interaction sessions. Significant effects were found particularly for beginner level students on those dimensions measuring aspects related to willingness to interact with native speakers. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, non-native language instruction languages other than English, Second Language Learning, Motivation, Students, Second Language Instruction, Communicative Competence, Computer Mediated Communication
- Perez-Paredes, P., Sanchez-Tornel, M., Calero, J. M. A., & Jimenez, P. A. (2011). Tracking learners' actual uses of corpora: Guided vs non-guided corpus consultation. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 24(3), 233-253.
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摘要:Much of the research into language learners' use of corpus resources has been conducted by means of indirect observation methodologies, like questionnaires or self-reports. While this type of study provides an excellent opportunity to reflect on the benefits and limitations of using corpora to teach and learn language, the use of indirect observation methodologies may confine the scope of research to learners' opinions about the benefits of using corpora for language learning and their self-perceived difficulties in consulting them. This article proposes and discusses the use of logs to research learners' actual use of corpus-based resources, analyzing the number of events or actions performed by each individual, the total number of different web services used, the number of activities completed, the number of searches performed on the British National Corpus (BNC) and, last, the number of words or wildcards per BNC search. Our research used these parameters to investigate whether learner interaction with corpus-based resources differed under different corpus consultation conditions: guided versus non-guided consultation. Our findings show that the individuals in the two research conditions behaved differently in two of the parameters analyzed: the number of different web services used during the completion of the tasks and the number of BNC searches. Our results corroborate empirically the suggestions found in the literature that skills and guidance are necessary when teachers take a corpus to the classroom. Similarly, we offer evidence that user tracking is essential to claim research and results validity. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, English as a second/foreign language learning, discourse analysis/text linguistics, corpus linguistics, Corpus Linguistics, Students, English as a Second Language Learning, English as a Second Language Teaching Materials, Second Language Learning, Language Teaching Materials
- Chen, H. H. (2011). Developing and evaluating a web-based collocation retrieval tool for EFL students and teachers. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 24(1), 59-76.
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摘要:The development of adequate collocational knowledge is important for foreign language learners; nonetheless, learners often have difficulties in producing proper collocations in the target language. Among the various ways of learning collocations, the DDL (data-driven learning) approach encourages independent learning of collocations and allows learners to directly use corpora and tools to search for proper collocations. Concordancers have been one of the key tools in the DDL approach. However, based on the findings of empirical studies, many existing web concordancers have not been very helpful in retrieving collocations. To help EFL students and teachers quickly locate proper collocates, this article introduces a web-based collocation retrieval tool, WebCollocate, which is based on a large part of speech-tagged Gutenberg corpus. To determine if the new tool can facilitate the searching of collocations, this tool and the Hong Kong Polytechnic web concordancer were used by two groups of college EFL students to find proper collocates in a translation task. The results showed that the students who used the WebCollocate tool found more proper English collocates. In addition, a group of 35 pre-service English teachers were also invited to evaluate the effectiveness of this collocation tool. These EFL teachers indicated that they could easily find proper English collocates with the help of WebCollocate. However, they also suggested that the search options and the presentation of search outcomes of this tool can be further improved. It seems that a more dedicated collocation retrieval tool can facilitate collocation teaching and learning, but the functions of this tool can be further enhanced. The findings of this study can be useful for language teachers, researchers, and developers of corpus-based tools. Adapted from the source document
关键词:descriptive linguistics, computational/mathematical linguistics and machine translation, applied linguistics, English as a second/foreign language instruction, Collocations, English as a Second Language Learning, Teachers, English as a Second Language Instruction, Students, Second Language Learning, College Students, Corpus Linguistics, Computer Assisted Language Learning
- Jauregi, K., Canto, S., de Graaff, R., Koenraad T., & Moonen, M. (2011). Verbal interaction in Second Life: Towards a pedagogic framework for task design. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 24(1), 77-101.
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摘要:Within a European project on Networked Interaction in Foreign Language Acquisition and Research (NIFLAR), Second Life was used as a 3D virtual world in which language students can communicate synchronously with native speakers in the target language, while undertaking action together. For this context, a set of design principles for interaction tasks was developed aiming at maximizing authentic social interaction and intercultural awareness, while exploiting the specific affordances of the virtual environment being used. These design principles were applied and tested in a case study in which two foreign language learners of Spanish and two pre-service teachers carried out four interaction tasks in the virtual world of Second Life. In this article we first present and discuss the framework for task development and assessment. We then show the results of the case study conducted in Second Life which aimed at: (1) applying and assessing the design principles for task elaboration, (2) analyzing the kind of interaction the tasks elicited in the virtual world, (3) exploring whether the specific affordances of the virtual environment were adequately used for enhancing interaction, and (4) studying whether and how the condition anonymity versus familiarity may play a role in modeling virtual interaction. Adapted from the source document
关键词:descriptive linguistics, computational/mathematical linguistics and machine translation, applied linguistics, non-native language instruction languages other than English, Second Language Learning, Case Studies, Teachers, Second Language Instruction, Spanish, Computer Software, Students
- Beaulieu, S. (2011). Educational standards and bilingual nurses in Francophone minority communities. The Canadian Modern Language Review/La Revue canadienne des langues vivantes, 67(4), 508-535.
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摘要:Nurses working in their second language (L2) face different language-related problems in clinical practice, among which is the difficulty to understand patients' accents or the colloquial phrases they use. These results come as no surprise as L2 teaching is often implicitly oriented toward the acquisition of the standard level of the target language. In order to incorporate a greater linguistic diversity into L2 teaching, the concept of a pedagogical norm, which reflects the observable linguistic behaviour of target language speakers, can be used. The present study aims to establish the pedagogical norm to adopt in the French as a second language education of nursing science students living in a French minority environment. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, non-native language instruction languages other than English, French as a Second Language Learning, Second Language Learning, Nonnative Speakers, Health Care Practitioners, Students, French as a Second Language, Professional Education, French as a Second Language Instruction
- Kinginger, C. (2011). Enhancing language learning in study abroad. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 31(0), 58-73.
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摘要:Research demonstrates that study abroad can have a positive impact on every domain of language competence, and that it is particularly helpful for the development of abilities related to social interaction. However, some results suggest that study abroad intensifies individual differences in achievement: Certain students thrive while others founder. Qualitative studies provide insight into the sources of these differences both in the stances that students adopt toward their host communities and in the ways in which they are received. Overall, the research points to a need for language learners' broader engagement in local communicative practices, for mindfulness of their situation as peripheral participants, and for more nuanced awareness of language itself. This article offers a rationale, based on the current state of the art in research, for including the expertise of language educators in the choice and design of study abroad programs. Students will benefit from programs specifically designed to foster language learning through observation, participation, and reflection. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, non-native language learning languages other than English, Study Abroad, Immersion Programs, Students, Individual Differences, Second Language Learning
- Freiermuth, M. R., & Huang, H. C. (2012). Bringing Japan and Taiwan closer electronically: A look at an intercultural online synchronic chat task and its effect on motivation. Language Teaching Research, 16(1), 61-88.
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摘要:This study examines the motivation of 20 Japanese students of English as a foreign language (EFL) who chatted electronically with 19 Taiwanese EFL students using online synchronous chat software. In particular, we were interested in four factors that affect task-based motivation: the willingness to communicate, task attractiveness, task innovativeness, and the need to communicate in the target language. Qualitative analysis of a posttest questionnaire and the texts that students produced during their online task reveal that students were generally motivated throughout the task with respect to all four of the factors. It is suggested that well-designed online chat tasks, whereby students need to arrive at a consensus via interaction, can be very motivating to students. For teachers, electronic synchronous chat represents one more valuable tool for language teachers to facilitate interaction in the target language. [Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications Ltd., copyright holder.]
关键词:interpersonal behavior and communication, technology and communication, applied linguistics, English as a second/foreign language learning, Students, Computer Mediated Communication, Chat, Motivation, Educational Activities, English as a Second Language Learning, Japan, Taiwan
- Van Compernolle, R. A., & Williams, L. (2012). Promoting sociolinguistic competence in the classroom zone of proximal development. Language Teaching Research, 16(1), 39-60.
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摘要:This article explores the microgenetic development of learners' understanding of sociolinguistic variation in French during an instructional conversation (IC) that followed a language analysis task in which learners attempted to formulate hypotheses about the nature of language variation. During the IC, the instructor led students toward a conceptual understanding of variation in French by providing appropriate graduated (i.e. from implicit or strategic to explicit) mediation that was sensitive to the class's zone of proximal development (ZPD). Teacher-student collaborative interaction within a group's ZPD has the potential to develop learners' conceptual understanding of variation, which can provide an important orienting basis for the development of their performance abilities. The transcript of the IC is analysed and discussed with regard to the amount and type(s) of mediation the instructor provides and opportunities for development created in this type of collaborative interaction. [Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications Ltd., copyright holder.]
关键词:applied linguistics, non-native language instruction languages other than English, Second Language Teachers, Students, Language Teaching Methods, Classroom Communication, Sociolinguistics, French as a Second Language Instruction, Conversation
- Turnbull, M., Cormier, M., & Bourque, J. (2011). The first language in science class: A quasi-experimental study in late French immersion. The Modern Language Journal, 95(Supplement), 182-198.
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摘要:This article reports analysis of data collected from a quasi-experimental study in 2 Canadian late French immersion science classes. We examine if, how, and when the first language (L1) is used when students in the first years of their second language learning talk about complex science concepts. We compare differences in groups following a 2-month intervention. Specifically, we study differences in complexity of oral utterances, and differences in use of L1 in oral utterances after participating in an intervention using a literacy-based approach, or the typical, district-prescribed approach. Furthermore, we assess whether increased use of the L1 in complex content statements is positively associated with gains in French and science knowledge. Advanced statistical analyses linked the complexity of student utterances with language use, written skills in French, and performance in science. In this way, this article makes a significant contribution to the existing body of literature on this important topic. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, language for special purposes, Canada, French as a Second Language Learning, Language for Special Purposes, Students, Language Use
- Erler, L., & Macaro, E. (2011). Decoding ability in French as a foreign language and language learning motivation. The Modern Language Journal, 95, 496-518.
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摘要:This study examined the relationships between decoding ability (the ability to relate graphemes to phonemes) in French as a foreign language, self-reported use of such decoding, and dimensions of motivation, specifically self-efficacy and attribution, among young-beginner learners in England. It investigated whether these factors were related to a desire to continue studying the language beyond the compulsory learning age of 14. Previous research has found low levels of motivation for learning the language after only a few years of instruction and a number of authors have called for research to discover why this should be. With a large stratified sample of participants aged 11-14, decoding ability was elicited via written rhyme and word segmentation tests. Self-efficacy, attribution, perceptions of learning French and use of decoding were elicited via self-reported statements. Findings suggest that, after 3 years of studying French, students were unable to decode accurately even though they claimed to use decoding regularly in a range of language learning tasks. At all stages of learning, students' ability to decode, together with their belief that they could do it, appeared to contribute to the likelihood of their continuing with French study. They attributed inability to decode not to the teacher or teaching method but to the "strangeness" of French. Given the potential generalizability of these results, important implications for teaching and for curriculum review are drawn. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, non-native language learning languages other than English, French, Motivation, Decoding Reading, French as a Second Language Learning, Language Proficiency, Grapheme Phoneme Correspondence, Students, Student Attitudes
- Shi, X. S. (2011). Negotiating power and access to second language resources: A study on short-term Chinese MBA students in America. The Modern Language Journal, 95, 575-588.
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摘要:By looking into a group of 13 Chinese master's in business administration students' study abroad experience in the United States, this study contends that being situated in the second language (L2) communicative context does not guarantee international students complete access to language and cultural resources in the host society. Due to limited communicative skills and cultural competence in the target language and culture, L2 learners are at a disadvantage to negotiate symbolic power in the host country, which may mediate their opportunities to gain learning resources and academic recognition. How the students negotiate in the academic contexts to balance and counterbalance unequal power relationships strongly influences their access to already limited host culture language resources. The study addresses the issues in communicative difficulties encountered by the international students, and proposes recommendations on what can be done to facilitate the students' academic and sociocultural adjustment. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, English as a second/foreign language learning, interpersonal behavior and communication, cross-cultural communication and behavior, Students, Study Abroad, Immersion Programs, Learning Environment, Second Language Learning, English as a Second Language Learning, Negotiation, Cultural Differences, Cross Cultural Communication