Showing papers on "Foreign language published in 2015"
TL;DR: It can be concluded that flipped classroom was beneficial in terms of 4 categories based on the content analysis of the responses: learning at one’s own pace, advance student preparation, overcoming the limitations of class time, increasing the participation in the classroom.
Abstract: Alongside the rise of educational technology, many teachers have been taking gradual but innovative steps to redesign their teaching methods. For example, in flipped learning or a flipped classroom, students watch instructional videos outside the classroom and do assignments or engage in activities inside the classroom. Language teachers are one group of educators exploring the flipped classroom. In foreign language classes, such an approach may offer great benefits for both the teachers and students since classroom time can be applied to more interactive tasks. By extending classroom hours in this way, language teachers can focus on successfully addressing all subjects in the curriculum. The aim of this study is (a) to gain insights into the perceptions of prospective English language teachers at a state university in Turkey on flipped classrooms and (b) to introduce the implementation of a flipped classroom into an English language class. A total of 47 prospective English teachers participated in the study. Qualitative research design was used and data were collected via an open-ended question. Findings of the study indicated that pre-service English teachers had positive perceptions towards the use of the flipped classroom as an integral part of face-to-face courses. It can be concluded that flipped classroom was beneficial in terms of 4 categories based on the content analysis of the responses: learning at one’s own pace, advance student preparation, overcoming the limitations of class time, increasing the participation in the classroom. The study also provides recommendations towards LMS integration into courses in other English language teaching departments and for implementing flipped classrooms in language teaching.
341 citations
TL;DR: Littlewood et al. as discussed by the authors argued that content and language integrated learning (CLIL) has a good potential of distinguishing itself from monolingual L2 immersion education models by becoming more flexible and balanced about the role of L1 in CLIL lessons.
Abstract: Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is a rapidly growing area of both research and practice in all parts of the world, especially in Europe and Asia. As a young discipline, CLIL has a good potential of distinguishing itself from monolingual L2 immersion education models by becoming more flexible and balanced about the role of L1 in CLIL lessons. Although recent years have witnessed increasing research on the potential role of L1 in foreign language teaching [e.g. Littlewood, W., & Yu, B. 2009. First language and target language in the foreign language classroom. Language Teacher, 42, 1–14], monolingual immersion ideologies are still dominant in many contexts in the world (especially in Southeast Asia) because of a whole host of ideologies. The beliefs affecting medium of instruction policies and practice have their roots in the traditional tenets (e.g. the maximum input hypothesis) in the discipline of second language acquisition (SLA). Although these tenets are increasingly being countered by...
217 citations
1 Jan 2015
TL;DR: A revised model is presented, CIA2, which makes the central role played by variation in interlanguage studies more explicit and is generally more in line with the current state of foreign language theory and practice.
Abstract: Since its introduction in 1996, Contrastive Interlanguage Analysis (CIA) has become a highly popular method in Learner Corpus Research. Its comparative design has made it possible to uncover a wide range of features distinctive of learner language and assess their degree of generalizability across learner populations. At the same time, however, the method has drawn criticism on several fronts. The purpose of this article is threefold: to provide a brief overview of CIA research, to discuss the main criticisms the method has faced in recent years and to present a revised model, CIA2, which makes the central role played by variation in interlanguage studies more explicit and is generally more in line with the current state of foreign language theory and practice.
207 citations
TL;DR: This paper reviewed relevant peer-reviewed literature on English education among young learners in East Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan) and highlighted the social and policy contexts of early English education, identifying major policyrelated concerns.
Abstract: The teaching of foreign languages to young learners is growing in popularity around the world. Research in this field, particularly of English as a second/foreign language education in East Asia, is a relatively new area of empirical inquiry, and it has the potential to make significant contributions to child second-language acquisition (Child-SLA) theory building, research methodologies, and policies in East Asia and beyond. This article reviews relevant peer-reviewed literature on English education among young learners in East Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan). I begin by reviewing policy literature to illustrate the social and policy contexts of early English education, identifying major policy-related concerns. Next, I review empirical studies of English learning and teaching, organizing them by their relevance to the previously identified policy concerns. The article concludes with suggestions for future research.
206 citations
TL;DR: This article investigated whether processing information in a foreign language as opposed to the native language affects moral judgments and found that the use of foreign language promoted less severe moral judgments, and less confidence in them.
192 citations
TL;DR: The research findings highlight the importance of raising teachers' awareness of the different roles they can play and of enhancing their abilities to perform a combination of the roles to promote learner self-directed use of technology for learning outside the classroom.
Abstract: Teachers are important social agents who shape the quantity and quality of students' self-directed use of technology for learning outside the classroom. This study aimed to model the influence of teacher behaviors on learners' self-directed technology use. A conceptual model of three types of teacher support (affection support, capacity support and behavior support) that were reported to influence students' self-directed technology use for learning outside the classroom was generated based on interviews with 15 undergraduate foreign language learners. One hundred and sixty undergraduate foreign language learners were then surveyed to test the conceptual model. The path analysis of the survey data suggested that affection support influenced learner self-directed technology use through strengthened perceived usefulness, and that capacity support and behavior support influenced learner self-directed technology use through enhanced facilitating conditions and computer self-efficacy. The research findings highlight the importance of raising teachers' awareness of the different roles they can play and of enhancing their abilities to perform a combination of the roles to promote learner self-directed use of technology for learning outside the classroom. Examined how teacher behaviors influence students' self-directed technology use for learning.Teachers influence through encouragement, recommendation and in-class technology use.Perceived usefulness mediated the impact of teachers' encouragement.Facilitating conditions mediated the impact of teachers' recommendations.Facilitating conditions mediated the impact of teachers' in-class technology use.
191 citations
1 Jan 2015
TL;DR: The role of the teacher has changed from one of authority/expert to that of facilitator/guide and agent of change as discussed by the authors, which has resulted in a change in the role from teacher to learner/learning-centered environments.
Abstract: Foreign language teaching and learning have changed from teacher-centered to learner/learning-centered environments Relying on language theories, research findings, and experiences, educators developed teaching strategies and learning environments that engaged learners in interactive communicative language tasks A shift in foreign language pedagogy from a specific foreign language method to the measurement of language performance/competency has resulted in a change in the role of the teacher from one of authority/expert to that of facilitator/guide and agent of change Current developments point to public pedagogy, social media, and action research as additional ways to foster intercultural competence and language learning
182 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a study revealed the substantial unconstructive influence of the students' cultures and the non-conducive language environment affecting their language acquisition in English teaching in Indonesia.
Abstract: The linguistic situations and conditions in Indonesia are quite complex by their own natures as more than seven hundred vernaculars with their various dialects from a great number of ethnic groups have been used as media of communication in the country. Accordingly, the success of English teaching in Indonesia cannot be freed from the students' cultural backgrounds, values, customs, and beliefs as well as the political standpoint of the government regarding this foreign language. English language teaching has then undergone more than four changes in its curriculum since the country's independence and brought no significant impact upon the learning outcomes. This study reveals the substantial unconstructive influence of the students' cultures and the non-conducive language environment affecting their language acquisition. Other aspects related to the teachers' performance and class preparations equally contribute to the ineffective classroom interactions. This study offers some practical suggestions to cope with those problems.
167 citations
TL;DR: Alderson, Brunfaut and Harding as mentioned in this paper developed a tentative framework for a theory of diagnosis in second or foreign language (SFL) assessment and discussed the implications of this process for the diagnostic assessment of reading and listening.
Abstract: Alderson, Brunfaut and Harding (2014) recently investigated how diagnosis is practised across a range of professions in order to develop a tentative framework for a theory of diagnosis in second or foreign language (SFL) assessment. In articulating this framework, a set of five broad principles were proposed, encompassing the entire enterprise of diagnostic assessment. However, there remain questions about how best to implement these principles in practice, particularly in identifying learners’ strengths and weaknesses in the less well-documented areas of SFL reading and listening. In this paper, we elaborate on the set of principles by first outlining the stages of a diagnostic process built on these principles, and then discussing the implications of this process for the diagnostic assessment of reading and listening. In doing so, we will not only elaborate on the theory of diagnosis with respect to its application in the assessment of these skills, but also discuss the ways in which each construct might be defined and operationalized for diagnostic purposes.
156 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the effects on learner anxiety of anxiety-reducing strategies utilized by English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers in Saudi Arabia were investigated. But the study was conducted in two stages, in the first stage, sources of foreign language anxiety for Saudi learners of English (N = 596) were identified using The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS). In the second stage, 465 learners were divided almost equally into two groups (experimental vs. control) and 12 teachers were recruited.
Abstract: This quasi-experimental study investigated the effects on learner anxiety of anxiety-reducing strategies utilized by English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers in Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, sources of foreign language (FL) anxiety for Saudi learners of English (N = 596) were identified using The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS). In the second stage, 465 learners were divided almost equally into two groups (experimental vs. control) and 12 teachers were recruited. Anxiety-reducing strategies were implemented exclusively in the treatment group for approximately eight weeks. These strategies targeted the sources of FL anxiety identified at the first stage of the study like fear of negative evaluation, communication apprehension, and the negative attitudes toward English language class. At the second stage, a classroom observation scale was used to evaluate teacher's anxiety-reducing practices. FLCAS was used to assess learners' FL anxiety levels...
151 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present research based on the Delphi technique, consulting a large group of "experts" and "experienced practitioners" and achieving a gradual consensus on the necessary telecollaborative skills, knowledge and attitudes.
Abstract: Telecollaboration, or ‘online intercultural exchange’ (OIE), refers to the application of online communication tools to bring together classes of language learners in geographically distant locations with the aim to develop their foreign language skills and intercultural competence through collaborative tasks and project work. Many studies have demonstrated the potential of this activity for supporting collaborative learning and developing intercultural awareness. This article focuses on the implications for teachers and addresses the question: what are the skills, attitudes and knowledge which a foreign language teacher needs to establish and successfully carry out an online intercultural exchange with their learners? To answer this question, the paper presents research based on the Delphi technique, consulting a large group of ‘experts’ and ‘experienced practitioners’ and achieving a gradual consensus on the necessary telecollaborative skills, knowledge and attitudes. The final set of competences is pre...
Book•
29 Jan 2015
TL;DR: In this article, Cenoz and Durk Gorter proposed a holistic approach in the study of multilingual education and proposed L1 as a pedagogical resource in building students' L2 academic literacy.
Abstract: List of contributors Series editors' preface Acknowledgements 1. Towards a holistic approach in the study of multilingual education Jasone Cenoz and Durk Gorter 2. L1 as a pedagogical resource in building students' L2 academic literacy: pedagogical innovation in the science classroom in a Hong Kong school Gladys N. Y. Luk and Angel M. Y. Lin 3. Linking content, linking students: a cross-linguistic pedagogical intervention Susan Ballinger 4. The role of the native language in the literacy development of Latino students in the United States Igone Arteagoitia and Liz Howard 5. A nexus analysis of code choice during study abroad, and implications for language pedagogy Glenn S. Levine 6. Multilingual practices in foreign language study Claire Kramsch and Michael Huffmaster 7. Language choices and ideologies in the bilingual classroom Janet M. Fuller 8. Communicative repertoires in the community language classroom: resources for negotiating authenticity Angela Creese, Adrian Blackledge and Jaspreet Kaur Takhi 9. Complementary classrooms for multilingual minority ethnic children as a translanguaging space Li Wei 10. Constructing in-between spaces to 'do' bilingualism: a tale of two high schools in one city Ofelia Garcia, Nelson Flores and Heather Homonoff Woodley 11. Becoming multilingual and being multilingual: some thoughts David Block Index.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors attempted to investigate Iranian EFL teachers' attitudes and beliefs regarding the use of authentic materials at high school level in Iran according to communicative language principles, focusing on both reading and listening skills.
Abstract: The idea of using authentic material in language teaching is supported among references and many professionals in the field of language pedagogy. Authentic material provides the learners with many significant advantages and promotes them with high motivation and interest in language learning and lead to improving communicative competence (Guariento & Morley, 2001; Wilcox et al., 1999). This paper attempted to investigate Iranian EFL teachers’ attitudes and beliefs regarding the use of authentic materials at high school level in Iran according to communicative language principles, focusing on both reading and listening skills. Fifty-seven (57) female and male English teachers, who teach in high schools and took apart in teacher training course (TTC) with CLT framework, completed a survey questionnaire for the purpose of this study. The questionnaires were analyzed in terms of frequency and percentage by means of the statistical package SPSS. The results indicate that English teachers have a positive attitude toward presenting authentic materials in the classroom. Recommendations for future research are provided.
Book•
11 May 2015
TL;DR: In this paper, a culture-inclusive language pedagogy in multilingual social contexts is proposed, with a focus on the actor in social context. But the actor is not defined as a language learner, but a social actor: Language, citizenship and education.
Abstract: Coste, D., & Simon, D. L. (2009). The plurilingual social actor: Language, citizenship and education. International Journal of Multilingualism, 6, 168–185. doi:10. 1080/14790710902846723 Cummins, J. (1979). Linguistic interdependence and the educational development of bilingual children. Review of Educational Research, 49, 222–251. doi: 10.3102/ 00346543049002222 Igoudin, L. (2012). Towards a culture inclusive language pedagogy in multilingual social contexts. In G. Alao, M. Derivry, E. Suzuki, & S. Yun-Roger (Eds.), Didactique plurilingue et pluriculturelle: l’acteur en contexte mondialis e [Plurilingual, pluricultural teaching: The actor in social context] (pp. 7–22). Paris, France: Edition des archives contemporaines. Kramsch, C. (2009). The multilingual subject: What foreign language learners say about their experiences and why it matters. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
TL;DR: This paper investigated how diagnosis is theorized and carried out in a diverse range of professions with a view to finding commonalities that can be applied to the context of language assessment, including car mechanics, IT systems support, medicine, psychology and education.
Abstract: Diagnostic language assessment has received increased research interest in recent years, with particular attention on methods through which diagnostic information can be gleaned from standardized proficiency tests. However, diagnostic procedures in the broader sense have been inadequately theorized to date, with the result that there is still little agreement on precisely what diagnosis in second and foreign language learning actually entails. In order to address this problem, this article investigated how diagnosis is theorized and carried out in a diverse range of professions with a view to finding commonalities that can be applied to the context of language assessment. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals from the fields of car mechanics, IT systems support, medicine, psychology and education. Data were then coded, yielding five macro-categories that fit the entire data set: (i) definitions of diagnosis, (ii) means of diagnosis, (iii) key players, (iv) diagnostic procedures, (v) treatment/follow-up. Based on findings within these categories, a set of five tentative principles of diagnostic language assessment is drawn-up, as well as a list of implications for future research.
Book•
14 Jan 2015TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated what students acquire from studies abroad in the context of credit mobility, in terms of competence development and personal growth, compared with that gained by students completing their study or internship in their home country.
Abstract: The primary purpose of this study lies in the evaluation of what students acquire from studies abroad in the context of credit mobility, in terms of competence development and personal growth, compared with that gained by students completing their study or internship in their home country. A pre-post test design, with both an experimental group and a control group, was employed for students participating in the Erasmus programme and those continuing their regular course of study at their home university. The findings obtained suggest that study abroad programmes have a positive impact on the perception of university students. The highest values among Erasmus students in terms of outcomes were attributed to cultural enhancement, personal development and foreign language proficiency. Study abroad has, furthermore, a Europeanising impact inasmuch as it affects the self-identity of students.
TL;DR: This paper evaluated a task-based Spanish course for a governmental agency, which was put in place to help employees conduct their jobs more efficiently and found that the course not only prepared trainees to complete critical job tasks in the L2, but also improved participants' overall Spanish proficiency.
Abstract: The need for foreign language education in the US has increased in recent years, and teaching methods based on traditional textbooks are unlikely to meet the real-world needs of current learners. As a response, interest in Language for Specific Purposes programs has grown and so has Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) methodology. This article describes and evaluates a recently developed, task-based Spanish course for a governmental agency, which was put in place to help employees conduct their jobs more efficiently. Three exploratory empirical studies undertaken to evaluate this program are presented and discussed: (1) a pilot study comparing the oral proficiency of students in the grammar-based course and students in the TBLT course; (2) a study to establish whether the students’ overall proficiency had improved as a result of the TBLT program; and (3) a qualitative study of students’ perceptions about the Spanish TBLT program. The results indicate that the task-based course not only prepares trainees to complete critical job tasks in the L2, but it also improves participants’ overall Spanish proficiency. These results contribute to the increasing evidence of the potential of TBLT for language learning.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The effects of using games on improving vocabulary learning in an English as foreign language or English as second language context is reviewed and game-based learning activities and techniques in the classroom are suggested.
Abstract: One of the difficult parts of learning the target language for English language learners is the acquisition of vocabulary. Using educational games for teaching vocabulary has been very popular for several decades. Therefore, the present paper has reviewed the effects of using games on improving vocabulary learning in an English as foreign language or English as second language context. Different studies revealed that games are beneficial in vocabulary learning because they enhance students’ ability to memorize words, encourage student’s interaction, improve their communicative skills and enhance students’ motivation. Games also can help the teachers to create contexts in which the language is useful and meaningful. This study aimed to guide teachers and students towards a better understanding of vocabularies through educational games. This paper suggested game-based learning activities and techniques in the classroom. Hoping that educational games attract more attention and be applied in the classroom in order to learn and teach new vocabulary more effectively.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors reviewed recent development in the EFL reading pedagogy and research in Indonesia and to view it from a broader perspective on the theories of reading process and ESL/EFL reading instruction.
Abstract: Skills in reading (and learning information from) texts written in English as a foreign language (EFL reading) constitute an important element of the establishment of English curriculum of secondary and tertiary schools (both English and non-English departments) in Indonesia. The need of the learners to be skilled in reading to learn has inspired EFL reading teachers or specialists to apply some techniques in the teaching of EFL reading and to investigate the effects of the techniques on improving Indonesian students reading skills, as well as to examine various related aspects such as reading materials, reading strategies, and factors affecting reading comprehension. Our purpose in writing this article is to review recent development in the EFL reading pedagogy and research in Indonesia and to view it from the broader perspective on the theories of reading process and ESL/EFL reading instruction. Drawing on the results of this analysis, we will outline the current trends and recommend future direction in the EFL reading pedagogy and research in this country.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on the historical, political and legal processes stemming from the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism (1963-1969) to the 1982 Canadian Constitution and its aftermath and demonstrate how racial hierarchies and language ideologies favored French and English dominance and reinforced the marginalisation of indigenous groups defined in terms of the socially constructed and assigned category of race.
Abstract: This paper addresses language policy and policy-making in Canada as forms of discourse produced and reproduced within systems of power and racial hierarchies. The analysis of indigenous language policy to be addressed here focuses on the historical, political and legal processes stemming from the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism (1963–1969) to the 1982 Canadian Constitution and its aftermath. Through a critical historical and discursive analysis, we demonstrate how racial hierarchies and language ideologies favoured French and English dominance and reinforced the marginalisation of indigenous groups defined in terms of the socially constructed and assigned category of race. We relate these race-based language policies to contemporary indigenous language struggles in Canada, including the Task Force Report on Aboriginal Languages and Cultures (2005), and describe the logic imposed by colonial constitutional arrangements on indigenous language promotion, revitalisation and mobilisation in ...
TL;DR: This paper analyzed the language learning narratives of three NNS foreign language teachers and found that the L2Motivational Self System (L2MSS) underestimates the relationship between 'I' and 'other', a distinction that is paramount in Self-Discrepancy Theory (Higgins, 1987).
Abstract: This study analyzes the language learning narratives of 3 NNS foreign language teachers. It uses as a theoretical framework the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS) (Dornyei, 2009) but adds the dimension of psychological reactance (Brehm, 1966). Our findings indicate that the L2MSS underestimates the relationship between 'I' and 'other,' a distinction that is paramount in Self-Discrepancy Theory (Higgins, 1987). Specifically, the 'I' dimension is strongly articulated in the ideal L2 self, whereas the 'other' dimension is not. The inverse is true for the ought-to L2 self in which the 'other' dimension is emphasized. These omissions underemphasize the importance of the interaction between the self and the context in forming language learning motivation. In addition, the findings indicate that the L2MSS framework needs further development in order to account for learners in a variety of settings, as opposed to primarily an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) environment. Consistent with recent claims about the types of contributions that language learning biographies/narratives can make to SLA research (Pavlenko, 2007), this study offers additional insights into how individual differences interact with contextual variables in language learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
27 Mar 2015
TL;DR: The politics of Instructional Materials for English for Young Learners Bessie Dendrinos 4.Analyzing Culture in Foreign/Second Language Textbooks: Methodological and Conceptual Issues Csilla Weninger & Tamas Kiss Part 2 5.Educating Citizens in the Foreign Language Classroom: Missed Opportunities in a Colombian EFL Textbook Gillian Moss, Norma Barletta, Diana Chamorro & Jorge Mizuno 6.
Abstract: Part 1 1.Introduction: Ideology and the Politics of Language Textbooks Editors 2.The Cultural Politics of Language Textbooks in the Era of Globalization Claire Kramsch & Kimberly Vinall 3.The Politics of Instructional Materials for English for Young Learners Bessie Dendrinos 4.Analyzing Culture in Foreign/Second Language Textbooks: Methodological and Conceptual Issues Csilla Weninger & Tamas Kiss Part 2 5.Educating Citizens in the Foreign Language Classroom: Missed Opportunities in a Colombian EFL Textbook Gillian Moss, Norma Barletta, Diana Chamorro & Jorge Mizuno 6.Ideologies of Monoculturalism in Confucius Institute Textbooks:A Corpus-based Critical Analysis Huaqing Hong & Xianzhong He 7.Contrasting Arabic and Hebrew Textbooks in Israel: A Focus on Culture Iair G.Or & Elana Shohamy Part 3 8.Ideological Tensions and Contradictions in Lower Primary English Teaching Materials in Singapore Xiao Lan Curdt-Christiansen 9.Creating a Multilingual/multicultural Space in Japanese EFL: A Critical Analysis of Discursive Practices within a New Language Education Policy Sachiko Horii 10.Ideologies in Primary English Textbooks in China Qiao Ping 11.Digital Textbooks and the Politics of Content Enrichment in EFL Textbooks Bessie Mitsikopoulou 12.Cultural Content Matters: A Critical Sociology of Language and Literacy Curriculum Allan Luke
TL;DR: It is shown that foreign language can also influence judgment through emotional processing, which has implications for international policy, such as United Nations decisions on environmental issues.
Abstract: As a result of globalization, policymakers and citizens are increasingly communicating in foreign languages. This article investigates whether communicating in a foreign language influences lay judgments of risk and benefit regarding specific hazards such as "traveling by airplane," "climate change," and "biotechnology." Merging findings from bilingual and risk perception research, we hypothesized that stimuli described in a foreign language, as opposed to the native tongue, would prompt more positive overall affect and through that induce lower judgments of risk and higher judgments of benefit. Two studies support this foreign language hypothesis. Contrary to recent proposals that foreign language influences judgment by promoting deliberate processing, we show that it can also influence judgment through emotional processing. The present findings carry implications for international policy, such as United Nations decisions on environmental issues.
TL;DR: Findings suggest that the relationship between task complexity in L2/FL writing and the effect on attentional resources and CAF measures may be associated with the language proficiency level ( Norris & Ortega, 2009 ) in conjunction with the level of expertise in writing of the learner.
TL;DR: In this paper, a teacher candidate majoring in Spanish gave up teaching Spanish, after years of investment and preparation, and switched her focus to teaching English as a second language, by describing and discussing the identity transformation she underwent and negotiations she engaged in.
Abstract: Drawing on the post-structural views and the literature on teacher identity and agency, and using narrative inquiry, this paper describes how one teacher candidate majoring in Spanish negotiated her identities across time and space and how her identity negotiations interacted with her agency. The recursive analysis of qualitative data sources demonstrates how this particular teacher candidate gave up teaching Spanish, after years of investment and preparation, and switched her focus to teaching English as a second language. By describing and discussing the identity transformation she underwent and negotiations she engaged in, this study adds to the limited literature on foreign language teacher identity and agency, and provides implications for teacher educators in foreign language teacher education programs.
TL;DR: This article presented a model for the understanding of integration in CLIL drawing on the combination of systemic-functional linguistic (SFL) and classroom interactional approaches to language and meaning construction.
Abstract: Research on content and language integrated learning (CLIL) has expanded substantially in the last 10 years. While research interests have predominantly focused on language learning outcomes and the comparison between CLIL and English as a foreign language (EFL) students’ competence in the foreign language, recent studies have called for the need to focus on how language and content are best learnt in integration. In order to understand integration in its full scope, there are two main variables that need to be carefully investigated: the functions of language in different subjects (subject literacies and genres) and the way language and content interact in a variety of classroom interactional activities. This article presents a model for the understanding of integration in CLIL drawing on the combination of systemic-functional linguistic (SFL) and classroom interactional approaches to language and meaning construction. As shown in previous studies, CLIL teachers and learners need to be aware of the chara...
TL;DR: This paper investigated the interactional unfolding of student smiles in instructed language learning settings drawing on data from both English as a Second Language and as a Foreign Language class data sets, and found that students smile in both instruction and instruction.
1 Jan 2015
TL;DR: This paper adapts methodological innovations in Trumper-Hecht (2010) and other recent research by reinterpreting Henri Lefebvre’s triadic paradigm of conceived, perceived, and lived spaces for the language classroom, such that teachers and learners can design nuanced, multilayered investigations of discourses in place.
Abstract: In the context of increasing interest in the linguistic landscape as a site of language and literacy learning, this paper outlines a conceptual framework for joining recent innovations in LL theory and methodology with pedagogical practice in second and foreign language education. After a review of current approaches to teaching the linguistic forms, cultural messages, and political actions realized in the linguistic landscape, a spatialized perspective based upon the principle of thirdness is proposed as a way for learners to explore, contrast, and reflect upon multiple meanings in the LL. Specifically, the paper adapts methodological innovations in Trumper-Hecht (2010) and other recent research by reinterpreting Henri Lefebvre’s triadic paradigm of conceived, perceived, and lived spaces for the language classroom, such that teachers and learners can design nuanced, multilayered investigations of discourses in place. As qualitative methods cast new light on questions of subjectivity, materiality, and change in the linguistic landscape, it is argued, linguistic landscape research offers valuable tools for pedagogical application, even as language learners open up new interpretive spaces for research.
Abstract: A comprehensive theory of language acquisition must explain how human infants can learn any one of the world’s 7000 or so languages. As such, an important part of understanding how languages are learned is to investigate acquisition across a range of diverse languages and sociocultural contexts. To this end, cross-linguistic and cross-cultural language research has been pervasive in the field of first language acquisition since the early 1980s. In groundbreaking work, Slobin (1985) noted that the study of acquisition in cross-linguistic perspective can be used to reveal both developmental universals and language-specific acquisition patterns. Since this observation there have been several waves of cross-linguistic first language acquisition research, and more recently we have seen a rise in research investigating lesser-known languages. This special issue brings together work on several such languages, spoken in minority contexts. It is the first collection of language development research dedicated to the acquisition of under-studied or little-known languages and by extension, different cultures.