Recording of presentation introducing narrative analysis, outlining what it is, why it can be a useful approach, how to do it and where to find out more. Presentation given at methods@manchester seminar at University of Manchester on 4 March 2010.

What is Narrative Analysis

The present study investigates Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE) and Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety (FLCA) in the classroom. Participants were 1746 current FL learners from around the world. We used a measure of FLE, based on Likert scale ratings of 21 items (Dewaele & MacIntyre, 2014), and a measure of FLCA based on 8 items extracted from the FLCAS (Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986). Statistical analyses revealed that levels of FLE were significantly higher than those of FLCA. FLE and FLCA were linked to a number of independent variables: participants’ perception of their relative level of proficiency within the FL classroom, number of languages known, education level, number of FLs under study, age group and general level of the FL (ranging from lower-intermediate to advanced). Female participants reported both more FLE and more FLCA. Cultural background of participants also had a significant effect on their scores. Participants’ views on episodes of enjoyment in the FL class revealed the importance of teachers’ professional and emotional skills and of a supportive peer group. Many participants mentioned the moment at which they realised that their long effort in mastering an aspect of the FL paid off.

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The two faces of Janus? Anxiety and enjoyment in the foreign language classroom

SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES: CREATING ESSENTIAL CONNECTIONS FOR LEARNING SANDRA L. CHRISTENSON/SUSAN M. SHERIDAN (EDITORS) THE GUILFORD PRESS, NEW YORK, 2001 $32.00 ISBN 1-57230-654-8 Schools and Families: Creating Essential Connections for Learning is not just another "how to" of specific strategies for parent or family involvement. This book's orientation is the interface between family and school as the two primary socialization environments for children's learning. The authors call for a "new social contract" of shared responsibility between the home and school. After an examination of common assumptions, policies and practices related to family-school relationships, the book outlines key process variables important to positive home-school connections. These four process elements, approach, attitudes, atmosphere and actions, comprise the major chapters of the book, Helpful features of the book include lists of sample practices and personal inventories for educators and parents. Each chapter is a list of questions to consider that have practice implications. The appendices contain a checklist for quality indicators of national standards for parent/family involvement, examples of parent newsletter items, a teacher's perspective on communicating with families and an inventory for creating school-family connections based on the major process variables in the book. Chapter One describes the family-school relationship as a protective factor against poor student achievement. It reviews the National Education goals, school reform efforts and federal policies as well as Joyce Epstein's research and National PTA standards. The authors build a case for the argument that close family-school collaboration is a professional obligation of educators. Three critical issues facing families and school personnel, rights, roles and responsibilities, and resources, are presented as a guide to examining productive familyschool relationships. The authors then describe their four key process variables that help to conceptualize conditions necessary for optimal family-school relationships. Chapter Two discusses the first process variable of approach, which is the framework for interaction with families. The authors detail the significance of families to children's learning to build the argument that schools or teachers alone cannot help students achieve their full academic potential. Concisely presented conclusions from the research literature support this contention. Emphasis is placed on the student at the center of the relationship between school and home. Two societal concerns regarding students are the erosion of social capital and increases in student apathy for schoolwork. The authors feel these can be addressed with a genuine partner relationship. They give an excellent list of examples of school and family co-- roles emphasizing the shared-responsibility approach. A particularly helpful table lists ways to create conditions for student success with sections for "at home", "in school" and "within the community". Attitudes and perceptions of families and schools are addressed in Chapter Three. The authors discuss a "family-centered" school orientation which includes friendliness, positive ness, responsiveness, sensitivity to the whole family. They emphasize a "no-fault model" where blame is not placed on either the family or the school. Positive school and family attitudes are described, i.e., attitudes that cause barriers to effective relationships and the importance of perspective-taking. …

Schools and Families: Creating Essential Connections for Learning

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the role of integrative motivation, instrumental motivation, and interaction with a second language (L2) culture in shaping students' speaking performance before and after participation in a 1-semester study-abroad program in Spain. A 2-part questionnaire (Student Background Information and Motivation Index), a language contact profile, and a pretest and posttest simulated oral proficiency interview were administered to 20 study-abroad participants. The results highlight 3 major points. First, students can indeed improve their L2 speaking proficiency during a 1-semester study-abroad program. Second, there is a positive relationship between students' integrative motivation and their interaction with the L2 culture. Third, student contact with the Spanish language has a significant effect on their speaking improvement. The data confirm the importance of focusing on learning activities that enhance students' integrative motivation and interaction with the L2 culture in both the formal classroom ("at home") and in the study-abroad program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Relationship Among Motivation, Interaction, and the Development of Second Language Oral Proficiency in a Study-Abroad Context

Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory of human development is one of the most widely known theoretical frameworks in human development. In spite of its popularity, the notion of culture within the macrosystem, as a separate entity of everyday practices and therefore microsystems, is problematic. Using the theoretical and empirical work of Rogoff and Weisner, and influenced as they are by Vygotsky's sociocultural perspective, we reconceptualize Bronfenbrenner's model by placing culture as an intricate part of proximal development processes. In our model, culture has the role of defining and organizing microsystems and therefore becomes part of the central processes of human development. Culture is an ever changing system composed of the daily practices of social communities (families, schools, neighborhoods, etc.) and the interpretation of those practices through language and communication. It also comprises tools and signs that are part of the historical legacy of those communities, and thus diversity is an integral part of the child's microsystems, leading to culturally defined acceptable developmental processes and outcomes.

Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Theory Revision: Moving Culture From the Macro Into the Micro.

This chapter examines past research on the role motivation plays in the success of learning a second language. We begin by providing a comprehensive overview of the key conceptual models that have applied the construct of motivation to second language acquisition, namely Gardner and Lambert’s seminal Socio-educational Model of Motivation on Second Language Acquisition. Next, we present an overview of more contemporary conceptual models, which are more inclusive and integrative in nature, and examine how different aspects of the learner and the learning situation might influence motivation and learning outcomes. Then, we turn to the operationalisation and measurement of second language motivation and present an overview of recent empirical work on integrative motivation and second language learning. In our final section, we discuss group differences in motivation and second language acquisition, with an emphasis on the influence of gender, age and culture/ethnicity.

Motivation and second language acquisition

This study investigated the narrative scaffolding styles of Spanish-speaking and English-speaking mothers as they engaged their preschool-aged children in family reminiscing and book sharing interactions. Specifically, the study examined the dimensions of narrative elaboration and participation in mothers’ scaffolding styles across the 2 narrative tasks. Cluster analyses identified 2 styles of maternal scaffolding for each context, differing in the degree to which mothers elaborated, the manner in which they did so, and the extent to which they encouraged child participation. Findings highlight the importance of both narrative elaboration and narrative participation as defining dimensions of maternal scaffolding styles. Results are discussed in relation to variations in socialization practices and the role these practices might play in children’s development.

Narrative Elaboration and Participation: Two Dimensions of Maternal Elicitation Style

http://publish.illinois.edu/latinoeducationintheusa/files/2015/10/2013_McWaynet-et-al.-Defining-family-engagement-among-Latino-Head-Start-parents.pdf

Defining family engagement among Latino Head Start parents: A mixed-methods measurement development study

Research Findings: Children across cultures begin the process of becoming literate well before they begin formal schooling. The early narratives children share in conversation with others lay the foundation for various academic and nonacademic aspects of school readiness. Practice or Policy: The present review synthesizes the major work conducted on the development of oral narratives among children from diverse sociocultural backgrounds, especially those shared at home, at school, and with peers. Contemporary research is discussed in relation to the socialization practices across cultures and the role these practices might play in shaping children's narrative discourse.

The Development of Children's Oral Narratives Across Contexts

For the 5 million low-income Latino children in the United States who are disproportionately impacted by the numerous risk factors associated with poverty, it is essential to identify proximal protective factors that mitigate these risks and bolster the academic and social skills that are foundational to a successful transition into formal schooling. Using ecocultural theory as a lens to guide this work, the present study: (a) described patterns of culture-contextualized family engagement among a low-income, Latino sample, and (b) examined relations between these patterns, family demographic factors, and children's language and social skills in preschool. Across Spanish and English language subsamples, we found evidence that there is heterogeneity in patterns of family engagement within and across language groups, such that different forms of family engagement defined the high engagement profiles in particular. We also found that demographic factors (such as child gender, family structure, and parental education and employment) predicted these patterns differentially across language groups, and that these patterns related to children's social and language skills in meaningful ways. Findings provide directions for future research, theory, and practice with this heterogeneous cultural group. (PsycINFO Database Record

Adina Schick

Papers

Motivation and second language acquisition

Narrative Elaboration and Participation: Two Dimensions of Maternal Elicitation Style

Defining family engagement among Latino Head Start parents: A mixed-methods measurement development study

The Development of Children's Oral Narratives Across Contexts

Ecocultural patterns of family engagement among low-income Latino families of preschool children