Showing papers in "Language Awareness in 2009"

Engagement with language: interrogating a construct

Abstract: In ‘Language awareness and language learning’ (Svalberg, 2007) I concluded that the otherwise diverse and multidisciplinary field of language awareness (LA) is given coherence by its focus on engagement with language I argued that LA is seen as active and not merely as a state of conscious awareness or sensitivity This paper goes one step further by developing and testing the construct It discusses what engagement with language might consist of and contrasts with and how it can be identified Cognitive, social, and affective aspects of engagement, including notions such as attention, autonomy, and agency, are posited Having arrived at first at a working definition and then an expanded and refined definition, the construct is applied to some classroom and student interview data Some tentative conclusions about English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students' engagement with language, what motivates, facilitates, and hinders it, are drawn The main purpose of the paper is, however, to try and d

Linking languages through a bilingual read-aloud project

Abstract: The present study was carried out in French immersion classrooms in an urban Quebec school board that is increasingly characterised by the heterogeneity of its French-dominant, English-dominant, and French/English bilingual student population. The study explored the extent to which a bilingual read-aloud project would (1) raise teachers' awareness of the bilingual resources of their students, (2) encourage students' cross-linguistic collaboration, and (3) promote teachers' cross-curricular and cross-linguistic collaboration. The participants were three English and three French teachers of three classes of six- to eight-year-old children. The French and English teachers of each class read aloud to their students from the same storybooks over four months, alternating the reading of one chapter in the French class and another in the English class. The data consist of (1) video recordings of the read-aloud sessions and discussion about the stories, (2) interviews and stimulated-recall sessions with the teache...

Strategies and performance in intentional L2 vocabulary learning

Abstract: This study was designed to identify strategies used during intentional vocabulary learning and to assess the relationship between strategy use and vocabulary learning performance. English-speaking students of Spanish studied new Spanish words while viewing word-picture pairs. The participants then completed posttests and answered questions about their strategy use. Their responses were coded to identify each participant's most frequently used strategy (MFS). Frequency of use of each MFS was determined. A subset of posttest scores were submitted to an analysis of variance with MFS as a between-subjects independent variable, recall type as a within-subjects independent variable, and score as the dependent variable. The results indicated significantly better scores for mnemonic technique and L2–picture association over L2–L1 translation and repetition. A significant positive correlation was also observed between the number of strategies used and vocabulary recall. Theoretical and pedagogical implications of ...

Applying cognitive linguistics to teaching the Spanish prepositions por and para

Abstract: L2 prepositions are traditionally taught in a non-explanatory manner by having students learn each use individually. This study examines the effectiveness of an alternative explanatory approach based on cognitive linguistics, which considers the multiple uses of a preposition as related. Consequently, learners can be shown a general schema that underlies all the uses, as opposed to treating them as unrelated items. Two groups of intermediate-level university Spanish learners were taught the prepositions por and para using a cognitive linguistic description, while a comparison group was given a list of the different uses as individual items to memorise. Although both groups increased in their accuracy of response to a fill-in-the-blank and a multiple-choice task following instruction, the experimental groups were able to maintain or improve their performance on the delayed post-test, while the comparison group decreased significantly in accuracy. The experimental groups were also more certain about the acc...

Effect of task-inherent production modes on EFL learners' focus on form

Abstract: It is now generally agreed that output functions to promote language learning through focus on form. Empirical studies reveal that oral communicative tasks can arouse learners' negotiation of meaning, but they are not so effective in bringing about focus on form. Hence, researchers have suggested using collaborative writing tasks to enhance language learning, for which positive empirical evidence has been obtained. However, no studies have examined how collaborative writing tasks and oral communicative tasks are different in impacting upon learners' attention to language forms. This paper reports on a study which investigates English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' focus on form in performing a collaborative oral task and a collaborative writing task. Eight pairs of participants completed the two tasks, with their performances being videotaped. Based on the transcripts of their talk, participants' attention to language forms was analysed through identifying and coding their language-related episodes...

What adult ESL learners say about improving grammar and vocabulary in their writing for academic purposes

Abstract: Linguistic accuracy plays an important role in the quality of written texts, yet the explicit teaching of linguistic form – particularly grammar – for the purpose of improving learners' writing has generated an ongoing debate. Furthermore, students' voices about their learning are often ignored because they are perceived as not knowing what they need most. This study explores adult ESL learners' goals for improving grammar and vocabulary in their writing in order to understand their motivations and strategies for improvement. The study describes learners' goals from an emic perspective based on semi-structured interviews and stimulated recalls. Fifteen learners enrolled in a pre-university intensive English for Academic Purposes programme were asked to describe their goals for writing over a two-year period as they progressed to mainstream university courses. Learners were found to be motivated to improve grammar and vocabulary in their writing, but lacked the knowledge and resources to take effective act...

Talking into Empty Space? Signalling Involvement in a Virtual Language Classroom in Second Life

Abstract: In this study, we compare the first and the last sessions from an online oral proficiencycourse aimed at doctoral students conducted in the virtual world Second Life. The study attempts to identify ...

The status of metalinguistic knowledge in instructed adult L2 learning

Abstract: This study investigated second language metalinguistic knowledge, or explicit knowledge about the second language, in English-speaking university-level learners of German and Spanish. The status of metalinguistic knowledge in relation to the individual difference variables of language-learning aptitude, working memory for language, and participants' language-learning history was identified. Language-learning experience in formal settings was found to be the strongest predictor for levels of metalinguistic knowledge attained by the participants. Moreover, it was found that despite a significant relationship with language-learning aptitude, metalinguistic knowledge is separable and distinct from both aptitude and working memory. In conclusion, suggestions for further research are put forward.

‘I speak five languages’: fostering plurilingual competence through language awareness

Abstract: When considering the extent to which plurilingualism nowadays shapes ‘every facet of human life’ (Aronin & Singleton, 2008, p. 8), especially within European member states, one understands the reason why individual plurilingualism has become a benchmark in education, raising concerns in improving the quality of communication among people from different contexts, in fostering mobility, and in conserving linguistic and cultural heterogeneity. Focusing on the discourses (life narratives) of two Ukrainian students attending the third cycle of the Portuguese education system in the light of their learning process of the shelter language, in this paper we aim at (1) reflecting upon the importance of all individuals becoming aware of the asset that their lifelong plurilingual identities represent, i.e. being aware of plurilingualism; (2) discussing the role of language awareness in fostering plurilingual identity, namely by promoting the development of an effective plurilingual competence. This is done by (1) de...

Metalinguistic awareness and evidence of cross-linguistic influence among bilingual learners in Irish primary schools

Abstract: During an investigation into the L2 proficiency and L3 acquisition skills of 10- to 12-year-olds in Irish primary schools, questions of metalinguistic awareness and cross-linguistic influence were raised. Do children who are more balanced bilinguals develop a higher sense of metalinguistic awareness than less balanced bilinguals? What evidence of cross-linguistic influence do those children display? Which language, or language teacher type, is most suitable in an Irish context for the development of these language learning skills? Following on from a primarily quantitative survey of all schools participating in the Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative in Ireland, and language testing of a smaller group of children, the evidence shows that more balanced bilinguals display a higher level of general proficiency and are more likely to independently display higher levels of metalinguistic awareness and evidence of cross-linguistic transfer. An examination of the features and characteristics of langua...

EFL Majors' Knowledge of Metalinguistic Terminology: A Comparative Study.

Abstract: Two hundred and ninety-six English majors at universities in Poland, Austria and Hong Kong were given a 50-item questionnaire designed to evaluate their knowledge of grammatical terminology. The main aim was to identify whether the three populations were subject to differing ‘terminological cultures’. This was found to be substantially the case; for example, the term indefinite article was known by 95% of Polish students but only 29% of the Hong Kong ones, whereas imperative was known by 71% of the Austrians but only 5% of the Hong Kongers. Some differences were attributed to a lack of use of the related concept in teaching; others were explained by the use of a synonymous term (e.g. reported speech was preferred in Poland and Hong Kong but indirect speech in Austria). A significant correlation between terminological knowledge and language proficiency was found for the Hong Kong students. Qualitative findings included confusion between pairs of complementary terms and those with similar forms; unknown ter...

Grammar and the non-native secondary school teacher in Catalonia

Abstract: This study describes the grammar-related behaviours of three experienced non-native teachers of English working in state secondary schools in Catalonia and investigates what beliefs may explain, from the teachers' point of view, these behaviours; it also examines what factors in their turn determine these beliefs. The results uncover three essentially different approaches to metatalk, which have their origins in complex and varied relationships between cognitive, experiential and contextual factors.

Teacher language awareness education and pedagogy: a new discursive space

Abstract: This article attempts to recontextualise the dimensions of teacher language awareness (LA) highlighted by Svalberg ((2007) Language awareness and language learning. Language Teaching, 40, 287–308) by emphasising the role of pedagogy in achieving coherence in language education across the subjects of English (L1) and Modern Languages (FL). It proposes a radical approach towards developing teacher LA, which places pedagogy at the centre of the process. This pedagogy for LA integrates language knowledge and its use and analysis through explicitly linking L1 and FL. Drawing on the theories of Bernstein (1996) and Evans (1988); (1993), it offers an interpretation of national (UK) policies for language education within the two subjects. Extensive data from student teacher voices illustrate the impact of the pedagogical process and the effect of institutional practices on teachers' ability to develop and sustain a more coherent approach to language education in schools.

Observing, noticing, and understanding: two case studies in language awareness in the development of academic literacy

Abstract: This paper explores the role of language awareness (LA) in the learning experience of students on a one-year full-time master's programme in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) in Britain. It shows how LA drives their general English language knowledge and academic literacy skills, and supports an appropriate learner identity for this learning experience. The discussion is based on data and findings from a longitudinal research study into the learning experience of a group of Chinese teachers of English on the TESOL programme. The aim of the study is to understand language and other learning processes from socialisation, identity, and communities of practice perspectives. The data include student ejournals, narrative workshops, individual interviews, and documentation from the assessment processes. The focus of this paper is the students' engagement with language. This engagement is explored through the development of the academic literacy skills of two students whose different experiences are analysed using socialisation, identity, and community of practice theoretical frameworks.

Teacher perspectives on linguistics in TESOL teacher education

Abstract: This paper reports on a study of 61 students and alumni of graduate programmes that specialise in training English language teachers. The goal was to examine the views of these students and alumni regarding the importance and/or relevance of linguistic theory for their pedagogical practice and to determine whether differences in perceptions were dependent upon varying years of teaching experience. Both rating data and responses to open-ended questions were collected. Results indicate that respondents across groups held positive views regarding the role of linguistic theory for their development as teachers, and they expressed interest in more direct linkages between theory and practice in their academic programmes. We discovered, however, that a U-shaped response pattern emerged: the most novice and most experienced teachers were more optimistic about the value of theory than those whose years of teaching experience fell somewhere between these two groups. Possible reasons for this developmental pattern a...

Attention processes observed in think-aloud protocols: two multilingual informants writing in two languages

Abstract: This paper analyses how two multicompetent speakers engage with protocolling, i.e. verbalising their thoughts, while writing in two languages different from their first. The study explores how procedure- and language-related episodes of awareness affect both the writing process itself and the written product. The research draws on current issues about explicit and implicit knowledge as well as on controlled and automatic processing. It also considers different layers of language awareness to explain the data available. The analysis attempts to integrate the data extracted from think-aloud (TA) protocols with (1) the final written products assessed by independent raters, (2) stimulated recall sessions held immediately after the TA sessions, and (3) the results of a language placement test. The data reveal that verbalisation of writing processes (used as a way of accessing writers' awareness) does not relate qualitatively to the writers' output. They also show that both procedure- and language-related episo...

Common and script-specific awareness in relation to word recognition in English and Chinese

Abstract: Regardless of the script, in the process of learning to read words, readers develop awareness of the structural and functional properties of words with increased exposure to the script. However, as sub-word units that are critical for phonological or morphological processing or both are not uniform, the types of the awareness may vary from script to script. By reviewing relevant studies, this study examines awareness in relation to phonological and morphological processing in English word recognition and in Chinese character recognition to identify common and script-specific aspects of awareness. It reveals that whether in English word reading or in Chinese character reading, readers become aware of how sub-word units correspond to phonological and morphological information, which can be referred to as awareness of orthography–phonology correspondence and awareness of orthography–morphology correspondence. At a more local level, awareness of orthography–phonology correspondence and orthography–morphology ...

Is ‘good’ really good? Exploring internationally educated teacher candidates' verbal descriptions of their in-school experiences

Abstract: In this paper we offer an incident that exemplifies one of multiple strategies internationally educated teacher candidates (IETC) use to survive practicum experiences. More specifically, we present an incident that demonstrates teacher candidates' strategic way of using words, such as ‘good’ and ‘fine’, to disguise true feelings about experiences of their teaching placements in schools. We also offer related strategies used by these IETC to negotiate and nurture classroom relations with peers and instructors at the Faculty of Education. Here we argue that within teacher education programmes, especially in the practicum component and other situations that are shaped by it, language is an active force that is used, on the one hand, by associate teachers to control and prevent teacher candidates from changing established norms and values; on the other hand, however, language is used by teacher candidates to defend themselves against being controlled. We present conclusions about this incident drawing from ou...

‘It's vocabulary’/‘it's gender’: learner awareness and incidental learning

Abstract: Research has shown that second language (L2) learners that become aware of linguistic features during grammar-based tasks are better able to process these features on a posttest compared to learners that do not focus on these features. However, much L2 input does not come in the form of grammar-based tasks. This study investigates whether learners who become aware of French grammatical gender during a meaning-based task are better able to process these forms than learners whose experience with the same task does not lead to awareness of the feature. Thirty-six Anglophones with low-level French were exposed to reliable noun-ending clues to grammatical gender whilst completing a crossword task. A think-aloud protocol and two probe questions measured awareness. A pre- to posttest design measured accuracy with French nouns ending in eau (e.g. le cadeau). The results revealed no advantage for learners who became aware of the noun-ending clues during exposure: all learners improved in their ability to judge the...

ESL learners' semantic awareness of English words

Abstract: This study investigates ESL learners' semantic awareness of English words by attempting to estimate a threshold beyond which ESL learners can be said to have reached native-like semantic knowledge. The Vocabulary Levels Test, originally designed by Nation (1990) and later revised and expanded by Schmitt (2000), was used to operationalise this threshold. Version 1 of the test by Schmitt was adopted. The Chinese-speaking ESL learners were divided into two groups (high-level vs. low-level), depending on whether they had achieved the 5000-word level. The Semantic Knowledge Test, self-developed by the researcher, was used to measure the participants' semantic development in English vocabulary. Native speakers of English also participated as the comparison group to the ESL learners. The Semantic Knowledge Test scores were analysed to compare the performances of the participants. The results indicated that even high-level ESL learners performed significantly worse than the native speakers of English. The 5000-wo...

Noun, verb, or adjective? L2 learners' sensitivity to cues to word class

Abstract: This study investigates learners' knowledge of word classes (i.e. noun, verb, adjective) in their second language (L2). Although some L2 studies have examined the problem of word class indirectly through a focus on vocabulary and the teaching of derivational morphology (Morin, 2003, 2006; Schmitt & Zimmerman, 2002), little is known about learners' sensitivity to word class contrasts (e.g. fuerte ‘strong’ versus fuerza ‘strength’). The present study utilised concurrent and retrospective think-aloud protocols to examine learners' attention to different sorts of cues to word class in Spanish. The participants, beginning-level learners of Spanish (n = 35), completed a forced-choice task that targeted word class contrasts in various syntactic contexts. The results indicate that learners attended to grammatical cues frequently, with these accounting for 45% of the total cue usage. Among the various grammatical cues, learners showed a marked preference for inflections (i.e. gender and number). The use of semanti...

A Review of “Performed culture: an approach to East Asian language pedagogy”

Abstract: With the increasing interest in East Asian languages (EAL) and cultures in North America over the past few decades, enrollments in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language courses at colleges and uni...

Foundations of language perceptions and the role of external factors: a Norwegian case

Abstract: Non-linguists' perceptions of language in use are generally considered to be strongly influenced by evaluative factors: attitudes, values and ideology. Such a perspective represents a somewhat biased approach to ordinary people's knowledge about language, which is characteristic of both sociolinguistics and its sub-branch, perceptual dialectology. This paper presents an alternative approach, which comprised interviewing 44 Norwegian informants about language spoken locally. The data from the interviews suggests that external (i.e. non-mental) factors play a prominent role in the formation of their perceptions of language. Firstly, observations of language in use seem to be of great importance to that formation, and secondly, the informants' perceptions may be seen in light of the production of knowledge in the local community. Based on the discussion of these findings, a tentative model of the foundations of language perceptions is presented.

The legacy of diglossia in English vocabulary: what learners need to know

Abstract: In the past two decades, vocabulary researchers have determined the number of word families that an undergraduate needs to know in order to read effectively in English, and further work has examined vocabulary size among Indonesian university students. What this research has so far not considered, however, is the distinction in the learner's vocabulary knowledge between words of Germanic origin and words of Graeco-Latin origin, despite the importance of the latter in academic study. The question of the relative importance of the two vocabularies arose from a study of vocabulary size in the United Arab Emirates, a country in which English is a major lingua franca. Although the Emirati students knew many more word families than did their Indonesian counterparts, an examination of their test results revealed that they knew proportionately fewer of the important Graeco-Latin words than had been expected and were thus less well prepared for academic reading than their overall vocabulary size might have suggest...

Scaffolds for reading in French: lessons from history, guidance for the future?

Abstract: This paper examines the difficulty in reading French experienced by English students at Advanced Subsidiary Level (AS), taken at age 17, and the need for vocabulary learning to assist comprehension. Research has shown that intermediate learners need knowledge of some 5000 word families, and that specifications for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), taken at age 16, list only some 1600 words. The question of vocabulary acquisition is examined here. Historical methodological precedents for creating understanding of French texts are examined, together with artificial symbolic systems used in past times and today. The paper examines a synthesis of methods and concludes that a mixture of old and new methods may increase students' understanding and ultimately lead to the learning of a greater body of lexis.

A Review of “Task-based language learning and teaching: theoretical, methodological, and pedagogical perspectives”

Abstract: Most of the contributions to this edited collection are based on papers originally presented at a conference of the German Association for L2 Research in Munich in October 2005. Eckerth's introduct...

A Review of “Genre and genre-based second language writing instruction”

Abstract: Genre and second language writing, by K. Hyland, Ann Arbor, MI, University of Michigan Press, 2004, xv + 244pp., US$22.00 (paperback), ISBN 0-472-03014-0 Second language writing, by K. Hyland, New ...

A Review of “Lexical priming: a new theory of words and language"

Abstract: Lexical priming is, as its title boldly claims, a new theory; not because it prioritises lexis, but because it prioritises the individual's experience of language acquisition and use, taking lexis ...

A Review of “English language teaching in China: new approaches, perspectives and standards”

Abstract: This edited book is largely based on the authors' contributions to The Second Annual International Symposium at Shantou University in 2005, whose theme was ‘Contextualizing Communicative Competence