Showing papers in "Language Learning in 2003"
TL;DR: This article conducted a meta-analysis of the role of attitudes and motivation in second language learning and found that the correlations between achievement and motivation are uniformly higher than those between achievement, integrativeness, attitudes toward the learning situation, motivation, integrative orientation, or instrumental orientation.
Abstract: The initial impetus for this investigation was a discussion between the two authors about comments and criticisms in the literature concerning the role of attitudes and motivation in second language learning. It was noted that some researchers seemed to feel that such variables were important, while others felt that they were not, and some even felt that the relationships reported in the literature were too inconsistent to draw any firm conclusions. The senior author suggested that someone should do a meta-analysis to see exactly what the empirical data revealed and challenged the junior author to do so. In the following weeks, the enormity of the task became apparent. There were many articles that were identified with many different conceptualizations and measurement strategies, many different cultural settings, many different ages, and so forth, and it was obvious that a multitude of decisions would have to be made.
To make the task a bit simpler, it was decided to start with research conducted by Gardner and associates simply because it was readily available and used a fairly standard set of concepts and measurement operations. Much to our surprise, there were more data here than we initially supposed, and in the end it seemed prudent to limit one study to this data set and plan a second meta-analysis to consider research by other investigators. Such an approach, we felt, would permit greater flexibility than trying to organize all studies into one format. Meta-analyses are enormous undertakings, however, and to date we have only managed to complete this one. The second study is underway, delayed somewhat by the vast distance now separating the two authors, let alone a number of logistical issues that make it difficult to identify a common set of constructs in the relevant literature.
A major purpose of this investigation was to estimate the magnitude of the contributions that motivation and attitudes make to achievement in the second language in the research conducted by Gardner and his associates. This meta-analysis investigates the relationship of second language achievement to the five attitude/motivation variables from Gardner's socioeducational model: integrativeness, attitudes toward the learning situation, motivation, integrative orientation, and instrumental orientation. Over the years, some interesting questions have been raised in the literature concerning the socioeducational model of second language acquisition and the role played by attitudes, motivation, and orientations in second language achievement. For example, some researchers have proposed specific hypotheses speculating whether the role of attitudes and motivation in language achievement may vary as a function of certain qualities of the learning situation (Is the language available outside of the classroom?), and /or qualities of the learner (Do attitudes and motivation play a stronger role depending upon the age of the learner?). We soon realized that these questions could be answered by this meta-analysis, and thus the focus was expanded to include two questions: (a) What is the best estimate of the correlations in the population between various aspects of second language achievement and the five attitudinal/motivational characteristics in Gardner's model? and (b) Are there other variables, such as the availability of the language in the community or the age of the learners, that influence the magnitude of these associations?
These relationships were examined in studies conducted by Gardner and associates using the Attitude/Motivation Test Battery, and three achievement measures including self-ratings, objective tests, and grades. In total, the meta-analysis examined 75 independent samples involving 10,489 individuals. The results demonstrated that the correlations between achievement and motivation are uniformly higher than those between achievement and integrativeness, attitudes toward the learning situation, integrative orientation, or instrumental orientation, and that clearly the population correlations are greater than 0. In general, neither the availability of the language nor age had clear moderating effects on these relationships. [The present article first appeared in Language Learning, 53(1), 2003, 123–163]
1,037 citations
TL;DR: In this article, Dornyei et al. discuss the role of gender and immersion in communication and second language Orientation and conclude that gender and gender identity play important roles in second language learning.
Abstract: * Attitudes, Orientations, and Motivations in Language Learning: Advances in Theory, Research, and Applications: Zoltan Dornyei. * Why Are You Learning a Second Language? Motivational Orientations and Self--Determination Theory (Language Learning, 2000, 50/1, 57--85): Kimberly A. Noels, Luc G. Pelletier, Richard Clement and Robert J. Vallerand. * The Role of Gender and Immersion in Communication and Second Language Orientations (Language Learning, 2000, 50/2, 311--341): Susan C. Baker and Peter D. MacIntyre. * Learning Spanish as a Second Language: Learners' Orientations and Perceptions of Their Teachers' Communication Style (Language Learning, 2001, 51/1, 107--144): Kimberly A. Noels. * Sex and Age Effects on Willingness to Communicate, Anxiety, Perceived Competence, and L2 Motivation Among Junior High School French Immersion Students (Language Learning, 2002, 52/3, 537--564): Peter D. MacIntyre, Susan C. Baker, Richard Clement and Leslie A. Donovan. * Attitudes, Motivation, and Second Language Learning: A Meta--Analysis of Studies Conducted by Gardner and Associates (Language Learning, 2003, 53/1): Anne--Marie Masgoret and Robert C. Gardner.
994 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate the types of strategies used and the differences in strategy use by more skilled and less skilled listeners as revealed while these students listened to authentic texts in French, and conclude with a discussion of both an emerging model of the skilled listener and a pedagogic program for developing listening skills.
Abstract: This article reports on an investigation of listening strategy applications by grade 7 students learning French (N = 36). I examine the types of strategies used and the differences in strategy use by more skilled and less skilled listeners as revealed while these students listened to authentic texts in French. Think-aloud data were coded and analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Significant differences were found in the use of the category of metacognitive strategies as well as in individual strategies for comprehension monitoring, questioning for elaboration, and translation. These differences were reinforced by a qualitative analysis of representative protocols. The article concludes with a discussion of both an emerging model of the skilled listener and a pedagogic program for developing listening skills.
461 citations
TL;DR: The authors investigated the effects of interlocutor type on the provision and incorporation of feedback in task-based interaction and found that at least 30% of errors resulted in feedback, much of which led to modified output.
Abstract: Given the documented benefits of participation in communicative interaction (e.g., Gass & varonis, 1994; Mackey, 1999), the present study investigated the effects of interlocutor type on the provision and incorporation of feedback in task–based interaction. The interactions of 48 dyads, evenly divided among adults and children, and native speaker–nonnative speaker and nonnative speaker–native speaker, were analyzed to assess the effect of interlocutor on (1) amount of feedback, (2) opportunities for modified output, and (3) immediate incorporation of feedback. In all dyed types, at least 30% of errors resulted in feedback, much of which led to modified output. Analyses also revealed significant differences for amount, nature, and response to feedback according to dyad type.
264 citations
246 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the relative importance of linguistic knowledge, metacognitive knowledge, and fluency or accessibility of this linguistic knowledge in both first language (L1; Dutch) and second language(L2; English) writing was explored.
Abstract: In this study the relative importance of linguistic knowledge, metacognitive knowledge, and fluency or accessibility of this linguistic knowledge in both first language (L1; Dutch) and second language (L2; English) writing was explored. Data were collected from 281 grade 8 students. Using structural equation modeling, the relative importance of the three components was studied and compared across L1 and L2 writing. The results showed that the fluency measures were correlated with overall writing performance in both L1 and L2. However, when compared to linguistic knowledge resources, these fluency measures turned out to have no additional value in predicting L1 or L2 writing performance. L2 writing proficiency turned out to be highly correlated with L1 writing proficiency, more than with either L2 linguistic knowledge or the accessibility of this knowledge.
242 citations
TL;DR: The authors examined gender differences in cognitive and metacognitive strategy use in the context of an English as a foreign language reading comprehension test, and found that males reported significantly higher use of metACognitive strategies than females.
Abstract: This study examines gender differences in cognitive and metacognitive strategy use in the context of an English as a foreign language reading comprehension test. Three hundred eighty-four Thai university students took a multiple-choice reading comprehension test, then completed a questionnaire on their strategy use. Gender differences were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance. Males and females did not differ in their reading comprehension performance and their use of cognitive strategies. Unexpectedly, males reported significantly higher use of metacognitive strategies than females. Within the same achievement groups (highly successful, moderately successful, and unsuccessful), however, there were no gender differences in either reading performance or use of cognitive and metacognitive strategies. The article discusses the implications for future gender-based research.
202 citations
TL;DR: The authors examined the microgenetic development of secondperson pronoun use in a German-American telecollaborative partnership and found that learners' pragmatic awareness in this domain is reflected in learner performance that develops toward approximation of the expert norm for interaction among peers.
Abstract: This study examines the microgenetic development of second-person pronoun use in a German-American telecollaborative partnership. We discuss the sociopragmatic ambiguity of informal (T) and formal (V) pronouns of address (realised as du and Sie in German), and the precise issues that these pronouns present for American classroom learners of European languages. Tracing the history of particular learners' pronoun use over time, the study demonstrates that (a) electronically enabled interaction with expert-speaking German peers is a context in which learners experience both explicit assistance and opportunities to observe appropriate pronoun use, and (b) pragmatic awareness in this domain is reflected in learner performance that develops toward approximation of the expert norm for interaction among peers.
183 citations
TL;DR: The authors examined the impact of topic familiarity, second language reading proficiency, and passage sight vocabulary on incidental vocabulary acquisition independent variables include (a) a topic familiarity questionnaire, (b) the Adult Basic Learning Examination, Spanish Battery(Karlsen & Gardner, 1990), and (c) a passage sight vocabularies test.
Abstract: The study examines the impact of topic familiarity, second language (L2) reading proficiency, and L2 passage sight vocabulary on incidental vocabulary acquisition Independent variables include (a) a topic familiarity questionnaire, (b) the Adult Basic Learning Examination, Spanish Battery(Karlsen & Gardner, 1990), and (c) a passage sight vocabulary test A repeated-measures design was used with a cross-sectional sample Participants read narratives (2 more and 2 less familiar) containing nonsense words Two and 28 days after reading, 2 gain measures were administered: (a) translation production and (b) translation recognition Analyses reveal robust effects of reading proficiency, differential effects of topic familiarity, and isolated effects of passage sight vocabulary The discussion concerns the impact of these factors and plausibility of interactive compensatory processing
162 citations
TL;DR: The definitive version of this article is available at www3.interscience.wiley.com Copyright Wiley [Full text of the article is not available in the UHRA].
Abstract: The definitive version is available at www3.interscience.wiley.com Copyright Wiley [Full text of this article is not available in the UHRA]
144 citations
TL;DR: This paper found that focused attention had a diminishing effect with the greatest effect in early periods of learning and the least in later stages on syntax, morphosyntax, and lexicon.
Abstract: This study questions the extent to which attention differentially affects different parts of language and how this differential effect interacts with increased linguistic knowledge (i.e., proficiency). Thirty-four English speakers enrolled in Italian 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-year foreign language courses in the United States were placed into one of two conditions ([+focused attention] and [-focused attention]) for each of three linguistic areas (syntax, morphosyntax, and lexicon). It was predicted that focused attention would have the greatest effect on the lexicon and the least on syntax. The results showed the opposite. For the non-focused-attention condition, the predicted results were borne out. With regard to proficiency, focused attention had a diminishing effect, with the greatest effect in early periods of learning and the least in later stages.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report on two experiments on input enhancement used to support learners' selection of focus of attention in second language listening material, including video recordings of quasi-spontaneous dialogues between native speakers, in tests and treatment.
Abstract: This study reports on two experiments on input enhancement used to support learners' selection of focus of attention in second language listening material. Eighty-four upper intermediate learners of Spanish took part. The input consisted of video recordings of quasi-spontaneous dialogues between native speakers, in tests and treatment. Exact repetition and speech rate reduction were examined for their effect on comprehension, acquisition of decoding strategies, and linguistic features. Each of three groups listened to each utterance of the dialogue three times, in different speed combinations: fast-slow-fast, fast-slow-slow, fast-fast-fast, respectively. A fourth group served as a baseline and received no treatment. Comparisons of pretest and posttest scores showed significant effects for all three parameters. No difference with regard to effect could be established between treatment conditions.
TL;DR: The authors argue that abstract, figurative senses of polysemous words are better retained when learners are given core senses as cues, because providing a core sense helps learners develop a "precise elaboration".
Abstract: Although it may be true that most vocabulary is acquired through incidental learning, acquiring words through inferring from context is not necessarily the most effective or efficient method. in instructional settings. The guessing method has been advocated, but this method can be made more efficient and effective with insights from cognitive linguistics. In this article we argue that abstract, figurative senses of polysemous words are better retained when learners are given core senses as cues, because providing a core sense helps learners develop a "precise elaboration." Results of a series of vocabulary experiments involving Dutch learners of English show that providing a core sense results in better guessing and long-term retention of figurative senses of polysemous words than not providing any cues or providing cues involving nonliteral senses.
TL;DR: This article investigated the effects of first language orthographic features on second language reading and found that L2 readers with a non-alphabetic L1 background were less efficient in processing English words than those with an alphabetic L 1 background.
Abstract: This study investigated the effects of first language (L1) orthographic features on second language (L2) reading. Three groups of fluent L2 readers with a variety of L1 backgrounds (i.e., Chinese, Japanese, and Persian) were provided with English passages printed in either alternated case or a normal manner and asked to read them for comprehension. Results showed that the Chinese and the Japanese (nonalphabetic L1 groups) were more adversely affected by case alternation than was the Persian group (an alphabetic L1 group), in terms of reading speed. This suggests that, because of L1 effects on basic processing in L2 reading, L2 readers with a nonalphabetic L1 background were less efficient in processing English words than those with an alphabetic L1 background.
TL;DR: This paper tested the predictions of three major hypotheses of relative clause acquisition in second language acquisition: Keenan and Comrie's (1977) Noun Phrase Accessibility Hierarchy (NPAH), Kuno's (1974) Perceptual Difficulty Hypothesis (PDH), and Hamilton's (1994) SO Hierarchy Hypotheses (SOHH).
Abstract: This study tested the predictions of three major hypotheses of relative clause acquisition in second language acquisition: Keenan and Comrie's (1977) Noun Phrase Accessibility Hierarchy (NPAH), Kuno's (1974) Perceptual Difficulty Hypothesis (PDH), and Hamilton's (1994) SO Hierarchy Hypothesis (SOHH). These hypotheses are based on different rationales and make different predictions on the difficulty order of different relative clause sentence types. Analyses of the data collected from 61 learners of English as a second language in three different elicitation tasks found mixed support for the NPAH and the SOHH and full support for the PDH. Generally, the results suggest a complementary relationship between the NPAH and the PDH. Some differences observed in different tasks point to the importance of examining learners' processing problems in multiple tasks in different modalities.
TL;DR: The authors compared contextualized questionnaire data from advanced learners of Spanish (N = 28) to data from native Spanish speakers (N= 25) and found that semantic and pragmatic features interact to predict the appearance of the copula estar.
Abstract: Research on the acquisition of copula choice has shown that learners are not accurate with this structure, even after several years of instruction (Briscoe, 1995; Ryan & Lafford, 1992). Previous research has also shown that the language development of novice learners can be assessed through a multifeature contextual analysis, similar to those used in sociolinguistic research, thereby allowing for the inclusion of native-speaker variation in the design (Geeslin, 2000). The current investigation compares contextualized questionnaire data from advanced learners of Spanish (N = 28) to data from native Spanish speakers (N = 25). The analysis shows that semantic and pragmatic features interact to predict the appearance of the copula estar, and that the factors that predict the appearance of estar are different for the two groups.
TL;DR: The authors examined the role of phonological memory and phonological awareness in foreign language (FL) word learning and found that phonological recall was related to FL word learning at T3, whereas phonologically awareness was not.
Abstract: The role of phonological memory and phonological awareness in foreign language (FL) word learning was examined. Measures of phonological memory and phonological awareness were administered to 58 Chinese-speaking 4-year-olds 4 times (T1 to T4) across 2 years. FL (English) word learning was assessed at T3, and children's ability to relearn the words was assessed at T4. Phonological memory was related to FL word learning at T3, whereas phonological awareness was not. However, phonological awareness emerged as a significant predictor at T4, even after allowing for FL word learning at T3 and phonological memory. The results suggest that phonological memory and phonological awareness may support FL word learning, but phonological awareness may play a specific role when the words are relearned.
TL;DR: The authors found that negative feelings about their conversation partners seemed to have caused some learners to interpret recasts not as helpful corrective feedback, but as criticism and even mockery, and this in turn appeared to affect acquisition.
Abstract: Forward Links to Citing Articles Retraction. Language Learning 56: 1, p xii. Online publication date: 3-Mar-2006.
Interpersonal conflict arose in the interactions of three dyads of learners engaged in collaborative work in a foreign language classroom. Results show that although learners corrected each other's errors using recasts, in several cases the learners continued to produce the erroneous form in posttests. Stimulated recall revealed that negative feelings about their conversation partners seemed to have caused some learners to interpret recasts not as helpful corrective feedback, but as criticism and even mockery. The social dynamics of the language classroom may in some cases dramatically alter the way the cognitive processes of attention, or noticing, are deployed in cooperative learning activities in which feedback occurs, and this in turn appears to affect acquisition.
TL;DR: The authors examined two hypotheses about processing of global text content in second language reading: the inhibition hypothesis and the compensation hypothesis, and found that the readers do not compensate for language problems by focusing more on global text contents in English than in Dutch.
Abstract: This article examines 2 hypotheses about processing of global text content in second language reading: the inhibition hypothesis and the compensation hypothesis. A 3-dimensional classification scheme is used to compare 22 Dutch high school students’ reading strategies in Dutch and English. Results show that the readers use higher proportions of Language-Oriented strategies, Regulatory strategies, and Above-Clause strategies in English than in Dutch. Interaction effects with readers’ level of Dutch reading proficiency and language background are also found. On the whole, the readers focus more on language in the text in English, with little evidence that this inhibits them in focusing on global text content. The readers do not compensate for language problems by focusing more on global text content in English.
TL;DR: The authors presented a methodology for assessing the construct of program coherence in an English as a Foreign Language context, using a series of longitudinal studies relating program-internal assement of achievement to program-external measures of language proficiency.
Abstract: Language programs often generate complex date providing a rich source of comparative information about changes in curriculum policies and learning. Historical program archives often reveal how curricula and assessment methods evolve to include increasingly varied components of achievment. This article presents a novel quantitative methodology for assessing the construct of “program coherence” in an English as a Foreign Language context. Revolving panel studies demonstrate criteria for evaluating program coherence and its influence on proficiency gains. Thirty–three panel cohorts are included in a series of six 1–year longitudinal studies relating program–internal assement of achievement to program–external measures of language proficiency. Differences in panel coherence are analyzed in a hierarchical model that gauges the influence of coherence independently individual differences at the learner level.