Browsing by Subject "Foreign language"

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9

Cultural identity and L2 accent : a literature review
(2009-12) Lammons, Rebecca Pertida; Horwitz, Elaine Kolker, 1950-; Garza, Thomas J.
The issue of identity has generated a significant amount of research in recent years. In this literature review, the relationship between learner identity and accent is explored, specifically the learner’s cultural affiliation and identity and the link to his/her accent acquisition in a second or foreign language. Social networks, motivation, L1 use, socio-cultural knowledge, discrimination and power relations, and anxiety are all shown to affect parts of the learner’s cultural identity, which, in turn, may influence his/her accent in the L2.
Finding the third space : a case study of developing multiple literacies in a foreign language conversation class
(2010-05) Demont, Brandi Leanne; Swaffar, Janet K.; Schallert, Diane L.; Frizzi, Adria; Moore, Zena; Horwitz, Elaine K.
The present inquiry is a qualitative case study of conversations and attitudes of students participating in a non-required, second-year conversation section offered as a voluntary adjunct to required second year courses in Italian. The findings in this dissertation support calls by policy makers in foreign language education who advocate for a more integrated and holistic approach to foreign language education. Through this empirical qualitative case study, I have used the construct of Third Space (Gutiérrez, 2008) to examine students’ development of multiple literacies (Swaffar & Arens, 2005) in a foreign language conversation-based classroom. The theory of Third Space is seen as a kind of authentic intersubjective space, where students’ ways of knowing and learning are accepted and expanded in the learning environment. The study describes the results from the implementation of a language pedagogy based on the model of multiple literacies in an Italian conversation class. Students in the class read and viewed a wide variety of authentic materials, around which they anchored their class discussions. Through activities involving multiple readings of the given text, the students co-constructed their interpretations based on personal experiences and on the socio-cultural background of the text. Students also engaged in self-reflective exercises documenting their own learning processes. Through interpretive analysis of student work produced in the class, the ecology of learner developments and the corresponding classroom talk are assessed. I have identified three major themes that are evident as essential elements to the students’ developing trans-linguistic proficiency in conjunction with their evolving cultural literacy. In particular, self-reflection and identity, expanded practices of knowing and learning, and the influence of semiotic mediation on classroom interactions are the three elements that define how these students articulated their Third Space in conjunction with this particular language learning context.
Goals and priorities for English pronunciation instruction
(2013-05) Martin, Kelly Elizabeth; Sardegna, Veronica G.
English pronunciation instruction is not a common component of most language classrooms, with the large majority of ESL/EFL teachers lacking the knowledge and expertise to successfully reduce their students’ segmental and suprasegmental pronunciation errors. Therefore, this report aims to provide English teachers with the necessary instructional goals, priorities, and suggestions to guide students in their pronunciation improvement, both during a course and beyond. The first chapter reviews the pronunciation education strategies of the past, and proceeds to offer contemporary approaches for English instructors and learners focusing on autonomous student strategy use. Secondly, the pedagogical priorities for pronunciation improvement in the short and long-term, for both segmental and suprasegmental features, are identified. The third chapter offers suggestions for teachers on how to use these goals and priorities within a course, as well as discussing classroom environments conducive for pronunciation improvement. This report makes a case for the importance of student empowerment through the utilization of autonomous learning strategies, allowing students to take control over their individual language acquisition process.
"Irritating but helpful" : using a social media tool for peer and user writing feedback in a Spanish language course
(2020-01-30) Parrish, Claire Meadows; Schallert, Diane L.
Language students need formative feedback on written production during the drafting phase, before receiving summative feedback on the final written product. However, providing this type of feedback to students adds to instructors’ already busy workload. Peer feedback has been suggested as an alternative to instructor-provided feedback, but peers’ limited target language knowledge restricts the utility of this feedback. Native speakers may be more capable of identifying target language gaps than are nonnative speaking peers. Furthermore, Web 2.0 affords learners with tools to connect target language learners with native speakers of the target language. The goal of this study was to understand more about what occurs in the context of language learning via social networking websites. This exploratory case study examined feedback to written production received by 18 intermediate-level university Spanish language learners in an intact semester-long Spanish course using Lang-8, a website that supports language learning via social networking tools. The following four research questions were addressed: 1) Who responds to assigned student writings on Lang-8? 2) How much feedback do students receive? 3) What kinds of feedback do they get? 4) What is the students’ response to this feedback? The amount and types of feedback received from both peers and unknown website users were quantitatively analyzed, and these data were triangulated with student participants’ survey responses to four end-of-chapter and one end-of-semester surveys to reveal students’ reactions to receiving feedback on Lang-8. Findings indicated that participants received predominantly accurate feedback from both peer and user responder groups, and this feedback was generally perceived as useful by participants. Moreover, peers offered more global feedback related to content, whereas website users provided more local feedback related to form. Overall, participants’ reactions to receiving feedback was positive, but variation was observed in individual responses that was attributed to individual preferences related to response provider groups, feedback types, and language variations present when receiving feedback from multiple sources. Based on the affordances and limitations of using Lang-8 to receive feedback as revealed through this study, it seems that Lang-8 can afford instructors a way to outsource formative feedback for target language learners.
Novice foreign language teachers' teaching efficacy beliefs and perceptions of professional support : a mixed-methods study
(2011-12) Willard, Mitsi Pair; Svinicki, Marilla D., 1946-; Horwitz, Elaine K.; Salinas, Cinthia; LeMond, Malia; Palmer, Deborah
Self-efficacy is an individual’s judgment of the relative probability of her or his likely success in attaining desired outcomes (Bandura, 1977). For teachers, efficacy beliefs serve as an assessment of their own abilities to promote student learning. Efficacy beliefs are content-specific and are believed to form early in teachers’ professional careers. While studies on teachers’ sense of efficacy have examined content areas such as math and science (Mulholland & Wallace, 2001; Riggs & Enochs, 1990), very little research has been conducted to explore the perceived efficacy beliefs of beginning foreign language (FL) teachers. Using a mixed methods approach, this investigation explored factors influencing the teaching efficacy beliefs of FL teachers in a major urban school district in north Texas, as well as the potential relationship between their perceptions of efficacy and professional support. Quantitative data included surveys of FL teachers’ efficacy beliefs and perceptions of support. Qualitative data was comprised of case studies, including interviews, observations, and documents collected from four novice FL teachers, all of whom entered the classroom via alternative routes to certification. Cross-case analyses suggest that FL teachers often felt their content area was devalued by administrators, colleagues, and students as a result of its status as a non-tested content area. The efficacy beliefs of the novice FL teachers were influenced in part by contextual factors of their respective schools, including professional isolation as a result of being the only FL teacher on campus, support of colleagues, and the availability of time and resources. Because the four case study participants lacked the benefit of traditional university-based certification, they demonstrated tendencies to rely on their “selected memories,” making sense of their role(s) as teacher via the perspective acquired when they were students. Findings of the study suggest that FL teachers often experience “Stepchild Syndrome,” marked by professional isolation, a lack of relevant professional development opportunities, and a shortage of pertinent resources for FL teaching. The speculative nature of alternatively certified FL teachers’ efficacy beliefs is also examined. The study draws implications for supporting beginning FL teachers, particularly those who enter the profession through alternative routes.
The place of language and intercultural abilities : the experience of global business professionals
(2014-05) Echavarría, María Luisa; Kelm, Orlando R., 1957-
Recent surveys of international business professionals indicate that foreign language abilities and cultural sensitivity are important competitive advantages in today's globalized economy. The current study interviewed 71 practicing global professionals currently working in cross border transactions in diverse fields. Biographic, demographic and second language data were collected, including information on experiences and opinions on the use and importance of foreign language and cultural awareness abilities in the professional world. Research questions include: (1) Who are the global professionals applying L2 abilities at work? (2) How do they apply these abilities? (3) What are the profiles of advanced and non-advanced proficiency users? (4) How important are linguistic abilities and how much of a competitive advantage do they represent? (5) What language strategies and communication strategies are used? (6) What are the most common beliefs on the role of foreign languages and culture awareness in business? (7) How well do intercultural communication models explain the culture views and experiences reported by working professionals? Results indicate that learners with self-reported advanced proficiency regularly apply the four language abilities (listening, reading, speaking and writing) at work, albeit in varying degrees, depending on the level of complexity of the task (phone, email, face-to-face meeting, etc.). For the majority of informants, foreign language and culture abilities are considered important for professional effectiveness. For those who reported advanced foreign language abilities, they also exhibited a greater appreciation for increased exposure to foreign language learning, had received more foreign language instruction, and had more experience working and living abroad. Those advanced in foreign language abilities were also more likely to be non-native speakers of English, have earned a university degree while using an L2, had family or community connections to the target language, have emigrated, or have a spouse with a different L1. The study also ranks and identifies the informants' strategies used to deal with language and culture issues. Participants' anecdotes were analyzed in light of current cultural analysis models applied in International Business Communications. Suggestions are presented for curricula changes to improve foreign language proficiency in professional settings.
Second language collaborative writing in face-to-face and online environments
(2013-12) Ghosh, Mimi; Crane, Cori
Collaborative writing, the joint construction of a text by two or more authors, is an instructional practice originally used in first language classrooms. More recently, it has been applied in second language (L2) learning contexts. Collaborative writing can take place in the classroom, with pairs or small groups of learners working face-to-face and interacting verbally to make decisions about the content and form of their text. It can also take place in online contexts, allowing larger groups of learners to collaborate on longer texts over a longer period of time. The aim of this paper is to explore empirical research undertaken on second language (L2) collaborative writing tasks in face-to-face and online environments. Attention is paid to the instructional contexts in which these tasks have been used, including educational settings, learners’ proficiency levels, and task types. After these elements are described, the paper integrates and analyzes research concerning the outcomes of collaborative writing tasks, namely the nature of languaging and peer scaffolding, the writing process, language learning, text quality, and learners’ perceptions of collaborative writing. The paper concludes with pedagogical implications and directions for future research.
Target language captioned video for second language listening comprehension and vocabulary acquisition
(2014-12) Cano, Clarissa Ysel; Pulido, Diana C.
This report surveys existing literature in order to determine how best to implement target language captioned video in a classroom of a particular context: a Korean church in the U.S. whose members desire to improve their English language ability for the purpose of sharing the gospel of resurrection in English. In order to gain insight into the benefits and limitations of target language captioned video on second language listening comprehension and vocabulary acquisition and thus how to use the learning tool optimally, literature is reviewed regarding word knowledge, processing strategies, and reported gains or effects of the use of captioned video. Then, incorporating the information gleaned from the literature, two sample lesson plans are presented utilizing the C-Channel English testimony videos as the primary tool for instruction.
The use of computer mediated technology to promote intercultural communicative competence in the foreign language classroom
(2012-08) Sturm, Julie Elizabeth; Sardegna, Veronica G.; Sardegna, Veronica G.; Horwitz, Elaine K.
This Report addresses the importance of intercultural communicative competence among foreign language learners and the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) technology to achieve this goal in the classroom. CMC technology provides learners a unique opportunity to interact with students of different cultures, a situation that allows for experiential learning to occur and which has been shown to lead to gains in intercultural communicative competence. The work begins with a definition of culture and intercultural communicative competence, followed by a review of general approaches used to facilitate such competence in students, and finally a review of the literature on the positive and negative aspects of using CMC for cross-cultural learning. As the aim of this work is to offer teachers a resource and guidance for implementing intercultural exchanges via the use of CMC tools, the Report concludes with suggestions on best practices for using CMC in the foreign language classroom.