The trends and developments of L2 Japanese research in the 2010s

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-127
Author(s):  
Yoshiko Mori ◽  
Atsushi Hasegawa ◽  
Junko Mori
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Pedagogical Issues ◽  
Learner Motivation ◽  
Pragmatic Development ◽  
Syntactic Development ◽  
Critical Approaches ◽  
Based Instruction

AbstractThis article updates the trends and developments of Japanese as a second language (JSL) research since Mori and Mori (2011) by reviewing nearly 200 selected empirical studies published in English or Japanese between 2010 and early 2019. The first section of this review examines the cognitive aspects of second language (L2) Japanese development, focusing on vocabulary and kanji (i.e., Chinese characters transferred into Japanese) learning, syntactic development, and the issues surrounding reading and writing. The second part investigates sociocultural issues in L2 Japanese development and use, including pragmatic development, multilingual/translingual perspectives, and multilingual youth. The third section explores the role of affective variables (primarily learner motivation) in L2 Japanese development. The last section considers various pedagogical issues, including corpus-based studies and the development of materials and resources, instructional designs and classroom studies, technology-enhanced language learning and new instructional models, critical approaches to teaching Japanese and content-based instruction. The review of these themes illuminates trends and emerging areas of interest in post-2010 L2 Japanese research inspired by current developments in applied linguistics and second language acquisition (SLA) research, as well as unique features of Japanese language and sociocultural contexts.

The Development of Pragmatic Competence

1996 ◽  
Vol 55 ◽  
pp. 103-120
Author(s):  
Gabriele Kasper
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Pragmatic Competence ◽  
Interlanguage Pragmatics ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Pragmatic Development ◽  
Psychological Theories ◽  
Research Findings

Unlike other areas of second language study, which are primarily concerned with acquisitional patterns of interlanguage knowledge over time, most studies in inter-language pragmatics have focused on second language use rather than second language learning. The aim of this talk is to profile interlanguage pragmatics as an area of inquiry in second language acquisition research, by reviewing existing studies with a focus on learning, examining research findings in interlanguage pragmatics that shed light on some basic questions in SLA, exploring cognitive and social-psychological theories that might offer explanations of different aspeas of pragmatic development, and proposing a research agenda for the study of interlanguage pragmatics with a developmental perspective that will tie it more closely to other areas of SLA.

scholarly journals IS A RED CARD FOR LEARNERS’ USE OF THEIR L1 IN L2 LESSONS FAIR? A SOCIOCULTURAL ACCOUNT

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Le Van Canh ◽  
Pham Thi Hang
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
First Language ◽  
Controversial Issues ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
L2 Learning ◽  
Effective Use

One of the controversial issues in second language acquisition research is the role of learners’ first language in their second language learning. Traditionally, first language was assumed to get in the way or interfere with the learning of the L2, and therefore, the first language must be banned in the foreign language classroom. However, this view has recently been reexamined and questioned by empirical studies conducted within the sociocultural perspectives. The goal of this paper is to provide new insights into the mediating role of the first language by reviewing those studies. The paper suggests that L1, when appropriately and systematically used, can be an enabling tool that scaffolds learners in completing cognitively complex and demanding L2 learning tasks. Towards this goal, research directions are also suggested. However, it is important to note that this paper is not intended to encourage teachers and learners to use the L1 in the L2 classroom unsystematically and inappropriately; rather its goal is to encourage teachers to research their classroom in order to find optimal and effective use of L1 for mediating the success of L2 learning.

scholarly journals Usage-based Linguistics and Second Language Learning and Teaching

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 173-175
Author(s):  
Ying Zhou ◽  
◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Comprehensive Review ◽  
Related Research ◽  
Learning And Teaching

Research on usage-based linguistics on second language acquisition has been fruitful in the international arena, but it is still in its infancy in China. In order to promote related research in China, this paper presents a comprehensive review of this research area. First, an introduction to usage-based linguistics is presented, then a review of its empirical studies is provided and finally the implications of usage-based linguistics on second language learning and teaching are discussed.

Developmental Issues in Interlanguage Pragmatics

1996 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriele Kasper ◽  
Richard Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Interlanguage Pragmatics ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Pragmatic Development ◽  
Developmental Issues ◽  
Psychological Theories ◽  
Research Findings

Unlike other areas of second language study, which are primarily concerned with acquisitional patterns of interlanguage knowledge over time, most studies in interlanguage pragmatics have focused on second language use rather than second language learning. The aim of this paper is to profile interlanguage pragmatics as an area of inquiry in second language acquisition research, by reviewing existing studies with a focus on learning, examining research findings in interlanguage pragmatics that shed light on some basic questions in SLA, exploring cognitive and social-psychological theories that might offer explanations of different aspects of pragmatic development, and proposing a research agenda for the study of interlanguage pragmatics with a developmental perspective that will tie it more closely to other areas of SLA.

scholarly journals Measuring English Language Self-Efficacy: Psychometric Properties and Use

2021 ◽  
pp. 15-23
Author(s):  
Do-Hong Kim ◽  
Chuang Wang ◽  
Ting Sun ◽  
Lan Liu
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
English Language ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Reliability And Validity

This article provides an overview of existing instruments measuring self-efficacy for English language learning in both first and second language acquisition fields and their reliability and validity evidence. It also describes the development and use of the Questionnaire of English Language Self-Efficacy (QESE) scale, designed specifically for English language learners (ELLs), and presents an overview of the research findings from empirical studies related to its psychometric properties. A growing body of literature has begun to document encouraging evidence of ELL students’ self-efficacy belief measures and the utility of the QESE in particular. The information pertaining to the QESE is quite encouraging from measurement perspectives and fills the gap in the literature by providing a reliable and valid instrument to measure ELLs’ self-efficacy in various cultures. This paper concludes with evidence for internal consistency, test-retest reliability, structural, generalizability, and external aspects of the construct validity of the QESE. This paper contributes to the growing interest in these skills by reviewing the measures of self-efficacy in the field of second-language acquisition and the findings of empirical research on the development and use of a self-efficacy scale for ELLs.

scholarly journals Book Review: Gary Barkhuizen, Phil Benson, Alice Chik, Narrative Inquiry in Language Teaching and Learning Research, New York and London: Routledge, 2014

2016 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 183-187
Author(s):  
Anna Czura
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Narrative Inquiry ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Teaching And Learning Research ◽  
Learning Research ◽  
Language Teaching And Learning

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, research methodology in the field of language learning and teaching has taken a narrative turn and, consequently, a growing number of empirical studies have employed narrative inquiry methods to investigate different facets of second language acquisition. Narrative inquiry in language teaching and learning research, a volume authored by Gary Barkhuizen, Phil Benson and Alice Chik, aims to provide a concise and practical introduction to different approaches to designing, implementing, analysing and reporting oral, written and multimodal narrative data in studies on second language learners and teachers. In this review I discuss the general relevance of narrative studies in the field and, after a brief summary of the six chapters, I offer a critical analysis of the book’s content.

Language Ideology and Second Language Learning

2008 ◽  
Vol 155 ◽  
pp. 95-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theresa McGarry
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Ideology ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Classroom Practices ◽  
Explanatory Power

AbstractThe increasing recognition of the concept language ideology and the corresponding increasing use of the term have not yet been matched by applications in the field of second language acquisition. However, applications of the concept in analysis of actual classroom practices have shown it to have considerable explanatory power. Greater consideration of language ideology in SLA is necessary not only to achieve greater understanding of the role of ideology in various areas but also to show connections between these areas that may yield important generalizations and to impel the application of the concept in areas where it has been neglected by highlighting its uneven treatment.

Learning opportunities in peer-peer interaction: A case study of two L2 Mandarin Chinese learners

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-226
Author(s):  
Dan Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
French Immersion ◽  
Chinese Learners ◽  
Instructed Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Negotiation For Meaning

AbstractThe roles of interaction have been studied for several decades. Recent studies have turned to investigate “the details of which components of interaction might be more or less effective in which contexts with which learners” (Loewen, Shawn & Masatoshi Sato. 2018. Interaction and instructed second language acquisition. Language Teaching 51(3). 285–329: 286). This case study, based on three unstructured interactions outside the classroom between two L2 Mandarin Chinese learners, investigates the learning opportunities these interactions brought about in terms of helping them to increase in control over forms that had already been encountered inside the classroom. Using the concept of the language-related episode (Swain, Merrill & Sharon Lapkin. 1998. Interaction and second language learning: Two adolescent French immersion students working together. The Modern Language Journal 82(3). 320–337), this study sets focus on learning opportunities for lexis- and grammar-related items. It finds learning opportunities arise as the two peers negotiate for meaning motivated by the need to comprehend, strive to use the L2 to express/co-express themselves, and improve their form through the other’s feedback. In addition, lexis-related learning is found to be very positive in this study. The dictionary played an indispensable role in facilitating the learners when they encountered lexis-related issues. Further, it enabled the learners to learn new vocabulary when driven by communicative needs. In comparison, the grammar-related learning is found to be relatively complicated. And the fact the learners had nowhere to resort to concerning grammatical issues attributed to it. In terms of the different types of interactions, compared to learning through negotiation for meaning and feedback, output and co-construction/collaboration were found to be most productive in promoting the learning.

scholarly journals Studying individual differences in the social environment to better understand language learning and processing

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (s1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiri Lev-Ari
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Linguistic Performance ◽  
The Social

AbstractPeople learn language from their social environment. Therefore, individual differences in the input that their social environment provides could influence their linguistic performance. Nevertheless, investigation of the role of individual differences in input on performance has been mostly restricted to first and second language acquisition. In this paper I argue that individual differences in input can influence linguistic performance even in adult native speakers. Specifically, differences in input can affect performance by influencing people’s knowledgebase, by modulating their processing manner, and by shaping expectations. Therefore, studying the role that individual differences in input play can improve our understanding of how language is learned, processed and represented.

APTITUDE AND SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

2005 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 46-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Aptitude Tests ◽  
Advanced Level ◽  
Learning Success ◽  
And Performance

Recent second language acquisition (SLA) research into the cognitive abilities implicated in implicit, incidental, and explicit learning, and in learning and performance on tasks differing in their information processing demands has prompted new theoretical frameworks for conceptualizing L2 aptitude. This research is reviewed and related to measures of abilities operationalized in existing aptitude tests, as well as to measures of abilities that are the focus of more recent research in cognitive psychology. Finally, prospects for developing aptitude tests to serve the purposes of predicting both early and advanced level language learning success are discussed in the light of the SLA findings and aptitude frameworks reviewed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document