scholarly journals Sociocultural theory and its application to CALL: A study of the computer and its relevance as a mediational tool in the process of collaborative activity

ReCALL ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 230-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
GABRIELA ADELA GÁNEM GUTIÉRREZ
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Collaborative Activity ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Audio Recordings ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mediational Tool

This study in the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) was conducted in a Spanish as a foreign language classroom. The study investigates dyadic face-to-face collaborative dialogue at the computer from a sociocultural perspective. Protocols for analysis were obtained by the transcription of audio recordings of twelve dyads/triads completing three tasks in two mediums of implementation, computer and non-computer-based. By comparing learners’ activity in the two mediums through microgenetic analysis (i.e., developmental analysis), we were able to study some specific ways in which the computer influenced the course of interaction. Specifically, the aim of the study was to investigate the value of the tasks as pedagogical instruments to support collaborative activity in the foreign language classroom; the value of collaborative activity as a source for possible restructuring of interlanguage (i.e., microgenesis); and the impact of the computer as a mediational tool in the processes of collaborative activity. Results confirm: (1) the three tasks support high degrees of collaborative activity – albeit qualitatively different; (2) language can – sometimes simultaneously – be deployed by learners both as a means of communication and as a cognitive tool to achieve linguistic development; (3) the presence of the computer seems to change the nature of collaborative activity.

scholarly journals Rapport in the Foreign Language Classroom: From Face-to-Face to Online in Times of Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 485-511
Author(s):  
Shayna Katz
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Corrective Feedback ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Online Data ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Teacher Student ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom ◽  
The Impact

As shown in previous studies, positive teacher and student rapport increases motivation and performance in foreign language learning. This study investigated the impact of three forms of interaction on the development of teacher-student and student-student relationships in a Spanish as a Foreign Language classroom that transitioned from face-to-face (FtoF) to online due to the emergence of the covid- 19 pandemic. These forms of interaction were positive comments, corrective feedback, and personal thematic discourse. The participants were students from six different beginner-level Spanish courses at a university in Hawai’i. Because of covid restrictions, half of the semester was conducted FtoF and half online. Data were collected through a three-part questionnaire with open and closed-ended questions which explored the impact of the online and FtoF setting and forms of interaction on rapport. The results reveal the importance of corrective feedback and positive comments on the development of positive teacher-student rapport, and of positive comments and personal thematic discourse on student-student rapport. The study suggests the need to bring qualities from the FtoF classroom to online, such as a sense of a more personal experience, ability to connect, ease in asking questions, receiving feedback, and greater interaction.

scholarly journals Rapport in the Foreign Language Classroom: From Face-to-Face to Online in Times of Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 485-511
Author(s):  
Shayna Katz
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Corrective Feedback ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Online Data ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Teacher Student ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom ◽  
The Impact

As shown in previous studies, positive teacher and student rapport increases motivation and performance in foreign language learning. This study investigated the impact of three forms of interaction on the development of teacher-student and student-student relationships in a Spanish as a Foreign Language classroom that transitioned from face-to-face (FtoF) to online due to the emergence of the covid- 19 pandemic. These forms of interaction were positive comments, corrective feedback, and personal thematic discourse. The participants were students from six different beginner-level Spanish courses at a university in Hawai’i. Because of covid restrictions, half of the semester was conducted FtoF and half online. Data were collected through a three-part questionnaire with open and closed-ended questions which explored the impact of the online and FtoF setting and forms of interaction on rapport. The results reveal the importance of corrective feedback and positive comments on the development of positive teacher-student rapport, and of positive comments and personal thematic discourse on student-student rapport. The study suggests the need to bring qualities from the FtoF classroom to online, such as a sense of a more personal experience, ability to connect, ease in asking questions, receiving feedback, and greater interaction.

scholarly journals Understanding Austria from Afar: Treating Regional Variation in the Virtu-al German as a Foreign Language Classroom.

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 59-69
Author(s):  
Mason Wirtz
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom ◽  
Language Instructors ◽  
Foreign Language Instructors

The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced nearly every aspect of the academic world, and study abroad is no exception. Particularly in the foreign language learning sector, the unprecedented switch from in-class lectures to distance learning brought with it many challenges. Not only were language instructors tasked with creating an interactive language learning atmosphere from afar but continuing to spark student motivation while catering to a broad range of learning goals constituted a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. The following case study therefore seeks to provide an easily adaptable and interactive task-based activity for the German as a foreign language classroom that should support learners in gaining a deeper understanding of the social dimensions and usages of Austrian regional varieties. Furthermore, the activity is designed so as to be applicable in both an online as well as face-to-face classroom and accommodate foreign language instructors with less experience in digital course delivery and/or minimal access to learning management systems.  Abstract in German Die COVID-19 Pandemie hat nahezu jeden Aspekt der akademischen Welt beeinflusst, und Study Abroad ist keine Ausnahme. Gerade im Bereich des Fremdsprachenerwerbs hat die beispiellose Umstellung von Präsenzunterricht auf Fernlehre viele Herausforderungen mit sich gebracht. Nicht nur wurden Fremdsprachenlehrer:innen mit der Aufgabe konfrontiert, eine interaktive Sprachlernatmosphäre aus der Ferne zu schaffen, sondern auch die Motivation der Schüler:innen trotz der Situation zu wecken, aufrechtzuerhalten und gleichzeitig ein breites Spektrum an Lernzielen zu berücksichtigen. Dies hat eine scheinbar unüberwindbare Hürde dargestellt. In der folgenden Fallstudie handelt es sich daher um die Bereitstellung einer leicht adaptierbaren und interaktiven task-based Aktivität für den Deutsch als Fremdsprachenunterricht, die Lernende dabei unterstützen soll, ein tieferes Verständnis der sozialen Dimensionen und Verwendungen österreichischer Regionalvarietäten zu erlangen. Darüber hinaus ist die Aktivität so konzipiert, dass sie sowohl im Online- wie auch im Präsenzunterricht Einsatz finden und von Fremd-sprachenlehrer:innen mit wenig(er) Erfahrung in der digitalen Abhaltung von Lehrveranstaltungen und/oder minimalem Zugang zu Lernmanagement-systemen umgesetzt werden kann.

scholarly journals A Review of the Effectiveness of Foreign Language Enjoyment and Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety on Learners' Engagement and Attainment

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingping Shen
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Affective Factors ◽  
Major Interest ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Classroom Anxiety

Cognitive factors are not the fundamental determinants of success in language learning. Foreign language attainment depends on both cognitive and affective factors, highlighting the deeper impacts of the former. Some scholars started to investigate affective issues, particularly negative emotions in language learning studies; nevertheless, reducing negative emotions such as anxiety should be accompanied by the development of positive emotions (e.g., well-being, autonomy, and enjoyment). Since then, a great number of researchers have examined the impact of anxiety and enjoyment in foreign language literature, particularly after the introduction of reliable and valid foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) and foreign language enjoyment (FLE) scales. So, the present study aims to review contemporary scholarly articles and books in this regard. Findings suggest that there has been a major interest in the evaluation of FLCA and FLE across a variety of dimensions including personality traits, interpersonal characteristics, and classroom conditions. The central issues are summarized into three categories of the relationship between FLCA and FLE, the robustness of respective scales, and the impact of individual and interpersonal factors. Hence, this research attempts to highlight probable gaps and areas for further examinations to help enrich the literature and improve the theoretical knowledge.

scholarly journals Anxiety and Enjoyment in the Foreign Language Classroom

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-121
Author(s):  
Ewelina Mierzwa
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Dynamic Approach ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom

Abstract To balance the research that has been carried out on negative emotions, the researchers in the field of second language acquisition (SLA) have recently focused on the role of positive academic emotions and their role in the process of acquiring a foreign language (FL). The aim of the present article is to examine the relationships between foreign language enjoyment (FLE), foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) and students’ academic achievement in English in order to prove that these two emotions do not constitute opposite dimensions but may converge and diverge from time to time during the learning process. This article calls for a more dynamic approach to studying emotions and investigating whether and to what extent these two emotions may mutually shape one another and thus affect learners’ achievement in the foreign language classroom.

Anxiety: Stress, Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety, and Enjoyment During Study Abroad in Amman, Jordan

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 140-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan P. Dewey ◽  
R. Kirk Belnap ◽  
Patrick Steffen
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Comfort Levels ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom ◽  
Classroom Anxiety

ABSTRACTAnxiety is among the most frequently studied emotions in second language acquisition (SLA). Study abroad (SA) researchers have examined its effects on SLA in that setting in a number of studies. The current study goes beyond previous SA research by examining how anxiety develops and connects with language proficiency development over SA. Specifically, it uses anxiety-related measures of foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA), foreign language enjoyment (FLE), and a physiological manifestation of anxiety (hair cortisol). As far as the classroom is concerned, learners grew more comfortable, experiencing less anxiety and more enjoyment over the period of SA. However, learners showed physiological signs of overall elevated anxiety despite these increasing classroom comfort levels. Two key factors that may have influenced their anxiety levels abroad were tendency toward anxiety prior to SA and language proficiency upon departure for SA. The latter provides support for having students more proficient prior to SA, since doing so may lead to less anxiety during SA.

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