Online reading: a preliminary study of the impact of integrated and split-attention formats on L2 students’ cognitive load

ReCALL ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 356-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saleh Al-Shehri ◽  
Christina Gitsaki
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Instructional Designers ◽  
Online Reading ◽  
Intermediate Students ◽  
Reading Text ◽  
Split Attention ◽  
The Impact

AbstractCognitive load theory has been utilized by second language acquisition (SLA) researchers to account for differences in learner performance with regards to different learning tasks. Certain instructional designs were shown to have an impact on cognitive load and working memory, and this impact was found to be accentuated in a multimedia environment where there is a variety of interacting elements and tools that can lead to cognitive overload and consequently reduced learning outcomes. This study investigated the influence of split-attention and integrated instructional formats on students’ cognitive load and how they might facilitate second language online reading and vocabulary learning. Twenty English as a Second Language (ESL) intermediate students studying at an Australian language institution were randomly assigned to four conditions: SAND (Split-Attention No Dictionary), SAOD (Split-Attention with Online Dictionary), IFND (Integrated Format No Dictionary), and IFOD (Integrated Format with Online Dictionary). Subjects were asked to complete an online reading comprehension task in which subjects tested under the SAND and SAOD conditions were exposed to a typical reading text followed by comprehension questions, whereas subjects in the IFND and IFOD conditions were exposed to a reading text where the comprehension questions were physically inserted within the reading text. Under the SAOD and IFOD conditions, subjects had access to an online dictionary. Results showed that the integrated reading format was found to facilitate students’ reading comprehension more than the split-attention format. Also, students who had access to the online dictionary in the SAOD and IFOD groups performed better on the vocabulary test, but spent more time on the reading task than the other two groups. Furthermore, participants in the split-attention format group looked up more words than their counterparts in the integrated format group. The results of the present study have certain implications for multimedia instructional designers and ESL teachers.

Perceived foreign accent in first language attrition and second language acquisition: The impact of age of acquisition and bilingualism—ERRATUM

2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 417-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
HOLGER HOPP ◽  
MONIKA S. SCHMID
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Open Access ◽  
First Language ◽  
Age Of Acquisition ◽  
Foreign Accent ◽  
Language Attrition ◽  
First Language Attrition ◽  
The Impact

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scholarly journals Engaging English Learners Through Literature, Fairy Tales, and Drama

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 138
Author(s):  
Alison Larkin Koushki
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Fairy Tales ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Fairy Tale ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
The Impact

Use of literature in the English language classroom deepens student engagement, and fairy tales add magic to the mix. This article details the benefits of engaging English learners in literature and fairy tales, and explores how drama can be enlisted to further mine their riches. An educator’s case studies of language teaching through literature and drama projects are described, and the research question driving them highlighted: What is the impact of dramatizing literature on students’ engagement in novels and second language acquisition? Research on the effects of literature, drama, and the fairy tale genre on second language education is reviewed. Reading and acting out literature and fairy tales hones all four language skills while also enhancing the Seven Cs life skills: communication, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, commitment, compromise, and confidence. Adding the frame of project-based learning to the instructional strengths of literature and drama forms a strong pedagogical triangle for second language learning. Fairy tales are easily enacted. English educators and learners can download free fairy tale scripts and spice them with creative twists of their own creation or adapted from film and cartoon versions. Providing maximum student engagement, tales can be portrayed with minimum preparation. Using a few simple props and a short script, English learners can dramatize The Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, or Snow White in class with little practice. Engagement increases when teams act out tales on stage for an audience of family, friends, classmates, and educators. In fairy tale enactment projects, whether in class or on stage, students apply their multiple intelligences when choosing team roles: script-writing, acting, backstage, costumes, make-up, sound and lights, reporter, advertising, usher, writer’s corner, or stage managing. The article concludes with a list of engaging language activities for use with fairy tales, and a summary of the benefits of fairy tale enactments for English learners.

scholarly journals Use of Mobile Applications in Developing Reading Comprehension in Second Language Acquisition—A Review Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 391
Author(s):  
Blanka Klimova ◽  
Katarina Zamborova
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Academic Goals ◽  
Learner Motivation

Reading is a fundamental skill for academic success because university students need to comprehend an extensive amount of information in a short time to achieve their academic goals. However, the influx of new technologies into education has challenged the teaching of reading skills in a foreign language. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of emerging technologies, especially mobile applications, on second language reading comprehension in the period between 1 January and 30 September 2020. Therefore, the authors of this article conducted a search of available studies on the topic, i.e., the use of mobile applications in developing reading comprehension in second language acquisition, in two databases: Web of Science and Scopus. Despite the methodological differences, the findings of all of the identified studies showed that there was an improvement in reading comprehension after the treatment with mobile applications. In addition, a positive attitude and enhanced learner motivation when using mobile apps was found in several studies. Overall, there is potential for developing research on MALL and reading comprehension for randomized control studies with larger populations and longer intervention periods.

scholarly journals Do Oral and Literacy Skills in Native Ghanaian Akan Language Modulate English Reading Comprehension as Second Language? A Study in Selected Basic Schools in Ghana

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Stephen Ntim
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Target Language ◽  
School Students ◽  
English Only ◽  
English Reading ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
English Reading Comprehension ◽  
The Impact

<p>This study investigated oral and literacy skills in native Ghanaian Akan language in mediating English reading comprehension of bilingual basic school students. Levene’s test for homogeneity of variance between groups on questions directly found in text showed variances were significantly different [F=49.070, p=0.00]. Bonferroni Post-hoc test comparing groups on questions requiring making multiple sentence meanings to be able to answer, data indicated a significant difference between mean scores of students who speak both English and Akan and students who speak English Only in favour of students who speak both English and Akan. Also, students who speak Akan Only performed significantly better than students who speak English Only with.no significant difference between mean scores of students who speak Akan Only and students who speak both English and Akan. This suggests the impact of native language in second language reading comprehension is enormous. When bilinguals are reading second language (and in this study English) they are likely to make use of previous knowledge, strategies and processes from the first language through cognitive/psycholinguistic factors as orthographic processing, phonological code and meaning activation among others and by so doing limiting the effect of cognitive load in the target language.</p>

Contemporary tutorial call

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-65
Author(s):  
Jarrad R. Merlo ◽  
Paul A. Gruba
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
University Students ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
The State ◽  
Teaching Presence ◽  
Video Tutorials ◽  
Post Test ◽  
The Impact

Despite an increased emphasis on form-focused instruction (FFI), the use of the computer as a grammar tutor has remained largelyunexamined for nearly two decades. With new technologies at hand, there is a need to take a fresh look at online grammar tutors andlink designs more strongly to contemporary second language acquisition (SLA) principles and the concept of a teaching presence. Theaim of this study, therefore, is to investigate the potential of using a purpose-built digital video series as a virtual grammartutor. To achieve this aim, we used a pre-test, post-test, and delayed post-test to evaluate the impact of a purpose-built grammar video on 62 EFL university students. The results of the study demonstrate that purpose-built video has strong potential for use as a virtual grammar tutor. Consequently, it may be possible to improve the state of Tutorial CALL from a drill-based approach to one that is more substantive through the development of a series of step-based video tutorials that tutor, allow for the practice of and evaluate second language (L2) grammar skills.

Impact of an interaction-oriented Japanese course on learners

1998 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 123-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyoko Ogawa
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Japanese People ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Active Interaction

Abstract Neustupny (1988, 1991) recommended an interactive competence approach for second language acquisition that places a greater emphasis on learners’ active interaction with native speakers in real communicative situations. In order to have the opportunity to interact with native speakers in the target language, a conscious effort by the learners as well as support from the teachers and the community is essential. The third-year Japanese course at Monash University was designed to encourage and support learners to establish and maintain relationships with Japanese people as well as to utilise various other resources of the target language and culture. This paper examines the impact of this interaction-oriented course on learners in their establishment and maintenance of relationships with Japanese people, and cultural and social understanding. It is based on data collected during 1996 and 1997.

scholarly journals The Effect of Pre-reading Activities on Male ESL Upper-Intermediate Students’ Comprehension in a Post Basic Education School in Oman?

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 148
Author(s):  
Jamel Eddine Al Akremi
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Intermediate Students ◽  
Education School ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
Reading Activities ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Comprehension Tests

The study aimed at investigating the impact of pre-reading activities on male ESL upper-intermediate students’ comprehension in a post-basic education school in Oman. To this end, two reading comprehension tests and two questionnaires were administered to two groups of participants. One group served as control and the other served as experimental. Control group were assigned a reading comprehension test with follow up questions to answer. However, experimental participants were introduced to 10 minute-pre-reading activities prior to starting the test. The findings drawn from the comprehension tests revealed that experimental participants outperformed control participants. Data drawn from questionnaires showed that control group had a negative attitude to reading a text without pre-reading activities. However, experimental group had a positive attitude to reading a text after being introduced to the pre-reading activities. Although the study has shown empirically how effective the schema-based pre-reading activities were in maximizing ESL leaners’ comprehension ability, it had its limitations. It was restricted in setting and gender. It involved only two post-basic state schools. It was also restricted to male students. Second, it was limited to only two sample groups. Nevertheless, the findings of this study have confirmed preceding research on the effectiveness of the pre-reading activities and how they facilitate L2 learners’ comprehension ability of the target text. Therefore, it might be paramount for teachers and syllabus designers to incorporate pre-reading activities, which are in different forms and types, to the reading texts students read

scholarly journals A Critical Review of Vygotsky’s Socio-Cultural Theory in Second Language Acquisition

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Habibullah Pathan ◽  
Rafique A. Memon ◽  
Shumaila Memon ◽  
Ali Raza Khoso ◽  
Illahi Bux
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Cultural Theory ◽  
Learning Problems ◽  
Proximal Development ◽  
Learning To Learn ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this study is to explore Vygotsky’s contribution to the socio-cultural theory in the field of education in general, and applied linguistics in particular. The study aims to elaborate the impact of social-cultural theory in the existing body of literature. The study also reviews implications and applications of socio-cultural theory in second language acquisition (SLA). Moreover, this study also critiques the basic concepts of the theory and how far these concepts have been implicated in the domain of research. The central focus is to explore and to critically understand central ideas such as Zone of Proximal Development, mediation, scaffolding, internalization, and private speech. The socio-cultural theory focuses on what learners learn and the solution to their learning problems. Socio- cultural theory has made a great effect on learning and teaching languages. It also regards learning second language as a semiotic process where participation in socially mediated activities is very important (Ellis, 2000). Vygotsky (1987) singled out and studied the dynamic social surroundings which indicate the connection between teacher and the child. Moreover, he focused on the social, cultural and historical artifacts which play a pivotal role in the children’s cognitive development as well as their potential performance. The study concludes with the idea of Williams & Burden (1997) that socio-cultural theory suggests that education should be associated with learning to learn and making learning experiences meaningful and relevant to the learner. The study also suggests some pedagogical implications and offers teaching and learning practices in relation to socio-cultural theory.

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