Returning to the homeland

1998 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 105-122
Author(s):  
Sachiko Noguchi
Keyword(s):  
Communication Skills ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
First Language ◽  
Listening Skills ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Tertiary Institutions ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Changes Over Time

Abstract Research on the issues of the learners of Japanese outside Japan has increased with the expansion of Japanese language teaching worldwide, but research on those who teach them has received less attention. This paper focuses on one of the issues which Japanese instructors overseas face, in particular, that of native speakers. An individual’s competence in his/her first language in a foreign environment changes over time. The changes become more obvious when first language speakers find themselves in their own country after spending some considerable time overseas. In this study the speakers of the first language were thirteen native speaker instructors teaching at tertiary institutions in Australia. They were interviewed while on a visit to Japan regarding their communication skills in Japan both at the linguistic and non-linguistic levels. The results of the study show a wide range of changes observed; some features are common to many of these instructors while other changes are not. Changes in reading, writing, speaking and listening skills are reported. Associated aspects include skills for determining politeness levels. Non-linguistic features include socio-cultural aspects of Japanese society such as gift-giving customs, and appropriate dress. These changes in communication skills were detected and evaluated by the speakers themselves based on their own encounters while in Japan. The implications for their role as language instructors outside Japan are also discussed.

scholarly journals Processing reflexives in a second language: The timing of structural and discourse-level constraints

2011 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 571-603 ◽  
Author(s):  
CLAUDIA FELSER ◽  
IAN CUNNINGS
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
First Language ◽  
Nonnative Speakers ◽  
Binding Condition ◽  
Reflexive Pronouns ◽  
German Speaking ◽  
Nonnative Speakers Of English ◽  
Language Influence

ABSTRACTWe report the results from two eye-movement monitoring experiments examining the processing of reflexive pronouns by proficient German-speaking learners of second language (L2) English. Our results show that the nonnative speakers initially tried to link English argument reflexives to a discourse-prominent but structurally inaccessible antecedent, thereby violating binding condition A. Our native speaker controls, in contrast, showed evidence of applying condition A immediately during processing. Together, our findings show that L2 learners’ initial focusing on a structurally inaccessible antecedent cannot be due to first language influence and is also independent of whether the inaccessible antecedent c-commands the reflexive. This suggests that unlike native speakers, nonnative speakers of English initially attempt to interpret reflexives through discourse-based coreference assignment rather than syntactic binding.

scholarly journals WEBSITES PRACTICING TO DEVELOP LISTENING SKILLS

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 246
Author(s):  
Citra Kusumaningsih ◽  
Senny Wiyanti ◽  
Yulia Ramadhiyanti
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Opportunities To Learn ◽  
Listening Skills ◽  
Real Situation ◽  
Listening Skill

<p>This paper shows the qualitative study of the employment of websites to practice English listening skills of students. The samples in this survey were the students majoring in English, one of school education, Pontianak, Indonesia. The open-ended questionnaire and interview were used to compile the data. The study reported that the students held a positive attitude toward the use of the websites for practicing listening skills because of many advantages such as the websites offer unlimited opportunities to learn and practice their listening skill as if they are in the real situation with native speakers and these opportunities provided them more new English vocabularies. Moreover, it can facilitate them to create autonomous learning strategies. It was also found that it was so convenient when using the internet sites for practicing listening skills outside classroom and from book, anywhere and anytime. However, the students experienced a problem with the native speaker accent so they could not understand the conversation.</p>

Form prominence in the L2 lexicon: Further evidence from word association

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-90
Author(s):  
Nan Jiang ◽  
Jianqin Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Word Association ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
First Language ◽  
The Past ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Orthographic Priming ◽  
Selection Of

Two lines of evidence emerged in the past suggesting that lexical form seemed to play a more important role in the organization of the second language (L2) mental lexicon than in that of the first language (L1) lexicon. They were masked orthographic priming in L2 word recognition and an elevated proportion of form-related responses in L2 word association. However, findings from previous word association studies were inconsistent regarding (1) how often L2 speakers produced form-related responses ( flood–blood) and (2) whether L2 speakers were more likely than L1 speakers to provide such responses. Attributing this inconsistency to two methodological causes, the classification of form-related responses and the selection of stimuli, the present study adopted an improved approach by quantifying the definition of form-related responses and by selecting stimuli that had both strong semantic associates and orthographically similar words as potential responses. The latter improvement helped remove the bias for producing either meaning-based or form-based responses. A group of 30 English native speakers and two groups of 65 non-native speakers were tested on the same set of stimuli of 74 English words. Three findings were obtained: (1) non-native speakers produced significantly more form-related responses than native speakers, (2) the two non-native speaker group who differed in L2 experiences showed comparable results, and (3) the participants’ familiarity with the stimuli and the lexical frequency of the stimuli negatively correlated with the proportion of form-related responses among non-native speakers. These results provided more compelling evidence for form prominence in the L2 lexicon.

The SLA of Variable Structures

2007 ◽  
Vol 153 ◽  
pp. 25-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly L. Geeslin ◽  
Pedro Guijarro Fuentes
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Previous Analysis ◽  
First Language ◽  
General Interest ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
L1 Transfer ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
L2 Spanish ◽  
Ser And Estar

AbstractThis study examines the acquisition of copula choice, more particularly the contrast between ser and estar ('to be') in Spanish by native speakers of Portuguese. Our research differs from previous work because the first language of the participants included also contains a copula contrast. Our previous analysis of data collected in adult L1 Spanish and Portuguese L2 Spanish, and data collected in Portuguese from adult L1 Portuguese, demonstrated important differences between these groups (Geeslin & Guijarro-Fuentes, 2006). The frequency of copula selection can be seen to be a result of L1 transfer, but the predictors of copula choice do not transfer directly from L1 to the L2. We argue that one of the key focuses of investigation should be the distinction between obligatory and variable contexts (Geeslin & Guijarro-Fuentes, 2004). Moreover, one must examine the linguistic features associated with variation between these three groups. In response, the current study analyzes those contexts where copula selection is unanimous for some or all of the participants in contrast with those where all speakers exhibit variation. We aim to determine whether or not those contexts that allow variation are the source of differences between the natives and the non-natives. This study is of general interest not only to those working on L2 Spanish, but also to the growing body of research on the acquisition of variable structures in SLA.

Leisure-activity ESP as a special case of ELF: the example of scuba diving English

English Today ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 47-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgar W. Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Leisure Activity ◽  
Natural Phenomenon ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Domains Of Life ◽  
Native Speakers Of English

It is well known that native speakers of English around the globe are by far outnumbered today by speakers of English as a second or as a foreign language (Crystal, 2008). English is thus regularly used as a lingua franca, i.e. an intermediary language used between speakers of various linguistic backgrounds, for transnational and intercultural communication in many domains of life (such as business, diplomacy, higher education, tourism, etc.). The study of conditions of using ‘English as a Lingua Franca’ (ELF), intrinsically connected to the fields of World Englishes and Second Language Acquisition (Schneider, 2012), has come to be a booming sub-field and topic of research in English linguistics over the past few years, as is indicated by the publication of a few textbooks, the establishment of a conference series, and the launch of a scholarly journal (JELF). The focus of these approaches has been on the functions, usage conditions, and practical applications of ELF (Seidlhofer, 2011), and also, though to a lesser extent, on any characteristic structural properties (Dewey, 2007; Jenkins, Cogo & Dewey, 2011; Cogo & Dewey, 2012). Clearly, ELF can be found in a wide range of possible applications and contexts, as Cogo & Dewey (2012: 31) have stated: ‘As a natural phenomenon of sociolinguistic variation, ELF includes all types of communicative events, from the transactional to the interactional, and various possible settings, such as the institutional and the casual.’ It is considered to be independent of the interactants' native-speaker status: prototypically ELF involves communication between non-native speakers of English, but sometimes native speakers participate in such encounters as well. It centrally involves accommodation, negotiation and adjustment of forms to achieve successful communication.

scholarly journals Interpretation of English multiple wh-questions by Japanese speakers: a missing uninterpretable feature account

2006 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Hawkins ◽  
Hajime Hattori
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
First Language ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Syntactic Features ◽  
Japanese Speakers ◽  
Wh Questions ◽  
Computational Procedures ◽  
L1 Acquisition

In recent work by Tsimpli (2003) and Tsimpli and Dimitrakopoulou (to appear) an explicit claim is made about the nature of end-state grammars in older second language (L2) learners: uninterpretable syntactic features that have not been selected during first language (L1) acquisition will not be available for L2 grammar construction. Interpretable syntactic features, on the other hand, remain available (as well as the computational procedures and principles of the language faculty), even those not selected by the L1. The present study investigates this hypothesis in relation to the acquisition of the uninterpretable feature that forces wh-movement in interrogatives in English. Nineteen L1 speakers of Japanese (a wh-in-situ language that lacks the movement-forcing feature) who are highly proficient speakers of English were asked to interpret bi-clausal multiple wh-questions in English (like Where did the professor say the students studied when?). Their responses were compared with those of a native speaker control group. It is argued that the results are consistent with the unavailability of the uninterpretable feature. Two conclusions are drawn: first, that there is a critical period for the selection of uninterpretable syntactic features for the construction of mental grammars; second, that despite the observation of target-like performance by L1 Japanese speakers on English wh-interrogatives reported in a number of existing studies, caution is required in interpreting target-like performance as evidence that L2 speakers have the same underlying grammatical representations as native speakers.

scholarly journals PIDGINS AND CREOLES LANGUAGES

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-50
Author(s):  
Syarfuni
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
First Language ◽  
Linguistic System ◽  
The World ◽  
Contact Language ◽  
Equatorial Belt ◽  
Normal Language

A pidgin is language with no native speakers, it is not first language but it is a contact language creoles is a normal language in just about every sense. Creole has native speaker, each pidgin and Creole are well organizes of linguistic system, the sound of pidgin or creoles are likely to be a fewer and less complicated than those of related languages for example Tok pisin has only five basic vowels, Papia Kristang has seven basic vowel. The pidgin or Creole language have two theories polygenesis and relexification. The distributions of pidgin and Creole are in equatorial belt around the world, usually in place with easy success such as in the oceans and harbor.

scholarly journals Attitude and communication skills of German medical students

2022 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oana R. Groene ◽  
Maren Ehrhardt ◽  
Corinna Bergelt
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Communication Score ◽  
Communication Competencies ◽  
Socio Demographic Factors ◽  
Skills Learning ◽  
Assessment Strategies

Abstract Objective While the development of communication competencies in medical schools plays a pivotal role in the curriculum, studies show that students’ communication skills and patient-centred attitudes may vary based on gender and ethnicity. The goal of this study was to investigate the socio-demographic factors that influence medical students’ communication abilities and, more specifically, to what extent their attitude toward communication skills learning and patient orientation associate with communication abilities. Our population included medical students admitted in 2017. Used tools included a communication score, the patient-provider orientation and communication skills attitudes scales. Results Three hundred and sixty-five students participated in the study (56.4% female, 85.2% German native speakers, mean age 24.2 ± 3.5 years). Female and German native speaking students had a better communication skills OSCE performance, were more patient-oriented and had more positive attitudes toward communication skills learning than male and non-native speaking students. There was a significant association between gender, native tongue, attitudes towards communication skills learning and communication skills OSCE performance. In conclusion, to support medical students to improve their communication proficiency and attitudes towards the importance of clear communication and patient-oriented care, medical educators should consider teaching and assessment strategies that address socio-cultural aspects of communication.

scholarly journals Beyond Translating French into English: Experiences of a Non-Native Translator

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Harriett Namukwaya
Keyword(s):  
Communication Skills ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Academic Setting ◽  
African Languages ◽  
Academic Qualification ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Translation Services

This paper documents a non-native translator’s experience in an academic setting, focusing on the challenges of translating different kinds of texts from French into English at the Institute of Languages, Makerere University. Makerere Institute of Languages (MIL) is composed of four clusters: Foreign Languages, African Languages, Communication Skills and Secretarial Studies, Service Courses and Soft Skills (Wagaba 97). The services offered include teaching language skills and culture to university students and the general public; communication skills to people who want to improve in English, French, German, Arabic, Swahili and local languages; and translation and interpretation in the languages mentioned above. These services are offered at this institute because there is no other well-recognised institution in Uganda that engages in translation or interpretation, yet there is always a big demand for them. The emphasis in this study is on teachers of French who also render translation services to a wide range of clients at the Institute of Languages. The main focus is on the experiences and opinions of non-native translators. The aim is to highlight the challenges a non-native translator encounters in the process of translating different categories of documents from French into English for purposes of validation of francophone students’ academic documents and their placement in Uganda universities, verification of academic qualification of teachers from francophone countries who come to Uganda in search of teaching jobs, and mutual understanding at international conferences held in Uganda whose delegates come from francophone countries. Selected texts will be critically examined to illustrate the specific challenges a non-native speaker encounters while translating from and into a language or languages which are not his/her first language or mother tongue. The paper deals with the following questions: What does the process of translating involve? What are the challenges encountered? Does every fluent French language teacher qualify to be a competent translator? What factors determine ‘competence’ in translation? What are the limitations faced in an academic setting? The discussion is based on the premise that competence in translation requires linguistic and intercultural competence, among other competencies. The outcome contributes to the understanding that translation in any setting is ultimately a human activity, which enables human beings to exchange information and enhance knowledge transfer regardless of cultural and linguistic differences.

Effects of learner background on the development of writing skills in Japanese as a second language

2009 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 3.1-3.20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noriko Iwashita ◽  
Sachiyo Sekiguchi
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
First Language ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
First Year ◽  
Tertiary Institutions ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Study Experience ◽  
L2 Development

The paper presents preliminary findings of a project which investigated whether learner background, in terms of instruction mode (i.e., school or intensive first-year course at university) and first language (i.e., character based or non-character based), has an impact on the development of writing skills in Japanese as a second language (JSL). Many students in second-year Japanese at university are post-secondary (i.e., they completed Year 12 Japanese at school). They are in class with students who started Japanese at university (i.e., are post-beginners). The intensity of instruction that the two groups have received is very different. A large number of the students learning Japanese at tertiary institutions in Australia are also native speakers of character-based languages (e.g., Chinese). Although there is a substantial volume of studies comparing the effects of instruction mode on L2 development, little is known of how instruction mode and L1 background together may affect L2 development in adult L2 learning settings. The data for the present study include writing samples collected on two occasions from 34 students from a variety of backgrounds. The samples were analysed in terms of length, grammatical complexity and schematic structures, use of kanji (Chinese characters), and vocabulary. The results were compared in terms of study experience and first language. In general, the performance of post-beginner learners from character-based language backgrounds was higher on kanji use and a few other areas, but their superior performance was derived from the interaction of two background factors (L1 and study background). The results show complexity in how different backgrounds affect L2 writing task performance. The study has strong pedagogical implications for teaching a character-based language to students from diverse study backgrounds.

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