The effects of time in the development of complexity and accuracy during study abroad

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 31-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Jensen ◽  
Martin Howard
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Cultural Knowledge ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Linear Pattern ◽  
L2 Development ◽  
Final Interview ◽  
Considerable Individual Variation

Reflecting the current age of mammoth globalisation and the desirability of having a second language in today’s world, study abroad (SA) is becoming increasingly popular amongst university students across many disciplines. Moreover, with the EU identifying a target of 20% participation in SA in 2010, the value of this activity is also being recognised on an intergovernmental level. Participants in SA programmes stand to gain not only invaluable experiences, in terms of expanding their social and cultural knowledge, but also in developing their second language (L2). While there now exists a multitude of SLA studies situated within this unique learning context, such studies vary enormously in the duration of their learner-participants’ stay in the target language community. Indeed, a review of the current literature indicates that the duration of SA in the existing research ranges from a couple of weeks to a full year. Given such diversity, it is difficult to draw substantive conclusions on the effect of duration of SA on L2 development, although a limited number of important studies have explored the issue (e.g. Davidson, 2010; Dwyer, 2004; Llanes & Muñoz, 2009; Serrano et al., 2012). Against this background, the current paper reports on a longitudinal study of French and Chinese learners of English over a nine month SA period. Initial, medial and final interview data were analysed in terms of Complexity and Accuracy which are considered two important, and often rivalrous, features of language performance (Ellis & Barkhuizen, 2005). The results of the study point to considerable individual variation, both within individuals (variation across observations) and between individuals (variation across participants) in scope of development, making it difficult to capture language gains in terms of a neat, linear pattern over time.

Mobile-mediated dynamic assessment: A new perspective for second language development

ReCALL ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 178-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Andujar
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Instant Messaging ◽  
Dynamic Assessment ◽  
Proximal Development ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Class Time ◽  
Second Language Development ◽  
L2 Development ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Constant Source

AbstractThe present investigation analyses the potential of a pedagogical dynamic assessment (DA) approach to foster second language (L2) development through the use of a mobile instant messaging application. Students’ zone of actual and proximal development is observed through the use of a grammar and vocabulary level test and the use of the WhatsApp application respectively. Sixty students taking a B1 English course at the language centre of a Spanish university were studied. A mixed methods methodology was used to analyse the differences between two pre-existing groups (control and experimental), each consisting of 30 participants. Both groups received the same tuition and content, and students in the experimental group participated in a daily conversation in the application during a five-month period where negative feedback was provided by the teacher through the use of an inventory of prompts, from most implicit to most explicit. Throughout the research, pedagogical mobile-mediated DA became a central part of the students’ learning process, extending learning beyond the in-class time and becoming a constant source of L2 input and feedback. Moreover, results indicated that DA and dialogic mediation helped students reflect on their language performance, gradually requiring less explicit feedback and metalinguistic explanations.

Variable future-time reference in French: A comparison of learners in a study-abroad and a foreign-language context

2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aarnes Gudmestad ◽  
Amanda Edmonds
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Future Time ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency Test

AbstractThis study seeks to advance understanding of second-language (L2) acquisition of future-time reference in French, by comparing the developmental trajectories of learners living in and away from the target-language setting. Study-abroad learners in France (n= 45), foreign-language learners living in the US (n= 37), and native speakers of Hexagonal French (n= 30) participated in this study. They completed a written-contextualized task, a language-proficiency test and a background questionnaire. For each written-contextualized-task item, participants selected from among three responses that differed with respect to the form (inflectional future, periphrastic future, present). Items were designed to test for the influence of three factors on the form selected: presence/absence of a lexical temporal indicator, temporal distance, and (un)certainty. Additionally, two extra-linguistic factors were examined: learning context and proficiency level. The analyses of frequency and the multinomial logistic regressions suggest that, despite developmental similarities between learning contexts, acquisitional paths of study-abroad and foreign-language learners were not identical.

Comprehension, Comprehensibility, and Learning in the Second Language Classroom

1985 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig Chaudron
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Classroom Behavior ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Instructional Behaviors ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
L2 Development ◽  
Instructional Settings

Two questions are fundamental to research on second language learning in instructional settings: (1) Does second language instruction have a positive influence on acquisition? and (2) If so, what factors in instruction make a difference, how, and for whom? This paper considers theory and research on second language classroom behavior that is aimed toward answering the second question, given evidence that the answer to the first one is affirmative.Theory suggests that the provision of comprehensible input, a focus on formal aspects of the target language, and the learner's opportunity to practice the target language, all may contribute to L2 development. Empirical research is reviewed to explore what modifications of teacher speech might influence comprehensibility, whether amount of exposure to target forms is related to learners' development, and which instructional behaviors might lead to productive practice with and knowledge about the target language.

Variables affecting the maintenance of L2 proficiency and fluency four years post-study abroad

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Huensch ◽  
Nicole Tracy-Ventura ◽  
Judith Bridges ◽  
Jhon A. Cuesta Medina
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Language Contact ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Oral Proficiency ◽  
Target Language ◽  
L2 Proficiency ◽  
Oral Skills ◽  
Term Maintenance

Abstract This study explored the attrition / maintenance of second language (L2) proficiency by examining longitudinally the oral skills of a group of L2 French and L2 Spanish participants (n = 33) four years after study abroad, and three years after completing an undergraduate degree in languages. Multiple regressions were conducted to determine the extent to which language contact / use and attained proficiency at the end of study abroad could predict changes in fluency and oral proficiency. Results demonstrated that those variables that improved significantly during study abroad (e.g., speech rate) were maintained four years later. The amount of target language contact / use played a role in maintenance of aspects of fluency such as speech rate and frequency of silent pauses, whereas proficiency attained at the end of study abroad played a role in the use of corrections. Both language contact / use and proficiency attained are important variables in the long-term maintenance of overall proficiency.

Language Learners' Social Interaction during Study Abroad

2016 ◽  
pp. 722-754
Author(s):  
Rikki Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Common Belief ◽  
Study Abroad Programs ◽  
Native Japanese Speakers ◽  
Depth Interviews

There is a common belief that one of the best methods for learning a foreign or second language is to develop social relationships with native speakers and to communicate with them using that language. In order to increase such interactional opportunities, participation in study abroad programs where the target language is spoken is frequently recommended. However, language learners often report disappointment in their degree of interaction and friendship development with native speakers while abroad. With a focus on learners of Japanese, the study reported in this chapter examines the contexts in which study abroad students in Japan find opportunities to interact and establish friendships with native Japanese speakers, and discusses the participants' satisfaction with and benefits of such interaction and friendships. The results draw upon 36 questionnaire responses, as well as in-depth interviews with four focal informants, all of who experienced a study abroad in Japan between 2010-2013.

scholarly journals Documenting L2 input and interaction during study abroad: Approaches, instruments and challenges

2021 ◽  
pp. 026765832110306
Author(s):  
Rosamond Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Language Contact ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Sociocultural Development ◽  
L2 Development ◽  
Corpus Creation ◽  
Popular Language

A major rationale for study abroad (SA) from the perspective of second language acquisition is the presumed opportunity available to sojourners for naturalistic second language (L2) “immersion”. However, such opportunities are affected by variations in the linguistic, institutional and social affordances of SA, in different settings. They are also affected by the varying agency and motivation of sojourners in seeking second language (L2) engagement. For example, many sojourners prioritize mastering informal L2 speech, while others prioritize academic and professional registers including writing. Most will operate multilingually, using their home language, a local language, and/or English as lingua franca for different purposes, and the types of input they seek out, and language practices they enter into, vary accordingly. Consequently, while researchers have developed varied approaches to documenting L2 engagement, and have tried to relate these to measures of L2 development, these efforts have so far seen somewhat mixed success. This article reviews different approaches to documenting SA input and interaction; first, that of participant self-report, using questionnaires, interviews, journals, or language logs. Particular attention is paid to the popular Language Contact Profile (LCP), and to approaches drawing on Social Network Analysis. The limitations of all forms of self-report are acknowledged. The article also examines the contribution of direct observation and recording of L2 input and interaction during SA. This is a significant alternative approach for the study of acquisition, but one which poses theoretical, ethical and practical challenges. Researchers have increasingly enlisted participants as research collaborators who create small corpora through self-recording with L2 interlocutors. Analyses in this tradition have so far prioritized interactional, pragmatic and sociocultural development, in learner corpora, over other dimensions of second language acquisition (SLA). The theoretical and practical challenges of corpus creation in SA settings and their wider use to promote understandings of informal L2 learning are discussed.

scholarly journals The Effect of Attitudes and Emotions on the Desire to Use Arabic in Communication: Case Study of the Learners of Arabic as a Second Language at the Malysian University of Islamic Sciences

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 330
Author(s):  
Mechael Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Language Communication

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of attitudes and emotions on the desire to use Arabic in communication in a second language learning context, in this case learners of Arabic as a second language at the Malaysian University of Islamic Sciences. A number of 225 students from the Islamic Science University of Malaysiavoluntarily participated in the study. The students represented four faculties of the University. A model of "willingness" to communicate in the second language was tested using Structural Equation Modeling and was found to accurately fit the data. The study found that language competence was antecedent of language communication confidence, while language confidence significantly and statistically correlated with willingness to communicate and consequently with language proficiency. The study also showed that male learners are more liable to language anxiety which was found to be negatively correlated with language competence and consequently lack of ability to use the target language. The study recommends that teachers provide learners of Arabic as a second language with greater opportunities to use the language inside and outside the classroom and to make their teaching more task-orientedinstead of lecture-oriented. 

scholarly journals Second Language Acquisition in a Study Abroad Context: Findings and Research Directions

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Pinar
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Linguistic Knowledge ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Relevant Research ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Research Fields ◽  
New Research

The idea that living or studying in the target language country is essential in order to improve linguistic knowledge and understand its culture is widespread. Since the 1980’s, a large amount of research has been conducted in order to describe empirically the linguistic benefits gained from the study abroad context. However, over the last decade researchers have expanded research fields and studied important aspects such as the development of intercultural competence and the influence of extra-linguistic factors during study abroad. The aim of this paper is to present a review and synthesis of the most relevant research projects undertaken during the last decade, highlight the different research lines that have been recently utilized, and comment on their findings. This paper also proposes new research directions that could allow us to understand the deeper complexities of the study abroad learning context. 

Acquisition, study abroad and individual differences

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bret Linford ◽  
Sara Zahler ◽  
Melissa Whatley
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Language Contact ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Variable Structure ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Contact Hours

Abstract The current study examines the combined effect of type and quantity of contact with the target language on the second language development of a variable structure, ‘subject pronoun expression’ in L2 Spanish. A written contextualized task and a language contact questionnaire were given to 26 second language learners of Spanish before and after a six-week study abroad in Valencia, Spain. Their selection of overt and null subject pronouns was compared to native speakers from the study abroad region as well as to learners and native speakers in previous research in a US university context. Results suggest that learners with higher rates of self-reported contact with native speakers while abroad approximate the Valencian native speaker norms more at the end of study abroad than those who report fewer contact hours. However, differences between the groups at the beginning of study abroad indicate that characteristics other than contact hours also differentiate the two learner groups.

scholarly journals Language Proficiency, Reading Development, and Learning Context

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liu Li
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Reading Development ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Learning Contexts

Language learning context plays an important role in second language acquisition. Yet little research has been done to find out the effects of contexts on second language reading development. This study compared the reading development of students at three proficiency levels in two learning contexts: the study abroad context and the at homeland context. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to measure the students’ progress. The results indicate that learning contexts play a role in learners’ reading development. The facilitative effects of the study-abroad context are more pronounced at the intermediate level.

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