A study on explicit instruction and its relation to knowing/using linguistic forms and individual learner readiness

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 116-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristof Baten
Keyword(s):  
Explicit Instruction ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
First Year ◽  
Linguistic Performance ◽  
Oral Production ◽  
Case System ◽  
Developmental Readiness ◽  
L2 Development ◽  
Grammatical Judgment ◽  
First Year University

This paper reports the results of a study on the effects of explicit instruction, which examined the L2 development of the German case system. The study investigated to what extent the effects of instruction, if any, depend on (i) the type of linguistic performance (knowledge vs. use) and (ii) the developmental readiness of the learners. The pretest-posttest study involved 18 first-year university students of German (L1 Dutch), who were administered a grammatical judgment task (which examined their knowledge of the case rule) and an oral production task (which examined their case use). The findings uncover differences between pretest and posttests, which shows that explicit instruction improves linguistic performance in general. Further analysis reveals that the effect does not depend on ‘type of performance’, but that it does depend on ‘developmental readiness’.

scholarly journals The effects of immersive multimedia learning with peer support on speaking skill among male and female students

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asnawi Asnawi
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Multimedia Learning ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Male Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Oral Production ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Speaking Skill ◽  
First Year University

This study investigated the effects of immersive multimedia language learning technique on performance in English in terms of oral production skills in reading and speaking that involved six measures, namely, pausing, phrasing, stress, intonation, rate, and integration without the mediation of the first language of the students amongst both males and females. A quasi-experimental design was employed for the study. Eighty first-year university students enrolled in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) course were selected for this study and the teaching treatment was followed for eight sessions with one session per week. Data were analysed using one-way ANOVA. The findings showed that following the immersive multimedia learning, male students in the immersive multimedia group with peer support performed significantly better in four of the six measures of reading skills, namely, phrasing, stress, intonation, and integration as compared to their counterparts in the non-peer supported groups and there were no significant differences for pausing and rate. On the other hand, female students in the immersive multimedia learning with peer support group performed significantly better in all six measures of oral production for reading and speaking than their counterparts in the groups without peer support.  These findings showed that the immersive multimedia technique with peer support reduced the use of code-switching strategies by the students and enabled them to develop oral production skills in English approaching the patterns of native speakers especially amongst the female students.  

scholarly journals USING EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION ABOUT L1 TO REDUCE CROSSLINGUISTIC EFFECTS IN L2 GRAMMAR LEARNING: EVIDENCE FROM ORAL PRODUCTION IN L2 FRENCH

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin McManus ◽  
Emma Marsden
Keyword(s):  
Explicit Instruction ◽  
Verbal Morphology ◽  
Learning Problem ◽  
Oral Production ◽  
Different Types ◽  
L2 Learning ◽  
L2 Development ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Crosslinguistic Influence ◽  
L1 And L2

This study advances previous research about the effects of explicit instruction on second language (L2) development by examining learners’ use of verbal morphology following different types of explicit information (EI) and comprehension practice. We investigated the extent to which additional EI about L1 can reduce the effects of crosslinguistic influence in L2 oral production. Sixty-nine English-speaking learners of L2 French undertook either: (a) a ‘core’ treatment of EI about the L2 with L2 comprehension practice, (b) the same L2 core + L1comprehension practice, (c) the same L2 core + L1 comprehension practice + EI about L1, or (d) outcome tests only. Results showed that providing additional EI about the L1 benefitted the accuracy of oral production immediately after the instruction and then 6 weeks later. These results suggest that tailoring instruction, specifically the nature of the EI, to the nature of the learning problem can facilitate L2 learning. In particular, EI about L1 can facilitate L2 learning by increasing learners’ awareness of similarities and differences in how L1 and L2 express the same meanings.

The Need to Belong and the Relationship Between Loneliness and Health

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 194-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Freda-Marie Hartung ◽  
Britta Renner
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Situation ◽  
First Year ◽  
Health State ◽  
Need To Belong ◽  
First Year University ◽  
Perceived Social Isolation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Humans are social animals; consequently, a lack of social ties affects individuals’ health negatively. However, the desire to belong differs between individuals, raising the question of whether individual differences in the need to belong moderate the impact of perceived social isolation on health. In the present study, 77 first-year university students rated their loneliness and health every 6 weeks for 18 weeks. Individual differences in the need to belong were found to moderate the relationship between loneliness and current health state. Specifically, lonely students with a high need to belong reported more days of illness than those with a low need to belong. In contrast, the strength of the need to belong had no effect on students who did not feel lonely. Thus, people who have a strong need to belong appear to suffer from loneliness and become ill more often, whereas people with a weak need to belong appear to stand loneliness better and are comparatively healthy. The study implies that social isolation does not impact all individuals identically; instead, the fit between the social situation and an individual’s need appears to be crucial for an individual’s functioning.

Correlating entrance data and first year academic performance of students enrolled in the Integrated Master in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Porto

2021 ◽  
pp. 030641902110156
Author(s):  
TMGP Duarte ◽  
AM Lopes ◽  
LFM da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Institutional Factors ◽  
First Year ◽  
Female Type ◽  
The University ◽  
First Year University ◽  
Over Time

Understanding how the academic performance of first year undergraduate students is influenced by home, personal and institutional factors is fundamental to delineate policies able to mitigate failure. This paper investigates possible correlations between the academic performance of students at the end of high school with their achievements at the end of first year university. Data for students in the Integrated Master in Mechanical Engineering (MIEM) program within the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Porto are analysed for the period 2016/2017 to 2019/2020. The students’ performance is measured by two metrics and the students are structured as a whole and by groups, according to their gender (Male/Female), type of secondary school (Public/Private), living place (Away/Home) and the rank of MIEM in their application list of options (Option 1/Option 2–6). The information is organized statistically and possible correlations between the data are investigated. The analysis reveals limited correlation between the two metrics, meaning that all students may exhibit good or poor results at the end of first year in MIEM, independent of their status at entrance. An unanticipated pattern is exhibited for the group Option 2–6, since it shows that, despite entering into MIEM without top application marks, the students in this group can perform as well as the others. This behavior is consistent over time.

scholarly journals Application of Cannabis Use Intention Questionnaire (CUIQ) to First Year University Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Inês Teodoro ◽  
Hugo Torres ◽  
Nuno Venâncio ◽  
Guilhermina Moutinho ◽  
Maria Deolinda Auxtero
Keyword(s):  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Self Control ◽  
First Year ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
Intent To Use ◽  
First Year University

Cannabis is the illegal drug most used worldwide. Its long-term use increases the risk of depression and schizophrenia, causing a major public health problem. A validated questionnaire was applied to first year students of Instituto Universitário Egas Moniz to assess their intention regarding cannabis use. They do not consider cannabis to be much associated with well-being, they slightly consider the opinion of relatives, and they show a low intent to use the drug, believing themselves to have strong self-control. Scores are above average for 18-y.o. Portuguese students, except for belief in self-control.

Promoting learning and unlearning through textual enhancement in a closely related L1-L2 relationship

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
Paolo Della Putta
Keyword(s):  
Judgment Task ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Spanish Speaking ◽  
Instructional Treatment ◽  
Group A ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Textual Enhancement ◽  
Group B ◽  
Syntactic Properties ◽  
Grammatical Judgment

AbstractThis study investigates the differential effects of Textual Enhancement (TE) on the learning and unlearning of two syntactic properties of Spanish – the absence of the Pre-possessive Determiner Article (PPDA) and the presence of the Prepositional Accusative (PA) – which each pose specific acquisitional difficulties for Italian-speaking learners of Spanish (ISS) due to their asymmetrical relationships with corresponding L1 structures. 77 ISS were divided in two experimental groups: group A read 5 texts with TE on PA – the feature to be learned – and group B read the same 5 texts with TE on PPDA – the feature to be unlearned. The participants took a timed grammatical judgment task three times (before, five days after, and two months after the instructional treatment). The results are compared with those of Della Putta (2016), a symmetrical study to this, in which the same teaching intervention and experimental conditions were adopted with Spanish-speaking learners of Italian, whose task was to unlearn PA and to learn PPDA. The bidirectional comparison shows a similar, weak effect of TE, although in the present study, unlike in Della Putta (2016), unlearning did not seem to be more difficult than learning. These similarities and differences are discussed and theoretically motivated.

scholarly journals Factors associated with depressive episode among first year University students in Serbia

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Čanković ◽  
D Čanković ◽  
I Radić ◽  
D Rakić ◽  
S Ukropina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
University Students ◽  
Depressive Episode ◽  
Social Health ◽  
Support Network ◽  
First Year ◽  
Behavioral Factors ◽  
First Year University

Abstract Background Some findings indicate that university students are at higher risk of depression despite being a socially advantaged population, showing that 15 to 25% of them develop some type of mental disorder during graduation, and depression is one of the most prevalent. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and its association with gender, material status, social health, and behavioral factors among university students. Methods The research represents a cross-sectional study conducted at the University of Novi Sad, Serbia. The research involved 455 first-year students. The average age of participants was 19.3 years (72.1% girls and 27.9% boys). Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to measure depressive symptoms (cut point for depressive episode ≥10). Additional questions were focused on self-assessed material status, social health, and behavioral factors (smoking and alcohol use). The binary logistic regression model was used to estimate the association between depression and observed independent variables. Results The prevalence of moderate to severe depressive episode among students was 18.0%, with no gender differences. Out of the total, 11.0% of students had suicidal thoughts or thoughts of hurting themselves. Multivariable logistic regression showed that self-assessed poor material status (OR = 2.04; 95%CI: 1.06-3.89), self-assessed poor social health (OR = 8.9; 95%CI:4.87-16.42) and smoking (OR = 2.18; 95%CI: 1.09-4.39) were significant predictors of depression among first-year university students. Conclusions High prevalence of depressive episode among university students call for the action for the promotion of mental health, particularly among those of lower socioeconomic status, and points out the importance of social health and social network in the prevention of mental disorders. Key messages Students on the first year of University should be screened for depressive symptoms. It is important to educate students on how to create a strong support network and to implement intervention programs for improving mental health through fostering healthy lifestyles change.

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