Increasing second language production with gestures

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi Wilks-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Language Production ◽  
School Students ◽  
Language Programs ◽  
Second Languages ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Second Language Programs

Abstract Gesture-based methods of teaching second languages have increasingly attracted interest. Previous research has linked gesture with language learning; however, little is known about the impact on learners’ language production, and even less is known about the impact of the unique Intentional Teaching Gestures (ITG) used in many second language programs. This empirical case study investigated the impact of learning with ITG on the oral language production of 170 primary school students learning Japanese as a second language in Australia, using a quasi-experimental approach with Story Re-tell methodology. Findings identify that viewing ITG increased learners’ language retrieval and quantity of oral language produced and highlight the pedagogical value of viewing ITG as a scaffolding tool.

Understanding the nature of performance

2012 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 312-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Scrimgeour
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Chinese Language ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Test Procedures ◽  
Language Programs ◽  
The Impact ◽  
At Home

While Chinese language learning in Australian schools is characterised by predominantly second language programs for learners who have had no prior exposure to the target language, there is increasing participation by Australian-born children who speak Putonghua (Mandarin) or another dialect at home. Curriculum and assessment frameworks and syllabuses at senior secondary level have responded to the diversity in learner background through the provision of separate curricula and assessment schemes for different learner groups based on country of birth, prior educational experience and languages used at home. However the impact of learner background on learning and achievement as learners progress through Chinese language programs both in primary and secondary school remains under-researched. In particular, evidence of how the performance of second language learners differs from that of learners who a) speak the language at home and b) may have substantial community schooling experience beyond the school classroom, or c) were born and initially educated in Chinese, is very limited. This paper reports on the results of the Student Achievement in Asian Languages Education (SAALE) Project (Scarino et al., 2011; Scarino, this issue and Elder, Kim & Knoch, this issue) with regard to student achievement in Chinese. It focuses on the writing performance of Year 10 learners of Chinese and considers specifically the impact of language background by comparing performances between Australian-born students who do and do not speak Chinese at home. Scores assigned to students’ writing gathered on common test procedures confirms the expectation that background language learners perform at significantly higher levels and suggests that the two groups also differ in the nature of that performance. The implications of this data for the teaching, learning and assessment of Chinese in schools, and for the appropriate provision of programs for these different groups of learners is discussed.

What About Fluency? Implicit vs. Explicit Training Affects Artificial Mini-Language Production

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Lichtman
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Explicit Knowledge ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Explicit Instruction ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Training Condition ◽  
Explicit Training ◽  
The Impact

Abstract A great deal of research explores how implicit vs. explicit instruction affects second language learners’ grammatical accuracy, generally finding that explicit instruction increases accuracy. However, no research to date has examined the impact of implicit/explicit instruction on learners’ fluency. Additionally, nearly all the research has only tested adult learners, despite strong claims about the effects of age on implicit vs. explicit language learning. This study tests the impact of implicit or explicit training on children’s and adults’ performance with an artificial mini-language. After seven days of training, fluency, accuracy, and explicit knowledge were measured. Implicit groups became significantly more fluent than explicit groups. Adults were more accurate than children, but training condition did not significantly affect accuracy. Adults and explicit groups developed more explicit knowledge than children and implicit groups, with no interactions between age and training condition. This study is one of the first to show measurable benefits for implicit second language instruction over explicit instruction: both children and adults produce sentences more fluently after implicit instruction.

scholarly journals Social Psychological Theories and Sustainable Second Language Learning: A Model Comparison Approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 16
Author(s):  
Kyung Kim ◽  
Tae-Il Pae
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Second Language ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
School Students ◽  
South Korean

The purposes of the present study are two-fold: (1) To examine whether social psychological variables, such as attitude and subjective norm, can predict South Korean English as a foreign language high school students’ intention to learn English, and (2) to identify the best social psychological model for sustainable second language learning in the context of South Korean English as a foreign language (EFL) learning. A total of 614 South Korean high school learners of English participated in the present study. Data collected from a survey questionnaire were analyzed using a structural equation modeling procedure. Results of the present study indicate that South Korean high school students’ attitudes toward learning English and subjective norms made a significant and independent contribution to the variance in their intention to study English. Among the three competing social psychological models examined in the current study, the theory of Planned Behavior and an expanded model of Gardner’s Socio-educational Model proved to be the most effective in terms of the strength of path coefficients and explanatory power. Theoretical and pedagogical implications are provided.

The Impact of Gamification and Individual Differences on Second Language Learning Among First-Year Female University Students in Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
pp. 104687812110565
Author(s):  
Maram Almufareh
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Video Gaming ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
The Impact

Background The Technology-Enhanced Training Effectiveness Model (TETEM) has been used to assess the effectiveness of various technology-driven solutions in improving students’ outcomes in multiple academic fields. However, limited research is available on the use of TETEM in the context of second language learning. Using a modified TETEM, this study seeks first, to assess the direct effects of students’ attitudes and experiences with video gaming on their achievement; and second, to evaluate the effects of students’ attitudes and experiences that are mediated by their motivation. Methods This study was conducted among preparatory year students at Al-Jouf University, Saudi Arabia. Students were randomly assigned to the technology-enhanced group (Duolingo® + workbook) or the control group (classroom workbook group). We started by comparing student performance between the two groups to evaluate the effect of the intervention. Subsequently, we conducted a confirmatory factor analysis to establish homogenous latent variables for experience, attitude, and motivation. Finally, we used structural equation models to evaluate the presence of direct and mediated effects. Results Students in the Duolingo® + workbook group scored higher on reading, grammar, vocabulary, and writing compared to the workbook group. Positive attitude toward video gaming had both a direct and mediating positive correlation with student achievement. Additionally, motivation toward ESL learning was independently and positively correlated with student achievement. As expected, the technology-enhanced group performed better in reading, grammar, and vocabulary while the control group showed more participation and timely completion of assignments. Conclusion Technology enhancement improves students’ performance for ESL, however, adequate integration of technology in the course curriculum is needed to minimize interference with class participation. Positive attitudes toward video games and motivation toward ESL learning are positive predictors of student achievement while experience with video games has no significant effect.

scholarly journals Study Abroad and Willingness to Communicate: A Case Study at Junior High School

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Adrian Leis
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Second Language ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Junior High ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
School Students ◽  
Study Abroad Program

The goal of this paper is to gain a deeper understanding of whether a short study abroad program is effective in increasing its participants’ willingness to communicate in a second language. Using a questionnaire designed by Yashima (2002), a pre-post design study was used to examine a sample of 80 Japanese junior high school students who participated in a ten-day study abroad program to Sydney, Australia. The results indicate that although there were no statistically significant differences seen in the second language learning motivation of the students participating in the study abroad program, there were salient decreases observed in the anxiety students felt towards speaking English. Furthermore, as clear differences were seen in international posture, joining the study abroad program also meant that students felt more a part of the global community. Based on these results, the author concludes that traveling abroad for the purposes of study is indeed effective for adolescent learners of English, helping them feel more comfortable using the language as a tool for communication. 本論の目的は、短期海外研修参加者の第2言語におけるWillingness to Communicate (WTC) の向上に及ぼす効果について、より深い知見を獲得することである。八島（2002）によって作成されたアンケートを用い、シドニー•オーストラリアでの10日間の海外研修に参加した80人の日本人中学生のサンプルを事前事後調査方式で研究を行った。結果からわかったことは、統計的にみると海外研修に参加した生徒の第2言語における学習意欲には有意差が見られなかったが、生徒が英語を話すことに対して抱いていた不安の軽減が顕著に見られたということである。さらに、国際的な姿勢に明らかな差異が見られ、海外研修への参加は、生徒が国際社会の一員としての認識を強めるものとなっていた。これらの結果により、筆者は、学習を目的とする海外研修は英語を学ぶ生徒には非常に効果があり、海外研修によって生徒たちはより安心感を持って言語をコミュニケーションツールとして用いることができるようになったとの結論に達した。

scholarly journals The Impact of Wait Time Instruction and Teaching Experience on Teachers’ Feedback in Moroccan Speaking Classes

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arab World English Journal ◽  
Sana SAKALE
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Wait Time ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Ex Post ◽  
Ex Post Facto ◽  
The Impact

Instruction plays a major role in the development of speaking skills for second language learners. Different approaches and methods have emerged throughout the history of language learning/teaching based on the influence of different theories of language, psychology, and related domains such as psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, pragmatics and cultural studies. Two major trends in language teaching emerged under the influence of these mentioned language theories, namely, accuracy based versus fluency based approaches. This article gives a historical sketch up to these trends in an attempt to provide a historical background and to empirically bring evidence that wait time instruction and teaching experience can impact classroom feedback in Moroccan classes. Relevant questions related to the role of teachers’ experience in leading different types of feedback, the effect of the number of teaching years as well as the correlation between wait time instruction and the corresponding teaching experience are closely investigated. This article adheres to a mixed design or what has been identified in research methodology as ex-post facto (Cohen, Manion, Morrison, 2007). Therefore, it is both a qualitative and a descriptive one. For the type of instructions used, the results obtained show the insignificance of the impact of experience on this variable. On the other hand, results retained that wait- time instruction in comparison to other items recorded a higher significance of the impact of experience. Therefore, current article brings empirical evidence on how wait- time instruction plays a crucial role in spoken activity for second language learners.

scholarly journals Circadian rhythms and second language performance

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-60
Author(s):  
Kees De Bot ◽  
Fang Fang
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Lexical Access ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Intraindividual Variation ◽  
The Hours ◽  
L1 And L2 ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Second Language Performance

Human behavior is not constant over the hours of the day, and there are considerable individual differences. Some people raise early and go to bed early and have their peek performance early in the day (“larks”) while others tend to go to bed late and get up late and have their best performance later in the day (“owls”). In this contribution we report on three projects on the role of chronotype (CT) in language processing and learning. The first study (de Bot, 2013) reports on the impact of CT on language learning aptitude and word learning. The second project was reported in Fang (2015) and looks at CT and executive functions, in particular inhibition as measured by variants of the Stroop test. The third project aimed at assessing lexical access in L1 and L2 at preferred and non-preferred times of the day. The data suggest that there are effects of CT on language learning and processing. There is a small effect of CT on language aptitude and a stronger effect of CT on lexical access in the first and second language. The lack of significance for other tasks is mainly caused by the large interindividual and intraindividual variation.

KEEFEKTIFAN METODE CONTEXTUAL TEACHING AND LEARNING DALAM MENULIS NARASI DI SEKOLAH DASAR

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 347-356
Author(s):  
Tri Riya Anggraini ◽  
Dian Permanasari
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Elementary School Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Average Score ◽  
School Students ◽  
Essay Writing ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Normalized Gain ◽  
And Control

The purpose of this study was to find out whether the CTL model was effective in improving the narrative essay writing skills of grade 6 elementary school students. The research design used was a Quasi experimental study. Based on the results of research conducted, it is known that the pretest data of the experimental and control classes are normally distributed and homogeneous. The pretest t-value is smaller than the t-table price (-0.081 <1.647) and the significance (0.935> 0.05), meaning that HO is accepted. This shows that there is no difference in the average score of narrative essay writing skills between the control class and the experimental class at the time of the pretest. Posttest t-count value is greater than t-table price (2.153> 2,000) and significance (0.036 <0.05). Ha was accepted and HO was rejected. Ha accepted means that there is a difference in the average score of narrative essay writing skills between the control class and the experimental class, ie the average experimental class is higher with a mean difference of 0.1552. Large increase in the experimental class can be seen in the average normalized gain of 0.357 or included in the medium category, while the control class 0.209 included in the low category. The effectiveness of the CTL model is expected to be a consideration for grade 6 teachers to apply the CTL model to Indonesian language learning with other aspects or material. The application of the CTL model is expected to be one of the innovative models for effective Indonesian language learning

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