Role Models in Language Learning: Results of a Large-Scale International Survey

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Muir ◽  
Zoltán Dörnyei ◽  
Svenja Adolphs
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Role Model ◽  
English Language ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Future Research ◽  
International Survey

Abstract Role models can exert considerable influence in shaping individuals’ values, attitudes, and beliefs. A large body of work in the social sciences has investigated the influence of celebrity role models, and in the context of education, several disciplines have a rich research history in this area (e.g. medical education). However, in the context of second language acquisition, research centred on role models has largely remained on the periphery. This study presents a large-scale international survey investigating the role models of English language learners. With data collected from 8,472 participants, analysis investigated whether these learners had English language role models, who the role models were and what characteristics learners valued in them, and investigated systematic variation among subgroups. Results showed that 68 per cent of respondents reported having an English language role model, and four key role model dimensions emerged: overall command of English, paralinguistic features, personal attributes and accent/variety of English. We argue that role modelling may be a highly influential component of the psychological context of second-language acquisition, and conclude by highlighting several valuable areas for future research.

scholarly journals Cross-Cultural Adjustment and Second Language Acquisition

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 290-300
Author(s):  
Mahdi Aben Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
English Language ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Cultural Adjustment ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Future Research ◽  
American Universities ◽  
Saudi Students

The purpose of this study is to examine how the process of cross-cultural adjustment affects second language acquisition for Saudi students in the American universities. The sample consists of a group of Saudi students studying at one of the American universities in the USA. Interviews were carried out to collect data about daily life experiences of subjects, their feelings, and ways of coping in academic and social community, and also what motivates them to study English, and their attitudes toward the English language, its culture and its people. The findings of this study suggest that there are several factors for healthier adjustment and greater successful acquisition of second language, and there are other factors that keep a number of the interviewees socially and psychologically distant from the target population, and the target culture. From the findings of the current study, a number of implications and recommendations for future research have been developed to help professionals involved with international students and English as a Second Language field better understand Saudis and their journey towards cross-cultural adjustment, and acquiring a second language. 

scholarly journals Learning Poetry: Attitudes and Challenges Faced by ESL Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-69
Author(s):  
Hafilah Zainal Abidin ◽  
Taufik Lock Kim Wai
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Positive Attitude ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
Selection Of

Learning literature, as part of the English Language Syllabus, has been practiced in many countries. In Malaysia, literature is incorporated as a component and an authentic means of learning the language with the hope that students acquire the desired language skills. However, poetry, one of the genres in the component, is the least favourable among students. This paper investigates students’ attitude towards learning poetry and the challenges they encountered learning poetry. Data from 120 respondents were collected through questionnaire and interviews. The findings revealed that the selection of texts for poetry in the literature component and teacher’s methodology play a role in cultivating students' interest in learning not only the language but also the context, culture, and values as well as inculcating a positive attitude towards learning poetry in second language acquisition.

scholarly journals ENGLISH LANGUAGE IMMERSION BERBASIS KEARIFAN LOKAL BAGI SISWA SEKOLAH DASAR

Sarwahita ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (02) ◽  
pp. 140-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusup Supriyono ◽  
Nita Sari Narulita Dewi
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
English Language ◽  
Portfolio Assessment ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Language Immersion ◽  
School Level ◽  
Cultural Learning ◽  
Young Learners

ABSTRACT: Early English mastery for children is very urgent considering Indonesia has an important position in the world's interests, both economically, socially, culturally and politically. Therefore, the global communication capability is one of the national agenda which is affixed to the national curriculum which must be studied from elementary level to university. Local Language Wisdom Immersion approach based on Local Wisdom comes as an effort to face the challenge. The targets of this program are young learners, ranging in age from 10-12 years old, who sit at the elementary school level. Learners learn English using a mix of local and international content, enabling cross-cultural learning, and learning patterns using second language acquisition. Furthermore, the portfolio assessment is used for assessment, including test, questionnaire, observation, and documents. The advantages of English language immersion based on local wisdom, ie learners in addition to mastering basic English, they are also prepared psychologically, socially and culturally. Their future hopes will be the future of national communications capabilities of global communications capabilities.   ABSTRAK: Penguasan bahasa Inggris sejak dini menjadi sangat urgen mengingat Indonesia memiliki posisi penting dalam pencaturan kepentingan dunia, baik secara ekonomi, social, budaya maupun politik. Oleh karena itu, kemampuan komunikasi global menjadi salah satu agenda nasional yang dibubuhkan menjadi kurikulum nasional yang harus dipelajari mulai tingkat dasar sampai perguruan tinggi. Pendekatan English Language Immersion berbasis Kearifan lokal hadir sebagai upaya menghadapi tantang tersebut. Sasaran program ini adalah pebelajar muda (English young learners), dengan rentang usia 10-12 tahun, yang duduk ditingkat sekolah dasar. Peserta didik belajar bahasa Inggris dengan menggunakan perpaduan konten lokal dan internasional, sehingga memungkinkan akan adanya belajar lintas budaya, dan pola-pola belajar menggunakan teori pemerolehan bahasa kedua (Second language acquisition). Selanjutnya portfolio assessment digunakan untuk melihat kemampuan, kinerja dan prestasi yang terukur dengan menggunakan alat assessmen, diantaranya test, kuesioner, observasi, dan dokumen. Kelebihan dari English language immersion berbasis kearifan lokal, yaitu peserta didik disamping dapat menguasai bahasa Inggris dasar, mereka juga dipersiapkan secara psikologis, sosial dan budaya. Harapan kedepan mereka akan menjadi duta bangsa di masa depan yang akan menyampaikan pesan kepada dunia bahwa bangsa Indonsia adalah bangsa yang besar yang memiki keunggulan-keunggulan lokal yang dapat dinilai secara ekonomi maupun politik yang patut dibanggakan ditingkat dunia melalui kemampuan komunikasi global yang mereka kuasai.

scholarly journals Review of Early instructed second language acquisition: Pathways to competence; Editors: Joanna Rokita-Jaśkow, Melanie Ellis; Publisher: Multilingual Matters, 2019; ISBN: 9781788922494; Pages: 257

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 737-744
Author(s):  
Paweł Scheffler
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Special Educational Needs ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Instructed Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Large Scale Survey ◽  
Teaching Grammar

In a large scale survey of teachers’ perceptions of the challenges they face in teaching English to young primary school learners (Copland, Garton, & Burns, 2014), some of the key issues that are identified are as follows: teaching speaking, using only English in the classroom, enhancing motivation, maintaining discipline, catering for different individual needs (including special educational needs), dealing with parents, and teaching grammar as well as reading and writing. The relevance of Early Instructed Second Language Acquisition, edited by Rokita-Jaśkow and Ellis, is clearly shown by the fact that it addresses most of these central issues.

The Effect of Teachers’ Use of Reinforcement on Learners’ Performance in English Language

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-129
Author(s):  
Ndegwa Grace Konyu; Dr. Lucy Wathika; Dr Josephine Khaemba
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Random Sampling ◽  
English Language ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Verbatim Transcript

The intention of the study was to establish the effect of teachers’ use of reinforcement on learners’ performance in English language. It was done in selected secondary schools in Nakuru town and used descriptive research design. The study was guided by Gardner and Lambert’s Socio-Educational model of second language acquisition. Stratified random sampling was employed in selecting four schools while simple random sampling was used to choose one stream in form two, three and four in each school for observation. It resulted in eight observational schedules. The study sample of 60 students in form 2-4 and 8 teachers of English was purposively selected for interviews. A total number of 353 learners were observed. The study used interviews, audio recording and Structured Observational Schedules for data collection. The data was presented in form of tables, figures and verbatim transcript excerpts used for exemplification and illustration in a qualitative explication. The findings of the study revealed that second language learners’ performance in English is greatly influenced by teachers’ use of reinforcement. Moreover, it proved that teachers of English give unguarded praises, negative statements and criticisms to English second language learners. This study is a vital contribution to the field of Second Language Acquisition theory and practice with regard to offering information and insight into reinforcement, motivation and attitude in practical language acquisition and learning in the classroom situation. These findings are useful in the improvement of second language learners’ performance in English. Teachers of English will also acquaint themselves with effective use of positive verbal reinforcement which works as a motivational force on learners’ acquisition and use of the English language.

THE ASPECT HYPOTHESIS AND THE ACQUISITION OF L2 PAST MORPHOLOGY IN THE LAST 20 YEARS

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 1137-1167
Author(s):  
Kathleen Bardovi-Harlig ◽  
Llorenç Comajoan-Colomé
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Coming Of Age ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Aspect Hypothesis ◽  
Tense And Aspect ◽  
The Third

AbstractTwenty years ago, a state-of-the-art review in SSLA marked the coming of age of the study of temporality in second language acquisition. This was followed by three monographs on tense and aspect the next year. This article presents a state-of-the-scholarship review of the last 20 years of research addressing the aspect hypothesis (AH) (Andersen, 1991, 2002; Andersen & Shirai, 1994, 1996), the most tested hypothesis in L2 temporality research. The first section of the article gives an overview of the AH and examines its central tenets, and then explores the results of empirical studies that test the hypothesis. The second section considers studies that have investigated four crucial variables in the acquisition of temporality and the testing of the AH. The third section discusses theoretically motivated areas of future research within the framework of the hypothesis.

scholarly journals I English Language

2019 ◽  
Vol 98 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-166
Author(s):  
Viktorija Kostadinova ◽  
Nuria Yáñez-Bouza ◽  
Gea Dreschler ◽  
Sune Gregersen ◽  
Beáta Gyuris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
English Language ◽  
Lexical Semantics ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Section 8 ◽  
History Of

Abstract This chapter has fourteen sections: 1. General; 2. History of English Linguistics; 3. Phonetics and Phonology (not covered this year); 4. Morphology; 5. Syntax; 6. Semantics; 7. Lexicography, Lexicology, and Lexical Semantics; 8. Onomastics; 9. Dialectology and Sociolinguistics; 10. New Englishes and Creolistics; 11. Second Language Acquisition. 12. English as a Lingua Franca; 13. Pragmatics and Discourse. 14. Stylistics. Section 1 is by Viktorija Kostadinova; section 2 is by Nuria Yáñez-Bouza; sections 4 and 5 are by Gea Dreschler and Sune Gregersen; section 6 is by Beáta Gyuris; section 7 is by Kathryn Allan; section 8 is by Maggie Scott; section 9 is by Lieselotte Anderwald; section 10 is by Sven Leuckert; section 11 is by Tihana Kraš; section 12 is by Tian Gan, Ida Parise, Sum Pok Ting, Juliana Souza da Silva and Alessia Cogo; section 13 is by Beke Hansen; section 14 is by Jessica Norledge.

scholarly journals Effect of Age in Second Language Acquisition: A Critical Review from the Perspective of Critical Period Hypothesis and Ultimate Attainment

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Mosiur Rahman ◽  
Ambigapathy Pandian ◽  
Abdul Karim ◽  
Faheem Hasan Shahed
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Critical Period ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Critical Period Hypothesis ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Ultimate Attainment ◽  
Effect Of Age

This article addresses the effect of age in Second Language Acquisition (SLA), posing the relative question that whether the Critical Period hypothesis (CPH) exists in Second Language (SL), and if existing, how it is associated duly with SLA. The justification of comparing the achievement of L1 and L2 learners on the basis of Ultimate Attainment (UA) in the establishment of Critical Period Hypothesis, is also discussed. In the methodology, secondary data analysis was used to answer of research questions. To achieve a reliable result from the wide range of secondary data primarily from journal articles, a systemic search has been adopted. In conclusion, compare and contrast was made with earlier studies to show the findings of the study and to scope future research. 

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