Narratives of second language identity amongst young English learners in Hong Kong

ELT Journal ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Besser ◽  
A. Chik
Author(s):  
Minder Kaur Parthaman Singh ◽  
Jo Yee Liew ◽  
Ching Sin Siau

The purpose of this study was to identify and investigate urban English learners’ perceptions towards their second language identity in Malaysia and the influence of the said identity on their employment opportunities in Malaysia. This research was an exploratory study that employed a qualitative research design. The data was analysed for second language identity development factors and participants’ perception on the influence of their English language identity on their employment opportunities. The second language identity development factors identified were personal, social, professional, educational and learning environment. These factors were found to have influenced the participants’ second language identity development. The participants’ perception on the influence of their English language identity on their employment opportunities were analysed and discussed. This study has implications for studies on English language proficiency and employment opportunities in Malaysia as well as providing English educators with a different outlook on the resources used to teach English learners. Recommendations for future studies include conducting a long-term project that involves participants noting down their narratives such as a photo-elicitation project, to use as data for furthering this research.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
Sea Hee Choi ◽  
Tania Ionin

Abstract This paper examines whether second language (L2)-English learners whose native languages (L1; Korean and Mandarin) lack obligatory plural marking transfer the properties of plural marking from their L1s, and whether transfer is manifested both offline (in a grammaticality judgment task) and online (in a self-paced reading task). The online task tests the predictions of the morphological congruency hypothesis (Jiang 2007), according to which L2 learners have particular difficulty automatically activating the meaning of L2 morphemes that are incongruent with their L1. Experiment 1 tests L2 learners’ sensitivity to errors of –s oversuppliance with mass nouns, while Experiment 2 tests their sensitivity to errors of –s omission with count nouns. The findings show that (a) L2 learners detect errors with nonatomic mass nouns (sunlights) but not atomic ones (furnitures), both offline and online; and (b) L1-Korean L2-English learners are more successful than L1-Mandarin L2-English learners in detecting missing –s with definite plurals (these boat), while the two groups behave similarly with indefinite plurals (many boat). Given that definite plurals require plural marking in Korean but not in Mandarin, the second finding is consistent with L1-transfer. Overall, the findings show that learners are able to overcome morphological incongruency and acquire novel uses of L2 morphemes.


2014 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roumyana Slabakova ◽  
Jennifer Cabrelli Amaro ◽  
Sang Kyun Kang

Abstract This article presents results of two off-line comprehension tasks investigating the acceptability of unconventional and conventional metonymy by native speakers of Korean and Spanish who speak English as a second language. We are interested in discovering whether learners differentiate between conventional and unconventional metonymy, and whether the acceptability of metonymic expressions in the native language has an effect on learners’ judgments in the second language. The findings of this study constitute further experimental support for the psychological reality of the distinction between conventional and unconventional metonymy, but only in English. Learners of English at intermediate levels of proficiency exhibit transfer from the native language in comprehending metonymic shifts of meanings. Restructuring of the grammar is evident in later stages of development. Finally, complete success in acquiring L2 metonymic patterns is attested in our experimental study. Implications for L2A theories and teaching practices are discussed.


2003 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 277-278

04–644 Donaghue, H. (Shajah Women's College, UAE). An instrument to elicit teachers’ beliefs and assumptions. ELT Journal (Oxford, UK), 57, 4 (2003), 344–351.04–645 Heller-Murphy, Anne and Northcott, Joy (U. of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK). “Who does she think she is?” constraints on autonomy in language teacher education. Edinburgh Working Papers in Applied Linguistics (Edinburgh, Scotland, UK), 12 (2003), 10–18.04–646 LeLoup, J. W. (State U. of New-York-Cortland) and Schmidt-Rinchart, B. A Venezuelan experience: professional development for teachers, meaningful activities for students. Hispania (Ann Arbor, USA), 86, 3 (2003), 586–591.04–647 Macaro, E. (University of Oxford; Email: [email protected]) Second language teachers as second language classroom researchers. Language Learning Journal (Rugby, UK), 27 (2003), 43–51.04–648 Murphy, J. (New College, Nottingham). Task-based learning: the interaction between tasks and learners. ELT Journal (Oxford, UK), 57, 4 (2003), 352–360.04–649 Urmston, Alan (Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority, Hong Kong; Email: [email protected]). Learning to teach English in Hong Kong: the opinions of teachers in training. Language and Education (Clevedon, UK), 17, 2 (2003), 112–137.04–650 Wharton, Sue (University of Aston, UK; Email: [email protected]). Defining appropriate criteria for the assessment of master's level TESOL assignments. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education (London, UK), 28, 6 (2003), 649–663.04–651 Wildsmith-Cromarty, Rosemary (University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa; Email: [email protected]). Mutual apprenticeship in the learning and teaching of an additional language. Language and Education (Clevedon, UK), 17, 2 (2003), 138–154.


Author(s):  
Alison Larkin Koushki

Use of literature in the English language classroom deepens student engagement, and fairy tales add magic to the mix. This article details the benefits of engaging English learners in literature and fairy tales, and explores how drama can be enlisted to further mine their riches. An educator’s case studies of language teaching through literature and drama projects are described, and the research question driving them highlighted: What is the impact of dramatizing literature on students’ engagement in novels and second language acquisition? Research on the effects of literature, drama, and the fairy tale genre on second language education is reviewed. Reading and acting out literature and fairy tales hones all four language skills while also enhancing the Seven Cs life skills: communication, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, commitment, compromise, and confidence. Adding the frame of project-based learning to the instructional strengths of literature and drama forms a strong pedagogical triangle for second language learning. Fairy tales are easily enacted. English educators and learners can download free fairy tale scripts and spice them with creative twists of their own creation or adapted from film and cartoon versions. Providing maximum student engagement, tales can be portrayed with minimum preparation. Using a few simple props and a short script, English learners can dramatize The Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, or Snow White in class with little practice. Engagement increases when teams act out tales on stage for an audience of family, friends, classmates, and educators. In fairy tale enactment projects, whether in class or on stage, students apply their multiple intelligences when choosing team roles: script-writing, acting, backstage, costumes, make-up, sound and lights, reporter, advertising, usher, writer’s corner, or stage managing. The article concludes with a list of engaging language activities for use with fairy tales, and a summary of the benefits of fairy tale enactments for English learners.


2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-87
Author(s):  
Ruth Wong

This paper publishes the results of a study of Hong Kong Chinese upper secondary students (Form 4 and Form 6) regarding their motivation orientations for learning English. The study analysed male and females student groups using Gardner and Lambert's (1972) 'extrinsic and intrinsic motivation' theoretical framework in order to elicit the most revealing results from the data. Findings will have meaningful implications for pedagogy, helping educators identify strategies more appropriate to distinct Chinese-speaking second-language student groups.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (04) ◽  
pp. 802-825 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANNIKA ANDERSSON ◽  
SUSAN SAYEHLI ◽  
MARIANNE GULLBERG

This study examines possible crosslinguistic influence on basic word order processing in a second language (L2). Targeting Swedish V2 word order we investigate adult German learners (+V2 in the L1) and English learners (-V2 in the L1) of Swedish who are matched for proficiency. We report results from two offline behavioural tasks (written production, metalinguistic judgements), and online processing as measured by event-related potentials (ERPs). All groups showed sensitivity to word order violations behaviourally and neurocognitively. Behaviourally, the learners differed from the native speakers only on judgements. Crucially, they did not differ from each other. Neurocognitively, all groups showed a similar increased centro-parietal P600 ERP-effect, but German learners (+V2) displayed more nativelike anterior ERP-effects than English learners (-V2). The results suggest crosslinguistic influence in that the presence of a similar word order in the L1 can facilitate online processing in an L2 – even if no offline behavioural effects are discerned.


Author(s):  
Phil Benson ◽  
Gary Barkhuizen ◽  
Peter Bodycott ◽  
Jill Brown

Author(s):  
Phil Benson ◽  
Gary Barkhuizen ◽  
Peter Bodycott ◽  
Jill Brown

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document