Skilled Writers’ Generating Strategies in L1 and L2: An Exploratory Study

2010 ◽  
pp. 151-161
Author(s):  
Johanne S. Bourdages
Keyword(s):  
Exploratory Study ◽  
L1 And L2

Acquiring the pitch patterns of L2 Mandarin Chinese

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunsheng Yang
Keyword(s):  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
First Language ◽  
Tone Sequence ◽  
Foreign Accent ◽  
Subject Group ◽  
Syntactic Structures ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Pitch Patterns ◽  
L1 And L2

AbstractThis study examines the acquisition of utterance-level pitch patterns in Mandarin Chinese by American second language (L2) learners. It is an exploratory study with the goal of identifying the utterance-level prosody in L2 Mandarin Chinese. The focus of this study is not on the pitch patterns of individual learners but those of subject groups. The analysis shows that the pitch patterns between two syntactic structures for the same tone sequence vary with the tone sequence and the subject group. The biggest difference between first language (L1) and L2 Mandarin Chinese lies in the frequency of target undershoot in L2 speech. The infrequent tone target undershoot in L2 speech, especially among the intermediate learners, was attributed to the incomplete acquisition of L2 prosody. It was argued that the infrequent tone target undershoot may render L2 speech more staccato or robot-like, which contributes to the perception of a foreign accent in L2 Mandarin Chinese.

scholarly journals Assessing critical thinking in L2: An exploratory study

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-21
Author(s):  
Sam Reid ◽  
Peter Chin
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
First Language ◽  
Test Format ◽  
Cultural Issues ◽  
Rating Accuracy ◽  
Ct Test ◽  
L1 And L2

Critical thinking (CT) is taking on an increasingly important role in Japanese tertiary education. Teachers tasked with developing CT in a second-language (L2) context may need a way of assessing students’ abilities. However, a number of difficulties face L2 students taking a test designed for first-language (L1) speakers. They may be disadvantaged by linguistic and perhaps cultural issues. This study describes an exploratory attempt to make a CT test that can be administered to learners of English and which allows them to display selected elements of CT, specifically analyzing arguments and judging or evaluating. A comparison of L1 and L2 performance in the test showed the results to be comparable. Analysis of two different question topics showed differences in CT skills displayed. Issues with rating accuracy are linked to the format of the test. We argue that this test format is suitable for many students in Japan and elsewhere who have intermediate levels of English.

scholarly journals Assessing critical thinking in L2: An exploratory study

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-21
Author(s):  
Sam Reid ◽  
Peter Chin
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
First Language ◽  
Test Format ◽  
Cultural Issues ◽  
Rating Accuracy ◽  
Ct Test ◽  
L1 And L2

Critical thinking (CT) is taking on an increasingly important role in Japanese tertiary education. Teachers tasked with developing CT in a second-language (L2) context may need a way of assessing students’ abilities. However, a number of difficulties face L2 students taking a test designed for first-language (L1) speakers. They may be disadvantaged by linguistic and perhaps cultural issues. This study describes an exploratory attempt to make a CT test that can be administered to learners of English and which allows them to display selected elements of CT, specifically analyzing arguments and judging or evaluating. A comparison of L1 and L2 performance in the test showed the results to be comparable. Analysis of two different question topics showed differences in CT skills displayed. Issues with rating accuracy are linked to the format of the test. We argue that this test format is suitable for many students in Japan and elsewhere who have intermediate levels of English.

A View of the Lexical–Grammatical Link in Young Latinos With Specific Language Impairment Using Language-Specific and Conceptual Measures

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 1775-1786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucía I. Méndez ◽  
Gabriela Simon-Cereijido
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Vocabulary Skills ◽  
In The Beginning ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
L1 And L2

Purpose This study investigated the nature of the association of lexical–grammatical abilities within and across languages in Latino dual language learners (DLLs) with specific language impairment (SLI) using language-specific and bilingual measures. Method Seventy-four Spanish/English–speaking preschoolers with SLI from preschools serving low-income households participated in the study. Participants had stronger skills in Spanish (first language [L1]) and were in the initial stages of learning English (second language [L2]). The children's lexical, semantic, and grammar abilities were assessed using normative and researcher-developed tools in English and Spanish. Hierarchical linear regressions of cross-sectional data were conducted using measures of sentence repetition tasks, language-specific vocabulary, and conceptual bilingual lexical and semantic abilities in Spanish and English. Results Results indicate that language-specific vocabulary abilities support the development of grammar in L1 and L2 in this population. L1 vocabulary also contributes to L2 grammar above and beyond the contribution of L2 vocabulary skills. However, the cross-linguistic association between vocabulary in L2 and grammar skills in the stronger or more proficient language (L1) is not observed. In addition, conceptual vocabulary significantly supported grammar in L2, whereas bilingual semantic skills supported L1 grammar. Conclusions Our findings reveal that the same language-specific vocabulary abilities drive grammar development in L1 and L2 in DLLs with SLI. In the early stages of L2 acquisition, vocabulary skills in L1 also seem to contribute to grammar skills in L2 in this population. Thus, it is critical to support vocabulary development in both L1 and L2 in DLLs with SLI, particularly in the beginning stages of L2 acquisition. Clinical and educational implications are discussed.

Classifying Disfluencies in Preschool- and School-Age Spanish–English Bilinguals Who Do Not Stutter: An Exploratory Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-130
Author(s):  
Raúl Rojas ◽  
Farzan Irani
Keyword(s):  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Total Percentage ◽  
Narrative Production ◽  
Language Measures ◽  
Mean Length Of Utterance

Purpose This exploratory study examined the language skills and the type and frequency of disfluencies in the spoken narrative production of Spanish–English bilingual children who do not stutter. Method A cross-sectional sample of 29 bilingual students (16 boys and 13 girls) enrolled in grades prekindergarten through Grade 4 produced a total of 58 narrative retell language samples in English and Spanish. Key outcome measures in each language included the percentage of normal (%ND) and stuttering-like (%SLD) disfluencies, percentage of words in mazes (%MzWds), number of total words, number of different words, and mean length of utterance in words. Results Cross-linguistic, pairwise comparisons revealed significant differences with medium effect sizes for %ND and %MzWds (both lower for English) as well as for number of different words (lower for Spanish). On average, the total percentage of mazed words was higher than 10% in both languages, a pattern driven primarily by %ND; %SLDs were below 1% in both languages. Multiple linear regression models for %ND and %SLD in each language indicated that %MzWds was the primary predictor across languages beyond other language measures and demographic variables. Conclusions The findings extend the evidence base with regard to the frequency and type of disfluencies that can be expected in bilingual children who do not stutter in grades prekindergarten to Grade 4. The data indicate that %MzWds and %ND can similarly index the normal disfluencies of bilingual children during narrative production. The potential clinical implications of the findings from this study are discussed.

Measuring Word Learning Ability in Sequential Bilingual Children

2010 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pui Fong Kan
Keyword(s):  
Word Learning ◽  
Learning Ability ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Word Knowledge ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Learning Skills ◽  
Word Forms ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Novel Word Learning ◽  
L1 And L2

Abstract The purpose of this article is to look at the word learning skills in sequential bilingual children—children who learn two languages (L1 and L2) at different times in their childhood. Learning a new word is a process of learning a word form and relating this form to a concept. For bilingual children, each concept might need to map onto two word forms (in L1 and in L2). In case studies, I present 3 typically developing Hmong-English bilingual preschoolers' word learning skills in Hmong (L1) and in English (L2) during an 8-week period (4 weeks for each language). The results showed gains in novel-word knowledge in L1 and in L2 when the amount of input is equal for both languages. The individual differences in novel word learning are discussed.

An exploratory study from the patients' perspective of living with allergies

1997 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 371-377
Author(s):  
Wendy Zernike ◽  
Tracie Corish ◽  
Sylvia Henderson
Keyword(s):  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Patients Perspective
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