Factors predicting classroom WTC in English and French as foreign languages among adult learners in Spain

2021 ◽  
pp. 136216882110540
Author(s):  
Elvira Barrios ◽  
Irene Acosta-Manzano
Keyword(s):  
Adult Learners ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
French Language ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Relative Standing

This study aimed to identify associations and predictors of willingness to communicate (WTC) of adult foreign language (FL) learners and whether they are contingent upon the FL being learned. To this end, our research investigated learner variables associated with WTC in adult FL learners of English and of French in an under-researched field of WTC studies in Spain. More specifically, the following variables were studied: gender, age, level of multilingualism, perceived relative standing in the class, language proficiency, teacher’s use of the FL in class, out-of-class foreign language use (OCFLU) and the two emotions of foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA). Of the 9 independent variables examined, FLCA and language proficiency were found to be predictors of the WTC of both English and French language learners; additionally, enjoyment was found to be a predictor of WTC of learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) and OCFLU, of learners of French as a foreign language (FFL). Our findings indicate that the construct of WTC needs to be further studied as research may produce dissimilar results depending on the instructional setting, population and foreign language. Pedagogical implications for language teaching practices seeking to enhance adult FL learners’ WTC were also drawn from the study results.

scholarly journals The Effect of Classroom Emotions, Attitudes Toward English, and Teacher Behavior on Willingness to Communicate Among English Foreign Language Learners

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 523-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Marc Dewaele
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Teacher Behavior ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
External Variables ◽  
Negative Predictor

Willingness to communicate (WTC) in a foreign language is linked to a range of interacting learner-internal and learner-external variables. The present study identified the predictors of WTC of 210 foreign language learners of English from Spain. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the strongest (negative) predictor of WTC was foreign language classroom anxiety, while foreign language enjoyment and frequency of foreign language use by the teacher were positive predictors.

A contextualised examination of target language use in the primary school foreign language classroom

2004 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Carless
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Classroom Language

Abstract This article discusses an issue which is of longstanding and central importance to foreign language teachers in a variety of contexts, namely teacher use of classroom language. It uses detailed qualitative case study data to explore how and why an expert practitioner uses English in her Hong Kong Primary school language classroom. Through the interplay between teacher beliefs, experiences and classroom transcript data, the paper develops a contextualised picture of classroom language use with young foreign language learners. The paper suggests that it is not necessarily the language proficiency of the learners which plays a major role in the quantity of target language use, but the teachers’ own proficiency, experience and beliefs.

scholarly journals Intercultural Sensitivity and Adult Learners’ Willingness to Communicate in English as a Foreign Language

2021 ◽  
Vol 59 ◽  
pp. 93-107
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Jedynak
Keyword(s):  
Adult Learners ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Intercultural Sensitivity ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
Communication Effectiveness ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Formal Instruction ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
New Knowledge

Intercultural sensitivity as coined by Bennett (2015) is a relatively new construct which refers to how an individual construes and makes sense of cultural differences. It is believed that it is not inborn and can be developed through intercultural experiences and formal instruction. Though the concept of intercultural sensitivity has been already investigated, particularly in relation to communication effectiveness; yet it has not been examined through the lens of the learner’s willingness to communicate. Hence, the purpose of the research paper is to investigate intercultural sensitivity and its correlation with willingness to communicate in English as a foreign language. The author employed the quantitative methodology, administering the online intercultural sensitivity and willingness to communicate questionnaires to adult learners of English representing various L1 cultures. The insights from the study may equip us with new knowledge on increasing learners’ willingness to communicate and as a result their engagement in communication in a language classroom.

scholarly journals Problems and challenges in teaching and learning speaking at advanced level

2011 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 37-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Aleksandrzak
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Advanced Level ◽  
Spoken Discourse ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Oral Skills ◽  
Theoretical Considerations

The article deals with the problems of teaching and learning speaking, in particular those which are most relevant in the context of developing oral skills at the advanced level of foreign language proficiency. The complex nature of spoken discourse must be taken into account and reflected at each stage of the learning process. Thus, the article examines the difficulties connected with choosing the appropriate framework and approach and discusses the typical patterns of interaction in the foreign language classroom. It also examines forms of control and evaluation and suggests some speaking activities which seem most suitable for advanced language learners in the light of the above theoretical considerations.

scholarly journals Perceptions of Students Learning French as a Foreign Language in Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. f1-12
Author(s):  
RODOLPHE GILLES POINT ◽  
CHIA-CHUN NG ◽  
SU HIE TING
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
French Language ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Perceptions Of Students ◽  
Level 1 ◽  
Level 2 ◽  
French Speaker

The study investigated the perceptions of students learning French as a foreign language in a Malaysian public university. The specific objectives were to examine: (1) the self-reported French language proficiency level; and (2) their perceptions of their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in French. Questionnaire data were collected from 80 undergraduates enrolled in French Levels 1 and 2 courses. The analysis showed that language learners from Level 1 and Level 2 rated themselves as having fair proficiency level when they made their rating without comparing themselves to a French native speaker. However, when they compared themselves with a native French speaker, more of them rated their proficiency as poor. The results showed that the relative difficulty of mastering language skills in French, from the most difficult to the easiest, are writing, speaking, reading and listening. Similar results were found for Level 1 and Level 2 French but the undergraduates struggled with writing and speaking at Level 2 more than at Level 1 because of an increased vocabulary range, greater grammatical complexity and longer texts. The results suggest that the difficulties are not much in comprehension of the language but more towards expressing themselves whether in speaking or writing.

scholarly journals Out-of-class English Practicing

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-15
Author(s):  
Zhakaw H. Ahmed ◽  
Wrya I. Ali
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Activity Type ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
University Level

Research in Second/Foreign language learning indicates that using English outside of the classroom is an essential part of the language learning process. However, certain studies have been cared out on university-level EFL students indicate that students use English minimally when outside of the classroom. This study furthers the research on English use outside of the classroom to more fully understand out-of-d all types of language learners and the link between language proficiency and out-of-class English language use. For methodology, three private universities in Erbil are concerned. The tools that are used in this study is a questionnaire and also interview. Validity and reliabilities are regarded here. The aims are to investigate the use of of-out-of class activity type that promotes using English and even their attitudes toward the benefits of using English outside of class. Research explores some recommendations to English language departments in the three universities which are helpful for the students’ language proficiency, the research also provides some suggestions for further studies.

scholarly journals Recasts versus clarification requests: The relevance of linguistic target, proficiency, and communicative ability

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Mifka-Profozic
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Corrective Feedback ◽  
Communicative Ability ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Linguistic Structures ◽  
Grammatical Structures ◽  
Communicative Skill ◽  
Passe Compose

AbstractThis paper compares the effects of recasts and clarification requests as two implicit types of corrective feedback (CF) on learning two linguistic structures denoting past aspectual distinction in French, the passé composé and the imparfait. The participants in this classroom-based study are 52 high-school learners of French FL at a pre-intermediate level of proficiency (level B1 of CEFR). A distinctive feature of this study is the use of focused, context constrained communicative tasks in both treatment and tests. The paper specifically highlights the advantages of feedback using recasts for the acquisition of morpho-syntactically complex grammatical structures such as is the French passé composé. The study points to the participants’ communicative ability as an essential aspect of language proficiency, which seems to be crucial to bringing about the benefits of recasts. Oral communicative skill in a foreign language classroom is seen as a prerequisite for an appropriate interpretation and recognition of the corrective nature of recasts.

scholarly journals Audyt językowy w nauczaniu osób dorosłych

Neofilolog ◽  
1970 ◽  
pp. 133-143
Author(s):  
Maciej Smuk
Keyword(s):  
Adult Learners ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Cognitive Styles ◽  
Dominant Type ◽  
Interdisciplinary Character

Among the various means used for assessing the general language competences of adult learners, the audit is one of the most popular tools. Apart from its main purpose, which is the diagnosis of current language proficiency, during the audit the learner’s various needs might be as well analyzed. Additionally, we may use this tool to recognize the non-language competences such as: cognitive styles, dominant type of intelligence or learner’s beliefs, attitudes and habits. Thus, the interdisciplinary character of the audit allows, in an exquisite way, to optimize the content of the foreign language course for adults.

scholarly journals Alternative Techniques for Teaching Writing

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
Sihindun Arumi
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Teaching Writing ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Writing Class ◽  
Alternative Techniques ◽  
Readable Text

Writing as one of language skill is often considered very difficult. It is due to the fact that writing needs to produce and organize ideas using appropriate vocabulary, language use, paragraph organization, and mechanism. It also needs to turn the ideas into a readable text and for foreign language learners, they should also transfer ideas from their native language into target language (foreign language). It raises any problems for them to create a good text. Moreover, the situation in the class does not always supportthem in which the techniques of the teacher in teaching writing is boring and monotonous, do not give enough attention to help students explore their writing skills. So that they attend the writing class only for procedural formality.Thus, it is considered important to elaborate various techniques to build nice classroom atmosphere as well as to improve students’ writing skills.  

scholarly journals Words That Go Together: Teaching Collocations in the EFL Classroom

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-118
Author(s):  
Tünde Nagy
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Learning Materials ◽  
Everyday Language ◽  
Special Regard ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
The Right ◽  
Constituent Elements

Abstract Using the right collocations in a foreign language is often a challenge for language learners who may not be familiar with their use and characteristics. After presenting the types of collocations and the importance they have in the acquisition of a foreign language, the paper draws attention to the necessity of raising students’ awareness of collocations, and at the same time it reflects on possible ways of teaching them. Focusing especially on verb-noun collocations, the paper examines the learning materials used in the EFL classes at Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Miercurea Ciuc, with special regard to the exercises on these constructions. In line with construction grammar theories (Goldberg 1995, 1997, 2006), it is assumed that collocations are to be treated as constructions, pairings of form and meaning, including patterns with different degrees of predictability. Collocations, consisting of both predictable (e. g. read a book, blue sky) and non-predictable forms (e. g. run a program, safe and sound) can be more easily remembered if regarded as constructions where all the constituent elements contribute to the meaning of the construction as a whole (but whose meaning is more than the sum of the constituent elements). In order to gain a better understanding of collocations, the use of electronic corpora and electronic databases as well as additional materials on collocations that would complement the language materials used in class is highly encouraged. By making use of these resources, students can see examples of everyday language use and become more aware of the use of collocations as well as the similarities and differences between them in different languages.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document