Singular they in English as a foreign language

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Stormbom
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
University Students ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Third Person ◽  
And Gender ◽  
L1 English

AbstractA much-debated issue in English is the use of “epicene pronouns”, i.e. third-person singular pronouns of indeterminate gender. Previous studies have shown that singular they is the most common epicene in L1 English, but this pronoun has not received much attention in studies of L2 use. The present study extends previous research by examining variation between L2 groups in the distribution of epicene pronouns, focussing particularly on the use of singular they and how it is affected by three features of the antecedent: definiteness, notional number, and gender expectancy. The data originate in an elicitation experiment, which was completed by 338 university students of English from eight L1 backgrounds. The results show that singular they was most frequently used with notionally plural antecedents, whereas it was least common with gender-stereotyped antecedents. The study also disclosed variation between learners: In some L1 groups, they was used frequently with all types of antecedents, suggesting that these learners perceive singular they as a singular pronoun in its own right. In other groups, singular they appeared to function mostly as a modification of the plural they, as the pronoun was only frequent with notionally plural antecedents. The findings have important implications for language teaching.

TEACHING A PROFESSIONALLY-ORIENTED FOREIGN LANGUAGE AT A UNIVERSITY UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF NEO-INDUSTRIAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. A. Vorob’eva
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
University Students ◽  
Professional Competence ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
University Student ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Industrial Economic

The article is devoted to professionally-oriented a foreign language teaching at a university, which today is one of the links of training a competitive specialist. The author describes the meaning of practical application of a foreign language. The problem of searching a way to improve the quality of foreign language teaching of university students is considered. A foreign language is considered as a means and as a way to improve the professional competence of a university student.

Pedagogical conditions for professional foreign language teaching to students of “Agricultural Engineering” programme based on the model of content and language integrated learning

2020 ◽  
pp. 94-106
Author(s):  
Tatiana V. Baydikova
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
University Students ◽  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Agricultural Engineering ◽  
Grouping Students ◽  
Further Development ◽  
Engineering Programme ◽  
Development Of Students

Currently, content and language integrated learning is becoming more widespread in the teaching of agrarian university students. For university pedagogy, this is a fairly new and innovative approach aimed at achieving two goals at the same time: 1) the further development of students’ foreign language communicative competence; 2) the further development of professional competencies by means of a foreign language. The dual purpose testifies to the fact that with this approach, a foreign language is both the teaching goal and a mean of professional development of students. However, the effectiveness of the teaching methods will depend on the consideration of a number of pedagogical conditions. In this work we identify and substantiate six pedagogical conditions, the consideration of which, when developing the appropriate teaching methods, will contribute to the effectiveness of the process of professional foreign language teaching in an agrarian university students of the “Agricultural Engineering” programme. These conditions include: a) the selection of subject content of teaching is carried out on the basis of the implementation of intersubject communications reliance principle; b) in the learning process, problem speech tasks are used, as well as tasks that reflect the specifics of the students’ future professional activities; c) the minimum level of foreign language proficiency by students is B1-B2; d) grouping students by level of knowledge of a foreign language; e) grouping students according to their study profiles within the framework of the programme; f) the competence of the teacher in the field of foreign language, profile specialty and methods of teaching them. The work describes in detail each of the selected conditions.

scholarly journals Engaging English as a Foreign Language Students in Critical Literacy Practices: The Case of a Teacher at a Private University

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Catalina Gómez Jiménez ◽  
Claudia Patricia Gutierrez
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
University Students ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Critical Literacy ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Literacy Practices ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Private University

This paper describes the process English as a foreign language university students and their teacher underwent when engaging in critical literacy practices. Interviews, focus groups, questionnaires, students’ artifacts, and the teacher’s journal were used to collect data in this study. Findings suggest that when students engage in critical literacy practices, they are prone to reflect on the power they have as agents of social change, while developing language skills. However, teachers should be ready to encounter some resistance from students and to struggle with the incorporation of critical perspectives in their lessons, which is understandable considering the emphasis grammar mastering has traditionally had on language teaching and learning.

scholarly journals Encounters with National Stereotypes in Foreign Language Teaching: Adjectives Describing Americans

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-118
Author(s):  
Andrej Stopar
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
University Students ◽  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Intercultural Sensitivity ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
English Classroom ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
National Stereotypes

Teaching (or learning) a foreign language is a complex, interdisciplinary undertaking. Teachers and students are required to tackle aspects of language that transcend its merely linguistic component. This article discusses the relationship between language, thought and culture, and explores some aspects of the integration of cultural content in the English classroom. To achieve these goals, a study is conducted that identifies the main stereotypes about Americans among Slovenian university students of English as a foreign language. The results of the research can be used as a means of questioning some frequent stereotypes about Americans, and thus contributing to the fulfilment of (sometimes seemingly abstract) curricular aims that emphasize the significance of intercultural communication, awareness of cultural variety, and intercultural sensitivity.

scholarly journals Testing Effects of Foreign Language Listening Anxiety on Chinese University Students' English Listening Test Performance

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meihua Liu ◽  
Hongliang Xu
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
University Students ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Listening Test ◽  
Listening Anxiety ◽  
Chinese University ◽  
Chinese University Students ◽  
And Gender ◽  
English Listening Test

The present research explored how foreign language listening anxiety (FLLA) affected Chinese university students' English listening test performance and how proficiency and gender mediated the effects of FLLA on the latter. Two different populations from two universities in China answered the 20-item Foreign Language Listening Anxiety Scale (FLLAS) as well as a demographic questionnaire and took an English listening test. Analyses of the collected data revealed the following major findings: (a) Five latent factors underlay the FLLAS, (b) when working alone, FLLA significantly negatively predicted students' English listening test performance, and (c) when working with proficiency and gender, English proficiency level, gender and FLLAS2 (proficiency in English listening) significantly predicted students' English listening test performance. These findings confirm the negative effects of FLLA on students' English listening test performance. They also indicate that English proficiency and gender mediate FLLA's effects on the latter, with English proficiency not only directly but also indirectly affecting the latter.

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