Celebrating CercleS: introductory notes to 30 years of professional activity in the field of language learning and teaching

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-270
Author(s):  
Carmen Argondizzo ◽  
Gillian Mansfield
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Professional Activity ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Modern Language ◽  
The Past ◽  
Ongoing Support ◽  
Executive Boards

Abstract and acknowledgements This introduction provides a glimpse of CercleS’ mission over the past 30 years, as clearly emerges in the contributions this issue contains. It is a Special Issue which celebrates the 30th anniversary of CercleS (1991-2021) and coincides with our being invited to become Editors-in-Chief of Language Learning in Higher Education, indeed a great honour for us. We would like to thank the present and past Executive Boards and Coordinating Committees for placing their faith and trust in us. We would also like to thank the authors who contributed to this special issue and the De Gruyter staff for their ongoing support. In this and future issues, we intend to carry forward the precious work of our predecessors, encouraging the CercleS community to continue to join forces in fostering best practices of modern language education both in Europe and the world at large.

scholarly journals Research tasks on identity in language learning and teaching

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonny Norton ◽  
Peter I. De Costa
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Final Section ◽  
Applied Linguistics ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
The Past ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Productive Research

The growing interest in identity and language education over the past two decades, coupled with increased interest in digital technology and transnationalism, has resulted in a rich body of work that has informed language learning, teaching, and research. To keep abreast of these developments in identity research, the authors propose a series of research tasks arising from this changing landscape. To frame the discussion, they first examine how theories of identity have developed, and present a theoretical toolkit that might help scholars negotiate the fast evolving research area. In the second section, they present three broad and interrelated research questions relevant to identity in language learning and teaching, and describe nine research tasks that arise from the questions outlined. In the final section, they provide readers with a methodology toolkit to help carry out the research tasks discussed in the second section. By framing the nine proposed research tasks in relation to current theoretical and methodological developments, they provide a contemporary guide to research on identity in language learning and teaching. In doing so, the authors hope to contribute to a trajectory of vibrant and productive research in language education and applied linguistics.

scholarly journals Editorial

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Mercer ◽  
Stephen Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Educational Activity ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Aims And Scope

The various papers that make up this special issue of Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching have emerged from the first Psychology in Language Learning (PLL) conference, which took place in May 2014 at the University of Graz, Austria. We would like to open this special issue—the first of a series of two—by discussing that conference’s background, its focus, and its possible future in the hope that such a discussion will clarify our current aims and scope in this special issue. The original impetus for organising the conference came from a book that we, the editors of this special issue, were privileged to edit (Mercer, Ryan, & Williams, 2012). The rationale behind that book was to bring together different areas of language learning psychology within a single volume. The experience of working on the book in conjunction with so many distinguished scholars from around the world convinced us of the potential of an approach that emphasises the commonality between various strands of research that had previously been developing in isolation from each other. Many subareas of our field, such as motivation, autonomy, self, identity, strategy use, and beliefs, have existed as separate communities, with little exploration of the interplay and connections between these closely related areas. Our aim in organising the 2014 conference was to build on the momentum of the book by creating a shared space that would facilitate exchange, and providing opportunities to explore and expand upon how these different areas are interlinked. A secondary aim was to reinterpret the word psychology within the context of foreign language education. For so long, psychology has been closely associated with cognitive processes in second language acquisition and with psycholinguistics, but in our book, the conference, and in this special issue, we are seeking to specifically foreground social and educational psychology themes. Language learning is primarily a social and educational activity and we feel that these dimensions also need to be reflected in how we frame discussions of the psychology of learning a second or foreign language.

Didattica delle lingue in prospettiva interculturale: innovazione e potenzialità

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 189-198
Author(s):  
Manuela Derosas
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Intercultural Communicative Competence ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Vast Literature ◽  
The Creation

Since the early ’80s the adjective "intercultural" in language learning and teaching has seemed to acquire a remarkable importance, although its meaning is strongly debated. As a matter of fact, despite the existence of a vast literature on this topic, difficulties arise when applying it in the classroom. The aim of this work is to analyze the elements we consider to be the central pillars in this methodology, i.e. a renewed language-and culture relation, the Intercultural Communicative Competence, the intercultural speaker. These factors allow us to consider this as a new paradigm in language education; furthermore, they foster the creation of new potentialities and configure the classroom as a significant learning environment towards the discovery of Otherness.

scholarly journals Repurposing virtual reality assets: from health sciences to Italian language learning

2020 ◽  
pp. 21-26
Author(s):  
Alessia Plutino ◽  
Tiziana Cervi-Wilson ◽  
Billy Brick
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
Language Curriculum ◽  
Health Care Students ◽  
Italian Language ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Modern Language ◽  
The University

This paper reports on the rationale for the implementation of a pilot project using a scenario-based Virtual Reality (VR) resource, originally developed by Health Sciences at Coventry University and now being repurposed for Italian language learning as a collaborative project with Modern Languages and Linguistics at the University of Southampton. The original aim of the resource was to prepare health care students for home visits by allowing them to experience a semi-linear conversation with a virtual Non-player Character (NPC). The authors will discuss how they are planning to repurpose the resource for Italian language learning and teaching and will analyse the potential pedagogical uses within the modern language curriculum, including emotional language, employability skills, and the year abroad.

scholarly journals An Investigation into the Benefits of the Intercultural Approach to EFL Learning and Teaching: A Case Study of Taif University, KSA

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amir H. Abdalla
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Language Education ◽  
First Year ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Preparatory Year ◽  
Study Participants

The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential benefits of using the intercultural approach to teaching English as a foreign language in the preparatory –year programme (male branch), Taif University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The intercultural approach is considered a viable means of foreign language education that seeks to address issues of culture in foreign language learning and teaching and how best to address them. Hence, this study intends to explore the attitudes of first year EFL Taif university students to the potential benefits of the intercultural approach to EFL. A sample of 200 EFL students participated in the study. Participants’ views on the topic of the study are collected via a questionnaire the researcher designed and administered to the participants. In addition, the views of 50 EFL instructors teaching in the preparatory programme were gathered by a questionnaire regarding the topic researched. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the collected data.

Didactics, methodology or post-method pedagogy. Terminological highlights in the conceptualisation of language leaning and teaching

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Siylvia Velikova ◽  
◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Academic Discipline ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Language Pedagogy ◽  
Teaching Language ◽  
Key Terms

This article investigates the meanings of key terms used to describe the theory and practice of language learning and teaching as an academic discipline and as a field of enquiry. The study discusses various manifestations of terminological variability and analyses four of the most frequent terms (methodology of language teaching, language didactics, language pedagogy, language education) which reveal the nature of language learning and teaching and its conceptualisation in the current “post-method” era.

Language Teachers as Materials Developers

RELC Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 003368822110616
Author(s):  
Jiao Li ◽  
Xuesong (Andy) Gao ◽  
Xuehai Cui
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Teaching Materials ◽  
Materials Development ◽  
Materials Analysis ◽  
Learning And Teaching

This report reviews studies on language teachers as materials developers in language education, particularly focusing on how language teachers act as materials users, materials analysts, and materials designers when engaging with language learning and teaching materials. We contend that the three dimensions of materials development – that is, materials use, materials analysis, and materials design – intersect with one another, and that language teachers play a critical role in all three. Therefore, this review concludes with a research agenda that centres on language teachers as materials developers to expand our understanding of their roles in materials development.

scholarly journals C2+-DaF-Lernende reflektieren über eine perfekte Sprachbeherrschung – ist diese vor dem Hintergrund der postulierten funktionalen Mehrsprachigkeit in Alltag und Beruf künftig noch gefragt?

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Schumacher
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Foreign Language Education ◽  
Third Language ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Oriented Approach

AbstractBy adopting “functional plurilingualism” – a recurring concept in its new curriculum, “Lehrplan 21” – Switzerland is pursuing new avenues in foreign language education. The term refers to a goal-oriented approach to foreign language learning and teaching in primary and secondary schools, and implies that barriers to communication can be overcome by exploiting the sum of the individual’s linguistic capacities. In future, language learners will be expected to build on the interrelatedness of languages instead of developing abilities in languages that they keep separate from one another. This view of foreign language education coincides with the recommendations of the Council of Europe’sHaving reached the highest level specified by the CEFR, some learners continue their studies, seeking to maintain or reinforce their competences or to address individual weaknesses. In this article, a group of C2+ learners of German as a foreign language reflect on their desire for linguistic perfection and the notion of “functional plurilingualism” against the background of their own biographies. These learners have a high awareness and knowledge of German (often their third language) and of the learning process, which allows them to make informative statements. The data was analysed qualitatively and subjective theories were reconstructed – an approach that took account both of the multiperspectivity of the topic and of the uniqueness of the individual cases.

Podcasting as a Next Generation Teaching Resource

2009 ◽  
pp. 350-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Ang Lu
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Almost All

This chapter aims to investigate how podcasts can be made to fit into the repertoire of resources utilized by teachers, especially in language education. It focuses on arming the language teacher with a fundamental knowledge of podcasting, centering on its potential applications in the classroom. Podcasts are ideal resources for language teachers, especially English language teachers, because almost all topics imaginable are now being treated in podcasts and the bulk of podcasts are recorded in English. Aside from making use of language-teaching podcasts, language teachers can also incorporate English language podcasts dealing with a wide range of issues to cater to the varying preferences of students. In addition to discussing these points, this chapter also provides suggestions for the practical incorporation of podcasts in language learning and teaching, both inside and outside the classroom. Two case studies demonstrating possible ways to use podcasts in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context are presented.

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