scholarly journals Predictors of immigrants’ second-language proficiency: a Dutch study of immigrants with a low level of societal participation and second-language proficiency

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 (236) ◽  
Author(s):  
Coby van Niejenhuis ◽  
Margaretha P. C. van der Werf ◽  
Sabine Otten
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
High Educational Level ◽  
Voluntary Work ◽  
Second Language Proficiency ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Dutch Study ◽  
Gender And Migration ◽  
And Migration

AbstractThis article examines the predictors of second-language proficiency for a group that until now has hardly been investigated: immigrants who rarely participate in the host society and who have a low level of second-language proficiency (sample characteristics are for example: no paid job, low educational and literacy level, high mean age and number of years since migration). In contrast with earlier research, not only self-assessments were used as indicator for second-language proficiency, but also language test scores. Results from a sample of 624 immigrants partly replicate findings from earlier studies: self-assessed second-language proficiency is higher among immigrants who have followed a language course, do voluntary work, have a high educational level, high mother-tongue proficiency, a low migration age, and a large number of years since migration. No links, however, were found between having psychological problems, gender, and migration motive and self-assessed second-language proficiency. Furthermore, some new predictors of self-assessed second-language proficiency were identified, namely similarity in alphabet between mother tongue and second language, daily interactions with natives in the public domain, and speaking the second language at home. For a subsample (N=98) second-language proficiency was also assessed via (objective) lexicon tests. When using scores on this test as dependent variables, only years since migration turned out to be a significant predictor. Though certainly tentative, this finding indicates that different predictors of second-language proficiency may apply depending on how it has been measured.

Leerlingkenmerken en Taalvaardigheid in Het Turks en Het Nederlands

1990 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 83-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geert Driessen ◽  
Kees de Bot
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
First Language ◽  
Migrant Children ◽  
Second Language Proficiency ◽  
Global Factor ◽  
Language Tests ◽  
Proficiency Scores

Evaluation of the effect of mother tongue teaching to migrant children in the Netherlands. Data are presented on first- and second-language proficiency of the Turkish sample (n=368). The aim of the investigation was to find out to what extent learner characteristics influence proficiency scores. It is concluded that the correlation between first and second-language proficiency is particularly low, which does not support Cummins' interdependency hypothesis. Interestingly parents' interest in school is an important global factor. Age on arrival appears to be of little importance for scores on the first-language tests. This suggests that children who have lived in the Netherlands for most of their lives, still show a continued development of their mother tongue.

scholarly journals Language Acquisition of English Vocabulary on 5 Years Old Child Through Social Media YouTube

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-44
Author(s):  
Hernalia Citra Dewi
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
First Language ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Second Language Proficiency ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Simple Sentences

Language acquisition cannot just be acquired from birth. There is a process and stages in acquiring a language. Language is obtained because of the continuous practice factor. It is possible for someone who already has a mother tongue to have a second language (B2) which is used as a communication tool alongside the first language. Acquisition of a second language can be obtained through the influence of the environment or activities carried out continuously. This study will describe how the effect of viewing on social media YouTube affects the acquisition of a second language for a five years old girl. This research uses qualitative methods with descriptive explanations. The results of this study found that the subject's second language proficiency in English was evident from his understanding of the films and videos she had watched repeatedly. His mastery of a second language can also be seen in the ability of the subject to mention the objects around her, the names of fruits and animals, and to be able to make simple sentences in English.Keywords: Language acquisition, second language, YouTube.

The Cloze Technique as A Pedagogical Tool for the Training of Translators and Interpreters

Target ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvie Lambert
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Second Language Proficiency ◽  
Pedagogical Tool ◽  
And Training ◽  
Cloze Test

Abstract This article focuses on the versatility of the cloze technique, as a tool not only for measuring second-language proficiency, but also for selecting and training both translators (written cloze) and interpreters (aural cloze). When presented auditorily, the cloze test discriminates pass and fail interpreter students, given the external pacing and speed stress experienced by simultaneous interpreters in real life. The article offers several ways to administer the cloze technique as well as examples of such doctored material.

scholarly journals Levels of tests of Russian as a foreign language in terms of school age characteristics

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-234
Author(s):  
Nadezhda A. Dubinina ◽  
Dmitrii V. Ptiushkin
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Russian Language ◽  
School Students ◽  
Second Language Proficiency ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Training Courses ◽  
Guidelines And Recommendations

The current paper discusses possibilities for school students to successfully pass TORFL-I/B1, TORFL-II/B2 and TORFL-III/C1. The relevance of this article is determined by the fact that despite Russian as a foreign (second) language has been taught within the framework of the TORFL system for more than two decades, there is a shortage of methodological material aimed at preparing school students for TORFL. In addition, the issue of choosing the level of testing in accordance with the level of Russian language proficiency and taking into account age specifics is not sufficiently covered in Russian academic literature. The aim of this paper is to define age reference marks for school students who plan to pass TORFL. The materials to review and analyse were the works of Russian and foreign researchers in the field of foreign (second) language proficiency, language development of children and adolescents, assessment of school students communicative competence, language assessment, and correlation of these data with the requirements for completing tasks of the TORFL-I/B1, TORFL-II/B2, TORFL-III/C1 Writing subtests selected as an example. The paper has resulted in providing recommendations on the choice of examination level for senior and junior school students, within the framework of TORFL-I/B1, TORFL-II/B2, TORFL-III/C1, which can also be used in the development of training courses in Russian as a foreign language for schools. The authors concluded that there is need to develop a new methodological area in testing of Russian as a foreign language system capable to provide guidelines and recommendations for preparing school students for examinations, and designing TORFL training courses and teaching materials according to the school students age.

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