scholarly journals Das Verständnis grammatischer Strukturen beim Lesen in Deutsch als Fremdsprache: Ergebnisse einer empirischen Untersuchung

2010 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Irmtraud Kaiser ◽  
Elisabeth Peyer ◽  
Raphael Berthele
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Systematic Investigation ◽  
Placement Test ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Third Language ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
The University ◽  
Grammatical Structures

AbstractThis paper presents an overview of the results of the research project “The psycholinguistics of a grammar for reading German” which has been carried out at the University of Fribourg/Freiburg (CH). The project is based on the idea that the most natural and direct way to multilingualism starts with receptive competence in a third language. In the context of research into European intercomprehension, it investigates Italian and French students' grammatical problems while reading in German as an L3 or L4. To achieve this aim, we worked with specially developed experimental designs. The main research instrument was a reading test which consisted of encyclopaedia articles on imaginary animals. By way of these articles seven grammatical structures of German were tested for their receptive difficulty, with a particular focus on grammatical structures that are traditionally deemed to be difficult for learners of German as a second/foreign language. This general opinion, however, is based on teachers' experience and/or production evidence and not on a systematic investigation of comprehension processes. Further research instruments were a German placement test as well as a self-evaluation of the students' competences in reading in other foreign languages. In addition, oral translation exercises into the L1 of the participants were carried out which helped to gain further insight into the process of reading comprehension.In our paper, we will discuss under what circumstances certain grammatical structures pose problems to readers at various levels of language proficiency. On the basis of oral translation protocols, of general cognitive (language) processing mechanisms, and the structure of the German language, tentative explanations will be given as to why certain sentences/structures are more difficult to understand than others and why some structures do not seem to be a problem at all. The results of the study allow fine-grained insights into the impediments (or their absence) particular structures represent for in-depth comprehension of German texts at various levels of competence.

scholarly journals OCENA ZEWNĘTRZNA A SAMOOCENA – ROZBIEŻNOŚCI I PUNKTY STYCZNE

Neofilolog ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 29-57
Author(s):  
Krystyna Mihułka
Keyword(s):  
Standardized Tests ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Research Question ◽  
External Evaluation ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Language Tests ◽  
The University ◽  
Assessment Questionnaire

The aim of this article is to discuss two types of evaluation of students’ language skills: external evaluation (objective) and self-assessment (subjective). The article presents the results of the study conducted among students of German Philology at the University of Rzeszów. The language proficiency level of respondents was assessed three times by means of certified language tests and a self-assessment questionnaire developed in accordance with the CEFR guidelines (2001). The data provided the answer to the main research question: whether and to what extent the students’ self-assessment corresponds to their results achieved in the standardized tests.

scholarly journals Il sillabo interattivo

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivana Fratter ◽  
Luisa Marigo
Keyword(s):  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Placement Test ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
The University ◽  
Incoming Students

The project aims to present the results of an experimental research study conducted during the academic years 2015-2016, 2016-2017 at the University of Padova Language Centre (CLA). The objectives of this study are to examine the results of the proposal to integrate self-evaluation and entrance evaluation aimed at foreign incoming students enrolled at our University. In the first phase an initial review of the placement test results carried out at the CLA combined with an examination of language certificates presented by the students has raised some critical issues related to incongruous data among the various tests/certifications. Other situations have shown different results regarding language skills within the same test, which has reinforced the decision to also introduce a system of self-assessment to grant greater autonomy and responsibility to the students when choosing their class. To this end, in the second phase, two different self-assessment tools have been assigned to the students with the attempt to answer the questions whether students can be good “self-assessors” and if self-assessment tools based on Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) “can do” descriptors and on the Syllabus adopted in our language Centre can be used as reliable diagnostic tools in an academic environment in which learners are expected to have some experience with self-rating. The results have shown that the self-assessment instruments we used may function as a placement tools, but that this is true especially in the case of learners who are familiar with self-assessment and with the teacher’s guidance. The third phase, described in detail in this contribution, is to overcome the previously emerging critical issues by providing an interactive guided syllabus, since it effectively integrates evaluation and self-assessment and actively engages the student in choosing the proper language level through online activities.

scholarly journals The Effect of Teaching Interlanguage Pragmatics on Interpretation Ability of Iranian Translation Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahnaz Mahmoudi Ravesh ◽  
Hossein Heidari Tabrizi
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Placement Test ◽  
Interlanguage Pragmatics ◽  
University Professors ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Effective Learning ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Completion Test ◽  
Iranian Students ◽  
The University

The present study sought to investigate whether Iranian translation students were successful in comprehending interlanguage pragmatic (ILP) features. Moreover, it tried to figure out whether teaching interlanguage pragmatics proved helpful for the improvement of interpretation ability of Iranian translation students. To this end, 30 students of undergraduate translation studying at Islamic Azad University, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, were chosen to participate in the study. Then, they were divided into two groups of control and experimental. The Oxford Placement Test (OPT) was used to measure the participants’ language proficiency. Then, a Discourse Completion Test was administered to measure the participants’ interlanguage pragmatics. Using the SPSS 20 software, the ANCOVA and t test were run for the data obtained from both the pre-test and the post-test. The results revealed that ILP features are lacking in the university context. Furthermore, it was shown that ILP features were effective for improving Iranian students’ interpretation ability. In this sense, university professors can pay attention to this finding and, where required, they can incorporate ILP features into their courses so as to make attempts to render a more effective learning and teaching environment. 

Can-Do descriptors – Realigning English Language Curriculum at Higher Education Institution to CEFR

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
Erda Wati Bakar
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Language Curriculum ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
The Common ◽  
The University

The Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR) has become the standard used to describe and evaluate students’ command of a second or foreign language. It is an internationally acknowledged standard language proficiency framework which many countries have adopted such as China, Thailand, Japan and Taiwan. Malaysia Ministry of Education is aware and realise the need for the current English language curriculum to be validated as to reach the international standard as prescribed by the CEFR. The implementation of CEFR has begun at primary and secondary level since 2017 and now higher education institutions are urged to align their English Language Curriculum to CEFR as part of preparation in receiving students who have been taught using CEFR-aligned curriculum at schools by year 2022. This critical reflection article elucidates the meticulous processes that we have embarked on in re-aligning our English Language Curriculum to the standard and requirements of CEFR. The paper concludes with a remark that the alignment of the English curriculum at the university needs full support from the management in ensuring that all the stakeholders are fully prepared, informed and familiar with the framework.

A Tracer Study of ICT Graduate Students at Mzuzu University, Malawi

Mousaion ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chimango Nyasulu ◽  
Winner Chawinga ◽  
George Chipeta
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Mobile Application ◽  
First Century ◽  
Application Development ◽  
Job Requirements ◽  
Level Of Satisfaction ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Quantitative Design ◽  
The Right ◽  
The University

Governments the world over are increasingly challenging universities to produce human resources with the right skills sets and knowledge required to drive their economies in this twenty-first century. It therefore becomes important for universities to produce graduates that bring tangible and meaningful contributions to the economies. Graduate tracer studies are hailed to be one of the ways in which universities can respond and reposition themselves to the actual needs of the industry. It is against this background that this study was conducted to establish the relevance of the Department of Information and Communication Technology at Mzuzu University to the Malawian economy by systematically investigating occupations of its former students after graduating from the University. The study adopted a quantitative design by distributing an online-based questionnaire with predominantly closed-ended questions. The study focused on three key objectives: to identify key employing sectors of ICT graduates, to gauge the relevance of the ICT programme to its former students’ jobs and businesses, and to establish the level of satisfaction of the ICT curriculum from the perspectives of former ICT graduates. The key findings from the study are that the ICT programme is relevant to the industry. However, some respondents were of the view that the curriculum should be strengthened by revising it through an addition of courses such as Mobile Application Development, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Data Mining, and LINUX Administration to keep abreast with the ever-changing ICT trends and job requirements. The study strongly recommends the need for regular reviews of the curriculum so that it is continually responding to and matches the needs of the industry.

scholarly journals Public Administration and Values Oriented to Sustainability: A Systematic Approach to the Literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2566
Author(s):  
Isabel Marques ◽  
João Leitão ◽  
Alba Carvalho ◽  
Dina Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Sustainable Performance ◽  
Future Research Agenda ◽  
Research Collaborations ◽  
Work Area ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The University

Values guide actions and judgements, form the basis of attitudinal and behavioral processes, and have an impact on leaders’ decision-making, contributing to more sustainable performance. Through a bibliometric study and content analysis, 2038 articles were selected from Scopus, from the period 1994–2021, presenting global research tendencies on the subject of values, public administration, and sustainability. The results indicate that Sustainability is the most productive journal, the main research category is in social sciences, the most productive institution is the University of Queensland, the location with the most publications and research collaborations is the USA, and the authors with the greatest number of articles are Chung, from Chung-Ang University; García-Sánchez, from the University of Salamanca; and Pérez, from the University of Cantabria. Analysis of keywords shows that the most relevant are “sustainability”, “CSR”, “sustainable development”, “innovation”, and “leadership”. Time analysis of keywords reveals a tendency for lines of research in the social and work area. The results also provide data about the framing of studies in sustainability pillars and the types of values referred to and indicate the main areas of public administration studied. Finally, a future research agenda is proposed.

scholarly journals Mobilizing foreign language students for multilingual crisis translation in Shanghai

Multilingua ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 587-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongyan Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Local Community ◽  
University Student ◽  
Technical Knowledge ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Close Collaboration ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Student Volunteers ◽  
The University

AbstractThis paper examines the multilingual translation efforts of a group of university student volunteers during the COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews of the volunteer team leader, team members, and a local community health worker. Findings identified time constraints, limited language proficiency, and limited technical knowledge as the major challenges confronting the university volunteers. In order to overcome the challenges, they worked in close collaboration and used translingual and network strategies to facilitate prompt and high-quality crisis translation. Findings suggest that foreign language university students in local universities may serve as readily available multilingual resources and can be mobilized in prompt response to the grassroots multilingual needs of the local community in times of crisis. The paper ends with implications for measures and strategies to enhance effective emergency language service and crisis communication for global multilingual cities.

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 Analysis Methods in Neural Language Processing: A Survey

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 49-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yonatan Belinkov ◽  
James Glass
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Network Models ◽  
Research Trends ◽  
Neural Network Models ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Survey Paper ◽  
Review Analysis ◽  
Analysis Methods ◽  
New Models ◽  
Future Work

The field of natural language processing has seen impressive progress in recent years, with neural network models replacing many of the traditional systems. A plethora of new models have been proposed, many of which are thought to be opaque compared to their feature-rich counterparts. This has led researchers to analyze, interpret, and evaluate neural networks in novel and more fine-grained ways. In this survey paper, we review analysis methods in neural language processing, categorize them according to prominent research trends, highlight existing limitations, and point to potential directions for future work.

scholarly journals What is special about L3 processing?

2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
KEES DE BOT ◽  
CAROL JAENSCH
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Fundamental Question ◽  
Third Language ◽  
The Core ◽  
Dynamic Perspective ◽  
Core Issue ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Over Time

While research on third language (L3) and multilingualism has recently shown remarkable growth, the fundamental question of what makes trilingualism special compared to bilingualism, and indeed monolingualism, continues to be evaded. In this contribution we consider whether there is such a thing as a true monolingual, and if there is a difference between dialects, styles, registers and languages. While linguistic and psycholinguistic studies suggest differences in the processing of a third, compared to the first or second language, neurolinguistic research has shown that generally the same areas of the brain are activated during language use in proficient multilinguals. It is concluded that while from traditional linguistic and psycholinguistic perspectives there are grounds to differentiate monolingual, bilingual and multilingual processing, a more dynamic perspective on language processing in which development over time is the core issue, leads to a questioning of the notion of languages as separate entities in the brain.

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