scholarly journals Primary students’ participation in school based mathematical reasoning practices: Coordinating reciprocal teaching and systemic functional linguistics to support reasoning in the Swedish context

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia Segerby ◽  
Anna Chronaki
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Mathematical Reasoning ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Grammar Instruction ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
School Based ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Student Input

The foreign language (FL) classroom can be an anxious environ- ment where students feel uncomfortable having to communicate in a language in which they feel inadequate and have little practice. Low self-efficacy in skill-specific tasks is oftentimes the culprit. While there are a number of factors involved in successful language learning, this study examines how practice affects students’ sense of self-efficacy in the foreign language classroom. Using self-efficacy theory and design-based research, this qualitative study ‘flipped’ the classroom to focus on student input and output practice in class with grammar instruction video-recorded for homework. Data were recursively collected and analyzed from ten courses over three semesters. Classroom observations and reflection were triangulated with interviews and focus groups. Findings suggest that practice and self-efficacy in the FL classroom are indeed linked and that other factors such as peer familiarity and grading also play a role. The paper concludes with implications for language learning and teaching.

scholarly journals Student perceptions of self-efficacy in the foreign language classroom: A design-based research study

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhia Moreno ◽  
Jeffrey Kilpatrick
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Grammar Instruction ◽  
Design Based Research ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom

The foreign language (FL) classroom can be an anxious environment where students feel uncomfortable having to communicate in a language in which they feel inadequate and have little practice. Low self-efficacy in skill-specific tasks is oftentimes the culprit. While there are a number of factors involved in successful language learning, this study examines how practice affects students’ sense of self-efficacy in the foreign language classroom. Using self-efficacy theory and design-based research, this qualitative study ‘flipped’ the classroom to focus on student input and output practice in class with grammar instruction video-recorded for homework. Data were recursively collected and analyzed from ten courses over three semesters. Classroom observations and reflection were triangulated with interviews and focus groups. Findings suggest that practice and self-efficacy in the FL classroom are indeed linked and that other factors such as peer familiarity and grading also play a role. The paper concludes with implications for language learning and teaching.

The interplay of avatar identities, self-efficacy, and language practices

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Chen
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Language Practices ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This study intends to examine English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ attitudes toward practicing English in Second Life (SL) and to unpack the effects of avatar identities on EFL learners’ sense of self-efficacy and language practices. Nine EFL learners worldwide participated in a task-based course in SL, using avatars to carry out SL-related tasks while interacting with peers and the teacher via voice chat. Qualitative data were triangulated from multiple sources: learner reflective journals, a post-course survey, and semi-structured interviews. Three major themes emerged: (1) the effects of masked identity on learning, (2) the impact of telepresence and copresence on learning, and (3) the perceived attitudes toward avatar affinity. Findings implicate that the avatar form renders masked identities to safeguard learners’ self-efficacy and empower their language practices. It also opens up a research avenue on the impact of avatar identities on language learning and teaching in 3D virtual environments.

The English-as-a-lingua-franca approach

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine Fiedler
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
International Communication ◽  
Artificial Language ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
The World

English has spread so widely around the world that its native speakers are now outnumbered by its non-native speakers. Recent publications have shown that the dominance of English has led to severe disadvantages for non-Anglophones. Several options of language policy have been presented to find fair and democratic approaches to international communication. Their scope includes different variants of multilingualism, the limitation of the number of languages used in international communication, restriction to receptive skills, the introduction of a system of compensation, initiatives to revive an ancient language (e.g. Latin), and the use of an artificial language. The model English as a Lingua Franca, the idea that the English spoken by non-native speakers is a variety in its own right whose norms are established by its users instead of native speakers, is among these proposals. The paper discusses the extent to which this approach seems to be feasible. Despite its appeal among learners and speakers of English as a foreign language, a number of factors seem to hamper its chances of realization. These factors involve a complexity of issues, such as traditions in foreign language learning and teaching, the heterogeneity of lingua franca communication and psychological reservations.

scholarly journals A Review of Beliefs, Agency and Identity in Foreign Language Learning and Teaching

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-50
Author(s):  
Sotiria Pappa
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Agency And Identity

This publication is comprised of seven empirical studies on beliefs, agency and identity as a response to the need for contextual, longitudinal and interconnected studies in foreign language learning and teaching. The underpinning argument of the book is that our beliefs about foreign language learning inform our actions, while both beliefs and actions affect our sense of self, our identity. This holds true for students and their learning as much as for teachers and their teaching. Building on former studies within contextual approaches, beliefs, agency and identity are presented as interconnected phenomena. As such, they are addressed by various theoretical starting points and data of longitudinal nature, ranging from 3 to 15 years. The emic (insider) perspective taken to examine the subjective experiences of participants is complemented by the qualitative and interpretative approach to data collection and analysis. The book primarily aims at a deeper understanding of the role of beliefs in foreign language learning. Secondly, it aims at learning about the beliefs held by specific groups of Finnish and Brazilian individuals involved in teaching and learning foreign languages. After two introductory chapters, the book is structured in storyline fashion, transitioning from young learners (Part I, two studies) to student teachers (Part II, three studies) to in-service teachers (Part III, two studies). A critical evaluation of the reported studies and the overall contributions of the book are discussed in the concluding chapter.

scholarly journals The Association between Self-efficacy of Saudi Learners and Their EFL Academic Performance

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 1351
Author(s):  
Fakieh Alrabai
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
English Language ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Efficacy Beliefs ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Learning English

Considering the important impact of individual variables on language learning, this study seeks to highlight the relationship between Saudi learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) sense of self-efficacy about learning English and their academic performance in this language. The self-efficacy beliefs of 221 Saudi EFL undergraduate students whose major is English were explored using a questionnaire, while their academic performance was assessed using final exam scores in four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). The data gathered were analysed quantitatively. The findings demonstrated that EFL participating students hold very low overall self-efficacy beliefs about learning the English language. They were also low achievers in learning English in general. Moreover, students’ English self-efficacy positively correlated with their language attainment, suggesting that learners’ beliefs about language learning affect their language performance. The findings of the study shed light on the crucial association between Saudi EFL learners’ self-efficacy beliefs and their language achievement. We anticipate that these findings will provide guidelines for the different parties involved in language learning/teaching in the country. These guidelines should address how to help students hold correct beliefs about foreign language learning in order to achieve better EFL learning outcomes.

Research on language teaching and learning in Austria (2004–2009)

2011 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christiane Dalton-Puffer ◽  
Renate Faistauer ◽  
Eva Vetter
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Foreign Language Instruction ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
National Education ◽  
Learning And Teaching

This overview of six years of research on language learning and teaching in Austria covers a period of dynamic development in the field. While all the studies reviewed here illustrate research driven by a combination of local and global concerns and theoretical frameworks, some specific clusters of research interest emerge. The first of these focuses on issues connected with multilingualism in present-day society in terms of language policy, theory development and, importantly, the critical scrutiny of dominant discursive practices in connection with minority and migrant languages. In combination with this focus, there is a concern with German as a second or foreign language in a number of contexts. A second cluster concerns the area of language testing and assessment, which has gained political import due to changes in national education policy and the introduction of standardized tests. Finally, a third cluster of research concerns the diverse types of specialized language instruction, including the introduction of foreign language instruction from age six onwards, the rise of academic writing instruction, English-medium education and, as a final more general issue, the role of English as a dominant language in the canon of all foreign and second languages in Austria.

An Analysis of Factors Influencing Foreign Language Self-Efficacy Based on C5.0 Decision Tree Algorithm in Data Mining

2014 ◽  
Vol 538 ◽  
pp. 460-464
Author(s):  
Xue Li
Keyword(s):  
Data Mining ◽  
Decision Tree ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Decision Tree Algorithm ◽  
Tree Algorithm ◽  
C5.0 Decision Tree

Based on inter-correlation and permeability among disciplines, the author makes an attempt to apply the information science to cognitive linguistics to provide a new perspective for the study of foreign languages. The correlation between self-efficacy and such four factors as anxiety, learning strategies, motivation and learners’ past achievement is analyzed by means of data mining and the extent to which the above factors affect self-efficacy in language learning is explored in this paper. The paper employs the decision tree algorithm in SPSS Clementine. C5.0 decision tree algorithm is adopted to analyze data in the study. The results are elicited from the researches carried out in this paper. The increased anxiety is bound to weaken learners’ motivation over time. It is obvious that learners have low self-efficacy. It is very important to employ strategies in foreign language learning. Ignorance of using learning strategies may result in unplanned learning with unsatisfactory achievements in spite of more efforts involved. Self-efficacy in foreign language learning may be weakened accordingly. Learners’ past achievement is a reference dimension in measuring self-efficacy with weaker influence.

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