scholarly journals The Impact of a Cultural Research Course Project on Foreign Language Students’ Intercultural Competence and Language Learning

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fang Li ◽  
Yingqin Liu
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Cultural Research ◽  
Language Students ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Foreign Language Students

This study explores whether using a cultural research course project can positively impact foreign language students’ intercultural competence and language learning. Using a case study method, the researchers recruited 12 student participants from an Intermediate Mandarin Chinese I class and from an Introduction to Mandarin Chinese I class in the Fall 2014 semester at a small public southwest university in USA. The project asked the participants to do a PowerPoint oral presentation on special topics from the target language culture and then to write a reflective cultural comparison English essay on this learning experience during the final exam. The findings show that, through doing the project, the students have improved their intercultural competence in that they have a more positive attitude towards “otherness,” enriched their cultural knowledge of the target language society and  that of their own, and obtained skills in critically appreciating and evaluating both similarities and differences  between the target language culture and their own. The students also expanded their language learning experience beyond the classroom and textbook and acquired better language skills in listening, speaking, and writing Chinese characters while they became more interested in and motivated by learning the target language and culture. Recommendations for future study are discussed.

CSCL – a tool to motivate foreign language learners: The Finnish application

ReCALL ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
TUIJA LEHTONEN ◽  
SIRPA TUOMAINEN
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Computer Supported Collaborative Learning ◽  
On Line ◽  
Language Students

This article discusses the applications of the theory of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) to teaching and learning a foreign language, in this case, one of the ‘Less Commonly Taught Languages’, Finnish. The ‘Virtually Finnish’ project was based on the idea of creating a larger, virtual Finnish learning community among the second-year Finnish language students in five US universities during the fall semester, 2001. CSCL was chosen as a base, as its principal goal is to aid the learners in sharing and distributing their knowledge to the whole learning community. In addition to discussing the set up and the content of the project, the students’ feedback about their language learning experience in the CSCL-environment will be examined. Furthermore, the conclusions, and the realization of our goals from the perspective of CSCL, as well as the students’ feedback on the collaborative process will be discussed. Based on the knowledge gained from limited feedback, a discussion of tools to aid language students in becoming a part of motivating and authentic collaboration projects on-line will be discussed. Looking at the students’ work on-line, as well as the feedback received, it was realized that certain skills crucial for communication have been neglected in teaching. Furthermore, it was realized that teaching on-line learning strategies in addition to teaching the target language is crucial. Future plans, and ideas for research in the area of CSCL will be shared in anticipation of inspiring others to undertake further research.

Bringing Cross-Cultural Communication Analysis Into Foreign Language Classrooms

2019 ◽  
pp. 71-97
Author(s):  
Trudy O'Brien
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Cross Cultural Communication ◽  
Language Classrooms

The teaching of a second or foreign language has always incorporated some aspect of cultural information, but the full and rather complex nature of cross-cultural and intercultural communication has not always been an explicit pedagogical focus. The chapter outlines the key components of cross-cultural and intercultural communication (CCC/ICC), and reviews some major theories that have dominated the area. It is suggested that providing explicit instruction in CCC/ICC to language learners will prepare them for interacting appropriately in the target language in whatever global context they may wish to use it. Learners need to be not only linguistically and pragmatically but culturally competent as well as they move into multicultural contexts of interaction in that language. Specific elements of cross-/intercultural communication with regards to linguistic features and potential points of confusion in the EFL (English-as-a-foreign language) classroom are discussed as accessible examples. The chapter then relates some ways that cross-/intercultural mindfulness and understanding can form an active part of the teaching of a second/foreign language in order to enhance the full language learning experience and subsequent entry to successful communication.

scholarly journals ONLINE FOREIGN LANGUAGES LEARNING AT THE UNIVERSITY AND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IMPACT IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

InterConf ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 148-160
Author(s):  
Alina Slobodaniuc
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Republic Of Moldova ◽  
Online Language Learning ◽  
Language Students ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The University ◽  
Foreign Language Students

The main purpose of this article is to assess the phenomenon of online language learning during the pandemic and to analyze the survey on the opinion of foreign language students who have expressed their views about the difficulties encountered and the solutions they consider appropriate in order to improve this process in the Republic of Moldova.

scholarly journals The Integration of Games in Teaching English as a Foreign Language in the Classroom: Moulay Ismail University as a Case Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 208-229
Author(s):  
Mossaab BEN EL MOUDDEN
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Team Work ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Language Students ◽  
Foreign Language Students

This paper puts emphasis on the integration of games in the teaching of English as a foreign language, with the aim of investigating the impacts of using games in the classroom on the process of learning English as a foreign language, the students'perception towards the use of games, the students’ skills, their participation in games, and their attitudes. The research approach adopted is the quantitative approach. The tool used to collect quantitative data is a questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered to one group of foreign language students, who study at the university of Letters and Human Sciences in Moulay Ismail University in Meknes, Morocco. The sample includes fifty male and female participants. The findings show that the integration of games in the classroom helps the foreign language students to improve their four language learning skills, vocabulary repertoire, critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, team work skills and encourages them to participate in the classroom. Furthermore, the findings indicate that the use of games in the classroom has many positive impacts on the perceptions of students towards the technique of game-based teaching, their attitudes towards the language, the teacher, and themselves. The significance of the study lies in raising the teachers’ awareness of the importance of the integration of games in teaching English as a foreign language.

scholarly journals SPEAKING STRATEGIES USED BY INDONESIAN TERTIARY STUDENTS

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 231
Author(s):  
Wawa Puja Prabawa
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Cognitive Strategy ◽  
Compensation Strategy ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Speaking Skill ◽  
Language Students ◽  
Foreign Language Students

Speaking is considered to be difficult thing, moreover English as a foreign language. Students' performance depends on their personalities. Students who have low participation in speaking activity in the classroom lose their opportunity to practice their speaking skill which may cause poor speaking skill and achievement. However, some of students are active in speaking activity in the classroom that leads them to have good skill and achievement in speaking. This study attempts to reveal: (1) speaking strategies used by Indonesian tertiary students in terms of speaking English and strategies to improve their speaking ability, and (2) to identify speaking strategies mostly used by the students when they speak English and improve their speaking ability. This study is a descriptive research since its purpose is to describe the Indonesian tertiary students’ learning strategies in learning speaking English. The data from 15 tertiary students, who have good performance and achievement in speaking, from one of schools of higher education in Cimahi were collected using a 21 items questionnaire of a modified version of Strategy Inventory Language Learning (SILL) and 5 items interview questions. The result of the study revealed that some speaking strategies are used in terms of speaking English and improve speaking ability, namely cognitive, metacognitive and compensation strategy. In the type of speaking strategy that mostly used by the student in terms of speaking English is compensation strategy, while cognitive strategy was indicated as the mostly speaking strategies used by the Indonesian tertiary students in improving their speaking ability.  Considering to the study conducted, it is recommended to students that they should know what strategies that appropriate and can help them in learning speaking English. The students should be able to choose strategies they need in learning and analyze which strategies that give better effect on their own learning.Keywords: Speaking, strategy, speaking strategy, tertiary students

scholarly journals Systematic motivation work in the language classroom - An action research study from southern Norway

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-80
Author(s):  
May Olaug Horverak ◽  
Mariette Aanensen ◽  
Langeland Gerd Martina ◽  
Inger Olsbu ◽  
Thorsten Päplow
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Learning Strategy ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
Language Students ◽  
Southern Norway ◽  
Motivation Model ◽  
Foreign Language Students

This study set out to investigate how teachers can support students in developing a metacognitive language-learning strategy that increases intrinsic motivation to learn. To do so, we carried out an intervention where we applied a motivation model in eight language groups in various upper secondary schools. This method focused on identifying goals, success factors, obstacles, as well as making an action plan to succeed with reaching individual goals. Our findings show that the students studying English were more concerned with mastering skills, in particular speaking, whereas the foreign language students were more concerned with performance-based objectives, such as learning grammar and getting good grades. Also, we saw that many of the English students found the approach useful and motivating, whereas most of the foreign language students were somewhat negative to it. As this study involved a limited number of groups, it could be regarded a pilot study. Despite this limitation, we conclude that the method applied in this study may provide a useful tool for developing self-regulated learners, but this needs to be tested in further studies.

scholarly journals The Case for Wikis in Foreign Language Teaching

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1631-1636
Author(s):  
Xiaohui Sun, Et. al.
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Language Students ◽  
The Web ◽  
Foreign Language Students

Web 2.0 has immensely impacted language learning since the mid 2000s (Reinhardt, 2019). The term was coined by Tim O’Reilly in 2004 to suggest the evolution of the web to interactivity, collaboration and openness (Boulos and Wheelert, 2007). “Web 1.0 was commerce. Web 2.0 is people” (Singel, 2005), who are now active participants, instead of passive recipients of education. Social media are the Web 2.0 applications that gained greatest popularity among foreign language students and professionals. Among them, wikis, blogs and social media are most influential for language teaching, and attracted considerable academic research (Reinhardt, 2019). In this research paper, the focus is on wikis, as accessible and simplified means for collaboration (Reinhardt, 2019). For example, by using this collaborative technology, foreign language students are allowed to write a text together, define terms and concepts, brainstorm, revise the work of others, critically reflect, and many more (Kessler, 2009; Ducate, Anderson and Moreno, 2011). From learners’ perspective, wikis are enjoyable, engaging, motivating and rewarding (Lund, 2008; Aydin and Yildiz, 2014; Wang, 2014). Yet, some scholars have raised issues about information accuracy (Ducate, Anderson and Moreno, 2001), participation resistance (Lund, 2008) and unequal contribution (Arnold, Ducate and Kost, 2009), which might make the use of wikis by educators problematic

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