Learning English as a Foreign / Second Language: A Critique

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Dr. M. Jyothi
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Second Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Social Boundaries ◽  
Standard English ◽  
Back Ground ◽  
Native Speakers Of English

A knowledge of the English Language has become an object of importance in relation to its application in various walks of life. A complete command over the language could be possible where the varied meanings of usage of words, idioms and phrases according to the changing circumstances and situations are comprehensively elucidated to learners. In the twentieth century there is the phenomenon of the native speakers of English being outnumbered by the non-native speakers considerably. There are as many as 1500 millions users of English as a second language. Of these, an estimated 18 million users are in India. The Indian users of English are spread all over India. Though the users of English are spread all over India. English in India has a pan-Indian character. Though the users of English in India make use of the charastic role of English, yet there is no complete homogeneity. The variation in the use of English is partly due to the vast linguistic diversity in the country. It is estimated that there are as many as fifteen major languages and 1652 languages and dialects spoken in India. The ethnic variety of proficiency tend to contribute to the lack of homogeneity in Indians’ use of English. Against this back ground, Indian users of English language, lack intelligibility in communicating English language as it ought to be communicated like native speakers of English. This kind of situations often noticed by the native speakers who claim that they use only Standard English. Standard English is defined by H.C.Wyld as a certain vareity of English “spoken within certain social boundaries, with an extraordinary degree of uniformity, all over the country”. It is neither a regional nor social dialect, but its use confers a social change on the speakers. Every educated Englishmen speak it as it is the widely accepted dialect. It is the English spoken in southern England and it remains to be the language of the cultured and educated people living in south of the River Thames. It is the speech heard among men who have bee

scholarly journals The Acquisition of English as a Second Language by Young Tokelau Children Living in New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Penelope Jamieson
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Continued Use ◽  
English Language Skills

<p>Young Tokelau children living in New Zealand are members of one of the smallest linguistic minorities in the country. Many speak the Tokelau language at home, and so their first sustained contact with the English language comes when they enter the school system at the age of five. The research reported in this study was designed to investigate two questions associated with the language education of these children during their first two years at school: (a) is it desirable to discourage continued use of the Tokelau language, and (b) how should the schools approach the task of teaching the children English? The English language skills, both formal and functional, of Tokelau children aged five and seven were investigated. Tests were constructed to assess control of English vocabulary and structure and ability to communicate in English with peers and with teachers. Two groups of native speakers of English, each the same age as the Tokelau groups, were also tested. The results indicate that the English language skills of the Tokelau children are not as well developed as those of native speakers of the same age, both when they enter school and after two years of consistent contact with English. The relevance of questions concerning their language education is thus established. Correlations between ratings of Tokelau language skills and scores obtained on the measures of English language skills indicate that, in general, the continued use of the Tokelau language has little effect on the acquisition of English as a second language. The data, however, suggests that there is some relation between the ability to speak Tokelau and both the acquisition of English vocabulary and the efficiency of communication between five year old inter-ethnic pairs in which Tokelauans are the speakers and native-speakers of English are the listeners. These results are considered within the framework of the diglossic relations that exist between English and Tokelau in New Zealand. A detailed examination of the scores obtained on the English language measures by both Tokelau speakers and native speakers of English indicates that the sequence and process of second language acquisition is substantially the same as that of first language acquisition. There is little evidence of transference by the Tokelau speakers from their knowledge of their native languages to the task of understanding English. This is seen as tentative support for the experiential approach currently followed in New Zealand infant rooms. There is however some indication that early help with English vocabulary may be useful. The significance of these results is considered in the light of information derived from three studies that were complementary to the main research. These studies covered such areas as the relation between home language use and the development of second language skills, factors contributing to communicative success, and the implications of the research for language testing. Some recommendations for the language education of young Tokelau children are offered.</p>

scholarly journals First language polysemy affects second language meaning interpretation: evidence for activation of first language concepts during second language reading

2008 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerrie E. Elston-Güttler ◽  
John N. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Critical Condition ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Response Times ◽  
First Language ◽  
Word Type ◽  
Second Language Reading ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Meaning Interpretation

The present study investigates the influence of first language (L1) lexicalization patterns on the processing of second language (L2) words in sentential contexts by advanced German learners of English. The focus was on cases where a polysemous word in the L1 is realized by independent words in the L2, e.g. German Blase realized by English bubble and blister. An anomaly detection task was used in which participants had to indicate whether a target word formed an acceptable completion to a sentence. The critical condition was where the other sense ( blister) of the translation equivalent Blase was appropriate, but the word ( bubble) did not complete the sentence meaningfully, e.g. 'His shoes were uncomfortable due to a bubble.' This was compared to a control condition in which neither sense of the L1 translation made sense, e.g. 'She was very hungry because of a bubble.' Factors of word type (noun vs. verb) and degree of relatedness of L1 senses (high vs. moderate) were also manipulated. Relative to native speakers of English, advanced German learners made more errors and displayed longer correct response times in the critical condition compared to the control condition. An effect of meaning relatedness was obtained for nouns but not verbs. The results are discussed in terms of the role of lexical-level translation connections in activating L1 concepts from L2 words, even in highly proficient learners and in all-L2 tasks.

scholarly journals The Acquisition of English as a Second Language by Young Tokelau Children Living in New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Penelope Jamieson
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Continued Use ◽  
English Language Skills

<p>Young Tokelau children living in New Zealand are members of one of the smallest linguistic minorities in the country. Many speak the Tokelau language at home, and so their first sustained contact with the English language comes when they enter the school system at the age of five. The research reported in this study was designed to investigate two questions associated with the language education of these children during their first two years at school: (a) is it desirable to discourage continued use of the Tokelau language, and (b) how should the schools approach the task of teaching the children English? The English language skills, both formal and functional, of Tokelau children aged five and seven were investigated. Tests were constructed to assess control of English vocabulary and structure and ability to communicate in English with peers and with teachers. Two groups of native speakers of English, each the same age as the Tokelau groups, were also tested. The results indicate that the English language skills of the Tokelau children are not as well developed as those of native speakers of the same age, both when they enter school and after two years of consistent contact with English. The relevance of questions concerning their language education is thus established. Correlations between ratings of Tokelau language skills and scores obtained on the measures of English language skills indicate that, in general, the continued use of the Tokelau language has little effect on the acquisition of English as a second language. The data, however, suggests that there is some relation between the ability to speak Tokelau and both the acquisition of English vocabulary and the efficiency of communication between five year old inter-ethnic pairs in which Tokelauans are the speakers and native-speakers of English are the listeners. These results are considered within the framework of the diglossic relations that exist between English and Tokelau in New Zealand. A detailed examination of the scores obtained on the English language measures by both Tokelau speakers and native speakers of English indicates that the sequence and process of second language acquisition is substantially the same as that of first language acquisition. There is little evidence of transference by the Tokelau speakers from their knowledge of their native languages to the task of understanding English. This is seen as tentative support for the experiential approach currently followed in New Zealand infant rooms. There is however some indication that early help with English vocabulary may be useful. The significance of these results is considered in the light of information derived from three studies that were complementary to the main research. These studies covered such areas as the relation between home language use and the development of second language skills, factors contributing to communicative success, and the implications of the research for language testing. Some recommendations for the language education of young Tokelau children are offered.</p>

scholarly journals Lingvocultural Specifics of the Communicative Behaviour in Arabic English-language Business Discourse

Discourse ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 126-136
Author(s):  
L. A. Kochetova ◽  
Yassien Sh. S. Al-Bayati
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Speech Acts ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Communicative Behavior ◽  
Business Discourse ◽  
Native Speakers Of English

Introduction. The paper studies specifics of the communicative behavior of native speakers of English and Arab speakers of English as a second language in business situations. The novelty of the study is implied by the fact that it establishes ethnocultural features of comissive speech acts in value-marked situations in the English-language business discourse. The relevance of the study is conditioned by the interest in speech acts functioning in lingvocultural perspective, which studies patterns of communicative behavior in cross-cultural situations and issues of verbal representation of speech acts in the speech of native and non-native speakers of English as they are employed in various genres and types of discourse.Methodology and sources. The study employs methods of corpus linguistics and discourse analysis interpretive method. The study is drawn on a corpus compiled of business letters written by employees of United Arab Emirates companies who speak English as a second language (LBLC). The corpus LBLC comprises 160 letters, 33 907 words. To identify cultural differences, Business Letter Corpus of 1 million words that contains letters written by British and American writers was chosen.Results and discussion. The results of cross-cultural comparison of commissive speech acts representation in value marked situations in the Learner Business Letter Corpus (LBLC) and Business Letter Corpus are presented. It has been concluded that both corpora under study display similarity as for functions of comissive speech acts in value-marked communicative situations whereas differences are revealed in the variation of lexical and grammatical choices that represent these speech acts and their pragmatics. In the BLC the situations when commissive speech acts correlate with apology the addresser commits themselves to obligation not to perform actions that are undesirable for the addressee or prevent the circumstances that might have negative consequences for the addressee. In the LBLC, following the communicative act of apology the addresser emphasizes the causes that have resulted in his failure to complete his obligations and promises to eliminate these causes. The texts in BLC employ explicit speech acts of guarantee that represent an obligation on condition that the addressee completes a certain action and emphasize the sincerity of the addresser. The texts in LBLC do not contain any instances of explicit speech acts of guarantee and the utterance is interpreted as a guarantee on the basis of declarations expressed in the letter.Conclusion. It is concluded that in cross-cultural value-marked situations speech acts implementation follows algorithms that are relevant in a given culture and display cultural specificity that can be studies by linguistic methods.

scholarly journals The Role of Second Language Motivation in Constructing the Self: An Empirical Study to Investigate the Role of Motivational Trajectories in Negotiating and Reconstructing Academic Sojourners’ Desired Selves in the UK

2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 305-324
Author(s):  
Abdullatif Alshatti
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
L2 Motivation ◽  
Social Events ◽  
Global Status ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Identity Investment ◽  
Social Engagements

<p style="text-align: justify;">This study is an endeavour to explicate the dissonance of the linguistic quality outcome of study abroad (SA) experiences by exploring the second language (L2) motivation of six academic sojourners in Manchester. A person-in-context approach revealed that developing intimate relationships with ‘native-speakers’, providing L2-mediated interaction opportunities with international students, and social approval were key determinants of the extent to which SA students were invested in social practices. Such social engagements were found to stem from second language motivation that is part of identity construction process. In addition, the thematic analysis of the narrative inquiries suggests that the global status of the English language defies the traditional conceptualisations of L2 motivation as most participants’ motivations were formed despite their negative or neutral attitudes towards the English community. The findings also endorse the role of the other as a robust motivational source by which learners can replenish their motivation stream, leading to social identity investment to construct their ideological selves. The paper concludes with a recommendation to re-interpret the conceptualisation of the Ideal L2 Self system because ‘native-speakers’ are rarely the closest parallels to L2 learners, and it should incorporate explicit intrinsic orientations. Furthermore, language institutions in SA contexts should direct their focus on establishing conversation clubs and hosting social events for SA students to provide a safe space for their identities to be developed, enacted and reconstructed.</p>

scholarly journals English Pronunciation Instruction: Views and Recommendations

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 1249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abbas Pourhossein Gilakjani
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Pronunciation Instruction ◽  
English Pronunciation ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Language Teaching Methods

Despite decades of advocacy for greater attention, research into pronunciation instruction in English language teaching continues to be restricted. This article provides a comprehensive review of some important issues of English pronunciation instruction. The purposes of this review are (a) to explain different views of pronunciation instruction, (b) to elaborate the role of pronunciation in language teaching methods, (c) to discuss native-like pronunciation, and (d) to mention some recommendations for the better teaching of English pronunciation. The review of the literature of this paper indicated that the objective of pronunciation instruction is not to gain native-like pronunciation and speak exactly like native speakers of English. Instead understandable pronunciation should be the ultimate aim of oral communication.

scholarly journals Predictive processes during simultaneous interpreting from German into English

Interpreting ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ena Hodzik ◽  
John N. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Transitional Probability ◽  
Semantic Cues ◽  
Simultaneous Interpreting ◽  
Spoken Language Processing ◽  
Advanced Students ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Predictive Processes

We report a study on prediction in shadowing and simultaneous interpreting (SI), both considered as forms of real-time, ‘online’ spoken language processing. The study comprised two experiments, focusing on: (i) shadowing of German head-final sentences by 20 advanced students of German, all native speakers of English; (ii) SI of the same sentences into English head-initial sentences by 22 advanced students of German, again native English speakers, and also by 11 trainee and practising interpreters. Latency times for input and production of the target verbs were measured. Drawing on studies of prediction in English-language reading production, we examined two cues to prediction in both experiments: contextual constraints (semantic cues in the context) and transitional probability (the statistical likelihood of words occurring together in the language concerned). While context affected prediction during both shadowing and SI, transitional probability appeared to favour prediction during shadowing but not during SI. This suggests that the two cues operate on different levels of language processing in SI.

scholarly journals Studying individual differences in the social environment to better understand language learning and processing

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (s1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiri Lev-Ari
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Linguistic Performance ◽  
The Social

AbstractPeople learn language from their social environment. Therefore, individual differences in the input that their social environment provides could influence their linguistic performance. Nevertheless, investigation of the role of individual differences in input on performance has been mostly restricted to first and second language acquisition. In this paper I argue that individual differences in input can influence linguistic performance even in adult native speakers. Specifically, differences in input can affect performance by influencing people’s knowledgebase, by modulating their processing manner, and by shaping expectations. Therefore, studying the role that individual differences in input play can improve our understanding of how language is learned, processed and represented.

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