scholarly journals A Cross-Departmental Approach to Supporting Students with a Disability Affecting Foreign Language Acquisition

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franziska Lys ◽  
Alison May ◽  
Jeanne Ravid
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Language Education ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Foreign Language Study ◽  
Foreign Language Requirement ◽  
Language Requirement ◽  
Important Objective

Abstract In order to enhance mobility, competitiveness, and opportunities for work, the European Union lists the ability to communicate in a foreign language and to understand another culture as an important objective in their language education policy. Knowledge of a foreign language is also an important objective for many American universities, which require students to study a foreign language as a prerequisite to graduate. Students with documented disabilities affecting the learning of a foreign language or students with poor foreign language learning skills, therefore, pose a significant challenge, since a foreign language requirement may prevent such students from graduating unless universities are willing to make special arrangements such as having students graduate without fulfilling the requirement or letting them take substitution classes. The question of what to do with such students is at the heart of this article. It describes how one mid-sized private university with a two-year language proficiency requirement has approached the problem to ensure that policies are implemented fairly. Rather than pulling students out of the foreign language classroom, the university succeeded in keeping students engaged with foreign language study through advising and mentoring across departments

The impact of introducing foreign language requirements on the Spanish higher education system: The case of Córdoba University

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio R. Raigón Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
Foreign Language Requirement ◽  
Language Requirement ◽  
Spanish Higher Education ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe requirement that students achieve accredited foreign language proficiency at B1 level in order to graduate from university or enrol for some postgraduate courses has prompted changes in language teaching in higher education in Spain. Given the clearly ineffective tuition received at earlier stages of their education, Spanish university students are finding it difficult to meet this new requirement. Society does not see language learning as a priority, and the aforementioned lack of effective teaching places Spaniards in a weak position with regard to language learning. Motivated by the Bologna Process, which seeks to foster the acquisition of multiple skills by students, the B1 requirement comes at the end of students’ education, regardless of what they were actually taught at primary and secondary level. This article examines the perceptions of a group of students enrolled in the master’s degree in secondary teacher training and analyses data on accreditation in general in order to draw relevant conclusions. The article focuses particularly on the options chosen by students at the University of Córdoba in order to meet the new foreign language requirement, and more specifically on the role played by the university’s language centre. Data was collected through a survey based on a validated

scholarly journals THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ENGLISH-MEDIUM INSTRUCTION IN UKRAINIAN HIGHER EDUCATION

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olena Shcherbakova ◽  
◽  
Svitlana Nikiforchuk ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Education ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Professional Activities ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Higher Educational ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
State Educational

The purpose of the paper is to research, summarize and present the question of implementation of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in the higher educational establishments of Ukraine. It is considered one of the most widespread and promising methods of teaching foreign languages. The effectiveness of the methodology is recognized in the European Union, and in some European countries CLIL goes to the level of the state educational program. The definition of CLIL, its goal, advantages and disadvantages are studied in the following paper. The obvious goal of CLIL is to provide students with a high level of foreign language proficiency in familiar conditions to a foreign environment, using the language as a means of subject studies and communication, one of the threads of CLIL is integrated language learning in professional activities, thus the article reflects the differences of CLIL from the other methods. The principles of studying the subject and language during the implementation of CLIL methodology in the process of foreign language education are presented by the authors. The use of CLIL methodology in different countries made it possible to determine its advantages, as well as certain problems of its implementation in the educational process. The question of the introduction of this methodology in higher educational establishments of Ukraine still remains open. The analysis of the methodology in the context of the chosen discipline, which is perceived as a practical course of learning a foreign language, is especially important for the research. Also the main objectives of CLIL methodology are distinguished in the given paper. The example of implementing CLIL methodology in practical lessons is introduced in the paper and advantages and disadvantages of using this methodology in higher educational establishments of Ukraine are described. The effectiveness of CLIL methodology is ensured by conducting lessons in modern forms of interaction between the teacher and the student, with the use of innovative educational technologies, and allows students to simultaneously study both the language and the professional subject. The conclusions are made on the basis of detailed research of CLIL implementation in European and Ukrainian universities.

scholarly journals Online Foreign Language Learning in Higher Education and Its Correlates during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 781
Author(s):  
Maria-Anca Maican ◽  
Elena Cocoradă
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Teacher Student ◽  
Quantitative Results ◽  
Mixed Approach ◽  
Student Relationship

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the online learning of foreign languages at higher education level has represented a way to adapt to the restrictions imposed worldwide. The aim of the present article is to analyse university students’ behaviours, emotions and perceptions associated to online foreign language learning during the pandemic and their correlates by using a mixed approach. The research used the Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE) scale and tools developed by the authors, focusing on task value, self-perceived foreign language proficiency, stressors and responses in online foreign language learning during the pandemic. Some of the results, such as the negative association between anxiety and FLE, are consistent with those revealed in studies conducted in normal times. Other results are novel, such as the protective role of retrospective enjoyment in trying times or the higher level of enjoyment with lower-achieving students. Reference is made to students’ preferences for certain online resources during the pandemic (e.g., preference for PowerPoint presentations) and to their opinions regarding the use of entirely or partially online foreign language teaching in the post-COVID period. The quantitative results are fostered by the respondents’ voices in the qualitative research. The consequences of these results are discussed with respect to the teacher-student relationship in the online environment and to the implications for sustainable online foreign language learning.

Linguistic Consciousness and Foreign Language Learning in Multilingual Education

2021 ◽  
Vol X (2) ◽  
pp. 71-83
Author(s):  
Nataliia Safonova ◽  
◽  
Alla Anisimova
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Learning Tools ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Multilingual Education ◽  
Important Means

The article deals with the issues where linguistic consciousness as a sociolinguistic phenomenon is successfully revealed in FLT, namely, in problematic questions of language learning. It covers the description of linguistic consciousness and some aspects of its influence on the process of development of students’ communicative competence. It is emphasized that the philosophy of lifelong learning has become a widespread phenomenon in modern society. Learning a foreign language can be considered an important means of forming linguistic consciousness and the ability to conduct intercultural dialogues. The correlation of two languages and cultures (Ukrainian and foreign ones) helps to outline their national specific features, which contribute to a deeper understanding of both the foreign and the native language and culture. Any education system is open and fairly stable. As for the methods and learning tools, they can vary depending on the applicable learning concept. The article gives a detailed description of the development of linguistic consciousness of Ukrainian students from different social groups while learning English. So linguistic consciousness is a reflection of the actual language sphere contributes to the development of both communicative and multilingual competences. The main aim of the use of modern educational technologies is to increase the level of the communicative competence and linguistic consciousness in students, their educational achievements, and to improve the quality of language education.

Compelled digitalization of language education: challenges of foreign language learning in the electronic environment

2020 ◽  
pp. 61-70
Author(s):  
Liudmila Vladimirovna Guseva ◽  
Evgenii Vladimirovich Plisov
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Foreign Language Education ◽  
Electronic Environment ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Effective Use

The article defnes the role of digital means in foreign language learning, establishes the reasons for the effective use of digital means and digital technologies, identifes challenges in mastering a foreign language in an electronic environment, as well as the prospects for the digitalization of foreign language education. When studying the issues of emergency off-campus learning organization, the results of surveys of teachers and students conducted in April 2020 at Minin University were used. image/svg+xml

scholarly journals Listening Skill Requires a Further Look into Second/Foreign Language Learning

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hossein Bozorgian
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
Listening Skill ◽  
Reading History

Current English-as-a-second and foreign-language (ESL/EFL) research has encouraged to treat each communicative macroskill separately due to space constraint, but the interrelationship among these skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) is not paid due attention. This study attempts to examine first the existing relationship among the four dominant skills, second the potential impact of reading background on the overall language proficiency, and finally the relationship between listening and overall language proficiency as listening is considered an overlooked/passive skill in the pedagogy of the second/foreign language classroom. However, the literature in language learning has revealed that listening skill has salient importance in both first and second language learning. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of each of four skills in EFL learning and their existing interrelationships in an EFL setting. The outcome of 701 Iranian applicants undertaking International English Language Testing System (IELTS) in Tehran demonstrates that all communicative macroskills have varied correlations from moderate (reading and writing) to high (listening and reading). The findings also show that the applicants’ reading history assisted them in better performing at high stakes tests, and what is more, listening skill was strongly correlated with the overall language proficiency.

scholarly journals Helga Tschurtschenthaler: Drama-based foreign language learning. Encounters between self and other.

2016 ◽  
Vol X (1) ◽  
pp. 107-110
Author(s):  
Barbara Schmenk
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Foreign Language Education ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Self And Other ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
The Impact

Book reviews reflect the views and opinions of the respective reviewers and do not necessarily represent the position of SCENARIO. Helga Tschurtschenthaler’s study is one of the most important scholarly contributions in recent years to the field of drama-based foreign language teaching. She conducted her research in an EFL class in an upper secondary school in multilingual South Tyrol and presents a plethora of data that demonstrates the impact of drama in foreign language education on students’ sense of self as emerging multilingual subjects (Kramsch 2009). What stands out about this study, besides its detailed presentation and analysis of student data, is the fact that Tschurtschenthaler succeeds in connecting recent theoretical contributions to the fields of language education and identity to more practical considerations. Overcoming the gap between theory and practice in this domain is one of her signal achievements. “You are not you when you speak Italian. It’s as if you become someone else when you change into Italian. You don’t only sound different, but you even behave differently. Then, you’re not the person I know.” (11) These are the opening lines of the book, leading the reader directly to its main subject. Tschurtschenthaler explains that it was a ...

scholarly journals NATIONALLY ORIENTED FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE LINGUO-DIDACTIC PARADIGM OF THE 21ST CENTURY

2020 ◽  
pp. 37-48
Author(s):  
N. Zaichenko
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Matter Content ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Subject Matter Content

The article deals with modern views on the concept of “nationally oriented foreign language teaching”, presented in the linguo-didactic discourse of domestic and foreign scholars of the last decades. The author reveals and characterizes its evolution as one of the basic concepts of Russian and Ukrainian language education as foreign languages. It is found that they relate to the subject matter, content, and operational components of this phenomenon. There are significant changes in the views of scholars on taking into account students’ native language in teaching these languages by speakers of languages with different systems. There is a growing interest in didactic and linguistic data processing of the analysis of Chinese and Russian (Ukrainian) languages and their practical implementation. In terms of content, priority is given to culturally oriented and ethno-psychological aspects of mastering foreign language in a monocultural and multicultural educational environment. The innovative approach to this issue is also manifested in the increasing attention of researchers to the peculiarities of cognitive, mental and educational activities of Chinese-speaking students, formed by the national linguistic and methodological tradition, which is radically different from the national communicative and active lingvodidactic paradigm and needs appropriate methodological correction. Prospects for further study of the issues raised in our investigation are related to the research of a number of “new” terms in the terminological field of the basic concept of “nationally oriented foreign language learning”, as well as from the normative and codification side.

scholarly journals THE ROLE OF VIDEO CONFERENCING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING AMONG YOUNG STUDENTS

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 493-497
Author(s):  
Branko Medic
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Resistance To Change ◽  
Video Conferencing ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Foreign Language Education ◽  
Philip Pullman ◽  
Multimodal Interactions

During the coronavirus pandemic research on video conferencing effects on young language learners is more than ever relevant. During the sharp transition, educators need to fully understand the benefits and possible pitfalls of video conferencing, but also overcome resistance to change through knowledge. As author Philip Pullman rightly points out, “You cannot change what you are, only what you do.” This article summarised key research and provided evidence for and against the use of video conferencing in foreign language education. Thus, it gives food for thought and reflection, as well as directions for possible interventions.  However, the research was limited in terms of time and available literature, and the topic certainly requires more attention. In future, it is recommended to further research the use of multimodal interactions (sound, audio, text) in video conferencing, as well as coping strategies for dealing with the lack of interaction in the video conferencing-enabled classroom.

scholarly journals An Investigation into the Benefits of the Intercultural Approach to EFL Learning and Teaching: A Case Study of Taif University, KSA

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amir H. Abdalla
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Language Education ◽  
First Year ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Preparatory Year ◽  
Study Participants

The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential benefits of using the intercultural approach to teaching English as a foreign language in the preparatory –year programme (male branch), Taif University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The intercultural approach is considered a viable means of foreign language education that seeks to address issues of culture in foreign language learning and teaching and how best to address them. Hence, this study intends to explore the attitudes of first year EFL Taif university students to the potential benefits of the intercultural approach to EFL. A sample of 200 EFL students participated in the study. Participants’ views on the topic of the study are collected via a questionnaire the researcher designed and administered to the participants. In addition, the views of 50 EFL instructors teaching in the preparatory programme were gathered by a questionnaire regarding the topic researched. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the collected data.

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