scholarly journals IS A RED CARD FOR LEARNERS’ USE OF THEIR L1 IN L2 LESSONS FAIR? A SOCIOCULTURAL ACCOUNT

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Le Van Canh ◽  
Pham Thi Hang
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
First Language ◽  
Controversial Issues ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
L2 Learning ◽  
Effective Use

One of the controversial issues in second language acquisition research is the role of learners’ first language in their second language learning. Traditionally, first language was assumed to get in the way or interfere with the learning of the L2, and therefore, the first language must be banned in the foreign language classroom. However, this view has recently been reexamined and questioned by empirical studies conducted within the sociocultural perspectives. The goal of this paper is to provide new insights into the mediating role of the first language by reviewing those studies. The paper suggests that L1, when appropriately and systematically used, can be an enabling tool that scaffolds learners in completing cognitively complex and demanding L2 learning tasks. Towards this goal, research directions are also suggested. However, it is important to note that this paper is not intended to encourage teachers and learners to use the L1 in the L2 classroom unsystematically and inappropriately; rather its goal is to encourage teachers to research their classroom in order to find optimal and effective use of L1 for mediating the success of L2 learning.

scholarly journals The role of feedback and instruction on the cross-situational learning of vocabulary and morphosyntax: Mixed effects models reveal local and global effects on acquisition

2020 ◽  
pp. 026765832092774
Author(s):  
Padraic Monaghan ◽  
Simón Ruiz ◽  
Patrick Rebuschat
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
First Language ◽  
First Language Acquisition ◽  
Learning Condition ◽  
Learning Instruction ◽  
Improved Learning

First language acquisition is implicit, in that explicit information about the language structure to be learned is not provided to children. Instead, they must acquire both vocabulary and grammar incrementally, by generalizing across multiple situations that eventually enable links between words in utterances and referents in the environment to be established. However, this raises a problem of how vocabulary can be acquired without first knowing the role of the word within the syntax of a sentence. It also raises practical issues about the extent to which different instructional conditions – about grammar in advance of learning or feedback about correct decisions during learning – might influence second language acquisition of implicitly experienced information about the language. In an artificial language learning study, we studied participants learning language from inductive exposure, but under different instructional conditions. Language learners were exposed to complex utterances and complex scenes and had to determine the meaning and the grammar of the language from these co-occurrences with environmental scenes. We found that learning was boosted by explicit feedback, but not by explicit instruction about the grammar of the language, compared to an implicit learning condition. However, the effect of feedback was not general across all aspects of the language. Feedback improved vocabulary, but did not affect syntax learning. We further investigated the local, contextual effects on learning, and found that previous knowledge of vocabulary within an utterance improved learning but that this was driven only by certain grammatical categories in the language. The results have implications for theories of second language learning informed by our understanding of first language acquisition as well as practical implications for learning instruction and optimal, contingent adjustment of learners’ environment during their learning.

scholarly journals First Language Bidialectism and Associative Learning in Second Language Acquisition

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weifeng Han
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Associative Learning ◽  
First Language ◽  
Grammatical Structure ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Syntactic Awareness ◽  
L2 Learning

<em>The faculty of grammar has long been known to be critical to language acquisition, but recent studies have called into question whether innate capacities included only knowledge of grammatical structure. This paper reports research on language-learning impaired children’s language acquisition and first language (L1) bidialectal children learning a second language. It proposes that learners will benefit from their L1 bidialectal knowledge in second language (L2) learning, since L1 bidialectals exhibit better syntactic awareness of L2 specific structures. It further argues that mechanism of association, rather than rule computation, plays a more important role in L2 acquisition.</em>

scholarly journals Crosslinguistic influence and L2 grammar learning: Proposed replications of Ellis and Sagarra (2011) and Tolentino and Tokowicz (2014)

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Kevin McManus
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Explicit Instruction ◽  
Digital Repositories ◽  
Language Knowledge ◽  
L2 Learning ◽  
Crosslinguistic Influence ◽  
Advance Knowledge

Abstract Investigations of crosslinguistic effects in second language acquisition (SLA) have contributed rich understandings about the ways in which prior language knowledge and experience can influence additional language learning. Building on this work, one recent line of research has examined the extent to which SLA findings about crosslinguistic influence can be used to improve L2 learning, indicating that explicit instruction tailored to address the nature of the crosslinguistic learning problem can benefit L2 performance. At the same time, however, this line of inquiry is relatively novel and under-researched. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to suggest further research which might advance knowledge and understanding about the ways in which explicit instruction can facilitate second language (L2) learning of crosslinguistically difficult target features. To this end, I lay the ground for a series of close replications designed to understand the role of prior language knowledge and experience in L2 learning: Ellis and Sagarra (2011) and Tolentino and Tokowicz (2014). These studies were selected because they are grounded in empirical SLA research and SLA theory. In addition, the selected studies facilitate replication because they have either (i) made their data collection materials available in digital repositories or (ii) have robustly described their design and provided the stimuli used.

Critical Praxis and Teacher Language Awareness

2022 ◽  
pp. 159-178
Author(s):  
Arthur McNeill
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
First Language ◽  
Language Awareness ◽  
Teacher Language ◽  
Language Teacher ◽  
Acquisition Processes

Within the field of TESOL, opinions often differ about the role of learners' first language (L1) in second language learning. When teachers are aware of their students' L1, this awareness can increase their understanding of second language acquisition processes and issues. It can also provide teachers with insights into learners' backgrounds and cultures that may influence their approach to studying English and attitudes towards multilingualism. Specifically, the chapter proposes that the notion of teacher language awareness (TLA) should be expanded to include awareness of students' language backgrounds. TLA is regarded as an important component of the knowledge base of a language teacher. Two questionnaires are provided to assist teachers with the elicitation of information about students' L1: (1) a language-focused set of questions to allow comparison between a learner's L1 and English and (2) a sociolinguistic-oriented questionnaire that explores issues related to status and use.

A Review of Studies on Languaging and Second Language Learning (2006-2017)

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 1222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruiying Niu ◽  
Lijia Li
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Past ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
L2 Learning

Since Swain postulated the concept “languaging” in 2006 to capture the role of language production in second language (L2) learning, a growing body of empirical studies has been conducted on languaging. However, little research has reviewed these studies. The present paper reviews 15 empirical studies that were conducted over the past decade on languaging in L2 learning, followed Vygotsky’s socioculutral theory of mind, and directly took languaging as the treatment or part of the treatment. We distinguished task-prompted and teacher-imposed languaging in the paper. All studies reviewed focused on teacher-imposed languaging. On the basis of reviewing the foci and findings of the studies, we offer our critical comments and recommendations for future research.

The role of memory updating in shallow native and opaque second language learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caterina Artuso ◽  
Paola Palladino
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Memory Updating ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
L2 Learning

The current study investigates the relation between working memory updating and second language learning (L2) outcomes in typically-developing fourth grade children. Our primary aim was to replicate and extend previous findings on the relationship between updating and low-level reading skills, i.e. fluency. Our second objective was to examine possible updating transfer effects across languages, from the native language (L1) to L2 learning. The languages considered have different orthographic features; shallow for L1 (Italian), and opaque for L2 (English). Mediation analyses were tested using the bootstrapping method; we found that updating was directly related to reading fluency in L2 learning. Moreover, we showed evidence of the mediating role of L1 fluency in the relation between memory updating and L2 fluency. Our findings suggest that updating processes may act at a low level for reading, and are potentially independent from specific language features, both for opaque and regular orthographies.

Language Ideology and Second Language Learning

2008 ◽  
Vol 155 ◽  
pp. 95-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theresa McGarry
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Ideology ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Classroom Practices ◽  
Explanatory Power

AbstractThe increasing recognition of the concept language ideology and the corresponding increasing use of the term have not yet been matched by applications in the field of second language acquisition. However, applications of the concept in analysis of actual classroom practices have shown it to have considerable explanatory power. Greater consideration of language ideology in SLA is necessary not only to achieve greater understanding of the role of ideology in various areas but also to show connections between these areas that may yield important generalizations and to impel the application of the concept in areas where it has been neglected by highlighting its uneven treatment.

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.

Raadsels van tweedetaalverwerving

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 150-159
Author(s):  
Jan H. Hulstijn
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Scientific Inquiry ◽  
Multidisciplinary Approach ◽  
First Language ◽  
Fast Acquisition ◽  
Developmental Sequences

This paper predicts that the study of second language acquisition, as a young discipline of scientific inquiry in its own right, faces a bright future, but only if its scholarly community critically re-examines some notions and assumptions that have too long been taken for granted. First, it is time to reconsider familiar dichotomies, such as second versus foreign language and natural versus instructed language learning. Furthermore, it is worth checking whether and to what extent the puzzling phenomena to be explained by language acquisition theories do really exist (such as uniformity and success and fast acquisition rates in first language acquisition and universal developmental sequences in second language acquisition). The paper furthermore pleas for a multidisciplinary approach to the explanation of the fundamental puzzles of first and second language acquisition and bilingualism, including bridging the divide between psycholinguistic and socio-cultural theories.

A critical review of research relating to the learning, use and effects of additional and multiple languages in later life

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone E. Pfenninger ◽  
David Singleton
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Active Ageing ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Mature Adults ◽  
L2 Learning

AbstractWhile there is a growing body of research on second language acquisition (SLA) in children, adolescents, young and more mature adults, much remains to be explored about how adults in later life learn a new language and how good additional language learning is for them. Our goal in this article is to survey and evaluate what is known about the linguistic, socio-affective, neurobiological and cognitive underpinnings of the second language (L2) learning process in older individuals, the extent to which L2 acquisition may be seen as contributing to healthy and active ageing, and how these phenomena are to be approached scientifically, methodologically and pedagogically. Our view is that a developmental enterprise as complex as L2 learning in senior adulthood and its effects in later life cannot be explained by a single theory or set of principles. Furthermore, we take it that L2 acquisition in the third age needs to be regarded not just as a goal in itself but as a means of promoting social interaction and integration, and that it is partly through the stimulation of social well-being that its cognitive effects may potentially be observed.

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