Formulaic Language Performance of Teachers and Students in Blended Speaking Classroom Using Edmodo

Promoting student engagement in the second language classroom can be difficult for teachers. Multiple obstacles such as perceptions of the irrelevance of authentic language applications and the affective barriers (e.g. performance anxiety speaking before peers) tend to hinder student oral language performance. For teachers, especially for beginners, other obstacles appear such as being given the most challenging assignments with little to no professional support. Many times these educators scramble to squeeze the most out of every minute in the classroom for instructional purposes while trying to increase student achievement. Three free and open source software options are presented and findings from two studies of focusing on the use of Audacity indicate multiple benefits for both teachers and students. Afterwards, the authors demonstrate how to use Audacity for oral language assessment and discuss its implications for the world language classroom.

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Remodeling Teachers' and Students' Roles in Self-directed Learning Environments: The Case of Saudi Context

Journal of Language Teaching and Research ◽

10.17507/jltr.1003.19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 549

Author(s):

Iman El-Nabawi Abdel Wahed Shaalan

Keyword(s):

Language Learning ◽

Learning Environments ◽

Foreign Language Learning ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Language Performance ◽

Self Directed Learning ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

Teachers And Students ◽

Directed Learning ◽

And Performance

Traditional classrooms are markedly teacher-centered. EFL learners are largely urged to commit themselves to communicative learning environments which help them enhance their language performance. Self-directed learning is one of the approaches which proved to be highly effective in Foreign Language Learning (FLL). EFL teachers are usually encouraged to adopt self-directed learning practices in order to improve students’ linguistic competence and performance. Recently, many Saudi universities integrated self-directed learning mode into EFL instruction. However, students' language performance, which is crucial to finding a job opportunity in labor market, is below the desired level. The study aims at remodeling teachers' and students' roles in light of students’ perceptions of English self-directed learning. To achieve this ultimate goal, a questionnaire survey is administered and follow-up semi-structured interviews are held. Results showed that both male and female students have generally positive attitudes towards self-directed learning. However, many of them have real problems with understanding the nature of self-directed learning and how they should use it effectively. Therefore, both institutions and teachers are recommended to improve students’ understanding and awareness of self-directed learning modes, and to rethink their roles.

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Formulaic language performance in left- and right-hemisphere damaged patients: structured testing

Aphasiology ◽

10.1080/02687038.2016.1157136 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 82-99 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Diana Van Lancker Sidtis ◽

Seung-yun Yang

Keyword(s):

Right Hemisphere ◽

Formulaic Language ◽

Language Performance ◽

Left And Right

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Pragmatic Language Performance of Children Adopted Internationally

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology ◽

10.1044/2018_ajslp-18-0075 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 501-514

Author(s):

Deborah A. Hwa-Froelich ◽

Hisako Matsuo

Keyword(s):

Social Communication ◽

False Belief ◽

Pragmatic Language ◽

Eastern European ◽

Language Performance ◽

Emotion Identification ◽

False Belief Understanding ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

Pragmatic Communication ◽

Eastern European Countries

Purpose Pragmatic language is important for social communication across all settings. Children adopted internationally (CAI) may be at risk of poorer pragmatic language because of adverse early care, delayed adopted language development, and less ability to inhibit. The purpose of this study was to compare pragmatic language performance of CAI from Asian and Eastern European countries with a nonadopted group of children who were of the same age and from similar socioeconomic backgrounds as well as explore the relationship among emotion identification, false belief understanding, and inhibition variables with pragmatic language performance. Method Using a quasi-experimental design, 35 four-year-old CAI (20 Asian, 15 Eastern European) and 33 children who were not adopted were included in this study. The children's pragmatic language, general language, and social communication (emotion identification of facial expressions, false belief understanding, inhibition) were measured. Comparisons by region of origin and adoption experience were completed. We conducted split-half correlation analyses and entered significant correlation variables into simple and backward regression models. Results Pragmatic language performance differed by adoption experience. The adopted and nonadopted groups demonstrated different correlation patterns. Language performance explained most of the pragmatic language variance. Discussion Because CAI perform less well than their nonadopted peers on pragmatic communication measures and different variables are related to their pragmatic performance, speech-language pathologists may need to adapt assessment and intervention practices for this population.

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The Link Between Verbal Short-Term Memory and Anomia Treatment Gains

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology ◽

10.1044/2019_ajslp-18-0176 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 1039-1052

Author(s):

Reva M. Zimmerman ◽

JoAnn P. Silkes ◽

Diane L. Kendall ◽

Irene Minkina

Keyword(s):

Short Term Memory ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Treatment Success ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

Language Performance ◽

Short Term ◽

Term Memory ◽

Treatment Gains ◽

Post Hoc

Purpose A significant relationship between verbal short-term memory (STM) and language performance in people with aphasia has been found across studies. However, very few studies have examined the predictive value of verbal STM in treatment outcomes. This study aims to determine if verbal STM can be used as a predictor of treatment success. Method Retrospective data from 25 people with aphasia in a larger randomized controlled trial of phonomotor treatment were analyzed. Digit and word spans from immediately pretreatment were run in multiple linear regression models to determine whether they predict magnitude of change from pre- to posttreatment and follow-up naming accuracy. Pretreatment, immediately posttreatment, and 3 months posttreatment digit and word span scores were compared to determine if they changed following a novel treatment approach. Results Verbal STM, as measured by digit and word spans, did not predict magnitude of change in naming accuracy from pre- to posttreatment nor from pretreatment to 3 months posttreatment. Furthermore, digit and word spans did not change from pre- to posttreatment or from pretreatment to 3 months posttreatment in the overall analysis. A post hoc analysis revealed that only the less impaired group showed significant changes in word span scores from pretreatment to 3 months posttreatment. Discussion The results suggest that digit and word spans do not predict treatment gains. In a less severe subsample of participants, digit and word span scores can change following phonomotor treatment; however, the overall results suggest that span scores may not change significantly. The implications of these findings are discussed within the broader purview of theoretical and empirical associations between aphasic language and verbal STM processing.

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Treatment for Progressive Impairments of Language

Perspectives on Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders ◽

10.1044/nnsld20.1.13 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 13-20 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Maya Henry

Keyword(s):

Behavioral Treatment ◽

Primary Progressive Aphasia ◽

Sentence Production ◽

Lexical Retrieval ◽

Functional Communication ◽

Language Performance ◽

Communication Techniques ◽

Primary Object ◽

Behavioral Treatments ◽

Treatment Research

Abstract Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a relatively new diagnostic entity, for which few behavioral treatments have been investigated. Recent work has helped to clarify the nature of distinct PPA variants, including a nonfluent variant (NFV-PPA), a logopenic variant (LV-PPA), and a semantic variant (SV-PPA). This paper reviews treatment research to date in each subtype of PPA, including restitutive, augmentative, and functional approaches. The evidence suggests that restitutive behavioral treatment can result in improved or stabilized language performance within treated domains. Specifically, sentence production and lexical retrieval have been addressed in NFV-PPA, whereas lexical retrieval has been the primary object of treatment in LV and SV-PPA. Use of augmentative communication techniques, as well as implementation of functional communication approaches, also may result in improved communication skills in individuals with PPA. The ideal treatment approach may be one that combines restitutive, augmentative, and functional approaches to treatment, in order to maximize residual cognitive-linguistic skills in patients. Additional research is warranted to determine which modes of treatment are most beneficial in each type of PPA at various stages of severity.

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