scholarly journals Imparare guardando, insegnare mostrando Peculiarità e limiti nella didattica di una lingua non vocale e non scritta

Author(s):  
Maria Roccaforte

Over the last few years, Italian sign language courses have attracted a widespread and growing interest from hearing learners who, while not familiar with deafness, are choosing, more and more, to embrace this language and culture, out of mere curiosity or for professional purposes. Three issues will be discussed in this paper, set out in three paragraphs, which in the author’s opinion are some of the most compelling in the teaching and learning of LIS as a second language. The issues under discussion are 1) the repercussions that the absence of a writing system has on the teaching and learning of a language; 2) the metalinguistic awareness and consciousness in a not yet standardized language; 3) the approaches, methods and materials that are best suited to the teaching of a sign language.

Author(s):  
Marga Stander ◽  
Annemarie Le Roux

Abstract South African Sign Language (SASL) has become an increasingly popular language that hearing university students want to learn as a second language. This requires more qualified SASL instructors and new curricula at South African universities. This paper considers ways in which challenges associated with the teaching and learning of SASL can be overcome. Krashen’s Comprehension Input Hypothesis and Swain’s Output Hypothesis form the theoretical framework as reference to our own independent experience, praxis, and reflection. This study considered different teaching methods and pedagogies and found the post-method approach suggested by Kumaravadivelu (2003) a viable method for teaching SASL as a second language. This method aligns with the method we had independently identified as the most empowering for teachers to create their own strategies focused on their intuition, experiences and pedagogy. Therefore, we do not favour one specific method above another, but rather adopt an integrated approach. We make a few suggestions regarding sign language curriculum content and further research in sign language as an L2, which need urgent attention.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 99
Author(s):  
Roberto Cesar Reis da Costa

The focus of this paper is to propose an evaluation tool to assess the teaching-learning process of Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) to hearing students in Higher Education. The current Brazilian laws dealing with the accessibility of the deaf and the teaching of Libras will be concisely posited and argued, and after that an overview on linguistic aspects of Libras will be highlighted prior to discussing the teaching of this language as a Second Language (L2). Also, it will be discussed briefly the relevance of using strategies to Libras teaching as L2 and then the proposal to evaluate teaching and learning processes of the language at stake will be finally described. As a conclusion, developing tools as well as presenting proposals for the teaching of sign languages might be ways to highlight and discuss pedagogical issues about the teaching of the sign languages. The paper outcomes are useful for scholars and learners who are researching and implementing tools for Libras teaching as L2.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Harsch ◽  
U Bittlingmayer

Abstract Background Providing health care to migrants and refugees can be difficult due to language discordance, divergent cultural preferences and low levels of health literacy (HL). To improve it, experts suggest promoting newcomers' HL in second language courses (SLC). Yet, little empirical evidence exists on the promotion HL in SLC exist, and the HL debate ignored the plurilingual and pluricultural competencies defined in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. In the project SCURA, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, we explored the role of HL in SLC and developed interventions to promote it. This study's purpose was to understand how HL is addressed in SLC, what teachers contribute and how first language and culture are used to promote HL. Methods In our multi-method study, we conducted a realist review of SLC (N = 13 interventions), document analyses of SLC teaching materials worldwide (N = 22) and of German textbook-series (N = 8*3), participant observation in two language courses (N = 100 hours), interviews (N = 15) and focus group discussion (N = 14) with German SLC teachers and an online survey (N = 25) among SLC teacher and triangulated our results. Results Four topics emerged: SLC material include various units on health stimulating HL development. Newcomers possess many assets (experiences, language and cultural skills) and show various strategies for using these assets to acquire new HL skills such as translanguaging, digital devices, social support. Teachers play a crucial role in promoting HL in informal conversations, by modelling and in developing interactive, asset-valuing HL-promoting activities. Conclusions HL interventions in SLC can draw from a wealth of assets and can be more promising by strengthening translanguaging and transculturing skills and providing discussion stimulating materials. Key messages Migrants’ health literacy practices are characterized by a unique use of translanguaging and transculturing. Second language teachers can promote migrants’ health literacy especially by facilitating learning opportunities that encourage them to use their assets.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Ion Drew

AbstractThis article reviews research on how three first language (L1) approaches designed to promote reading and other literacy skills have been applied to second language (L2) classrooms in Norway: The Early Years Literacy Programme (EYLP), Reading and Writing Workshops, and Readers Theatre (RT). Key ways that L2 readers differ from L1 readers are initially addressed, high-lighting the needs of L2 readers. Following Grabe (2009), L2 readers would benefit from a balanced approach to developing their reading skills, one that incorporates both implicit and explicit teaching and learning. Implicit learning involves plenty and frequent reading input, for example through extensive reading. Explicit learning involves, for example, the development of learners’ metacognitive and metalinguistic awareness, and an understanding of what it means to be a strategic reader. Benefits and challenges involved in the implementation of the three approaches are addressed. With the exception of RT, no research is known to exist at present on how these approaches have been adapted to L2 contexts outside of Norway. The research in Norway shows that each approach can help English as a foreign language (EFL) learners to develop their reading skills both implicitly and explicitly, as well as their metacognition, but that there are challenges, especially of a practical nature, involved in their implementation. Of the three, RT is arguably the easiest to apply to an L2 context.Keywords: L1/L2 reading approaches, implicit/explicit learning, metacognitionLesing i andrespråksklasser: Overveielser over førstespråkstilnærminger i andrespråkskonteksterSammendragDenne artikkelen går gjennom forskning på hvordan tre tilnærminger til lese- og skriveopplæring i førstespråket er blitt anvendt i andrespråksundervisning i Norge: The Early Years Literacy Programme (EYLP), lese- og skriveverksted, og leseteater. Innledningsvis diskuteres viktige forskjeller mellom førstespråkslesing og andrespråkslesing, med vekt på andrespråksleseres behov. Med utgangspunkt i Grabe (2009), vil andrespråkslesere dra fordel av en balansert tilnærming til å utvikle leseferdigheter, en tilnærming som inkluderer både implisitt og eksplisitt læring. Implisitt læring innebærer mye og hyppig lesing, for eksempel gjennom ekstensiv lesing. Eksplisitt læring innebærer for eksempel utvikling av elevenes metalingvistiske og metakognitive bevissthet og en forståelse av hva det betyr å være en strategisk leser. Fordeler og utfordringer ved å implementere disse tre tilnærmingene blir omtalt. Med unntak av leseteater, kjennes det ikke til forskning på hvordan disse tilnærmingene har blitt tilpasset andrespråkskontekster utenfor Norge. Forskning i Norge viser at hver av de tre tilnærmingene, både implisitt og eksplisitt, kan hjelpe elever til å utvikle sine leseferdigheter og metakognisjon, men at det fins utfordringer, særlig av en praktisk art, når de skal anvendes i andrespråkssammenheng. Av de tre tilnær-mingsmåtene synes leseteater å være den enkleste å anvende.Nøkkelord: førstespråkslesing, andrespråkslesing, implisitt/eksplisitt læring, metakognisjon


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-26
Author(s):  
Victor C Eze ◽  
Stellamaris Oluchi Ejiofor

Several Chinese language teaching and learning centres are being established in Nigeria and around the world. There are Chinese government-funded institutions such as the Confucius Institutes in addition to Chinese language courses being taught through universities, colleges, private institutions as well as individual tutoring services. Learning a second language involves physical, intellectual and emotional commitment in order to successfully understand and interpret linguistic messages. However, certain problems could hinder understanding while learning a second language like Mandarin (Chinese Language). This study investigated the problems of reading comprehension in learning Chinese as a second language in Nigeria among students of Chinese Studies Department in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Schemata theory of reading comprehension was employed as the theoretical framework of this research. The study surveyed fifty (50) Chinese Studies students by administering copies of questionnaire on them. Findings of this study revealed that the major problems students face in the study of Chinese language as foreign language are lack of adequate knowledge of Chinese vocabularies, reading stress and anxiety, wrong reading habits and lack of adequate infrastructures for reading. This study suggests that the government, the university authorities and language schools should provide adequate reading facilities to aid proper reading comprehension. Also, the language students should be counselled in order to diagnose their reading problems for appropriate solution.


Author(s):  
Elena Angelini

Detecting asylum seekers’ vulnerabilities is essential to plan language courses. In the case presented, the Author focuses on the role of the culture of origin and mother tongues (LM), and/or other languages spoken in the countries of origin, in the process of second language (L2) learning. For teachers it is relevant to be aware of psycho-affective and socio-cultural implications underlying the teaching and learning processes and, possibly, to learn how to analyse the effects of this on one’s education and at psychological, relational and individual cognitive levels.


Author(s):  
Lorraine Mary Leeson ◽  
Carmel Grehan

The European Language Portfolio (ELP) has been widely implemented to support the development of learner autonomy in the teaching and learning of spoken languages, but, until this study, had not been implemented with learners of sign languages. Across 2017–18, we developed and piloted a sample ELP for Irish Sign Language (ISL), which fed into work on the development of an ELP for sign language learners, under the umbrella of the PRO-Sign 2 project (European Centre for Modern Languages). We piloted the ELP with a cohort of ISL learners in the second year of their Bachelor in Deaf Studies, who perform at A2-B1 level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) (2001; Leeson et al., 2016). All are learning ISL as a second language (L2), and are acquiring this sign language in what is, for them a new modality (M2). We met students on four occasions across 2017–18 to explore how/if use of the ELP in the ISL classroom supports the development of robust self-evaluation skills, and how the ELP enhances student-reported perception of motivation and autonomy. We report on the process, and present a grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1968), “Bridging the Gap”, drawn from key concerns of these ISL M2L2 learners at A2–B1 level.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 265
Author(s):  
Noor Hanim Rahmat ◽  
Mazlen Arepin ◽  
Suraiya Sulaiman

This study investigates students' fear in academic reading as well as the influence of perceived difficulties in their reading comprehension. The paper aims to study the level of anxiety as experienced by undergaduate students in academic reading. Data from 25 respondents were analyzed quantitatively using Reading Anxiety Scale (FLRAS) developed by Saito, Horwitz, and Garza (1999). Te objectives of the study are to examine the influence of students' fear and perceived difficulties in academic reading. The findings of this study reveal that factors such as background and culture, general reading ability, vocabulary, grammar as well as teaching method can make readers fear reading. The results of this study bear interesting implications towards the teaching and learning of academic reading in English as a Second Language.


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