scholarly journals Bill Louw’s Contextual Prosodic Theory as the basis of (foreign language) classroom corpus stylistics research

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 47-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marija Milojkovic
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Literary Text ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Absolute Minimum ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Reference Corpus ◽  
Corpus Stylistics ◽  
The University ◽  
Qualitative Part

Corpus empiricism may alter the act of reading. This began as the reader searched a reference corpus for individual words and phrases. With the admission of lexicographers that intuition no longer suffices in providing a definition, corpus stylistics must go further by showing that a literary text can no longer be properly interpreted if not seen against the background of the wealth of recorded textual experience. This by no means suggests that a literary text may not have a satisfying impact on an individual reader; rather, corpus stylistics enhances our interpretation by means that are easily available. The core of Bill Louw’s stylistic approach is his claim that prior knowledge is no longer perceived as concepts (unsatisfyingly intuitive). Therefore, reference corpora may serve to enhance our stylistic interpretation of a literary text that was clearly written to be appreciated as a unique textual experience. Roughly, a large reference corpus will provide many parallel textual experiences, so that ‘events’ in the studied text are augmented by their counterparts in corpora. Thus, our understanding of the text will be augmented by what is absent from it, but present in the reference corpora. If, furthermore, our classroom is a foreign language one, the reference corpus will serve as missing anguage experience in the foreign language learner, even if the learner is very proficient. After giving a brief overview of Louw’s Contextual Prosodic Theory (CPT) and its implications for classroom corpus stylistics, the paper describes a study conducted with second-year students of English from the University of Belgrade. The aims of the study are to verify Louw’s principle that text reads text and to test the proposed CPT-based methodology. The study consists of a quantitative part (where the learning phase is followed by a final test) and a qualitative part (questionnaire). The proposed methodology relies on confronting the subjects with concordance lines as a means of interpreting a collocation in a given short excerpt, with an absolute minimum of theoretical background. The subjects are tested on semantic prosodies, absent collocates and auras of grammatical strings, through tasks that vary in format. The results obtained are encouraging for CPT, despite the study’s limitations, which are also discussed.

scholarly journals Incorporating theatre techniques in the language classroom

2015 ◽  
Vol IX (2) ◽  
pp. 115-124
Author(s):  
Abigail Paul
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Augusto Boal ◽  
Second Language Learner ◽  
Improvisational Theatre ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Communicative Approach ◽  
The University

The following workshop was presented at a Foreign Language and Drama Conference at the University of Reutlingen on July 10, 2015. It outlines the use of improvisational theatre techniques in the foreign language classroom by making parallels between the communicative approach to language learning and improvisational theatre techniques learned in various books read and seminars attended by the author throughout the years in numerous cities, but predominantly with Second City Chicago1, iO Chicago2, Keith Johnstone, and Comedy Sportz3. As Friederike Klippel states, “activities are invented, but we rarely know who invented them. Like games or folk songs they are handed on from teacher to teacher” (Klippel 1985: 1). Similarly improvisational activities morph over time, with each teacher adding his or her own personal flair. The seminar is built predominantly on the games and philosophies as outlined by theatre practitioners Augusto Boal, Viola Spolin and Keith Johnstone, but from the viewpoint of the author. While these activities can be used for a variety of purposes with native and non-native English speakers in a number of areas, the focus in the following is on the second language learner. The generally-accepted understanding of a communicative approach to language learning is that it focuses ...

scholarly journals THE AWARENESS OF STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY TOWARDS INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dao Thi Dieu Linh ◽  
Do Nhu Quynh
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Communication Competence ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
International Studies ◽  
Intercultural Communication Competence ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
National University ◽  
The University

In today’s globalized world, a foreign language learner needs to not only master the four basic language skills, but also enhance their intercultural communication competence if he/she really wants to become a successful communicator. As a respond to this situation, intercultural communication has become an important content in foreign language teaching and learning. Using Bryam's intercultural communication competence model in 1997, the researchers aim at investigating the awareness of students from the University of Languages and International Studies ​​- Vietnam National University Hanoi towards intercultural communication competence, namely its definition, its significance, as well as their evaluation of current teaching and learning practices. Through a questionnaire survey of 458 students, the findings show a growing awareness of students to this competence, yet an unsufficient training in language classroom as well as a lack of self-consolidation outside class. More multicultural extra-curricular activities and culture-interrelating activities in language classroom are what we suggest to better develop this competence.

Exploring Foreign Language Communication Apprehension among the English Language University Students in the English Language Classroom Setting

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-39
Author(s):  
Draženka Molnar ◽  
Gabrijela Crnjak
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Communication Apprehension ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
General View ◽  
Total Level ◽  
Foreign Language Acquisition ◽  
The Social ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Language Communication

Abstract Over the past few decades the interest in communication apprehension has increased among researchers and teachers in the field of second/foreign language acquisition (SLA/FLA).The present paper is set between the macro perspective of the social-psychological period - by giving a general view of communication apprehension (CA) - and the situation-specific period - by taking into consideration the immediate educational context.The paper focuses on the phenomenon of communication apprehension among the Croatian university level students in a foreign language classroom setting.In particular, it investigates if there is a difference in the total level of communication apprehension between undergraduate and graduate students of English Language and Literature.Furthermore, it explores whether there is a relationship between different aspects of communication apprehension and the total level of communication apprehension and which background factor is the best predictor of communication apprehension among the students.The first part of the paper brings a theoretical background of the main concepts in this research, whereas the second part of the paper reports on the research itself.Two sets of instruments, questionnaires completed by the students and in-depth interviews conducted among the teachers, were used for the purpose of this study.The results show that the year of study is not a significant predictor of the communication apprehension level which students experience.Among all variables included in the analysis, the only significant predictors of communication apprehension are evaluations.

An Interview with Sarah Mercer on Language Learner and Teacher Well-Being

Relay Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 459-463
Author(s):  
Sam Morris ◽  
Sarah Mercer
Keyword(s):  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Language Teacher ◽  
New Directions ◽  
The University

In our June 2019 LAB session on Teacher/Advisor Education for Learner Autonomy, our featured interview was conducted with Sarah Mercer, Professor of Foreign Language Teaching and Head of ELT at the University of Graz, Austria. Sarah has published a wealth of papers in the field of language and teacher psychology, and co-edited many books including, most recently, New Directions in Language Learning Psychology (2016), Positive Psychology in SLA (2016), and Language Teacher Psychology (2018). Sarah was awarded the 2018 Robert C. Gardner Award for Outstanding Research in Bilingualism in recognition of her work. We were delighted that she was able to share her knowledge on the topic of language learner and teacher well-being with us during the session.

The Analysis of the Foreign Language Classroom

1986 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 293-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernadette Grandcolas ◽  
Nicole Soulé-Susbielles
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Linguistic Research ◽  
Diary Studies ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom ◽  
University Of Paris ◽  
The University ◽  
Classroom Analysis

In this article the foreign language classroom is argued to be a legitimate and important arena for educational and linguistic research. First, a survey of the research which has been conducted in France on the analysis of the foreign language classroom is presented. Secondly, two research projects currently underway at the University of Paris VIII are discussed. The first looks at the foreign language classroom through diary studies, and the second, through classroom analysis by teachers and pupils.

Meaningful literacy: Writing poetry in the language classroom

2011 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
David I. Hanauer
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Literacy Learning ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Foreign Language Pedagogy ◽  
Language Pedagogy ◽  
The Third ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Poetry Writing ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Meaningful Literacy

This paper develops the concept of meaningful literacy and offers a classroom methodology – poetry writing – that manifests this approach to ESL/EFL literacy instruction. The paper is divided into three sections. The first deals with the concept of meaningful literacy learning in second and foreign language pedagogy; the second summarizes empirical evidence that characterizes second language (L2) poetry writing; and the third describes the practical aspects of teaching poetry writing. This approach is presented as a way of humanizing the second and foreign language classroom by refocusing on the individual language learner as the center of the learning process.

scholarly journals FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY IN STUDENT LEARNING

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (102) ◽  
pp. 18-23
Author(s):  
Asta Lileikienė ◽  
Lina Danilevičienė
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Low Achievement ◽  
Language Class ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom ◽  
The University ◽  
Research Analysis

Background. Anxiety includes uncomfortable feelings when learning or using the new language. It continues to exist in the university foreign language classroom as well. A number of foreign language students report feeling anxious about language learning. Research aim was to investigate the foreign language anxiety (in our case, English as a foreign language, EFL) in the classroom context at tertiary level in relation to its effect on foreign language acquisition as well as to design recommendations of how to reduce or exclude foreign language anxiety from the university foreign language classroom. Methods. The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale developed by E. K. Horwitz, M. B. Horwitz, and Cope (1986) was used. The questionnaire consisted of 5 statements about the respondents’ general background and 33 statements which were evaluated on the Likert scale from 1 to 5 by the research participants. The research sample involved 200 first and second year students of Lithuanian Sports University . Results. The research analysis revealed that the respondents generally felt anxious speaking in the language class, making mistakes and being corrected by the teacher, worrying about the consequences of failing foreign language class and speaking with native speakers. The correlation between the students’ level of knowledge and their feeling of anxiety was established: students of lower level (A2 and B1) tended to feel higher levels of anxiety. Moreover, female participants of this study exhibited higher levels of foreign language anxiety. Conclusions. Foreign language anxiety proved to be a powerful predictor for demotivation in foreign language learning and impeded the acquisition of foreign languages. The research analysis revealed that the majority of younger respondents demonstrated a higher degree of anxiety. The more mature the students were, the more confident they felt in EFL classes. It was found that female students felt higher level of anxiety in learning English as a foreign language than male students. They were more inclined to hesitate and felt anxious in the language classroom, while male undergraduates were more confident and had a greater ability to cope with the feelings of anxiety and nervousness. Students with higher knowledge of English language (level B2) showed lower levels of anxiety and felt more confident in language class. A large number of failures was observed at the pre-intermediate and lower intermediate (A2/B1) levels. Therefore, the learners with high anxiety often got low achievement and low achievement made them more anxious about learning.

scholarly journals Foreign Language Anxiety in Taiwanese Student Interpreters

2009 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 605-621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yung-Nan Chiang
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
The University ◽  
Taiwanese Student

Abstract Although anxiety has been found to be a key variable in both interpretation performance and second language (L2) acquisition, there has been virtually no dialogue between these two fields. In order to bridge this gap, this study investigated Taiwanese undergraduate student interpreters’ foreign language (FL) anxiety using Horwitz, Horwitz et al.’s (1986) Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale. Results showed that (1) Taiwanese student interpreters did have FL anxiety despite the language facility expected from them; (2) the scope of their FL anxiety was slightly less prevalent than regular Asian L2 learners, as widespread as American L2 learners, and more far-reaching than European L2 learners; and (3) the level of their FL anxiety was slightly less severe than in most of the university students from several cultural groups with various L2s, except for American college students of Arabic and Russian. Implications for pedagogy and future research are suggested.

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