scholarly journals The "school of life" : differences in U.S. and Canadian settlement policies and their effect on individual immigrants' experience

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie Laurie Duguay
Keyword(s):  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Completion Rates ◽  
Settlement Policies ◽  
Language Classes ◽  
Language Courses ◽  
Integration Of Immigrants ◽  
Settlement Policy ◽  
National Settlement ◽  
Adult Immigrants

A growing body of literature suggests that language proficiency in the main language of the destination country is one of the most significant factors in the integration of immigrants. This study examines the overall differences in U.S. and Canadian settlement policy, using the provision of language courses as an example of the ways in which adult immigrants are integrated into the host society. Eleven Haitian women in both countries were interviewed to compare the way in which participants accessed key settlement information and resources as well as their language acquisition. The findings reveal that Canadian-based participants were much more likely to cite professional institutions ("formal facilitators") for referrals, whereas American-based particpants were more likely to learn from "informal facilitators." The findings also highlight differences in access and completion rates of language classes. Implications for how national settlement policy affects individual immigrants and their language acquisition are analyzed in the discussion.

scholarly journals The "school of life" : differences in U.S. and Canadian settlement policies and their effect on individual immigrants' experience

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie Laurie Duguay
Keyword(s):  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Completion Rates ◽  
Settlement Policies ◽  
Language Classes ◽  
Language Courses ◽  
Integration Of Immigrants ◽  
Settlement Policy ◽  
National Settlement ◽  
Adult Immigrants

A growing body of literature suggests that language proficiency in the main language of the destination country is one of the most significant factors in the integration of immigrants. This study examines the overall differences in U.S. and Canadian settlement policy, using the provision of language courses as an example of the ways in which adult immigrants are integrated into the host society. Eleven Haitian women in both countries were interviewed to compare the way in which participants accessed key settlement information and resources as well as their language acquisition. The findings reveal that Canadian-based participants were much more likely to cite professional institutions ("formal facilitators") for referrals, whereas American-based particpants were more likely to learn from "informal facilitators." The findings also highlight differences in access and completion rates of language classes. Implications for how national settlement policy affects individual immigrants and their language acquisition are analyzed in the discussion.

scholarly journals Destination-language acquisition of recently arrived immigrants: Do refugees differ from other immigrants?

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-156
Author(s):  
Cornelia Kristen ◽  
Julian Seuring
Keyword(s):  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Fluency ◽  
General Process ◽  
Early Integration ◽  
Language Classes ◽  
Language Courses ◽  
Language Exposure ◽  
Recent Immigration

This article describes new immigrants’ levels of destination-language proficiency shortly after taking up residence in Germany. The focus lies on a comparison of refugees from Syria with new arrivals from Italy, Poland, and Turkey, who came as economic immigrants, for family reasons, or as students. The theoretical account builds upon a well-established model of language acquisition, according to which language fluency is a function of exposure, efficiency, and incentives. The empirical study is based on data from the first wave of the ENTRA project (“Recent Immigration Processes and Early Integration Trajectories in Germany”) that covers about 4,600 young adults. The analyses reveal that most individuals improve their proficiency over time. Syrians’ experience a faster learning curve than those of other immigrant groups. The conditions identified as relevant to language fluency largely reflect the findings of previous studies. They indicate that language learning is a general process that, for the most part, does not differ across the four groups. Exposure is the major force driving language acquisition. There are also indications that certain kinds of exposure, such as attending language classes, are especially beneficial for individuals with lower resource endowments. In addition, Syrian refugees profit more than other new arrivals from increased levels of language exposure, such as from taking language courses, pursuing education or being active on the labor market.

scholarly journals The System Analysis in Language Teaching and Learning for Technical Students in Russia

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Sidorenko ◽  
Vladimir Yampolsky
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
System Analysis ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Technical Students ◽  
Language Courses ◽  
University Level ◽  
Personal Skills

Integration of the Russian system of engineering education into the global educational domain compelled Russian universities to enhance the importance of humanities in engineering programs with a special focus on foreign languages. However, it must be admitted that the system of language training in Russia at a university level comes up against serious problems of historical, economic or political backgrounds, for which reason there are processes in the system that hamper a solution of the tasks set before the university and the society. The solution requires strong and decisive initiatives capable to improve the situation with the language proficiency among the graduators. Therefore, there is a rapid need in essentially new approaches to teaching foreign languages attain the desired outcomes for engineers, which reflect not only subject-oriented knowledge but also personal skills and the ability to effectively communicate with an opponent or a partner. The need to identify barriers towards high-quality language courses at a university level motivated the authors to carry out a special research based on the methods that are typical to system analysis.

Motivational and cultural correlates of second language acquisition

2008 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 17.1-17.22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baohua Yu ◽  
David A. Watkins
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Chinese Culture ◽  
Chinese Language ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Student Group ◽  
Asian Student ◽  
Student Groups

The present study investigates the relationships among motivational factors, cultural correlates and second language proficiency. The participants, from both Western and Asian backgrounds, were learning Chinese at university level in the People’s Republic of China. 115 students (35 Western students and 80 Asian students) ranging from beginning to advanced levels of proficiency were surveyed. The results of the study indicated that the degree of integrativeness into Chinese culture and motivation was significantly and positively related to Chinese language proficiency, while language anxiety was significantly and negatively correlated to such proficiency. However instrumental orientation was found to have no statistically significant relationship with such proficiency. Multiple regression analysis indicated that integrativeness and gender were major variables predicting Chinese language proficiency. Significant differences between Western and Asian student groups were found in terms of motivational variables and Chinese language proficiency. Compared with the Asian student group, the Western student group tended to perform better in spoken Chinese proficiency as evaluated by their teachers and seemed to have higher levels of motivation and integrativeness but lower levels of instrumental orientation and language anxiety. Recommendations are made to enhance motivation and second language acquisition.

Developing and Implementing an Online Chinese Program

2013 ◽  
pp. 160-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingyu Sun ◽  
Yea-Fen Chen ◽  
Andrew Olson
Keyword(s):  
Online Instruction ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Entry Level ◽  
Language Classes ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Language Courses ◽  
The Face ◽  
Guidelines And Recommendations

The virtual language classroom is becoming more commonplace, and for many instructors it is even a requirement. This chapter aims to present a virtual language classroom case study and to propose a prototype for instructors to develop and implement fully online entry-level language classes, as well as to provide guidelines and recommendations for their reference as they redesign traditional face-to-face language courses to fit the online modality. As the case study progressed, the authors discovered that this new modality of online language instruction poses many challenges. Their research aims to answer questions, such as: 1) is the online instruction in the case study comparable to the face-to-face class? and 2) how can one best balance synchronous and asynchronous components in an entry-level online language (Chinese in specific) course?

scholarly journals Age and Second Language Acquisition in Adulthood: The Learning Experiences and Perceptions of Women Immigrants

1999 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 01 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Wang
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Adult Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Language Curriculum ◽  
The Social

Although considerable evidence indicates that age of onset for second language acquisition is related to second-language proficiency outcomes among adult learners Jew studies have actually looked at how adult learners of different ages experience and perceive second language acquisition. This study presents 30 women immigrant learners' accounts of their experiences and perceptions of learning English as a second language in the Canadian context. Findings from this study reveal the complexity of adult L2 acquisition, which involves factors pertaining not only to the learners themselves, but also to the social context in which the second language is learned. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the second language curriculum development and classroom practice.

Educational Selectivity and Language Acquisition among Recently Arrived Immigrants

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 1148-1170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Spörlein ◽  
Cornelia Kristen
Keyword(s):  
Great Britain ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Migrant Selectivity

This article investigates destination language proficiency upon arrival and subsequent proficiency growth among recently arrived immigrants in Germany, Great Britain, and Ireland. We introduce selectivity considerations to a model of language acquisition, arguing that positively selected individuals should display higher levels of language skills upon arrival and faster growth in destination language proficiency thereafter. The results show that upon arrival, positively selected immigrants are less proficient, holding absolute levels of educational attainment constant. In terms of language proficiency growth, however, our longitudinal findings suggest that positively selected immigrants, net of differences in pre-migration investments, post-migration exposure, and incentives, acquire the destination language faster. The findings add to a growing body of literature demonstrating the benefits of using novel measurement approaches to migrant selectivity.

"Die wat Betekent Die?"

2001 ◽  
Vol 65 ◽  
pp. 123-135
Author(s):  
Jeanine Deen
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Nonnative Speakers ◽  
Relative Distribution ◽  
Interaction Data ◽  
Negotiation Of Meaning ◽  
Nonnative Speaker

In conversations between native and nonnative speakers, problems in understanding may occur quite frequently. If one of the speakers tries to repair the trouble, negotiation of meaning will take place. This article describes the roles native and nonnative speakers of Dutch play in negotiating meaning in informal and institutional conversations and the influence of language proficiency and setting on the role distribution. Interaction data were used from a large longitudinal adult second language acquisition project (Perdue, 1993a/b). The relative distribution of the three main negotiation moves (trouble indicators, trouble clarifications and confirmation checks) showed that asymmetry occurs in both types of conversation at all three moments of measurement indicating that language proficiency is indeed a factor causing asymmetry (c.f. Deen, 1997). The nonnative speaker and the native speaker held complementary roles, the former mainly indicating trouble and the latter clarifying and checking. The influence of setting on the asymmetry was less clear because there was little difference between the two settings. The semi-authenticity of the data may partly explain this outcome. Furthermore, it could be shown that the use of confirmation checks by the native speaker could be an indicator of dominance but only when there is competition between the two speakers.

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