scholarly journals A Comparison of the Effects of Mindful Conceptual Engagement for the Teaching of the Subjunctive to Heritage- and Second-Language Learners of Spanish

Languages ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Antoni Fernandez Parera
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Heritage Language Learners ◽  
Group Feedback ◽  
Feedback Questionnaire ◽  
Spanish Subjunctive ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
Didactic Models

This article investigates the effects that Mindful Conceptual Engagement (MCE) had on the teaching of the Spanish subjunctive on second (L2) and heritage language learners (HL) of Spanish. A total of 26 university-level undergraduate students participated in the study; 12 were advanced L2 students and 14 were intermediate HL students. The methodology used was MCE, which is based on the principles of Concept-Based Instruction (Negueruela 2003; Negueruela and Lantolf 2006). MCE has its origins in Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory and it proposes that the creation and manipulation of didactic models by students promotes the internalization of complex grammatical concepts that would otherwise require long grammatical explanations. Models need to be generalizable and informative and can include, for example, flowcharts, pictures, or schemas among others. In the present study, the concept of [±EXPERIENCE] (Bull 1965) was used to teach the variable uses of indicative and subjunctive in adjectival relative clauses (Busco unas tijeras que cortan/corten). Students had to create their own models and use them to complete a series of assignments in class and at home. Production and interpretation exercises were used in pre- and post-test questionnaires to gauge their improvement. Feedback questionnaires were administered three weeks after the intervention to measure the attitudes and perceptions towards the use of didactic models. Results indicate that both groups improved their indicative/subjunctive interpretation and production abilities after MCE. However, statistically significant differences exist between HL and L2 students according to type of task and student group. Feedback questionnaire results also show that MCE was regarded as positive and useful by both groups.

scholarly journals Discourse Competence Development in English as Second Language Learners: Effect of Poems on Proficiency and Performance

sjesr ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 268-274
Author(s):  
Dr. Shaukat Ali ◽  
Mr. Saddam Hussain ◽  
Mr. Iftekhar Ali
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Treatment Group ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Teaching Materials ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Field Notes ◽  
Discourse Competence

This study investigates the effect of poems as language teaching materials on the discourse competence of English as a second language learners (ESL) learners. Discourse competence is one of the sub-skills of English speaking skills which has further been divided into two sub-skills called 1) organizing a coherent conversation and 2) then maintaining it. It was a quasi-experimental study consisting of a control group (CG) and an experimental group (EG) from the faculty of social sciences, University of Malakand, Pakistan. They were the students of the third semester and were taught English as a minor course. Before the commencement of the experiment, the students of both groups were subjected to a speaking type pre-test. Immediately after the pre-test, the control group was taught through traditional teaching materials whereas; the treatment group was treated with poems as teaching materials. Moreover, observation field notes were employed to find out the reasons behind the performance of the students of both groups. After a six-week experiment, a post-test similar in nature to the pre-test was dispensed among the groups. The scores of the respondents of both groups were compared by using independent samples t-tests. The outcomes indicated that the learners in the treatment group scored significantly higher on the post-test than the learners in the comparison group. The observation field notes further displayed that the students of the treatment group were actively involved in the language learning process. Moreover, they associated the text of poetry with their, socio-cultural, and personal lives. Additionally, they enjoyed greater autonomy due to ambiguity and universality in the texts of the poems. The study suggests that poems should be utilized as teaching materials in ESL classrooms.

Attitudes and Motivations of Adult Spanish Language Learners: A Comparison of Heritage Language Learners and Second Language Learners

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet S. Oh ◽  
Bertha A. Nash
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Heritage Language ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Heritage Language Learners ◽  
Background Factors ◽  
Learning Success

Research on background factors in adult language learners’ success has largely focused on first-time learners of a second language. In this study, we utilize a well-established second language learner model (the Socioeducational Model; Gardner, 1985a) to compare heritage language and second language learners in a first-semester college Spanish class. Participants (31 heritage language learners; 80 second language learners) completed a survey at the end of the semester assessing their ethnic identity, language backgrounds, attitudes and motivation toward learning Spanish. Course grades were collected as a measure of language learning success. Results indicate that heritage language learners and second language learners are similar on most background factors, but that the background factors predicting each group’s language learning success are quite different. Implications for our understanding of language learners and future research directions are discussed.

Samenwerkend Woorden Leren Als Vorm Van Content Based Language Learning; Een Succesvolle Aanpak?

1998 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 63-69
Author(s):  
Hilde Hacquebord
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Word Knowledge ◽  
Reading Vocabulary ◽  
Post Test

Second-language learners need a vocabulary course that they can apply in content areas. Although many schools opt for a reading curriculum to support weak readers, many L2-readers still have difficulties at the word level. In the reading course Weet wat je Leest (Know what you are reading'), there is a vocabulary course especially for L2-readers. It is designed along the principles of 'natural word acquisition', in which attention to the unknown word and elaboration of its meaning on the basis of the co-text is important. Vocabulary learning strategies are presented in such a way that language learners can deal with it in a cooperative way. Cooperation between language teachers and subject teachers is also very important in this project. The experimental reading/vocabulary course has been implemented in several schools. Only 45 students took part in the vocabulary course, and were able to improve their results with respect to word knowledge. Also the control group improved on word knowledge, be it not to the same extent. In a small-scale study, we observed a number of students in the vocabulary course. It appeared that especially the 'overestimators' in the program among them improved their metalinguistic ability with respect to word knowledge, whereas the control Werestimators' did not; they even had lower scores on the post-test.

scholarly journals A Cognitive Linguistic Study of the English Preposition 'in'

2019 ◽  
pp. 37
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Second Language ◽  
University Students ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Positive Change ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Cognitive Linguistic ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Second Year

The present study aims at analyzing the polysemy of the English preposition in from the cognitive linguistic (CL) point of view using Evans' and Tyler's approach (2003). The perplexity faced by Iraqi second language learners (L2) due to the multi-usages of this preposition has motivated the researcher to conduct this study. Seventy-six second year university students participated in this experimental study. The data of the pre-test and post-test were analyzed by SPSS statistical editor. The results have shown the following: First, a progress of more than (0.05≤) has been detected as far as students' understanding of the multiple usages of the preposition in is concerned. Second, the results of the questionnaire have shown a prominent positive change in the students' attitude toward CL approach. Third, the main source of difficulty has been shown to be attributed to the diversity in the semantics of the preposition in. Fourth, CL as an approach has proven its effectiveness in accurately comprehending the semantics of the English preposition in.

scholarly journals Observing the Effectiveness of Task Based Approach in Teaching Narrative Essay at a Private University

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 128
Author(s):  
Hina Manzoor ◽  
Sahar Azhar ◽  
Fouzia Malik
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Private University ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Essay Writing ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Lexical Resource ◽  
Post Test

Writing is one of the most challenging skills of English language. Learners in Pakistan seem unable to master this skill even after years of using English as an official/second language. The focus of this research was to prove that within task-based learning (TBL) framework, language learners engage in purposeful, problem-oriented, and outcome-driven tasks that yield much better results as compared to traditional teaching methods which often fail to generate the desired output. The aim of this research was to prove that Task Based Approach is quite effective and successful in teaching narrative essay writing with an only disadvantage of time consumption. This study resorted to semi-structured interviews and post-test for data collection targeting the undergraduate students in Pakistan. This action research used purposive sampling and employed qualitative research design since the data comprised of both; final drafts of narrative essays and open-ended interviews. The data collected in the post-task phase i.e. the narrative essays were assessed via writing assessment rubrics presented in the IELTS guide for the teachers (2015). The bands were awarded on the basis of four parameters: task achievement, cohesion and coherence, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy. The results delineated that majority of students achieved 5 bands and an overall improvement was observed in the narrative writing skills of students. In the same stead, the students in interview presented the view that Task Based Approach was much more successful in teaching them narrative essay writing.

scholarly journals Gamifying Portuguese Language Learning: A Case Study Examining a Quest-Based Website to Prompt Oral Production and Interaction in Learners of Portuguese L2

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 733-760
Author(s):  
Carla Cristina Munhoz Xavier
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Social Constructivism ◽  
Extrinsic Motivation ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Novel Studies ◽  
Oral Production ◽  
Robust Response

ABSTRACT One of the major challenges when teaching second language learners is to maintain them motivated and eager to learn and work on the proposed activity. The literature showed that a combination of social constructivism and technology-integrated learning is crucial for achieving the goals set by modern educational objectives. However, in order to have a robust response from students, one should take into account the psychological aspect of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. This paper proposes a gamified activity in Portuguese L2 that aims to intensify the students’ motivation. Ten undergraduate students participated in this study. Their responses show that novel studies based on awards and gamification can boost the students’ motivation when learning Portuguese.

scholarly journals The Effect of Explicit Instruction of Requests on Saudi EFL learners using a pre-test, post-test Approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Israa A Qari
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Explicit Instruction ◽  
Linguistic Knowledge ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Test Instruction ◽  
Third Phase ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Request Strategies

The aim of the current study is to test whether explicit instruction of various L2 request forms can be a useful measure in developing Saudi learners’ linguistic and pragmatic competences. This study is based on the results obtained from a previous research investigating interlanguage requests. The findings in that study suggested that the second language learners were not aware of some of the request strategies which were exclusively employed by the British English native speakers. The aim and the question of this study is to find out whether explicit instruction of request strategies will be effective in helping Saudi EFL learners gain linguistic knowledge and achieve pragmatic appropriateness in making requests in L2. Thirty female foundation year students participated in this study. They were all EFL learners studying at King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The group underwent three phases of instruction: pre-test, instruction/intervention, and post-test. The first and last phases consisted of written questionnaires which were distributed right before and after the instruction phase. The results showed that in the third phase, the students demonstrated great progress in their understanding of request forms in L2. Their improvement was manifested by the learners’ acknowledgement of these forms as proper employment of request strategies in English, recognition of request function names, ability to assign correct functions to linguistic realizations and their overall understanding of the appropriate use of these forms dictated by the weightiness of different request situations.

scholarly journals Do second language learners always know what they know about L2 collocations? Exploring the acquisition of conscious and unconscious structural knowledge of L2 collocations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun LU ◽  
Zoltan Dienes
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Structural Knowledge ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Similar Test ◽  
Incidental Exposure ◽  
Statistical Regularities ◽  
The University

This study investigated the acquisition of conscious and unconscious structural knowledge of L2 collocations. The participants were two groups of 68 Chinese undergraduate students from the university community. The first group judged the typicality of 24 English collocations and their atypical counterparts and reported the basis of each judgment to indicate their conscious status. The second group were trained on 24 new collocations and then took a similar test. Results showed that learners acquired both conscious and unconscious structural knowledge of L2 collocations. The conscious status varied according to collocation types. Incidental exposure facilitated the development of conscious structural knowledge of incongruent collocations and unconscious structural knowledge of congruent ones. The advantage of congruent over incongruent collocations was greater for unconscious than conscious structural knowledge. The results are consistent with the theory that unconscious structural knowledge is based on acquiring statistical regularities while conscious structural knowledge codes more one-off exceptions.

scholarly journals Analysis of error sources in L2 written English by Indonesian undergraduate students

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-83
Author(s):  
Burhansyah Burhansyah
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Elementary Level ◽  
Error Sources ◽  
Common Problems ◽  
Analysis Of Error

This study investigates second language learners’ production in writing, aiming to understand common problems the learners frequently have with English. The study focuses on the analysis of errors in 100 essays written by 50 Indonesian undergraduate students of English, which is aimed at identifying the commonly occurring errors, classifying them according to a linguistic category, and explaining the causes of the occurring errors. The study shows that a large number of the occurring errors resulted from intralingual sources, the proportion of which account for more than 60% of the total errors. The results conform to a number of earlier studies in this research field which concluded that the majority of errors L2 learners make stem from intralingual interference. Another possible explanation for the phenomena is that because the subjects participating in this study are university students majoring in English, they had at least mastered the basics of English when entering university. As a result, they are more likely to make fewer interlingual errors than students at elementary level who tend to rely more on their native language when dealing with the aspects of the target language which they have not yet mastered.

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