Assessing critical thinking in L2: An exploratory study

Critical thinking (CT) is taking on an increasingly important role in Japanese tertiary education. Teachers tasked with developing CT in a second-language (L2) context may need a way of assessing students’ abilities. However, a number of difficulties face L2 students taking a test designed for first-language (L1) speakers. They may be disadvantaged by linguistic and perhaps cultural issues. This study describes an exploratory attempt to make a CT test that can be administered to learners of English and which allows them to display selected elements of CT, specifically analyzing arguments and judging or evaluating. A comparison of L1 and L2 performance in the test showed the results to be comparable. Analysis of two different question topics showed differences in CT skills displayed. Issues with rating accuracy are linked to the format of the test. We argue that this test format is suitable for many students in Japan and elsewhere who have intermediate levels of English.

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Longitudinal Developments in Bilingual Second Language Acquisition and First Language Attrition of Speech: The Case of Arnold Schwarzenegger

Languages ◽

10.3390/languages6020061 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 61

Author(s):

Lisa Kornder ◽

Ineke Mennen

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Second Language Acquisition ◽

Voice Onset Time ◽

First Language ◽

Onset Time ◽

Speech Development ◽

Dynamic Interactions ◽

First Language Attrition ◽

Second Formant ◽

L1 And L2

The purpose of this investigation was to trace first (L1) and second language (L2) segmental speech development in the Austrian German–English late bilingual Arnold Schwarzenegger over a period of 40 years, which makes it the first study to examine a bilingual’s speech development over several decades in both their languages. To this end, acoustic measurements of voice onset time (VOT) durations of word-initial plosives (Study 1) and formant frequencies of the first and second formant of Austrian German and English monophthongs (Study 2) were conducted using speech samples collected from broadcast interviews. The results of Study 1 showed a merging of Schwarzenegger’s German and English voiceless plosives in his late productions as manifested in a significant lengthening of VOT duration in his German plosives, and a shortening of VOT duration in his English plosives, closer to L1 production norms. Similar findings were evidenced in Study 2, revealing that some of Schwarzenegger’s L1 and L2 vowel categories had moved closer together in the course of L2 immersion. These findings suggest that both a bilingual’s first and second language accent is likely to develop and reorganize over time due to dynamic interactions between the first and second language system.

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Lexicalized structural priming in second language online sentence comprehension

Second language Research ◽

10.1177/0267658317723684 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 395-416 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Hang Wei ◽

Julie E. Boland ◽

Jonathan Brennan ◽

Fang Yuan ◽

Min Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Adult Learners ◽

Relative Clause ◽

Relative Clauses ◽

Sentence Comprehension ◽

First Language ◽

Structural Priming ◽

Chinese Adult ◽

Education Levels ◽

L1 And L2

Prior work has shown intriguing differences between first language (L1) and second language (L2) comprehension priming of relative clauses. We investigated English reduced relative clause priming in Chinese adult learners of English. Participants of different education levels read sentences in a self-paced, moving window paradigm. Critical sentences had a temporarily ambiguous reduced relative clause. Across lists, critical sentences were rotated, so that they occurred either as prime or as target, and had either the same or different verb as the critical sentence with which they were paired. Prime/target pairs were separated by several filler sentences, which never contained a relative clause. Mean reading times for the disambiguating region in the target sentences were faster than in the prime sentences, but only in the same-verb condition, not in the different-verb condition. This pattern of results is consistent with L1 comprehension priming research, suggesting that similar lexically specific mechanisms are involved in L1 and L2 comprehension priming of reduced relative clauses. These findings are in line with lexicalist accounts of sentence comprehension (e.g. MacDonald et al., 1994), according to which syntactic information is bound to specific words. In addition, these findings argue against theories that postulate fundamental differences in processing of L1 and L2 (e.g. Clahsen and Felser, 2006a, 2006b).

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“Identical” vowels in L1 and L2? Criteria and implications for L2 phonetics teaching and learning

EUROSLA Yearbook ◽

10.1075/eurosla.16.06pai ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 16 ◽

pp. 144-178 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nikola Maurova Paillereau

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Foreign Language ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Strong Influence ◽

First Language ◽

Positive Transfer ◽

Phonetic Similarity ◽

Perceptual Characteristics ◽

L1 And L2

Researchers in the field of the teaching and learning of phonetics agree that learners of a foreign/second language (L2) acquire identical vowels by positive transfer from their first language (L1). This statement prompted us to examine whether the French and Czech languages, differing in the size of their vowel inventories, possess any identical vowels that could thus be omitted from French as a Foreign Language (FFL) phonetic curricula intended for Czech learners. The quantification of the vowels’ phonetic similarity is based on the comparison of their (1) phonetic symbols, (2) formant values (F-patterns), and (3) perceptual characteristics. The combined results show that strictly identical vowels between the two languages do not exist, but some French vowels can be defined as highly similar to some Czech vowels. Different coarticulatory effects of vowels produced in isolation and in labial, dental and palato-velar symmetrical environments point to a very strong influence of phonetic contexts on vowel similarity. Indeed, no French vowel is highly similar to any Czech vowel in all of the contexts studied. The findings suggest that phonetic exercises designed for Czech learners should focus on allophonic variations of all French vowels.

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Dynamic Transfer and Relations between First Language (L1) Proficiency and Second Language (L2) Writing Skills Performance

10.31235/osf.io/2t6cf ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Abdulelah Alkhateeb

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Language Learning ◽

English Language ◽

First Language ◽

Writing Skills ◽

Arabic Language ◽

Future Research ◽

Dynamic Relationship ◽

Arabic And English ◽

L1 And L2

This study investigates the transfer relationship between first language (L1) (Arabic) proficiency and second language (L2) (English) performance in writing skills of a Saudi bilingual graduate student. Several studies have discussed the transfer issues in language learning, yet a few of them focus on the transfer relationships between Arabic and English language writing skills. Regardless of the huge linguistic distinction between the English language and Arabic language, it is presumed that Arabic and English writing skills positively, negatively, and neutrally transferred in a dynamic relationship. The researcher has conducted observations and interviews with Fatimah, the participant of this study, and analyzed her texts in both languages to illustrate how dynamic relationships between L1 and L2 in the composition skills is and what the effects of language transfer in the composition skills between L1 and L2 are. The data were collected and analyzed in January 2018. The results demonstrate effects of L2 on L1 as the following; first, a reverse or backward transfer implemented in three ways; positive, negative, and neutral transfer. Second, they indicate that there is a dynamic relationship between second language performance and first language proficiency in composition particularly. It is hoped that this knowledge will assist students in being aware of the effects of L2 on L1 specifically in composition and taking the advantages to accelerate the rate of language learning. It is recommended for future research to conduct studies in bilingual writings to investigate how L1 could be a resource and advocate of language development.

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The role of L1 and L2 reading comprehension in solving mathematical word problems

Australian Review of Applied Linguistics ◽

10.1075/aral.28.1.04erk ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

pp. 52-66 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Emine Erktin ◽

Ayse Akyel

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Reading Comprehension ◽

Private School ◽

Word Problems ◽

First Language ◽

L2 Reading ◽

Mathematical Word Problems ◽

And Performance ◽

And Mathematics ◽

L1 And L2

Abstract Mathematics educators are concerned about students’ lack of ability to translate mathematical word problems into computable forms. Researchers argue that linguistic problems lie at the root of students’ difficulties with mathematical word problems. The issue becomes more complicated for bilingual students. It is argued that if students study mathematics in a second language they cannot be as successful as when they study in their first language. This study investigates the relationship between reading comprehension and performance on mathematics word problems in L1 and L2 for students learning English as a second language in a delayed partial immersion program. Data were collected from 250 Turkish students from Grade 8 of a private school in Istanbul through reading comprehension tests in L1 and L2 and an algebra word problems test prepared in L1 and L2. The results indicate a positive relationship between reading comprehension and mathematics performance. They also show that the students who participated in this study were not disadvantaged when they studied mathematics in English.

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Orthographic activation in spoken word recognition of L2 phonological variants

Second language Research ◽

10.1177/0267658320968253 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 026765832096825

Author(s):

Jeong-Im Han ◽

Song Yi Kim

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Word Recognition ◽

Spoken Word Recognition ◽

First Language ◽

Spoken Word ◽

Advanced Level ◽

Spoken Words ◽

L2 Learners ◽

L1 And L2 ◽

Prime Target

The present study investigated the influence of orthographic input on the recognition of second language (L2) spoken words with phonological variants, when first language (L1) and L2 have different orthographic structures. Lexical encoding for intermediate-to-advanced level Mandarin learners of Korean was assessed using masked cross-modal and within-modal priming tasks. Given that Korean has obstruent nasalization in the syllable coda, prime target pairs were created with and without such phonological variants, but spellings that were provided in the cross-modal task reflected their unaltered, nonnasalized forms. The results indicate that when L2 learners are exposed to transparent alphabetic orthography, they do not show a particular cost for spoken word recognition of L2 phonological variants as long as the variation is regular and rule-governed.

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The influence of first language polysemy and first language and second language lexical frequencies on second language learners’ use of false cognates

International Journal of Bilingualism ◽

10.1177/1367006918814380 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 530-541

Author(s):

Carl Cañizares-Álvarez ◽

Virginia C Mueller Gathercole

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Language Learners ◽

Second Language Learners ◽

First Language ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Complex Interaction ◽

Word Choice ◽

Relative Transparency ◽

L1 And L2 ◽

L1 English

Aims and objectives: This study examines second language (L2) bilinguals’ use of words that have the same or similar forms in their two languages but whose meaning extensions differ – that is, false cognates. We examine the conditions under which L2 speakers inappropriately use false cognates in the L2. How do frequency of the relevant words in each language and polysemy of the word in the first language (L1) affect L2 learners’ use of such words? Design: Fifty Spanish L1–English L2 adults translated 80 words in context from Spanish (S) to English (E). The words involved polysemous Spanish words that had several translations in English, one of which was a cognate form. Words were strictly balanced for L1 polysemy (high versus low), frequency of the S word, frequency of the E cognate form, and frequency of the E non-cognate translation. The words were presented in unambiguous contextual frames that pushed for the non-cognate translation in English. Data and analysis: Analyses of variance were used to analyze participants’ translations relative to the variables of Spanish polysemy and the frequencies of the forms in question. Findings: The findings show that the relative transparency or opacity of the mapping between the L1 and L2 influences word choice: the use of a false cognate instead of a competing correct lexical item depends on the complex interaction of L1 polysemy and the lexical frequencies of the L1 and L2 forms in the bilingual’s two languages. Originality: This study strictly controls for several factors crucial to L2 users’ choice of a word in the L2: polysemy in the L1, frequency of the L1 word, and frequencies of the L2 words involved. Significance: When these variables are viewed together, the data reveal a complex interaction showing factors that contribute to the transparency or opacity of the L1–L2 lexical semantic linkages.

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On the State of L1 and L2 Knowledge in FL Learners: A Review of Issues

Journal of English Language and Literature ◽

10.17722/jell.v4i1.76 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 334-346

Author(s):

Hosni Mostafa El-Dali

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Conceptual Framework ◽

Opposite Direction ◽

Language Teaching ◽

First Language ◽

Negative Influence ◽

The State ◽

Special Focus ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

L1 And L2

There has been extensive research into how L1 affects L2, commonly known as ‘negative influence’, but a lot less about the opposite direction, commonly known as ‘Reverse or Backward’ transfer. As well as the first language influences the second, the second language influences the first. The present study, therefore, attempts to examine and critically review pertinent research into the question of bidirectional influence between languages. First, it traces the conceptual framework of the notion L1→L2 effect. Second, it attempts to demonstrate how an emerging new language (L2) affects the existing L1. Third, it examines the pedagogical aspects of both directions, as manifested in L2 classroom. Special focus will be given to how the concept of “multicompetence” sees the goal of L2 learning and how language teaching should reflect such a goal. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of using learners’ first language in L2 classroom will be highlighted and specific methodological recommendations will be made.

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What Were They Thinking?! Students’ Decision Making in L1 and L2 Translation Processes

HERMES - Journal of Language and Communication in Business ◽

10.7146/hjlcb.v23i44.97267 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 23 (44) ◽

pp. 63 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nataša Pavlović

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Second Language ◽

Language Translation ◽

First Language ◽

Golden Rule ◽

Collaborative Group ◽

Students First ◽

Video And Audio ◽

Group Translation ◽

L1 And L2

In spite of the ‘Golden Rule’ that translators should only work into their ﬁrst language, translation into the second language (L2 translation) is a fact of life in settings involving languages of ‘limited diffusion’. Even in countries that use one of the traditionally ‘major’ languages, research into L2 translation and its training is becoming increasingly topical with the emergence of global translation markets and the worldwide dominance of English. This paper examines novice translators’ decision-making in video- and audio-recorded collaborative (group) translation processes in two directions: into the students’ ﬁrst language (Croatian) and from that language into their second language (English). The study aims to identify and classify the different arguments the subjects use in deciding which of the tentative solutions to translation problems to use in the ﬁnal version of their translation. It is hypothesised that similar arguments are used in both directions but with a different distribution. Only the former hypothesis is fully corroborated by the evidence from the verbal protocols.

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