Toward Mobile Assisted Language MOOCs

2015 ◽  
pp. 225-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Read ◽  
Elena Bárcena
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Direct Interaction ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Access To Education ◽  
Mobile Assisted Language Learning ◽  
Formal And Informal Learning ◽  
Technological Context ◽  
Digital Equivalent

MOOCs are presented in this article as a fundamental change in the access to education in the world. While not necessarily a completely new invention, the technological context was ripe for them to take off and become established as an important step forward in providing open education for a large number of people. It is argued that MOOCs, if correctly structured and managed, can harness the best of both formal and informal learning, to help students develop their receptive, productive and interactive language competences. It is, therefore, possible to talk about Language MOOCs, or LMOOCs, as a sub-field within MOOC research and practice. Activities that revolve around collaboration and peer review, resting upon basic linguistic notions of the target language, while arguably not as fruitful or enjoyable as direct interaction with native speakers, can still greatly motivate students to experiment with new language and become more proactive than they would in other learning environments. Furthermore, while focussing on the mistakes of other students, they are implicitly reviewing and refining their own comprehension and production. If mobile assisted language learning, or MALL, is talked about as the application of mobile technology to language learning, then given the potential of such technology to increase both the access of students to LMOOCs and also provide them with complementary tools for the courses, we can begin to talk about Mobile Assisted LMOOCs, or MALMOOCs. In this chapter, the nature of LMOOCs is discussed together with the potential role of mobile devices, argued to be the digital equivalent of the Swiss army knife, offering a rich and flexible way of interacting with the real world based upon the array of sensors present and the apps that can be installed on them.

scholarly journals Disentangling effects of L1 and the artificial language during artificial language learning

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Tang ◽  
Dinah Baer-Henney
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Lexical Processing ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Artificial Language ◽  
Learning Mechanisms ◽  
Artificial Language Learning ◽  
The Impact

Artificial language learning research (ALL) has become a popular tool in investigations of language learning. Learning behaviour can be characterised with limited time and effort and bring insights into real language learning. Mechanisms are uncovered and tested, for instance, for universality with learner groups with different L1s. Designing cross-linguistic ALL studies comes along with certain problems. The role of the (native and artificial) lexicons involved in the study is underestimated.Building on insights from second language acquisition and psycholinguistic research in lexical processing, this study fills an important knowledge gap in ALL research by demonstrating the need to model the influence of both the L1 and the target artificial language on language learning. Specifically, native speakers of German (n = 232) and Mandarin (n = 219) were taught a phonological pattern using a set of non-words. In addition to replicating the impact of a consonant identity effect previously found in English (Linzen and Gallagher, 2017) for two very distinct languages, we were able to capture their influences in the learning of the artificial language by training an analogical and a discriminative learning model over the lexicons of the L1 and the artificial target language used in training. Nonwords are more likely to be accepted as grammatical if they are more similar to the trained artificial lexicon and more different from the L1. In addition, nonwords are less likely to be accepted as grammatical if the decision takes longer and if the nonword is judged at a later time. Our findings show that we are at risk of underestimating the role of the lexicons when examining language learning with ALL. Some recommendations for conducting cross-linguistic ALL experiments are made.

scholarly journals Studying individual differences in the social environment to better understand language learning and processing

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (s1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiri Lev-Ari
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Linguistic Performance ◽  
The Social

AbstractPeople learn language from their social environment. Therefore, individual differences in the input that their social environment provides could influence their linguistic performance. Nevertheless, investigation of the role of individual differences in input on performance has been mostly restricted to first and second language acquisition. In this paper I argue that individual differences in input can influence linguistic performance even in adult native speakers. Specifically, differences in input can affect performance by influencing people’s knowledgebase, by modulating their processing manner, and by shaping expectations. Therefore, studying the role that individual differences in input play can improve our understanding of how language is learned, processed and represented.

Study abroad and the SLA of variable structures: A look at the present perfect, the copula contrast, and the present progressive in Mexico and Spain

Probus ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Kanwit ◽  
Kimberly L. Geeslin ◽  
Stephen Fafulas
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Present Perfect ◽  
Immersion Programs ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Grammatical Structures

AbstractThe present study connects research on the L2 acquisition of variable structures to the ever-growing body of research on the role of study abroad in the language learning process. The data come from a group of 46 English-speaking learners of Spanish who participated in immersion programs in two distinct locations, Valencia, Spain and San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Simultaneously, we tested a group of native speakers from each region to create an appropriate target model for each learner group. Learners completed a written contextualized questionnaire at the beginning and end of their seven-week stay abroad. Our instrument examines three variable grammatical structures: (1) the copulas

scholarly journals Friend or foe? First language (L1) in second/foreign language (L2/FL) instruction & Vygotsky

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-39
Author(s):  
Liaquat A. Channa ◽  
Daniel Gilhooly ◽  
Charles A. Lynn ◽  
Syed A. Manan ◽  
Niaz Hussain Soomro
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Bilingual Education ◽  
Sociocultural Theory ◽  
Review Paper ◽  
First Language ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Target Language

Abstract This theoretical review paper investigates the role of first language (L1) in the mainstream scholarship of second/foreign (L2/FL) language education in the context of language learning, teaching, and bilingual education. The term ‘mainstream’ refers here to the scholarship that is not informed by sociocultural theory in general and Vygotskian sociocultural theory in particular. The paper later explains a Vygotskian perspective on the use of L1 in L2/FL language education and discusses how the perspective may help content teachers in (a) employing L1 in teaching L2/FL content and (b) helping L2/FL students to become self-regulative users of the target language.

scholarly journals Applying Measurement of Situational Self-Determination Theory to Use of a Self-Access Centre at a Japanese University

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Graham G. Robson ◽  
Darrell J. Hardy
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Learner Motivation ◽  
Japanese University ◽  
Self Study

One way to promote autonomy in the second language can be through the use of Self-access Centres (SACs). These are spaces for students to engage in activities such as self-study or communication with other learners, or native-speakers of the target language. However, merely having these spaces available does not guarantee that students will use the facility effectively, or even attend at all, so a degree of learner motivation linked with visiting the SAC would be necessary. Deci and Ryan’s (1985) Self-Determination Theory (SDT) has been used as the base for numerous studies in second language learning, including those in Japan. Proponents claim SDT is both universal and can be measured on different levels, which are global, situational and state. The authors sought to validate a measure of four subscales of SDT (Intrinsic Motivation, Identified Regulation, Introjected Regulation and External Regulation) written for this study at the situational level among undergraduates using an SAC at a Japanese University (n = 83). The rationale for items at this level comes from the field of psychology (Vallerand & Ratelle, 2002) and a study of second language constructs (Robson, 2016). A factor analysis confirmed four reliable factors, as hypothesized. Further, simplex correlations between the subconstructs somewhat confirms the underlying continuum posited by SDT researchers. These results may lead to a body of work that validates SDT theory in second language learning.

Learner Autonomy as Discourse: The Role of the Target Language

10.47908/9/1 ◽  
2013 ◽  
pp. 13-29
Author(s):  
David Little
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Language Discourse ◽  
Development Of Language ◽  
Number Of Publications

In a number of publications (e.g., Little 2001, 2004, 2007) I have argued that the exercise and development of language learner autonomy depend on the operationalization of three interacting principles: learner involvement, learner reflection, and target language use. In this article I explore the theory and practice of language learner autonomy from the perspective of the third of these principles. I argue that the most successful language learning environments are those in which, from the beginning, the target language is the principal channel through which the learners’ agency flows: the communicative and metacognitive medium through which, individually and collaboratively, they plan, execute, monitor and evaluate their own learning. I describe in some detail the communicative and metacognitive dynamic that shapes target language discourse in the autonomy classroom at lower secondary level before suggesting ways of creating the same dynamic in other contexts of formal language learning. I conclude by briefly considering the implications of my argument for empirical research.

scholarly journals Will mobile learning change language learning?

ReCALL ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnes Kukulska-Hulme
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Informal Learning ◽  
Mobile Learning ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Portable Devices ◽  
Mobile Assisted Language Learning ◽  
Learning Practices ◽  
Formal And Informal Learning ◽  
Significant Change

AbstractThe use of mobile phones and other portable devices is beginning to have an impact on how learning takes place in many disciplines and contexts, including language learning. Learners who are not dependent on access to fixed computers can engage in activities that relate more closely to their current surroundings, sometimes crossing the border between formal and informal learning. This creates the potential for significant change in teaching and learning practices. Taking the broader field of mobile learning as the setting within which developments in mobile-assisted language learning may be understood, the paper argues that an emphasis on mobility can lead to new perspectives and practices. The paper offers reflections on what mobile learning has to offer and considers whether it is likely to change how languages are taught and learnt. ‘Mobile learning’ is not a stable concept; therefore its current interpretations need to be made explicit. Examples of current projects and practices show an affinity between mobile and games-based learning, and can further illuminate what is distinctive and worthwhile about mobile learning.

Communication networks of Japanese language learners in their home country

2004 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 153-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi Kurata
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Communication Networks ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Home Country ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Japanese Language ◽  
Language Play ◽  
The Relationship

This paper deals with communication networks of four upper-intermediate level Japanese language learners with in-country experience who are studying at an Australian university, and it also examines the relationship between the learners’ networks and language learning. Utilizing Boissevain’s criteria for network analysis, I compared the characteristics of the informants’ current networks with those that existed prior to their in-country experiences. In addition, this study applied the framework of communicative competence developed by Hymes and Neustupny to analyse the informants’ language learning that occurred within their networks. The study found that a number of characteristics of the informants’ networks, such as their multiplex social roles and the variety of backgrounds of their Japanese network interactants, were probably related to the raising of the learners’ non-linguistic as well as linguistic awareness. It therefore appears that learners’ out-of-class communication networks with native speakers of the target language play an important role in terms of language learning.

Extracting words from the speech stream at first exposure

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellenor Shoemaker ◽  
Rebekah Rast
Keyword(s):  
Target Word ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Lexical Item ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Exposure Study ◽  
Several Variables ◽  
Stages Of Learning ◽  
Novel Target ◽  
Better Than

The earliest stages of adult language acquisition have received increased attention in recent years (cf. Carroll, introduction to this issue). The study reported here aims to contribute to this discussion by investigating the role of several variables in the development of word recognition strategies during the very first hours of exposure to a novel target language (TL). Eighteen native speakers of French with no previous exposure to Polish were tested at intervals throughout a 6.5-hour intensive Polish course on their ability to extract target words from Polish sentences. Following Rast and Dommergues’ (2003) first exposure study, stimuli were designed to investigate the effect of three factors: the lexical transparency of the target word with respect to the native language (L1); the frequency of the target word in the input; the target word’s position in the sentence. Results suggest that utterance position plays an essential role in learners’ ability to recognize words in the signal at first exposure, indicating acute sensitivity to the edges of prosodic domains. In addition, transparent words (e.g. professor ‘professor’) were recognized significantly better than non-transparent words (e.g. lekarz ‘doctor’), suggesting that first exposure learners are highly dependent on L1 phonological forms. Furthermore, the frequency of a target word in the input did not affect performance, suggesting that at the very beginning stages of learning, the amount of exposure to a lexical item alone does not play a significant role in recognition.

scholarly journals Competing priorities: Student perceptions of helps and hindrances to language acquisition during study abroad

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcie J. Pyper ◽  
Cynthia Slagter
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Contact ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Competing Priorities

Multiple studies have investigated the effect of language contact on language proficiency, testing the assumption that the study abroad context means greater contact with the target language (L2).  Other studies have examined the context of L2 interactions, considering host families, contact with community members, and interactions with non-native-speaking peers. While these studies are helpful, larger scales studies are needed to determine how students are interacting with native and non-native speakers during study abroad.  The current study examines student perceptions of helps and hindrances to L2 gain during semester-long study abroad of more than 100 students studying Spanish in Spain, Honduras, and Peru. Participants completed surveys patterned after the Language Contact Profile of Freed, Dewey, Segalowitz, and Halter (2004) and took the Versant Language Test before and after their study abroad experience. They also participated in a post-program interview which was subsequently transcribed, encoded and analyzed.  Results suggest that students experience competing priorities in decisions governing L1 vs L2 use and that student intentionality is key to successful language learning.

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