scholarly journals On the Use of Corpora in Second Language Acquisition – Chinese as an Example

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-142
Author(s):  
Mária Ištvánová

This paper aims to introduce the language corpora and the advantages of their use in the process of Chinese language acquisition. We provide practical examples of the corpora's direct and indirect use for teaching and learning Chinese as a second language. The exploratory approach towards Chinese by using various types of corpora is applicable for general language seminars as well as specialized translation seminars. The indirect use is mainly linked to the preparation of teaching materials and facilitates the curriculum design.

Author(s):  
Jo el Laffita Rivera

Indeed, Learning Outcomes (LO) are vital components of a curriculum design. These themes are not only a reflex of Education academic, administrative standards but, more importantly, a prelude for lecturing’s guidance and learning comprehension. Although Learning Outcomes refer to those learning achievements that learners will be able to demonstrate once completing the learning process, fulfilling this wanted goal still represents an academic challenge for all kinds of teaching and learning disciplines, and language is not exempted from being a subject that requires especial scrutinizes when addressing Learning Outcomes. Herewith, the study aimed to analyze learning outcome aspects and implications in second language acquisition in Tertiary Education classroom practices. It also brings up a based prospect on language insights and curriculum settings. To accomplish this objective, various manuscripts and Internet accredited websites were searched. The outcome revealed that the idea of boosting second language learners’ knowledge and skills cognition meaning, differentiation, and association to treat the acquisition of learning outcomes at Tertiary Education classroom practices might be assumed as an academic functional approach that helps academicians in handling the second language acquisition process, and therefore in producing university graduate’s skills.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-78
Author(s):  
Edelweiss Vitol Gysel

Studies on Second Language Acquisition (SLA) have been increasingly conducted in recent years, especially concerning the contributions of the so called task-based approach, which has been gradually undergone some adaptations, becoming a driving force for syllabus design. Within the field of Didactics of Translation (DT) the use of tasks has also, so far, proven to be an appropriate approach in the teaching and learning of translation. Therefore, in this article, I will discuss the differences regarding the rationale behind the definition of task as well as its application both in the SLA and in the DT environments. The method seeks to justify the choice of the discussed concepts, and presents the steps in the development a translation task here proposed. The discussion is grounded on this example of translation task and examines how the notion of task in SLA interfaces with the acquisition of translation competence in DT. The conclusion shows that SLA can inspire and contribute to DT concerning the task-based approach. Some of these contributions here discussed are authenticity, focus on meaning and on form, and planning. Furthermore, such contributions are applied in the development of a translation task, as a means of exemplification, and building a bridge between the areas of SLA and the DT.


2008 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 17.1-17.22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baohua Yu ◽  
David A. Watkins

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.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Habibullah Pathan ◽  
Rafique A. Memon ◽  
Shumaila Memon ◽  
Ali Raza Khoso ◽  
Illahi Bux

The purpose of this study is to explore Vygotsky’s contribution to the socio-cultural theory in the field of education in general, and applied linguistics in particular. The study aims to elaborate the impact of social-cultural theory in the existing body of literature. The study also reviews implications and applications of socio-cultural theory in second language acquisition (SLA). Moreover, this study also critiques the basic concepts of the theory and how far these concepts have been implicated in the domain of research. The central focus is to explore and to critically understand central ideas such as Zone of Proximal Development, mediation, scaffolding, internalization, and private speech. The socio-cultural theory focuses on what learners learn and the solution to their learning problems. Socio- cultural theory has made a great effect on learning and teaching languages. It also regards learning second language as a semiotic process where participation in socially mediated activities is very important (Ellis, 2000). Vygotsky (1987) singled out and studied the dynamic social surroundings which indicate the connection between teacher and the child. Moreover, he focused on the social, cultural and historical artifacts which play a pivotal role in the children’s cognitive development as well as their potential performance. The study concludes with the idea of Williams & Burden (1997) that socio-cultural theory suggests that education should be associated with learning to learn and making learning experiences meaningful and relevant to the learner. The study also suggests some pedagogical implications and offers teaching and learning practices in relation to socio-cultural theory.


The education field is constantly venturing into many creative forms. Interactive learning is a hands-on approach to boost students' engagement and confidence. With new innovation, interactive learning enables students to reinforce critical thinking and problem-solving abilities in second language acquisition. Thus, the aim of this research is to design and create new interactive tool for second language teaching which can benefit both teachers and ESL students. This teaching and learning tool can be used for the 4 basic skills in ESL classrooms namely reading, listening, speaking and writing. A total of 30 students from a rural public secondary school were involved in this study. This interactive tool can help in building students’ motivation in learning especially among the low proficiency students and create autonomous learners who enjoyed and have fun while learning English. In conclusion, it is hoped that this research could add knowledge to the field of interactive tools and promotes creativity among second language teachers.


Author(s):  
Eliyas S. Mohandas ◽  
Anealka Aziz Hussin ◽  
Tuan Sarifah Aini Syed Ahmad

Language games have always been the reinforcement activities in second language acquisition. Such activities will not only help the learners to retain the knowledge but to ensure the sustainability of it for a long run. It was not until the early 2000s when researchers began to carry out studies on online language games. Soon after, the terminology of Language Gamification came into perspective. This paper discusses on the notion of language gamification from a teaching perspective. It starts by discussing the related theories on language gamification and second language acquisition before moving to discussing on creating gamification in classroom. This paper is also set to disclose the ramifications of language gamifications in teaching and learning. <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0727/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>


2008 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 17.1-17.22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baohua Yu ◽  
David A. Watkins

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.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 108
Author(s):  
Zahra Mahdikhani ◽  
Amir Rezaei

<p>Student engagement has become a frequently used term in the vocabulary of Higher Education, and particularly among those involved in research associated with teaching and learning. It has been shown that despite the passage of time, the importance of engaging all students in their education continues to resonate strongly with families, students, educators, and researchers (Appleton, 2008). Student engagement in education has been gathering more and more attention; however, most of the studies in this field focus on the school engagement in general. It is currently argued among educators that student engagement is very significant concept, where individual differences between students in terms of their ability, cultural background and motivation are more considerable (Brown, 2005; Biggs, 2003; Prosser and Trigwell, 1999). </p><p>This study investigates the importance of language engagement<strong> </strong>in<strong> </strong>second language acquisition.<em> </em>One of the significant roles of engagement in language acquisition is its perspective on reading. Much research has focused on engagement and it is clear from these studies that as students are more engaged academic performance is hence improved.</p>


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