scholarly journals Evaluation of textbooks for German as a foreign language in the basis of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, teaching, assessment

Linguistica ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-75
Author(s):  
Andreja Retelj
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Teaching Assessment ◽  
Language Communication ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
The Common ◽  
Language Textbooks ◽  
Lexical Competence ◽  
Different Levels

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR) has since its inception in 2001 served as a guideline not only for teachers and students, but also for curriculum writers, test developers, and textbook authors. CEFR was only translated into Slovenian in 2011. The key principle of CEFR is an action-oriented approach that defines the communicative competence of an individual on the basis of the language activities of reception (listening, reading), production (spoken and written), interaction (spoken), and mediation. Each individual skill is defined by descriptors for levels A1-C2. The aim is to ensure more transparency in the process of language teaching and learning and at the same time to enable students to develop their foreign-language communication competence in an efficient way. Given that foreign language textbooks greatly influence the way a foreign language is taught, the article tries to determine how the students’ lexical competence at different levels (as defined by CEFR) is developed with the aid of some of the most commonly used German language textbooks.

scholarly journals Portuguese as a foreign language textbooks: Framing the discourses on the teaching and learning of writing

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-100
Author(s):  
Joaquim Guerra
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Teaching Writing ◽  
European Portuguese ◽  
Language Classes ◽  
The Common ◽  
Language Textbooks ◽  
Writing Competence

Textbooks are a resource that is widely used in language classes. For this reason, they are also one of the principal topics in research on the field of didactics. Several studies were conducted about Portuguese as mother tongue textbooks, but there is a lack of researches and information concerning the textbooks of Portuguese as a foreign language. In this study, the researcher analyses the discourse of the authors/editors in the ‘opening texts’ of textbooks for (European) Portuguese as a foreign language, for levels A1 and A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference. The study shows that writing competence is relatively neglected by the authors, and infers that might reflect the way that teaching and learning activities for writing are put into practice. Further research will allow to verify if there are indeed activities for learning to write and how they were thought out and organised.   Keywords: Language teaching, writing competencies, Portuguese, foreign language, textbooks, writing competencies.

scholarly journals „Be on the right track“ – phraseodidactic approaches in teaching German as a foreign language

Linguistica ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 365-379
Author(s):  
Urška Valenčič Arh
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
The Common ◽  
Lexical Competence ◽  
The Right

Phraseological units are common linguistic elements, which have seen an upturn in phraseological research as well as in phraseodidactics of foreign language. Phraseo­logy is used to expand the students’ vocabulary and to enhance their communicative competence. Phraseodidactics deals with  the treatment of phraseological vocabulary in language teaching practice and in course books. Its scope ranges from identifying phraseological units to developing students’ phraseological competence in their mother tongue and/or foreign languages.The article deals with some aspects of the acquisition of phraseological competence in German as a foreign language. Special attention is given to the place phraseological units occupyin the coursebook and workbook for teaching German as a foreign language studio d – Die Mittelstufe B2. The focus is not only on the frequency of phraseological units, but on the didactic approach employed in dealing with such units as elements which should be systematically taken into consideration in teaching German as a foreign language. The article also discusses the importance of  careful integration of phraseology into the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages as an important part of students’ lexical competence at all levels from A1 to C2.

scholarly journals Mother Tongue Use in Beginner EFL Grammar Classes in Saudi Arabia: A Case Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 349-365
Author(s):  
Khulud Ali Tubayqi ◽  
Mazeegha Ahmed Al Tale’
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Arabic Language ◽  
Microsoft Excel ◽  
Thematic Content Analysis ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Actual Interaction

Using the mother tongue (MT) in English as a foreign or second language (EFL/ESL) classrooms is indispensable, especially in beginner classes. This paper aims to add to the present literature on this issue by highlighting the attitudes of both students and teachers towards MT use in English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom, the justifications for its use, and some of the actual interaction practices in grammar classes. It investigates the attitudes of 110 Saudi EFL female beginners and their two teachers toward using the Arabic language in EFL grammar classes at Jazan University. It also investigates the students’ reasons for using or avoiding their MT. Moreover, it presents some of the functions that MT serves in EFL grammar classes. To collect the data, the researchers used two questionnaires and classroom observations. For data analysis, they used Microsoft Excel and thematic content analysis. The results indicated that, although both students and teachers generally have positive attitudes toward using the MT in EFL classes, they are also aware of the adverse effects of its overuse. The results also revealed that the teachers and students use MT in EFL classes to serve different classroom functions that ease the teaching and learning processes. Based on these findings, the study provided recommendations for teachers, curriculum designers, and future researchers.

scholarly journals INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO THE TEACHING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AT LEVELS B2 - C1 (FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF THE TEXTBOOK)

2013 ◽  
pp. 49-61
Author(s):  
E. B. Yastrebova ◽  
D. A. Kryachkov
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
International Relations ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Per Se ◽  
Basic Features

The article analyzes how professors and students of MGIMO-University’s School of International Relations perceive innovations in language teaching.As a synergy system, language teaching relies on selfdevelopment based to a great extent on innovations, which can be initiated either from the inside or from the outside. To identify the basic features of innovations in foreign language teaching, the authors conducted a survey of professors and students of the School of international Relations. The results suggest that for most respondents the main purpose of innovations in foreign language teaching and learning is to attain a significantly higher level of communicative competence, which is seen as feasible only if fundamentally new teaching materials and computer technologies are used. According to the survey, the success of innovations largely depends on their source (innovations ‘from the top’ and innovations ‘from the bottom’) and commitment on the part of professors and students to participate in them, the latter being often prompted by their discontent with the state of play. Innovations ‘from above’ tend to be more encompassing and affect the entire system of language education, whereas innovations ‘from the bottom concern the teaching process per se. Though the survey suggests that it is innovations ‘from the top’ that tend to be more successful, the authors conclude that language education as a synergy system adopts only non-shattering innovations that address its most vital needs, thus encouraging its sustainable development.

scholarly journals Corpus analysis of phraseology in an A1 level textbook of German as a foreign language

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (22) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Maria Rosario Bautista Zambrana
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Corpus Analysis ◽  
German Language ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
Productive Activities ◽  
Written Texts ◽  
The Common ◽  
Lexical Competence ◽  
Level Student

This paper aims to analyse the extent to which the textbook for German as a foreign language DaF kompakt A1 (Sander et al., 2011) complies with the recommendations of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (Council of Europe, 2001) (hereafter CEFR) in respect to lexical competence and sociolinguistic competence in receptive and productive activities, specifically with regard to phraseological units. In this respect, we have focused on sentential formulae and fixed frames present in a corpus containing the textbook materials, and we have checked whether those fixed expressions correspond to the phraseological and sociolinguistic compe-tences that are expected in the Framework for an A1 level student of German language. To this end, we have compiled a corpus of the textbook receptive and productive materials, made up by three subcorpora: one for the written texts, one for the oral texts, and a third subcorpus containing exercises. We have performed a quantitative analysis (by means of AntConc 3.4.4 [Anthony, 2016] and kfNgram [Fletcher, 2007]), and a qualitative one. Our results suggest that the textbook complies with the recommendations of the CEFR.

Networking-Based Strategies of Intercultural Communicative Competence Development Among Kazakhstani University Students

2019 ◽  
pp. 197-210
Author(s):  
Azamat Akbarov
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Cultural Knowledge ◽  
Necessary Condition ◽  
Intercultural Communicative Competence ◽  
Intercultural Understanding ◽  
Intercultural Awareness ◽  
Language Communication

This chapter presents an empirical study of the intercultural communicative competence of students of Kazakhstani universities. The study results indicate that students should develop their cultural knowledge, intercultural receptivity, communication strategies, intercultural awareness etc. A number of issues related to the formation of intercultural competence in the process of teaching foreign-language communication, taking into account the cultural and mental differences of the native speakers, which is a necessary condition for a successful dialogue of cultures are also discussed. The concept of communicative competence in teaching foreign languages stipulates development of students' knowledge, skills and abilities that enable them to join the ethno-cultural values of the country of the studied language and use the foreign language in situations of intercultural understanding and cognition in practice. Conjunction of such knowledge, skills and abilities constitutes communicative competence. Based on the results of the research, proposals are made for the curriculum and teaching of intercultural communication and methods of developing intercultural communicative competence of students of Kazakhstan universities in a networked environment.

scholarly journals Do not give up! The importance of mistakes in the process of teaching and learning foreign languages

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 244
Author(s):  
Eduardo Dias da Silva ◽  
Romar Souza-Dias ◽  
Juscelino Francisco do Nascimento
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Learning Programs

This paper aims to highlight the importance of errors and mistakes as an essential part in the process of teaching and learning foreign languages (FL). We understand that, while trying to produce meanings in the foreign language, learners, through some errors and mistakes, can develop the mental structures necessary for the consolidation of the target language. In this way, mistakes can e a strong tool indicator for teachers to assess and also to understand how far learners are in relation to the intended knowledge, according to objectives outlined in learning programs. The theoretical approach that orients our way of thinking is based on the point of view of some theorists, such as: Brito (2014); Corder (1967; 1985), Cavalari (2008); Richards and Rodgers (2004); Silva (2014); Simões (2007), among others. The results have demonstrated that the teacher, as a mediator of knowledge, must have a balanced attitude towards the students’ learning needs in order to help the learners to reach their best in the learning process. So, with this study, we expect that, in Teacher Education, mistakes could not be seen as something negative, but positive and necessary for the development of the student’s communicative competence.

scholarly journals Grammatical Intricacy in EFL Textbooks

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinh To
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Linguistic Complexity ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Lexical Density ◽  
English Textbooks ◽  
Different Levels

Grammatical intricacy is an important concept in charactering complexity of language (Halliday, 2008). However, this concept has not yet been fully investigated in the teaching and learning of English as a foreign language (TEFL), particular in English as a foreign language (EFL) textbooks in higher education. This paper aims to examine grammatical intricacy across textbook levels in a book series used in tertiary education in the Vietnamese context. This is part of a larger research project looking at linguistic complexity of English textbooks in the TEFL setting. The research employed Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) as the main theoretical framework and Halliday’s method as a measure of grammatical intricacy to look at how this language feature was used in reading comprehension texts in four textbooks at different levels including elementary, pre-intermediate, inter-mediate and upper-intermediate. The findings revealed that grammatical intricacy increased in accordance with the book levels. Particularly, the mean scores of grammatical intricacy showed a gradual increase from the elementary to the intermediate book level; though they were not different significantly and the upper-intermediate textbook did not show the topmost grammatical complexity. These findings suggest that the use of grammatical intricacy in the investigated textbooks was appropriate for EFL learners across levels; however, the use of other linguistic features such as lexical density and nominalisation may potentially impact the use of simple clauses in the textbooks at a higher level. Thus, further investigations are recommended to fully explore the complexity of textbook language.      

Mobile Learning As a Way of Forming Foreign Language Lexical Competence of Students of Non-Linguistic Specialties

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 20-25
Author(s):  
U. Ovezova ◽  
M.-N.L. Vagner
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Mobile Learning ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Teaching Tools ◽  
Professional Activities ◽  
Language Classes ◽  
Lexical Competence

The aim of the research is to analyze the possibilities of mobile learning in the formation of foreign language lexical competence of students of non-linguistic specialties. Research objectives: to explore the possibilities of mobile learning in the formation of foreign language communicative competence of students of higher education institutions in general and lexical competence in particular; to determine the theoretical and methodological conditions for the formation of foreign language lexical competence of students using mobile devices; to carry out an experimental test of the effectiveness of the use of mobile applications in foreign language classes; provide recommendations on the creation of mobile applications focused on the specifics of the future professional activities of students. The research results can be used in practice when creating mobile foreign language teaching tools for students of non-linguistic specialties.

scholarly journals The Transmission of Cultural Values via EFL Textbooks in China

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingyi Li
Keyword(s):  
Gender Roles ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Common Sense ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
The Common ◽  
Language Textbooks

This article examines the cultural values conveyed via texts and illustrations in EFL (English as a foreign language) textbooks currently in use in China. The large number of cultural values represented include patriotism, respect, diligence, collectivism, and equitable gender roles. These show that the national curriculum has been implemented in EFL textbooks. At the same time, the “common sense” design of textbooks also reflects textbook editors’ and writers’ cultural values.

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