scholarly journals Pragmatic Characteristics of Indefinite Pronouns in Croatian as a Second Language

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 427-444
Author(s):  
Sanda Lucija Udier
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Learning Materials ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Quantitative Survey ◽  
Essential Component ◽  
Idiomatic Expressions ◽  
Academic Year ◽  
Indefinite Pronouns

This paper deals with some of the pragmatic characteristics of indefinite pronouns, specifically about the potential for expressing a negative attitude or stance by using them. The results of a quantitative survey will be presented exploring to what extent the potential to express a negative attitude using indefinite pronouns has been mastered. The research questionnaire consisted of two parts and examined the respondents’ command in terms of both comprehension and production of the pragmatic properties of indefinite pronouns in Croatian as a second language (CL2), and the examples used in the questionnaire were taken from the hrWaC 2.0 corpus (Ljubešić and Erjavec 2011). The research was conducted among students of CL2 at the levels B2 and C1 (N=60) who attended the programs of Croaticum – Centre for Croatian as Foreign and Second Language, University of Zagreb in the 2019/2020 academic year. The results obtained in this research can be applied in the development of learning materials intended for teaching the semantic and pragmatic features of indefinite pronouns in the instruction of CL2. They show that the pragmatic level needs to be included more thoroughly in the teaching of CL2 because its mastery is an essential component of language competence, especially at higher levels. The pragmatic properties of IP should also be taught, as should idiomatic expressions with IP. It is necessary to not only teach from an explicitly grammatical approach, but also to teach lexically in such a way that includes the pragmatic level, because IP have great pragmatic potential.

Student construction squads: to the question of the movement origins

2018 ◽  
pp. 43-56
Author(s):  
O. L. Ryabchenko
Keyword(s):  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Soviet Society ◽  
The 1950S ◽  
Academic Year ◽  
Voluntary Basis

The article deals with the illegitimacy of the identification of the mobilization campaigns of the 1920's and 1930's with the student construction movement of the 1950s-80s. It is noted that mobilizations were conducted compulsorily throughout the academic year, the students were suspended from classes for different terms, while student building units from the very beginning were formed on a voluntary basis for working during summer holidays. It is noted that the students work in the early Soviet society was not notable for enthusiasm and uplifting, since the cases of mass negative attitude towards it were recorded.

scholarly journals Language competency, group development and sociometric status of foreign students in Russian higher eduction institutions (a case study of Chinese students)

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.Yu. Chibisova ◽  
E.A. Verchenova
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Foreign Students ◽  
Chinese Students ◽  
Group Development ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Language Competency ◽  
Specific Factors ◽  
Higher Eduction ◽  
Academic Year

The article presents the results of an empirical study of Socio-psychological characteristics of group of Chinese students who are studying at Russian universities. 132 Chinese students aged between 18 to 26 years from Foundation course were involved in the study. Using investigational methods we found a correlation between language competence and sociometric and referentometric status of Chinese students throughout the academic year. It is expected that the acquired results are due to three factors: socio-psychological, where interpersonal relationships depend on the students' achievements; cultural-specific factors, where tenacity and diligence in work are valuable, and processes of socio-cultural adaptation.

scholarly journals Investigation into the efficacy of text modification: What type of text do learners of Japanese authenticate?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Mitsue Sandom
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Cognitive Changes ◽  
Reading Pedagogy ◽  
Reading Materials

<p>The dissertation is a study of the efficacy of reading materials for learners of Japanese as a foreign language (JFL). It discusses the merits of 'authentic' materials written primarily for native speaker-readers compared to 'modified' texts adapted in some way for learners. Further, it compares various sorts of modifications: simplification, elaboration, marginal glosses and the use of onscreen computer pop-ups. More broadly, it locates the study within the wider discourse of pedagogy concerning reading materials for second language learners, especially JFL learners.  Reading in Japanese as a second language is generally thought to be more demanding than reading in some other second languages. The study therefore argues that the authenticity debate and efficacy of text modification must be addressed specifically in the JFL reading pedagogy.  In the context of the authenticity debate, there are, broadly, two opposing views. One favours the predominant use of unmodified texts while the other promotes the efficacy of modified texts. While there have been numerous theoretical discussions and empirical findings in the reading pedagogy of English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL), the JFL reading pedagogy is currently lacking such academic endeavours. Hence, the present study seeks to fill the gap.  The study is mixed methods research, consisting of three projects in which both qualitative and quantitative methods are employed. This approach investigates equally the effects of text modification on participating learners' cognitive changes (reading comprehension) and affective changes (motivation and perception).  The results indicate that learners of Japanese comprehend modified texts statistically significantly better than they do unmodified texts. Findings include that modified texts for Japanese are more efficacious than they are in the ESL/EFL context. However, modified texts that are insufficiently challenging fail to enhance learners' motivation. Advanced learners especially were found to have a negative attitude toward reading modified Japanese texts.</p>

scholarly journals The Impact of Texting on Standard English: The Students’ Perspective

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamal Kaid Mohammed Ali ◽  
S. Imtiaz Hasnain ◽  
M. Salim Beg
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Standard English ◽  
Perceptions And Attitudes ◽  
English Second Language ◽  
Esl Learners ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Academic Year

Overindulgence in social networking, in general, and texting, in particular, is much in practice. It is cutting across various population boundaries and has almost assumed an endemic proportion. Its consequential impact on the standard language has acquired greater importance. This paper aims to determine the perceptions and attitudes of English Second Language (ESL) learners at Aligarh Muslim University towards the consequences of texting on Standard English. The data were collected through a five-point scale questionnaire from ninety students who were enrolled at Aligarh Muslim University during the academic year 2010-2011. The respondents completed a 16-item questionnaire. The students from which the data were collected were grouped according to their levels. The results indicate the negative impact of this new usage of the language in breaking the rules of English language and influencing their literacy. Moreover, the questionnaire results from respondents' point of view show that regardless of their heavy use of texting, most respondents have a negative attitude towards texting and they viewed it as a threat to Standard English.

scholarly journals Transition to Distance Education in COVID-19 Period: Turkish Pre-Service Teachers’ E-Learning Attitudes and Readiness Levels

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 296
Author(s):  
Tarık Balcı ◽  
Ceren Nur Temiz ◽  
Ahmet Haktan Sivrikaya
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
Learning Readiness ◽  
Learning Attitudes ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Faculty Of Education ◽  
Teachers Attitudes ◽  
Online Learning Readiness ◽  
Academic Year

In this study, pre-service teachers’ attitudes and readiness towards e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic were examined. This research was carried out in the Fall Semester of the 2020-2021 Academic Year, with the participation of 519 pre-service teachers from Balıkesir University Necatibey Faculty of Education and Faculty of Sport Sciences, Department of Physical Education and Sports Education. In the collection of data, the General Attitude Scale towards e-learning developed by Haznedar and Baran (2012) and the Online Learning Readiness Scale adapted to Turkish Culture by İlhan and Çetin (2013), were used. In this study, it was found that pre-service teachers had a negative attitude towards e-learning and that they considered themselves competent in terms of e-learning readiness. There was no difference in terms of e-learning attitudes and readiness of the teacher candidates according to the department they studied. In addition, it was found that there was a significant relationship between pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards e-learning and their readiness, and that e-learning readiness was an effective factor in the adoption of the e-learning process.

scholarly journals Ratings of Affective and Non-Affective Aspects of German Idioms in Second Language Processing

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-42
Author(s):  
Teodor Petrič
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Figurative Language ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Emotional Valence ◽  
Large Set ◽  
Language Technology ◽  
Idiomatic Expressions

AbstractIn this paper psycholinguistic and emotional properties of 619 German idiomatic expressions are explored. The list of idiomatic expressions has been adapted from Citron et al. (2015), who have used it with German native speakers. In our study the same idioms were evaluated by Slovene learners of German as a foreign language. Our participants rated each idiom for emotional valence, emotional arousal, familiarity, concreteness, ambiguity (literality), semantic transparency and figurativeness. They also had the task to describe the meaning of the German idioms and to rate their confidence about the attributed meaning. The aims of our study were (1) to provide descriptive norms for psycholinguistic and affective properties of a large set of idioms in German as a second language, (2) to explore the relationships between psycholinguistic and affective properties of idioms in German as a second language, and (3) to compare the ratings of the German native speakers studied in Citron et al. (2015) with the ratings of the Slovene second language learners from our study. On one hand, the results of the Slovene participants show many similarities with those of of the German native speakers, on the other hand, they show a slight positivity bias and slightly shallower emotional processing of the German idioms. Our study provides data that could be useful for future studies investigating the role of affect in figurative language in a second language setting (methodology, translation science, language technology).

scholarly journals Does Successful Use of Digital Learning Materials Predict Teachers’ Intention to Use Them Again in the Future?

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karel Kreijns ◽  
Marjan Vermeulen ◽  
Hans van Buuren ◽  
Frederik Van Acker
Keyword(s):  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Behavioural Intention ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Intention To Use ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Learning Materials ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Perceived Success ◽  
Willingness To Use

Do perceptions of success in using digital learning materials (DLMs) regularly (i.e., several times a week) strengthen (or weaken) teachers’ behavioural intentions to use DLMs again? And which psychological factors have a relationship with the intention to use DLMs again? These questions are important in light of stimulating teacher’s use of DLMs. To answer this question, teacher “flows” were analysed using crosstabs and multinomial logistic regression. These flows visualize how teachers go from a certain degree of perceived success to a certain strength of behavioural intention. Second, Hayes (2013) process method and structured equation modeling (SEM) techniques were applied to determine the mediating role of attitude, perceived norm, and perceived behavioural control of perceived success on the behavioural intention. The results suggested that the teachers’ strength in behavioural intention was in accordance with their perceived success for the case that their self-prediction was positive but that this strength became weaker when teachers’ self-prediction was negative. Attitude and perceived norm mediated the effects only when self-prediction was positive whereas perceived behaviour control did this in both cases. Also, there was a direct effect between perceived success and behavioural intention. It is important that teachers get a chance to experience success with the use of DLMs, enabled either by school leaders (regarding in-service teachers) or by teacher training institutions (regarding pre-service teachers). Only then we will see teachers’ willingness to use DLMs on a regular basis to grow.

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