scholarly journals Translanguaging in L3 Spanish Classrooms: Practices and Attitudes

2020 ◽  
Vol 84 ◽  
pp. 65-75
Author(s):  
Xiaozhou (Emily) Zhou ◽  
XiaoLing Huang ◽  
Jili He

Abstract. Research into pedagogical translanguaging in second/foreign language education has largely been focused on the interplay between two languages, one of which is usually English. Little attention has been paid to the practice of trilingual translanguaging (translanguaging between three languages), and how this can be helpful in the acquisition of a third language. This study, conducted in two Spanish as a third language classrooms in a Chinese university, aims to explore teachers’ translanguaging practices as well as the teachers’ and students’ attitudes to these practices. Analysis of data collected through audio-assisted classroom observation, interviews, and questionnaires reveals that teachers proactively and flexibly mobilize their multilingual resources in classroom talk. Students in general express positive attitudes towards teachers’ translanguaging practices, and express a wish to experience a greater amount of bilingual translanguaging between English (L2) and Spanish (L3). Meanwhile, having access to the views of L3 learners on teachers’ classroom talk proves to be a crucial component in the understanding of how L3 teaching and learning can take place in the most effective way. This study calls for further research into translanguaging practice in multilingual classrooms and its impact on students’ learning.

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 62
Author(s):  
Israt Jahan Shuchi ◽  
A B M Shafiqul Islam

<p>The role of a mother tongue (L1) in the teaching and learning of a foreign language (FL) has been the subject of much debate and controversy. This paper reports on a piece of research carried out in our own teaching environments (at universities both in Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia) and presents an analysis of the attitudes of students and teachers towards the use of learners’ mother tongue (in this case Bengali and Arabic) in English language classrooms at the tertiary level where English is taught as a non-major subject. For the study, two surveys with the same questionnaires were conducted in two universities each from Bangladesh and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) with the participation of 1000 students and 30 teachers. Results suggest that a judicious and moderate use of L1 does not hinder learning; rather, it assists, aids and facilitates the teaching and learning process thus providing the teacher with an effective pedagogical tool for maximizing the learning outcomes.</p>


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. 1333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nhan Trong Nguyen ◽  
Peter Grainger ◽  
Michael Carey

Why do bilingual language teachers and students switch between the two languages in their language classrooms? On the evidence of current research findings in relation to English-Vietnamese code-switching in the educational contexts of Vietnam, this article identifies that classroom code-switching between the second language and the first language has its own pedagogic functions and it can be a valuable language classroom resource to both teachers and learners. In Vietnam, the implementation of the monolingual approach of teaching English-through-English-only faces many challenges such as inadequate classroom resources, students’ low levels of English competence, motivation and autonomy, teachers’ limited English abilities, and inappropriate teaching methods. Many Vietnamese teachers of English support code-switching in the classroom and they teach English through the bilingual approach. English-Vietnamese code-switching is reported not to be a restriction on the acquisition of English; rather, it can facilitate the teaching and learning of general English in Vietnam. This practice of code-switching is not just due to a lack of sufficient proficiency to maintain a conversation in English; rather, it serves a number of pedagogic functions such as explaining new words and grammatical rules, giving feedback, checking comprehension, making comparison between English and Vietnamese, establishing good rapport between teachers and students, creating a friendly classroom atmosphere and supporting group dynamics.


2012 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Hall ◽  
Guy Cook

Until recently, the assumption of the language-teaching literature has been that new languages are best taught and learned monolingually, without the use of the students’ own language(s). In recent years, however, this monolingual assumption has been increasingly questioned, and a re-evaluation of teaching that relates the language being taught to the students’ own language has begun. This article surveys the developing English language literature on the role of students’ own language(s) in the language classroom. After clarifying key terms, the paper charts the continuing widespread use of students’ own languages in classrooms around the world and the contemporary academic and societal trends which have led to a revival of support for this. It then explores key arguments which underpin this revival, and reviews a range of empirical studies which examine the extent and functions of own-language use within language classrooms. Next, the article examines the support for own-language use that a range of theoretical frameworks provide, including psycholinguistic and cognitive approaches, general learning theory and sociocultural approaches. Having explored the notion of ‘optimal’ in-class own-language use, the article then reviews research into teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards own-language use. It concludes by examining how a bilingual approach to language teaching and learning might be implemented in practice.


Author(s):  
Yi’an Wang ◽  
Liyang Miao

With the recent developing trend of redefining ‘culture’ across disciplines in intercultural and foreign language education (Corbett, 2003; Shaules, 2007; Spencer-Oatey & Franklin, 2010), it is widely agreed that culture requires a broader definition to improve the teaching and learning of it. Wilkinson (2012) suggests “a redefinition of culture in anthropological rather than aesthetic terms” (p. 302) to ensure that intercultural and language learning leads to Intercultural Competence (IC). Others (Buttjes, 1991; Risager, 2006) also note the importance of anthropological conceptualization when culture is taught in foreign and/or second language classrooms, because motivation to learn the language is increased. Byram (1991) similarly emphasized the need to include active ‘cultural experience’ in the foreign language classroom, and provided examples including cooking and geography lessons, in which students learn about the food and geography of the country whose language they are studying. A crucial element in research within the anthropology field is ethnography. Thus, to achieve a fuller understanding of culture “as the full gauntlet of social experience that students of foreign languages both learn and participate in” (Wilkinson, 2012, p. 302), including Holliday&apos;s (2004) concept of ‘small culture’, students should take on the role of ethnographer too; ethnography practices, in a variety of forms, have become central to intercultural approaches to culture and language teaching and learning (Corbett, 2003).


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 42-60
Author(s):  
Kavi S. Mohammed

Politeness is considered to promote effective interaction between people. In the process of language teaching and learning, it is believed to enhance learning by providing a lively and friendly atmosphere in the classroom (Jiang, 2010). During classroom periods, including class policy, activities, and techniques, a teacher’s language plays a critical role; it also plays an important role while giving academic instructions, motivating the class, and during the evaluation of a student’s performance and participation. This paper approaches classroom interaction from a pragmatic perspective by adopting Leech’s politeness principle and maxims. It aims to answer the following 2 questions: first, “what are the teachers’ attitudes toward the implementation of the politeness principle during classroom interactions?” and second, “what are the students’ attitudes toward the implementation of the politeness principle during classroom interactions?” To achieve the aims of this study by finding answers to the questions, the researcher prepared 2 sets of questionnaires: 1 for the teachers in the English Department and 1 for the fourth year students in the same department at the College of Basic Education, Salahaddin University-Erbil, Erbil, Iran, for the academic year of 2018 to 2019. By analyzing the data collected, it was found that both the teachers and students have positive attitudes toward the politeness maxims and the implementation thereof during classroom interactions; furthermore, there was agreement between the teachers’ and students’ responses to the questionnaires for most of the politeness maxims except in 3 cases, which were for the maxims of sympathy, obligation (S to O), and feeling reticence.


The study examined the effectiveness of using student-generated web comics on Pixton as a tool for enhancing students’ performance in meaning making and learning Shakespearean drama among tertiary level students in university. This study explored students’ attitudes towards generating web comics in learning Shakespearean drama. This study was conducted on 35 students who were studying English literature in one of the universities in Iran. This study employed a true experimental of posttest-only control-group research design with a mixed-method approach. The students were chosen based on purposive sampling and were randomly allocated into control group and experimental group. The control group had undergone conventional approach of learning the drama while the experimental group experienced learning through generating web comics in order to learn and construct the meaning of the drama. The instruments used to gather data in this research were post-test and a questionnaire on students’ attitudes. The students were given a post-test after learning the Hamlet play written by W. Shakespeare. The questionnaire was distributed to the students in experimental group after conducting the treatment and post-test. Quantitative data derived from the analysis of post-test were tabulated in descriptive statistics and an Independent T-test. Students’ answers in post-test were also analysed qualitatively. The results of the questionnaire were coded as numerical scores of frequency and percentage for statistical analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the students who used generating web comics attained a better performance and higher academic achievement in meaning making and learning Shakespearean drama compared to the students who were exposed to conventional learning method. The students also developed strongly positive attitudes towards use of student-generated web comics in learning the drama. This study will help teachers and students to create a new positive environment in the classroom with integration of technology, in which they can feel the enjoyment in effective teaching and learning process of Shakespearean drama.


2021 ◽  
pp. 38-48
Author(s):  
Nguyen Dinh

This study aimed to explore students’ attitudes towards using YouTube to improve speaking skills at the context of a Binh Duong based university. A total of one hundred and fifty students participated in the research. Both quantitative and qualitative data was obtained through two instruments, namely questionnaires and interview. For analysing the data collected, descriptive statistics and content analysis were employed. The results of the study revealed that non-English majors hade positive attitudes towards using YouTube to improve speaking skills. More interestingly, the findings revealed that they had affective attitudes towards the use of YouTube higher than the cognitive and behavioural attitudes. The study also made several suggestions for both teachers and students with the aim of contributing a small part to the teaching and learning of English speaking skills.


Author(s):  
Liudmila Vladimirovna Guseva ◽  
Evgenii Vladimirovich Plisov

The article defnes the role of digital means in foreign language learning, establishes the reasons for the effective use of digital means and digital technologies, identifes challenges in mastering a foreign language in an electronic environment, as well as the prospects for the digitalization of foreign language education. When studying the issues of emergency off-campus learning organization, the results of surveys of teachers and students conducted in April 2020 at Minin University were used. image/svg+xml


Author(s):  
Liudmila Konyakhina ◽  
◽  
Lora Yakovleva ◽  

The article discusses a number of issues related to developing the linguistic persona and intercultural competency and focuses on educational ideas, strategies, technologies, and practices that embody intercultural approaches to foreign language education. To ensure the high quality of foreign language education, our priorities must include the development of competences in the area of professional communication in foreign languages. In that regard, the article identifies pedagogical conditions conducive to fostering the socio-cultural competence and the successful development of the learner’s linguistic persona. The authors present mechanisms of implementing the said pedagogical conditions in the following areas: a) developing communication skills and competencies of foreign language instructors; b) modeling situations with communication barriers in diverse ethnocultural environments; c) acquiring and selecting ethnocultural information; d) integrating in-class and out-of-class activities in a foreign language; and e) establishing a good rapport between an instructor and her students. The authors go on to describe the methodological basis for designing the content of foreign language programs, identify optimal approaches to teaching and learning foreign languages, and reflect on the context of the intercultural paradigm in university-level foreign language education.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 349-365
Author(s):  
Khulud Ali Tubayqi ◽  
Mazeegha Ahmed Al Tale’

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.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document