scholarly journals A Study on English Collocation Errors of Thai EFL Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 164
Author(s):  
Thidakul Boonraksa ◽  
Suparvadee Naisena
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Business English ◽  
Student Groups ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
High Level

Collocation is an often-neglected language form that foreign language teachers and students should focus on to achieve competence in a target language. In this research, the researchers studied purposely to facilitate both second language teachers and students to produce correct and appropriate collocations. The purposes of this research were 1) to study the collocation error levels of Bachelor of Arts English and Business English students studying at Northern Rajabhat University, 2) to study the relationship between first language (L1) and second language (L2) transfer collocation errors in students’ writing, and 3) to compare the collocation errors between high-proficiency students, medium- proficiency students and low-proficiency students. The research sample included 285 Thai EFL students enrolled in second-year English and Business English programs at Northern Rajabhat University during the first semester of the academic year 2021. The research instrument was a collocation proficiency test with 54 questions, which was divided into 2 sections: 1) 36 questions with 4 multiple-choice tests, and 2) 18 Thai to English translation questions. The items were chosen from the Oxford 3000™, and were common vocabulary appearing in various contexts. Research data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, t-test (Dependent), and Friedman test. The research found that 1) the level of Grammatical Collocation errors of high-proficiency EFL students was at a moderate level, medium-proficiency and low-proficiency EFL students were at a high level, and for Lexical Collocation errors, all three groups of students were at a high level; 2) the EFL students’collocation errors were caused by the language transfer from their first language (L1) to their second language (L2), synonyms, and lack of collocation competency; and 3) the most Lexical Collocation errors found in all student groups were Adverb + Adjective. For Grammatical Collocation, all groups could use Verb + Preposition better than Noun + Preposition, and the high proficiency and medium proficiency students could perform Adjective + Preposition the least, whilst the low proficiency students were better at Adjective + Preposition.  

scholarly journals LANGUAGE CHOICE IN MULTILINGUAL CONTEXT: THE USE OF L1 IN THE HOSPITALITY ENGLISH COURSES

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 263
Author(s):  
Ni Putu Era Marsakawati
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Social Space ◽  
First Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Classroom Context ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
L1 Use

The present study presents the perception of lecturers on the use of the first language in the foreign language classroom, particularly in a tourism vocational institution in a multilingual context. The participants were 2 lecturers teaching Hospitality English: one lecturer was teaching English for Front Office and one lecturer was teaching English for Food and Beverage. The data were collected through administering questionnaire and interview. The obtained data were analyzed qualitatively. The results show that lecturers perceived the use of the first language as positive and part of learning process. They used the first language mainly as a pedagogical device for clarification, for establishing rapport, saving time, and discipline. The findings might have significant implications for EFL language teachers regarding the facilitative effects of L1 use in the foreign language classrooms. The EFL teachers need to consider the EFL classroom context as a multilingual social space in which teachers and students take advantage of dynamic, creative and pedagogically effective use of both the target language and the learners. �Keywords: first language use, lecturers �perspective, multilingual context

First and Second Language Learning: Same or Different?

1976 ◽  
Vol 158 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Macnamara
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
First Language ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Practical Guidelines ◽  
Considerable Body

The thesis of the following paper is that the process of learning a second language, if it produces successful results, is the same as that of learning a first language. The paper reviews various objections that have been raised against this thesis, and it discusses the considerable body of research which explores it. It examines the appropriateness of the research data for throwing light on the validity of the thesis. It concludes with some practical guidelines for language teachers drawn from observations of babies learning their mother tongue.

Using Feedback in ESL and EFL Asynchronous Online Environments

2018 ◽  
pp. 206-222
Author(s):  
Larisa Olesova ◽  
Luciana de Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Audio Feedback ◽  
Instructional Feedback ◽  
Oral Feedback ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Online Environments

Researchers and practitioners' interest in finding more effective ways to provide instructional feedback in order to help second language learners in online environments has increased. The majority of studies found evidence about effectiveness of written and oral feedback to improve student's writing in a target language when they enroll in online courses taught in English. However, some studies also found limitations of both types of feedback when they provided for second language learners. Therefore, researchers and practitioners investigated benefits of other types of feedback and among them is audio feedback. The purpose of this chapter is to overview instructional capabilities of written, oral and audio feedback and how they can support ESL and EFL students in asynchronous online courses. This chapter also discusses when and how to provide different types of feedback when ESL and EFL students are enrolled in online courses taught in English.

Learning Arabic Through Language of Journalism

2019 ◽  
pp. 1837-1867
Author(s):  
Mai Samir El-Falaky
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Mass Media ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
First Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Natural Context ◽  
Direct Exposure ◽  
Lexical Items

Second language learning requires more than memorizing rules and vocabulary detached from contexts. Language teachers have to encourage the exposure to real context to enable their students to ‘acquire' the language in the same way they acquire their first language. This could entail an unconscious induction called ‘analogy'. Analogy may enable language learners to create neologisms for the purpose of communicating. This could also enable them to obtain a better understanding of lexical items in context. This chapter highlights the benefits of direct exposure to neologisms in journalistic texts, which influences learners' morphological choice. Mass media in general and journalism in particular are thought to be a perfect means of learning any language in its natural context.

Relativization strategies in SLA

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 443-476
Author(s):  
Eleonora Luzi
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Relative Clauses ◽  
First Language ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Functional Difference ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
Linguistic Research ◽  
L1 Influence ◽  
Restrictive Relative Clauses

This article examines the process of acquisition of relative clauses in second language (L2) Italian. Despite the fact that linguistic research clearly evidences a distinction between restrictive relative clauses and non-restrictive relative clauses, second language acquisition studies have so far investigated the acquisition of relative clauses disregarding this fundamental and functional difference. Based on the analysis of oral data of 96 L2 Italian students of two different Common European Framework of Reference proficiency levels (B1 and C2), this study examines occurrences of target language relative clauses and of other strategies of relativization (i.e. coordinated sentences), analysing proficiency and first language (L1) influence on distribution. The significant differences in the distribution of alternative relativization strategies between the two groups and the non-restrictive function of coordinated sentences lead to the hypothesis that there are two distinct patterns of acquisition: one for restrictive and another for non-restrictive relative clauses.

scholarly journals Chunk use and development in advanced Chinese L2 learners of English

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junping Hou ◽  
Hanneke Loerts ◽  
Marjolijn H. Verspoor
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Complexity Measures ◽  
Advanced Learners ◽  
English Classes ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Proficiency Scores ◽  
Over Time

The use of ‘chunks’ is not only a common and characteristic feature of first language use, but may also be a distinguishing factor between less and more proficient second language users. The present study aimed at investigating potential correlations between chunk use and holistically rated proficiency scores and development over time in advanced Chinese learners of English as a second language (L2) over the course of 18 months of English classes. Neither holistically rated proficiency scores nor common complexity measures had shown any progress in these learners, but a few lexically based measures did. Therefore, the development of chunks in these learners was examined as chunks are mostly lexical in nature and might show more subtle progress over time. The use of chunks was examined in the first and last two texts of the learners and, in line with previous research, it was found that more proficient writers use relatively more chunks, specifically collocations. Chunk coverage, the total number of chunk words divided by the total number of words, also correlated with some holistic proficiency scores, and increased significantly over time. Average chunk length did not show any correlation with proficiency scores nor did it increase over time. Increased proficiency in written texts is thus specifically related to the use of more chunks. This study shows that development in advanced Chinese L2 learners of English appears to be subtle, which might be due to the fact that at this advanced level mainly lexical changes take place. Future research into development over time in advanced learners may thus have to zoom in on lexical measures especially. Implications of this study point to the importance of promoting the use of target language chunks to advanced learners of English.

Constraining second language word order optionality: scrambling in advanced English-German and Japanese-German interlanguage

2005 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holger Hopp
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Word Order ◽  
Universal Grammar ◽  
First Language ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Transfer Effects ◽  
L1 Transfer ◽  
Remnant Movement ◽  
Functional Features ◽  
Japanese Learners

This study documents knowledge of UG-mediated aspects of optionality in word order in the second language (L2) German of advanced English and Japanese speakers ( n = 39). A bimodal grammaticality judgement task, which controlled for context and intonation, was administered to probe judgements on a set of scrambling, topicalization and remnant movement constructions. Given first language (L1) differences and Poverty of the Stimulus, English and Japanese learners face distinct learnability challenges. Assuming Minimalist grammatical architecture (Chomsky, 1995), convergence on the target language would entail the unimpaired availability of Universal Grammar (UG), i.e., computational principles and functional features beyond their L1 instantiation. Irrespective of L1, the L2 groups are found to establish systematic native-like relative distinctions. In addition, L1 transfer effects are attested for judgements on scrambling. It is argued that these findings imply that interlanguage grammars are fully UG constrained, whilst initially informed by L1 properties.

scholarly journals Influence of Behaviourist and Cognitivist Theories in Adult Language Acquisition

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-44
Author(s):  
V Devaki
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Native Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Logical Thinking ◽  
The Difference ◽  
High Level ◽  
Cognitive Influence

Linguistics and psychological schools of thought had a great influence on language acquisition theories It is still under discussion whether second language acquisition is easy or effortless for adults to learn or not.  In non-teaching environments, children can learn their native language quickly, whereas adults cannot. Many researchers believe that adults can quickly acquire a second language due to their high level of cognition clear, logical thinking and strong self-observation skills, while some linguistics researchers consider that it is difficult for adults to develop a second-language acquisition. Therefore, this paper explores to what extent the theories of behavioral and cognitive influence adult acquisition in the second language process. This study considered that these theories have highlighted the difference between the way that children and adults learn to the point that adults appear to “lift the bar” unrealistically when they try to learn an additional language. The novelty of this study is in how the analysis gave a new direction for adult language acquisition theorists to guide adults to mimic children’s way of acquisitioning their first language.

scholarly journals Pragmatic competence in English at the VG1 level: To what extent are Norwegian EFL students able to adapt to contextual demands when making requests in English?

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Silje Brubæk
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Language Choice ◽  
Pragmatic Competence ◽  
Pragmatic Development ◽  
L1 Transfer ◽  
Strong Focus ◽  
Completion Test ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
The Subject

The present article presents an investigation of Norwegian students of English as a foreign language (EFL) and their pragmatic competence in English. The importance of developing such a competence receives a strong focus in the English subject curriculum. However, very few studies have been conducted in the field of pragmatics in Norway, and even fewer Norwegian studies have focused on students’ pragmatic competence in a second language. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate whether Norwegian EFL students would be familiar with and show awareness of English politeness norms and pragmatic conventions when having to communicate in English. Would they be able to adapt their language, choice of strategy and level of formality to the contextual demands when making requests in the second language (L2)? Forty students answered a simplified version of a discourse completion test (DCT) consisting of four different situations in which the students had to make requests. The results, which were analysed by means of Brown and Levinson’s theory of face threatening acts, indicated that most of the students were at one of the beginning stages of English pragmatic development. Their language use was characterized by first language (L1) transfer and overuse of familiar and informal expressions. When faced with more formal and demanding situations, they fell short and clearly lacked the knowledge and competence that would allow them to communicate successfully. It can be argued that these findings might indicate a lack of focus in Norwegian schools when it comes to developing students’ pragmatic competence. If this is true, an important part of the subject curriculum is being neglected.

scholarly journals Native-speakerism and professional teacher identity in L2 pronunciation learning

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharif Alghazo ◽  
Mahmoud Zidan
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Effective Teaching ◽  
Teacher Identity ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Professional Teacher ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Global Language ◽  
L2 Pronunciation

Many studies in different contexts have examined both English as a second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL) students’ convictions about the connection between nativeness in English and professional teacher identity; however, very few studies solely focused on that connection in second language (L2) pronunciation teaching. This paper explores EFL university students’ experiences in learning English pronunciation from ‘native’- and ‘nonnative’- English-speaking teachers (NESTs and NNESTs). Based on an empirical study of undergraduates-prospective English language teachers-at the University of Jordan, the paper finds that most students still view ‘nativeness’ as the main descriptor of effective teaching, strongly believing NESTs to be the ‘authority’ and source of ‘correctness,’ both of which convictions are emblematic of native-speakerism, which in turns leads to both cultural panic and voicelessness on the part of NNESTs and learners. The study concludes with calling for the need to raise awareness among EFL students of the various manifestations of English as a global language-particularly the irrelevance of nativeness to effective teaching-and incorporating NNESTs into teaching L2 pronunciation and rejecting their marginalisation in teaching pronunciation in EFL contexts.

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