scholarly journals Applying Measurement of Situational Self-Determination Theory to Use of a Self-Access Centre at a Japanese University

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Graham G. Robson ◽  
Darrell J. Hardy
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Learner Motivation ◽  
Japanese University ◽  
Self Study

One way to promote autonomy in the second language can be through the use of Self-access Centres (SACs). These are spaces for students to engage in activities such as self-study or communication with other learners, or native-speakers of the target language. However, merely having these spaces available does not guarantee that students will use the facility effectively, or even attend at all, so a degree of learner motivation linked with visiting the SAC would be necessary. Deci and Ryan’s (1985) Self-Determination Theory (SDT) has been used as the base for numerous studies in second language learning, including those in Japan. Proponents claim SDT is both universal and can be measured on different levels, which are global, situational and state. The authors sought to validate a measure of four subscales of SDT (Intrinsic Motivation, Identified Regulation, Introjected Regulation and External Regulation) written for this study at the situational level among undergraduates using an SAC at a Japanese University (n = 83). The rationale for items at this level comes from the field of psychology (Vallerand & Ratelle, 2002) and a study of second language constructs (Robson, 2016). A factor analysis confirmed four reliable factors, as hypothesized. Further, simplex correlations between the subconstructs somewhat confirms the underlying continuum posited by SDT researchers. These results may lead to a body of work that validates SDT theory in second language learning.

The effects of age of second language learning on the production of English vowels

1996 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murray J. Munro ◽  
James Emil Flege ◽  
Ian R. A. Mackay
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
Foreign Accent ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Correct Identification ◽  
Percent Correct ◽  
English Vowels

ABSTRACTThis study examined the English vowel productions of 240 native speakers of Italian who had arrived in Canada at ages ranging from 2 to 23 years and 24 native English speakers from the same community. The productions of 11 vowels were rated for degree of foreign accent by 10 listeners. An increase in perceived accentedness as a function of increasing age of arrival was observed on every vowel. Not one of the vowels was observed to be produced in a consistently native-like manner by the latest-arriving learners, even though they had been living in Canada for an average of 32 years. However, high intelligibility (percent correct identification) scores were obtained for the same set of productions. This was true even for English vowels that have no counterpart in Italian.

scholarly journals Krashen Revisited: Case Study of the Role of Input, Motivation and Identity in Second Language Learning

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis Bailey ◽  
Ahmed Kadhum Fahad
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Target Language

Stephen Krashen has a long and enduring legacy in the field of second language acquisition. His “Input Hypothesis” was among the very first attempts to create a coherent theoretical account of second language learning. Krashen argued that learners can acquire language through the process of comprehending it. While elements of his model have been extensively critiqued, this idea has endured and offers teachers a clear mandate to provide learners with abundant opportunities to making meaning of the target language. Utilizing a case study of an English language learner, Krashen’s model is challenged and enriched by considering the role that motivation and identity play in learning. Teachers tapping into an important source of learner motivation, role models drawn from the local community or broader society, can inspire and energize students’ studies and help them visualize a life in which a second language plays a vital role. Building upon Krashen’s idea of the importance of language teachers and programs creating robust reading programs for a sustained engagement with second language print resources, the authors propose to expand his vision and include all manner of multimedia and technologies. However, such a program can only succeed if teachers mediate their learners’ social identities and motivations for sustained second language learning.

BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS, MOTIVATIONAL ORIENTATIONS, EFFORT, AND VOCABULARY KNOWLEDGE

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Abdullah Alamer
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Basic Psychological Needs ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Confirmatory Factor

Abstract This study examined an integrated process model of second language motivation based on the framework of self-determination theory (SDT). Specifically, this research investigated the extent to which satisfying basic psychological needs (BPN) are related to SDT orientations and, in turn, to the effort expended and how these factors relate collectively to vocabulary knowledge. Revised scales assessing students’ BPN (the Basic Psychological Needs of Second Language Scale) and SDT orientations (the Self-Determination Theory of Second Language Scale) were considered and tested using a higher-order confirmatory factor analysis solution. The results of the structural model showed that BPN were only directly related to vocabulary knowledge, which indicated their direct importance for the attainment of the vocabulary. No other indirect effects through SDT orientations or effort were identified. Nonetheless, SDT orientations were both directly and indirectly linked to vocabulary knowledge over and above the role of expended effort. The results elucidated motivational pathways that yielded pedagogical implications for language learning.

scholarly journals Intelligent personal assistants for autonomous second language learning: An investigation of Alexa

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-120
Author(s):  
Gilbert Dizon ◽  
Daniel Tang
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Learning Technology ◽  
Japanese University ◽  
Communication Difficulties ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Collection Period ◽  
Personal Assistants ◽  
Japanese English

The ubiquity of smartphones and the growing popularity of smart speakers have given rise to cloud-based, intelligent personal assistants (IPAs), such as Siri and Google Assistant. However, little is known about the use of IPAs for Autonomous Second Language Learning (ASLL). Thus, the aims of this study were twofold: to assess Japanese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ perceptions towards IPAs, also known as virtual assistants, for ASLL, and to better understand learner behavior of these technologies. A total of 14 Japanese university students were given smart speakers and interacted with a companion IPA, Amazon Alexa, over a two-month period in their homes. Moreover, the participants completed a survey consisting of Likert-scale items and open-ended questions to obtain their views of the IPA for ASLL. While the results indicated that the students had mostly favorable views of Alexa for L2 learning, many of them did not actively engage with the virtual assistant during the data collection period. Furthermore, students tended to give up when faced with communication difficulties with the IPA. These findings highlight the potential of IPAs for ASLL and underscore the gap between what students say, and what they actually do, with language learning technology.

scholarly journals Krashen Revisited: Case Study of the Role of Input, Motivation and Identity in Second Language Learning

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 540-550
Author(s):  
Francis Bailey ◽  
Ahmed Kadhum Fahad
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Target Language

Stephen Krashen has a long and enduring legacy in the field of second language acquisition. His “Input Hypothesis” was among the very first attempts to create a coherent theoretical account of second language learning. Krashen argued that learners can acquire language through the process of comprehending it. While elements of his model have been extensively critiqued, this idea has endured and offers teachers a clear mandate to provide learners with abundant opportunities to making meaning of the target language. Utilizing a case study of an English language learner, Krashen’s model is challenged and enriched by considering the role that motivation and identity play in learning. Teachers tapping into an important source of learner motivation, role models drawn from the local community or broader society, can inspire and energize students’ studies and help them visualize a life in which a second language plays a vital role. Building upon Krashen’s idea of the importance of language teachers and programs creating robust reading programs for a sustained engagement with second language print resources, the authors propose to expand his vision and include all manner of multimedia and technologies. However, such a program can only succeed if teachers mediate their learners’ social identities and motivations for sustained second language learning.

scholarly journals Formulaic Sequences and the Implications for Second Language Learning

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Xu
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
Formulaic Sequences

<p>The present paper is a review of literature in relation to formulaic sequences and the implications for second language learning. The formulaic sequence is a significant part of our language, and plays an essential role in both first and second language learning. The paper first introduces the definition, classifications, and major features of formulaic sequences. Then relevant studies on second language learning are reviewed, and pedagogical implications will be drawn from previous research. It is suggested that more emphasis should be put on prefabs in foreign language teaching, but at the same time, there is also danger of overemphasizing the role of prefabs in SLA research, given limited exposure to the target language in a foreign language learning environment.</p>

On the Relevance of the Pidginization – Creolization Model for Second Language Learning

1979 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Valdman
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Child Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Common Basis ◽  
Initial Stage ◽  
Mental Factor

Otto Jespersen was one of the first linguists to perceive a common basis underlying all types of language acquisition and learning. Comparing pidgins, broken or approximative version of a target language, and child language, he commented: “…. in all these seemingly different cases the same mental factor is at work, namely, imperfect mastery of a language, which in its initial stage, in the child with its first language and in a grownup with a second language learnt by imperfect method, leads to a superficial knowledge of the most indispensable words, with a total disregard for grammar”. (1921, 233–4)

scholarly journals Pendekatan Pragmatik dalam Mendukung Kemampuan Komunikasi Lisan

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Saefudin Saefudin
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Language Functions ◽  
Speaking Skill ◽  
Missed Opportunity

Abstrak Tujuan dari komunikasi adalah untuk mendapatkan pesan dari orang lain secara jelas dan tidak ambigu. Melakukan komunikasi memerlukan usaha dari pengirim maupun penerima. Proses komunikasi dapat terganggu dengan adanya kesalahan, sehingga pesan akhirnya  disalah-tafsirkan  oleh  penerima.  Ketika gangguan tersebut tidak terdeteksi, hal ini dapat menimbulkan kebingungan, usaha yang sia- sia dan  kesempatan  yang  hilang.  Kenyataannya, Komunikasi akan sukses  bila kedua pihak memahami informasi yang sama sebagai hasil dari komunikasi. Jadi, dapat diasumsikan bahwa pendekatan  yang  dapat  menciptakan  situasi pembelajaran bahasa kedua (asing), terutama dalam kemampuan komunikasi lisan adalah dalam bentuk pragmatic. Tulisan ini mencoba membahas alasan mengapa ada nilai dalam pembelajaran pragmatic secara eksplisit pada pembelajar bahasa kedua (L2) dalam target bahasa. Pentingnya isu dalam gagasan pragmatic sangat dipertimbangkan, termasuk dalam menentukan kontribusi pragmatic dalam mendukung kemampuan berbicara siswa, bagaimana mempersiapkan pembelajar bahasa dalam memahami hubungan pragmatic dan fungsi bahasa dalam terma komunikasi yang dapat diterima, dan peranan sintaksis dan semantic dalam mem fasilitasi pembelajaran pragmatik---Abstract The purpose of communication is to get the message across to others clearly and unambiguously. Doing this involves effort from both the sender of the message and the receiver. And it's a process that can be fraught with error, with messages often misinterpreted by the recipient. When this isn't detected, it can cause tremendous confusion, wasted effort and missed opportunity. In fact, communication is only successful when both the sender and the receiver understand the same information as a result of the communication. So, it is assumed that the approach which can creat the situation of second language learning, especially oral communication skill is pragmtics. This paper discusses a rationale why there is value in explicitly learning pragmatics for second-language (L2) learners in the target language. The importance of issues in the notion of pragmatics is considered, including determining the contribution of pragmatics in supporting the students’ speaking skill, how to preapre the language learners understand the relation of pragmatics and language functions in the term of acceptable communication, and the role of syntax and semantics in facilitating the learning of pragmatics.

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