scholarly journals Authentic Materials – A Natural Resource for Developing Academic English

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Jana Bére-ová
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Academic English ◽  
Authentic Materials ◽  
Academic Texts ◽  
Characteristic Features ◽  
Target Culture

The approach to language learning as a way of coming to understand target culture and its impact on target language is reflected in the concept of teaching and learning languages through the integration of intercultural capabilities. The concept will be supported by a number of examples taken from authentic materials language learners have encountered in target language contexts, predominantly gaining experience through reading authentic materials. The paper presents the ideas of university students who carried out their own projects within and after research run by Trnava University, the representatives of which actively participated in a three-year project, supported by the VEGA funding scheme under number 1/0106/15. Twenty-two students who participated in our experiment were asked to analyze formal English in its written mode, searching for characteristic features of formal writing, used in contemporary English. After the completion of the first task related to the selection of appropriate samples, the students were expected to compare the quality of authentic materials received through technologies and that achieved from reading contemporary literary prose, newspapers and academic texts. The idea behind this task was to help university students to be able to critically assess other people’s ideas and arguments, to apply critical thinking when reading, to evaluate authentic materials and to achieve the ability to construct effective arguments in formal writing.

Falling on deaf ears

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 196-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Rubrecht
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Pronunciation Instruction ◽  
Language Teaching And Learning

Second or foreign language learners study or are taught various language skill areas, one of which is speaking. In order to speak in the target language, learners must gain some proficiency in the target language’s vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation so that their verbal utterances are meaningful to listeners. However, although pronunciation may be said to be the most fundamental of these three components, it is by far the one that receives the least amount of attention in second or foreign language learning situations. Insufficient attention placed on the pronunciation component can lead to detrimental effects on learners, potentially negatively impacting them in their attempts at bridging the interculturality gap between their first language and the language being learned. The present article will make a call for increased inclusion of pronunciation instruction and training in second and foreign language teaching and learning by relating pronunciation’s importance in verbal communicative acts and by addressing the issue of pronunciation localization. In addition, the article will present a discussion explaining why those involved in such language teaching and learning tend to overlook the pronunciation component in second and foreign language teaching and learning situations.

scholarly journals Language for Specific Purposes and Graphic-Adventure Videogames: Supporting Content and Language Learning

Obra digital ◽  
2017 ◽  
pp. 169-183
Author(s):  
Ricardo Casañ Pitarch
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Language For Specific Purposes ◽  
Great Support

The use of videogames for educational purposes seems to increasingly be in the eye of teachers and publishers of didactic materials. Videogames can be a great support for language learners since they increase their time of exposure in an entertaining way. This research is a literature review which focuses on supporting language for specific purposes (LSP) students with graphic adventure videogames. This paper introduces theories of LSP teaching and learning combined with the characteristics of educational videogames with the aim of describing the needs to be considered when developing LSP videogames. In this sense, these videogames should be designed and adapted to particular professions related to the communication purposes of the target language. This proposal is addressed to LSP teaching professionals as well as for publishers of didactic materials. Enseñanza de Lengua para Fines Específicos a través de Aventuras Gráficas.ResumenEl uso de los videojuegos educativos parece estar más presente entre profesores y editoriales de materiales didácticos. Se ha demostrado que los videojuegos pueden ser un gran apoyo docente para estudiantes de idiomas ya que incrementan su tiempo de exposición a la lengua extranjera de manera lúdica. Esta investigación es una revisión de la literatura centrada en el estudio de la enseñanza y aprendizaje de lenguas para fines específicos (LFE) a través del género de videojuegos de aventuras gráficas. Este artículo presenta teorías sobre la enseñanza y aprendizaje de LFE combinadas con las características de los videojuegos educativos cuya finalidad es describir las necesidades a considerar cuando se desarrollaran videojuegos de LSP. Estos videojuegos se diseñaran basándose en profesiones relacionadas con la finalidad comunicativa de la lengua meta. Esta propuesta pretende ser de interés docente así como para editores de materiales didácticos.Palabras clave Videojuegos, lenguaje para fines específicos, aprendizaje de segundas lenguas, aventuras gráficas.

On the Consideration of Environmental Factors and Social Milieu Effective in Iranian EFL Learners

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 60
Author(s):  
Gholam Reza Parvizi ◽  
Jafar Mashayekh ◽  
Yasser Saremi
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
Foreign Language Learners

It has been known that teaching and learning a language in an ESL context is by far easier than teaching and learning it in an EFL context and that learning a language must take place in a social context. Foreign language milieus are those in which students do not have enough opportunities for communication in the target language beyond their classroom settings whereas in second language contexts, the target language is readily available out there (Brown, 2001). Given the important role that language learning resources could potentially play in EFL contexts, in the present study an attempt is made to shed light on the environmental factors and resources which Iranian language learners rely on and to explore the possible resources which exist around them and of which not all of them are necessarily aware. To this end, a group of students studying in Iran Language Institute in Shiraz was chosen. The data of the study were gathered through a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. The findings suggested that they rely on very few resources outside the classroom setting. In addition, it was revealed that in an EFL context, such as Iran, there is a range of resources which foreign language learners could rely on and which could present them with opportunities in all four language skills. 

The Involvement of Native Speakers in Teaching and Learning Japanese Language at UiTM

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Choong Pow Yean ◽  
Sarinah Bt Sharif ◽  
Normah Bt Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Japanese Culture ◽  
Japanese Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Lexical Density

The Nihongo Partner Program or “Japanese Language Partner” is a program that sends native speakers to support the teaching and learning of Japanese overseas. The program is fully sponsored by The Japan Foundation. The aim of this program is to create an environment that motivates the students to learn Japanese. This study is based on a survey of the Nihongo Partner Program conducted on students and language lecturers at UiTM, Shah Alam. This study aims to investigate if there is a necessity for native speakers to be involved in the teaching and learning of Japanese among foreign language learners. Analysis of the results showed that both students and lecturers are in dire need of the Nihongo Partner Program to navigate the learning of the Japanese language through a variety of language learning activities. The involvement of native speaker increases students’ confidence and motivation to converse in Japanese. The program also provides opportunities for students to increase their Japanese language proficiency and lexical density. In addition, with the opportunity to interact with the native speakers, students and lecturers will have a better understanding of Japanese culture as they are able to observe and ask the native speakers. Involvement of native speakers is essential in teaching and learning of Japanese in UiTM.

Translating ambiguous and nonambiguous Words in a foreign Language

2003 ◽  
Vol 139-140 ◽  
pp. 129-152
Author(s):  
Paul Bogaards ◽  
Elisabeth Van Der Linden ◽  
Lydius Nienhuis
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
University Students ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Lexical Ambiguity ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Bilingual Lexicon ◽  
The Individual

The research to be reported on in this paper was originally motivated by the finding that about 70% of the mistakes made by university students when translating from their mother tongue (Dutch) into their foreign language (French) were lexical in nature (NIENHUIS et al. 1989). This was partially confinned in the investigation described in NIENHUIS et al. (1993). A closer look at the individual errors suggested that many problems were caused by words with more than one meaning which each require different translations in the target language. In the research reported on in this paper, we checked our fmdings in the light of what is known about the structure of the bilingual lexicon and about the ways bilinguals have access to the elements of their two languages. On the basis of the model of the bilingual lexicon presented by KROLL & Sholl (1992) an adapted model is proposed for the processing of lexical ambiguity. This leads to a tentative schema of the mental activities that language learners have to perfonn when they are translating from their mother tongue into a foreign language, The second part of the paper describes two experiments we have carried out in order to find empirical support for such a schema. The last section of the paper contains a discussion of the results obtained as well as the conclusions that can be drawn.

Teaching Adult Second Language Learners Who Are Emergent Readers

2011 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 120-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha Bigelow ◽  
Patsy Vinogradov
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Formal Schooling ◽  
Emergent Readers ◽  
Print Literacy ◽  
Historical Issues

Some second language (L2) learners are unique in that they bring low print literacy and limited formal schooling to the language learning enterprise. A range of personal, economic, historical, and political circumstances bring them to highly literate, industrialized societies where print literacy becomes not only desirable but necessary to earn a living and participate in a range of everyday activities. This article is a review of current research related to this population of learners for the purpose of informing educators about their particular teaching and learning needs. While the emphasis is on scholarship focused on adult L2 emergent readers, attention is also given to related research with bi- and multilingual children and monolingual adults who are not print literate. Finally, sociopolitical and historical issues are touched upon with regard to broader policy matters that may have contributed to or perpetuate low print literacy.

Qurʾanic Figurative Language to Develop High Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) and Religious Tolerance among Language Learners

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-199
Author(s):  
Mahrus Asʾad ◽  
Ahmad Bukhori Muslim ◽  
Wagdi Rashad Ali Bin-Hady
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Figurative Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Religious Tolerance ◽  
Foreign Language Learners

Abstract Similar to other theistic texts, the Qurʾan has some figurative languages which require deep thought for good comprehension. However, how these rhetorical imageries can inspire the development of higher order thinking skills (HOTS) and religious tolerance among language learners, two necessary skills in the information-laden era, is still less known. This study explores how the Qurʾan’s figurative languages serve as an inspiring basis to develop Bloom’s revised taxonomy of analyzing and evaluating thinking skills in foreign language learning. Document analysis shows that many verses in Sura (Chapter) Joseph and other five chapters contain some simile, personification, and metaphor in recounting past prophetical and scientific events humans need to learn for life. Incorporated into learning materials, these figurative languages require the foreign language learners to use their skills of sensing, imagining, and making logical reasoning to discern the real meanings. The discussion of Sura Joseph in the Qurʾan which recounts some prophets of Abraham’s descendants can also increase religious tolerance among young followers of Abrahamic religions. The study recommends some strategies on how language teachers base their teaching and learning practices on these religious scriptures to develop students’ critical thinking and create a more harmonious global citizenship.

scholarly journals Case Study of the Commercially Published ELT materials in Foundation of English Course Books 1 & 2

IIUC Studies ◽  
2016 ◽  
pp. 173-182
Author(s):  
Md Yousuf Uddin Khaled Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Global Markets ◽  
Local Market ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
The Right

Brumfit (1979) has suggested that many commercially published ELT materials are little more than ‘masses of rubbish, skilfully marketed’. He perhaps rejects most of the published materials. However, in reality, it is observed that these ELT resources are the only available alternatives in the contexts where infra-structural limitations of language classrooms and the inefficiency of the language-teachers make the goal of language learning and teaching unreachable or unattainable for many of the learners. This paper, through a case study, aims at justifying the use of commercially published ELT coursebooks that are designed and used, considering the limitations and problems of the personally produced materials by untrained teachers. Nevertheless, these materials must consider the local market rather than the global markets so that they meet the needs of the local language learners and instructors. The case study implies that it is the selection or adaptation of the right materials for the specific learners that makes them effective or ineffective. It also suggests that the personally designed or locally produced materials too may make teaching and learning difficult and impossible sometimes.IIUC Studies Vol.10 & 11 December 2014: 173-182

scholarly journals Chinese Learners of Portuguese and Spanish Majors in Macau: A Comparative Case-Study of Motivation Aspects

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 54
Author(s):  
Oksana Kharlay ◽  
Martin Bagheri ◽  
Jeremy D. Philips
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Learning Motivation ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Language Community ◽  
Language Learning Motivation ◽  
Chinese Learners ◽  
Integrative Motivation

This study investigated multiple learning motivation aspects of Chinese university students in Macau majoring in Spanish and Portuguese. A mixed methods research was employed by using questionnaires and interviews. 181 learners (96 Portuguese and 85 Spanish majors) were surveyed about ten language-learning motivation dimensions by using a questionnaire. A subset of participants from questionnaires were later given follow-up interviews. Quantitative and qualitative data indicated that the students in these majors had strong intrinsic motivation but limited integrative motivation towards the target language community. Other motivational pull-factors were the heritage connection between the language and the place of study and interest in the pop-culture associated related to the target language. Students reported a decline in motivation during the middle years of study, however, Spanish students’ interest resurged by the end of year three. There was also a gender imbalance, suggesting that career-related aspects of motivations were stronger among males. The results also revealed that language learners had an ideal-self that was multilingual and cosmopolitan but did not aspire to integrate into a specific target-language community.

scholarly journals A Study of Language Anxiety among English Language Learners in Saudi Arabia

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Badia Muntazer Hakim
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Self Awareness

Classroom anxiety is a recurrent phenomenon for language learners. There are various factors that cause language anxiety, the most common of which include learners’ excessive self-consciousness and self-awareness concerning their oral reproduction and performance and their peculiar, and quite often misplaced and mistaken, views and beliefs regarding different approaches. Other potential reasons for this problem could include the fear, and the consequent deterrence occasioned thereof, of encountering difficulties in language learning, specifically learners’ individual problems regarding the culture of the target language and the varying social statuses of speakers. The most important fear is, perhaps, the deterrent fear of causing damage to one’s self-identity. Therefore, while needing to paying special attention to language learners’ anxiety reactions, language teachers have a crucial role in helping their students achieve the expected performance goals in the target language. Another factor that could potentially lead to language anxiety is simply the poor command of the target language. This problem could be attributed to linguistic barriers and obstacles language learners encounter in learning and using the target language. In the current study, using a qualitative, semi-structured interview and the focus-group discussion technique, the researcher aims to investigate the factors that contribute to language anxiety among Arab language learners. It focuses on learners both within the classroom setting and without, i.e. in the social context, and recommends a number of approaches to manage and overcome this problem.

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