scholarly journals Teaching Ideas for Improving Oral Performance through Formulaic Language Instruction

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 48-54
Author(s):  
Chie Ogawa ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Learning Theory ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Oral Performance ◽  
Formulaic Language ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Language Context ◽  
Teaching Ideas

This article suggests three teaching ideas to help L2 learners improve speaking performances through form-focused instruction using formulaic language. Formulaic language is considered an effective way to foster speaking fluency because prefabricated chunks are faster to retrieve than constructing sentences word by word (Wray, 2002). In spite of the benefits of learning formulaic language in L2 learning theory, few empirical studies were found which examined the effects of formulaic language instruction in intact classrooms, in particular in the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) context. By introducing some effective classroom tasks to foster L2 learners’ speaking fluency focusing on formulaic language in this article, the author emphasizes the need for empirical research involving EFL learners.

scholarly journals Effects of task repetition on EFL oral performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 170 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-23
Author(s):  
Saraswati Dawadi
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Task Repetition ◽  
Oral Performance ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Considerable Research ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Efl Teaching ◽  
L2 Learners

Abstract Considerable research has examined the effects of task repetition (TR) on second language (L2) performance. While results are still inconclusive, some patterns are emerging. However, limited attention has been paid to L2 learners’ perceptions of TR. This paper reports a study in which 40 English as a foreign language (EFL) learners were asked to repeat a task after a three-day interval; on both occasions they performed the task immediately after receiving instructions. Results indicated that TR triggered more complex and fluent, but less accurate, narratives. In post-task interviews, the majority of learners expressed positive attitudes towards TR, purporting that familiarity increased confidence. This paper will finally discuss the possible pedagogical implications of the study for EFL teaching.

scholarly journals EXTENSIVE READING IN L2 LEARNING: CURRENT TRENDS AND FUTURE POSSIBILITIES

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Made Frida Yulia
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Extensive Reading ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Foreign Language Reading ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
L2 Learning ◽  
Language Exposure

Due to the minimum language exposure that EFL learners have, one recommended way to promote interest in foreign language reading is through Extensive Reading. This kind of reading has gained popularity over the years, ever since it was introduced to the realm of foreign language learning. Extensive Reading has been shown to bring a lot of benefits for L2 learners in many respects, and, consequently, it has been implemented in a variety of contexts. This paper aims at revisiting Extensive Reading along with its pertaining principles. In addition, it attempts to scrutinize a number of recent studies conducted in the area of Extensive Reading to discover current trends and possible areas which are open for further exploration. 

scholarly journals Linguistic Awareness of the Prepositional Phrase Complexities in the English as a Foreign Language Context

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Chinger Enrique Zapata-Leal ◽  
María Cecilia Ávila-Portuanto
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Language Awareness ◽  
Functional Grammar ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Prepositional Phrases ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Multiple Meanings ◽  
Language Context ◽  
Internal Configuration

This essay focuses on a description of the complexities of Prepositional Phrases (PPs) and their challenges for EFL learners. The rationale is to raise language awareness of the multifaceted nature of the PP in teachers and students. The grammatical explanations offered in the literature review are based on Functional Grammar. Moreover, previous research conducted addressing the issues of EFL learners facing problems with PPs are proposed in four configurations: semantic, syntactic, lexical and socio-cultural. Such configurations address scenarios for the identification of multiple meanings, different syntactic functions and structures, regional variations, typology, formal and informal language usage, among others, which represent obstacles and difficulties in the comprehension of the topic by EFL learners. Finally, we conclude that the limited use of syntactic functions, poor internal configuration of PPs, as well as the high frequency of errors reported by previous research indicate PPs are complex to use. Thereby, explicitly reinforcing the teaching of all the configurations of PPs is suggested.

scholarly journals News from the pragmatics classroom: Contrasting the inductive and the deductive approach in the teaching of pragmatic competence

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 529-561
Author(s):  
Karen Glaser
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Pragmatic Competence ◽  
Guided Discovery ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Research Gap ◽  
Pragmatic Skills

Abstract While the role of pragmatic skills in a foreign or second language has been receiving increased attention both from a research and a language teaching perspective, there is still a lamentable scarcity of systematic empirical studies into the effectiveness of instructional methods in the teaching of pragmatics. Addressing this research gap, this article reports about a quasi-experimental study into possible differences between an explicit-inductive and an explicit-deductive instructional approach in the teaching of pragmatic skills in English as a Foreign Language (EFL), more specifically the teaching of offer refusals to 49 advanced adult EFL learners in Germany. The instruction consisted of three 90-minute lessons, which were spread out over the duration of a 15-week academic semester and designed according to the deductive principle and the inductive principle, respectively. While the deductive group was provided with metapragmatic rules directly at the beginning of the instruction, the inductive group only encountered such rules after engaging in language use and guided discovery. Production data was elicited by means of DCTs and role play in a pretest-posttest format. Effectiveness of instruction was operationalized by means of two indicators: Indicator 1 measured the increased usage of the strategies taught in class, while indicator 2 measured the approximation to a native speaker target. The results indicate that the gains in the inductive group surpassed those in the deductive group, suggesting that when situated within the explicit framework, inductive instruction is more effective in the teaching of pragmatic skills.

The effects of pre-task planning on EFL learners’ oral performance in a 3D multi-user virtual environment

ReCALL ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 232-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian ChengChiang Chen
Keyword(s):  
Language Production ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Task Planning ◽  
World Knowledge ◽  
Oral Performance ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Linguistic Performance ◽  
L2 Learners

AbstractPrior research on pre-task planning examines its effects on the quality of second language (L2) learners’ planned output. Planning mitigates the cognitive overload placed upon L2 learners’ oral performance, thus improving language production. Despite the pedagogical benefits, studies on pre-task planning on L2 learners’ oral output are conducted mostly in a lab or class setting. Whether or not similar effects of pre-task planning can be evidenced in three-dimensional (3D) multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs), such as Second Life (SL), is still less explored. Hence, this study investigates whether pre-task planning could enhance the quality and quantity of English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ task-oriented, voice-based outcomes in SL. Nine EFL learners worldwide participated in this 10-session virtual class. Data were collected through students’ oral presentations in performing real-life simulated tasks related to their home cultures and interests. Yuan and Ellis’s (2003) framework of T-units measures was adopted to analyze their linguistic performance measured by complexity and accuracy. Results indicated that EFL learners showed statistically significant improvement on grammatical complexity on the levels of syntactic complexity and variety (but not on lexical variety) and on linguistic accuracy across all measured levels (error-free clauses/T-units/verb forms). It is suggested that pre-task planning can be seeded in task-based instruction either in a classroom-based or 3D MUVE setting to optimize the quality of learners’ linguistic performance. Tasks that are real-world oriented and targeting learners’ cultural repertoires and world knowledge also positively impact their virtual learning experiences. These significant implications add new research and pedagogical dimensions to the field of computer-assisted language learning.

Teaching Conceptual Metaphors to EFL Learners in the European Space of Higher Education

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-114
Author(s):  
Regina Gutiérrez Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
International Communication ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Second Language Teaching ◽  
Conceptual Metaphors ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Language Context

AbstractThe CEFR encourages a more effective international communication. Given that effective communication in a L2 involves the ability to use metaphors, this figure becomes of prime importance to the teaching of languages. The present study applies a methodology for teaching English metaphors and idioms following the tenets of Cognitive Linguistics (CL). It argues the importance of “metaphoric competence”, and, by a conceptual metaphor awareness method, it advocates the usefulness of teaching metaphors and idioms and its explicit inclusion in a language syllabus aimed at increasing proficiency in L2. This conceptual basis for language is almost entirely unavailable to L2 learners in course books and reference materials. This paper reviews the scope of metaphor and metaphoric competence in the context of second-language teaching and learning, and provides some tips on how to teach metaphors and idioms effectively in a foreign language context. By analizing the systematicity and experiential basis of the expressions subject of study, it offers some pedagogical suggestions and teaching material that can facilitate the acquisition of idiomatic expressions by raising awareness of the conceptual metaphors that underlie them.

scholarly journals Foreign language anxiety

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Maria Nilsson
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Oral Performance ◽  
High Anxiety ◽  
Young Learners ◽  
Knowledge Requirements ◽  
Multiple Case

Although foreign language anxiety is a widely studied construct assumed to develop from negative experiences of language instruction, few researchers have focused on young learners in this regard. This multiple case study investigates levels and triggers of language anxiety in Swedish primary classrooms under rather favorable learning conditions with a supportive, non-competitive atmosphere, and without formal knowledge requirements or grades. A total of 225 learners, aged 8–12, studying English as their first foreign language completed a self-report questionnaire, a modified version of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986), eliciting learners’ reactions to oral classroom participation. Foreign language anxiety was found along a continuum among learners. To investigate similarities and differences among students of differing anxiety levels, they were grouped into three categories: low, medium and high anxiety. The high anxiety group included 18.2% of learners, and for most of them, this anxiety was situation-specific and closely related to their own oral performance during English lessons. However, many classroom situations triggered language anxiety in other learners as well. It may therefore be advisable for teachers to reflect on common classroom practices that induce anxiety, rather than viewing language anxiety as a disadvantageous characteristic of individual learners. The results call for in-depth studies of classroom contexts where language anxiety develops. Moreover, the study’s contribution encompass new perspectives on research methodology with respect to young learners and in relation to foreign language anxiety.

scholarly journals An empirical L2 perspective on possessives: German/Norwegian

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anneliese Pauline Pitz ◽  
Oliver Bott ◽  
Torgrim Solstad ◽  
Robin Hörnig ◽  
Bergljot Behrens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Structural Constraints ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Transfer Effects ◽  
Stem Form ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Complex Procedure

The present paper reports on two empirical studies concerning the acquisition of possessive systems by L2 learners of Norwegian and German respectively. The first study investigates comprehension and production in written translation while the second study is a set of offline experiments testing the interpretation of possessives by both native speakers and German learners of Norwegian. Norwegian distinguishes between reflexive and irreflexive possessives, while German does not. The reflexive stem form si* is phonologically similar to German sein*, but may correspond to ihr*, a feminine or plural possessor, as well. These differences make the acquisition of Norwegian and of German as a foreign language a complex procedure of restructuring both at the phonological and the grammatical level. Results of the study indicate that the only partly overlapping forms and structural constraints on possessives in the two languages are cognitively demanding in L2 acquisition and subject to transfer effects.

scholarly journals Measuring Language Gains in a Foreign Language Context

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-86
Author(s):  
Ana Muñoz Restrepo ◽  
Isabel Valderrama Carvajal ◽  
Alejandra Lopez Muñoz ◽  
Ricardo Avendaño Franco
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Oral Performance ◽  
Learning Gain ◽  
Assessment Task ◽  
Relevant Evidence ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Language Context

Learning gain can be defined as the difference between students’ language competences demonstrated at two different points in time. In this article, we reported on a small-scale study aimed at measuring learning gains and piloting the methods chosen. Fourteen students of English as a foreign language participated in the study. We employed a student self-report survey, an oral performance assessment task and a standardised test for data gathering, and we applied them at three different moments during the eight-month study. Our data analysis includes the comparison of percentages rendered by test scores, the estimation of means for oral task scores and grouping and coding for qualitative data in the survey. Results show the gradual pattern of language improvement and the suitability of methods. These results can help stakeholders or policymakers in selecting relevant evidence to improve accountability in decision-making. We have provided conclusions and recommendations below for a larger scale study.

scholarly journals A Systematic Overview of Issues for Developing EFL Learners’ Oral English Communication Skills

2021 ◽  
pp. 192-204
Author(s):  
Prodhan Mahbub Ibna Seraj ◽  
Habil Hadina
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Tertiary Level ◽  
Oral Performance ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Software Studies ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Meta Analyses

The objective of this systematic review is to present a critical overview of current studies to explore issues such as the factors causing EFL learners’ poor oral performance and the teaching and assessment methods of oral English communication skills (OECSs) for developing tertiary level learners’ OECSs in EFL contexts. For this purpose, 51 empirical studies of the 2907 retrieved from SpringerLink, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and the Google Scholar database that were published between 2010 and 2019 in different EFL contexts were analyzed. This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and was analyzed thematically using NVIVO 12, followed by the Mendeley reference management software. Studies that were conducted in native English contexts and non-empirical studies were excluded from consideration for this study. The findings showed that the environmental factor was the primary factor for learners’ poor OECS performance in EFL contexts. For the method of teaching and assessment of learners’ OECSs, the use of technology is rapidly increasing in different EFL contexts. This study suggests some implications for both future researchers and academics for developing EFL learners’ oral English communication skills dealing with environmental, psychological, and linguistic factors along with teaching and learning resources at the tertiary level in EFL contexts.

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