Character Education as a Means of Second Language Development in Talented Children: A Study of Sociolinguistic

This study aims to describe and explain the role of character education in helping the development of a second language in gifted children based on sociolinguistic studies. This study uses a qualitative method with a descriptive analysis approach. The data in this study were obtained from the analysis of conversations or dialogues and the development of the Dini Suryani language of third-grade students at SDN 27/III Lolo Kecil with their peers, interacting in class with the teacher and while in the family environment. Researchers found that early language development is different from normal children, who tend to have a neat and well-structured use of language. Dini also uses varied and appropriate vocabulary according to specific contexts. Dini also applies the use of intonation and facial expressions in interacting in communicating. However, Dini has a personality problem that is high egoistic, such as when she wants something, she will do anything, even if she forces her will. To maximize the ability of early character education is the right supporting step or method. Thus, Dini can become a gifted child with a good personality.

A Comparative Analysis on Cohesive Markers in Essay Composition of First Language and Second Language: Direct Writing Versus Translation

Studies have revealed that first language has significant impacts on learners’ second language development. Utilizing L1 in the writing processes such as translation method and direct writing is a conventional strategy used by low proficiency level L2 learners. However, there is a lack of studies that determine the quality of writing influenced by L1 transfer. This study aims to provide a comparative analysis on the use of cohesive markers as a result of the use of Malay in English written text via translation and direct composition. The writing quality in terms of content, organisation and writing style of a group of students with low, intermediate and advanced proficiency levels from a secondary school in the district of Tangkak, Johor was scrutinised. Data were collected via two different topics of writing tasks using direct composition and translation writing process. The first topic involved English direct composition while the second topic employed direct Malay composition which was then translated into English. The results of the study indicated that English essays of direct writing showed less variety of cohesive markers as compared to Malay essays due to the lack of L2 writing skills. The learners apparently generated more ideas in their native language as well as utilized their L1 cohesive markers into L2 composition via the translation writing process. Nevertheless, the similarities and differences of cohesive markers in Malay and English help teachers to understand learners' organisation of Malay and English essays.

Learners’ Reflective Practice between the Repeated Performances of Tasks: Effects on Second Language Development

This study attempted to explore the role of reflection in the accurate use of the English regular past tense structure using task repetition. Thirty-one learners were assigned into two conditions: task repetition only (TR) and task repetition with self-reflection (TR+SR). Both groups repeated an oral narrative task two times and then carried out a new task of the same type (i.e., another oral narrative task). However, only the TR+SR learners were engaged in self-reflection through responding to a questionnaire developed for the purpose of this study. Results revealed that learners’ reflection on their first task performance helped them notice the gap between their existing and target structure use as attested by their significantly high scores in the repeated tasks as well as the new task. The results therefore indicate the potential of reflective practice as an effective intervention strategy between repeated performances of the same task in terms of accuracy.

Conversational Interaction and Second Language Development: Recasts, Responses and Red Herrings? Alison Mackey and Jennifer Philip, The Modern Language Journal (1998), pp. 339-356.

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Oral corrective feedback and learner uptake in L2 classrooms: Non-formulaic vs. formulaic errors

An extensive number of corrective feedback (CF) studies have examined learners’ errors with grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and spelling (non-formulaic forms) and established an association between learners’ uptake of CF and their second language development. However, learners’ errors with formulaic sequences (FSs) comprising idioms, collocations, lexical bundles, and compounds (formulaic forms) have received scant attention in CF research. This study investigated any associations among formulaic vs. non-formulaic errors, CF types, uptake, and successful uptake rate by drawing on the audio-recordings of 36 hours of primarily meaning-oriented teacher–learner interactions in three advanced English as a foreign language classes. The findings demonstrated that learners made more errors with FSs, whereas CF was provided significantly more often for their non-formulaic errors. Learners’ non-formulaic and formulaic errors were treated significantly more frequently through recasts and elicitations, respectively. Uptake and successful uptake rate was significantly higher when CF was provided for learners’ formulaic errors than non-formulaic ones, which could be explained by relatively greater saliency, significance, and noticeability of FSs. The findings of log-linear analyses indicated that uptake and successful uptake rate varied depending on formulaic vs. non-formulaic foci of errors and CF types.

The Semantic Field Theoretical Approach in the teaching of English and its Grammatical Implication to Second Language Development

The Semantic Field Theory (SFT) has been widely used in teaching English as a second Language to preschool children in Kenya. In the SFT approach, the grammars of two or more languages are in contact. The grammar of languages involved in the SFT approach may be similar or different. However, studies have indicated that where the grammar of two languages in contact differ, syntactic mismatches are likely to result. It was against this background that the investigation was undertaken to establish the potential syntactic mismatches between English and Lukabarasi when using the SMT approach and the possible grammatical implications to English language development lessons. Contrastive Analysis (CA) by Lado (1967) was used in the comparison of the structures of Lukabarasi and English in order to identify syntactic similarities and differences in The First Language (L1) and The Second Language (L2). A sample of 10 key informants teaching English as a second language in rural pre-schools were purposively sampled to help collect the songs. Two songs were purposively sampled for collecting the relevant data. Content analysis guided the data analysis to identify the parts of the songs that were relevant to the achievement of the research objective. The findings indicated that teachers used Lukabarasi songs during English development lessons to enhance vocabulary acquisition using the SFT approach. Further, rules of the two languages were not observed and finally, there were syntactic mismatches during the teaching of English lessons. The findings revealed that extensive use the SMT approach and failure to follow rules of languages during L2 lessons may affect second language development. The findings recommend use of SFT approach when necessary in teaching English and adherence to rules of the two languages during English lessons to reduce negative transfer and to enhance L2 development.

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENTS IN TRANSLATING TEXTS IDIOMATICALLY

The discussion of translation used by students has been investigated long time ago in which the setup of the Second Language Development was firstly established, i.e around 1900s. Many Error Analyses on translation have been analyzed by linguists which become the valuable contributions towards the study of translation. This study deals with error analysis of students’ project on translations of English Department of UNIMED so that there could be drawn some factors that make students are in difficulty in translating texts idiomatically. Qualitative method is used in analyzing this study and all the data are taken from students’ projects and worksheets on translation. Among factors that cause students are in difficulty in translating texts idiomatically are less understanding the meanings of the texts, do not fully master the lexicogrammar, do not understand the language concepts, social context, language use, etc.