Search results

1

Increasing fluency in L2 writing with singing

100%

Heikkola L. M.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

|

2016

|

vol. 6

|

issue 2

271-292

EN

Fluency is an essential part of a language learner’s skills. Despite various studies on fluency, little is known about the effects of different pedagogical methods on the development of written fluency. In this paper, we examine how different pedagogical methods affect the development of second language learners’ written fluency. Participants in this study were 51 language learners enrolled in two intensive Finnish courses. The pedagogical methods investigated in the study were singing, listening to songs, and reciting lyrics of songs. Written stories based on cartoon strips were used as a pretest and a posttest. The fluency of written stories was analyzed based on the number of words used in the texts. Differences between the groups taught by different pedagogical methods were analyzed. The results seem to indicate that fluency increased the most in the singing groups compared to the other groups. There was also a statistically significant difference between the singing group and the group reciting lyrics, as well as between the group listening to songs and the group reciting lyrics.

2

Increasing fluency in L2 writing with singing

100%

Alisaari J., Heikkola L. M.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

|

2016

|

vol. 6

|

issue 2

271-292

EN

Fluency is an essential part of a language learner’s skills. Despite various studies on fluency, little is known about the effects of different pedagogical methods on the development of written fluency. In this paper, we examine how different pedagogical methods affect the development of second language learners’ written fluency. Participants in this study were 51 language learners enrolled in two intensive Finnish courses. The pedagogical methods investigated in the study were singing, listening to songs, and reciting lyrics of songs. Written stories based on cartoon strips were used as a pretest and a posttest. The fluency of written stories was analyzed based on the number of words used in the texts. Differences between the groups taught by different pedagogical methods were analyzed. The results seem to indicate that fluency increased the most in the singing groups compared to the other groups. There was also a statistically significant difference between the singing group and the group reciting lyrics, as well as between the group listening to songs and the group reciting lyrics.

3

Noticing grammar in L2 writing and problem-solving strategies

88%

Geist M.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

|

2017

|

vol. 7

|

issue 3

471-487

EN

Noticing plays an important role for second language acquisition. Since the formulation of the output hypothesis (Swain, 1985), it has been proven that producing output can lead to noticing. Studies on noticing have revealed little focus on grammar, and an in-depth investigation of grammar noticing has not been conducted so far. Studies into problemsolving strategies applied to resolve noticing in writing have provided differing classifications. The current study investigates the noticing of ten young learners (15 to 16 years) of L2 English while performing a writing task, with a special focus on grammar. The problem-solving strategies these learners applied are analyzed. With regard to the linguistic areas, results suggest that verb forms, especially the use of modals, and the choice of prepositions, are the main issues encountered in morphology. In syntax, learners mainly dealt with the length of sentences and the ways of connecting clauses. Learners relied on their intuition and existing knowledge, common sense and rephrasing as grammar problem-solving strategies. These results open a new area of study into noticing grammar and suggest some implications for teaching.

4

The influence of rater empathy, age and experience on writing performance assessment

88%

Alp P., Epner A., Pajupuu H.

Linguistics Beyond and Within

|

2017

|

vol. 3

7-19

EN

Assessment reliability is vital in language testing. We have studied the influence of empathy, age and experience on the assessment of the writing component in Estonian Language proficiency examinations at levels A2–C1, and the effect of the rater properties on rater performance at different language levels. The study included 5,270 examination papers, each assessed by two raters. Raters were aged 34–73 and had a rating experience of 3–15 years. The empathy level (EQ) of all 26 A2–C1 raters had previously been measured by Baron-Cohen and Wheelwright’s self-report questionnaire. The results of the correlation analysis indicated that in case of regular training (and with three or more years of experience), the rater’s level of empathy, age and experience did not have a significant effect on the score.

5

Past and future research agendas on writing strategies: Conceptualizations, inquiry methods, and research findings

75%

Manchón R. M.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

|

2018

|

vol. 8

|

issue 2

247-267

EN

This paper offers a retrospective narrative review of research on L2 writing strategies and a prospective discussion of potential theoretical and pedagogical relevant lines of inquiry to be explored in future research agendas. The retrospective analysis will synthesize the main trends observed in the conceptualization of writing strategies as well as central directions followed in empirical research in the domain. The prospective discussion tries to advance research agendas on the basis of several observations about L2 writing that are presented as key points to be considered when analyzing existing or thinking about future research in the domain. Special mention will be made of future research avenues centrally concerned with theoretical and empirical questions on the manner in which strategic behavior during writing and during written corrective feedback processing may foster language learning. It will be suggested that following this route can result in interesting and profitable synergies between research on language learning strategies and recent SLA-oriented L2 writing research initiatives on the language learning potential associated with L2 writing.

6

Topic familiarity and story continuation in young English as a foreign language learners’ writing tasks

63%

Bui G., Luo X.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

|

2021

|

vol. 11

|

issue 3

377-400

EN

Prior research demonstrates that primary and secondary school teachers often find teaching young learners to write in a second language a slow and effortful process. Moreover, students in this age range lack the motivation to write. Therefore, it is important to explore the EFL writing pedagogy suitable for young learners. The present study investigated how story continuation (with or without reading input) under different topic familiarity conditions serves as a viable pedagogical means for secondary school students. Ninety-one Chinese students in four intact classes of comparable proficiency levels were assigned four writing task conditions in a 2 ⨉ 2 factorial design. Group 1 (Fam) was provided with the beginning of a familiar story in L1 Chinese and was required to complete the story in L2 English. Group 2 (UnFam) had the same task as Group 1, with an unfamiliar story. Group 3 (Fam+Input) was initially provided with the complete familiar story in Chinese (the same story as Group 1) as reading input and were then instructed to write the story in English with the reading material taken away. Group 4 (Unfam+Input) received the full unfamiliar story in Chinese (the same story as Group 2) as input before writing. Again they were not allowed to refer to the reading in the composing process. The results revealed that the young learners who wrote on familiar topics (Groups 1 and 3) produced longer texts and demonstrated greater lexical diversity than those with unfamiliar stories (Groups 2 and 4), although topic familiarity did not affect their writing quality or lexical sophistication. As for the story continuation conditions, students who completed writing the story without the L1 reading input on the topics (Groups 1 and 2) developed longer compositions and better writing quality than those with such input (Groups 3 and 4), although their lexical profiles (both lexical diversity and lexical sophistication) remained uninfluenced. Pedagogical implications for EFL writing among young learners were also discussed in the present study.

7

The study of conceptual metaphors in ESAP L2 writing: range and variability

63%

Permyakova T., Utkina T.

|

2016

|

vol. 14

|

issue 4

437-451

EN

The article presents the study of the influence of professional competence of EFL learners on their academic writing. The task was approached through analyzing learners’ competence in specific knowledge domains - knowledge of terms and specific concepts, represented as conceptual metaphors. Conceptual metaphor models were analyzed in the English written texts produced by Russian students with different competences in economics – at both non-professional and professional levels of academic discourse (NPAD and PAD respectively). Metaphor Identification Procedure VU University Amsterdam (MIPVU) was applied to metaphor identification, and alternative metaphor and preferential conceptualization analysis was performed to compare the scope of source and the range of target in NPAD and PAD. Findings highlight the areas of commonality as well as divergence in terms of students’ professional competence represented in conceptual metaphors in L2 writing. The main differences in the scope of the source analysis are quantitative rather than qualitative. The range of target comparison between NPAD and PAD indicates a significantly larger range of targets for the professional level students, a lower level of metaphorization for the non-professional level, and inclusive strategies across the two levels. Practical recommendations suggest an improved research methodology for studying metaphor production in EAP and ESP as well as a deeper understanding of ESP content and its structure.

Refine search results

5 Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

1 Linguistics Beyond and Within

1 Research in Language

1 2021

1 2018

2 2017

3 2016

2 Heikkola L. M.

1 Alisaari J.

1 Alp P.

1 Bui G.

1 Epner A.

1 Geist M.

1 Luo X.

1 Manchón R. M.

1 Pajupuu H.

1 Permyakova T.

1 Utkina T.

Increasing fluency in L2 writing with singing

Increasing fluency in L2 writing with singing

Noticing grammar in L2 writing and problem-solving strategies

The influence of rater empathy, age and experience on writing performance assessment

Past and future research agendas on writing strategies: Conceptualizations, inquiry methods, and research findings

Topic familiarity and story continuation in young English as a foreign language learners’ writing tasks

The study of conceptual metaphors in ESAP L2 writing: range and variability