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1

Editorial

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Pawlak M.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

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2018

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vol. 8

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issue 3

549-551

EN

Following two special issues of the journal, one dedicated to emotions in second language learning and the other to language learning strategies, the present issue of Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching is a regular one, bringing together six empirical studies dealing with different aspects of learning and using second and foreign languages (L2).

2

Investigating the use of speaking strategies in the performance of two communicative tasks: The importance of communicative goal

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Pawlak M.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

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2018

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vol. 8

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issue 2

269-291

EN

Although the ability to speak is usually seen as a key manifestation of learners’ ability in the target language they are attempting to master, research has not given ample attention to strategies that can be employed to enhance this skill. In fact, the bulk of such empirical investigations has mainly focused on communication strategies that are reactive devices, predominantly used to overcome difficulties in successful conveyance of meanings and messages, and even this line of inquiry has been neglected in recent years. The study reported in this paper aims to partially bridge this gap by examining the speaking strategies that advanced learners of English used in the performance of two communicative tasks, differing in the extent to which the participants were required to make a contribution to their successful completion. The data collected by means of open-ended questionnaires that were administered immediately after the completion of the two tasks yielded crucial insights into the nature of the speaking strategies and the ways in which the communicative goals inherent in task type influenced the choice of speaking strategies.

3

Grammar Learning Strategy Inventory (GLSI): Another look

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Pawlak M.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

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2018

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vol. 8

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issue 2

351-379

EN

Despite all the progress that has been made in research on language learning strategies since the publication of Rubin’s (1975) seminal paper on good language learners, there are areas that have been neglected by strategy experts. Perhaps the most blatant manifestation of this neglect is the paucity of research into grammar learning strategies (GLS). The main premise of this paper is that for such research to gain momentum, it is to necessary to create valid and reliable data collection instruments that would enable tapping the use of different types of GLS. In line with this reasoning, the article reports a study that aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Grammar Learning Strategy Inventory (GLSI), a tool constructed by Pawlak (2009b, 2013) on the basis of his classification of strategies for learning grammar in a second or foreign language. Exploratory factor analysis was also employed with the purpose of uncovering the underlying structure of strategic learning of grammar. The analysis provided evidence for largely satisfactory validity and reliability of the GLSI, indicating at the same time there is room for improvement, with concrete changes being possible after the instrument has been tested with a much larger sample.

4

Editorial

100%

Pawlak M.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

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2018

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vol. 8

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issue 4

719-720

EN

The publication of the last 2018 issue of Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching marks the end of the eighth year of existence of the journal. It has been a successful year for a number of reasons. First, we have concluded the transition to our electronic platform, which has made the processing of submissions much more manageable. Second, we have published two state-of-the-art special issues, one dedicated to emotions in language learning and the other to language learning strategies. Both of them carry papers by leading scholars in the two respective domains and I am positive that they will contribute to further improvement of the standing of the journal in the field. Third, we have commissioned special issues guest-edited by well-known scholars for several years to come. Fourth, we have seen a major rise in the number of submissions, and, even more importantly, an overall increase in the quality of the manuscripts. Fifth, as can be seen from the indices included in Scopus, the journal continues to have a considerable impact on the field and this impact is very likely to grow in the future. At the same time, there are many problems that we have to face, such as the delays in handling papers caused by the spike in submissions, the need to strike a balance between special issues and regular issues, or the major difficulty in finding suitable reviewers. We are sure, however, that these difficulties are simply challenges that need to be overcome and we are committed to making the journal grow and become even more influential in the field.

5

The dynamic nature of motivation in language learning: A classroom perspective

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Pawlak M.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

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2012

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vol. 2

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issue 2

249-278

EN

When we examine the empirical investigations of motivation in second and foreign language learning, even those drawing upon the latest theoretical paradigms, such as the L2 motivational self system (Dörnyei, 2009), it becomes clear that many of them still fail to take account of its dynamic character and temporal variation. This may be surprising in view of the fact that the need to adopt such a process-oriented approach has been emphasized by a number of theorists and researchers (e.g., Dörnyei, 2000, 2001, 2009; Ushioda, 1996; Williams & Burden, 1997), and it lies at the heart of the model of second language motivation proposed by Dörnyei and Ottó (1998). It is also unfortunate that few research projects have addressed the question of how motivation changes during a language lesson as well as a series of lessons, and what factors might be responsible for fluctuations of this kind. The present paper is aimed to rectify this problem by reporting the findings of a classroom-based study which investigated the changes in the motivation of 28 senior high school students, both in terms of their goals and intentions, and their interest and engagement in classroom activities and tasks over the period of four weeks. The analysis of the data collected by means of questionnaires, observations and interviews showed that although the reasons for learning remain relatively stable, the intensity of motivation is indeed subject to variation on a minute-to-minute basis and this fact has to be recognized even in large-scale, cross-sectional research in this area.

6

Editorial

100%

Pawlak M.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

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2012

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vol. 2

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issue 1

7-8

EN

.

7

The feasibility of integrating form and meaning in the language classroom: A qualitative study of classroom discours Language; Classroom; Qualitative

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Pawlak M.

Glottodidactica

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2005

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vol. 30

283-294

EN

Recent years have witnessed a revival of interest in form-focused instruction in foreign language pedagogy and there is a growing realization that a certain degree of emphasis on formal aspects of the target language is necessary if learners are to achieve high levels of accuracy (e.g. Doughty and Williams 1998; Ellis 2001). In the view of second language theorists and researchers, one of the ways in which this kind of emphasis can most profitably be accomplished is by drawing students' attention to linguistic forms as they are engaged in primarily meaning-focused activities (cf. Long and Robinson 1998). Such a dual focus on form and meaning can, for example, result from the provision of explicit or implicit negative feedback targeting the forms that turn out to be problematic. The paper will discuss the findings of a research project which investigated the feasibility of integrating form and meaning during naturally occurring secondary school English lessons. Thirty 45-minute lessons were tape-recorded, parts of the lessons which were largely communicative in nature were identified and transcribed, and the exchanges with a dual focus of the kind described above were pinpointed and subjected to qualitative analysis. The analysis showed that it is in fact possible to integrate form and meaning during communication-focused activities, that focus on form of that kind can be used to address not only grammatical problems but also those related to lexis and phonology, and that it may be beneficial for the learners' interlanguage development.

8

Editorial

100%

Pawlak M.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

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2016

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vol. 6

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issue 2

201-202

EN

Editorial

9

Review of Introduction to Instructed Second Language Acquisition; Editor: Shawn Loewen; Publisher: Routledge, 2015; ISBN: 97804155295549; Pages: 210

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Pawlak M.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

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2016

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vol. 6

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issue 1

183-188

10

Review of Written corrective feedback for L2 development; Authors: John Bitchener, Neomy Storch; Publisher: Multilingual Matters, 2016; ISBN: 9781783095032; Pages: 156

100%

Pawlak M.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

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2016

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vol. 6

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issue 4

717-723

EN

Book review

11

Editorial

100%

Pawlak M.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

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2016

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vol. 6

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issue 4

559-560

EN

The last 2016 issue of Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching includes six papers, five of which are reports of original research projects and one is a conceptual piece. The initial two contributions are concerned with different aspects of pragmatics, both with respect to the teaching of this subsystem and the process of its acquisition. In the first of these, Andrew D. Cohen addresses the crucial issue of how native and non-native teachers of second and foreign languages deal with sociopragmatic and pragmalinguistic features in their classes. He reports the findings of an online survey of 113 teachers of different additional languages from across the world, which demonstrated that while there exist many similarities between the native and non-native instructors, the former are often at an advantage, although they by no means confine themselves to reliance on their intuition. In the second, Qiong Li undertakes a synthesis of 26 original longitudinal research studies on naturalistic pragmatic development in adult learners with the purpose of identifying patterns of variation in the acquisition of pragmatic features and providing potential explanations for the occurrence of such variation. The analysis showed that there are differences in the rate of development of various aspects of pragmatics (e.g., speech acts vs. lexical features), which can be accounted for in terms of factors related to the target language (e.g., the frequency of the feature in the input), the situation (e.g., social status) and the learner (e.g., initial knowledge about the target feature). The following two papers shift the emphasis to the role of individual factors in the process of second language acquisition, more specifically the contributions of motivation and willingness to communicate (WTC). Ali Al-Hoorie reports the results of a survey study conducted among 311 young Arabic adult learners of English as a foreign language, providing evidence, somewhat in contrast to much previous research, that achievement in second language learning is a function of implicit attitudes to L2 speakers and L2 learning experience rather than the ought-to self or attachment to the L1 group, with such constructs as the ideal L2 self or intended effort being unrelated to success. The study by Mystkowska-Wiertelak investigated fluctuations in WTC of advanced learners of English during seven conversation classes which she taught over the period of one semester. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data gathered by means of self-assessment girds, interviews, questionnaires and detailed lesson plans indicated that WTC was indeed in a state of flux, both within single lessons and over time, with such changes being attributed to an intricate interplay of contextual and individual factors. The last two contributions focus on the role of critical thinking in foreign language learning. Jelena Bobkina and Svetlana Stefanova present a model of teaching critical thinking skills with the help of literature, arguing that such skills can be fostered through encouraging critical reader response to fictional work embedded in social phenomena as well as illustrating how this model can be applied to classroom practice. In the last paper, Paweł Sobkowiak underscores the interdependence of critical thinking and the development of intercultural competence, discussing the findings of a study of 20 coursebooks used in the Polish contexts and concluding that activities used in these coursebooks fall short of achieving either goal. As always, I am confident that all of the papers included in the present issue will provide food for thought to the readers and serve as a springboard for future empirical investigations that will help us better understand the exceedingly complex processes of second language learning and teaching.

12

Designing and Piloting a Tool for the Measurement of the Use of Pronunciation Learning Strategies

100%

Pawlak M.

Research in Language

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2010

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vol. 8

189-202

EN

Despite the fact that the last few years have witnessed a growth of interest in pronunciation learning strategies (PLS) (e.g. Petersen 2000; Pawlak 2008a; Wrembel 2008), this line of inquiry still remains neglected and is in urgent need of further empirical investigation. This is because the available research findings are primarily confined to the identification and description of the strategic devices that learners draw upon in their attempts to learn the various segmental and suprasegmental features, with only a handful of studies addressing such issues as the factors influencing PLS choice and use, the impact of proficiency levels or the value of strategies-based instruction in this area. Another problem is related to the use of diverging research methodologies and data collection tools, which renders it impossible to make comparisons between various studies, view their results in a cumulative way and arrive at conclusions concerning the effectiveness of specific strategies used by learners. What appears to be indispensable to drive the field forward and ensure that research findings will be comparable across studies and provide a sound basis for feasible pedagogic proposals is to draw up a classification of PLS and design on that basis a valid and reliable data collection tool which could be employed to measure the use of these strategies in different groups of learners, correlate it with individual and contextual variables, and appraise the effects of training programs. In accordance with this rationale, the present paper represents an attempt to propose a tentative categorization of pronunciation learning strategies, adopting as a point of reference the existing taxonomies of strategic devices (i.e. O'Malley and Chamot 1990; Oxford 1990) and the instructional options teachers have at their disposal when dealing with elements of this language subsystem (e.g. Kelly 2000; Goodwin 2001). It also introduces a research instrument designed on the basis of the classification that shares a number of characteristics with Oxford's (1990) Strategy Inventory for Language Learning but, in contrast to it, includes both Likert-scale and open-ended items. The findings of a pilot study which involved 80 English Department students demonstrate that although the tool requires considerable refinement, it provides a useful point of departure for future research into PLS.

13

Reconsidering the role of practice in foreign language teaching and learning

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Pawlak M.

Poznań Studies in Contemporary Linguistics

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2012

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vol. 48

337-354

EN

Although the need for practice in taken for granted by many learners who view it as an integral part of foreign and second language learning, theorists and researchers are sharply divided on this issue. The proponents of the so-called zero grammar option, such as Krashen (1985), believe that language classrooms should replicate as much as possible the conditions of naturalistic discourse and there is hardly any place for practice. The proponents of focus on form, such as Long (1996), do recognize a contribution of pedagogical intervention, but it should be embedded in communicative activities and mainly take the form of corrective feedback, with the effect that the practice of specific language features is limited. Finally, the proponents of skill-learning theory, such as DeKeyser (1998), view practice as crucial since it is indispensable for the conversion of declarative knowledge into procedural knowledge. Given such conflicting opinions, the aim of the paper is to disambiguate some of the controversies and problems surrounding the place of practice in language learning, describe the forms it can take and single out such arrangements which are the most beneficial in the foreign language classroom with a special view to the language teaching context in Poland.

14

Editorial

100%

Pawlak M.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

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2019

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vol. 9

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issue 4

577-579

EN

This final 2019 issue of Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching brings together six original empirical studies and two book reviews. In the first paper, Marco Octavio Cancino Avila reports the results of a study that investigated the learning opportunities arising in classroom interactions, placing special emphasis on the contribution of teachers’ and learners’ overlapped turns. Using conversational analysis, he analyzed extracts from six classes taught by three teachers to adult learners of English as a foreign language in Chile. He found that teachers’ skill in appropriately handling learners’ turns that overlapped or directly followed their own had a positive impact on participation and language learning as long as learners were given adequate interactional space (Sert, 2015). The second contribution by Reza Shirani also focuses upon classroom interaction, with the caveat that the main concern is with the effectiveness of different types of corrective feedback (CF). The study explored the relationship between the level of explicitness of input-providing (i.e., recasts) and output-promoting (i.e., prompts) CF moves, and the occurrence of uptake and repair in a foreign language context in Iran. Using the model of error treatment proposed by Lyster and Ranta (1997) to analyze transcripts of 36 hours of classroom interactions in three intact classes, the researcher found that prompts tended to be used more frequently than recasts, which stands in contrast to previous findings, but at the same time produced evidence that greater salience of CF is a crucial factor for the occurrence of self-correction, which is in line with prior research.

15

Review of English-medium instruction and pronunciation: Exposure and skills development; Author: Karin Richter; Publisher: Multilingual Matters, 2019; ISBN: 9781788922456; Pages: 202

100%

Pawlak M.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

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2019

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vol. 9

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issue 2

429-432

EN

.

16

Editorial

100%

Pawlak M.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

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2019

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vol. 9

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issue 2

259-261

EN

The second 2019 issue of SSLLT brings together six papers, all of which report empirical studies dealing with different aspects of teaching and learning additional languages in various contexts, and it also includes two book reviews. In the first contribution, Alastair Henry combines Hermans’ (2008) concept of the dialogical self with the tenets of complex dynamic systems theories (Hiver & Al-Hoorie, 2016) to investigate the developing professional identity of a preservice teacher of English during the practicum in a school in western Sweden. Using a combination of intra-personal data in the form of semi-structured interviews conducted before and after the practicum as well as inter-personal data in the form of forum postings and a stimulated recall discussion of a lesson taught by the participant, Henry shows that the construction of teacher identity entails interaction between present experiences and the imagined self. In the subsequent paper, Anne Huhtala, Anta Kursiša and Marjo Vesalainen seek to identify the motives driving 51 Finnish university students to learn foreign languages other than English, in this case French, German and Swedish, adopting as a theoretical framework Dörnyei’s (2009) theory of the L2 motivational self-system. Qualitative analysis of the narrative reflections written by the participants revealed that although the initial decisions to engage in language learning may be driven by social pressure, or the ought-to self, in the course of time it is the ideal self and the L2 learning experience that start to play the dominant role.

17

Book review

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Pawlak M.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

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2014

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vol. 4

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issue 1

127-131

EN

Capitalizing on Learners' Individuality From Premise to Practice Tammy Gregersen Peter D. MacIntyre Multilingual Matters 2014

18

Editorial

100%

Pawlak M.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

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2015

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vol. 5

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issue 4

515-517

EN

Editorial

19

Editorial

100%

Pawlak M.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

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2015

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vol. 5

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issue 1

11-12

EN

With the present issue, Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching enters the fifth year of its existence, a year that has already started on a very positive note as the journal has just been included in the European Reference Index for the Humanities (ERIH PLUS). This, as well as the fact that SSLLT has been indexed or abstracted in other prestigious databases, constitutes tangible proof of the growing recognition that it has been gaining in the field. It is also likely to contribute to a considerable increase in the number of citations, something that we need really badly if we want to have the journal listed by the Thomson Reuters Master Journal List. This is certainly a goal that we will be vigorously pursuing and I am confident that we will be able to accomplish it in the near future. Obviously, the number of citations depends in the main on the quality of the papers published because only the best ones stand the chance of being referred to by other specialists, particularly those who routinely publish their work in the most prestigious journals in the field. We are doing our best to ensure the highest possible quality of the papers that appear in SSLLT and one way to do it is to invite renowned scholars as guest editors of thematic issues. This is exactly what is going to happen this year since Sarah Mercer and Stephen Ryan have kindly agreed to put together two issues of the journal which will include papers based on presentations delivered during the first conference on psychology and language learning, which was held in Graz in May, 2014. The line-up of contributors to these two issues is really impressive and they will surely be a real treat for our readers. This is by no means to suggest that the papers included in the regular editions are any less valuable or engaging, as amply demonstrated by the present one.

20

Wprowadzenie. Dyskurs edukacyjny w klasie językowej

100%

Pawlak M.

Neofilolog

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2012

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issue 38/2

137-137

EN

Introducion.

PL

Wprowadzenie. Dyskurs edukacyjny w klasie językowej

Refine search results

Editorial

Investigating the use of speaking strategies in the performance of two communicative tasks: The importance of communicative goal

Grammar Learning Strategy Inventory (GLSI): Another look

Editorial

The dynamic nature of motivation in language learning: A classroom perspective

Editorial

The feasibility of integrating form and meaning in the language classroom: A qualitative study of classroom discours Language; Classroom; Qualitative

Editorial

Review of Introduction to Instructed Second Language Acquisition; Editor: Shawn Loewen; Publisher: Routledge, 2015; ISBN: 97804155295549; Pages: 210

Review of Written corrective feedback for L2 development; Authors: John Bitchener, Neomy Storch; Publisher: Multilingual Matters, 2016; ISBN: 9781783095032; Pages: 156

Editorial

Designing and Piloting a Tool for the Measurement of the Use of Pronunciation Learning Strategies

Reconsidering the role of practice in foreign language teaching and learning

Editorial

Review of English-medium instruction and pronunciation: Exposure and skills development; Author: Karin Richter; Publisher: Multilingual Matters, 2019; ISBN: 9781788922456; Pages: 202

Editorial

Book review

Editorial

Editorial

Wprowadzenie. Dyskurs edukacyjny w klasie językowej