Search results

1

Reflections on complexity: TESOL researchers reflect on their experiences

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Kostoulas A. I., Mercer S.

Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition

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2018

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vol. 4

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issue 2

EN

Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST), or complexity, is increasingly being used as a theoretical framework in Applied Linguistics. In this article, we present the reflections of researchers in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) about how they have made use of complexity in their work. The aim of this article is to take stock of how it is being used in the field, the challenges and benefits it provides, as well as inspiration for future work from this theoretical perspective. In the first part of the article, we present a concise overview of CDST, focusing specifically on three salient features: its holistic lens, its non-linear perspective on causality, and its focus on emergence and self-organisation. We also take stock of how complexity perspectives have been used to inform research in a variety of applied linguistics topics. We then move on to present narratives provided by nine academics who have employed CDST in their work, which we synthesise with a view to showing how the theory has gradually developed in TESOL. Early encounters of the field with CDST were usually serendipitous, but the theory has so far proved to be useful, both on account of its descriptive power and because of its phenomenological validity. A common theme in the narratives of these experiences of complexity researchers is that complexity is associated with a steep learning curve, compounded by terminological opacity, and conceptual challenges. However, their responses also indicate optimism regarding the potential of the theory to inform research in TESOL and applied linguistics more generally.

2

L2 Romanian Influence in the Acquisition of the English Passive by L1 Speakers of Hungarian

100%

Tankó E.

Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Philologica

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2014

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vol. 6

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issue 2

227-248

EN

The main question to be investigated is to what extent native speakers of Hungarian understand and acquire the English passive voice, as there is no generalized syntactic passive construction in Hungarian. As we will show, native speakers of Hungarian tend to use the predicative verbal adverbial construction when translating English passive sentences, as this construction is the closest syntactic equivalent of the English passive voice. Another question to be investigated is whether L2 Romanian works as a facilitating factor in the process of acquiring the L3 English passive voice. If all our subjects, Hungarian students living in Romania, were Hungarian-Romanian bilinguals, it would be obvious that knowledge of Romanian helps them in acquiring the English passive. However, as it will be shown, the bilingualism hypothesis is disconfirmed. Still, passive knowledge of Romanian influences to some extent the acquisition of the English passive voice.

3

Teaching Listening Skills to Older Second Language Learners: The Students’ Perspective

100%

Słowik A.

Anglica Wratislaviensia

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2017

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issue 55

139-154

EN

Most modern ELT course books and language courses are designed to address one of four language skills at the time to ensure that enough time and attention is devoted to each one of them. Despite the fact that listening is included as one of these skills, it usually receives the least attention from teachers, who do not utilize the full potential of the exercises. The problem arises from miscategorising listening as a “passive” skill, which can be learnt effortlessly by simple exposure to the target language. In reality, listening can be taught but it is a rather demanding process, requiring more preparation from teachers as well as their willingness to demonstrate and share their extensive knowledge about sounds, decoding strategies and different listening techniques, which in turn aids students in identifying targets for practice. The aforementioned issue, i.e. treating listening as a passive skill and not using all possible teaching strategies associated with listening exercises, applies to all groups of students; however, older adult learners seem to be the most affected by it. The reason why older adults consider listening as one of the most challenging tasks stems from their reduced cognitive abilities and common hearing problems, which results in decreased speech comprehension ability and thus makes learning new languages even more challenging to them. The primary objective of the following article is thus to analyse student feedback in relation to listening exercises and to suggest possible improvements to teaching listening skills. Acquired results and conclusions shall serve as a basis for a possible expansion of the survey by adding teachers’ perspective and observations in the future.

4

New Conceptualizations of Language Aptitude - The Potential of Working Memory in Second Language Acquisition (SLA)

100%

Grymska B.

Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition

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2016

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vol. 2

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issue 1

EN

The chapter sheds light on new conceptualizations of foreign language aptitude by emphasizing the role of working memory (WM). It is organised into 3 sections. The first section presents a brief historical overview of the research on language aptitude based on John Carroll’s work. The second part elaborates on working memory construct discussing Baddeley’s multi-component model of WM and its functions. The paper proposes incorporating working memory as a crucial component of language aptitude construct. In the light of the issue mentioned above, the third section of the article focuses on the newest and original empirical evidence which supports the role of WM in different aspects of L2 learning, i.e. reading, listening, speaking, writing and bilingual interpretation as well as vocabulary and grammar learning. Its concluding part reflects upon the relevance of language aptitude paving the way for future research.

5

Hadrian Lankiewicz, Teacher Language Awareness: A Collaborative Inquiry Based on Languaging. Gdańsk: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Gdańskiego, 2015, ISBN 978-7865-624-1, 368 pages

100%

Gabryś-Barker D.

Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition

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2019

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vol. 5

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issue 1

133-136

6

SaaS – poziom jakości usług z punktu widzenia małych przedsiębiorstw

89%

Wyskwarski M.

Nierówności społeczne a wzrost gospodarczy

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2015

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vol. 44 cz. 2

409-418

PL

Nieustanny rozwój technologii informacyjnych, tańszy i łatwiejszy dostęp do Internetu, szukanie oszczędności oraz koncentracja na podstawowych procesach przedsiębiorstwa sprawia, że wzrasta popularność outsourcingu rozwiązań informatycznych. Od pewnego czasu przedsiębiorstwa mają możliwość skorzystania z aplikacji dostarczanych w ramach modelu SaaS (ang. Software as a Service). Celem artykułu jest analiza wybranych zagadnień związanych z poziomem jakości usług dostarczanych w modelu SaaS na przykładzie aplikacji przeznaczonych do wystawiania faktur z punktu widzenia małych przedsiębiorstw. Stosownie do przyjętego celu została ustalona struktura artykułu. Punkt pierwszy zawiera podstawowe informacje dotyczące modelu SaaS, jego wady i zalety z punktu widzenia użytkownika. W punkcie drugim przedstawiono najważniejsze informacje na temat tzw. gwarancji jakości świadczonych usług (ang. Service Level Agreements – SLA). Przedstawiona została m.in. klasyfikacja SLA zaproponowana przez ASP Industry Consortium. Ostatnia cześć artykułu porusza aspekty prawne dotyczące usług oferowanych w modelu SaaS. Wymienione zostały także czynniki, które mogą mieć wpływ na jakość aplikacji z punktu widzenia użytkownika.

EN

The development of information technologies, cheaper and easier access to the Internet, the search for savings and focusing on basic enterprise’s processes enhances the popularity of outsourcing IT solutions. For some time enterprises have had the possibility of using applications in the SaaS model (Software as a Service). The main aim of the article is to analize chosen issues about the quality of services in the SaaS model related to invoicing applications from the point of view of small enterprises. The first part of the article contains general info on SaaS model, its pros and cons in the users’ point of view. The second part contains general info on SLA (Service Level Agreements). It contains classification of SLA proposed by the ASP Industry Consortium. The concluding part refers to the legal aspects of services offered and factors which may have influence on the quality from the users’ point of view.

7

Positive institutions: Case study

88%

Budzińska K.

Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition

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2018

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vol. 4

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issue 2

EN

Positive psychology was founded on three main pillars: positive emotions, positive character traits associated with good living and positive institutions that create conditions for students to flourish (Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). Nevertheless, the research in psychology so far has been concentrating on positive emotions and character strengths. Enabling institutions have been the least well studied of the three pillars. A salient additional perspective, as MacIntyre and Mercer (2014) propound, would be to concentrate on the context in which students can experience enjoyment and flourish in foreign language learning. I try to fill the niche by analyzing a language school in the further education context in Poland which seems to be a positive institution. I base my study around the two criteria: enabling success and promoting positive language learning environments or student well-being. The language school is analysed from three different angles: physical, pedagogical and psychological by means of an ethnographical research method and participant observation. The study is carried out in order to answer the research question: Can the school be labelled as a positive institution? The results demonstrate that the institution enables success as well as provides a positive learning environment and thus could be regarded as positive. The study is hoped to have contributed to positive psychology research by demonstrating what it means to be a positive institution in practice.

8

Unstressed Vowels in German Learner English: An Instrumental Study

88%

Soenning L.

Research in Language

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2014

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vol. 12

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issue 2

163-173

EN

This study investigates the production of vowels in unstressed syllables by advanced German learners of English in comparison with native speakers of Standard Southern British English. Two acoustic properties were measured: duration and formant structure. The results indicate that duration of unstressed vowels is similar in the two groups, though there is some variation depending on the phonetic context. In terms of formant structure, learners produce slightly higher F1 and considerably lower F2, the difference in F2 being statistically significant for each learner. Formant values varied as a function of context and orthographic representation of the vowel.

9

Minimum regulatory capital estimates convergence for LDA and SLA methods

88%

Przekop D.

Journal of Management and Financial Sciences

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2014

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vol. 16(2)

35-50

EN

The calculation of minimum regulatory capital for operational risk is a challenging task for statisticians working in finance. The aim of this paper is to compare two alternative approaches that are widely exploited in the banking reality. Thorough attention is paid to the Loss Distribution Approach (LDA) and the Single Loss Approximation (SLA). Their applications in the operational risk industry are examined and their outputs based on simulated samples are compared. Particular attention is paid to the convergence of both outputs considering the characteristics of underlying data.

10

Unstressed Vowels in German Learner English: An Instrumental Study

88%

Sönning L.

Research in Language

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2014

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vol. 12

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issue 2

163-173

EN

This study investigates the production of vowels in unstressed syllables by advanced German learners of English in comparison with native speakers of Standard Southern British English. Two acoustic properties were measured: duration and formant structure. The results indicate that duration of unstressed vowels is similar in the two groups, though there is some variation depending on the phonetic context. In terms of formant structure, learners produce slightly higher F1 and considerably lower F2, the difference in F2 being statistically significant for each learner. Formant values varied as a function of context and orthographic representation of the vowel.

11

Developing efficient foreign language classroom environment for older adult learners

88%

Słowik-Krogulec A.

Journal of Education Culture and Society

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2019

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vol. 10

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issue 2

189-200

EN

Aim: The aim of the research is to present which elements related to teaching English to older adult learners have the greatest influence on creating a propitious and friendly learning environment. In order to achieve this firstly, I wish to present older adults’ observations regarding problems encountered in the classroom environment related to the lack of teaching materials, mixed age and ability groups or being discriminated against by fellow students and teachers. Secondly, I would like to propose some solutions to improve the efficiency of both students and teachers in the classroom environment. Methods: The subjects of the study were 40 older adult learners of English who attended the classes at the University of the Third Age in Wrocław. In the study the participants were asked to choose the answers which, according to them, have the greatest influence on their learning the foreign language in later life. The participants also wrote additional comments that explained their choices. The analysis was qualitative in nature. Results: The analysis shows that teachers (n=35) and teaching materials (n=31) are considered to be the two most important factors in learning a language in later life. The third most vital factor in creating a good classroom environment is related to other students (n=17). The subjects’ comments, however, point to numerous problems encountered in the aforementioned areas that affect the process of foreign language learning in later life. Conclusions: Older adult learners’ needs, abilities and learning preferences should be taken into account while designing language courses as, according to the subjects of the study, at present it is not the case. Moreover, there should be more awareness on behalf of the teachers as to the age-related changes that make certain tasks difficult and the learning environment unnecessarily hostile.

12

Listening in Older Second Language Learners: The Teachers’ Perspective

88%

Słowik A.

Journal of Education Culture and Society

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2017

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vol. 8

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issue 1

148-163

EN

There are various theories, strategies and techniques regarding teaching different language skills. At the same time, as practice shows listening remains the most challenging skill for the educators to teach effectively and for the learners to master. Moreover, both the learners and their teachers have their own, not infrequently rather disparate, subjective theories, as well as learning and teaching preferences. Older adult learners are a peculiar case as they are a very diverse group, aware of their needs and cognitive abilities. At the same time, their teachers are unfortunately often unaware of these needs and do not adapt the materials to suit their students. The aim of this paper is, thus, to present the opinions of the teachers of older adult students and to provide basis for future research.

13

Multilingual Processing Phenomena in Learners of Portuguese as a Third or Additional Language

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Włosowicz T. M.

Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition

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2016

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vol. 2

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issue 1

EN

The purpose of the study has been an analysis of Polish students’ cued translation of Polish (L1) and English or French (L2) sentences into Portuguese (third or additional language in De Angelis’s (2007) terminology). In particular, the study investigates cross-linguistic interaction (Herdina and Jessner’s (2002) term) in multilingual processing involved in L3 production. In fact, translation constitutes a special case of production because, on the one hand, the content is already contained in the L1 or L2 source sentences, but at the same time, this is not necessarily a facilitation, as the cues may require the use of words or structures the participants might not use in free production.The article is based on two studies carried out with thirty and forty-two students of Portuguese philology respectively. As the results show, cross-linguistic interaction in various directions was observed, not only from L2 (English or French), L3 (in those participants for whom Portuguese was an L4 and their L3 was Spanish or Italian), L4, etc. or, intralingually, from Portuguese, but also from L1, despite the distance between Polish and Portuguese and the special status of the native language. However, the amount of interference and/or negative transfer often depended on the sentence rather than on the language combination. The diversity of the observed interactions also supports Herdina and Jessner’s (2002) claim of the dynamic and unpredictable nature of cross-linguistic interaction.

14

Teaching listening to older second language learners: Classroom implications

88%

Słowik A.

Journal of Education Culture and Society

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2017

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vol. 8

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issue 2

143-155

EN

Listening is often listed as the most challenging language skill that the students need to learn in the language classrooms. Therefore the awareness of listening strategies and techniques, such as bottom-up and top-down processes, specific styles of listening, or various compensatory strategies, prove to facilitate the process of learning of older individuals. Indeed, older adult learners find decoding the aural input, more challenging than the younger students. Therefore, both students’ and teachers’ subjective theories and preferences regarding listening comprehension as well as the learners’ cognitive abilities should be taken into account while designing a teaching model for this age group. The aim of this paper is, thus, to draw the conclusions regarding processes, styles and strategies involved in teaching listening to older second language learners and to juxtapose them with the already existing state of research regarding age-related hearing impairments, which will serve as the basis for future research.

15

L2 proficiency as a function of cultural identity in interlingual couples

88%

Singleton D., Pfenninger S. E.

Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition

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2018

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vol. 4

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issue 1

EN

The “love factor” has increasingly figured in SLA research. Thus, Piller (2002) studied the language “glue” between cross-lingual couples; Marinova-Todd (2003) found a link between L2 proficiency and co-habitation with native speakers; Muñoz & Singleton (2007) reported a romantic connection between successful late L2 learners and native speakers; Gonçalves (2013) explored hybridity in bicultural relationships; and Kinsella & Singleton (2014) found that the participants in their study of late L2 learners whose L2 test results were all within native-speaker range had native-speaker life-partners. This issue is now being taken very seriously, as Dewaele & Salomidou’s (2016) recent article on “loving … in a foreign language” demonstrates. In the present article we report on the results of some recent qualitative research, based on interview data collected from five individuals who are involved in intercultural and cross-lingual relationships. The research shows the L2 learning process to be clearly influenced by the affective context in which it occurs. The data also suggest that identity construction may be moved in a particular direction by the language principally adopted by the couple, and that, for the partner for whom this language is an L2, the results can be dramatic in terms of both linguistic and cultural affiliation.

16

Positive Language Education: Combining Positive Education and Language Education

75%

Mercer S., MacIntyre P., Gregersen T., Talbot K.

Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition

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2018

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vol. 4

|

issue 2

EN

In this paper, we discuss the notion of Positive Language Education (PLE), which stems from a combination of Positive Education and Language Education. We suggest that there are good reasons for language educators to engage in enhancing 21st century skills alongside the promotion of linguistic skills. One key set of 21st century competences that would have academic and non-academic benefits are those which promote wellbeing. Wellbeing is indeed the foundation for effective learning and a good life more generally. Drawing on ideas from Content and Integrated Language Learning and Positive Education, PLE involves integrating non-linguistic and linguistic aims in sustainable ways which do not compromise the development of either skill set, or overburden educators. We believe that there are strong foundations on which to build a framework of PLE. Firstly, many language teachers already promote many wellbeing competences, in order to facilitate language learning. There is also a growing body of research on Positive Psychology in Second Language Acquisition on which further empirical work with PLE interventions can be developed. Building on the theoretical arguments put forward in this paper, we call for an empirically validated framework of PLE, which can be implemented in diverse cultural and linguistic settings.

17

Taking a literature circles approach to teach Academic English

75%

Graham-Marr A., Pellowe W.

Journal of Language and Cultural Education

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2016

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vol. 4

|

issue 1

133-139

EN

Literature circles (LC), an activity framework for classroom discussion, has been adapted for EFL classes to help students engage more deeply with reading texts. In this approach, students read texts outside of class, and discuss the texts in class, using a specified discussion framework. Originally developed for L1 classes as a tool for teaching literature, LC has been adapted for EFL classes, not only to help develop reading skills, but also to help students develop their discussion skills. However, to date, many adaptations of LC have relied on graded fiction as source material, which is not always appropriate for tertiary education. Feeling pressure to match course content with the labour market needs of our contemporary global society, English departments are increasingly being asked to include more academic content in their classes. This requires that non-fiction be used as source material. This preliminary study examines student perceptions of an LC class using non-fiction as source material. The subjects of this short, qualitative, pilot study were engineering students at a university in Japan. Procedures of the class and the issues that emerged are discussed.

18

Acculturation strategy and language experience in expert ESL speakers: An exploratory study

75%

Waniek-Klimczak E.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

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2011

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vol. 1

|

issue 2

227-245

EN

Acculturation and language proficiency have been found to be inter-related both from the perspective of second language acquisition (Schumann, 1978, 1986) and socio-psychological adaptation in cross-cultural contacts (Ward, Bochner, & Furnham, 2001). However, the predictions as to the effect of a particular strategy on success differ, with assimilation believed to create most favourable conditions for SLA and integration for general well-being. The present study explores acculturation patterns in three expert users of English as a second language, recent Polish immigrants to the UK, in relation to their language experience. The qualitative data were collected with the use of a questionnaire and analysed with respect to language experience and socio-affective factors. The analysis aimed at better understanding of the relationship between language learning in a formal context and language use in a natural setting on the one hand and the relationship between language expertise and acculturation strategy choice on the other. The results show that in spite of individual differences, expert language users tend to adopt an assimilation rather than integration acculturation strategy. This may suggest that attitudes are related to expertise in English as a second language in a more conservative way than advocated by cross-cultural approaches.

19

Acculturation strategy and language experience in expert ESL speakers: An exploratory study

75%

Waniek-Klimczak E.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

|

2011

|

vol. 1

|

issue 2

227-245

EN

Acculturation and language proficiency have been found to be inter-related both from the perspective of second language acquisition (Schumann, 1978, 1986) and socio-psychological adaptation in cross-cultural contacts (Ward, Bochner, & Furnham, 2001). However, the predictions as to the effect of a particular strategy on success differ, with assimilation believed to create most favourable conditions for SLA and integration for general well-being. The present study explores acculturation patterns in three expert users of English as a second language, recent Polish immigrants to the UK, in relation to their language experience. The qualitative data were collected with the use of a questionnaire and analysed with respect to language experience and socio-affective factors. The analysis aimed at better understanding of the relationship between language learning in a formal context and language use in a natural setting on the one hand and the relationship between language expertise and acculturation strategy choice on the other. The results show that in spite of individual differences, expert language users tend to adopt an assimilation rather than integration acculturation strategy. This may suggest that attitudes are related to expertise in English as a second language in a more conservative way than advocated by cross-cultural approaches.

20

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FOREIGN LANGUAGE ENJOYMENT AND GENDER AMONG SECONDARY GRAMMAR SCHOOL STUDENTS

75%

Mierzwa E.

Journal of Education Culture and Society

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2018

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vol. 9

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issue 2

117-135

EN

In the context of second language acquisition, foreign language enjoyment (FLE) is a relatively new concept. For that reason, none of the few research carried out in the field thus far has been focused on whether gender might be an important determinant of either a high or a low level of FLE. Thus, the purpose of the present paper was to examine the influence of FLE on learning English as a foreign language, as well as to investigate this relationship from the perspective of gender. The results of this study revealed that there are no statistically significant differences between males and females in FLE, while such differences are found in terms of the sources of FLE each gender perceives as the most crucial ones. It has been proved that FLE increases with the level of students’ proficiency, and a high level of FLE results in students’ greater academic achievement.

Refine search results

Reflections on complexity: TESOL researchers reflect on their experiences

L2 Romanian Influence in the Acquisition of the English Passive by L1 Speakers of Hungarian

Teaching Listening Skills to Older Second Language Learners: The Students’ Perspective

New Conceptualizations of Language Aptitude - The Potential of Working Memory in Second Language Acquisition (SLA)

Hadrian Lankiewicz, Teacher Language Awareness: A Collaborative Inquiry Based on Languaging. Gdańsk: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Gdańskiego, 2015, ISBN 978-7865-624-1, 368 pages

SaaS – poziom jakości usług z punktu widzenia małych przedsiębiorstw

Positive institutions: Case study

Unstressed Vowels in German Learner English: An Instrumental Study

Minimum regulatory capital estimates convergence for LDA and SLA methods

Unstressed Vowels in German Learner English: An Instrumental Study

Developing efficient foreign language classroom environment for older adult learners

Listening in Older Second Language Learners: The Teachers’ Perspective

Multilingual Processing Phenomena in Learners of Portuguese as a Third or Additional Language

Teaching listening to older second language learners: Classroom implications

L2 proficiency as a function of cultural identity in interlingual couples

Positive Language Education: Combining Positive Education and Language Education

Taking a literature circles approach to teach Academic English

Acculturation strategy and language experience in expert ESL speakers: An exploratory study

Acculturation strategy and language experience in expert ESL speakers: An exploratory study

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FOREIGN LANGUAGE ENJOYMENT AND GENDER AMONG SECONDARY GRAMMAR SCHOOL STUDENTS