English Acquisition Research Articles

DIALOGIC INTERACTIVE SPEAKING SKILLS ASSESSMENT IN THE EXPERIENTIAL TEACHING OF TECHNICAL ENGLISH TO TERTIARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

The article discusses the outcomes of the research on dialogic interactive skills assessment in teaching Technical English to tertiary school students. The authors propose to implement dialogic collaborative interaction as both the medium of instruction and an alternative assessment tool. Theoretically, the study relies on the assumption that Technical English speaking skills acquisition is carried out through different types of communicative interaction and collaborative dialogic interaction in particular. The procedure proposed for speaking skills assessment has been primarily targeted at sustaining oral collaborative interaction along with assessing students’ communicative competence. The research represented relies on the experimental teaching English speaking skills to the 1st year Bachelor’s students (n=84) at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. The assessment criteria include conformity of utterances to the topic; speaking tempo; relative grammatical, lexical and phonetic accuracy; cohesion and coherence; compliance with the stylistic and etiquette conventions of English; diversity of grammatical and lexical devices for reaching mutual understanding between the dialogue participants; the interlocutor’s speaking initialisation; reaching consensus; and background knowledge deduction. The results of the research confirm that the assessment procedure introduced contributes to boosting oral production if the techniques of supporting collaborative dialogic interaction are applied by the interlocutors. Collaborative dialogue positively affects the development of students’ communicative competence and acquisition of such skills as perceiving, understanding and decoding the content of oral texts, identifying the communicative purpose of interlocutor’s utterances through analysing verbal and non-verbal means; defining the style and genre of utterances and aligning them with stylistic registers in English.

ERROR ANALYSIS OF ESL LEARNERS AT TYUMEN INDUSTRIAL UNIVERSITY

Purpose: In this study, we reviewed the errors encountered in the English text of the students. That the Russian language was their mother tongue and the English language was their foreign language.
 Methodology: The aims of the present pilot study were to the analysis of foreign language tests in groups in the direction of "Oil and Gas Business", "Automobile Industry" in the Branch of IUT in Surgut, Tyumen Industrial University. We analyzed the written tests of the students involved in the research, applying the error manual of Dagneaux, which was altered in accordance with the purpose of our paper.
 Result: Our findings will constitute a database necessary to conceive a more effective teaching and learning process that focuses not only on translation classes but also on the acquisition of English as a foreign language in general.
 Applications: This research can be used for universities and higher education students.
 Novelty/Originality: In this research, the model of ESL teaching is presented in a comprehensive and complete manner.

Syrian voices: an exploration of the language learning needs and integration supports for adult Syrian refugees in Ireland

ABSTRACT This paper describes a research project investigating language and intercultural support for adult Syrian refugees in Ireland under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP). Learning the language of the host community has been identified as a crucial factor in resettlement satisfaction for adult refugees, with particular difficulties reported in relation to older refugees, women, and those with low levels of literacy. This paper focuses on the voices of twenty-six adult Syrian refugees concerning their ongoing acquisition of English and interactions with members of the local community in the one to two years since their arrival, exploring their views regarding the importance of learning English and their perceptions of what constitutes both useful language learning supports and particular challenges for them. Findings point to the importance of language acquisition for adult refugees not only in relation to their prospects for employment, social interaction, and access to accurate information but also in relation to their sense of personal well-being, dignity and autonomy. The research highlights the need for a flexible approach to language learning and teaching in this context, utilising a range of technological and bilingual supports, which respond to the particular circumstances, complex needs and previous learning experiences of the learners.

Tools and Symbols as Mediation: A Central Concept to Understand Ways of Improving English Acquisition and Proficiency

This conceptual paper aims to illuminate a theoretical framework in which promoting ways of how second language learners may improve their English acquisition and proficiency. The theoretical framework primarily draws on a range of sociocultural perspectives, including the sociocultural positions initially defined by Lev Vygostky (1978), and theories of second language acquisition discussed by Lantolf and Thorne (2000). Tools and symbols as mediation is a central concept of sociocultural approach to second language acquisition. Three types of mediation are discussed which are mediation is a form of regulation, mediation by symbolic artifacts, and mediation through gestures.

The effect of the Four Corners Vocabulary Chart activities with different task-induced involvement on the vocabulary acquisition of elementary English.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the Four Corners Vocabulary Chart activities with different task-induced involvement on the vocabulary acquisition of elementary English. The Four Corners Vocabulary Chart is a personal dictionary which has the target word written on the front, with four different things on the back. Sixty six learners of forth grade-level were divided into three groups, two experimental groups and one controlled group. The experimental groups learned vocabulary using the Four Corners Vocabulary Chart activities with different task-induced involvement, while the controlled group learned vocabulary implicitly using text books. The data included vocabulary knowledge tests, surveys and interviews. The data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Here are the results of the data analysis: (1) The Four Corners Vocabulary Chart activities had effect on the vocabulary acquisition of elementary English; (2) The activities with high task-induced involvement were more effective in the acquisition of the productive vocabulary knowledge; (3) The experimental groups showed better interest and confidence on vocabulary learning; (4) Learners with high and middle level showed statistically meaningful improvement in the aspect of vocabulary knowledge. In addition, learners’ affective responses were different depending on their ability levels. This study provides teachers with important implications regarding the effective vocabulary learning method in EFL context.

The Late(r) Bird Gets the Verb? Effects of Age of Acquisition of English on Adult Heritage Speakers’ Knowledge of Subjunctive Mood in Spanish

Many previous studies have found that adult heritage speakers exhibit significant variability in their production and comprehension of mood morphology in Spanish. Nonetheless, it remains unclear what specific factors predict heritage speakers’ likelihood of exhibiting such variability. The present study contributes to this question by testing the effect of both (a) age-of-acquisition of English and (b) Spanish proficiency on heritage speakers’ productive and receptive knowledge of mood morphology. Seventeen “early” heritage speakers (age of acquisition of English: 0 to 3.5 years), 20 “late” heritage speakers (age of acquisition of English: 4 to 6 years), and 18 later childhood immigrants (age of arrival in the US: 8 to 12 years) completed a Contextualized Elicited Production Task and a Mood Preference Task. Results of the two experiments suggest that the later childhood immigrants, despite “overusing” subjunctive in +Presupposition adjectival relative clauses, are significantly more likely than “early” and “late” heritage speakers to produce and prefer subjunctive mood in expected subjunctive contexts (with para que and in -Presupposition adjectival relative clauses). Within the heritage speaker groups, however, Spanish proficiency was a stronger predictor of subjunctive knowledge than age of acquisition of English, a finding with implications for both heritage language research and pedagogy.

Colloquial Singapore English in advertisements

AbstractThroughout the history of Singapore, Colloquial Singapore English (CSE) has been treated as an obstacle to Singaporeans’ acquisition of standardized English. The Speak Good English Movement (SGEM) was launched in 2000 to promote standardized English while discouraging the use of CSE. Nonetheless, CSE is increasingly used in local commercial advertisements by private companies. Recently, the state has also changed its firm anti‐CSE position, and begun to recognize CSE as part of the unique identity that ties Singaporeans together. Rather surprisingly, government advertisements have begun employing CSE expressions, particularly since the state's 50th anniversary in 2015. This study investigates how the use of CSE is semioticized in both government and private‐company advertisements that have appeared in recent years. The findings suggest that CSE is integrated into government advertisements as an invocation of a pan‐Singaporean identity in order to naturalize the state's larger political discourses.

The perpetuation of colonial legacy: uncovering internal orientalism in the form of English supremacy in Pakistan

ABSTRACTThis paper identifies the issues of internal orientalism that are reproduced at a micro level within Pakistan because of English linguistic imperialism. The unequal education system engenders attitudes of English supremacy. Orientalism supports global divisions East and West wherein the former is subservient to the latter. This division is reproduced domestically in Pakistan where English acquisition remains a preserve of few, who tend to exploit and ostracise (from privileges) others. To identify the corresponding elements of imperialism, I study both repressive and ideological state apparatuses by examining government reports during military regimes for the former and the advertisements of elite schools for the latter. Both apparatuses play a significant role in promoting English supremacy ideology. With Louis Althusser, I examine this ideology focusing on two Ideological State Apparatuses, i.e. education – elite schools (both private and public), and media – school advertisements. This research argues that English plays a significant role in the perpetuation of imperialism in postcolonial Pakistan.

Passive Voice Transformation

It is well known that the differences between the languages and the different levels of relationship between them and the use of the English passive voice in Albanian language are complex achievements of hypotheses given by language thinkers, because the language first of all is a process and processes change from time to time as a result of new language achievements and transformations and as a result of changes in people's worldview. The English and Albanian passive voice do not have a single grammatical structure and that this should be related to numerous legalities that follow the languages in their internal and external development. The studies carried out in terms of linguistic features, even of the passive voice according to the comparative method, have opened new paths to see similarities and differences even in the passive voice structure. This study is intended to give our modest contribution to notice the similarities and differences in the use of the passive voice as well as its structure in both languages. This contrastive analysis tries to facilitate the acquisition of English as a foreign language for students, pupils, to make the translation from English into Albanian and vice versa easier, to provide linguistic information to language researchers. The comparison is supported by the following English novels and their translated versions in Albanian such as: “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens and translated by Skënder Luarasi and “Silas Marner” by George Eliot and translated by Ramazan Hysa, where similar as well as different features have been found.

Because words matter: Investigating vocabulary development across contexts and modalities

The present study investigates the effects of two subsequent learning contexts, formal instruction (FI) at home and a 3-month stay abroad (SA), on vocabulary acquisition in English as a foreign language (EFL) writing and speaking. Data were collected from 30 Catalan/Spanish learners of English before and after each learning period using a written composition and an oral interview. These samples were examined in terms of quantitative measures of lexical proficiency in the domains of diversity, sophistication, density and accuracy. Native-speaker baseline data were also obtained through the same tasks for comparison purposes. Results reveal that SA is particularly beneficial for written productive vocabulary, and less so for oral, and that progress occurs especially in lexical diversity. FI, however, shows a modest effect on the improvement of oral productive vocabulary and affects namely lexical sophistication.

Cross-Language Influence of Phonological Processing Skills on Early Reading in Chinese-English Speaking Children

Empirical research shows the importance of phonological processing in children’s acquisition of reading skills. However, the cross-language relationship between first language and second language is still not clearly described especially in Malaysia’s multi-cultural context. This study examines the relations between phonological processing skills and early reading in children’s acquisition of Chinese (L1) and English (L2) as second languages. A total of 150 Chinese-speaking children (6 - 7 years old) participated and were administered measures of early reading and phonological processing skills in both L1 and L2. Within-language and cross-language structural equation, models (SEMs) were created to explore the causal relationships between phonological processing skills and early reading in both languages. Results indicated that among the three key skills of phonological processing, rapid automatic naming was the strongest predictor of Chinese early reading. In contrast, phonological awareness strongly predicted English early reading. Only English (L2) rapid automatic naming skills contributed to Chinese (L1) early reading. The cross-language transfer of English rapid automatic naming skills on Chinese (L1) early reading was found and reported. This study contributes to the development of models and theories of bilingual acquisition. It aims to design instructional programmes by considering these critical skills' contribution in enhancing successful reading in English as a second language

Lexical cross-linguistic influence: a study of three multilingual learners of L3 English

ABSTRACT In a world where multilinguals outnumbered monolinguals, the study of the third language (L3) acquisition has been an area of interest for many researchers. This case study investigates the lexical cross-linguistic influence of previously acquired languages on the subsequent acquisition of English as L3 by Pomak multilingual speakers residing in Xanthi, Greece. For the purpose of this study, three different participants’ texts written in English were collected. The non-target productions identified in the texts were tagged and analysed. In line with the Parasitic Model of L3 Vocabulary Acquisition [Hall, C. J., & Ecke, P. (2003). Parasitism as a default mechanism in L3 vocabulary acquisition. In J. Cenoz, B. Hufesien, & U. Jessner (Eds.), The multilingual lexicon (pp. 71–85). Dordrecht: Springer] results indicate that the participants resort to different languages for different linguistic categories in their L3 written production. They also suggest that such lexical CLI may be due to English proficiency rather than the order of acquisition and language use.

The impact of foreign language caregiving on native language acquisition

There is increasing interest in the influence of language input during children’s early years. Over the first 3 years of life, children are highly sensitive to the quantity and quality of language input they receive. The focus of this study was on whether learning a different language in the early years affects the acquisition of English over the longer term. In this study, we investigated effects of foreign language (Hokkien) caregiving on the eventual acquisition of English as well as on memory traces of Hokkien. We sampled individuals who received foreign language caregiving in Hokkien during their early years either predominantly or in addition to English. Our control group had lifetime primary exposure to English. We compared the Hokkien- and English-only reared groups on phonological, semantic, and grammatical knowledge in English. We also compared the groups on memories for Hokkien tonal phonology and vocabulary. Overall, there were no statistically significant differences in performance in English tasks between groups, yet the Hokkien-reared group demonstrated selective learning advantages in reacquiring Hokkien tonal contrasts. Findings are discussed with reference to the effects of timing and language input on later language proficiency.

Immersive Versus Nonimmersive Approaches to TESOL: A Classroom‐Based Intervention Study

The critical importance of second language (L2) input, output, and interaction in TESOL notwithstanding, the decision between immersive (L2‐English only) versus nonimmersive approaches is considered “the most fundamental question facing second language acquisition (SLA) researchers, language teachers, and policymakers” (Macaro, 2014, p. 10). This intervention‐based study asked which approach—immersive versus nonimmersive—facilitates acquisition of English as a second language. A longitudinal 15‐week study in a U.S. university context contrasted an immersive control condition with a nonimmersive treatment condition at two levels of proficiency (low‐intermediate B1 and high‐intermediate B2/C1). Examination of student learning outcomes revealed no significant differences between the treatment and control groups in overall course grades, seven measures of paragraph‐level writing and three evenly spaced exams in the low‐intermediate class, and five measures of genre‐based writing and two presentational speaking assignments in the high‐intermediate class. Analyses of standardized course evaluations revealed an association between higher student ratings and participation in the treatment groups, specifically regarding the extent to which the researcher‐practitioner facilitated discussion. In a reflective journal, the researcher‐practitioner noted general fidelity to condition, no qualitative differences in the quality of student performance, and possible differences in the speed of assignment completion and willingness to use the first language.

A study of literacy acquisition in English as a foreign language amongst native Hebrew and Arabic speaking pupils

ABSTRACT Israel has two official languages: Hebrew and Arabic, and one semi-official language, English. Within this multilingual environment, the national English curriculum relates to all learners as one homogenous population. There are no specific directives regarding the linguistic needs of diverse language backgrounds. Studies of literacy acquisition in English as a foreign language (EFL) to date have focused primarily on Hebrew or Arabic speakers without considering unique characteristics of each language population that might influence the EFL acquisition process. These unique characteristics include typological characteristics of each language and the fact that Hebrew speakers learn English as their second written language, whereas Arabic speakers learn Hebrew as their second written language and English as their third written language in school. The present study examined beginning EFL literacy amongst fourth grade Hebrew and Arabic speakers within a cross-sectional framework. Two issues were examined: the role of universal versus language specific factors in EFL acquisition and the contribution of multilingualism. These issues were examined within the framework of the central processing hypothesis [Geva, E., and L. Siegel. 2000. “Orthographic and Cognitive Factors in the Concurrent Development of Basic Reading Skills in Two Languages.” Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal 12: 1–30] and the linguistic and orthographic proximity hypothesis [Kahn-Horwitz, J., M. Schwartz, and D. Share. 2011. “Acquiring the Complex English Orthography: A Triliteracy Advantage?” The Journal of Research in Reading 34 (1): 136–156]. Findings have theoretical and practical implications regarding the role of multi-lingual backgrounds in EFL acquisition.

Using an ANN-based computational model to simulate and evaluate Chinese students’ individualized cognitive abilities important in their English acquisition

From a psycholinguistic perspective of view, there are many cognitive differences that matter to individuals’ second-language acquisition (SLA). Although many computer-assisted tools have been developed to capture and narrow the differences among learners, the use of these strategies may be highly risky because changing the environments or the participants may lead to failure. In this paper, we propose an artificial neural network (ANN)-based computational model to simulate the environment to which students are exposed. The ANN computational model equips English teachers with the ability to quickly find the predicting factors to learners’ overall English competences and also provides teachers with the ability to find abnormal students, based on reviewing their individualized ANN trajectories. Finally, by observing the compound effects of cognitive factors using the same evaluation scale, new hypotheses about the mutual relationships among the phonological awareness, phonological short-term memory, and long-term memory abilities of their students can be generated. Our experimental ANNs suggested three detailed corresponding conclusions for the participants’ English teachers. These results provide teachers with guidance in designing and applying cognitive ability-related intervention strategies in their L2 pedagogical activities.

Working Memory and the Learning of English as a Foreign Language: Current Research Practices and Future Directions

Recent years have witnessed a surge of theoretical and pedagogical interest in working memory in the field of English education, and consequently a number of research papers have been published on the role of working memory capacity in Korean speakers’ leaning of English as a foreign language. The purpose of this study is to critically review how the existing research on working memory with regard to English learning in Korea has developed over the past decade in an effort to detect the patterns of research practices and to provide insights into future research. To do so, major research databases were searched to find related empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals and a total of 25 empirical studies were identified. The search results were first described with regard to participants, working memory measures, and targeted English processing and performance measures. The descriptions were then used to detect the patterns of the current working memory research practices with regard to Korean learners’ English acquisition. The studies were further analyzed in terms of how differences in WM capacity affect or mediate various aspects of English learning. The results of this critical review will be helpful for researchers in identifying the emerging as well as existing trends of WM and SLA research and thus, planning and conducting their own studies on the topic in the future.

Does fluid intelligence facilitate the learning of English as a foreign language?—A longitudinal latent growth curve analysis

The relationship between intelligence and learning is still a controversial topic. The study at hand examined, via growth curve analysis, if fluid intelligence predicts long-term learning rates of foreign language acquisition in English. From the beginning of grade 5 to the middle of grade 7, N = 521 students were tested four times with Rasch-scaled English achievement tests. Intrinsic motivation was measured as a control variable. Fluid intelligence and intrinsic motivation were found to be related to the initial level of English achievement. However, neither fluid intelligence nor intrinsic motivation predicted the rate of change concerning the English scores. These findings extend the growing body of evidence that the relation between intelligence and rate of academic long-term learning may not be as strong as traditionally expected.

Sociocultural Adaptation for Asian Immigrant English Language Learners

This phenomenological study discusses sociocultural adaptation, as one of the findings emerged from the study, among Asian immigrant English language learners (ELLs) and their parents, as well as New Zealand early childhood teachers. The focus of the study is on the analysis of early childhood teachers’ beliefs about how they can support English acquisition among Asian immigrant ELLs and how these beliefs influence the teachers’ practices in early childhood education (ECE) settings as they adapt themselves.The theoretical framework of this research draws on a range of sociocultural perspectives, including (i) the sociocultural positions initially defined by Lev (1978); (ii) the notion of guided participation articulated by Barbara (2003) (iii) theories of second language acquisition discussed by Lantolf and Thorne (2000); and by Krashen (1982); Krashen (1985) and (iv) acculturation as addressed by Berry (2001). The main participants of this study were seven early childhood teachers and six Asian immigrant ELLs from two ECE centres. Four Asian parents participated in interviews to ascertain the parents’ perspectives about their children’s learning of English and their maintenance of home language. Research methods for the teachers included observations and semi-structured pre- and post-observation interviews. For each centre, observations were carried out over a six week period which enabled a series of snapshots of how the teachers supported the ELLs as they acquired English. The findings were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that there were dissonances between the teachers’ beliefs and their practices, as well as variation between individual teachers’ beliefs and practices. This study will provide a basis from which to consider how early childhood teachers in New Zealand can draw upon sociocultural perspectives to better support ELLs as they acquire English, while valuing and supporting their linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

The Case Study of Comprehension Input in English Acquisition

This paper is a case study of three children. Through the Comprehension Input in non-English speaking countries before go to elementary school, two Chinese kids develop their English from very beginning to moderate level far more outstanding than most Chinese peers or even better than average American kids born in United States. The results confirm that improving second language competence through Comprehension Input is feasible.