Linguistic Education Research Articles

We’ve seen the future (of teaching linguistics): It’s inclusive and just for everyone

Our session, organized by the LSA’s Special Interest Group on Scholarly Teaching in Linguistics, brought together in-person and online participants for an exploration of linguistics pedagogy as an avenue for sustaining and advancing the continued growth of our field across a variety of academic institution types and student populations – from community colleges, small liberal arts colleges, and Tribal Colleges, to large-scale public and private universities.

Building capacity for the scholarship of teaching and learning in linguistics in Canada

Building capacity for the scholarship of teaching and learning in linguistics in Canada

Video chat exams in an online general education linguistics course

Video chat exams are a potential solution in online, general education introductory linguistics courses that seek to promote academic integrity, differentiate instruction, center student language and rhetorical practices, and offer multiple assessment modalities. Instructors who try video chat exams will want to clearly communicate expectations, offer practice exams, take steps to mitigate bias, and be sure this strategy aligns with their student learning outcomes as well as logistical concerns, like class size.

AI and Thinkable-Assisted learning media for physical education: a descriptive study on collaborative lecturer education

This research aims to determine the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Thunkable interactive learning media application design in cerebrating practices of lecturer education in the context of physical education (PE) methods integrated training. Questions arise on how lecturers can reinforce PE lessons with technologies such as AI and Thunkable and what challenges they face in doing so. This study utilized descriptive research design and data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews with PE lecturers who were knowledgeable about and had utilized AI or Thunkable in their teaching practice. Analysis of quantitative data was also descriptive but focused on transcribing the qualitative data based on, among others, lecturers' technological competence, benefits and challenges of the implementation, student outcome, and qualitative, lecturers' responses. Results found out that despite 70% of lecturers’ awareness of AI in PE lessons, only 30% of them used the available AI tools for the lessons. Out of the few lecturers who attempted to use the Thunkable application, only 25% were able to generate apps which is the focus of the application. Lecturers suggested that students would benefit a lot from AI especially through active participation rewarded by instant feedback without possibilities of concerns being addressed properly due to insufficient training and technical infrastructures. The implications of this study will focus on educational linguistics considering practical uses of AI tools in the language of education in terms of physical education. The use of AI systems in PE lessons can enhance communication and interaction in a multilingual setting that promotes both language and movement skills. This research aims to determine the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Thunkable interactive learning media application design in cerebrating practices of lecturer education in the context of physical education (PE) methods integrated training. Questions arise on how lecturers can reinforce PE lessons with technologies such as AI and Thunkable and what challenges they face in doing so. This study utilized descriptive research design and data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews with PE lecturers who were knowledgeable about and had utilized AI or Thunkable in their teaching practice. Analysis of quantitative data was also descriptive but focused on transcribing the qualitative data based on, among others, lecturers' technological competence, benefits and challenges of the implementation, student outcome, and qualitative, lecturers' responses. Results found out that despite 70% of lecturers’ awareness of AI in PE lessons, only 30% of them used the available AI tools for the lessons. Out of the few lecturers who attempted to use the Thunkable application, only 25% were able to generate apps which is the focus of the application. Lecturers suggested that students would benefit a lot from AI especially through active participation rewarded by instant feedback without possibilities of concerns being addressed properly due to insufficient training and technical infrastructures. The implications of this study will focus on educational linguistics considering practical uses of AI tools in the language of education in terms of physical education. The use of AI systems in PE lessons can enhance communication and interaction in a multilingual setting that promotes both language and movement skills.

ChatGPT in language education: Centering learner voices

Within educational linguistics and applied language studies, the debut of ChatGPT has spurred significant scholarship analyzing its potential benefits and consequences in language teaching and learning. However, limited empirical research on factors influencing language learners’ use or non-use of ChatGPT exists. From an ecological theoretical perspective, an understanding of this (non)usage is nevertheless essential: a nuanced understanding of if, how, and why language learners use these tools is necessary to craft meaningful approaches to ChatGPT and other similar generative AI tools in the language classroom. To address this gap, the current article reports on an online survey of 173 learners of non-English languages at a large public university in the United States. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and iterative qualitative coding (e.g., thematic analysis). Analysis revealed a large majority of participants (74%) elected not to use ChatGPT in their language learning. The article subsequently explores the factors that influenced this non-use, namely policies; concerns about ethics both inside and outside the language classroom (e.g., concerns about cheating, intellectual theft, and questions of fairness); beliefs about tool limitations; considerations of the potential negative impacts on language learning; and reflections on education more broadly. We discuss the implications of these findings in relation to the role of digital literacies in language education; the production of knowledge in education; and the meaning of language study, including actionable items in the language classroom.

AIoT based sentiment analysis via multi‐scale context perception to enhance linguistic teaching

AbstractWith the rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence technology, real‐time text sentiment analysis plays an important role in online education. Due to the limited resources of clients, existing deep networks cannot be directly deployed in the edge node. In addition, deep convolutional networks cannot fully utilize contextual information. In order to resolve these issues, this paper proposes a multi‐scale context‐aware text sentiment analysis system based on cloud computing, in which a bidirectional long short‐term memory network (BiLSTM) model is deployed in the cloud server. The BiLSTM model can fully explore the contextual feature information of the text stream in online education. The real‐time text data are collected through terminal nodes, such as pad or computer, to send the cloud server. The experiments utilize three public text datasets to simulate the input of terminal nodes. The results show that the proposed system shows better accuracy than previous models and can return the emotional status in time.

Digital technologies in linguistic education: Experience of development and implementation

The aim of this study was to share our experience of developing a digital Natural Language Processing Tool and its implementation in the process of training future linguists. In this article, we demonstrate the process of creating the web application SENTIALIZER, which is a multilingual Sentiment Analysis Tool developed with the help of the Python programming language and its libraries NLTK, BS4, TextBlob, Googletrans. The integration of Sentiment Analysis Tools into the educational framework is relied on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) as its foundation. The results show that students see the prospects of using Sentiment Analysis Tools in their educational and professional activities, are ready to use them in the future, but are not ready to participate personally in projects to develop and improve such technologies. The reasons for this attitude are discussed. The presented study has a clear focus on student learning outcomes, which is an important criterion for the successful integration of technology into the educational process.

Pun therapy in linguistic education

Pun therapy in linguistic education

Sono nel club con la mia gang Uso del drill rap per l’educazione linguistica e letteraria

Starting from the innovative approach operated by Hans Hunfeld and the more recent evidence by Mirco Magnani, this paper deals with the use of literary texts in language education, among which poetic texts are no exception. The present paper aims specifically to argue that even popular songs can place their lyrics as a model for language learning, most notably after considering the recipients of education within a broad objective of inclusivity. The use of songs in linguistic education for Italian as a Second or Foreign Language is already known, but it deals mostly with the classical melodramma or Italian art song. However, here it will be argued that even contemporary music spread among teenagers and youths can belong to the education program for languages. This paper presents the drill music lyrics of Louboutin (2020) by Vale Pain and Rondo da Sosa as a less orthodox but not less valid instrument to teach and learn Italian for foreigners.

Translingual crossings: an enactive-performative approach to a pedagogical guide for the teaching of Portuguese as a welcoming language to children

ABSTRACT This article revisits the jongo activity ‘Pisei na Pedra’ (2014) integrated into the Nossa Casinha guide (Martins & Sala, 2022) for teaching Portuguese to migrant children. Jongo is seen as an Afro-Brazilian form of expression, encompassing chants, drumming, collective dance, and spirituality (Rufino, 2014, 2023). The connection between this assembly (Pennycook, 2018) and an enactive-performative pedagogy, uniting biological and aesthetic aspects of poetic languages (Aden & Eschenauer, 2020; Maturana & Varela, 1987; Lecoq, 1997, cited in Aden & Eschenauer, 2020), forms a translingual framework. This allows jongo to be understood as an Afro-diasporic expression in anti-racist education. This perspective also affirms the aesthetic, emergent, experiential, embodied, and transformative nature of jongo as a decolonial practice. By challenging the conservative approach of language activities favoring compartmentalization, assimilation, and monolingualism, the translingual framework promotes transformative education in Portuguese as an additional language. It embraces complexity, relationality, and affectivity as integral to our experiences in linguistic education.

Strategies for Improving English Linguistics Teaching in Universities from the Perspective of Linguistic Theory

Strategies for Improving English Linguistics Teaching in Universities from the Perspective of Linguistic Theory

Цифровой инновационный формат преподавания дисциплин лингвистического цикла в современном специализированном вузе

The article reconsiders the process of teaching linguistic disciplines in the digital environment in the format of contemporary higher philological education. The paper focuses on discussing technological teaching methods that can also be applied in another study field. Based on their own extensive experience in conducting and evaluating the quality of education based on various web-tools, the authors provide a detailed analysis of advanced teaching practices in online and mixed formats, offer authentic methods of instructing students, assessing these methods in terms of current innovations in the technological educational sphere. The authors managed to demonstrate the effects of introducing “digital pedagogy” into the educational process. The term “digital” describes various aspects of information storage and transmission, communication processes between a teacher and students. The methodological principles of teaching related to the development and adaptation of teaching processes to the digital world are systematized. The disciplines of the linguistic cycle are interpreted as an illustrative practical example for the implementation of the basic principles of digital pedagogy. Innovative formats have been identified that provide personalized higher education. It is traced which effective traditional methods can be complemented by technical innovations. The paper analyzes effective ways of conducting online and remote assessment of the learning process and new knowledge of students. The grounds for the rational correlation of distance and mixed education, universal motives and cultural differences in the requirements for these types of education are revealed. The advantages and problems of using social networks and other media for online learning are described. The paper explores how the design of a specific linguistic course can facilitate an online seminar. The importance of not only student-teacher communication in such conditions is emphasized, but also ways to encourage student-peer communication. The article examines the ways advanced technologies can be used to support and expand the teaching of linguistics, as well as the specifics of organizing practical study of linguistics in remote work with students.

Fostering Educator Buy-in of Language and Literacy in the Science Classroom

This paper describes a project to build linguistic awareness among science educators at multiple levels: pre-service K–12 teachers, in-service K–12 teachers, and university faculty in both education and STEM fields. Educational linguists from a language-focused non-profit research organization created modules on teaching culturally and linguistically diverse students for a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program for middle school science educators at a large urban U.S. university. The module content, which was integrated into three science education methods courses, was designed around three key principles: linguistic understanding, critical language awareness, and pedagogical modeling. A critical component to the project’s success was fostering “buy-in” from the various groups of educators through multiple means, including piloting materials with in-service science teachers, training university faculty on the language and literacy materials, and revising content based on feedback from the MAT program faculty and students. The findings demonstrate that over time, the educators re-examined their roles as teachers of language and literacy and reassessed their thinking related to science instruction, highlighting the efficacy of incorporating language development content into training and professional development for STEM educators at multiple levels.

Exploring the Infinite Regress of Defining Words: A Critical Analysis of Semantic Methodologies

This article critically examines the concept of infinite regress in semantic methodologies and explores alternative approaches to understanding the meanings of words beyond traditional dictionary definitions. We delve into the strengths and limitations of dictionary-based semantics and contrast them with operational and contextual methodologies. Operational semantics, rooted in the works of P.W. Bridgman, and contextual approaches, which incorporate the influence of situational variables, offer more dynamic and adaptable frameworks for interpreting language. The implications of these methodologies for linguistic education and communication are thoroughly analyzed, highlighting the benefits of a more nuanced understanding of language in educational curricula and professional communication. This exploration advocates for a shift towards semantics that accommodate the fluid nature of language, encouraging a broader application of these theories in real-world settings.

Towards equitable multilingualism: promoting transdisciplinary, collaborative dialogue between English as a lingua franca and translingualism

Abstract Inspired by Hult’s (2010. Theme-based research in the transdisciplinary field of educational linguistics. In Francis M. Hult (ed.), Directions and prospects for educational linguistics, 19–32. Springer) discussion of theme-based research within educational linguistics that focuses, first and foremost, on solving problems rather than adhering to disciplinary boundaries and conventions, this article calls for transdisciplinary collaboration to resolve educational problems related to monolingualism, native-speakerism, and the hegemony of colonial ideologies. More specifically, we make a case for transdisciplinary dialogue between English as a lingua franca (ELF) and translingualism. We argue that these two research fields, with their increasingly converging interests and goals as well as distinct strengths, can make a greater impact in addressing persistent educational problems through targeted collaboration, research, and (language) pedagogy based on equitable multilingualism (e.g., Ortega, Lourdes. 2019. SLA and the study of equitable multilingualism. The Modern Language Journal 103. 23–38). In this conceptual paper, we first introduce translingualism and ELF as equally legitimate multilingual theories. Next, we identify shared key tenets and orientations as well as distinctive vantage points of each approach that researchers and educators can take advantage of for collaboratively addressing problems within classrooms and beyond. Finally, we lay out a vision for how this transdisciplinary, collaborative dialogue can help realize more equitable multilingualism.

DEVELOPMENT OF PEDAGOGICAL COMPETENCE OF TEACHERS OF TECHNICAL UNIVERSITIES IN THE PROCESS OF LEARNING AND TEACHING ENGLISH FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES

In the age of modern science and technology, the demand for the specialty "English language teacher" is increasing in society. The new status of the English language teacher set the task of significantly changing the professional training of professors, updating the content and technology of linguistic education, and improving the quality of higher education. In order to effectively carry out his professional activity, an English teacher must not only have a good command of a foreign language, but also have basic professional competence in a certain area of English for specific purposes. The article reveals the problems of developing the pedagogical competencies of teachers of technical higher education institutions in the process of learning and teaching English for special purposes.

WebQuest development based on Google Maps for studying language and culture of Australia

Introduction. Language and Culture studies, studying the relationship between language and culture, is an important component of linguistic education, which today is not given enough attention in the training programs for linguistics students. This problem can be solved by integrating students' research activities based on WebQuest technology into the foreign language training course. The purpose of this study is to determine the didactic potential of a WebQuest created with Google Maps geolocation application in the study of Australian Language and Culture by linguistics students. Methodology. The authors analyzed scientific literature and teaching materials in the field of Language and Culture studies, linguoculturology, australistics and digital linguodidactics. As a basis for the web-quest, an interactive map of Australia was created with Google Maps geolocation application, which allows to link GPS-coordinates of geographical objects with selected sociocultural and linguistic data. WebQuest scenarios containing Language and Culture studies tasks and instructions for their fulfillment were developed. Results. Experimental work was carried out on the basis of Linguistics faculty of Bauman Moscow State Technical University. The WebQuest was tested in groups of 2nd year students majoring in Theoretical and Applied Linguistics. The criterion-based evaluation of the obtained results was carried out, as well as the analysis of self-evaluation sheets and written feedback from the students participating in the WebQuest. Conclusion. The analysis and generalization of the above experience allowed the authors to formulate the conditions for WebQuest successful inclusion in English as a Second language course in order to increase linguistics students’ motivation to study mutual influence of language and culture and develop communicative skills in Australian English.

Exploring views on praxis possibilities of multilingualism in university literacy pedagogies

Background: South African literacy-as-social-practice theoreticians, language-in-education experts, educational linguists, and language policies advocate multilingual pedagogies to acknowledge and cater to diverse multilingual learners’ literacy development. Universities purport multilingualism to provide for the multilingual norm, students’ literacy, and educational development, as scholarship shows that multilingualism benefits academia and literacy education. Yet, these universities remain locations for monolingual and epistemological biases. Concerns about such praxis pretensions in pluralistic literacy education and the failures in literacy-as-social-practice strategies have been raised. However, the perceptions of lecturers and students on their role in implementing desirable praxis in multilingual literacy education are under-researched.Objectives: This qualitative study explores lecturers’ and students’ perceptions and their impact on practising linguistic plurality in literacy for educational development schemes.Method: The research uses in-depth individual and focus-group interviews with four lecturers and four first-year undergraduate students at a selected linguistically diverse university. An interpretivist paradigm was applied consisting of participants’ subjective experiences as members of a higher education institution (HEI).Results: Findings reveal that lecturers have difficulty coping with multiple languages due to inadequate training and misconceptions about multilingualism, and monolingual pedagogy perceptions carried over from their institutions whose culture denies students’ linguistic plurality.Conclusion: The study demonstrates the importance of shifts in epistemological orientation and adequate training, focused on multilingualism, to develop versatile and agile lecturers equipped for multilingual universities.Contribution: This research contributes to understanding the complex implementation problems regarding multilingual literacy education and possible solutions. It postulates new ways of forging multilingual literacy practices to erase praxis morbidity.

Исследование проблемы речевой культуры будущего учителя как фактора формирования лингвистической безопасности образовательного пространства

The aim of the research is to substantiate the importance of forming a speech culture for a future teacher as a factor in creating linguistic security of the educational space. The article shows the main directions of ensuring linguistic security of the society and of the individual in the communicative educational space. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the complex approach to solving the problem of insufficiently formed speech culture of students of pedagogical specialties as a factor in linguistic security of future generations, taking into account the interaction of various subjects of the educational process and proposing the creation of a personal-value educational space, contributing to the preservation of cultural and linguistic identity in the conditions of modern society, on its basis. As a result of the diagnostics of the attitude of students in pedagogical fields of study towards the specifics of modern communication, the most relevant threats to the state language and national culture have been identified and the methods of relaying the spiritual and material values of the Russian youth of the 21st century within the context of linguistic education have been presented.

ANALYSIS OF THE OUTCOMES OF IMPLEMENTING THE EXPERIMENTAL SYSTEM FOR FUTURE TRANSLATORS’ PROFESSIONAL TRAINING BASED ON LOCALIZATION

The ongoing evolution of the higher linguistic education system is primarily focused on addressing the demands of society and the government for competent translators. This necessitates corresponding modifications in the professional training, development, and personal growth of future translation personnel, with the ultimate goal of fostering their preparedness for localization. The paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the outcomes obtained from implementing an experimental system for teaching prospective translators in localization, as well as their subsequent analysis. Clear algorithmization is necessary for any experimental activity, including the professional training of prospective translators for localization. A linear pedagogical experiment was conducted to implement and experimentally verify the author’s pedagogical system. The experiment was designed in a series of consecutive steps. To test the hypothesis proposed in the study, it was deemed necessary to approve the structural and functional model of the experimental system. This approval was intended to establish a program of experimental work that aims to create the required pedagogical conditions in both academic and extracurricular classes. The ultimate goal is to enable students to develop themselves as individuals, both personally and professionally. The effectiveness of the presented results was demonstrated through the use of theoretical analysis of scientific literature on the research problem. This analysis facilitated the selection and comprehension of didactic material. Additionally, a critical and analytical examination of concepts, theories, and methods was conducted to identify potential solutions for the problem under investigation. Furthermore, mathematical statistics methods were employed to quantitatively calculate the obtained data. The author’s methodology of incorporating various experimental new designs into the professional training of future translators for localization is deemed effective, as evidenced by the generalized results of the preparedness of future translators for localization.