Foreign Language Development Research Articles

FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN THE 21ST CENTURY: DEVELOPMENTS, TENDENCIES, PERSPECTIVES

Learning foreign languages is one of the main priorities of society in the beginning of 21st century. Till the 60’s and 70’s of the 20th century, foreign languages had been considered the prerogative of well-educated, rich and noble people, while nowadays they have become an integral part of everyday life for the majority. The author of the article aims to analyze some aspects of development, tendencies and perspectives of foreign languages in the 21st century in the EU member countries in the context of globalization. Based on the examples of some European school systems, we conducted high-quality retrospective analysis to research organizational issues of foreign languages teaching. The problems of foreign languages learning and multilingualism are characterized here. The article deals with the establishment of the quantitative distribution of foreign languages in modern Europe and historical tendencies which were inherent to that process. The correlation between the most spoken and learnt languages was analyzed, as well as the role of German in this context. The perspectives of foreign languages development and usage for international communication have been underlined; the role of foreign languages teaching and learning has been established; the main teaching methods that are dominant nowadays have been specified. Without claiming the comprehensiveness of the problem under study, the author aimed to combine the empirical levels of analysis and formulate generally accepted judgments concerning the development of foreign languages in the 21st century. Therefore, it is worthwhile to outline the following promising and important direction of research, namely: analysis of the main motivational components of foreign languages learning by different age groups in the European Union.

Língua inglesa como terceira língua: considerações sobre o ensino de línguas estrangeiras para estudantes surdos na educação básica brasileira

Ainda so poucos os estudos no Brasil que buscam deslindar o desenvolvimento de lnguas estrangeiras em contextos formais de instruo por estudantes surdos. Como consequncia, o ensino de lngua inglesa na escola inclusiva ainda se constitui como uma prtica norteada por poucas bases tericas. Nesse sentido, este trabalho busca discutir o ensino de lngua inglesa para estudantes surdos na educao bsica, trazendo tona questes de motivao, transferncia lingustica e de interpretao no processo de ensino. Em nosso levantamento emprico e bibliogrfico, percebemos que o ensino de lngua inglesa mais complexo para o estudante surdo, pois considerada sua terceira lngua, dependente do sistema de Libras e do portugus. Notamos que o estudante surdo continua margem educacional e, no caso do ensino de lnguas, a situao agravada, pois, nem sempre, tem oportunidades de interagir organicamente ou v a lngua estrangeira como relevante, dada sua configurao metodolgica usual.

Does education for intercultural citizenship lead to language learning?

ABSTRACTThis paper reports a bilateral university project designed to promote intercultural citizenship and foreign language development simultaneously. It is concerned with developing active and responsible citizenship through content-language integrated learning within an ordinary foreign language classroom. The need and rationale for broadening the scope of language courses and combining them with intercultural citizenship or human rights education has been explained elsewhere and empirical studies reporting on classroom practice are recently available. These studies have connected both types of education (language and citizenship/human rights) and have demonstrated growth in self and intercultural awareness, in criticality and social justice responsibility, as well as the emergence of a sense of community of international peers during the projects. However, the concern remains as to whether this combination leads to language learning and this article addresses this issue. The article describes one transnational intercultural citizenship project in the foreign language classroom in Argentina and the UK and focuses on the research question: Does an intercultural citizenship project lead to language learning? Findings – taken from the Argentinean data – show that students developed procedural knowledge by using the foreign language with a genuine need, engaged in multiliteracies practices and developed their plurilingual competence within a translingual orientation.

Turkish EFL Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of Foreign Language Assessment in Primary Education

The present study aimed to investigate perceptions of EFL teachers working at state primary schools on core language skills, assessment types and question types used in assessing student’s foreign language development and proficiency during an academic year. Data were gathered from 56 EFL teachers working at 42 primary state schools in Turkey through a questionnaire comprising a variety of items to elicit their perceptions and applications of language assessment in the classes of 4th to 6th graders. Results obtained from frequency analyses indicated that the pen-and-paper tests, performance tasks, and in-class observation are the mostly used assessment tools, and that the selected response items are mostly employed question types in the tests, and that performance-based and communication-based assessment types are preferred more frequently than the traditional types in evaluating students’ success in learning EFL.

THE DIDACTICS OF MULTILINGUALISM AS A METHODOLOGICAL BASIS OF MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION

The article is devoted to the conceptual foundations of foreign teaching in the multilingual environment of modern European society. Considerable attention is paid to the analysis of priorities of Europe policy and trends of foreign education in European countries aimed at the formation of the multilingual identity of their citizens. The analysis of research data, carried out with the support from the European Commission, has shown the inconsistency between the current state of competence in foreign languages by the citizens of Europe to the declared goals of EU policy, which include the competence of at least two foreign languages.The study of the scientific literature on the stated problems has allowed to establish the reasons for this situation lying first of all in the obsolescence of certain concepts of the theory of foreign education and the lack of effectiveness of traditional methods of teaching foreign languages. Based on the analysis of the works of famous foreign scientists, there have been identified and analyzed a number of new conceptual ideas on the teaching of foreign languages integrated in the framework of the so-called didactics of multilingualism that proclaims the methodological paradigm of modern foreign education. It has been found that the initial position of this concept is the interpretation of multilingualism as a single communicative competence of the individual, holistic and integrated system of linguistic and sociocultural knowledge and skills that expands and deepens with the development of each new language. The article reveals the key principles of multilingualism didactics, among which the issues of individual’s language biography, the existing linguistic and communicative knowledge, abilities and skills, the individual needs in learning and rational use of previous experience of learning foreign languages are taken into account. It has been clarified that the mentioned provision in multilingualism didactics have gained direct practical implementation in the framework of EuroCom project, the purpose of which is to ensure the conditions for simultaneous development of several related foreign languages on the basis of communication and mutual inclusions between them. It reveals the specificity of training and methodological support of the learning process of foreign languages in the framework of the mentioned project and clarifies the first results of its practical approbation.

The impact of learning Latin on school pupils: a review of existing data

ABSTRACTThis article reviews a century of US data on the impact of learning Latin and explores to what extent the collected findings demonstrate that Latin can play a role in improving pupils’ educational attainments, particularly in first language (L1), modern foreign language (MFL) and cognitive development. Contextualising these data allows us to explore their aims, findings and shortcomings. We argue that, while the collated data do provide significant evidence for the beneficial impact of learning Latin on the L1 development of English native speakers, evidence for an impact on MFL and cognitive development is less substantial. It is thus important to acknowledge that these existing data should be interpreted with caution, as a meaningful starting point for new research questions based on modern methodologies.

Educational Planning for Trilingual Program in Northeast Asia: Focusing on Trilingualism of Korean Minorities in China

Trilingual phenomenon becomes more popular among ethnic groups in China. In the last decade, more ethnic groups get concerned with trilingual education under the influence of foreign language education and development of cultural exchange. Educational planning for multi-lingual minorities faces both great opportunities and challenges. Educational innovation and cultivations of trilingual program become rather urgent for trilingual groups living in China.

L2 Reading: Strategies and Gender Preferences in the Foreign Language Classroom

<p>La comprensión lectora en una L2 y el desarrollo de estrategias que fomenten el progreso en la adquisición de la lengua extranjera de los estudiantes son fundamentales para los aprendices y los profesores. A partir de las recientes investigaciones sobre estrategias de lectura y género, este artículo analiza las tendencias existentes y emergentes sobre el uso de estrategias específicas de lectura en relación con las preferencias de género, y se proponen recomendaciones pedagógicas que abordan las necesidades de cada género manteniendo el salón de clase equilibrado y libre de sesgos de género.</p>

Teacher Opinions on Usage of Mobile Learning in Pre-School Foreign Language Learning

Presently, acquiring education and scientific knowledge by using technological means has become easier. Individuals use their mobile devices for exchange of information, entertainment and educational purposes. They meet several needs by mobile devices which have become an indispensable element of their lives. Mobile devices also enable pre-school pupils to learn a foreign language more efficiently regardless of time and space as they are portable. Teachers, on the other hand, convey subjects of education and teaching to their students by using their mobile devices. In brief, mobile learning is one of the significant components of education. This research aims to establish the efficiency and influence of mobile learning in respect of foreign language learning. It involves a case study based on a qualitative research design. In this study where teachers take part as participants, the contribution of mobile learning process to the foreign language development of pupils in the pre-school period will be addressed. The study will underline the role and influence of mobile learning on language development, especially on foreign language education.

SYNERGY OF LANGUAGE LEARNING AND VIRTUAL LEARNING PLATFORMS IN STUDIES

The paper presents comprehensive study of applicability of various language learning platforms to the development of foreign language that are indicated in the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR). To carry out the research, a number of language learning platforms that are used as an alternative to Learning Management Systems (such as Moodle) was selected and on their basis a questionnaire was designed. The quantitative research involved faculty students and lecturers of Vilnius College of Technologies and design. The results of the research permitted us to draw a list of recommendations on which language learning platforms are best to be used in EFL classrooms to facilitate the development of foreign language competences.

Bendravimo anglų kalba įgūdžių stiprinimas vartojant anglų kalbos kolokacijas mokomuosiuose tekstuose

The author of this paper will substantiate the argument that communicative creativity and developmentof foreign language learners may be enhanced through carefully selected corpora which are appliedas a useful tool in the second language pedagogy. Corpora constitute the easiest way to accessthe contexts in which given words and phrases appear to be suitable for native speakers of a particularlanguage. This means that with their help learners have the opportunity to acquire the actual languagewhich is used in everyday conversations by various groups of people. Moreover, corpora can save alot of time, because learners can focus on language that they need in appropriate situations for determinedcommunicational tasks. That is why learning collocations with their support can be easier andfaster. The aim of this paper is to investigate how corpora can be applied to teaching and learning ofEnglish and whether they are truly indispensable for educational purposes. Accordingly, the results ofempirical research consisting of observations and tests conducted among the Polish students of secondaryschools will be shown to prove how the creative abilities in their communicative performancemay be reinforced with the acquisition of English collocations.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.sal.0.29.13993

Autonomous Learning for Proficiency Level İn Foreign Language Development of Graduate Students

Also called student-centred learning, autonomous learning is a multifaceted and self-motivated study skill that relates to a change in focus in the learning environment from the teacher to the student or from teaching to learning (Taylor 2000, p. 107). Its impact on linguistic competence has been investigated over time and the two have been found to be correlated. This survey was conducted in Balıkesir University in academic years of 2014-2015. The survey analyses graduate (Master of Arts) students’ foreign language learning styles and strategies to find out to what extent they are autonomous. The aim of the study is to investigate the impacts of graduate students’ proficiency attitudes on autonomous learning in foreign language learning. Two kinds of questionnaires were administered: the first one was learner autonomy survey questionnaire developed by Zhang and Li (2004), which was administered to investigate how autonomous the participants were in learning English as a foreign language. The second one was the perceptual learning style preference questionnaire (PLSPQ), developed by Reid (1987). The two questionnaires were administered to 600 graduate students enrolled in the Institutions of Social Sciences and the Institution of Health at Balıkesir University in the academic years of 2014-2015. Only 504 graduate students responded. Then it was announced that there would be two types of English YDS preparation courses for the participants enrolled at Balıkesir University, Institute of M.A programs. 30 participants applied to join the courses. The participants are assigned to two groups, as instructed and non-instructed on voluntary bases. The study involved the YDS test that measured the performance of the control and experimental groups to find out the differences. The study involved 15 sample YDS tests that were administered after every two weeks of instructions. Before the training commenced, there were some preliminaries that were being applied to determine the advancement in the level of proficiency and the level of trainees. The results indicate that the male graduate students from both groups performed better than the female learners. The results also reveal that the control group scored a mean of 38, 86 while the experimental group recorded 38, 06 in the first test. Throughout all tests, the experimental group only scores a few points less. The ultimate YDS (The formal Proficiency Exam) score was (control group= 48; experimental group =47), which is almost the same. There is no meaningful difference between the control and experimental group.

DEVELOPMENT OF COMPLEXITY, ACCURACY, AND FLUENCY IN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ WRITTEN FOREIGN LANGUAGE PRODUCTION

The present study aims to longitudinally depict the dynamic and interactive development of Complexity, Accuracy, and Fluency (CAF) in multilingual learners’ L2 and L3 writing. The data sources include free writing tasks written in L2 French and L3 English by 45 high school participants over a period of four semesters. CAF dimensions are measured using a variation of Hunt’s T-units (1964). Analysis ofthe quantitative data obtained suggests that CAF measures develop differently for learners’ L2 French and L3 English. They increase more persistently in L3 English, and they display the characteristics of a dynamic, non-linear system characterized by ups and downs particularly in L2 French. In light of the results, we suggest more and denser longitudinal data to explore the nature of interactions between these dimensions in foreign language development, particularly at the individual level.Keywords: CAF, proficiency, interaction.

Bilingualism as a resource for foreign language learning of language minority students? Empirical evidence from a longitudinal study during primary and secondary school in Germany

This study investigates the effect of bilingualism on the achievement in English as a foreign language from elementary to secondary school. Using longitudinal data of 1032 German students from sixth to eighth grade, we examined if speaking both a minority language at home and the instruction language presents an advantageous condition for English foreign language development. Controlling for confounded background characteristics, the regression analyses revealed that, although a significant advantage of bilingualism is found in elementary school, it disappears as students proceed into secondary school, yielding differential gains for the language minority and monolingual groups. Moreover, the level of exposure to the minority language plays an important role for the English achievement development for bilingual students as they proceed into secondary school.

Benefits of an Interpretation Course for Foreign Language Learning and Development

Based on the experience of developing and teaching an introductory course on Spanish-English interpretation, this study will situate and justify translation, more specifically interpreting, as an important component for language development. The goal is to analyze ways the development and implementation of an interpreting course (focusing on consecutive and simultaneous interpreting and sight translation) can help develop students’ language, cultural, subject, and overall transfer competencies, categories enumerated by Albrecht Neubert (2000). Based on student feedback, learning outcomes, and a description of teaching methods that combine the process-oriented and product-oriented approaches, this study will also point out that second language acquisition (SLA) findings can inform the teaching and the practice of professional translation (Colina 2006: 213). In addition, it will illustrate that an interpreting course is in alignment with the National Standards for Learning Languages and helps not only improve language skills and interpreting techniques but also opens minds to a new culture, improves cross-cultural and intercultural communication, strengthens public speaking skills, boosts confidence, and helps expand personal horizons.

Investigating the Relative Contributions of Computerised Working Memory Training and English Language Teaching to Cognitive and Foreign Language Development

SummaryThe current study reports on an intervention study that investigated the relative contributions of 5‐week English language training (ELT) and 5‐week working memory training (WMT) to improvements in English language knowledge and working memory capacity in university learners of English as a foreign language. The participants were allocated to one of the following three experimental groups and a control group: (i) ELT only; (ii) WMT only; and (iii) both WMT and ELT. The results showed that intervention effects were pronounced in the WMT + ELT group, who improved scores on the reading span test and all tests of verbal and visuo‐spatial short‐term and working memory. The gains on verbal short‐term (Japanese) and working memory (Japanese and English) were maintained 3 months later. None of the interventions, single or combined, were associated with gains in foreign language knowledge, however. The sustained effects of the dual approach and its implications are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Differential influences of parental home literacy practices and anxiety in English as a foreign language on Chinese children's English development

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the differential influences of maternal and paternal factors on Chinese children's English as a foreign language development. It took into account both behavioral (i.e. parental home literacy practices, HLP; and children's vocabulary knowledge) and emotional (i.e. parental and children's foreign language reading anxiety, FLRA) aspects of home literacy environment and children's language outcomes. Forty-eight Chinese first graders were tested individually on English vocabulary knowledge. Subsequently, both parents of participating children completed a questionnaire rating their HLP on English as a foreign language, their FLRA and their child's FLRA. Results from hierarchical regression analysis showed that paternal HLP predicted children's English vocabulary knowledge and paternal FLRA predicted children's FLRA, after controlling for children's age, family income and parental education level. However, when the effects of maternal factors were accounted for, these paternal factors did not uniquely contribute to children's English vocabulary knowledge or FLRA. In contrast, maternal HLP and FLRA explained unique variance in both children's English vocabulary knowledge and FLRA, even after paternal factors were accounted for. These results have provided a more comprehensive picture of how home literacy environment contributes to children's foreign language development, by indicating maternal and paternal contributions both behaviorally and emotionally.

Examining the role of learning context and individual differences in gains in L2 writing performance: the case of teenagers on an intensive study-abroad programme

ABSTRACTThe present study examines the effects that a 3-week study-abroad (SA) experience and a set of individual differences have on the foreign language (FL) development of a group of 64 Catalan/Spanish speakers, learners of English as an FL. Moreover, the present study attempts to account for the outcome differences between successful and less successful FL learners. Results suggest that short SA experiences are beneficial for the FL development, that certain individual differences such as motivation and FL use in free time (among others) play a role, and that the successful and less successful learners’ SA experience differed in several aspects that could explain the differences in their outcome.

Engagement and Teamwork in Chinese as a Foreign Language and Culture Curriculum Development for Teacher Education

This study explores how task engagement principles could be integrated into the design of online foreign language and culture instruction. It employs a design-based research (DBR) approach, which combines research and instructional design during curricular development. With the intent of solving problems of practice in an existing teaching context, a design team worked in this study to refine an online Chinese as a foreign language and culture module. Through the design process, the team explored how task engagement principles could be integrated into seven online language-learning units and how collaboration and interaction among the researchers and designers could support the implementation of the design. This study underscores the importance not only of designing engaging online language tasks but also of working with expert others to accomplish this goal.

Organizational Principles and Content of Early Foreign Language Learning in the USA

Abstract According to the results of leading American scientists that convincingly demonstrate the effectiveness and necessity of early foreign language learning the features of teaching foreign languages at elementary level in the United States have been analyzed. It has been found out that the US government is working on the improvement of foreign language at elementary education all over the country. The attention is paid the languages that were not so popular, and now have obtained the status of “extremely necessary”, such as Arabic, Farsi and Russian, as they have become very important for the future participation of the state in world politics. The requirements for programs development of foreign language for elementary school have been described; such aspects as quantity of classes, curriculum project, teaching materials, teaching staff and knowledge of the students, the choice of languages, coordination and efficiency are taken into consideration. The short description of the content of foreign language teaching of elementary education has been presented. It has been indicated that success in foreign language learning as a device of foreign language communication depends on the level of listening, lexical, grammatical and spelling skills, as well as the abilities of listening, speaking, reading and writing, which are defined in the program for elementary school.