L2 Users Research Articles

L1 as a tool for providing corrective feedback

This article delves into the controversial practice of utilizing a student’s first language (L1) as a teaching resource in second language (L2) learning environments. Initially, strategies such as code-switching/code-mixing and translanguaging were considered signs of poor linguistic ability. There was a strong push towards using only the target language in foreign language education, aiming to limit the first language’s interference and foster a deeper immersion in the new language. However, later research has shown the benefits of incorporating the first language in bilingual education and language learning processes. It’s argued that a student’s knowledge in their native language can actually support their comprehension of a second language, suggesting that transferring certain linguistic or conceptual knowledge from L1 to L2 can be advantageous. This perspective encourages the strategic use of this knowledge transfer in teaching methods. Moreover, the text points to positive results from various studies on the positive impact of L1 usage in L2 classrooms. These insights pave the way for further exploration into the application of the first language in adult English as a Second Language (ESL)/English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education, particularly regarding providing corrective feedback.

Linguistic correlates of second language users’ attitudes to Arabic and Chinese varieties of English: a verbal guise study

ABSTRACT Research into language attitudes suggests that L2 users often hold negative attitudes toward their own and others’ L2 accents. However, less is known about specific features that affect these attitudes. Beinhoff’s study explored consonantal variation and its impact on perceptions of L2 speakers, but this study further examines linguistic correlates of L2 users’ attitudes toward Arabic and Chinese varieties of English. Using the verbal guise method, Arabic and Chinese male and female speakers read a paragraph in English with varying L1 influences. Each sample was rated by 30 L2 listeners on a 6-point semantic differential scale assessing status, solidarity, and dynamism. Phonological and fluency analyses of the samples revealed that non-segmental features, such as prosody, play a more significant role in eliciting positive attitudes toward these English varieties than do segmental features. These findings highlight the importance of suprasegmental aspects in shaping listener perceptions of L2 English speech.

BOOK REVIEW: CORPUS LINGUISTICS AND SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: PERSPECTIVES, ISSUES, FINDINGS

This article discusses the application of corpus linguistic methods in second language acquisition (SLA) research. It highlights the significance of utilizing native and learner corpora, along with automated tools for corpus annotation and analysis, to explore various aspects of SLA. The article is based on a book titled "Corpus Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition: Perspectives, Issues, Findings," which covers five chapters. These chapters delve into topics such as variations in L2 usage at a group level, factors influencing L2 processing and production, group-level longitudinal trajectories of L2 development, and inter- and intra-learner variability in L2 development. The book aims to provide valuable insights and methodologies for researchers interested in employing corpus linguistic methods to enhance their SLA research.

Homophone priming in bilingual preference formation.

Homophone (HP) priming occurs when phonologically ambiguous words persistently coactivate their contextually irrelevant meanings. If suppressing those meanings fails, they subliminally bias preferences. Yet, it is unclear if prior findings generalize beyond individual words and to bilingual contexts. This has implications for consumer behavior and the debate on differences between first (L1) and second language (L2) lexical processing. We present four multi-item experiments with German-English bilinguals. An initial eye-tracked primed choice task established that homophones affect decision making. Three visual preference experiments with written and/or auditory primes and high- or low-proficiency L2 users found that homophones bias preferences more in L1 than L2. The L1-L2 gap widened if listening or low proficiency made suppression more difficult. We argue that the interplay between reduced suppression in L2 as predicted by activation-suppression models and lower subjective frequency of L2 homophones assumed by the frequency lag hypothesis explain the size of the L1-L2 priming gap. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Informal language contact and formulaic language development of Chinese students abroad during a global crisis

Abstract This longitudinal mixed-methods study tracked the informal language contact and phrasal verb knowledge of 21 Chinese foundation program students in the United Kingdom (UK) during the 2019–2020 academic year through three rounds of data collection. Because of the disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the study was able to capture the impact of a global crisis on the experiences of international students studying abroad and learning a second language (L2). Data from a Language Contact Questionnaire, a Study Abroad Social Network Survey, and semi-structured interviews indicated significant changes in their L2 use and social networks. Our findings showed that the students sharply reduced their L2 contact and increased their use of first language (L1) during the pandemic. Productive and receptive tests assessing phrasal verb knowledge revealed that the students did not make significant gains after the pandemic lockdown. The study suggests that significant changes in the living environment can directly impact students’ L2 usage and their formulaic language development.

Multimodal Literacy in Teaching Foreign Languages: The Example of Power Point Presentations

Multimodality is a very popular issue that is discussed with reference to various disciplines. The ability to interpret and create multimodal texts is a necessary skill in the contemporary world, where texts in which verbal language is accompanied by images and other modes of expression that convey relevant information dominate. Therefore, it is necessary to equip learners of foreign languages to effectively interact with multimodal texts. The purpose of the paper is to investigate the level of multimodal literacy among L2 users in the academic setting, using the example of PowerPoint presentations, and to point out the advantages of involving multimodality in teaching foreign languages, especially in teaching writing. The results of the study show that the potential of multimodality is often overlooked by teachers and students, who tend to treat visual elements mostly as decoration instead of using them as tools for enhancing successful communication. The investigation may be useful for foreign language teachers, who should focus more on teaching multimodal literacy in their writing courses to prepare students for functioning in the contemporary world. It is also a first step in developing a new methodology for teaching L2 writing.

Shaping the Bilingualism of Game-Addicted Players

In today's world, many people who spend more and more time in front of their computer and treat it as something more than a popular pass-time activity are often referred to being game addicted. At the same time, however, many of them, because of being exposed to different forms of dialogic English may be observed to excel the language and react to quite many situations they are exposed to both during the play and out of it. This study is meant to show how gaming addicts shape their bilingualism. Due to our research, it was found that such people who are truly addicted to games often reach a higher level of English much faster when contrasted to average L2 users. The research was based on the surveys filled by 54 carefully selected Internet respondents that fit the definition of a game addicted person (APA, 2022) and a standardized CEFR test they were requested to complete; the same test was also requested to be completed by the people who attend standardized blended L2 classes and who play similar games sporadically for pleasure. Consequently, a correlation between addicted and non-addicted people, and their CEFR test results was carried out. What followed was an analysis of the research results and the their detailed description.

Pragmatic competence and pragmatic tolerance in foreign language acquisition—revisiting the case of scalar implicatures

Abstract Previous L2 studies used binary Truth-Value-Judgment (TVJ) tasks to investigate L1–L2 differences in scalar implicature derivation (some X implicates some but not all X). They examined participants’ judgments of sentences with weak scalar expressions (“Timothy ate some of the pretzels”) when stronger ones are true (“Timothy ate all of the pretzels”). Some studies indicate adult L2 learners are less likely than L1 users to accept such statements while others found the opposite, concluding that implicature derivation is “costly” for L2 learners, rendering them less pragmatically competent than L1 users. Importantly, related L1 research suggests that TVJ tasks only capture sensitivity to under-informativeness. This sensitivity might be completely overridden by metalinguistic attitudes in binary tasks, whereas graded tasks reveal nuanced judgment patterns. Exploring L2 response behaviors, we tested English L1 speakers and competent German L2 English learners using binary and graded tasks. In both tasks, we found evidence of pragmatic responding with no evidence of differences between groups. Bayes factor analyses of the graded data favored H0 over the hypotheses that L2 learners provide fewer or more rejections to under-informative input than L1 learners. We explore implications for L2 learners’ pragmatic abilities, differences with previous studies, and the role of TVJ tasks in under-informative contexts.

The The perception of success in learning English as an L2 in the era of globalization – a multilingual student perspective

Resorting to ecolinguistic theories, underscoring the concept of (trans)languaging and methodologies highlighting the need for analytical contextualization (Steffensen, Fill, 2014), the author presents the understanding of success in learning English as an L2 among selected multilingual students of Applied Linguistics at his home university, for whom knowledge of English and other languages is to be a final product of a professional character. Data has been elicited via focus group interview methodology (Parker, Tritter, 2006; Lankiewicz, 2023) with the use of a semi-structured interview and thematic framework analysis. The research findings suggest that English occupies a special place in students’ plurilingual repertoires and its pluricentric character helps them to be legitimate L2 users of their linguistic repertoires who do not measure their success by native speaker standards. The research undertaken offers insights into the process of the language learning evaluation of multilinguals via including their full linguistic repertoires to account for language learning processes.

Project-based learning as an innovative approach for overcoming tertiary EFL students' barriers to learning English and coming closer to their L2 ideal self

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the potential effect of project-based learning (PBL) in alleviating the negative psychological factors that hinder language learning in an intensive-English course at a private Lebanese university through its meaningful, student-centered, collaborative, and creative pedagogical approach and supporting students in constructing a positive self-identity as an English language learner and user.Design/methodology/approachThe L2 Motivation Self System theory describes the roles of the Ideal L2 Self, the Ought to L2 Self, and the L2 Learning Experience as the three dimensions that trigger L2 motivation, which is an important factor in achieving L2 learning outcomes. This pre- and post-test questionnaire study aims to investigate the impact of designing and implementing project-based learning as a creative pedagogical method on the L2 Learning Experience of tertiary EFL students undertaking an intensive English language course.FindingsThe paper found that such a pedagogical approach decreased students’ foreign language anxiety and positively impacted their attitudes toward L2 learning as they actively engaged in their projects in a meaningful, connected, and creative manner. This paper concludes that the adopted innovative pedagogical approach created an L2 language learning experience for EFL students to move closer from their actual self to their potential or imagined Ideal L2 Self as they embraced their creative self, social self, and risk-taking self within the frame of identity negotiation and construction. Findings from this study map to the wider literature on L2 language acquisition and foreign language learning.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, this research contributed to the existing body of literature on L2 education from a nuanced lens that maps students’ motivation, engagement, characteristics, and psychology to their identity as L2 learners to make their learning journeys more rewarding, productive, and connected.Practical implicationsPractically, this study showcases how the implementation of the PBL approach in a creative and aligned manner can positively impact students’ attitudes toward English teaching and learning, making novel reading a more engaging task that prompts students’ creativity, critical thinking, and risk-taking while facilitating the negotiation and construction of their identity as L2 learners and users. Additionally, the implementation of such creative pedagogical approaches prompts on an educational policy level the shift from the traditional ways of English teaching and learning to a more student-centered, engaging and connected state, creating a set of exemplars for EFL and ESL instructors to use to ensure that L2 learners connect to their own experiences and develop a range of transferrable skills while acquiring language capabilities.Originality/valueThis paper concludes that the adopted innovative pedagogical approach served as a channel for EFL students to move closer from their actual self to their potential or imagined Ideal L2 Self as they embraced their creative self, social self, and risk-taking self within the frame of identity negotiation and construction. Findings from this study map to the wider literature on L2 language acquisition and foreign language learning.

Cross-Linguistic Lacunarity: Integration of Theoretical Linguo-Cultural Knowledge and L2 & C2 Competence Development

Learning a foreign language involves not only being faced with another language, but also with a different culture. Therefore, adopting a linguo-cultural perspective is a prerequisite to proper developing a learner’s competence foreign language (L2) and foreign culture (C2). The L2 and C2 aspects not represented in one’s own language (L1) and one’s own culture (C1) create the sphere of lacunarity (linguistic and cultural gaps) in L2 learners, observed on various planes, e.g. in lexis, syntax, genres, gestures etc. From a teaching perspective, the introduction of the notion of lacunae increases the learner’s linguo-cultural awareness, preparing the student to expect lacunae in L2 and C2 and to be conscious of gaps in L1 and C1 from the perspective of L2 and C2 users. The presentation of the notion of lacunarity broadens learners’ theoretical knowledge with vital practical implications since it enables students to develop strategies how to deal with lacunae.

The effect of form presentation mode and language learning aptitude on the learning burden and decay of L2 vocabulary knowledge

Abstract L2 words vary in how hard they are to learn and how quickly they are forgotten. This study explored two factors that may contribute to this variance: form presentation mode and language learning aptitude. English learners studied 32 words using electronic flashcard software in two conditions: unimodal (written form) and bimodal (spoken and written form). The frequency of exposure needed to learn each word was measured and used to determine learning burden. Learners, L2 users of English studying at a British university, completed immediate and two-week delayed tests, which were used to track any decay that occurred. Aptitude was measured using the LLAMA battery and incorporated into statistical modelling. The results showed that form presentation mode (bimodal > unimodal) and some aspects of aptitude impacted learning. No effects were found on decay. Pedagogical implications are discussed.

Expressions of epistemic stance in computer-mediated L2 speaking assessment

Abstract Learner and L2 user corpora are increasingly valued in language testing and assessment as they can inform test design, revision, and validation. This paper illustrates the benefits of using an L2 corpus to explore patterns of epistemic stance marking in computer-mediated speaking tests with no live human interlocutor. Drawing on the British Council-Lancaster Aptis Corpus – comprising over 630,000 words of L2 speech – we explored the frequency of epistemic stance markers (adverbial, adjectival and verbal) across proficiency levels and speaking task types. The analysis revealed that epistemic stance was prevalent in test-taker discourse and that frequency was influenced by L2 proficiency and task type. The findings demonstrate that computer-mediated speaking tests can elicit expressions of epistemic stance in a comparable way to tests which involve human-human interaction. Implications are drawn for examiner training, test preparation, and an enriched understanding of the elements of pragmatic competence that can be elicited in computer-mediated speaking assessment.

The Effectiveness of L2 Pronunciation Instruction: A Critical Systematic Review of the Intervention Studies

Pronunciation instruction studies have taken considerable attention in the field of foreign language teaching and research in recent years. In this systematic review, only the intervention studies indexed in SSCI were included. A literature search up to April 2024 was conducted using the Web of Science and relevant meta-analytic studies. 55 interventions met the eligibility criteria based on the PRISMA 2020. This review is twofold: to examine the effects of English L2 pronunciation instruction and to identify the methodological status of these studies in terms of treatment formulation, design, sampling type/size, treatment duration and outcome measures. Results showed that pronunciation instruction treatments positively affected L2 users’ pronunciation performance. Regarding research methodology, the studies employed mostly pre- and post-tests, with at least one experimental group having relatively few delayed tests. The most common participant group was undergraduate students with pre-intermediate and intermediate levels. The participants' performance tended to be measured through technological tools in recent years. The suprasegmental features of speech increasingly took place compared to the mere segmental features. These studies also tended to include native speakers’ ratings in the assessment phase of the instruction. The findings of this study are assumed to provide insights and recommendations for future research studies

Compensatory strategies in child first language attrition within an Atlantic Creole

This study investigates compensatory strategies in lexical attrition that are applicable to Creole contact. There is evidence of lexical borrowing from a second language (L2), which is paired with discourse strategies such as exemplification and paraphrasing. Word coinage, metonymy, conversion and semantic contiguity are also all strategies implemented in an aim to compensate for lexical retrieval difficulties brought on by language attrition. It is found that an L2 User whose first language (L1) has become susceptible to language change may not solely employ a single strategy in an act of discourse, but may rather incorporate varying strategies, some of which serve the purpose of complementing other types of strategies in enabling successful communication. In the implementation of these strategies, though there may be influence from an L2, this L2 may not be dominant in the L2 users’ repertoire and L2 features borrowed into the L1 may be imperfectly acquired.

Playback interviews as a method for research on language ideologies: Citationality, reflexivity, and rapport in interdiscursive encounters

Abstract This contribution deals with the use of playback interviews in interactional sociolinguistics, a method wherein participants review audio or video recordings of their conversations and provide retrospective commentary. I first outline a brief history of the development of the playback method and how it was incorporated into the interactional sociolinguistic research agenda. As theoretical frameworks for playback interviews and their application to research on language ideologies remain underexplored, this article introduces three concepts from linguistic anthropology—citationality, reflexivity, and interdiscursivity—to theorize playback interviews from a semiotic perspective. Departing from these theories, playback interviews are contextualized within broader social dynamics, including participation frames, power, and rapport that are inherent in the interviewing process. Drawing on source recordings from interactions between L1 and European L2 users of Japanese in Tokyo, and playback sessions with the L2 users, I illustrate how playback interviews contribute to language-ideological inquiries, for example, perceptions of style and code-switching. The analysis showcases the method’s potential to unveil participants’ metapragmatic awareness and explore the intersection of linguistic structure, practice, and ideology. Playback interviews are positioned as a valuable tool for investigating language ideologies, offering new methodological perspectives through retrospection and reflection on communication.

A frequency-based exploratory study of word combinations by EFL learners towards adjective-noun collocations

The mastery of formulaic sequences by language learners is considered to be crucial since it enables them to accomplish the basic communicative requirements (Wray, 2002) of target language use. Of all the formulaic sequences, the mastery of collocations is known to have an enormous impact on learners’ ability to move beyond the intermediate level. This data-driven study explores the word combinations (both conventional and unconventional L2 strings) of L2 users of English. Specifically, the adjective-noun combinations in an L2 corpus (TUWE) were explored to find the potential L2 strings functioning as unconventional collocations. Then, these L2 strings were compared with the adjective-noun collocations in the LOCNESS corpus to determine whether the choices made by L2 learners differed from those of L1 users. The findings show that the spectrum of the L2 word combinations was broader in comparison with LOCNESS. The results suggest that the L2 learners produced a higher number of unconventional collocations than conventional collocations matching with the L1. The L2 strings support that the use of collocations can be rather problematic for learners of English however advanced they are. Some pedagogical implications of the findings for explicit collocation and vocabulary teaching are discussed.

The L2 Proficiency Effect on Mentalizing Abilities by Tibetan-Chinese-English Trilinguals

This study investigates the mentalizing performances of Tibetan-Chinese-English trilinguals with different L2 proficiency, using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test accuracy as a measurement index. The results indicated that trilinguals proficient in both Tibetan and Chinese outperformed those proficient in Tibetan and relatively proficient in Chinese in mentalizing abilities. A survey on language background revealed a positive correlation between L2 proficiency and L2 usage frequency. For Tibetan-Chinese-English trilinguals, Chinese proficiency and usage frequency may have significant effects on their development of mentalizing abilities and involvement in social interaction.

Narratives of Japanese nuclear immigrants in New Zealand: (in)(di)vesting in L2 and identity

ABSTRACT This article reports on a study that investigated the language learning and identity negotiation experiences of Japanese adults, nuclear immigrants, who left Japan and arrived in New Zealand after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident. Drawing on theories of investment, capital and communities of practice, the study explores how the nuclear immigrants negotiate their identities as L2 English learners and users within their New Zealand communities, both the L2 community and the L1 Japanese immigrant community infused with its own cultural and political ideologies. The study also asks why and how they invest or divest in English language learning and using practices. Data was collected via biographical narrative interviews from eight participants. Thematic narrative analysis identified themes which were interpreted in relation to dimensions of social activity represented by micro, meso, and macro levels. The findings indicate that the valuing and acceptance of the participants’ pre-existing capital serve as affordances to affirm and expand their identity, while rejection of their competence by sociocultural norms resulted in their withdrawal from the L2 communities, which eventually caused divestment in L2.

A Thorough Investigation into Foreign Language Writing Anxiety in a Turkish EFL Context

This study sought to investigate foreign language (L2) writing anxiety of Turkish students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) by focusing on the L2 writing anxiety levels; the prevailing types, perceived causes and effects of L2 writing anxiety; and the strategies that students employed to alleviate L2 writing anxiety. The study adopted a convergent parallel mixed-methods design consisting of a quantitative survey and qualitative open-ended interviews with the students studying at English Language and Literature undergraduate program at a state university in Türkiye. A total of 138 students responded to the questionnaire and eight volunteers among them were interviewed face to face. The survey data were analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics while interview records were analysed through thematic analysis. The findings converged on the point that the students displayed high levels of L2 writing anxiety and that time constraints and assessment orientation were the prominent factors leading to anxiety. The students’ L2 writing anxiety varied significantly across perceived L2 proficiency levels, demonstrating higher-level anxiety for the students reporting themselves as less proficient L2 users. Based on the interview reports, the student-perceived causes and effects of writing anxiety as well as the factors and relieving strategies were identified. Finally, recommendations for more effective strategies for alleviating English language learners’ L2 writing anxiety were discussed.