Second Language Research Articles

A Brief Analysis of the Cultural and Social Phenomenon of Internet Memes in the Context of Media Convergence

As a major branch of network buzzwords, "meme culture" refers to the cultural phenomenon that the majority of netizen groups in the network field repeatedly quote and use events that are commonly agreed upon and have a certain special meaning, so as to achieve the expected funny effect and cause certain social resonance. In the era of media convergence, the endless emergence of network buzzwords and "meme culture" social phenomenon is overwhelming, these secondary language expression has gradually integrated into the three-dimensional real life, the language and writing expression ability of modern people is being reshaped, so these network meme culture has become the cultural sign of the times. Therefore, this paper tries to analyze the rise and development of network terrier culture under the context of media integration, as well as the reasons for the emergence of the social phenomenon of network meme culture, its social impacts and social mentality, etc. The aim is to help people better deal with this linguistic phenomenon in their lives, to treat it rationally and to guide it with goodwill, to realize the benign development of network meme culture, and to put forward effective suggestions in line with the requirements of the development of the times.

“In Banmal I Can Just Let My Freak Flag Fly”: Authenticity and Second Language Identity in Korean (Non-)Honorifics

ABSTRACT Honorifics are one of the most difficult aspects of Korean as a foreign language (KFL). Part of this difficulty stems from their highly cultural and indexical nature. Previous studies have shown that while these forms are difficult to acquire, second language (L2) Korean speakers use them in intentional and individual ways. However, studies have not shown how L2 speakers’ use of honorific and non-honorific language is, or is not, authentic to them. This study sought to analyze the relationship between authenticity and L2 identity through L2 Korean speakers’ use of honorific and non-honorific language. Through semi-structured interviews with 10 intermediate and advanced L2 Korean speakers, the results of this study reveal that identity is a mediating factor in authentic (non-)honorific language use. Based on participants’ identities, honorific forms were at times authentic and inauthentic whereas non-honorific forms were only described as authentic.

Does it make a difference? COVID-19 and its effect on a factor structure of SRL in an EFL online context

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is considered an important skill for not only academic achievement, but also second language (L2) development. Proficient L2 speakers often display more developed SRL skills than novices, and it has been shown that SRL instruction can improve L2 learning results. In Japan, the context of this paper, little research had been done on SRL in online L2 learning environments prior to the emergency remote teaching (ERT) period during COVID-19, and the effects of that period are still forthcoming. This study aims to fill the gap by conducting a factor analysis of the SRL of 498 EFL learners across 12 Japanese universities at the end of the first year of ERT in 2021. The results from exploratory factor analysis (EFA) indicated that four factors (goal setting, task strategies, environmental structuring, and classmate communication) were important with classmate communication being a new combined factor of help seeking and self-evaluation. Additional analysis based on prior online learning experience indicated that experience played a role in SRL in online L2 learning contexts. These findings suggest that instruction of SRL and carefully cultivated classroom environments could be beneficial for online L2 learning success.

Colonial acts in Norwegian EAL textbooks – Relations between coloniser and colonised

This article discusses representations of colonial acts and the relationship between coloniser and colonised in EAL (English as an Additional Language) textbooks produced for grades 5–7 in Norwegian schools. Multimodal and critical discourse analyses are used to analyse the textbook series. We present five extracts from these textbooks that exemplify findings common to all the textbook series. Findings show that tokenism, exclusion and marginalisation are still common in textbooks. Implications for teachers are discussed, together with the need for them to gain greater critical awareness of teaching materials and to develop their own knowledge of colonialism, and its effects.

L1–L2 Influence in Intonation: A Case of Russophone Immigrants in Brazil

This paper is devoted to the features of sentence prosody (intonation) in Brazilian Portuguese spoken by immigrants whose first language is Russian, and explores the consequences that L1–L2 influence in intonation may have for communication. The study addressed four research questions: (1) Do Brazilian Portuguese L2 speakers with Russian L1 always succeed in producing the correct utterance type? (2) Can L1–L2 influence lead to misunderstanding of connotations? (3) Is it possible that sometimes L1–L2 influence leads to being perceived as too emotional or not emotional enough? (4) Can L1–L2 influence in intonation be a significant factor in the perception of accent? In a perceptual experiment, productions of four target utterances in Brazilian Portuguese by Russian L1 and Brazilian Portuguese L1 speakers were evaluated by 124 Brazilian listeners in terms of sentence type, possible connotations, accent and arousal. The target utterances included three questions of different types and an exclamation. The findings revealed that the speaker’s L1 influenced the perception of prosodic meanings by Brazilian listeners. In some cases, interference from Russian melodic contours caused the incorrect identification of the sentence type in Brazilian Portuguese. However, even when sentence type was perceived correctly, differences could be found regarding the perception of arousal or accent.

Differentiation of ‘multilingual children’ in early education through knowledge of family language practices

ABSTRACT In this study, the notion of ‘multilingual children’ is differentiated by problematizing overgeneralizations or homogenizing of children with potentially different experiences of language(s). The aim is to generate knowledge of how minority language–speaking children use their language(s) outside the education system through teacher–parent dialogue. The terms family language(s) and minority/majority language(s) are argued to capture the situated character of language(s) and to avoid labelling children’s languages from an outside perspective. The analysis conceived as abductive is based on 33 dialogues. The findings imply the children participating in multilingual practices including English as an additional language, and the opposite: the children are rather monolingual in their language use. A conclusion drawn is that being a multilingual child/parent in early childhood education in a monolingual society can be understood in terms of how the space for participation is facilitated and countered.

Effects of playback speed and language proficiency on listening comprehension of multilingual English learners

ABSTRACT For multilingual English as an additional language learners (EALLs), listening is a critical skill that they must master. This quasi-experimental study examined if playback speed, overall English proficiency, and listening sub-scores affected the listening comprehension of EALLs. It also addressed if any of these effects were moderated by certain background and experiential factors. Data sources included a survey, listening comprehension sub-scores, overall English proficiency scores (TOEFL), and two listening comprehension test scores based on a set of easier and harder questions. Before taking the listening comprehension test, 168 students in English-medium institutions in Turkey and China listened to a 10-minute TED-talk YouTube video at three playback speed levels (slower: 0.75; default/normal: 1; faster: 1.25). Several statistically significant differences were obtained between the three groups regarding these measures. Results suggested that the playback speed and proficiency levels (both overall proficiency and listening sub-scores) matter both for the easier and harder comprehension questions. Implications of these findings for additional language education are described. Through the use of playback speed manipulation, this study underscores the crucial role customized instructional approaches play in enhancing listening comprehension for EALLs on video platforms like YouTube.

Standardisation and the role of language editors in synchronising Võro hybrid literacy practices

ABSTRACT Our paper focuses on the standardisation of Võro, the most spoken and cultivated South Estonian language. According to the 2021 census, there are ca 100,000 Võro and Seto speakers with varying bilingual backgrounds from activist L1 speakers – who have been developing Standard Võro and language technologies (LT) for language transfer – to people with receptive knowledge, L2 speakers, whose Võro (and Seto) literacy can be described as hybrid. The bulk of speakers, however, have only embraced reading and writing Võro in their adult life and are socialised into Standard Estonian literacy. Standard Estonian was cultivated mostly from North Estonian varieties whose speakers outnumbered their South Estonian counterparts. In this paper, we aim to understand the process of standardisation and especially the role of language editors in it by reviewing and examining the principles of codification and analysing interview data.

Relocating from EFL to EMI: a case study on L2 learning motivation of English major students in a transnational university in China

Drawing from (Dörnyei’s, The Psychology of the language learner: Individual differences in second language acquisition, 2005) L2 Motivational Self System, this case study delved into the L2 learning motivations of liberal arts and science English majors at a transnational university in China, where English Medium Instruction (EMI) is prevalent. The study aimed to uncover how the EMI educational setting, alongside disciplinary backgrounds, shapes students' motivational landscapes. Utilising a mixed-methods approach, a 4-point Likert scale questionnaire was first administered to 182 students, followed by semi-structured interviews with six purposively selected participants to ensure a representation of diverse perspectives. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and an independent samples t-test to pinpoint motivational differences between the two groups, with Cohen’s d effect size test further elucidating the significance of these differences. Thematic analysis of qualitative data provided a deeper layer of insight, which, when cross-examined with quantitative results, revealed a nuanced understanding of motivational dynamics. Key findings highlighted that both student groups were driven by factors such as ideal L2 self, ought-to L2 self, international posture, and instrumentality. However, within the EMI context, liberal arts students exhibited heightened sensitivity to their ought-to L2 selves, language anxiety, and teacher influence compared to their science counterparts (p < 0.05, dCohen > 0.8). These distinctions underscore the EMI context's role in modulating motivational profiles, particularly accentuating certain motivational factors among liberal arts students. In light of these EMI-mediated motivational nuances, the study proposes several educational implications, including enhancing teachers’ professional development training, integrating English learning in EMI programmes with students’ aspirations, and fostering intercultural interactions to enrich students’ language and cultural experiences.

Associate teachers’ perceptions of reciprocal teaching and learning in physical education lessons

ABSTRACT Physical Education (PE) Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes are responsible for preparing teachers who can address the needs of an ever-changing and increasingly diverse student population. This paper analyses associate teachers’ (ATs) use of the reciprocal approach and the perceived impact on students’ learning and social inclusion in PE lessons. Questionnaires and group interviews with 23 ATs were used to explore the impact of the reciprocal approach. Thematic analysis was then used to interrogate the data and identify patterns of response. The findings revealed that ATs valued the reciprocal approach for its impact on students’ motor skills and understanding. Moreover, the ATs identified an effect on inclusion and language development, particularly for English as an Additional Language students. These findings have implications for providers of ITE as the distinct features of the reciprocal approach helped ATs to develop their practice and address the needs of their students.

Hearing parents as sign language learners: describing and evaluating the ASL skills of parents learning ASL with their deaf children

ABSTRACT Hearing parents who endeavour to learn American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate with their deaf children are a unique but understudied population of adult language learners. In this study, we assessed the expressive and receptive ASL skills of hearing parents of deaf children (n = 55). Expressive ASL skills were evaluated through elicited language samples, and scored using adapted rubrics from the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. For a subset of participants (n = 20), an additional language sample was obtained and coded for lexical and grammatical features of ASL. Receptive ASL skills were measured using the ASL-Comprehension Test. Across measures, participants demonstrated language skills in the beginner to intermediate range. Parents’ signing samples showed a range of ASL linguistic features including classifier constructions. Our findings suggest that hearing parents can learn ASL and should be encouraged to do so to support language development in their deaf children.

Co-journeying with ChatGPT in tertiary education: identity transformation of EMI teachers in Taiwan

ABSTRACT This paper responds to the prevalent discourse on the ‘lack of English proficiency’ among EMI teachers in contexts where English is used as an additional language. It explores how AI-powered tools, particularly ChatGPT, enable EMI teachers in Taiwan to leverage their expertise and teach in English with more confidence. This study first describes the training of an EMI PD programme. Then it reports on the challenges and strategies, and the extended and innovative use by EMI teachers after the training. By reporting on the experiences of three EMI teachers, this study shows how collaborating with ChatGPT contributes to developing an empowered EMI teacher identity. This study fills a research gap, shedding light on the transformative potential of collaborating with ChatGPT to transform content teachers’ identities into an EMI teacher identity.

Exploring the Interplay Between Language Comprehension and Cortical Tracking: The Bilingual Test Case.

Cortical tracking, the synchronization of brain activity to linguistic rhythms is a well-established phenomenon. However, its nature has been heavily contested: Is it purely epiphenomenal or does it play a fundamental role in speech comprehension? Previous research has used intelligibility manipulations to examine this topic. Here, we instead varied listeners' language comprehension skills while keeping the auditory stimulus constant. To do so, we tested 22 native English speakers and 22 Spanish/Catalan bilinguals learning English as a second language (SL) in an EEG cortical entrainment experiment and correlated the responses with the magnitude of the N400 component of a semantic comprehension task. As expected, native listeners effectively tracked sentential, phrasal, and syllabic linguistic structures. In contrast, SL listeners exhibited limitations in tracking sentential structures but successfully tracked phrasal and syllabic rhythms. Importantly, the amplitude of the neural entrainment correlated with the amplitude of the detection of semantic incongruities in SLs, showing a direct connection between tracking and the ability to understand speech. Together, these findings shed light on the interplay between language comprehension and cortical tracking, to identify neural entrainment as a fundamental principle for speech comprehension.

STYLISTIC ROLE OF DETERMINED VOCABULARY IN PUBLICISTIC STYLE (Based on the material of Lina Kostenko’s article “The Humanitarian Aura of a Nation, or The Defect of the Main Mirror”)

This research aims to analyze the stylistic possibilities of deterministic vocabulary in a journalistic style based on the material of Lina Kostenko’s article “The Humanitarian Aura of the Nation, or the Defect of the Main Mirror”. To achieve this goal, we have carried out a continuous selection of quotes from the analyzed article using lexical units that have undergone determination; described the thematic classes of deterministic lexemes, distinguished the decisions of the functional, lexical-semantic, and traced semantic-stylistic levels, the semantic modifications of the deterministic vocabulary; revealed the stylistic role of determinations for achieving a communicative goal. The article uses several linguistic and general scientific research methods: the continuous selection method that we used to single out quotes in which the author used deterministic lexemes; based on semantic analysis, we have carried out a thematic classification of the studied material; statistical methods made it possible to reveal quantitative parameters of thematic groups of deterministic vocabulary; with the help of structural-thematic and semantic analysis, we have classified selected lexemes according to the levels of determination; we have also applied the interpretive method to reveal the semantics of deterministic lexical units in specific contexts, of analysis. We have also used descriptive, comparative, component, and deductive research methods to accomplish the article’s aim. We have singled out 167 quotations with lexical units that underwent determination and were used for different stylistic or content purposes. We have identified 146 terms of twenty-one thematic groups. The most frequently presented general scientific terms (19.2%), political science (13.8%), psychological (9.6%), and historical (8.9%) terms, the dominance of which can be explained primarily by the content features of the analyzed work. Considering the degree of loss of the signs of the term by the lexeme, 67% of determined lexemes are functional determinations that belong mainly to the groups of general scientific terms and terms of the socio-political sphere. We have established that the functional determinations reflect the features of the modern communicative space, testify to the high intellectual level of the author, and are aimed at the same educated readers. Determinations of the lexical-semantic level arise due to the modification of term semantics and the emergence of a new, universal meaning of the lexeme, usually recorded in explanatory dictionaries. Thanks to the combination of language units from different thematic fields, seven intentions are actualized, additional common language connotations are superimposed, and original imagery arises – all this contributes to the emergence of a specific expression inherent in the journalistic style of literary language. We have revealed that the term gets the semantic-stylistic level of determination when it undergoes certain semantic modifications and becomes an element of an artistic device (trope, stylistic figure). The specificity of Lina Kostenko’s creative style determines the presence of complex artistic images in the analyzed work, which combine semantic transformations and stylistic means – figures, and tropes. Usually, artistic metaphors with antitheses, oxymorons, epithets, phraseology, etc., are intertwined in one quote. Determinations contribute to the semantic accuracy, exactness, and imagery of speech and reflect the author’s subjective perception of the corresponding subject or phenomenon, strengthen the author’s assessment of what was said, and contribute to the statement’s expression.

A Case of Kiswahili as a Second Language Classroom

In Second Language (SL) classroom interactions, teachers and learners might face language mismatch due to learners’ limited target language (TL) linguistic resources. In such situations, communication strategies (CS) like approximation, non-verbal cues, code-switching, and others help to compensate for the breakdown. However, in most SL classes, teachers either do not use these strategies to ease interaction with their learners or use them without noticing their significance. Thus, it is questionable whether SL teachers are cognizant of the use of CSs when interacting with their learners. This paper examines teachers’ knowledge of the use of Communication Strategies (CSs) in Kiswahili as a Second Language (KSL) classrooms in Tanzania. In particular, the present paper seeks to determine the CSs used by KSL teachers and to ascertain their cognizance of the use of CSs in classroom interaction. The research on which this paper is based was a qualitative case study involving three KSL teachers, purposively sampled from the Kiswahili na Utamaduni (KIU) training centre. Classroom observation and personal interviews were used to collect data. Findings indicate that the teachers relied on code-switching and used CSs with limited knowledge of specific strategies. This study recommends that KSL teachers should be given awareness to be able to consider using recommended CSs effectively to facilitate classroom interaction. In addition, teachers’ training colleges should consider involving units on CSs in language teaching courses.

A perceptual similarity space for speech based on self-supervised speech representations.

Speech recognition by both humans and machines frequently fails in non-optimal yet common situations. For example, word recognition error rates for second-language (L2) speech can be high, especially under conditions involving background noise. At the same time, both human and machine speech recognition sometimes shows remarkable robustness against signal- and noise-related degradation. Which acoustic features of speech explain this substantial variation in intelligibility? Current approaches align speech to text to extract a small set of pre-defined spectro-temporal properties from specific sounds in particular words. However, variation in these properties leaves much cross-talker variation in intelligibility unexplained. We examine an alternative approach utilizing a perceptual similarity space acquired using self-supervised learning. This approach encodes distinctions between speech samples without requiring pre-defined acoustic features or speech-to-text alignment. We show that L2 English speech samples are less tightly clustered in the space than L1 samples reflecting variability in English proficiency among L2 talkers. Critically, distances in this similarity space are perceptually meaningful: L1 English listeners have lower recognition accuracy for L2 speakers whose speech is more distant in the space from L1 speech. These results indicate that perceptual similarity may form the basis for an entirely new speech and language analysis approach.

The relationship between 'school readiness' and later persistent absenteeism.

Post-pandemic school absence is an increasing concern for governments worldwide. Absence is associated with poor academic outcomes and long-term illness (physical and mental). Absenteeism increases the risk of financial difficulties in adulthood and involvement in the criminal justice system. We hypothesized that early childhood problems might be an antecedent of absenteeism. We tested this hypothesis by investigating the pre-pandemic association between school readiness and persistent absenteeism using a population-linked dataset. Analyses included 62,598 children aged 5-13 years from the Connected Bradford database (spanning academic years 2012/13 to 2019/20). Special educational needs status, English as an Additional Language status, socioeconomic status, sex and ethnicity were covariates significantly associated with persistent absenteeism. Children who were not 'school ready' had increased odds of being persistently absent later in their education journey after controlling for these covariates. School readiness was associated with even greater odds of being persistently absent over two or more years. These findings show (i) the seeds of absenteeism are sown early in childhood; (ii) absenteeism shows the hallmark of structural inequities; and (iii) the potential of 'school readiness' measures to identify children at risk of long-term disengagement from the education system.

VARIABLE APPROACH TO FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION AT A HIGHER INSTITUTION

Variable approach to foreign language teaching aims to develop the secondary language personality of future specialists, ensures professionally oriented research, individualizes the training process and encourages students to self-train in foreign languages. It is necessary to create a diverse educational space, an individual learning path. Applying a variable approach in a higher education institution will focus on the language skills, personal and professional interests, cognitive learning styles and psychological characteristics of students, it will improve foreign language learning motivation and ensure better language training for future professionals.

Do textbooks reflect learners’ diversity? A case study of Grade 4 English and life skills textbooks

Textbooks socialise and legitimise cultural norms, and therefore, learners’ social worlds should find expression in their textbooks. In the study reported on here we examined how Grade 4 English First Additional Language and life skills textbooks reflected learner diversity in South African schools as manifested in their racial, gender, occupational, ability and geographical profiling in the textbooks. Content analysis was used to systematically identify instances of diversity representation in Grade 4 English First Additional Language and life skills textbooks. Quantitative content analysis accounted for the ubiquity of human characters’ reflection in textbooks on the diversity variables in question. Qualitative analysis focused on the depiction of characters’ gender roles. Quantitative data suggest that learners’ social worlds were generally represented in the selected textbooks. However, males enjoyed greater visibility than females, and the visibility of disabled people was low. The 2 life skills and 1 English textbook portrayed both urban and rural settings. The qualitative analysis uncovered some gender stereotyping, where, for example, women were depicted in lower positions compared to men’s high-paying vocations like judges, scientists, or doctors. Boys were depicted receiving prizes for their Matric achievements. Implications for publishers and writers commissioned to write textbooks include the need to consider representation of learner diversity in textbooks. The Department of Education should develop guidelines that promote such representation.

Mitigating the COVID-19 Induced Learning Loss in Rural Primary Schools: How Do Teachers Prepare English FAL Learners for Self-Directed Learning in the ‘New Normal’?

In the post-pandemic era, the ongoing discourses are centered around finding innovative ways to sustain teaching and learning as well as reversing COVID-19-induced learning loss, especially in critical areas, such as reading in English First Additional Language (FAL). As a contribution to these discourses, the current study explored how teachers prepared rural English FAL learners for self-directed learning to mitigate COVID-19-induced learning loss and to sustain learning in the ‘new normal’. The study followed a qualitative approach and adopted phenomenology as a research design, while the Capability Approach was used for theoretical framing. Three teachers of English FAL in one primary school were conveniently selected to participate in the semi-structured focus-group interviews. A thematic analysis revealed that teachers prepared English FAL learners to use self-directed learning by apprising learners of their active role in learning English FAL, identifying learners’ weaknesses, strengthening the home-school connection, and encouraging collaboration and problem-solving. These findings imply that self-directed learning could be a useful strategy for mitigating COVID-19-induced learning loss and improving reading skills in rural primary schools.