Language Practices Research Articles

Conceptualizing Linguistic and Cultural Identity among Breton and Arabic Users in Brittany

The linguistic diversity of France is a highly discussed topic, particularly in relation to the French state's (lack of) support for regional and minority languages (RMLs). There are approximately 200,000 speakers of the regional language Breton, while Arabic is the second-most widely spoken language in France with an estimated 3–4 million speakers. Recent studies have called for comparative analyses and this research seeks to fill this gap, focusing on individual speakers and their social experiences as they relate to language(s), diversity, and identity. This paper discusses findings of fieldwork conducted in Brittany with Breton and Arabic language users, examining how Breton and Arabic language users describe their language experiences, and how identity can be shaped by language practices. This research also explores how such language practices relate to diversity and multilingualism across France more broadly, and how individuals understand the multifaceted nature of identity using terms such as ‘double culture’ and ‘mélange’.

How Does Short Video Viewing Influence Young Children’s Everyday Language Practices? A Case Study of China

How Does Short Video Viewing Influence Young Children’s Everyday Language Practices? A Case Study of China

Exploring One Colombian Adolescent’s Diverse Literacies in his Rural Community

A deficit view of rural language learners’ out-of-school literacy practices has permeated formal educational and language policy globally. Intergovernmental organizations like the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, for instance, have often portrayed rural learners in Global South countries as having literacy deficits if their language skills are not in alignment with the practices valued in school contexts. These deficit representations are often instrumentalized as a tactic to oppress and exclude rural students’ literacies and language traditions from educational policy and curricula. Throughout this article, the authors – both language educators researching young people’s diverse literacy practices – aim to address and combat such problematic omissions. Following a sociocultural, multiliteracies framework, we analyzed two semi-structured interviews and accompanying artifacts to feature the literacies that a 14-year-old rural Colombian youth engages with daily. Results illuminate the myriad language practices honed outside of formal learning contexts, including family-based literacies, oral and embodied forms of communication, analyzing and composing with multimodal texts, and developing critical skills with digital texts to question national power relations and forge activist identities. The authors discussed the benefits of an expanded view of literacy – particularly for educators – in hopes of contributing to equity-based research advocating the recognition and inclusion of rural students’ vernacular literacies across formal learning spaces.

Parents’ multilingual storytelling in the school setting: evaluating influence on family language practices

The linguistic choices parents make while communicating with their bi- and multilingual children is fundamental to the development of their children’s linguistic repertoire and multilingual development. The involvement of parents in the implementation of multilingual pedagogies can play a fundamental role in fostering parents’ awareness on topics related to multilingualism. This paper illustrates school-based multilingual storytelling activities conducted by parents in a pre-school in northern Italy. The activity was designed as part of the project L’AltRoparlante (Carbonara & Scibetta, 2020), an Italian network of schools which adopted multilingual pedagogies at curricular level. The findings suggest that involving parents in multilingual pedagogies have a positive influence on family language use as they encourage children’s linguistic diversity awareness and parents’ biliteracy planning. Parents’ involvement in multilingual pedagogy can be a useful tool to build inclusive home-school collaborations and to guide parents in shaping multilingual storytelling activities at home.

Oral Proficiency in Higher Education: A Comprehensive Examination of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) for ESP Students

There have been various conceptualizations about the implementation of task-based language teaching (TBLT) in the context of English language teaching. TBLT has been proposed as a potentially efficacious approach for instructing English as a second language (ESL) in Asian settings, such as Indonesia. The present study aimed to investigate the optimal implementation of TBLT for higher education students in ESP classrooms. A cohort comprising seventy ESP students pursuing a degree in the Accounting Study Program participated as research subjects. This research used a descriptive quantitative research method. The results show that the implementation of TBLT into the teaching of speaking skills resulted in beneficial result concerning students in ESP classrooms. The findings of this study indicate a statistically significant increase in the mean scores of oral English proficiencies among students enrolled in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses, as seen by the comparison between pretest and post-test scores. This study can be implemented by providing opportunities for students to engage in spoken language practice rather than learning sessions primarily focused on the explicit instruction of grammatical rules and ESP students’ comprehensibility. This study can be applied in TBLT approach in the ESP classroom setting for comprehensibility in EFL students' oral English.

Language practice and beliefs of domestic and L2 English international students in an English-taught program in Japanese higher education

ABSTRACT This study compared domestic and international students regarding their self-evaluated English proficiency, language performance in English-medium instruction (EMI) classrooms, and their language beliefs. They were enrolled in an English-taught program (ETP) in a Japanese university. EMI courses and programs have strategically increased to attract overseas students and improve domestic students’ English proficiency. Despite extensive EMI research, few studies have focused on EMI experiences of both domestic and international students. Thus, the study analyzed online survey responses from 84 domestic and 24 international students, mostly from Asia. Noticeably, domestic students rated their English proficiency lower than their L2 English international group. Also, the former group found it significantly difficult in performing language tasks, compared to the latter group. Critically, L2 English international students preferred first language (L1) English-speaking instructors and expect non-L1 English lecturers to use native English, whereas Japanese students showed appreciation of lecturers using their L1 in EMI context.

The Application of Patriarchal Culture in the Scenes of the Film Nanti Kita Cerita Tentang Hari Ini

This research reveals the practice of patriarchal culture through narrative and cinematic character scenes in the film Nanti Kita Cerita Tentang Hari Ini, namely the character Narendra as a father who dominates women in domestic life. The purpose of this research is to find scenes of Narendra's character in dominating domestic life which is a representation of patriarchal culture. This research method uses a qualitative method with an interpretation approach to the patriarchal culture depicted by the director through narrative and cinematic aspects. Data collection techniques were carried out by observation, interviews and documentation. The results of this study show that the scenes built by the director through narrative and cinematic aspects show the practice of patriarchal culture and domination of women in domestic life. This research can contribute to how the director's experience of reading patriarchal culture and applying it in filmmakers' work practices in film language. Keywords: Patriarchy, Domination, Narrative, Cinematic.

ЛИНГВОКУЛЬТУРНЫЕ ЦЕННОСТИ В ЭПИЧЕСКОМ ДИСКУРСЕ (на материале якутского и алтайского эпических текстов)

This article is devoted to the identification of universal and national values in the epic texts Mighty Er Sogotokh and Maadai-Kara. The relevance of the study of the problem is due to the growing interest in the comparative study of linguistic and cultural features in multi-system languages based on the material of epic texts. The following methods are used in the work: the continuous sampling method, linguistic and cultural and interpretative analyses, and the comparative method. The material for the analysis was extracted by a continuous sampling method from the original texts of epic tales, provided with a line-by-line translation into Russian. The purpose of the work is to identify and describe universal and national-specific attitudes in the value perception of the surrounding world, reflected in the linguistic units of epic tales. The study revealed that both texts enshrine such basic values as family, attention to people, safety, respect for parents, Homeland, justice, health, etc., which show their relative stability in the temporal and spatial dimensions. The vital, cultural, moral, spiritual, terminal, and other values available in each community exist collectively in one context. It is also revealed that the life-affirming imperative is translated from the position of the characters, for example, the father and mother of the main characters or on behalf of the mistress of Altai, who have significant experience in pragmatic communication with the outside world and the nature of the worldview of the inhabitants of the space of their existence. Thus, a general picture of values is formed for transmission to the inexperienced, the young, or those who are looking for value supports to know themselves and others, are in search of answers to the multifaceted questions of human existence, etc. The prospect of further work is seen in a more detailed and in-depth development of the dominant values that determine the norms of behavior in various discursive practices of related languages.

Ethics and context in second language testing: rethinking validity in theory and practice. M. Rafael Salaberry, Albert Weideman, and Wei-Li Hsu (2023). New York, Routledge, 248 Pages, ISBN 9781032471754

A resounding body of scholarship highlights the necessity of considering ethical concerns and social impacts of language tests and assessment practices in second language (L2) education (Brown & Harris, 2016; Davies, 2008; Fan et al., 2017). Without taking these issues into account, ensuring the right, reliable, and fair judgment is a tough task for L2 practitioners (Cohen, 2006; Gipps & Stobart, 2009). Inspired by the significance of ethics in L2 assessment, various studies have been done on the perceptions of stakeholders and common professional codes of ethics in the field of L2 education (Brown et al., 2020; Shohamy, 2020). Nevertheless, the situated nature of ethics across contextual particularities and in light of test validation theory has remained under-addressed. Urged to bridge this gap, Salaberry, Weideman, and Hsu (2023) compiled a handbook entitled “Ethics and Context in Second Language Testing: Rethinking Validity in Theory and Practice”, as a timely response to the need for a critical approach to L2 assessment. In so doing, they collected the voices of different stakeholders from different languages and contexts to comprehensively picture the status of social justice and equity in language education. The book, hence, provides an overview of key concepts, theories, and models of ethics and validity in language education and makes seminal suggestions for researching and practicing these constructs. This invaluable handbook is momentous for teachers, students, and researchers, especially those majoring in applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, and language policy and planning.

Utilizing ChatGPT on Designing English Language Teaching (ELT) Materials in Indonesia: Opportunities and Challenges

This study aims to examine the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on pragmatic English language teaching in universities. The scope of the study is limited to the opportunities and challenges of English language teaching. This study was carried out using a mixed method of conducting surveys and in-depth interviews. A questionnaire link using Google Forms from Spreadsheet was sent to 6 English lecturers via WhatsApp group and personal contact. The study sample consisted of 6 English lecturers from state and private universities in Central Java. Observation, questionnaire analysis, and interview transcripts show that the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has created opportunities and challenges to teaching and learning English. AI has transformed English language teaching in higher education. The findings and discussion elaborate some novelties of this study; 1) the profile of utilizing ChatGPT in pragmatics ELT teaching, portrays that ChatGPT roles in teaching scenarios play 3 major sessions, like; designing creative and innovative pragmatics teaching materials, setting up the midterm test of pragmatics project, and lastly, assessing and evaluating the pragmatics final test project. 2) The opportunities of using ChatGPT for lecturers, ChatGPT is one of the most sophisticated AI tools available today, and it can write nearly anything that an instructor wants it to. ChatGPT can help lecturers with a variety of tasks, such as creating course outlines, student progress reports, test and quiz questions, and grading rubrics; developing more inclusive and accessible learning activities; interacting with students and their families; and contributing text for websites or bulletin boards to maintain a connection between students and their families. 3) The challenges of applying ChatGPT for lecturers; ChatGPT can provide immediate responses to student questions, ChatGPT can adapt to individual student needs, ChatGPT can increase accessibility and inclusivity by providing language support for students with diverse learning needs, ChatGPT can serve as a valuable tool for language practice and strengthening, ChatGPT can encourage active learning by encouraging students to ask questions, engage in discussions, and seek clarification on challenging concepts, Integrating ChatGPT into language teaching can inspire innovative teaching approaches, such as blended learning models, flipped classrooms, and gamified learning experiences, that leverage technology to improve student learning outcomes

Language and psychosocial oppression: Methodological approaches, challenges, and opportunities

ABSTRACT In this editorial, we introduce the special issue entitled, ‘Language and psychosocial oppression: Methodological approaches, challenges, and opportunities’. This special issue includes seven articles that were produced in relation to the growing attention being given to the psychological phenomena associated with (in)justice and (in)equity, with a particular focus on how justice-oriented agendas and interventions might be advanced. Specifically, the included articles point to ways in which more micro-oriented approaches to studying languaging practices might serve to analytically and theoretically foreground justice-oriented research aims.

An anti-racist English education

ABSTRACT In this conceptual article we offer a vision and a manifesto for an anti-racist English education, focusing particularly on language. Locating our work with anti-racist efforts in the UK, we conduct a brief historical reflection of these efforts, before turning our attention to the current politico-economic context and making a case for the urgent need for English teachers and teacher educators to commit to anti-racism within their work. We then outline what contemporary anti-racist efforts in English education might look, sound, and feel like. We argue for a greater attention to intersectional positionalities and activism in English education. We argue for anti-racist language policies which work in dialogue with other broader anti-racist efforts. We argue for the need to pay attention to specific contexts and racialised dynamics of institutions and local communities. We argue for anti-racist pedagogical stances which seek to sustain the language practices of marginalised children. Finally, we end with some clarifications and warn against seeing our manifesto as a reductive, tick-box exercise.

Analysis of Language Arts in Japanese Language and Literature in a Cross-Cultural Context

In the contemporary era of rapid globalization, cross-cultural communication has had a profound impact on the language arts of Japanese language and literature. This paper explores the language arts in Japanese language and literature from the perspective of cross-cultural communication, focusing on how different cultural elements have been integrated into Japanese language and literature under the background of globalization, and how this integration has changed the use of vocabulary, syntactic structure, rhetorical patterns and expressive techniques, and the creation of contexts and the construction of imagery in the Japanese language. Cross-cultural influences have not only led Japanese language and literature to innovate in form but also to become richer and more precise in conveying deep cultural and emotional expressions. The significance of these changes for future research and practice of Japanese language and literature is conducive to the promotion of intercultural understanding and communication through literature. These findings not only enhance the appreciation of Japanese language and literature but also strengthen the role of literature as a bridge in global cultural exchange.

Analisis Soal HOTS pada Soal Latihan Bahasa Indonesia Kelas IX dalam Fitur Aplikasi Ruang Guru

This research aims to: identify the form of HOTS questions at the analyzing (C4), evaluating (C5), and creating (C6) levels of Indonesian language practice questions for class IX SMP on the Ruang Guru application. This type of research is descriptive qualitative. The research instrument used is documentation research. The research results show that: HOTS form at analyzing level (C4) with indicators of distinguishing, organizing and attributing, HOTS question form at evaluating level (C5) with indicators examining and criticizing. Finally, form HOTS questions at the creating level (C6) with implementing indicators.

ENGLISH FOR ECONOMICS: THE CURRENT ONLINE RESOURCES

The article deals with the issue of online resources for English proficiency in economics. Despite distinct evidence of many scholars attention being paid to various aspects of the topic, the online resources for English in the field of economics require more detailed consideration. Due to the actuality of English proficiency in the modern sphere of economics, the aim of the research is to examine the current online resources in this field. The tasks imply distinguishing and analysing the peculiarities of online resources for learning English by the specialists in economics. The object of research is English for economic purposes, and the subject concerns the current online resources for English proficiency in economics. Considering the crucial role of English in the global economy, it is necessary to ensure that contemporary educational resources are easily accessible to sufficient language practice of economics professionals at any part of the world, in particular online.

Narratives of lingua franca English for transnational mobility

This paper explores, through narrative inquiry, the acquisition and use of English as a lingua franca in the careers of three transnationally mobile managers in the global hotel and hospitality industry. The narratives presented here are interwoven with the context in which the multinational participants were situated at the time of the study: the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which is diversifying economically and socially in preparation for the post-fossil fuel era. In a country where the temporary immigrant population outumbers national citizens, participants’ situated language practices are explored through narratives of their multilingual and translingual repertoires, while focusing on English as a key resource for their self-initiated transnational mobility. These personal stories of the acquisition and use of English as a global language weave a linguacultural web that connects the Gulf region across global space, people, and time. Participants tell of the utility of English for their careers, their multilingual repertoires, and their enjoyment of their temporary working lives in the Emirates. Such voices are seldom heard in the literature.

The relationship between teachers’ pedagogical practices in CLIL and the development of students’ foreign language oral proficiency

Abstract This study investigated the relationship between foreign language (FL) oral proficiency development and teachers’ pedagogical practices in content and language integrated learning (CLIL). A one-group pretest-posttest design was employed to analyze changes in Japanese university students’ FL proficiency over time, alongside classroom observations and interviews that captured their teachers’ classroom pedagogies in CLIL courses. The results generally indicated that students improved their capacity to achieve communicative goals but failed to exhibit progress in oral linguistic competence. The former outcome was attributed to predominantly meaning-focused instruction, the use of dialogic pedagogy, and ample opportunities to practice FL speaking. In contrast, the absence of explicit language instruction and limited practice of fluency development tasks was perceived to lead to the latter outcome. These findings not only contribute to understanding the effects of CLIL on FL learning, but also shed light on the specific pedagogy-related factors that contribute to FL proficiency development.

Code switching patterns in Kazakh-Russian hybrid language practice: An empirical study

The study investigates Kazakh-Russian and Russian-Kazakh code switching in the framework of hybrid language practice to provide insights into the sense-making process among bilinguals. The unique characteristics of the synchronic linguistic situation in Kazakhstan stem from historically rooted ethnic bi- and multilingualism. Language switching has evolved into a tool for addressing communicative partners and sustaining communication in bilingual culture, rather than being viewed as a deviant pattern. It appears to be a dynamic resource for ensuring mutual understanding and harmonised communication. The study aims to reveal the motivations behind individuals’ language switching, how Kazakh and Russian speakers explain hybrid communication, and their sentiments towards it. Data from two surveys conducted in January-February of 2021 and January of 2024 are presented. Each survey involved 50 respondents with higher education, ranging in age from 21 to 40, who have resided in Kazakhstan for an extended period, with many being native-born residents. We argue that switching between the Kazakh and Russian languages serves as a communicative tool utilised by Kazakh and Russian speakers to signify their belonging to a specific sociocultural community. The study posits that hybrid language practice can be viewed from two underlying perspectives: from a ‘deficit’ perspective, signalling limited proficiency in Russian or/and Kazakh, and from a more complex sense-making communicative perspective, assisting interaction. As part of the sense-making process and in sustaining interaction with communication partners, code switching serves an instrumental function. Importantly, hybrid language practice is not portrayed as a sign of cultural decline. There is no strong correlation between the mixing of Russian and Kazakh and social, cultural, and educational barriers. Further implications for research are prompted by the rapidly changing situation. The development of the Kazakh language as a state language is becoming a major goal and central focus in this evolving context, which inevitably raises the issues of linguistic ideology. Distinguishing between ideologically neutral analysis and critical analysis of language use as a tool of symbolic power for specific social groups would provide a more gradient picture of the dynamics in Kazakhstan’s bi- and multilingual situation.

Identity threat through the lens of heritage language maintenance: second-generation Indian diaspora in Sydney, Australia

ABSTRACT Australia’s demographic is transforming rapidly due to its increasing immigration rate, leading to the diversification of its linguistic and cultural landscape and resources. This makes it integral to study and understand the linguistic skills and repertoire of migrants, and its impacts on their identity formation and threat. Despite Indian migrants’ growing population rate in Australia, there is a scarcity of studies on their linguistic skills and repertoire. To fill in this gap, a large-scale study was conducted in Sydney, Australia. This paper explores 54 second-generation Indian migrants’ proficiency in two Indian heritage languages: Hindi and an Indian regional language that they spoke the most. Either of these languages could be their first or other language. This is followed by an evaluation of their language practices in the home and public domains. The results of their proficiency in Indian heritage languages and their language preference and use are fundamental in inferring their attitudes towards their ethnic identity in a transnational context.

Navigating linguacultures through fanfiction: unveiling opportunities and challenges in the Chilean EFL school context

Recently, fanfiction has gained attention in the field of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) as it provides space for language practice to facilitate genre-based writing and literacy development. However, there is limited research on using fanfiction as a pedagogical tool to encourage both language and culture learning in diverse foreign language (FL) school contexts. To address this gap, this article presents a pedagogical innovation that aligns fanfiction with a linguacultural (LC) framework to involve students in collaborative, technology-enhanced LC learning. The study involved 15 EFL school teachers in Chile who participated in a workshop on LC-based fanfiction project design. Data collected included teachers’ project plans and reflective journals. Analysis of teachers’ project plans identified creative opportunities for bi-linguacultural practice, online exchange, and identity reflection. Triangulation with teachers’ reflective journals revealed the benefits of fanfiction for enhancing student engagement, language creativity, cultural awareness, and use of information communication technologies (ICTs). However, challenges were identified, ranging from student-related issues to the complexities of remote teaching in rural areas. This study emphasizes the significance of exploring pedagogical innovations in diverse FL contexts, to identify and challenge the contextualized barriers hindering successful integration of language, culture, and technology in the classroom.