Monolingual Classes Research Articles

Backflagging revisited: A case study on bueno in English-Spanish bilingual speech

Most approaches to discourse markers tend to rely on observation on the behavior of monolingual classes of markers. In this paper, we offer a detailed analysis of the behavior and function of a single Spanish discourse marker, namely bueno, in bilingual discourse as opposed to its bilingual counterpart well. In particular, we compare pragmatic factors, and namely fine-grained differences between Spanish bueno and English well, with interactional factors such as the position of the marker in monological vs. dialogical sequences. Finally, we also take into account the impact of individual linguistic choices by comparing the behavior of different speakers when using the scrutinized discourse marker. Thus, we do not only contribute to and expand on previous literature on the behavior of discourse markers, but we also offer a new perspective to further study discourse markers in situations of language contact.

My i Oni: O językowych wykładnikach wyrażających stosunek nauczycieli do uczniów cudzoziemców w świetle krytycznej analizy dyskursu

The following study utilises the data from a larger project (Rokita-Jaśkow et al., 2022) with a view to analysing the way in which EFL teachers describe their encounters with multilingual learners in their monolingual classes within critical discourse analysis framework and positioning theory. The analysis showed that the teachers studied position themselves and their students in relation to the newcomers differently depending on the language(s) they speak. The Us and Others distinction was more prominent in relation to English-speaking return migrant children, whom they positioned higher than their monolingual Polish students, and with whom they often struggled to maintain equal, if not superior position. Conversely, other multilinguals were positioned on the same level as Polish learners, yet subordinate to the teacher’s dominant role. It is concluded that such positioning, though marks inclusivity, signals persistent power relations in the educational setting, which may counteract integration of multilinguals.

The pertinence and feasibility of implementing a plurilingual approach in Quebec, Canada: the beliefs of pre-service ESL teachers

ABSTRACT The field of language pedagogy has increasingly advocated for the implementation of plurilingual approaches which promote learners’ ability to mobilize all linguistic resources at their disposal in order to communicate in different situations with various interlocutors [Cabré Rocafort 2019. “The Development of Plurilingual Education Through Multimodal Narrative Reflection in Teacher Education: A Case Study of a Pre-Service Teacher’s Beliefs About Language Education.” Canadian Modern Language Review 75 (1): 40–64; Coste, Moore, and Zarate 2009. Plurilingual and Pluricultural Competence.]. The implementation of such approaches, however, relies greatly on teachers’ openness and ability to help their learners explore their linguistic and cultural repertoires. To date, the beliefs of pre-service teachers (PSTs) in Quebec regarding the implementation of plurilingual approaches remain under-researched. This exploratory study aimed at examining the beliefs of future teachers regarding the pertinence and feasibility of implementing a plurilingual approach, as well as the impact of teacher education and previous language learning experiences on these beliefs. An online questionnaire was shared with undergraduate ESL teacher education programs across the province of Quebec and answers from 52 PSTs were collected and analyzed. Results suggest that future teachers were reluctant to implement a plurilingual approach, despite holding positive beliefs towards certain underlying principles of plurilingualism. Findings also indicate that PSTs are heavily encouraged, during teacher education, to maintain a monolingual class policy. Pedagogical implications are discussed in light of research on plurilingualism and PSTs’ beliefs.

Communicative data-driven learning: a two-year pilot study

Abstract With the development of language corpora, linguists have been able to identify how often specific words, phrases, and expressions are used, and in which contexts. However, applications of corpora in the wider domain of language teaching have remained limited. This article presents an approach to utilizing corpora, combining principles from communicative language teaching and data-driven learning, and based on a two-year action-research-based trial of the approach with a monolingual class at a Japanese university. Beginning with learner training in their L1, students learned to analyse concordance lines and were given the opportunity to recontextualize and conceptualize any identified language patterns and features through realistic communicative activities. While challenges remain in relation to the effectiveness of learner training and the preparation of suitable concordance lines, students were found to have increased their fluency and accuracy, and to have made improvements to their speaking confidence and complexity.

Representations as Metalinguistic Macro-Awareness: An Experiment on 11–12 Years Old Greek Students within the Framework of Pluralistic Approaches

Summary In order to transition from a monolingual foreign language course to a multilingual one, all the elements that are connected to students’ cognition should be taken into consideration in order to facilitate this shift. Working with classes of French as a Foreign Language involving 11–12 years old Greek students, our study revealed that by switching to multilingual teaching, students’ representations of language(s) start to emerge; these representations had in most cases been hidden, incoherent and fossilized in teaching monolingual classes. While considering metalinguistic awareness, a variable that is central to our research, as a prerequisite for resolving problems emerging in a multilingual educational context, this article seeks to show that the representations language learners make of themselves and their learning constitute metalinguistic reflection at a macro level, which may influence how metalinguistic awareness functions when performing multilingual tasks. This paper focuses on the processing of qualitative data: meta-discourse analysis of the learners participating in our study led us to establish a typology of representations that enabled us to highlight what aspects to focus on in the classroom so as to prepare students to reflect on language more intensively. This involved guiding learners towards modifying their representational framework, by addressing deficiencies and correcting their representations characterized as “unproductive”, in order to take full advantage of multilingual teaching/learning situations.

Dispelling the monolingual myth: exploring literacy outcomes in Australian bilingual programmes

ABSTRACT The enduring monolingual mindset in English-speaking countries results in widespread belief that additional language learning takes time away from literacy in the societal language. Yet, extensive research has shown that time spent learning additional languages enhances learners’ literacy skills, providing first language literacy is sufficiently supported. This paper examines the achievements of students at four primary schools in Australia, where bilingual programmes were implemented to teach subject content through an additional language. Data from the national standardised literacy and numeracy assessment were gathered to compare students within the bilingual programmes with those not in the bilingual programmes. Results show higher performance for students in the bilingual programmes compared to their peers in monolingual classes. Drawing on data from a broader study of formal and informal assessment in these schools, this paper presents the standardised test results and teacher qualitative beliefs about literacy development. Findings show that the bilingual style of learning suits children irrespective of many contextual factors and that children’s literacy in English is enhanced by the addition of a second or subsequent language.

Insegnare italiano attraverso la storia. L’approccio CLIL e il peso di conoscenze pregresse e curriculum di studio nella definizione del rapporto tra contenuto e lingua

This article considers problematic aspects of the CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) approach to the teaching of historical subjects in a foreign language. Specifically, the teaching of history of the Mediterranean region in a monolingual class of learners of Italian as foreign language is examined as a case study.
 The main lexical areas developed during four years of bachelor studies in Italian philology are compared with the main lexical competences actually required in the Lithuanian job market for translators specialized in Italian language. The incongruences between the competences required by employers and those developed at university constitute the base for a discussion about the validity of several CLIL precepts.
 Firstly, the CLIL principle that the content (the subject) should always determine the teacher’s lexical choices, and generally, the teaching language, is challenged. As an example, the teaching of history in Italian would impose the use of passato remoto tense, which in the job market seems to be almost unnecessary. Secondly, the author challenges the idea that the list of topics should be determined independently from other factors such as the type of audience. On the contrary, a preliminary evaluation of student’s prior knowledge permits to define topics capable of stimulating certain cognitive and communicative abilities coherently with the requirements of the job market.
 In the conclusions, the author claims the whole four-years study curriculum should be considered in order to define the aims of a CLIL course. Secondly, in a monolingual class, a survey of student’s prior knowledge is fundamental to determine the series of topics presented in a CLIL module. Finally, it does not seem necessarily true, that the subjects discussed must determine the register and lexical choices of the teacher. 

THE HUMOR STORY IN TEACHING READING COMPREHENSION

The objective of the research were to find out whether or not the use of Humor Story can improve the students’ reading comprehension and Students interest at the Eighth of SMP Negeri 4 Pancarijang. This research employed a mixed method that applied monolingual class. The population of this research was the eighth grade students in academic year 2018-2019. There were 65 students spread in 3 classes ( VIII.1, VIII.2, and VIII.3) and each class consist appropriately 20-22 students. The researcher took simple random and chose VIII.2 as the representative and the number of total sample is 21 students. The data of the research were collected by using two kinds of instruments, namely reading comprehension test and questionnaire. Reading test was used to obtain data of the students’ reading comprehension ability and questionnaire was used to know the students interest in Reading Comprehension by using Humor Story. The result of data analysis showed that there was significant difference between the students’ score after they were taught by using Humor Story and before they were taught by Humor Story. It was proved by the mean score of the post-test which was higher than the mean score of pre-test (57.57>40.33). Furthermore, the result of the p-value (0.000) was lower than level of significant (α = 0.05); which means that H1 was accepted. Then, the analysis of interest by using Likert Scale indicated that teacing reading comprehension by using humor story, the students were interested. It was proved by 57% students who were strongly interested, 33% students who were interested and 10% students who were moderate. Based on data analysis, the research concluded that: (1) the use of Humor Story effective in improves students’ reading comprehension; (2) the use of Humor Story makes the students interested to learn reading comprehension

Measuring the Knowledge Increase of Eight Grade Students in a Bilingual Biology Unit

In recent years, the issue of using bilingual education has come to the public’s attention. A widespread belief is that students in bilingual classes achieve a higher competence in the language, but that they lag behind in subject-specific knowledge when compared to fellow students in traditional (i.e. monolingual) classroom settings. Nevertheless, by evaluating knowledge gain in a short teaching unit, previous studies have shown that bilingual students rarely experience drawbacks. Although there are a variety of different opinions, the present study aims at detecting how subject-specific knowledge is influenced by bilingual biology lessons. The study was conducted at a grammar school in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with 13- and 14-year-old students. To assess differences in students’ knowledge gain, test and control groups were used, in which students were taught 12 identical biology lessons in a bilingual and a traditional classroom. The unit consisted of basic characteristics seen in (social) insects. Both classes took a knowledge test before and after the unit. We hypothesised that there would be a higher increase in knowledge for the bilingual class compared to the monolingual class. Results suggested a slightly higher knowledge gain in bilingual students, but no significant differences were revealed.

Une approche plurilingue pour faciliter l’inclusion scolaire : engagement et dynamique pédagogique

A multilingual approach to facilitating inclusion: Educational commitment and dynamics – In the school context, the first steps in the process of learning a foreign language require commitment and motivation on the part of the learner, as well as a commitment from the teacher to include all students. This raises questions about the inclusiveness of education and the educational achievement of multilingual and/or immigrant students in predominantly monolingual classes. The author draws on a corpus of research to explore a number of parameters involved in the implementation of a multilingual and inclusive approach. She links the foundations of a multilingual approach to the institutional framework and the positions of the actors in the didactic relationship, as well as in their relationship to languages. The article then gives an overview of the characteristics of the metacognitive strategies employed by multilingual learners and, in conclusion, proposes some innovative methods to go beyond the monolingual principles in learning and foster exchanges that are both multicultural and multilingual.

The Use of L1 as a Teaching Strategyby Native and Non-Native EFL Instructors at a Language Preparatory Program in Turkey

The purpose of this research study is to find out and compare the use of L1 as a teaching strategy by native and non-native instructors in elementary level EFL classrooms at a preparatory program of a foundation (non-profit, private) university in Istanbul, Turkey. Specifically, the study aims to investigate the perceptions of native and non-native teachers of English about the use of L1 as a teaching strategy in their classrooms, explore how often and for what different teaching purposes they use learners’ L1, and lastly, find out their reflections about L1 use in their classroom practices. The participants of this study were 30 EFL instructors (N=15 native, N=15 non-native) teaching elementary level learners at a foundation (non-profit, private) university in Istanbul, Turkey. The data were collected through a questionnaire (N=30), classroom observations (N=8) and think aloud protocols (N=8). The findings revealed that both native and non-native instructors had a highly positive attitude towards the use of L1 as a teaching strategy and they believed that it has a supportive role both for learning and teaching effectively in elementary level monolingual classes. Keywords: L1 Use, Teaching Strategy, Native Instructors, Non-native Instructors, Monolingual Classroom, Think Aloud; English as a Foreign Language (EFL)

The Challenge of Implementing Mother Tongue Education in Linguistically Diverse Contexts: The Case of the Philippines

This study reports on the implementation of mother tongue education in linguistically diverse contexts (LDC), or locations where a number of mother tongues (MT) are spoken. In 2012, the Government of the Philippines implemented a Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education program for the first 4 years of schooling (K-3). The Philippine Department of Education proposed two program models to assist schools to cater for linguistic diversity: a ‘multiple monolingual’ model, which groups students with the same MT in separate monolingual classes, and a ‘lingua franca’ model, which adopts a widely used language as medium of instruction in all classes. Three years into the program, a nationwide survey including 50 schools in LDC was conducted to identify challenges that teachers faced and strategies in program implementation. Responses to the survey described modifications of the Department-proposed models, illustrating how educators embraced the multi-layered character of linguistic diversity through context-driven program strategies. Results also identified program areas for which schools need additional support, such as the organization and teaching of classes in which a range of MTs is spoken. The adopted strategies demonstrate a localized realization of a national policy and provide policy-makers and implementers with a range of classroom realities and possible options for improving educational outcomes for students in complex and dynamic multilingual settings.

Students’ First Language Skills After Six Years in Bilingual Education

The longitudinal study investigated the effects of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) on the development of children’s literacy skills during their first six school years. In the three CLIL classes students studied, from the very beginning of the first grade, different school subjects in Finnish and in English. Three other classes were used as a control group. The students in those classes studied all school subjects in Finnish and started to learn English as a second language in third grade. At the beginning of the first grade, the level of school readiness was significantly higher in the bilingual classes than in the monolingual classes. At the end of the first grade, there was no significant difference in the literacy skills of the two groups, but after two study years, the reading and writing skills of the test group were significantly better than those of the control group. After four school years it was obvious that the children’s creative writing skills had also benefited from bilingual teaching. The students in the CLIL classes had learned to pay attention to languages, as well to their mother tongue as to other languages. Moreover, they had more positive attitudes towards reading, writing and foreign language learning. Especially the boys’ attitudes proved to be more positive in the CLIL classes than in the other classes. In addition, they enjoyed studying English and also studying through it. The students’ spelling skills and ability to understand different texts were measured during the last month of their sixth school year. The measurements showed that the students in the CLIL classes had achieved significantly better first language spelling and reading skills than the students in the other classes. They made significantly less spelling errors and understood significantly better fiction, non-fiction, and newspaper texts. Furthermore, they showed more proficiency in deriving the meaning of new words from the written context than the other students. They succeeded significantly better in finding the most important facts of the non-fiction text and summarising the text than their peers in the other classes. It is worth mentioning that especially the boys seemed to have benefited from bilingual education: in the other classes the girls’ skills were significantly better than the boys’ but this was not the case in the CLIL classes. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n22p72

Pupils’ attitudes towards foreign-language learning and the development of literacy skills in bilingual education

The study investigated the effects of bilingual teaching on the development of children's literacy skills and attitudes towards language learning. In the bilingual classes 20% of the instruction was given in English. Pupils’ literacy skills in the bilingual classes were significantly better than in the monolingual classes. When observing pupils who started first grade with either a poor or an excellent level of school readiness, there was no significant difference between bilingual and monolingual groups. In addition, the pupils in bilingual classes showed significantly more positive attitudes towards foreign-language learning than the pupils in monolingual classes.

Teachers’ strategies of teaching primary school mathematics in a second language: A case of Botswana

This paper reports the results of a study of primary school mathematics teaching in northern Botswana in order to highlight the strategies teachers use in bi/multilingual classrooms. Questionnaire and interview data collection procedures were used. The findings, which are based on responses of randomly selected primary school teachers, confirmed that monolingual classes were fewer than bilingual and multilingual classes in those parts of Botswana. Furthermore, syllabus analysis confirmed the abstract nature of mathematical concepts. Teachers report to have devised strategies to overcome the difficulties imposed by this classroom situation.

Contrastive rhetoric in the writing classroom: a case study

This note explores the role of contrastive rhetoric in writing pedagogy in the context of a monolingual class, in this case a group of students from the Russian Federation studying at an English medium university in Central Europe. The study compares students’ argumentative essays written before and after a short writing course, which aimed to address cultural differences in writing in a non-prescriptive, exploratory, manner. The comparison focuses on, in this case, a culturally based textual element: the thesis statement. The analysis reveals that the essays written after the course display higher occurrence of thesis statements, more uniformity in the position of the thesis statements and less variation in the thesis statement sentence structure and lexical choices. The implications for the role of contrastive rhetoric in writing pedagogy are discussed.

Bilingual Resources and 'Funds of Knowledge' for Teaching and Learning in Multi-ethnic Classrooms in Britain

This paper is based on an ethnographic project carried out in primary classrooms in the North West of England. The focus of the project was on ways in which the 'roles' of new bilingual classroom assistants were being defined through the organisational practices and communicative routines of daily life in these classrooms (practices and routines primarily orchestrated by monolingual class teachers). We looked at these classroom processes by incorporating insights from classroom observation, from participants' own accounts and from our own analyses of audio and video-recordings of different types of teaching/learning events. We present an account of bilingual teaching/learning events in which the bilingual assistants were able to use the children's home or community language and draw on 'funds of knowledge' (Moll et al., 1992) associated with worlds beyond the school. In our analysis of these events, we focus in particular on: ways in which they drew on the bilingual resources within their communicative repertoire in negotiating their relationship with the children; ways in which they linked home and school contexts for learning; and verbal and non-verbal ways in which knowledge of the world beyond the school was contextualised in classroom discourse.

Subject Matter Teaching in Bilingual Education

Abstract Urdu and Turkish speaking children acquiring Norwegian as a second language learned more subject matter in bilingual classes than comparison students in monolingual Norwegian-only classes. Monolingual native speakers of Norwegian learned the same amount of subject matter in bilingual and monolingual classes.