Primary Language Learning Research Articles

Errors in Students’ Writing (Reports from ProWritingAid)

This research aims to find out the types of students’ writing errors which are detected and not by ProWritingAid, a language checker software. This was a qualitative study using a document analysis method with ProWritingAid being the primary language learning instrument to analyze. To collect the data, 18 pieces of students’ writing carried out as the experimental task for this research was focused on writing personal letter. These writings were checked in the software, and manually rechecked by the researcher afterward. The results showed that ProWritingAid was able to detect 21 types of writing errors including missing pronoun, preposition, and determiner. Meanwhile, there were also undetected errors found, for example, unnecessary capitalization and missing punctuation. In conclusion, while ProWritingAid can help students to analyze their errors. However, human analysis is still needed due to the undetected errors.<p> </p>

The Relationship between Immigrants' Primary Language Learning, Anxiety Levels and Postpartum Recovery

This study was carried out to investigate the relationship between the Turkish proficiency of immigrant women and their postpartum physical complaints, well-being and anxiety levels. A total of 202 people who applied to a private hospital in Istanbul due to birth were included in the study. 56 (28%) of these participants were immigrants and 54 (26%) gave birth naturally. Participants were asked to evaluate physical well-being, complaints, general health, state and trait anxiety, as well as demographic questions, through Turkish and Arabic questionnaires. Obtained findings; It shows that the Turkish language proficiency in terms of immigrants does not cause a difference in the research variables, the variable that causes the difference between the research variables is physical complaints, and this variable is affected by ethnicity and educational status. In addition, it is among the findings obtained as a result of the research that the factors affecting the general health status are state anxiety level and physical well-being.

The Expedience of the Termini online Hungarian–Hungarian Dictionary in the Process of Teaching Hungarian as a Foreign Language (in Transcarpathia)

Despite the fact that nationalities, ethnicities living in the territory of present day Transcarpathia, mainly the Slavic population (Russians, Ukrainians, Rusins) and the Hungarian population have been living next to each other for centuries, they naturally influence each other politically, culturally and linguistically – still there are no traditions of teaching Hungarian as a foreign language or the language of the environment, or of Hungarian being learned by other ethnicities or those belonging to the majority population. The prestige of the Hungarian language, the demand for learning Hungarian as a foreign language has grown significantly in the past few years in Transcarpathia, Ukraine. The possibility of teaching Hungarian as a foreign language within an institutional framework, as well as in the state education system was realized with the passing of the language law in 2012. A keen interest could and can still be observed in the possibility to learn Hungarian as a foreign language, and in the courses provided for adult groups in particular. The primary language learning aim of the HFL-learners is certainly to get acquainted with the standard forms of the target language. The objective of the institutional language teaching can as well be to have the learners acquire the standard language variety. The present study is aimed at introducing the idea of a practical usability of the vocabulary material of the Termini online dictionary within the process of teaching Hungarian as a foreign language, putting a special emphasis on the objectives and situation of the HFL-education in Transcarpathia, Ukraine. We would like to highlight the possibility of applying the material of the dictionary in particular cases of language learning objectives, on a proper level of language acquisition certain entries of the dictionary can be well incorporated in the educational process. The Termini online dictionary, in its present build and structure, is not a dictionary formed for educational purposes, however while preparing modern educational materials (the MagyarOK set of coursebooks for instance) it is inevitable these days for linguists and language teachers to integrate linguistic achievements and apply text corpora and databases. The above mentioned fact is the reason why we would like to highlight the possibilities included in the Termini dictionary.

Review of Britton (2021): Assessment for Learning in Primary Language Learning and Teaching

Review of Britton (2021): Assessment for Learning in Primary Language Learning and Teaching

Book Review: Assessment for Learning in Primary Language Learning and Teaching by MARIA Britton

Book Review: <i>Assessment for Learning in Primary Language Learning and Teaching</i> by MARIA Britton

Sustainable Learning Environment by Mobile-Assisted Language Learning Methods on the Improvement of Productive and Receptive Foreign Language Skills: A Comparative Study for Asian Universities

In this comparative study, we investigated different influential factors of mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) for improving productive and receptive language learning skills. To do this, 100 scientific research papers were selected from the top and high-quality journals based on the implications of MALL in higher education language learning. Eight papers were selected according to the specific criteria to categorize the results based on language skills interpretation and technological concepts. Therefore, after thoroughly understanding proposed methodologies and comparing them properly, underlying assumptions about this phenomenon are elaborated, and holistic and sustainable solutions are provided to address this idea. The results of this analysis indicated that Mobile devices are being utilized extensively in developing countries, with vocabulary being the primary language learning area assisted by technology and yielding satisfactory results. According to the findings of this comparative study, LINE and WhatsApp would be of interest among university students to improve receptively (listening and reading) and productivity (writing and speaking), respectively. Moreover, the technology acceptance model (TAM) would be a prominent option for teachers to adapt their current and future educational programs instead of only in-person teaching to improve students’ learning quality.

Language Learning Strategies as Used by Saudi Students at Majmaah University

This paper examines the patterns of the primary language learning strategies practiced by Saudi students. It investigates the correlation between students&amp;rsquo; language competence and their choice of strategy. The study employed a questionnaire focussing on participants&amp;rsquo; self-assessment of their linguistic proficiency, i.e., the Strategy Inventory of Language Learning (SILL) by Oxford (1990). This is made up of fifty self-assessment items assessing learners&amp;rsquo; regularity in their use of specific language strategies. The outcome reveals that, of the six types of language learning strategies, students tend to most frequently employ the metacognitive strategy, followed by cognitive and social strategies. The findings also highlight that students in possession of a high level of English proficiency are closely associated with the use of: (1) two compensation strategies; (2) two metacognitive strategies; and (3) one effective strategy.

Developing reading achievement in primary learners of French: inferencing strategies versus exposure to ‘graded readers’

All primary school children in England are to be entitled to learn a foreign language by 2010, based on the belief that an early start is beneficial for language learning in the long run. However, the evidence of the benefits of an early start is inconclusive, and it is also unclear what type of curriculum and pedagogy would be most appropriate for these young-beginner learners. This pilot study of Year 6 (ages 10–11) children learning French aimed to provide some initial evidence that a literacy-based component has a place in a primary language learning curriculum. A group of learners were given an intervention comprising some special materials designed to develop their ‘inferencing strategies’ when confronted with new or unfamiliar French words in short texts. This group was compared with a group of learners who were simply exposed to a diet of ‘graded French readers’ without any strategy instruction. Both groups were, in turn, compared with a control group which continued with their normal learning experience. Both the inferencing strategies group and the graded readers group made significant advances in their reading comprehension, but, further, the inferencing strategies group outperformed the graded readers group in inferencing ability and in the learning of function words. The findings suggest a need to pursue this area of enquiry further with a larger and more controlled study.

Task and play in the words and minds of children

This paper is a critical appreciation of the increasingly common practice of using tasks which focus on the pragmatics of language use rather than the semantics of language usage in primary level foreign language learning. We examine, sympathetically, the reasoning behind it but find that the language classroom is no place to try to differentiate strictly between a focus on form and a focus on meaning. The same thing holds true for the playground. We contend that rote-play, role-play and rule-based games form a recognizable sequence of development, and we use a modest body of data to demonstrate noticeable cross-sectional differences: the same group of children will use more complete utterances in chants and songs compared to role-play, rule-based games and a questionnaire survey task. Our task-based activity gives even less complete structures and turns out to be rather heavily teacher-centred, and we attribute this to the necessity of presenting both rules that are constitutive of the activity (such as game rules) and precepts oriented towards a single, specific result. On this basis, we argue that play may offer more scope for creativity as well as a more psychological realistic model for primary language learning.

Young learners of modern foreign languages and their transition to the secondary phase: a lost opportunity?

Following publication of the National Languages Strategy on 18 December 2002 the teaching of foreign languages (FL) in the primary school is again high on the agenda in England as in other parts of Europe. Research has shown in the past (Burstall et al., 1974) that an early start in FL does not necessarily result in any long-term advantage in terms of proficiency. However, the above study also draws other conclusions, less widely reported, which remain significant. These include insufficient liaison between primary and secondary schools, lack of continuity in foreign language learning across phases, inadequate training of teachers, and a lack of differentiation by MFL secondary teachers. This article describes a small-scale research project which took place between April 2002 and May 2003. It sought to identify some of the main issues of transition from the perspective of the learners themselves, their foreign language teachers, heads of FL departments and head teachers at primary and secondary level. A complex and somewhat contradictory picture emerges from this study. On the one hand, there are many positive findings such as the enjoyment of languages and openness to other cultures and languages in the primary phase, greater oral fluency and confidence of learners when transferring to the secondary phase and enthusiasm shown for early language learning (ELL) by teachers in the primary and the secondary phase. On the other hand, opportunities which exist for building on primary language learning are largely wasted.

Modern languages in the primary school (MLPS) in Scotland: ten years on

This article is based on almost ten years experience of primary language learning in Scotland. It sets out the background, how the pilot project was started and how it moved from there to the present position where a language will soon be taught in almost all Scottish primaries. It gives details of the training: how it was constructed and implemented, the numbers involved, the linguistic background of the teachers and the results. It goes on to look at what is happening in the classroom and reflects on the lessons learned from the Scottish experience.

Book reviews : Primary language learning with microcomputers

Book reviews : Primary language learning with microcomputers

The ontogeny of the neural substrate for language

It has been known for many years that certain regions of the human cerebral cortex are functionally specialized for language. However, no specific anatomical feature of these cortical areas has yet been shown to account for language. There is considerable variability in the localization of language areas, and they have cytoarchitectonic homologues in non-human primates. In addition, language appears to have emerged relatively rapidly in the history of Homo sapiens, suggesting a non-genetic mechanism of evolution. The existence of a critical period for primary language learning in humans, in conjunction with recent studies in developmental neurobiology, suggest that language may be "wired-into" the brain as a result of the interaction between the developing human and a social-linguistic environment. It is hypothesized that the functional validation of developing synapses serves as the mechanism whereby linguistic function may gain an anatomical foothold in the human brain. The development of the neural substrate for language is made possible partly by the genetically determined complexity and organization of the brain, and partly by the prolonged period of human postnatal maturation.