Foreign Language Learning Process Research Articles

PODEJŚCIE DO BŁĘDU W NAUCE JĘZYKÓW OBCYCH – PERSPEKTYWA UCZNIA

The aim of the paper is to reflect on the problem of errors in the foreign language teaching-learning process from the learner’s perspective. The author proposes to investigate learners’ beliefs and opinions related to the role of errors in foreign language learning process. The problem will be discussed in the context of the teaching-learning process of French as a second language to adult beginners. The study was conducted among the students of the Institute of Romance Languages and Translation Studies at the University of Silesia. The data collected was analysed and divided into subject categories in order to provide an overall view of students’ beliefs and attitudes towards errors.

Üniversite öğrencilerinin yabancı dil öğrenme algıları: bir devlet üniversitesi örneği

Öğrencilerin yabancı dile bakışları; yabancı dil öğrenme istekleri, amaçları, ihtiyaçları, önyargıları ve öğrenme ortamlarıyla oldukça yakından ilişkilidir. Yabancı dil öğrenenlerin yabancı dile bakış açılarını bilmenin yabancı dil öğretmenlerini ve araştırmacıları daha donanımlı hâle getireceği açıktır. Günümüzde yabancı dil öğrenmede karşılaşılan en önemli sorunlardan birinin motivasyon eksikliği olduğu da yapılan araştırmalarda ortaya konulmuştur. Dolayısıyla öğrencilerin yabancı dil algıları, tutumları, inançları, yabancı dile bakış açıları ve motivasyonları arasında bir ilişki olduğu düşünülmektedir. Bu çerçevede mevcut çalışma üniversite öğrencilerinin Türkiye’de yabancı dile bakış açılarının ortaya çıkarılmasını hedeflemektedir. Çalışmaya 2016-2017 akademik yılında bir devlet üniversitesinin farklı lisans programlarında hazırlık ve birinci sınıflarında öğrenim gören toplam 200 öğrenci katılmıştır. Likert tipi anket kullanılarak toplanan verilerin SPSS 20 programında betimleyici istatistikleri çıkarılmıştır. Toplam beş boyuttan oluşan araştırmada üniversite öğrencilerinin yabancı dile olan genel bakışı, yabancı dil öğreniminde ana dili kullanımına yönelik algıları, temel dil becerilerine olan bakış açıları, yabancı dil öğrenmede amaç ve olumlu tutumlarının olup olmadığı değerlendirilmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda üniversite öğrencilerinin büyük çoğunluğunun genel anlamda yabancı dile karşı olumlu bakış açısının olduğu, yabancı dili büyük oranda sınıf ortamında öğrendikleri, yabancı dil öğrenme sürecinde mümkün olduğunca Türkçeden yararlanma eğiliminde oldukları ve dil öğrenme motivasyonunu önemsedikleri ortaya çıkmıştır. Bunlara ilaveten araştırma sonucunda özellikle yabancı dilde konuşma ve yazma becerilerine karşı öğrencilerin önyargılı olup olumsuz bakış açısı geliştirdikleri belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca araştırmaya katılan öğrencilerin yarısından fazlasının yabancı dili öğrenmede dışsal motivasyona sahip oldukları sonucuna varılmıştır.

ON ORAL ATTAINMENT IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

The article is devoted to oral attainment in a foreign language. It revises the term speaking, and explains its difficult role, yet fundamental both in teaching and in learning. Although oral communication is not easy to success in, it is, inevitably, one of the main determinants of students’ achievements in a classroom situation. The article presents what happens during a typical classroom interaction situation, emphasizing the cooperation between the speaker and the listener, quoting Grice’s (1975) four maxims governing the cooperation in communication, namely, the maxim of quantity, quality, relation and manner. Then, various features, factors and functions related to speaking are enumerated, underlining the difficult role of speaking in the whole process of foreign language learning. According to Common European Framework (Council of Europe 2001), all the features of spoken language, also mediating and interaction, are important in designing speaking tasks/tests, setting the assessment criteria, establishing and organizing principles and curricula for the teaching programs. The last section of the article is devoted to assessing oral skills, hence different approaches and scales are presented as examples, together with a brief explanation of the constructs of reliability and validity is speaking assessment. Special reliability and validity procedures have to be employed by test designers in order to obtain objectivity of the scores.

Activities to foster students’ individual cognitive abilities in the foreign language classroom

The paper considers possibilities of applying the learner-centred approach in the foreign language classroom using activities based on individual, psychological and cognitive peculiarities of students. The educational principles of the theory of multiple intelligences by Dr. H. Gardner are relevant to those of the learner-centred. Dr. H. Gardner (2007) classified intelligence into seven types, namely linguistic intelligence (“word smart”), logical-mathematical intelligence (“number/reasoning smart”), spatial intelligence (“picture smart”), bodily-kinesthetic intelligence (“body smart”), musical intelligence (“music smart”), interpersonal intelligence (“people smart”), intrapersonal intelligence (“self smart”), naturalist intelligence (“nature smart”). According to his philosophy, each person possesses own intelligence profile, i.e. individual combination of different intelligence types. If to transfer his theory to the educational foreign language learning process in institutions of higher education, we can state that it is efficient to create educational situations when the acquisition of professional foreign language competencies occurs simultaneously with the realisation of students’ natural gifts and cognitive abilities. Therefore, the author suggests several activities to reinforce different types of student intelligence to use in the foreign language classroom. To optimise the learning process, it is recommended that students should analyse the methods they applied to complete the tasks in the suggested activities, and the abilities which helped them accomplish these tasks successfully. Such reflection gives students an opportunity to recognise their gifts and abilities, so that they can use the most effective learning strategies henceforward. The author suggests some additional ways of applying the promise of learner centered approach in the foreign language classroom, such as (a) to design language tasks which would activate different types of students’ intelligence and foster development of students’ personal cognitive abilities, and (b) to promote students’ reflection and awareness of learning styles to be able to apply them while doing self-study activities.

Mediation effect of self-efficacy in the relationship between neuroticism and L2 attainment

ABSTRACT This article investigates the role self-efficacy plays in the relationship between Neuroticism and foreign language attainment (operationalised as final grades and self-perceived foreign language skills). To date, the role of personality in foreign language learning has not been clearly specified; moreover, self-efficacy related to this domain has not received sufficient attention. For the purpose of the paper it was proposed that the negative relationship between Neuroticism and attainment can be explained by self-efficacy. The study’s informants consisted of 495 secondary grammar school students at the intermediate to upper-intermediate levels of English proficiency. The results revealed that L2 (domain-specific) efficacy fully mediated the weak, though statistically significant link between Neuroticism and self-perceived L2 skills. It is argued that one’s beliefs in their capacity to effectively manage the foreign language learning process may play a crucial role in understanding the relationship between Neuroticism and L2 attainment.

On Some Difficulties in Students’ Independent Work in Learning Foreign Languages

The study conducted a questionnaire survey of university students, the purpose of which was to determine how students do their independent work while learning a foreign language and to reveal the difficulties in this process .The whole learning process of a structured in such a way as to arouse students' interest in those materials on the language that carry important and new information, in order to constantly maintain the desire to learn the language at home, so that students can see this need. Only in this case the study can have a positive effect on the development of such student qualities, purposefulness, organization, and perseverance. A brief analysis of students' answers about difficulties in independent work while learning foreign languages, the investigation emphasize that for the organization of the foreign language learning process, it is important to investigate not only the issues of the teacher’s work, questions of teaching methods, but also questions of organizing student’s work, namely, questions of studying and mastering skills in foreign languages.

Flipped classroom approach in EFL context: Some associated factors

Foreign language teaching is one field that is changing and being updated to meet the needs of learners and recent advances lead to consider new perspectives, directions and approaches. As an example of blended learning, flipped classrooms have gained prominence in recent years owing to the interest in crucial impacts of online and learner-centred learning on foreign language learning process. Traditional teaching process is reversed which means that class time is dedicated to homework and activities whereas learners construct their own knowledge at home. In a flipped class, learners are encouraged to improve their critical thinking skills and evaluate their own learning since teachers take a role as a coach and mentor in this process. On the other hand, in a traditional class, the content of the lesson is delivered by the teachers directly and learners are passive receivers of the knowledge in the classroom.
 Keywords: Biotechnology, teaching biotechnology, thematic content analysis, analysis of articles, academic achievement.

WYBRANE TRUDNOŚCI W PODSYSTEMIE LEKSYKALNYM W ASPEKCIE KULTUROWYM NA PRZYKŁADZIE BŁĘDÓW KONTEKSTOWYCH W JĘZYKU NIEMIECKIM

The paper attempts to describe language errors in the foreign language learning process. I have devoted attention to questions of context errors in the lexico-semantic subsystem made by Polish learners of German. Context errors appearing in statements of individual learning German are the result of interlingual interference process, at the base of which lie cultural differences, different ways of thinking and different kinds of experiences between the native language and the foreign language being learned.

BADANIA BIOGRAFICZNE JAKO ŹRÓDŁO REFLEKSJI NAD PROCESAMI NAUCZANIA/UCZENIA SIĘ JĘZYKÓW OBCYCH

If reflection is the necessary condition for successful development of all participants of the process of foreign language teaching and learning, as well as for the evolution of the scientific discipline, as we may now call glottodidactics, it is worth looking for all possible examples of it. In the light of this, the author of this article develops the thesis that appropriately designed studies based on biographies may provide rich and useful material for reflection on foreign language learning and teaching. The author also attempts to explain why biographical research is so rarely used in Polish glottodidactic studies and if this state of affairs could be changed.

Developing efficient foreign language classroom environment for older adult learners

Aim: The aim of the research is to present which elements related to teaching English to older adult learners have the greatest influence on creating a propitious and friendly learning environment. In order to achieve this firstly, I wish to present older adults’ observations regarding problems encountered in the classroom environment related to the lack of teaching materials, mixed age and ability groups or being discriminated against by fellow students and teachers. Secondly, I would like to propose some solutions to improve the efficiency of both students and teachers in the classroom environment.
 Methods: The subjects of the study were 40 older adult learners of English who attended the classes at the University of the Third Age in Wrocław. In the study the participants were asked to choose the answers which, according to them, have the greatest influence on their learning the foreign language in later life. The participants also wrote additional comments that explained their choices. The analysis was qualitative in nature.
 Results: The analysis shows that teachers (n=35) and teaching materials (n=31) are considered to be the two most important factors in learning a language in later life. The third most vital factor in creating a good classroom environment is related to other students (n=17). The subjects’ comments, however, point to numerous problems encountered in the aforementioned areas that affect the process of foreign language learning in later life.
 Conclusions: Older adult learners’ needs, abilities and learning preferences should be taken into account while designing language courses as, according to the subjects of the study, at present it is not the case. Moreover, there should be more awareness on behalf of the teachers as to the age-related changes that make certain tasks difficult and the learning environment unnecessarily hostile.

Use of monologues, games and problem solving activities for development of speaking skills

Oral communication is one of the most important aspects of information exchange between individuals. Considering teaching of foreign languages, it is evident that the development of speaking covers quite an extensive part of the foreign language learning process. The study presents the importance of speaking within mastering a foreign language on a theoretical basis and provides an insight into real teaching-learning environment. The practical part of the study introduces the implementation of three activities into the teaching process -monologues, games and problem solving activities. With the aim of finding possibilities for improving the quality of the teaching process in the terms of the development of speaking, action research is used as the tool for data collection and evaluation. The findings and the results of the study demonstrate how the three activities develop speaking and what benefits their use brings to the foreign language classes./ Keywords: foreign language education, speaking, monologues, games, problem solving activities, action research

Experiencias en el aprendizaje del inglés en la educación superior

Este estudio documental revisa el tema de las experiencias en el aprendizaje del inglés de estudiantes de esta lengua en el nivel superior. Nuestro propósito es identificar las perspectivas teóricas, los hallazgos y los enfoques metodológicos con los cuales se han abordado las experiencias de aprendizaje del inglés como lengua extranjera en el período 2004 – 2018. Se hizo una revisión sistemática de 21 estudios encontrados en cinco bases de datos, con base en un procedimiento deductivo se extrajo el significado de los estudios. Los hallazgos reflejan las experiencias positivas vividas por los estudiantes en el aprendizaje del inglés, las cuales están asociadas con los profesores, la tecnología y el método de enseñanza. Por otro lado, se identificaron experiencias negativas, que ocurren por el descuido del factor emocional de los estudiantes, el input del docente y el trabajar con un enfoque de enseñanza no habitual. Asimismo, se identificó que solo el 20 % de los estudios adoptan un modelo teórico en sus investigaciones. El 83.33 % del trabajo empírico fue hecho bajo el paradigma cualitativo. La revisión de la literatura indica que aún falta explorar sobre las experiencias que los estudiantes viven en el proceso de aprendizaje de la lengua extranjera.

“I KNOW THAT I AM NO GOOD”: AN ANALYSIS INTO THE TRANSLATION ERRORS OF PRE-SERVICE EFL TEACHERS

Translation from source language (L1) to target language (L2) and/or vice versa plays an important role for language learners since they tend to use translation in order to understand and interpret the language utterances. Perspectives towards the use of translation in foreign language teaching and learning process have changed over the time. As the learners are not native speakers of L2, they are likely to utter some structurally or semantically deviant forms of language. For this reason, conducting an error analysis procedure might be of crucial importance in understanding which domains of language are erroneous for language learners in order to fix the problems and improve language proficiency. In Turkey, English Language Teaching bachelor degree programs include the translation course where student-teachers are supposed to handle translations from L1 to L2 and L2 to L1. In this study, the translation assignments of 30 pre-service EFL teachers were investigated through document analysis and findings point out that the errors fall into structural, lexical and translational/interpretational categories. Finally, the pedagogical implications were drawn in relation to the field.

Factors Facilitating Teacher’s Professional Competence Development

The objective of the article is to further study the concept “teacher’s professional competence” as well the ways of its formation. The research was conducted among the students as prospective teachers, and teaching staff of Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University. The analysis of the research helped prove the essential role of some factors in the professional development of future teachers. In particular, such factors as knowledge of the teaching subject, knowledge of effective teaching methods and skills to implement them, the importance of teaching practice, the personality factor, teacher’s self-education were singled out. Therefore, the paper aims to outline a few ideas on how to ensure the implementation of the above-mentioned considerations. We also dwell upon the impact of the human behavior on the process of foreign language learning and teaching. That is why knowledge about affective factors is consequential in the academic process and using some interactive methods can also help lower the affective filter. Types of motivation and ways to enhance it are described in the paper too.

Motivation as One of the Most Effective Ways of Optimizing Foreign Language Learning Process in Higher Educational Establishments

The purpose of the work is to consider the most important conditions and ways of forming positive sustainable motivation of students’ educational activities, identify key aspects, analyze peculiarities of different methodologies and newest motivational approaches concerning the issue of foreign languages study. The research methodology consisted in the application of such research methods as study, analysis and generalization with the purpose of revealing the concept of motivation as one of the most effective ways of optimizing foreign language learning process. Scientific novelty of the work is to determine the role of the teacher in the process of overcoming communicative deviations on the basis of linguocultural differences and structuring some psychological and pedagogical aspects of motivation as an integral component of the foreign language study, which are considered in this article. Also, the article explicitly outlines and suggests concrete ways and methods for the formation and development of sustainable positive motivation. It is believed that content consistency during the process of studying, methods of teaching, consideration of students’ cognitive needs and interests are the main factors in the process of educational motivation formation and these elements strengthen all components of motivation: needs, aspirations, interests, emotions, motives themselves, which in turn contribute to the deepening and expansion of the sphere of students’ cognitive activity. Conclusions. Consequently, we considered some of the most important, in our opinion, conditions and ways of forming positive, stable motivation for students’ educational activities. To establish such a motivation, one should use not only one way, but all ways, methods in a certain system, in a complex, because none of them, without others, can play a decisive role in the formation of motivation. Consistency of the educational content and ways of filing it with cognitive needs and students interests counteracts the formation of a negative educational result. Optimally selected material strengthens all components of motivation: needs, aspirations, interests, emotions, motives themselves. Formation of a stable motivation level requires teacher to select appropriate educational materials that would represent cognitive, communicative, professional values, stimulate mental activity, and promote deepening and expansion of cognitive students’ activity.

DEVELOPMENT OF METACOGNITIVE AND SOCIO-AFFECTIVE STRATEGIES IN EFL CLASSES AT SECONDARY SCHOOLS

The article focuses on the development of learning strategies during the process of foreign language learning. With the obvious implementation of cognitive learning strategies, the development of other types of strategies, metacognitive and socio-affective, remains an urgent issue. Very often these latter strategies are either disregarded or dismissed during the language learning process. However, recent studies have pointed out the necessity for the development of all types of learning strategies and their implementation at an early stage of learning. Therefore, the aim of this research is to determine the scope of the development of metacognitive and socio-affective learning strategies during the process of foreign language learning. Quantitative and qualitative methods have been used to determine the frequency and mode of the above-mentioned types of learning strategies during the process of teaching and learning English as a foreign language (EFL). Two hypotheses have been raised: (1) Metacognitive strategies are often disregarded in the process of language learning in the classes for adolescents; (2) The potential of implementation of socio-affective strategies in EFL classes is underestimated in the process of language learning in the classes for adolescents. The object of the research consists of 12 selected EFL textbooks and activities included in them. The research results prove the fact that much more attention to metacognitive learning strategy development is needed during EFL classes, as these strategies strongly benefit the overall process of language acquisition. To compare, socio-affective learning strategies are more often implemented during EFL classes; however, their development is rather unsystematic.

Enhancing metacognitive awareness of undergraduates through using an e-educational video environment

Video portfolios provide students with opportunities of self-monitoring, evaluating and reflecting on their own performance, and receiving feedback from others such as their peers and teachers. However, the literature was lacking an investigation of the extent to which video portfolios might contribute to developing students' metacognitive awareness level in foreign language learning. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the potential effects of using an e-educational video portfolio environment supported with Kinect technology on enhancing students' metacognitive awareness level in foreign language learning. In order to achieve this goal, a pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental study was conducted at a state university located in Central Turkey. In total, eighty-five students took part in the study. The students had been divided into two sections at the beginning of the academic year. There were 42 students in Section 1, 43 students in Section 2. For the purposes of the study, the sections were randomly identified as the control and experimental group. The same curriculum was taught to both groups by the same instructor; however, the experimental group followed a video portfolio-integrated course supported with Kinect technology in face-to-face learning environment for 7 weeks in the second half of the semester whilst the control group continued the usual methods. The data was gathered by means of a Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI), which is a five-point likert scale, and three focus group interviews. The results showed that using an e-educational video portfolio environment enhanced students' metacognitive awareness level and supported foreign language learning process effectively.

Ритмические сенсорные воздействия как способ запоминания информации на иностранном языке

The study investigates the influence of the musical component as a factor in foreign language classes. The research analyzes the relevant ways to improve the quality of foreign language learning and describes the peculiarities of memorizing new information by measured musical influence. Music combined with mental load can act as a comprehensive stimulus causing a decrease in the activity of memory and learning processes. To interpret the data obtained, the author carries out the subjective assessment of the students’ attitude to musical accompaniment that has recently increased. The results of the survey allow one to identify three groups of students who have a different attitude towards music. The analysis of the impact of music on the perception and memorization of information provides an opportunity to highlight the personal attitude to musical compositions as a key factor in musical influence. The author comes to a theoretical conclusion that musical test for an appropriate composition is necessary to enhance the foreign language learning process.

HOW TEACHERS DEAL WITH INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM: RESULTS OF A STUDY

The process and outcome of second or foreign language (L2) learning are mediated by an array of variables, the most important of which are perhaps individual difference (ID) factors (cf. Dörnyei, 2005; Dörnyei, Ryan, 2015; Pawlak, 2012a, 2017a). It is therefore not surprising that such factors have been addressed by hundreds, if not thousands, of studies in the last several decades, and while the foci or methodology of such research have inevitably been subject to change, the role of individual variation in L2 has been taken for granted. Apart from illuminating the role of various ID factors, researchers have also attempted to draw up recommendations concerning how what we know about these factors can inform classroom practice. A question arises, though, about teachers’ awareness of different facets of individual variation, the steps they take to capitalize on learners’ individuality in providing instruction, and the degree to which they can be expected to successfully deal with ID factors in the classroom. The paper tackles these issues by reporting on a questionnaire study which involved 37 Polish teachers of English at different educational levels. The results indicate that, while the respondents are cognizant of individual differences and address them in teaching practice, their understanding thereof is limited and so are the actions they embark on in this respect.

Processes of Acquisition a Second Language and Learning a Foreign Language: Terminology Standardisation and Harmonization

The article analyzes microgroup of terms relating to the process of second language acquisition or foreign language learning (language aptitude, interlanguage, language competence, language performance, language proficiency). The semantics of this group is analyzed and some aspects of normalization (compliance with linguistic and terminological norms) and harmonization (compliance with variants that function in English) are proposed.
 The difference between the terms of language acquisition and language learning is specified. The author of the article proves the idea that the acquisition of the second language is an unconscious process of producing the language, when a person implicitly assimilates speech samples and produces them intuitively. Learning a foreign language is a conscious process of producing a language when a person explicitly learns speech samples and produces them consciously.
 Language aptitude denotes the innate ability of a person which develops with the experience of communication, and it is a kind of mechanism that allows the mental and physiological levels to master the language.
 It is revealed that bilingualism (natural and educational) can be the result of different strategies of language mastering and thus there are various mechanisms for its formation. It is found out that interlanguage is a language that is characterizing a person who learns a new language, and it is the result of the interaction of language systems, rules, norms of native language and the language which is learned. It is dynamic and reflects the appropriate level of language proficiency.
 The relationship between terms language competence (a set of language knowledge), language performance (production and comprehension of language), and language proficiency (ability of an individual to speak or perform in a language according to the aim of communication) is determined. These terms are at the stage of entry into Ukrainian science.