The Journal of Language Teaching and Learning

Number Vol3, No1, 2013

1-19
The impact of spoken French on the acquisition of written French in child L2 learners

Authors: Malin Ågren

Abstract

View in PDF

Number of views: 313

Written French is known as a deep orthography, presenting important differences between the spoken and written language systems, especially as far as morphology is concerned. This exploratory study of subject-verb agreement in number illustrates the long and laborious differentiation process of spoken and written French in child learners. The focus of the study is the L2 child, who learns to speak and write in the L2 more or less simultaneously. In a multiple case study, the written production of Swedish child L2 learners of French is compared to that of age-matched L1 children. The results demonstrate that while child L1 writers are strongly biased towards spoken language, the child L2 writers studied here are not yet able to take full advantage of either the spoken or the written language systems when writing in French. Keywords: L2 acquisition; L2 writing; child learners: French; morphology; subject-verb agreement

20-36
The influence of strategic planning and storyline complexity on EFL learners’ narrative retellings

Authors: Masoud Saeedi

Abstract

View in PDF

Number of views: 356

This research study is primarily an attempt to examine the effects of engaging in strategic planning before retelling narratives with different degrees of storyline complexity on complexity, accuracy, and fluency in the oral production of learners of English as a foreign language (EFL).To this aim, the effects of four task performance conditions (i.e., strategic planning with a single storyline narrative task, no strategic planning with a single storyline narrative task, strategic planning with a dual storyline narrative task, no strategic planning with a dual storyline narrative task) on learners’ complexity, accuracy, and fluency in producing English language were examined. Sixty Iranian intermediate-level EFL learners participated in this study. The results of one-way ANOVAs revealed that though giving learners the opportunity to engage in strategic planning before retelling a narrative with two storylines exponentially advantages complexity, it impairs accuracy. The outcomes have certain theoretical and pedagogical implications for researchers and practitioners in EFL context. Key words: Strategic planning; Narrative storyline complexity; Complexity; Accuracy; Fluency; EFL context

37-53
Early second language reading development: An extension of home literacy modes

Authors: Michael Wei, Yalun Zhou

Abstract

View in PDF

Number of views: 331

There is “surprisingly” little evidence on the impact of language minority parents on their children and on the links between family literacy experience and literacy outcomes (August & Shanahan, 2008). This participant observation case study demonstrates a Chinese-American family’s efforts in this regard. The detailed descriptions of how an ESL child quickly became able to read in English and receive grade-level reading instruction provide evidence of language minority parents’ contributions to early second language (L2) reading acquisition. The depictions of when, what, and how this immigrant family became involved with and intervened in their child’s L2 reading complement the quantitative design of Home Literacy Model and fill research gaps in L2 literacy by informing a minority child’s complete process from “learning to read” to “reading to learn”. Some insider’s suggestions to language minority parents, schools, and home literacy practitioners regarding early L2 reading enhancement are also provided. Keywords: Second language reading; Home literacy; ESL

54-68
Augmented reality potential and hype: towards an evaluative framework

Authors: Jessica Salmon, Julianne Nyhan

Abstract

View in PDF

Number of views: 315

Augmented Reality adds a layer of digital information to a live direct or indirect view of a real-world environment. Of late, many claims have been made about the potential of augmented reality software in education. Technically such software may offer many exciting features but little research has been done into the teaching and learning foundations upon which it is built. This is problematic because in a time of budget cuts, on the one hand, and ever increasing examples of such software, on the other, educators do not have available to them an objective framework that they can use to evaluate the potential pedagogical usefulness of such software. Furthermore, technical developers have little guidance as to the pedagogical expectations of educators. By focusing on the area of foreign language teaching this article takes a first step towards addressing this research gap by proposing an evaluative framework that has been constructed with reference to teaching and learning scholarship, as opposed to that of digital humanities or computer science. It tests this framework using a series of case studies dealing with existing augmented reality applications for language teaching and learning and those which could be repurposed. It concludes that the evaluative framework created in this study has established a potentially useful baseline for making decisions about the possible use of augmented reality applications for teaching and learning in the classroom. We hold that the integration of such a framework with existing digital humanities and computer science methods of evaluation may result in a more objective and interdisciplinary framework that can be used for the evaluation of such software. Keywords: Augmented reality; Assessment; Foreign language teaching and learning

69-78
Current perspectives on sociolinguistics and English language education

Authors: Yasemin Bayyurt

Abstract

View in PDF

Number of views: 467

In this paper, the position and significance of sociolinguistics in foreign language education is examined along three dimensions: attitudes towards learning a foreign language, inclusion of culture in foreign language lessons, and the contribution of language planning to foreign language education. Curriculum and instruction can be arranged to promote positive attitudes toward the foreign language to be learned and nationalities associated with the language. Inclusion of cultural elements in the foreign language curriculum helps learners to understand new language concepts and provides a context for their use. Language planning at the highest level, on the other hand, must be based on data derived from research and must be conducted by foreign language educators. Finally, the status of English as an international language is also examined and Kachru’s(1985) three-circle model of English speaking countries is reviewed. In the world today, no country and no culture can claim sole ownership of the English language. Key words: Strategic planning; Narrative storyline complexity; Complexity; Accuracy; Fluency; EFL context