Pub Date : 2024-01-25DOI: 10.1080/09571736.2024.2306157
Jennifer Bruen, Iker Erdocia
This paper is concerned with the integration of informal language learning into university language modules in a foreign language environment. It begins by exploring the evolving nature of formal a...
{"title":"Formal and informal foreign language learning at university: blurring the boundaries","authors":"Jennifer Bruen, Iker Erdocia","doi":"10.1080/09571736.2024.2306157","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2024.2306157","url":null,"abstract":"This paper is concerned with the integration of informal language learning into university language modules in a foreign language environment. It begins by exploring the evolving nature of formal a...","PeriodicalId":46554,"journal":{"name":"Language Learning Journal","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139588906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-29DOI: 10.1080/09571736.2023.2294347
Dobrinka Genevska-Hanke, Cornelia Hamann
This study investigates the use of overt and null subjects in Bulgarian in child heritage speakers with L2 German. The alternation of overt and null pronominal subjects in null-subject languages li...
{"title":"Overt and null subjects in Bulgarian: comparing monolingual adults and children to child heritage speakers in Germany in their use of Bulgarian","authors":"Dobrinka Genevska-Hanke, Cornelia Hamann","doi":"10.1080/09571736.2023.2294347","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2023.2294347","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigates the use of overt and null subjects in Bulgarian in child heritage speakers with L2 German. The alternation of overt and null pronominal subjects in null-subject languages li...","PeriodicalId":46554,"journal":{"name":"Language Learning Journal","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139068554","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-28DOI: 10.1080/09571736.2023.2294068
Kleopatra Mytara, Barbara Köpke
In the vast literature on language attrition, studies on the role of extralinguistic factors in language retention, particularly concerning foreign language (FL) skills acquired in formal instructi...
{"title":"Which extralinguistic factors affect written production skills in foreign language attrition? A longitudinal study of Greek learners having acquired French in a formal instructional setting","authors":"Kleopatra Mytara, Barbara Köpke","doi":"10.1080/09571736.2023.2294068","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2023.2294068","url":null,"abstract":"In the vast literature on language attrition, studies on the role of extralinguistic factors in language retention, particularly concerning foreign language (FL) skills acquired in formal instructi...","PeriodicalId":46554,"journal":{"name":"Language Learning Journal","volume":"65 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139062828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-27DOI: 10.1080/09571736.2023.2286239
Nguyen Thien An Bach, Samuel Barclay
Choosing which words to teach is a key consideration for language teachers and materials writers. Some studies have shown that teaching words in semantically related clusters can make learning more...
{"title":"The effect of semantic and physical similarity on vocabulary learning","authors":"Nguyen Thien An Bach, Samuel Barclay","doi":"10.1080/09571736.2023.2286239","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2023.2286239","url":null,"abstract":"Choosing which words to teach is a key consideration for language teachers and materials writers. Some studies have shown that teaching words in semantically related clusters can make learning more...","PeriodicalId":46554,"journal":{"name":"Language Learning Journal","volume":"22 7-8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138525713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-22DOI: 10.1080/09571736.2023.2251494
Julia Lipińska
ABSTRACTImprovisational theatre activities can be used as a tool for developing interactional competence in a language classroom. The unpredictable nature of improvisation resembles authentic communication, as it requires topic negotiation, spontaneous reactions and cooperation. The present article examines the student perspective on improvisation, which helps gain a better understanding of how this teaching tool should be implemented in practice. The study reported here is part of an action study conducted with a group of Polish secondary students learning French who participated in improvisational activities in French over a period of three consecutive semesters. During group interviews at the end of the project, students were asked about their opinions on improvisation in a language classroom. Analysis shows students perceive improvisation as beneficial for their interactional competence, as it allows them to use the target language in life-like situations and enhances their perceived self-efficacy. Obstacles encountered by students are insufficient linguistic competences and stress related to public speaking. Students also provide valuable suggestions concerning the implementation of improvisation in a language classroom, which in their opinion should be introduced slowly, starting from ludic activities. They also consider the teacher's attitude an important factor in overcoming socio-affective obstacles to improvisation.KEYWORDS: Improvisationinteractional competencelanguage educationspoken interactionimprovisational theatretheatre activities Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
{"title":"Student perspectives on improvisation as a tool for developing interactional competence: the case of Polish secondary students learning French","authors":"Julia Lipińska","doi":"10.1080/09571736.2023.2251494","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2023.2251494","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACTImprovisational theatre activities can be used as a tool for developing interactional competence in a language classroom. The unpredictable nature of improvisation resembles authentic communication, as it requires topic negotiation, spontaneous reactions and cooperation. The present article examines the student perspective on improvisation, which helps gain a better understanding of how this teaching tool should be implemented in practice. The study reported here is part of an action study conducted with a group of Polish secondary students learning French who participated in improvisational activities in French over a period of three consecutive semesters. During group interviews at the end of the project, students were asked about their opinions on improvisation in a language classroom. Analysis shows students perceive improvisation as beneficial for their interactional competence, as it allows them to use the target language in life-like situations and enhances their perceived self-efficacy. Obstacles encountered by students are insufficient linguistic competences and stress related to public speaking. Students also provide valuable suggestions concerning the implementation of improvisation in a language classroom, which in their opinion should be introduced slowly, starting from ludic activities. They also consider the teacher's attitude an important factor in overcoming socio-affective obstacles to improvisation.KEYWORDS: Improvisationinteractional competencelanguage educationspoken interactionimprovisational theatretheatre activities Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).","PeriodicalId":46554,"journal":{"name":"Language Learning Journal","volume":"31 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135461701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-27DOI: 10.1080/09571736.2023.2251711
Simon Coffey, Peter De Costa
Published in The Language Learning Journal (Vol. 51, No. 5, 2023)
发表于《语言学习学报》2023年第51卷第5期
{"title":"Guest editorial: Emotion and creativity in language learning research and teaching","authors":"Simon Coffey, Peter De Costa","doi":"10.1080/09571736.2023.2251711","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2023.2251711","url":null,"abstract":"Published in The Language Learning Journal (Vol. 51, No. 5, 2023)","PeriodicalId":46554,"journal":{"name":"Language Learning Journal","volume":"29 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138513140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-25DOI: 10.1080/09571736.2023.2257705
Becky Muradás-Taylor, Philip Taylor
People have been raising the alarm about a language education crisis in the UK, particularly in England, for twenty years. Yet the crisis continues: the number of young people studying languages at school is low, especially in socioeconomically less-privileged areas. University programmes – particularly in universities with below average entry tariffs – are closing, but we do not understand the regional impact of this decline. This paper fills that gap by identifying ‘cold spots’: areas of the country where no universities offer language degrees. The programming language R was used to analyse the location of universities at various entry tariffs, and areas of the country further than a commutable distance of 60 km were identified. Large cold spots were found in the North, East and South West of England for universities offering languages at below average entry tariff, with the cold spot in the South West also present at higher entry tariffs. This is a social justice issue, since most students attend university close to home, with students from less-privileged socioeconomic backgrounds and some ethnic minority backgrounds more likely to commute. This leads to a key strategic recommendation: to open language degree programmes at one lower tariff university in each cold spot.
{"title":"‘Cold spots’ in language degree provision in England","authors":"Becky Muradás-Taylor, Philip Taylor","doi":"10.1080/09571736.2023.2257705","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2023.2257705","url":null,"abstract":"People have been raising the alarm about a language education crisis in the UK, particularly in England, for twenty years. Yet the crisis continues: the number of young people studying languages at school is low, especially in socioeconomically less-privileged areas. University programmes – particularly in universities with below average entry tariffs – are closing, but we do not understand the regional impact of this decline. This paper fills that gap by identifying ‘cold spots’: areas of the country where no universities offer language degrees. The programming language R was used to analyse the location of universities at various entry tariffs, and areas of the country further than a commutable distance of 60 km were identified. Large cold spots were found in the North, East and South West of England for universities offering languages at below average entry tariff, with the cold spot in the South West also present at higher entry tariffs. This is a social justice issue, since most students attend university close to home, with students from less-privileged socioeconomic backgrounds and some ethnic minority backgrounds more likely to commute. This leads to a key strategic recommendation: to open language degree programmes at one lower tariff university in each cold spot.","PeriodicalId":46554,"journal":{"name":"Language Learning Journal","volume":"100 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135770019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-20DOI: 10.1080/09571736.2023.2249001
Anamaria Bodea, Pavel Trofimovich
ABSTRACTThis study explored the notion of flow, which refers to a person’s sense of being completely absorbed in a task, as it applies to second language (L2) learning and use. Previously, flow has been mainly examined through researcher-generated descriptions to which learners reacted using Likert-type scales. In this study, we examined flow through the perspectives of the individuals experiencing it, by asking them to describe any insights relevant to their experience. During four weeks, five undergraduate students taking L2 French or Spanish coursework reported their flow states in weekly diary entries and interviews. Students described a total of 15 flow states, reporting them most frequently in interaction inside and outside coursework (e.g. speaking to a friend/stranger, in a paired task) but also while taking an exam, studying grammatical forms, listening to a lecture, reading, and practicing a speech. Qualitative coding revealed seven dimensions of flow, where five previously reported dimensions (attention, interest, enjoyment, sense of accomplishment, skill–challenge balance) were supported and clarified through our analyses while the remaining two (oblivion, stress) were identified for the first time. Flow appeared to be linked to proceduralisation of L2 skills, as the element of automaticity was prominent in most descriptions of flow.KEYWORDS: Flowsecond languagelearnersinterviewsdiariesqualitative Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada: [Grant Number 430-2020-01134].
{"title":"‘Transported into like another space’: second language learners’ perspectives of their experience of flow","authors":"Anamaria Bodea, Pavel Trofimovich","doi":"10.1080/09571736.2023.2249001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2023.2249001","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACTThis study explored the notion of flow, which refers to a person’s sense of being completely absorbed in a task, as it applies to second language (L2) learning and use. Previously, flow has been mainly examined through researcher-generated descriptions to which learners reacted using Likert-type scales. In this study, we examined flow through the perspectives of the individuals experiencing it, by asking them to describe any insights relevant to their experience. During four weeks, five undergraduate students taking L2 French or Spanish coursework reported their flow states in weekly diary entries and interviews. Students described a total of 15 flow states, reporting them most frequently in interaction inside and outside coursework (e.g. speaking to a friend/stranger, in a paired task) but also while taking an exam, studying grammatical forms, listening to a lecture, reading, and practicing a speech. Qualitative coding revealed seven dimensions of flow, where five previously reported dimensions (attention, interest, enjoyment, sense of accomplishment, skill–challenge balance) were supported and clarified through our analyses while the remaining two (oblivion, stress) were identified for the first time. Flow appeared to be linked to proceduralisation of L2 skills, as the element of automaticity was prominent in most descriptions of flow.KEYWORDS: Flowsecond languagelearnersinterviewsdiariesqualitative Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada: [Grant Number 430-2020-01134].","PeriodicalId":46554,"journal":{"name":"Language Learning Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136308620","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-03DOI: 10.1080/09571736.2023.2248152
Fabienne Baider, Cristelle Cavalla
ABSTRACT The role of emotions in learning has been the focus of much debate in teaching circles, as has the question of discussing controversial issues in the classroom. The aim of this small-scale inquiry was to investigate how two groups of intermediate level students of French as a foreign language expressed emotion in discussing the controversial issue of veganism. Our analysis focuses on the notions of ‘emotion lexicon’ and ‘rich point’ in exploring the video recordings of two classes engaged in discussion. We highlight how the students used a range of means to contribute to the discussion; their emotion lexicon appeared to be relatively limited but they made use of interactional and non-verbal means and communicated their feelings through the exchange of personal anecdotes and testimonies. We frame our approach within the tenets of critical pedagogy, and show how discussion of a controversial issue can trigger students’ engagement and further reflection. We conclude by emphasising the important role of the teacher, probably best fulfilled as a neutral guide in the discussion.
{"title":"Expressing emotions, discussing controversial issues: a pilot study focused on veganism","authors":"Fabienne Baider, Cristelle Cavalla","doi":"10.1080/09571736.2023.2248152","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2023.2248152","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The role of emotions in learning has been the focus of much debate in teaching circles, as has the question of discussing controversial issues in the classroom. The aim of this small-scale inquiry was to investigate how two groups of intermediate level students of French as a foreign language expressed emotion in discussing the controversial issue of veganism. Our analysis focuses on the notions of ‘emotion lexicon’ and ‘rich point’ in exploring the video recordings of two classes engaged in discussion. We highlight how the students used a range of means to contribute to the discussion; their emotion lexicon appeared to be relatively limited but they made use of interactional and non-verbal means and communicated their feelings through the exchange of personal anecdotes and testimonies. We frame our approach within the tenets of critical pedagogy, and show how discussion of a controversial issue can trigger students’ engagement and further reflection. We conclude by emphasising the important role of the teacher, probably best fulfilled as a neutral guide in the discussion.","PeriodicalId":46554,"journal":{"name":"Language Learning Journal","volume":"62 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134948024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}