Foreign Language Annals最新文献

Building on the construct of discourse competence, this study investigated the frequency and accuracy of Chinese Dual Language Immersion students' use of two types of cohesive devices—conjunctions and frame setters. Drawing on AAPPL assessment data, the study examined 116 writing samples that were rated as either Intermediate High (IH) or A1 (the lower end of Advanced). Results show that, overall, the group with rating consistent with A1 used both types of cohesive devices more frequently than the group that received a rating consistent with IH; differences were statistically significant for frame setters. The study also found that both groups demonstrated greater syntactic than semantic accuracy; however, students whose ratings consistent with A1 used frame setters more accurately than those with ratings consistent with IH. The article concludes with a discussion of pedagogical implications and suggestions for future research.

Although motivation is an extensively discussed topic, minor languages deserve more research attention. This qualitative multiple case study explores motivation to learn Czech as a second language in Beginners' Czech language courses for Erasmus students in the Czech Republic through the lens of the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS), searching for the critical motivation sources in this type of setting. The data were collected in language learning journals, two semistructured interviews, and a final questionnaire. Five cases were chosen to demonstrate the key sources of motivation. In the profiles, the ideal L2 self, closely tied to the sojourn in the country, and the L2 learning experience in the language course were the most prominent components of the L2MSS. The data also suggested a possible role of the multilingual self. Finally, the paper presents pedagogical implications suitable for this type of course and broader instructional contexts.

Students who participate in advanced coursework in high school are more likely to enroll and persist in college. This study measured college readiness indicators of high school seniors enrolled in the Utah Spanish Bridge Program and analyzed whether performance differed based on race/ethnicity or on parent college completion. Findings show that race/ethnicity played a role in inequitable distribution of college readiness indicators to a larger extent than parent college completion. Hispanic students, although enrolled in advanced coursework at a higher rate than the school overall, were still at a disadvantage compared with their White peers. Findings can inform programs to improve educational outcomes and may suggest areas for future research.

Pragmatic competence covers a range of skills, including the ability to interpret indirect meaning (i.e., any instance where there is a mismatch between literal and intended meaning). Past research has suggested that indirect meaning poses comprehension challenges for learners of a second language (L2). This result has been explained with reference to the influence of proficiency and the linguistic/discourse-level conventionality of indirect meaning types. To verify and potentially extend these results, we conducted a close replication of a 2016 study of indirect meaning comprehension in L2 Spanish by Taguchi and colleagues, for which we used a group of L2 French learners. Results confirmed most of the study's findings. In our interpretation, we suggest that our results are consistent with the idea that difficulties with indirect meaning comprehension largely stem from lacunae in general oral comprehension, thus calling into question the idea that indirect meaning may be globally more difficult to interpret.

Contextualized within our Projects in Humanization in language teacher education and part of our on-going collaborative self-study of our language teacher educator practices, we used multiple case study to examine multimodal representations of cultural and linguistic identities curated by three language teachers—Daniel, Yuseva, and Sarah—and humanizing dialog to engage them in reflection on those identities. The central task, the Language Use Profile—part of the foundations course in our language teacher education programs—guided language teachers in developing their understandings of their bi-/multilingual language use, language ideologies, and systemic functional linguistics (SFL). In all three cases, examination of language use served as a window for the language teachers to observe their intersectionality or, in some cases, to become aware of it. Each language teacher took up the assignment in different ways, with the task as the context for reflection on language use and identities journeys such as translanguaging to survive, negotiating my identity and being a white woman who learned Spanish. SFL metalanguage served as a tool for the language teachers to make sense of their multidimensional language use. Our findings point to the potential of the Language Use Profile as a means for guiding language teachers in the identity work that is central in humanizing language teacher education.

Given the ongoing shortage of world language teachers in the United States, growing attention has developed toward recruiting new teachers at the secondary and postsecondary levels. This mixed methods study examined why some university noneducation students involved in language study at a large public institution indicated they would consider becoming a teacher (N = 116) while others would not (N = 129). Analyses indicated that those who would consider the profession were significantly more motivated for language study and had perceived experiencing significantly more instances of communicative and authentic pedagogy, as well as feelings of autonomy, community, and capability in their current language course than their counterparts who would not consider the profession. While passion for languages, teaching, and social contribution were factors that drew students to the profession, those who would not consider world language teaching were primarily dissuaded by a lack of passion for languages and teaching and perceptions of their own inadequate language proficiency.

American Sign Language (ASL) education is a relatively new field. Thus, further research is necessary, especially regarding developing assessment tools. The goal of this study was to determine the types of assessment tools ASL level 1 teachers use in the classroom and how those teachers measure students' language progression. This study is critical because no standard ASL level 1 assessment tool measures students' skill levels to advance to the next level. The survey was created to build a better understanding of what tools ASL instructors use to assess their students' language performance. Data were collected from 93 ASL level 1 teachers. The results demonstrated a need for additional training for ASL teachers to improve their knowledge of language assessments and skills in using assessment tools, especially to support ASL students' language progress and proficiency. The results of this study provide suggestions for future assessment tools to increase the effectiveness of ASL programs across the United States.

Code use, including codeswitching and/or style-shifting, is an important but undertaught aspect of L2 sociolinguistic competence, and an important aspect of L2 learners' translanguaging repertoires. This study examines code use in Arabic—a diglossic language with distinct social uses for the prestige variety (Modern Standard Arabic, MSA) and Colloquial Arabic (CA). The study involved 10 participants who were third-year, L2 learners of Arabic in a multidialectal program, and focused on the questions: (1) What types of metasociolinguistic awareness are evident among advanced learners of Arabic who have had multidialectal training? (2) To what extent is this awareness reflected in their productions? Data collection included a language learning history survey, spoken and written productions in Arabic, and an English interview. Findings show that participants had a complex awareness of MSA-CA use that could be further expanded through instruction, suggesting that the trajectory of sociolinguistic competence development is complex, nonlinear, and influenced by instructional, social, and idiolectal factors. This study has important scholarly and pedagogical implications, and is linked to the rapidly growing body of scholarship on translanguaging practices and pedagogies.