Castledown Journals
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Theory of Mind development and narrative writing: A longitudinal study
No full textThe purpose of this paper is to study the development of Theory of Mind capacities in one individual’s narrative writing from year 1 in elementary school through high school and onwards. To this end this longitudinal study focuses on evaluative expressions while drawing on the Appraisal theoretical frame work, developed by Martin (2000) and Martin and White (2005). Both quantitative and qualitative methods are applied. The findings illustrate clear developmental trends in the evaluative choices regarding Appraisal categories, as well as the amount and types of evaluations, and the linguistic realizations of the evaluations in the texts. The findings also display how the individual’s Theory of Mind capacities are inextricably linked to the level of advancement in linguistic repertoire and an increased complexity and sophistication in the organization of narrative structure. The paper concludes with a discussion of some pedagogical implications of the study
Significant predictors for effectiveness of blended learning in a language course
No full textA wide variety of technologies combined with traditional classroom methods can make learning easier in the digital age. This paper studied undergraduate students’ learning performance and satisfaction after they had studied in a blended setting and investigated if variables of learner characteristics and course features would be predictors for effectiveness in a blended course. Data were gained from 149 students enrolled in a fundamental English course at a private university in Thailand, using a 5-rating scale questionnaire. The results of the study demonstrated that students were satisfied with instructor, interactivity and course design, and the mean score of performance was higher than the criterion. It was found that attitudes toward blended learning, face-to-face support and digital literacy were three variables predicting learning performance while only two variables including face-to-face support and attitudes toward blended learning were two predicting variables of satisfaction with the course. However, workload management and online learning tools quality were not predictors of learning performance and satisfaction with the course. When designing future blended courses, instructors should pay more attention to face-to-face support, attitudes toward blended learning and digital literacy since these factors may have an impact on the course success
ESL students’ perceptions of using a social bookmarking tool for the development of reading in a second language
No full textBuilding on research on the development of reading and use of technology for language learning, this multiple-case study explored English as a second language (esl) students’ perceptions of using a social bookmarking Web 2.0 tool for the development of reading from an ecological perspective. Five students in a community college esl course in the northeastern part of the usa participated in the study. The data sources included interviews, observations, e-journals, and artifacts. Thorough within-case and cross-case analysis of data revealed a number of Diigo affordances which esl students found beneficial for their development of reading, the role of context and mode, participants’ collaborative stance, and various aspects of influence Diigo had on esl students’ development of reading. The findings and discussion of the study highlight the role of social bookmarking tools in raising ESL students’ motivation and engagement in reading. The study offers suggestions for further research and implications for practice
Emotional intelligence and intercultural competence: Theoretical questions and pedagogical possibilities
No full textAgainst the background of increased global mobility and the need to communicate effectively across cultures, the development of Emotional Intelligence (EI) is of growing importance to those involved in intercultural education. There are important theoretical synergies between EI, which is comprised of components such as self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills (Goleman, 1998), and models of intercultural competence (IC) commonly utilised in intercultural education (e.g., Byram, 1997; Deardorff, 2006). In particular, one of the components of EI, empathy has recently attracted attention from new perspectives (Epley, 2014; Bloom, 2016; Breithaupt, 2017a, 2017b). In this paper, we consider the place of EI within models of intercultural competence and then offer theoretical and pedagogical discussion on one particular element of EI-empathy-that we believe will be useful to intercultural educators
Advancing intercultural learning in world language education: Recent developments in pre-service teacher education in the U.S.
No full textAbstract
Intercultural understanding is increasingly prioritized in the teaching and learning of world languages. Empirical evidence reveals the ways in which an intercultural communicative approach to foreign language instruction can foster learners’ intercultural competence (Garrett-Rucks, 2016). Yet, in the U.S., there remains a disconnect in the distribution of federal funds for internationalization efforts to foster learners’ intercultural understanding and the support given for world languages study, in which enrollment continues to fall (MLA, 2018). This position paper is intended to raise awareness of the crucial role of foreign language (FL) learning in fostering learners’ intercultural understanding in order to put into question the underestimated role of FL learning in U.S. educational policies and internationalization efforts. Despite the lack of financial, political and educational policy support, current World Language teacher certification practices in the U.S. require candidates to provide evidence of their intercultural approach to language instruction. This paper describes the emphasis on cultural reflection in current U.S. World Languages teacher certification practices and provides a review of meaningful culture learning projects to encourage all language instructors to take an intercultural communicative approach to their instruction
Revisiting the digital divide(s): Technology-enhanced English language practices at a university in Pakistan
No full textWith the rapid penetration of technology in the lives of students, it has become important for educators to look for opportunities to enhance students' engagement and achievement by integrating technology in education. However, deciding which technologies should be included is a big challenge for higher education institutes, particularly in developing countries with limited financial resources, such as Pakistan. As students' non-educational use of technologies shapes their academic use of technology and learning process (Swanson & Walker, 2015), integrating students' preferred technologies can help fulfil their educational needs and expectations. This paper investigates the digital practices of undergraduate students in a public university in Pakistan and examines the impact of gender, study major and medium of education on the use of digital devices by students. The data is drawn from 316 responses to an online survey, administered online. The results of the study reveal that although a substantial proportion of the students had access to digital tools such as smartphones and computers, there was limited use of them for educational purposes. The technology most extensively accessed by undergraduate students for this purpose was mobile phones. Use of university-provided computers and bringing their own computers/laptops to campus were much less popular choices. Further, most students were not sufficiently comfortable with their digital skills to use their devices for educational purposes, although many were interested in getting training in how they could do this
Vocabulary learning strategies and vocabulary size: Insights from educational level and learner styles
No full textThis study investigates the effect of different vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) as well as different learner styles on vocabulary size in Saudi Arabic-speaking students in higher education. The goals of this study were to examine which VLS undergraduates used more frequently than postgraduates and vice versa, to determine which VLS related positively and significantly to vocabulary size, and to explore individual learner styles and their relationship to vocabulary size. Participants filled in a VLS questionnaire and completed a vocabulary size test. The results indicated that undergraduates tended to use simpler strategies than postgraduates. The strategies of guessing a word’s meaning from context and watching television related positively with vocabulary size in both groups. Clustering analysis revealed two learner groups which differed in how frequently they used VLS overall, rather than in terms of which VLS they preferred. Those students who used more VLS overall also had larger vocabulary sizes, irrespective of educational level. We thus found no evidence for differences in individual learner styles in the current groups. We conclude that VLS usage should be encouraged overall, but that the need for instructors to cater to individual vocabulary learning styles may not be warranted
Beginning again
No full textThe journey to putting together this inaugural issue of the Australian Journal of Applied Linguistics is a surprisingly long one. I originally founded the journal in 1999 back when I was a young academic at Griffith University in Australia where I taught Japanese and linguistics. I was nearing the end of my PhD thesis, and I was passionate about promoting applied linguistics in Australia, hoping to make the journal a platform through which this could be accomplished. There was a very small editorial board at the time, made up predominantly of colleagues in my department at Griffith University, and ironically, it was in electronic format, perhaps one of the first journals in the field to do this. Open access as a publishing concept didn’t exist then, and publications typically went through major publishing houses, or like the Australian Journal of Applied Linguistics of the time, by small groups at universities and other academic organisations.
3D digital games, virtual worlds, and language learning in higher education: Continuing challenges in Japan
No full textPast research on digital games and virtual worlds suggests that these platforms provide multiple benefits for language learning, including positive effects on motivation and opportunities for authentic learner interaction. Despite this, adoption of these platforms in classrooms appears largely nonexistent. We provide a review of research on the use of games and virtual worlds in language learning and report on the results of a recent survey and series of interviews with university language teachers in Japan. Analysis provides insight into the challenges of adopting technology in language teaching and on the types of platforms that may ultimately see wide adoption
Public apologies and intercultural communication: Perceptions of Chinese and American students
No full textThe primary purpose of this study was to investigate how culture impacts recipients’ perceptions of the effectiveness of a public apology (Netflix apology). Data was collected through a survey instrument that included both Likert Scale items and short response items. A selected number of participants from each group were also interviewed. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of data were conducted. The study also aimed to identify specific verbal and non-verbal cues that correlate with students’ evaluations of this public apology. Overall, the participants evaluated the Netflix apology as ineffective in terms of verbal as well as non-verbal strategies used. Findings show that cultural variations regarding the appropriate non-verbal cues significantly affected the participants’ evaluations of the apology. Chinese emphasized the importance of a formal setting, professional dress, bowing posture and remorseful facial expressions, whereas Americans emphasized the importance of eye contact and body posture embodying attentiveness. The majority of the participants commented that the apologizer should have offered compensation as a means of taking responsibility for the offense. The study has teaching implications for raising intercultural competency among the students and business leaders, particularly regarding the use of online speech events in teaching scenarios