1,720,986 research outputs found
Exploring Mandarin-speaking English-as-an-additional-language graduate students’ academic reading strategies in three reading modes: paper, e-reading without hypertext, and e-reading with embedded hypertext
Full text linkIn the field of English-as-an-additional-language (EAL) reading, numerous studies have investigated EAL learners’ employment of reading strategies, along with its potential relationships with other variables (e.g., language proficiency, major, and cultural background). The majority of existing findings have often failed to account for any internal processes or supplementary information about EAL strategic behaviour in academic reading.
This study investigated 26 Chinese EAL graduate students’ reading strategy use across three reading modes and any relationships between EAL reading strategy use and task performance. Data included video recordings of participants’ test performances, a post-task stimulated recall, and a post-task reading perception survey.
Results indicated that Chinese EAL graduate readers employed wide varieties of reading strategies, with cognitive strategies and social the most frequently and least frequently identified. Multivariate analysis showed statistically significant differences in strategy use within the cognitive category, indicating that EAL reading strategy use is complex, often employing several individual strategies at any time. Correlational analyses revealed no significant associations between overall strategy use and task performance. E-reading strategy use was positively correlated with task performances, but similar strategy employment on paper revealed dissimilar associations.
The main implication of this study is that EAL educators and researchers must be mindful that readers’ perceptions may influence modality preference; however, modality preference may not positively influence EAL reading [email protected]
Promoting awareness and regulation of social and affective behaviours during L2 speaking tasks through written reflection
Full text linkThis small scale action research explored the use of guided written reflection as a means to assist learners to gain self-awareness of their social and affective strategic behaviours during classroom speaking tasks, to improve collaboration, and to increase oral output. Four research questions addressed: (1) the social and affective strategies learners use to complete classroom speaking tasks, (2) the changes in social and affective strategies that learners demonstrate in written reflections over four weeks, (3) whether there is a difference in the amount of oral output produced by the experimental group (EG) and the comparison group (CG), and (4) the EG group members’ perceptions of the reflection process. Two groups of English as an additional language (EAL) learners completed eight dyadic classroom speaking tasks. Immediately after completing each task, five EG participants responded in writing to questions in a reflection journal addressing emotions, vocabulary, interactions with interlocutors, and strategic goals; the six CG participants were not provided with the same opportunity to reflect. In the EG, over four weeks, the strategy justifying performance decreased, while complimenting increased. Although EG participants’ oral production did not increase, part E of Oxford’s (1989) SILL showed a significant increase in I encourage myself to speak. Of fourteen participants who completed a final anonymous questionnaire, 64% felt that the reflection process helped them to speak more, and 93% felt that it helped them to work effectively with their classmates.Graduate29052563
Communication Strategy Use in Performing Informal Debate Tasks by Chinese English-as-an-Additional-Language Graduate Students in Electrical Engineering and Education
Full text linkIn the field of second language acquisition, there are few studies focusing on Chinese English-as-an-additional-language (EAL) graduate students’ communication strategy use, strategy use across different disciplines, and the relationships between communication strategy use and learners’ speaking performance. To fill the gap identified in the literature reviewed, this study examined the communication strategies used by 11 Chinese EAL graduate students from the Departments of Electrical Engineering and Education in the completion of two informal debate tasks with a questionnaire adapted from Nakatani’s (2006) Oral Communication Strategy Inventory and two post-task communication strategy recall questionnaires. Results from the study indicate that participants used eight categories of communication strategies, with fluency-oriented strategies the most frequently used strategy category and translation the least frequently used strategy category. Advanced English-language proficiency level learners used more social affective, message reduction and alteration, and negotiation of meaning strategies than learners at high-intermediate proficiency levels, to a degree that was statistically significant. No significant difference was identified in the overall communication strategy use but in one instance of individual strategy use (i.e., clarifying stance) across two disciplines. Significantly positive relationships were identified among certain categories of communication strategies (i.e., social affective, negotiation of meaning, accuracy-oriented strategies, and message reduction and alteration strategies), individual strategies (i.e., turn yielding, exemplifying, clarifying meaning, correcting others, referring to notes for accuracy/fluency, message reduction and alteration), and participants’ speaking performance. In addition, the retrospective results from the post-task strategy recall questionnaires suggest that participants in this study are not fully aware of their communication strategy use. The findings in this study can inform language practitioners’ of communication strategies used by Chinese graduate students majoring in Electrical Engineering and Education. Implications and future research directions are discussed in light of the findings derived from the present study that can further contribute to research about EAL learners’ communication strategies used at the graduate [email protected]
Faute de mieux: An exploration of Core French curriculum, teaching methods, and learner motivational factors in British Columbia
Full text linkAs French education rises in popularity across Canada, there is an increasing need to assess
the impact of French curriculum and teaching methods on students. In 2023, the Canadian
federal government updated the Action Plan for Official Languages, with up to $242.8 million
funding an increase in the national English-French bilingualism rate by 2036. Across Canada,
efforts are being made to accomplish Action Plan goals, including the British Columbian
mandate that requires students to take a second language course from Grades 5 through 8.
Despite this, very few studies have focused on the motivational factors that affect Core French
students’ willingness to persevere in their French studies (Arnott, 2019; Carr, 2007; Trerice,
2015). Through both qualitative and quantitative methods including participant surveys, Likert
scale rankings, and an interview, this study addresses this gap in the literature by investigating
the factors that demotivate B.C. students from enrolling in Core French beyond Grade 8, and
considers what can be done to mitigate these factors. This research focused on a group of Grade
8 students on Vancouver Island during their final mandatory Core French course, as well as two
Core French instructors. Key findings of this study are that students are demotivated to continue
studying French when they dislike the pedagogical materials used in class, experience feelings of
anxiety or embarrassment during class time, and perceive their teachers’ French knowledge or
skills to be inadequate. Additionally, teacher challenges include a lack of perceived standardized
learning outcomes, a lack of available Core French resources, and insufficient pre-service teacher
training. Results of this study have generated actionable recommendations to improve Core
French pedagogy based on student and teacher perspectives, with the goal of fostering classroom
environments in which students feel supported and motivated to continue learning French.Graduat
English-as-an-additional-language job interviews: pragmatics training for candidates and analyzing performance on both sides of the table
No full textPrevious job interview studies have found that evaluations of English-as-an-additional language (L+) candidates related less to demonstrated qualifications and more to matches or mismatches in communicative expectations. Candidates’ pragmatic skillfulness can affect interviewers’ perceptions of their competence, and by extension, their hireability.
Despite the importance of pragmatics to interview success, few studies have looked at the efficacy of pragmatics training. To address this gap, a mixed-methods study was ncarried out with L+ English university students and professional interviewers. Two training types – pragmatics-focused feedback (n = 9) and feedback plus a pragmatics lesson (n = 9) – were compared to a control (n = 9). A second focus was to understand the factors that influenced the nine interviewers’ evaluations. To this end, the interviewers engaged in a video-stimulated recall session. The resulting data were coded thematically. Finally, the interviewers’ communication was analyzed using an Interviewer Actions instrument and qualitative analysis.
Results showed that both experimental groups significantly outperformed the control group, which provides an endorsement of pragmatics training for L+ candidates. A second finding was that language ability themes were most prevalent in interviewer comments. This reveals a self-referential emphasis on the candidates’ talk as the primary source of competency judgments, which disadvantages L+ speakers. The Interviewer Action scores, supported by candidate evaluations and comments, indicated that engaged and supportive interviewer communication was most favourably received by the candidates. However, the qualitative analysis highlighted the challenge for interviewers in engaging with candidates while maintaining neutrality vis-à-vis responses. With increasingly diverse candidate pools, interviewers must upgrade their communication skills to make confident judgments about all interviewees.Graduat
Japanese verb-form transformation by early second-language learners
No full textThis thesis explores ways in which 12 learners of Japanese as a foreign language transform morphologically complex verbs taught as whole words. Written data, collected via a grammar test, and oral data, collected via think-aloud protocols, were used to explore verb-form transformation to the gerund (-te) form. These data were analysed to determine processes participants utilised during derivations. Resulting data indicate participants (1) are largely unaware of morphology, (2) cannot identify consonant-final verb-roots, (3) focus on verb-final characters during categorisation, (4) derive the gerund using prior knowledge – generally grammar rules, (5) link to vocabulary, morphological, phonological, and grammar knowledge during derivations, and (6) differ in performance as measured by the grammar test through utilising types of knowledge differently and in combinations. This implies current pedagogy may not heed learning preferences of learners. This thesis identifies types of knowledge involved during verb transformation tasks and suggests research into task-appropriate lessons
Examining emotional responses to written feedback and the role emotions play on second language writing performance
Full text linkThe influence of affective factors on learning has been studied by researchers in a range of disciplines, including within SLA research, where tests measuring anxiety specific to second language writing have been developed (Cheng, 2004). Recent studies on instructor perceptions show increasing numbers of second language learners (SLL) enrolled in mainstream university courses with instructors providing varying types of feedback to these learners. The current study investigates how the writing anxiety of second language learners in a mainstream context may relate to writing performance and how feedback anxiety resulting from one written assignment may be connected to writing performance on a subsequent assignment. Using modified writing anxiety survey instruments, 16 SLLs enrolled in two mainstream university English composition courses (taught by two instructors) completed two surveys, an informal interview, and an online questionnaire about feedback on two writing assignments prepared for their course; feedback and a grade from one assignment and a grade from a second assignment were also collected. Mainstream instructors were found to balance feedback provided to learners between content and organization feedback and grammatical feedback, similar to findings on feedback practices for second language instructors (Evans et al., 2010). Statistical analyses between survey results and grades revealed negative (non-statistically significant) correlations between anxiety scores (from surveys) and grades. Participants expressed 16 different emotions in response to feedback through qualitative data collection methods (open-ended survey questions, interviews, and online questionnaire); hope, acceptance, and anxiety were the three most commonly emotions reported. The number and complexity of emotional responses reported indicate that anxiety is only one of numerous responses to feedback and research on the effects of affective factors on learning may benefit from investigations of other emotions, including pleasant or positive emotions. Two data collection methods converged in reporting that nearly all participants made use of feedback through one or more forms of follow up action. Continued research into the complex emotions inspired by writing feedback may provide a deeper understanding of how SLLs may moderate their own emotional responses and provide instructors insight into additional factors that may affect learners’ writing [email protected]
Developing speaking strategies among adult English-as-an-additional-language (EAL) learners in performing the IELTS speaking tasks, mediated by audio-recorded and video-stimulated individual verbal reflection
No full textImproving speaking skills is a considerable challenge for many English-as-an-Additional-Language (EAL) learners striving to achieve oral proficiency and succeed in high-stakes standardized language tests. This study examined the reported and observed speaking strategies employed by 24 intermediate-level EAL learners performing IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Speaking tasks.
The study explored the efficacy of integrating individual verbal reflection through Video-Stimulated Recall (VSR) and audio-voice recorders to facilitate EAL participants’ development of task-specific strategies and oral language production. Over a six-week period, participants engaged in a non-credit bearing speaking course, with a specific focus on the IELTS Speaking tasks. Participants were randomly divided into three groups: experimental group A (n = 8), experimental group B (n = 8), and comparison group C (n = 8). All groups received identical weekly lessons from the same instructor, followed by 30-minute post-task activities: group A engaged in VSR verbal reflections, group B in audio-recorded verbal reflections, and group C in non-reflective activities. In the sphere of strategy use, data were collected and analysed from three sources: weekly instructor-facilitated reflective group discussions, strategies reported weekly during reflection sessions, and the researcher’s observations of participants’ weekly performances. In the sphere of oral production, pre- and post-test scores, along with weekly task performance scores determined by two raters, were used to measure changes in participants’ oral production. Qualitative data were gathered via a post-study perception questionnaire to explore participants’ views on verbal reflection. Descriptive statistics revealed that participants used a wide range of strategies, with six strategy categories and a total of 2,038 individual strategies, including 84 unique individual strategies, identified across all data sources. Nonparametric tests indicated a significant improvement in oral production for group B, suggesting that audio-recorded verbal reflection may positively impact oral language development. However, the differences between groups A and C did not reach statistical significance. Interestingly, the lack of significant differences between groups A and B suggests that both reflection modalities may similarly facilitate the development of strategy use and oral production, meriting further research. The correlational analysis uncovered significant relationships among different variables. For example, cognitive strategies in Week 5 and metacognitive strategies in Week 6 positively correlated with performance, while communication and social strategies showed negative correlations in Weeks 1 and 4. Notably, eight individual strategies demonstrated positive correlations with performance scores, while four individual strategies showed negative correlations. Content analysis of the responses to the perception questionnaire highlighted key considerations for future research and pedagogical practices. The findings and their implications are discussed, offering practical pedagogical recommendations for implementing individual VSR and audio-recorded verbal reflections.Graduat
Novice, paraprofessional, and professional translators' strategy use in Chinese-English translation processes: retrospective reflections, concurrent screen-capturing, and key-stroke logging
No full textWith a multi-method research approach that involves retrospective reflection, concurrent screen-capturing (Camtasia), and key-stroke logging (Translog), this study probed Chinese-English translation processes and investigated the strategy use and pause patterns of 20 translators with different professional designations (i.e., novice, paraprofessional, and professional translators). Through the application of the Translation Competence Model (PACTE, 2007) from the Translation Studies field and of the Language Ability Model (Bachman & Palmer, 1996) from the field of Language Learner Strategies research, this study is the first of its kind to compare the differences in translators’ pause patterns in the three different translation phases (i.e., orientation, drafting, and revising phases) and strategy use, and to analyze the relationship of translators’ strategy use and pause vis-à-vis translation performance.
The three types of data provided a fuller picture of translators’ translation processes, and the use of the two models served to triangulate and cross-validate the multiple sources of data on translators’ reported and observed strategy use, which amounted to 97 individual strategies and 3,464 instances. The data examined quantitatively and qualitatively showed that translators of higher professional designations or the high performance level had higher percentages in professional, psycho-physiological, bilingual, and affective strategies, and paused longer and more often and spent more time in the revising phase. However, translators of lower professional designations or the low performance level showed higher percentages in instrumental and extralinguistic strategies, and paused longer and allocated more time in the drafting phase. The analysis revealed no significant correlation between overall strategy use or pauses and translation performance. The findings inform researchers, trainers, and trainees in the professions of both translation and additional-language teaching about translation strategy use and pause patterns.Graduat
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