Trabajando duro, trabajando inteligentemente y trabajando consistentemente: Hacia la conceptualización y medición de la constancia en el aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras

Academic tenacity, at its most fundamental level, concerns how hard and how smart an individual works over a long period. While this notion is meant for a broad range of academic contexts, it is particularly recognizable to those who make a lifelong commitment to learning a foreign language (FL). This study reports an initial attempt to conceptualise and measure foreign language tenacity (FLT). The Foreign Language Tenacity Scale (FLTS)—a self-report instrument—was developed and validated with a sample of 272 tertiary-level students studying English as a foreign language (EFL). FLT emerged as a multifaceted construct that positively correlated to foreign language enjoyment (FLE), mental well-being (MWB), language achievement and self-perceived language proficiency, and negatively correlated to foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA). Tenacity appears to effectively represent the key characteristics of successful FL learners. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that FLT and FLCA were significant predictors of language achievement and that including FLT in the analysis (rather than solely FLE and FLCA) explained additional variance.La tenacidad académica, en su nivel más fundamental, se refiere a cuán duro y cuán inteligente trabaja un individuo durante un largo período. Si bien esta noción está destinada a una amplia gama de contextos académicos, es particularmente reconocible para aquellos que se comprometen de por vida a aprender una lengua extranjera (FL). Este estudio informa un intento inicial de conceptualizar y medir la tenacidad en el aprendizaje de idiomas (FLT). The Foreign Language Tenacity Scale (FLTS), un instrumento de autoinforme, se desarrolló y validó con una muestra de 272 estudiantes de nivel terciario que estudiaban inglés como lengua extranjera (EFL). FLT surgió como un constructo multifacético que se correlacionó positivamente con el disfrute en el aprendizaje de idiomas (FLE), el bienestar mental (MWB), el logro del idioma y la autopercepción del dominio del idioma, y se correlacionó negativamente con la ansiedad en el aula de idiomas (FLCA). La tenacidad parece representar efectivamente las características clave de los estudiantes exitosos de FL. Un análisis de regresión múltiple jerárquico reveló que FLT y FLCA eran predictores significativos del rendimiento del lenguaje y que incluir FLT en el análisis (en lugar de solo FLE y FLCA) explicaba la variación adicional

Trabajando duro, trabajando inteligentemente y trabajando consistentemente: Hacia la conceptualización y medición de la tenacidad en el aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras

Academic tenacity, at its most fundamental level, concerns how hard and how smart an individual works over a long period. While this notion is meant for a broad range of academic contexts, it is particularly recognizable to those who make a lifelong commitment to learning a foreign language (FL). This study reports an initial attempt to conceptualise and measure foreign language tenacity (FLT). The Foreign Language Tenacity Scale (FLTS)—a self-report instrument—was developed and validated with a sample of 272 tertiary-level students studying English as a foreign language (EFL). FLT emerged as a multifaceted construct that positively correlated to foreign language enjoyment (FLE), mental well-being (MWB), language achievement and self-perceived language proficiency, and negatively correlated to foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA). Tenacity appears to effectively represent the key characteristics of successful FL learners. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that FLT and FLCA were significant predictors of language achievement and that including FLT in the analysis (rather than solely FLE and FLCA) explained additional variance. La tenacidad académica, en su nivel más fundamental, se refiere a cuán duro y cuán inteligente trabaja un individuo durante un largo período. Si bien esta noción está destinada a una amplia gama de contextos académicos, es particularmente reconocible para aquellos que se comprometen de por vida a aprender una lengua extranjera (FL). Este estudio informa un intento inicial de conceptualizar y medir la tenacidad en el aprendizaje de idiomas (FLT). The Foreign Language Tenacity Scale (FLTS), un instrumento de autoinforme, se desarrolló y validó con una muestra de 272 estudiantes de nivel terciario que estudiaban inglés como lengua extranjera (EFL). FLT surgió como un constructo multifacético que se correlacionó positivamente con el disfrute en el aprendizaje de idiomas (FLE), el bienestar mental (MWB), el logro del idioma y la autopercepción del dominio del idioma, y se correlacionó negativamente con la ansiedad en el aula de idiomas (FLCA). La tenacidad parece representar efectivamente las características clave de los estudiantes exitosos de FL. Un análisis de regresión múltiple jerárquico reveló que FLT y FLCA eran predictores significativos del rendimiento del lenguaje y que incluir FLT en el análisis (en lugar de solo FLE y FLCA) explicaba la variación adicional.&nbsp

Tenacity Key to Success

When Andrew Webber ’10 gets excited, words tumble from his mouth so rapidly that it’s hard to keep up

A glass half full or half empty?: A comparison of diversity statements among Russell group UK vs US Research universities

The term diversity is ubiquitous in university mission statements, strategic plans, recruitment brochures, and university websites. This paper argues aims to compare university diversity statements from US Research Tier 1 universities with those from the elite UK Russell group universities In order to compare the language of diversity, we have used the techniques of corpus linguistics. A corpus is an electronic collection of sample texts which can then be processed by software, in this case the Oxford Wordsmith Tools (Scott 1996) package. This enables a corpus to be searched for frequent words, concordances (the linguistic environment of target words), and collocations (the company that those words keep). The resulting analysis suggests that there are differences between US and UK diversity statements, significant enough that they cannot be said to conform to the same 'genre'. There is overall similarity in terms ofvocabulary choice and of grammatical structures used (nominalizations, modalities etc), however, the UK Russell group diversity statements display a modality position of certainty, which resonates with the noun commitment. In contrast, US Research university diversity statements are formulated more as aspirations, and focus on benefit to the community, but claim a less certain outcome. Diversity is seen as 'a good thing' and signified by multiple linguistic markers of appreciation. The word frequency analysis of the diversity statements suggests that they are largely made up ofsemantically vague lexical items - Strategically Deployable Shifters - which contribute little to the overall meanings of the statements. These words, e.g. excellence, diversity, respect, even equality are multi-functional, polysemic abstractions which invoke fair play. Discursively embracing diversity commits institutions to recognizing little difference, and certainly not to institutional or structural change, rather diversity is seen as the property of individuals, and is congruent with the project of the neoliberal university

Design With Attitude: A Key World Class Method

World Class Design by implication can best be achieved by adopting world class methods. ICED conferences continue to disseminate methodologies to help make designers and design teams more effective and efficient. At ICED 95 we introduced our PAKTS model (Figure 1.) which identified the total educational needs of young engineering designers [Robotham 1995]. The five key elements of the model are Processes, Attitudes, Knowledge, Tools and Skills. Of these elements, the least developed in terms of methodologies is that of “Attitude”. This paper will give further consideration to this element and identify the qualities that a designer must develop to be world class. These qualities would include: professionalism, ownership, responsibility, team player, discipline, tenacity, self-reliance, and self-learner. We would hope that this paper will form the basis of a “Design with Attitude” method, that would sit alongside all other world class methods, because we firmly believe that World Class Design cannot be achieved without the designer adopting a “Design with Attitude” approach

Southern Ute Grassroots Language Revitalization

Southern Ute is a severely endangered Uto-Aztecan language spoken in southwestern Colorado by forty speakers out of a tribe of around 1,400. In 2011, a small group of adult tribal members with a strong desire to learn Ute as a second language began a collaborative, community-based, grassroots language revitalization and repatriation project on the Southern Ute reservation. This case study provides insight into language endangerment and revitalization, language ideologies, linguistic identity, revitalization pedagogy, and language as power. During this project the group encountered challenges typical of endangered language revitalization such as lack of teaching material, the contradictory role of writing in gaining fluency in an endangered language, the transition of a speaker to a teacher, and differing views of effective language learning methods. A total of eighty-nine community members ranging in age from two to eighty-seven years participated in this project. The diversity of students created a pedagogical situation in which the range of objectives, learning styles, and interest levels required adaptation and flexibility. We discuss possible solutions to these challenges. We also provide insight into the tenacity of heritage language learners who continue to fight for linguistic self-determination and justice, even when faced with opposition from their tribal government and community.National Foreign Language Resource Cente

Interest in Debate, History Earn Cross-Border Prize

When Morgan St. Jean ’09 checked her email one day in January, she expected the usual spam and Facebook updates

An Empirical Study on the Influence of PBL Teaching Model on the Critical Thinking Ability of Non-English Majors

This study combines the PBL teaching model based on cooperative learning autonomous learning and inquiry learning with the intensive reading course of college English with the aim to test whether this model is conducive to promoting the critical thinking ability of students. Ability of second language acquisition (L2) is measured by language test and questionnaire survey among 95 subjects. The results show that the teaching model of PBL has a positive effect on improving students' critical thinking ability and second language acquisition ability

The internationalization of the media: Does local values and cultures undermined?

The mixture of culture exists in this world as the effect of global media and the emergence of new technologies. Media plays an important role in displaying the good and the bad to the audience. The emergence of new technologies and the demand from audience has internationalized local media. In contrast, the internationalization of the media is said to undermine the local values and cultures. This paper focuses on the impact of the internationalization of the media and the role played by America as the world’s market dominance. Then, the previous researches in the effects of media internationalization to local people in various countries will be studied. This paper is also emphasized on the portrayals of imported programs especially western to Malaysians audience. This paper provides some solutions to prevent our values and cultures from being undermined by foreign media programs