The Effect of Mediated Glosses on Vocabulary Retention and Reading Comprehension with English Language Learners in Saudi Arabia

This study investigated the effectiveness of mediated glosses for understanding technical terms with foreign language learners. Previous research has found that online glosses improve information access, comprehension, vocabulary retention, and efficiency. Pavio's dual coding theory and Mayer's generative theory both posit that learning should improve when multiple coding systems are engaged through different media representations. An expert panel in petroleum engineering identified critical technical terms (e.g. compress, velocity, and permeable). The designers then used an iterative process to refine definitions, pictures, and animations in developing three gloss conditions. For condition 1 (audio and text), the term was written in English and Arabic, pronounced in English and defined in English. Condition 2 (audio, text and picture) had condition 1 features with a picture. Condition 3 (audio, text and animation) had condition 1 features with an animation. Participants were 222, 18-24 year-old male native Arabic speakers enrolled in petroleum engineering courses. Three groups under three gloss conditions read an online story in English with 50 glossed words, and completed a 22-item multiple-choice comprehension test. The three groups then reviewed 59 glossed terms without the story, and completed a vocabulary test immediately following and two weeks later. Demographic and attitude questionnaires were administered. Results found that, when controlling for language ability, those who received audio, text, and picture glosses (M=9.72) had higher comprehension scores than the text-based group (M=8.35), F (2,218) =3.07, p<.05. Those who received the audio, text, and picture gloss (M=3.88) agreed that "Online texts are better than paper-based texts," more than the audio and text group (M=3.41); F (2,216) =3.10, p<.05. There was a positive relationship between students' language-learning anxiety and reading comprehension (r=.203, p<.05), immediate vocabulary test (r=.229, p<.05), and delayed vocabulary test (r=.207, p<.05). Moderate anxiety levels facilitated language learning. Online glosses with dynamic pictures were found to be more effective in supporting comprehension and were rated higher than text-based glosses. The design process revealed that pictorial and animated representations should include negative and positive examples. Dynamic pictures may often be as effective as animations. Further mediated gloss research with more advanced language learners is warranted

A bilingual glossary for IELTS band 5

A thematic, bilingual glossary was used in an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) course at Politecnico di Torino, Italy. This paper reports on an evaluation performed on this glossary with the objective of determining its validity as a learning tool, as well as its usefulness in helping students pass IELTS at the required band mark. An overview of the literature on the subject of word lists, list-learning and bilingual pair vocabulary learning, together with a critical discussion of the glossary allows positive conclusions to be reached regarding the glossary’s validity. However, the difficulty of ascertaining any tangible influence of the glossary in students’ exam results reveals that the second objective of the evaluation may have been too ambitious. This paper pleads in favor of decontextualized vocabulary learning and the use of bilingual word pairs in SLA theory and English language teaching.En un curso de preparación para el examen International English Language Testing System (IELTS) en el Politecnico di Torino (Italia) se utilizó un glosario bilingüe organizado por temas. Este trabajo informa sobre una evaluación crítica del glosario cuyo objetivo era determinar la validez del mismo como instrumento para el aprendizaje, así como su utilidad para ayudar a los alumnos a superar el IELTS con la puntuación necesaria. Una panorámica de la bibliografía existente sobre la cuestión del aprendizaje de listas de vocabulario y de parejas bilingües de palabras, junto con un análisis crítico del glosario permiten llegar a conclusiones positivas en lo que se refiere a la validez del mismo. Sin embargo, la dificultad de determinar una influencia tangible del glosario en los resultados obtenidos en el examen ponen en evidencia que el segundo objetivo de la evaluación fue demasiado ambicioso. Este trabajo aboga por volver a valorar positivamente el aprendizaje descontextualizado del léxico y el uso, por parte de la teoría del aprendizaje de segundas lenguas (SLA) y en el ámbito de la enseñanza del inglés, de listas bilingües de palabras

Readings on L2 reading: Publications in other venues 2015–2016

This feature offers an archive of articles published in other venues during the past year and serves as a valuable tool to readers of Reading in a Foreign Language (RFL). It treats any topic within the scope of RFL and second language reading. The articles are listed in alphabetical order, each with a complete reference as well as a brief summary. The editors of this feature attempt to include all related articles that appear in other venues. However, undoubtedly, this list is not exhaustive

Methodological issues in research on learner-computer interactions in CALL

CALL materials may provide a mechanism for implementing theoretically-ideal conditions for second language acquisition and for conducting empirical research to investigate effects of these conditions. This paper explores methodological issues involved in realizing this potential by focusing on investigation of the noticing hypothesis (Schmidt, 1990) in CALL reading materials. It reviews the problem of assessing noticing in classroom and experimental settings through a) conditions for noticing, b) retrospective assessment, and c) concurrent assessment. Concurrent assessment, which provides the most direct measure of noticing, is illustrated through CALL materials that gather data on noticing, test retention of word meaning, and calculate the correlation between noticed and remembered words. Methodological issues of implementation and validation are discussed

大学の英語授業における放送英語の効果的な利用法

　外国語学習者向けの市販教材の多くは，CD，DVD など付属メディアを利用することで，英語音声を学習できるよう工夫されている。しかし，その音声教材の大半は，録音スタジオで英語母語話者が学習者の理解度を考慮して読み上げたものなので，発話速度を落としたうえ自然な英語発音に付きものの音声同化現象などが省かれていることがある。そのような教材のみを利用した学習者は，英米の地で実際に話されている英語が十分理解できなくて，がく然とすることがあると聞く。英語の中・上級学習者は「本物の英語発音」に慣れておく必要があるのではなかろうか。本論では本物の英語発音のひとつである放送英語を利用した効果的な学習方法を提案する。本論の一つ目の目的はアメリカのテレビニュース英語の特徴を分析することで，二つ目の目的は大学の英語授業における放送英語の効果的な利用法を紹介することである。実践報

Whaddya call that again? Materials for teaching connected speech

In order to examine the phenomena of connected speech and the place technology has in its instruction, I must first examine the developments in speaking and listening instructor that have contributed to this area of research, instruction, and learning. The literature review, then, will present (a) an overview of current speaking instruction trends, (b) an overview of current listening instruction trends, (c) an explanation of connected speech and its features, (d) an overview of technology and computer-assisted language learning (CALL), and (e) an overview of technological interventions in connected speech instruction. Through my findings, I hope to explore the following research questions: 1. How do instructors and learners feel about pronunciation, listening, and connected speech instruction? 2. How do instructors and learners feel about using technology to mediate the above instruction? 3. What do instructors and learners think of a number of activities developed in light of RQs 1 and 2? 4. How does the research literature reflect the topics of pronunciation, pronunciation with suprasegmentals, and suprasegmentals with technology? 5. How can a series of pedagogical materials support the technology-mediated instruction of connected speech