Text reconstruction activities and teaching language forms

Even though there is a broad consensus that teaching language forms is facilitative or even necessary in some contexts, there are still disagreements concerning, among other things, how formal aspects of the target language should be taught. One important area of controversy is whether pedagogic intervention should be input-oriented, emphasizing comprehension of the form- meaning mappings represented by specific linguistic features or output-based, requiring learners to produce these features accurately in gradually more communicative activities. The present paper focuses on the latter of these two options and, basing on the claims of Swain‘s (1985, 1995) output hypothesis, it aims to demonstrates how text-reconstruction activities in which learners collaboratively produce written output trigger noticing, hypothesis-testing and metalinguistic reflection on language use. It presents a psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic rationale for the use of such tasks, discusses the types of such activities, provides an overview of research projects investigating their application and, finally, offers a set of implications for classroom use as well as suggestions for further research in this area

The efects of peer corrective feedback trainning in face to face interaction and synchronousvideo-based computer-mediated comunication

Tesis (Profesor de Inglés para la Enseñanza Básica y Media y al grado académico de Licenciado en Educación)This quasi-experimental study was conducted in a private school, in Santiago, Chile, with four groups formed by 9th graders with the same L1 (Spanish) immersed in an EFL context. The purpose of the study was to examine ways in which the potential of peer interaction on learning is maximized. Specifically, the study examined two instructional techniques, both of which have been gaining increasing attention from second language acquisition researchers: (a) training learners how to correct each other (corrective feedback: CF), and (b) synchronous communicative interaction via video-based computer-mediated communication (SVCMC). Participants were divided into four groups depending on their experimental conditions. Group A (SVCMC+CF training) engaged in communicative peer interaction via SVCMC and received CF training. Group B (SVCMC-CF training) was given the same peer interaction tasks but did not receive any CF training. Groups C (FTF+CF training) and D (FTF-CF training) engaged in the same tasks in face-to-face in the classroom while only Group C received CF training. The intervention period lasted two weeks, consisting of four classes of 45 minutes for each of the four groups. The analysis involved (a) learners’ interactional behaviors, namely, language-related episodes, (b) their developmental outcomes with pre- and posttests focusing on past tense and locative usages, and (c) their perceptions based on exit questionnaire with close- and open-items. The results of this study reflected 3 main findings in peer interaction, corrective feedback, and SVCMC. With regard to interactional patterns (peer interaction), corrective feedback training promotes collaboration and so FTF environments, yet in SVCMC dominant patterns were more likely to arise. Meanwhile, CF training helped enhance learners’ language development as their results in the post-test were higher than in the pre-test and, in turn, SVCMC groups outperformed FTF groups. Concerning students’ perceptions, they overtly expressed positive beliefs regarding Peer Corrective Feedback and SVCMC activities. In short, clear differences were found among groups with different interventions resulting in distinct patterns, L2 development outcomes, and learner perceptions.Este estudio cuasi-experimental fue conducido en un colegio privado en Santiago de Chile, con cuatro grupos formados por estudiantes de primer año medio, cuya lengua nativa es el español. Los estudiantes estuvieron inmersos en un contexto EFL. El propósito del estudio fue examinar medios por las cuales el potencial de la interacción entre pares en el aprendizaje sea maximizado. Específicamente, este estudio examinó dos técnicas instructivas, las cuales han recibido recientemente atención paulatina de los investigadores en el campo de la adquisición de un segundo idioma: (a) capacitar a los estudiantes en como corregir a sus pares (retroalimentación), e (b) interacción comunicativa sincronizada a través de video conferencias (ICSV) mediadas por computadores. Los participantes fueron divididos en cuatro grupos según sus condiciones experimentales. El Grupo A (ICSV+ capacitación en retroalimentación) involucrado en interacción comunicativa— entre pares— a través de ICSV y recibieron instrucción en retroalimentación entre pares. Al Grupo B (ICSV – capacitación en retroalimentación) se le dio las mismas tareas, pero no recibió capacitación en retroalimentación. El Grupo C (cara a cara + capacitación en retroalimentación) y el Grupo D (cara a cara – capacitación en retroalimentación) participaron en las mismas tareas cara a cara en la sala de clases mientras que solo el Grupo C recibió capacitación en retroalimentación. El periodo de intervención fue de 2 semanas, compuesto de 4 clases de 45 min para cada uno de los grupos. Este análisis involucró (a) comportamientos interaccionales de los estudiantes, es decir, episodios relacionados con el lenguaje, (b) los resultados que reflejaron el desarrollo del lenguaje de los estudiantes fueron obtenidos mediante una evaluación previa a la intervención y otra posterior a la intervención; las evaluaciones se enfocaron en el uso del pasado simple y locativos, finalmente (c) las percepciones de los estudiantes obtenidas mediante un cuestionario de preguntas cerradas y abiertas. Los resultados de este estudio reflejaron 3 hallazgos principales en cuanto a interacción entre pares, retroalimentación, e ICSV. En cuanto a los patrones interacciónales (interacción entre pares), la retroalimentación y la comunicación cara a cara resultaron promover la colaboración, a diferencia de ICSV en la cual los patrones dominantes tuvieron más probabilidades de surgir. Mientras tanto, la capacitación en retroalimentación ayudó al mejoramiento del desarrollo del lenguaje de los estudiantes ya que sus resultados a lo largo de las evaluaciones pre y post presentaron un alza y, en consecuencia, los grupos que interactuaron a través de ICSV superaron a los grupos que interactuaron cara a cara. Tomando en cuenta las percepciones de los estudiantes, ellos expresaron abiertamente ideas positivas en cuanto a las actividades la capacitación en retroalimentación e ICSV. En resumen, diferencias claras fueron encontradas entre los grupos con diferentes intervenciones resultando en distintos patrones de interacción, resultados en el desarrollo del lenguaje, y percepciones de los estudiantes

Flexibility and Interaction at a Distance: A Mixed-Model Environment For Language Learning

This article reports on the process of design and development of two language courses for university students at beginning levels of competence. Following a preliminary experience in a low-tech environment for distance language learning and teaching, and a thorough review of the available literature, we identified two major challenges that would need to be addressed in our design: (1) a necessity to build sufficient flexibility into the materials to cater to a variety of learners' styles, interests and skill levels, therefore sustaining learners' motivation; and (2) a need to design materials that would present the necessary requisites of authenticity and interactivity identified in the examined literature, in spite of the reduced opportunities for face-to-face communication. In response to these considerations, we designed and developed learning materials and tasks to be distributed on CD-ROM, complemented by a WebCT component for added interactivity and task authenticity. Although only part of the original design was implemented, and further research is needed to assess the impact of our environment on learning outcomes, the results of preliminary evaluations are encouraging

Own-language use in language teaching and learning: state of the art

Until recently, the assumption of the language-teaching literature has been that new languages are best taught and learned monolingually, without the use of the students’ own language(s). In recent years, however, this monolingual assumption has been increasingly questioned, and a re-evaluation of teaching that relates the language being taught to the students’ own language has begun. This article surveys the developing English language literature on the role of students’ own language(s) in the language classroom. After clarifying key terms, the paper charts the continuing widespread use of students’ own languages in classrooms around the world and the contemporary academic and societal trends which have led to a revival of support for this. It then explores key arguments which underpin this revival, and reviews a range of empirical studies which examine the extent and functions of own-language use within language classrooms. Next, the article examines the support for own-language use that a range of theoretical frameworks provide, including psycholinguistic and cognitive approaches, general learning theory and sociocultural approaches. Having explored the notion of ‘optimal’ in-class own-language use, the article then reviews research into teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards own-language use. It concludes by examining how a bilingual approach to language teaching and learning might be implemented in practice

The effects of journal-writing on EFL pre-service teachers' development of writing skills

Tesis (Profesor de Inglés para la Enseñanza Básica y Media, Licenciado en Educación)Entre las cuatro habilidades del idioma Inglés, la escritura es normalmente conocida por ser la última competencia en ser adquirida, ya sea por estudiantes nativos o por estudiantes de segunda lengua. Además, también es considerado como el área más dificultosa del lenguaje para enseñar o evaluar como señaló D. Albrechtsen, K. Haastrup and B. Henriksen (2008). Por lo tanto, como el escribir en inglés parece ser un desafío para los alumnos, este estudio busca investigar si es posible superar efectivamente las dificultades de escritura y, así mismo, mejorarlos por medio de la asignación de escribir un diario semanalmente. Seis estudiantes de primer año de dos clases de la Universidad Andrés Bello en la Facultad de Educación de Santiago, Chile, fueron solicitados para participar en este estudio de investigación dado su rendimiento académico y su propia percepción sobre sus habilidades de escritura. Los resultados prueban que aunque la información numérica recogida en este estudio no demostró una mejora significativa en términos cuantitativos; en cuanto a la calidad se evidenció un uso progresivo de estructuras escritas más complejas y elaboradas.Among the four skills of the English language, writing is normally known for being the last competency to be acquired, for both native and second language learners. Besides, writing is also considered as the most difficult area of the language when teaching or testing, as proposed by Albrechtsen, Haastrup, and Henriksen (2008). Therefore, as writing in English seems to be challenging, this study seeks to investigate if learners can effectively overcome the writing difficulties and improve them by writing weekly journal assignments. Six firstyear students from two sections of the English teaching (ELTT) program at Universidad Andrés Bello in Santiago, Chile, were asked to participate in this research study due to their academic performance and their own perceptions about their writing skills. The findings substantiated that even though the numerical data collected in this study did not demonstrate significant improvement in quantitative terms, in quality they progressively evidenced the use of more complex and elaborated writing features

Patterns of uptake and repair following recasts and prompts in an EFL context: Does feedback explicitness play a role?

This study sought to examine the effectiveness of two categories of feedback, namely recasts and prompts. Also, the study focused on the relationship between subsets of each feedback type and the extent to which they led to learner uptake and repair in an EFL context. Data were collected through non-participant observations of three intact upper-intermediate EFL classes where 36 hours of interactions among 59 students and three teachers were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed in terms of pre-specified coding systems that addressed four different subtypes of prompts – clarification requests, repetitions, elicitations, and metalinguistic clues – and two recast subtypes – explicit and implicit recasts. Data analysis showed that among prompts, clarification requests led to the highest percentage of uptake whereas elicitations were associated with the highest repair percentage. As for recasts, more explicit ones led to higher percentages of uptake and repair. The results of the study may contribute to a more in-depth understanding of the patterns of uptake and repair in an EFL context. The study confirms the role of feedback explicitness in such a context

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITIES ON TAIWANESE UNDERGRADUATES' EFL GRAMMAR ACHIEVEMENT

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of social media language learning activities with traditional language learning activities on the development of L2 grammatical competence in two English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes at a Taiwanese university. The study was grounded in four bodies of knowledge: (a) the Input-Interaction-Output (IIO) model (Block, 2003); (b) the sociocultural/activity theory (Lantolf, 2000); (c) current L2 grammar learning theory (Ellis, 2006); and (d) computer-assisted language learning (CALL) theory (Levy & Stockwell, 2006). A convenience sample of 84 Taiwanese undergraduate students officially enrolled in the college voluntarily participated in the study. A quasi-experimental pretest/posttest design was utilized. An ANCOVA was conducted to assess whether collaborative social media activities can bring about significantly better outcomes regarding EFL grammar usage. Results indicated that the treatment group significantly outperformed the control group when controlling for pre-existing knowledge. Results also indicated that there was a significant difference in students' time devoted to English grammar activities between the treatment group and the control group in favor of the treatment group. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant relationship between the time spent on wiki sites and students' English grammar achievement gains. The time students in the treatment group spent on grammar activities increased when they used the social media, and they self-reported spending more time on task during free time. Overall, treatment group students' devotion to the social media activities brought about effective peer support and collaborative learning

First language in the classroom: the forbidden fruit?

Tesis (Profesor de Inglés para la Enseñanza Básica y Media y al grado académico de Licenciado en Educación)Over the past years, the use of students’ first language (L1) in the classroom has been a highly discussed topic in the EFL classroom as well as in the field of second language (L2) teaching/learning research. There is a tendency that advocates communicative language teaching which suggests that L1 use should forbidden in the classroom. However, research has yet to discover whether L1 use has a positive or negative impact on L2 learning. Hence, the present study aimed to examine L1 functions and the impact of L1 use on L2 development. The present study was conducted in a private school in Santiago, Chile. The participants of this study (N = 34) were engaged in two collaborative writing tasks about the book they were reading in their English literature classes, and their discussions were audio-recorded and later analyzed. A quasi-experimental method was utilized in order to observe the influence that group work had on their L2 vocabulary development. The results demonstrated that the students’ L1 played a major role in their interaction while together working on the collaborative tasks, and it served for the development of L2 vocabulary. Specifically, the results suggest that the way in which individual learners contributed to interaction affected their learning outcomes.En los últimos años, el uso de la primera lengua de los estudiantes ha sido un tema altamente discutido en las salas de clases y en la investigación de la enseñanza de inglés como Lengua Extranjera. Existe una tendencia general de prohibir el uso de la primera lengua, sin embargo, aún existen vacíos sobre la influencia positiva o negativa que esta podría tener en el aprendizaje de vocabulario. El presente estudio se realizó en una escuela privada en Santiago, Chile. El propósito del mismo fue observar las funciones que cumplía la lengua nativa en la interacción de los estudiantes y cómo esto afectaba al desarrollo de la segunda lengua en alumnos de octavo básico con alto nivel de inglés. Los participantes de este estudio fueron involucrados en dos actividades de escritura colaborativa sobre el libro que estaban leyendo en las clases de literatura inglesa, donde sus discusiones fueron grabadas en audio y luego analizadas. Se utilizó un método cuasi experimental para observar la influencia que tuvieron sus discusiones grupales –utilizando su primera lengua—en el desarrollo del vocabulario en la segunda lengua. Se aplicaron evaluaciones pre y post con el fin de tener un registro del desarrollo del vocabulario de los estudiantes y las funciones que la lengua materna cumplió fueron codificadas como sugirieron DiCamilla y Antón (2012). Los resultados demostraron que la lengua materna de los estudiantes jugó un rol mayor en su interacción mientras desarrollaban en conjunto actividades colaboración, y sirvió para el desarrollo del vocabulario de la segunda lengua. Más aun, los resultados sugieren que la forma en la que alumnos contribuyeron individualmente en las discusiones afectó los resultados en sus aprendizajes

Developing and evaluating a pattern grammar inspired CALL tool: PAT GRAM

This dissertation project developed and evaluated a computer-assisted language learning (CALL) tool, PAT GRAM, that provides explicit instruction on grammar patterns. Evaluation of the explicit instruction offered by PAT GRAM adopted Chapelle’s (2001) framework of criteria for CALL task appropriateness. Following this framework, evidence was collected to investigate language learning potential, learner fit, meaning focus, and impact qualities of the explicit instruction realized through PAT GRAM. To provide evidence for these qualities, this study employed a case study research design including qualitative and quantitative data. The qualitative data encompassed participants’responses to semi-structured interviews and retrospective verbal protocols focusing on their perceptions of learning process and use of PAT GRAM. The quantitative data consisted of participants’ pretest and posttest scores on knowledge of verb patterns, revision of sentences that they constructed using the target grammar patterns, and their responses to Likert-scale questions gauging participants’ perceptions of learning experience with PAT GRAM. The results suggest that PAT GRAM holds great potential to provide effective explicit instruction on grammar patterns in the target instructional context. This conclusion was drawn based on all four investigated qualities of PAT GRAM, including language learning potential, learner fit, meaning focus, and impact. The language learning potential quality of the explicit instruction using PAT GRAM was strongly supported by evidence showing improved knowledge of grammar patterns, accuracy of pattern use, attention to patterns, and positive perceptions of learning using PAT GRAM. Also, learners’ judgment of the explicit instruction using PAT GRAM as appropriate for their level, many incidences of identifying errors, and successful revisions suggest that the explicit instruction offered by PAT GRAM enjoys a high quality of learner fit. Further, participants’ attention to meaning of patterns and construction of meaningful sentences lent support for the meaning focus quality of the explicit instruction provided by PAT GRAM. Finally, participants evaluated the impact quality of PAT GRAM positively and perceived the learning experience with PAT GRAM as awareness-raising, autonomy-facilitating, confidence-building, and motivation-stimulating. The results of this study convincingly demonstrated the usefulness and appropriateness of the explicit instruction using PAT GRAM in the university English for second language (ESL) classroom and yielded valuable implications for research on and instruction in L2 vocabulary learning

High School Language Students\u27 and Teachers\u27 Perceptions of Effective Teaching Practices: A Collective Case Study

The influence of globalization on today’s society has propagated an increasing need for individuals who are able to communicate in languages other than English. However, while a large percentage of high school students recognize the importance of a second language (L2) for future jobs, only a very small percentage of students pursue advanced language study at universities, an aspect that may be due to disparate notions about effective foreign language teaching practices. The purpose of this collective instrumental case study was to understand the perceptions of effective language teaching practices for high school language students and teachers at two independent schools in South Carolina and one independent school in Florida. The theories guiding this study were Krashen’s input hypothesis (1982), VanPatten’s input hypothesis theory (2004), and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of learning (1987) as these are the three main second language acquisition theories that have guided current practices in second language learning pedagogy, and thus, agreement or disagreement with certain practices indicates support or rejection of guiding theories in second language learning. The central research question for this study was: How do high school world language teachers and high school world language students perceive effective language teaching practices? Data collection included classroom observations, teacher and student interviews, and documents related to the language program philosophy and practices. Data analysis included rich descriptions and direct interpretation and categorical aggregation through coding of classroom observations, interviews, and documents. The two major themes that emerged dealt with input and how input leads to better student output or language production