La eficacia de las estrategias de andamiaje y la orientación de tareas sobre el conocimiento receptivo y productivo de las colocaciones léxicas

The present study aimed at investigating the effects of scaffolding strategies using input and output-oriented tasks on Iranian EFL learners' receptive and productive knowledge of lexical collocations. For this purpose, 540 adult intermediate-level EFL learners- both male and female- were selected and divided into six experimental groups; three input-oriented and three output-oriented tasks. Each experimental group received treatment under one of the three scaffolding strategies of direct corrective feedback, cooperative group technique, and visual cues. After the treatment period, a 40-item multiple-choice test and a 40-item fill-in-the-blanks test were administered to assess the participants' receptive and productive collocations knowledge. To analyze the data, two separate two-way ANOVA procedures were used. The results indicated that visual cues were the most effective scaffolding strategy in teaching lexical collocations. Moreover, the cooperative group technique had a significant positive impact on learning collocations compared to direct corrective feedback. The results also showed that the participants in the output-oriented tasks group significantly outperformed those in the input-oriented tasks group. These findings can have practical implications for language learners, teachers, and materials developers, and theoretical implications for researchers.El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo investigar los efectos de las estrategias de andamiaje que utilizan tareas orientadas a insumos y resultados en el conocimiento receptivo y productivo de las colocaciones léxicas de los estudiantes iraníes de inglés como lengua extranjera. Para este propósito, 540 aprendices adultos en nivel intermedio, tanto hombres como mujeres fueron seleccionados y divididos en seis grupos experimentales; tres en la categoría de insumos y tres en la categoría de resultados. Cada grupo experimental recibió un tratamiento bajo una de tres estrategias de andamiaje, tales como:  retroalimentación directa correctiva, técnica grupal cooperativa y señales visuales. Después del periodo de tratamiento, se administró una prueba de 40 preguntas de múltiple respuesta y una prueba de 40 preguntas de llenar espacios para evaluar el conocimiento de las colocaciones receptivas y productivas de los participantes. Para analizar los datos, se utilizaron dos procedimientos ANOVA bidireccionales separados. Los resultados indicaron que las señales visuales fueron la estrategia más efectiva en la enseñanza de colocaciones léxicas. Además, la técnica de cooperación grupal tuvo un impacto significativo en el aprendizaje de colocaciones comparado con la retroalimentación directa correctiva. Los resultados también mostraron que los participantes en el grupo de tareas orientadas a resultados superaron significativamente a los del grupo de tareas orientadas a insumos. Estos hallazgos pueden tener implicaciones prácticas para los aprendices de lengua, docentes, desarrolladores de materiales e implicaciones teoréticas para los investigadores

Investigating the effect of textual enhancement in post-reading tasks on grammatical development by child language learners

This study examined the extent to which textual enhancement incorporated into the post-task stage of task-based reading lessons can promote development in second language (L2) grammatical knowledge. The participants were 49 child language learners who participated in task-based reading lessons in their own classroom contexts. They were randomly assigned to two groups, one being exposed to textual enhancement and the other not. The experiment adopted a multiple-exposure design involving six treatment sessions over three weeks. The target construction was the third person singular -s morpheme. Pretest-posttest development was assessed with a grammaticality judgement test. The results revealed a small but positive effect for textual enhancement. We attributed the relative success of textual enhancement to a combination of factors: use of a multiple-exposure design, the incorporation of textual enhancement into the post-task rather than the during-task stage, age of participants, and prior knowledge

Relationships Between Vocabulary Size, Working Memory, and Phonological Awareness in Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners

Purpose: The goals of this study were to evaluate the impact of short-term phonological awareness (PA) instruction presented in children\u27s first language (L1; Spanish) on gains in their L1 and second language (L2; English) and to determine whether relationships exist between vocabulary size, verbal working memory, and PA in Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs). Method: Participants included 25 kindergartners who received PA instruction and 10 controls. A 2-way within-subjects repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to evaluate gains. Relationships between PA gains, Spanish and English vocabulary, and memory, as measured using nonword repetition and experimental working memory tasks, were analyzed using correlation and regression analyses. Results: Results indicated significant and equivalent gains in both languages of children in the experimental group and no gains in the control group. Spanish vocabulary size was significantly related to PA gains in both languages and was more strongly related to English gains than was English vocabulary size. The memory tasks predicted gains in each language in distinct ways. Conclusion: Results support the conclusion that PA instruction and strong vocabulary skills in an individual\u27s L1 benefit PA development in both the L1 and L2. Results also indicate that dynamic relationships exist between vocabulary size, storage and processing components of working memory, and PA development in both languages of ELLs

The Impact of Instructional Methods and Resources on Vocabulary Development of ENL Students

This is a qualitative case study of teachers’ perceptions of instructional methods and resources for vocabulary development of English as a New Language (ENL) students. Data were collected over a period of three weeks using semi-structured interviews. The focus of this study includes what instructional methods were being used for vocabulary development of ENL students in a general education classroom. Results suggested that a combination of implicit and explicit instruction should be used for vocabulary development of ENL students. In addition, ENL students should be exposed to vocabulary with print-based and technological-based resources. Data also suggested that educators need more professional development or trainings on providing impactful vocabulary instruction for ENL students

The ability of young learners to construct word meaning in context

This study examines young English readers’ ability to infer word meanings in context and to use metacognitive knowledge for constructing word meanings in relation to their reading performance. The participants were 61 fourth-grade students in the United States, comprising 24 monolingual English-speaking (ME) students and 37 English-as-a-second-language (L2) students; each group was also divided into strong and emergent readers in English. Participants were asked to read aloud paragraphs containing words unfamiliar to them in two different contextual conditions (i.e., explicit and implicit conditions), to guess the unfamiliar word meanings, and to tell a teacher how they arrived at the inferred meanings. Quantitative analyses found significant differences between strong and emergent readers in their oral fluency as well as in their ability to infer word meanings and articulate their use of metacognitive knowledge. Although significant differences were found in the ability to infer word meanings and the use of metacognitive reasoning between ME and L2 students, such differences disappeared after controlling for the size of students’ receptive vocabulary. Qualitative analyses also revealed differences in the kinds of knowledge and strategies that strong and emergent readers relied on when constructing the meaning of unknown words in both explicit and implicit contexts

ESL preschoolers' English vocabulary acquisition and story comprehension from storybook reading

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston UniversityThis experimental study examined the effects vocabulary acquisition strategies and story discussion styles on the English vocabulary acquisition and story comprehension of ESL preschoolers. Eighty preschool-aged, typically-developing, native speakers of Portugese who are also second language learners of English were pretested in L1 (Portugese) receptive vocabulary and L2 (English) receptive and expressive vocabulary to determine a baseline of vocabulary knowledge in each language. Matched according to age, gender, and pretest L2 receptive vocabulary scores, subjects were assigned to experimental or control groups. Subjects in the experimental group heard eight stories read three times with rich explanations of target vocabulary words and with several discussion questions within either a didactic-labeling style of discussion (i.e., explicit questions requiring children to recall basic facts or to recite text) or a performance-oriented style of discussion (i.e., implicit questions requiring children to analyze and integrate information within the text). Subjects in the control group heard eight stories read three times without explanation of target vocabulary words and without discussion questions. Parents of all participants returned questionnaires about children's home reading experience. Results for target vocabulary acquisition showed a strong and significant effect of treatment (i.e., rich explanation of new vocabulary) on ESL preschoolers' target vocabulary acquisition. Regression analyses showed that treatment, initial L2 receptive skill, home reading practices, and story comprehension accounted for 69% of the variance in target vocabulary scores. Initial Ll skill did not have a significant effect on target vocabulary acquisition. Results for story comprehension showed a weak but significant effect of the performance-oriented discussion style on children's story comprehension. Regression analyses showed that L2 receptive skill, treatment (i.e., performance-oriented style of discussion), L2 expressive skill, target vocabulary acquisition, and home reading practices accounted for 60% of the variance in story comprehension scores. Initial Ll skill did not have a significant effect on story comprehension. In conclusion, L2 skills are paramount to children's vocabulary acquisition and story comprehension. Moreover, the supportiveness of adult input (i.e., rich explanations and cognitively challenging discussion questions) and home reading practices make important contributions to ESL preschoolers' English vocabulary acquisition and story comprehension

Incidental word learning: application in the general education classroom

Incidental word learning is a theory that has helped many English language learners (ELLs) and can help many general education learners acquire vocabulary knowledge. It can and has aided in the effort to help learners bridge the gap between languages and concepts in a meaningful way. Every year the number of immigrants entering the United States of America increases and along with it the population of English language learners continues to skyrocket. The United States is only getting more and more diverse, meaning that effective strategies for teaching ELLs are quickly becoming increasingly valuable for public education teachers. An analysis of incidental word learning strategy application uncovers that it can potentially produce favorable results of an increase in the learning of native English-speaking students and ELLs in the classroom. Elementary general education teachers would significantly benefit from utilizing methods that promote incidental word learning.Thesis (B.?)Honors Colleg

Incidental acquisition of multiword expressions through audiovisual input: The role of repetition and typographic enhancement

There has been limited research on the efficacy of captioned second language (L2) television in facilitating the incidental acquisition of multiword expressions (MWEs). The present study aims to fill this gap. Additionally, this study examined the role of typographic enhancement and repetition. One-hundred and twenty-two L2 learners were assigned to one of six conditions which differed in terms of caption condition (no captions, normal captions, enhanced captions) and the number of times they watched the same video (once, twice). The participants took a cued MWE form recall test before watching the video, and immediately and two weeks after watching it. A content comprehension test was also administered. Repetition resulted in better content comprehension as well as better acquisition of MWEs. Both caption types positively influenced MWE recall relative to watching the video without captions, but typographic enhancement reduced the benefits of captions for content comprehension