Student centred legal language study

The article introduces parts of a self-study programme for LLB (Europe) German students, which include the use of satellite TV and CALL. The whole self-study programme was tested for two years at the Nottingham Trent University. This paper focuses on the rationale of the study programme, pedagogical objectives and theoretical considerations within the context of language learning as well as the students’ evaluation. The evaluation shows that overall the package was seen as a positive learning experience. CALL can be a solution to the problem of limited materials for languages for specific purposes. The use of mixed media is possible for language teaching for specific purposes without having to be combined in multimedia computer-based programmes. CALL can also be a solution to the problems caused by reduced contact time

Teaching Authentic English Pronounciation

Most of the evidence from different research and literature indicates that learners beyond the age of puberty cannot acquire authentic pronunciation of a second language, because the articulation muscles have already lost their flexibility to be able to make new sounds which has not been in the first language. However, there are some adult learners who have the ability to achieve a perfect native like pronunciation of English. In relating Howard Gardner?s (1983) theory of multiple intelligences (MI) to second language learning, we can more easily discern the acquisition of authentic accent by adult learners in spite of the flexibility loss of the vocal cords. According to Gardner?s theory, which attaches important features to the notion of intelligence, learners within a wide range of IQs can be successful in acquiring a second language. In this regard, “musical intelligence” -the forth intelligence in Gardner?s theory- can explain the relative ease that learners have in perceiving and producing the intonation patterns of a language. This research aims to seek ways to enhance the ability of language learners to acquire more native-like pronunciation by the aid of their musical intelligence which is almost an innate ability in everyone. Keywords: Teaching, English & Pronounciatio

Expanding academic vocabulary with an interactive on-line database

University students used a set of existing and purpose-built on-line tools for vocabulary learning in an experimental ESL course. The resources included concordance, dictionary, cloze-builder, hypertext, and a database with interactive self-quizzing feature (all freely available at www.lextutor.ca). The vocabulary targeted for learning consisted of (a) Coxhead's (2000) Academic Word List, a list of items that occur frequently in university textbooks, and (b) unfamiliar words students had met in academic texts and selected for entry into the class database. The suite of tools were designed to foster retention by engaging learners in deep processing, an aspect that is often described as missing in computer exercises for vocabulary learning. Database entries were examined to determine whether context sentences supported word meanings adequately and whether entered words reflected the unavailability of cognates in the various first languages of the participants. Pre- and post-treatment performance on tests of knowledge of words targeted for learning in the course were compared to establish learning gains. Regression analyses investigated connections between use of specific computer tools and gains

The Effects of Hypertext Glosses on L2 Vocabulary Acquisition: A Meta-Analysis

In the field of second language acquisition (SLA), "comprehensible input" (Krashen, 1985) has been considered a critical factor to help learners acquire foreign and second languages (L2). From this perspective, the notion of extensive or free voluntary reading (Day & Bamford, 1998; Krashen, 1993) has emerged that L2 learners should be given more pleasure reading by minimizing a burden look-up behavior. At the same time, technology innovation has made it possible for extensive reading to occur through technology over the past decades. In particular with hypertext glosses or multimedia annotations, a number of studies have indicated that hypertext glossed input is comprehensible input and has made it possible for L2 readers to benefit all from extensive reading. This study examines (1) effects of hypertext gloss use on L2 vocabulary acquisition in computerized reading contexts, and (2) which specific combination of either text-only (single) or text + visual (multiple) hypertext glosses is more effective on L2 vocabulary acquisition and 3) What potential moderators to systematically account for between study variation are. In addition, it aims to synthesize characteristics of studies, technology use and research methods from empirical research studies for a comprehensible and insightful review of the effect of hypertext glosses on L2 vocabulary acquisition. Meta-analysis as a quantitative method was conducted to synthesize overall findings of empirical studies by calculating a standardized mean difference effect size. From 300 papers considered, 10 met the Criteria for Inclusion through a final filtering process, and were finally meta-analyzed to extract effect sizes in the present study. On the basis of 35 weighted mean effect size, 0.46 (Cohen, 1988: medium), the magnitude of text + visual (multiple) hypertext gloss combination was moderately effective on L2 vocabulary acquisition when L2 learners were given two conditions: a text-only or a text + visual hypertext glosses. The results revealed that various L2 learners, including English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL), Spanish as a foreign language (SFL), Japanese as a foreign language (JFL), and German as a foreign language (GFL), benefit from multiple hypertext glosses while reading computerized texts. In terms of research design, hypertext gloss studies have been almost always conducted in settings of class session-based quasi-experiment design with a researcher-developed program at a university or college level. More implications are discussed for future research

Hypertext versus Footnotes: High School English Learners’ Online Reading Recall

This study considers forty adolescent English Language Learners who read a passage online containing additional information available through either hypertext links or footnotes. Participants were attending a special high school for English learners at the time of the study. Two versions of the text were offered, one with hypertext and the other with footnotes, and participants were randomly assigned to the footnote or hypertext condition. Answers to multiple choice questions showed no significant difference between groups in recall of the reading under the two conditions, in contrast with an earlier study of learners in higher education settings whose recall of reading with hypertext was significantly lower than with footnotes. Learners’ ratings of perceived comprehensibility of the 2 texts was also not significantly different. Additional interpretive data came from focus group interviews involving all of the participants

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

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

Prospects for Developing L2 Students’ Effective Use of Vocabulary Learning-Strategies via Web-Based Training

A large body of research supports the efficacy of learning strategies employed in the acquisition of second language vocabulary. However, research also indicates that many such strategies are underused or misused by learners and, further, that any effort to integrate learner training in the use of such strategies into classroom instruction faces a number of challenges, among them a shortage of appropriate training materials, a lack of expertise on the part of the teacher, and ingrained habits or even resistance on the part of the learner. This paper describes a classroom-based investigation into the utility of a prototype web-based learner-training resource called The Virtual Vocabulary Trainer (The VVT Site), which combines multimedia tutorials, practice exercises, and awareness-raising tasks. Participants’ use of the site and their opinions about the training they received were investigated by way of a survey, interviews, observations, and screen-capture devices. The results provide insights into the benefits that might be gained from an online multimedia approach to learner training, as well as useful design and content considerations for future enhancements to the site