Information and Communication Technologies: a New Profile for the L2 Teacher

El paradigma educativo tradicional ha dado lugar a un nuevo paradigma donde las TICs dotan a cada elemento del proceso de Enseñanza-Aprendizaje de una nueva dimensión. La clase de lenguas extranjeras se hace eco de este cambio de paradigma y se hacen intentos de incluir y adaptar los nuevos roles emergentes en este contexto. Basándonos en la relación existente entre cambios sociales, tecnológicos y la evolución de los roles en educación, a lo largo de este artículo pretendemos revisar aquellos roles que bien podrían ser adoptados por el profesor de lenguas extranjeras dentro de un marco de aplicación de ELAO.The traditional paradigm in education gives way to a new paradigm in which the ICTs enhance the teaching-learning process. Among them, the role of the teacher as transmitter of information is expanded to many others in this new context. The foreign language classroom echoes this change of paradigm and attempts are made to include and adapt new roles within it. By establishing a relationship with social and technological changes and the evolution of roles in general education, this article attempts to give an account of the roles that could be taken by the L2 teacher under a CALL environmentLe paradigme éducatif traditionnel a donné lieu a un nouveau paradigme oü les TICs affectent une nouvelle dimensión á chaqué élément du process EnseignementApprentissage. Le cours de langues étrangéres réconnaít ce changement de paradigme et essaie d'inclure et adapter les nouveaux roles émergents dans ce contexte. En nous basant dans la relation existante entre des changements sociaux, technologiques et Fé- volution des roles en Féducation, tout au long de cet article nous prétendons réviser ees roles qui pourraient bien étre adoptes par le professeur de langues étrangéres dans un cadre d'application de FELAO

Motivation and Vocabulary Breadth in CLIL and EFL Contexts. Different age, Same Time of Exposure

Numerous studies have found a positive connection between learners’ motivation towards foreign language and foreign language achievement. The present study examines the role of motivation in receptive vocabulary breadth (size) of two groups of Spanish learners of different ages, but all with 734 hours of instruction in English as a Foreign Language (EFL): a CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) group in primary education and a non-CLIL (or EFL) group in secondary education. Most students in both groups were found to be highly motivated. The primary CLIL group slightly overcame the secondary non-CLIL group with respect to the mean general motivation but this is a non-significant difference. The secondary group surpass significantly the primary group in receptive vocabulary size. No relationship between the receptive vocabulary knowledge and general motivation is found in the primary CLIL group. On the other hand, a positive significant connection, although a very small one, is identified for the secondary non-CLIL group. We will discuss on the type of test, the age of students and the type of instruction as variables that could be influencing the results

The teachability of pragmatics in SLA: friends' humour through grice

The development of L2 learners’ pragmatic competence plays a key role in the achievement of communicative competence. Thus, we have designed an activity for students of English that aims to explain the generation of humour through language applying Grice’s model of conversational implicatures to four stretches of discourse from Friends. The analysis of the sample suggests that (1) the Gricean model is still a powerful tool to explain the generation of humorous situations by means of language, and (2) it is a useful device for second language learners to infer the correct meaning of language in real life situations.El desarrollo de la competencia pragmática en aprendices de lengua extrajera es fundamental en el logro de la competencia comunicativa. Por ello, hemos diseñado una actividad para estudiantes de inglés basada en la aplicación del modelo de implicaturas conversacionales de Grice a una serie de fragmentos de discurso de Friends. El análisis sugiere (1) que el modelo de Grice todavía explica eficazmente la generación de situaciones humorísticas a través del lenguaje, y (2) que es un instrumento útil para que los aprendices de lenguas extranjeras puedan inferir el significado correcto del lenguaje en situaciones reales

MOTIVATION AND GENDER-RELATED VARIATION IN EFL RECEPTIVE VOCABULARY ACQUISITION IN PRIMARY EDUCATION

This paper examines the relationship between the receptive vocabulary size and the motivation towards EFL of a group of CLIL primary learners. The gender variable is particularly addressed here. Specifically, we aim at exploring (1) gender variation in EFL receptive vocabulary size, (2) gender variation in motivation towards EFL, and (3) whether there exists any relationship between motivation towards EFL and the scores obtained by males and females in receptive vocabulary. No significant differences in general motivation and in extrinsic motivation are reported, although females are more motivated. Significant differences are found in intrinsic motivation in favour of females. Also, females overcome boys in receptive vocabulary size but this difference is not significant. Finally, there exists a significant positive correlation between girls’ performance in the 2K VLT and their extrinsic motivation. Some reasons are provided for these results.Este artículo examina la relación entre el tamaño de vocabulario receptivo y la motivación hacia ILE de un grupo de alumnos/as AICLE de educación primaria. Prestamos atención a la variable género. En particular exploramos (1) las posibles diferencias de género en la adquisición del tamaño de vocabulario receptivo de ILE; (2) las posibles diferencias de género en la motivación hacia ILE y (3) si existe alguna relación entre el grado de motivación hacia ILE y las puntuaciones de chicos y chicas en vocabulario receptivo. No hay diferencias significativas en motivación general ni en motivación extrínseca, aunque las chicas están más motivadas. Se observan diferencias significativas a favor de las chicas en la motivación intrínseca. Las chicas también superan a los chicos en tamaño de vocabulario receptivo pero esta diferencia no es significativa. Finalmente, existe una correlación positiva entre los resultados en el test de vocabulario receptivo y la motivación extrínseca de las chicas. Se apuntan diferentes razones para argumentar estos resultados

The use of lexical retrieval strategies by creative second language learners: A computational analysis of clustering and switching

This study seeks to delve into the potential role of divergent thinking, a component of creativity, in second language learning. Specifically, we compare the use of lexical organization and production strategies of two groups of more and less creative EFL learners in year 12 through an automatic vectorial semantic analysis of their retrieval in three second language semantic fluency tasks. Consistent with previous research in the field of creativity, our findings indicate that the creative group retrieved more second language words than the less creative group. These words were less related to each other and to the stimulus categories than the words generated by the less creative group. While the creative participants’ retrieval was based on an extensive use of switching, a slight but non-significant trend was found in the production of longer clusters by the less creative participants. These results yield interesting insights into the potential role of creativity in second language learning

Computer assisted focus on form to minimise lexical errors in young learners

El componente léxico juega un papel muy importante en los primeros estadios de la adquisición de lenguas. Por lo tanto es esencial aprender y usar las palabras de manera apropiada. Basándonos en los resultados obtenidos en un estudio sobre competencia léxica en inglés de 283 alumnos de primaria hispanohablantes, en este artículo mostramos una forma de enseñanza de vocabulario a aprendices jóvenes de inglés. Con el fin de disminuir la producción de errores léxicos y motivar al alumnado se aplica un Enfoque en la Forma combinado con un tipo de Enseñanza de Lenguas Asistida por Ordenador. Ilustramos esta práctica con dos tipos de actividades, una de ellas centrada en errores ortográficos y la otra en errores de elección de palabra debidos a transferencia. Palabras clave: Error léxico, Enfoque en la Forma, Enseñanza de Lenguas Asistida por Ordenador, Educación primaria, Lengua inglesa.The lexical component plays a paramount role in the first stages of language acquisition. Hence, it is crucial to learn and use words appropriately. Based on the results obtained on a study carried out on the lexical competence in English of 283 Spanish speaking primary learners, the present article investigates a way of teaching vocabulary to young Spanish learners of English. With the aim of diminishing lexical error production and motivate learners, we adopt a Focus on Form approach enhanced by the use of computer assisted language teaching. Two types of activities are proposed to illustrate this practice: one of them focuses on spelling errors and the other on word choice errors due to transfer

Computer assisted focus on form to minimise lexical errors in young learners

El componente léxico juega un papel muy importante en los primeros estadios de la adquisición de lenguas. Por lo tanto es esencial aprender y usar las palabras de manera apropiada. Basándonos en los resultados obtenidos en un estudio sobre competencia léxica en inglés de 283 alumnos de primaria hispanohablantes, en este artículo mostramos una forma de enseñanza de vocabulario a aprendices jóvenes de inglés. Con el fin de disminuir la producción de errores léxicos y motivar al alumnado se aplica un Enfoque en la Forma combinado con un tipo de Enseñanza de Lenguas Asistida por Ordenador. Ilustramos esta práctica con dos tipos de actividades, una de ellas centrada en errores ortográficos y la otra en errores de elección de palabra debidos a transferencia. Palabras clave: Error léxico, Enfoque en la Forma, Enseñanza de Lenguas Asistida por Ordenador, Educación primaria, Lengua inglesa.The lexical component plays a paramount role in the first stages of language acquisition. Hence, it is crucial to learn and use words appropriately. Based on the results obtained on a study carried out on the lexical competence in English of 283 Spanish speaking primary learners, the present article investigates a way of teaching vocabulary to young Spanish learners of English. With the aim of diminishing lexical error production and motivate learners, we adopt a Focus on Form approach enhanced by the use of computer assisted language teaching. Two types of activities are proposed to illustrate this practice: one of them focuses on spelling errors and the other on word choice errors due to transfer

Motivation and L2 Receptive Vocabulary Knowledge of Spanish EFL Learners at the Official School of Languages

This study explores the relationship between the motivation and receptive vocabulary knowledge of a group of 30 EFL students in the 1st and 2nd year of the Official School of Languages intermediate level (B1) (Escuela Oficial de Idiomas - EOI). We measured their receptive vocabulary by means of the 2,000-word frequency-band from the receptive version of the VLT (2K VLT) (Schmitt, Schmitt and Clapham 2001, version 2). On the other hand, an adaptation of Gardner’s (1985) A/MTB questionnaire was used to analyse motivational levels. On a three-level scale to range learners' motivation marks, i.e. high motivation, medium motivation, low motivation, our results evince most learners' were highly motivated in the two years (level 3) and the rest were motivated (level 2). As could be expected in this type of language teaching, no lowly motivated learners were identified. Concerning the types of motivation, extrinsic motivation was higher than intrinsic motivation in both years. The evolution of general motivation and the two types, extrinsic and intrinsic, is not significant from the 1st to the 2nd year. Both the general motivation and the intrinsic type decrease slightly from one year to the following one. As for students’ receptive vocabulary knowledge, it increased significantly from the 1st to the 2nd year. Finally, no significant correlation was detected between this type of vocabulary and learners’ levels of general intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

Differences in the Written Production of Young Spanish and German Learners: Evidence from Lexical Errors in a Composition

This study investigates quantitative and qualitative differences in the production of lexical errors in the English written performance by young Spanish and German learners of English. The essays produced by the subjects were analysed and lexical errors identified, classified, and quantified. A t-test was performed on the data. Results revealed that Spanish learners commit significantly fewer lexical errors than their German counterparts, t = 2.94 at a significance level