Research into practice: listening strategies in an instructed classroom setting

This paper considers research and practice relating to listening in instructed classroom settings, limiting itself to what might be called unidirectional listening (Macaro, Graham & Vanderplank 2007) – in other words, where learners listen to a recording, a TV or radio clip or lecture, but where there is no communication back to the speaker(s). A review of the literature relating to such listening reveals a tendency for papers to highlight two features in their introductory lines: first, the acknowledged importance of listening as a skill underpinning second language (L2) acquisition more broadly, and second, the relative paucity of research into listening compared with the skills of speaking, reading or writing. In the last ten years or so, however, there has been a growth in the number of studies conducted in the field, as evidenced in Vandergrift's review in 2007 and Vanderplank's more recent overview (2013). Consequently, my view is that it is possible to identify from that research certain key principles in relation to listening within instructed settings, particularly regarding listening strategies

Plane geometry topics with the software geogebra: proposal of didactic sequences

According to the reality of the schools that I have worked the teaching of plane geometry is deficient, causing students to forget certain facility settings and properties. A source that can (and should) be used is the proposal of the present dissertation: an educational software for the study of plane geometry. To be more explicit, we propose the use of the GeoGebra software, which is free, to show some topics of plane geometry. The idea is to bring the student to assimilate definitions and properties through geometric constructions, using didactic sequences in GeoGebra. These didactic sequences may be used in any term of high school, once the main goal of the project is to support students, regardless the series that they are attending. The first sequences are intended to show some features of the software and the other, geometric constructions and properties involved.De acordo com a realidade das escolas em que trabalho, o ensino da geometria plana está deficitário, fazendo com que os alunos esqueçam com facilidade certas definições e propriedades. Um recurso que pode (e deve) ser usado é o que essa dissertação propõe: softwares educacionais para o estudo da geometria plana. Para ser mais objetiva é proposto o uso do software GeoGebra, que é gratuito, para mostrar alguns tópicos da geometria plana. A ideia é levar cada aluno a assimilação de definições e propriedades através de construções geométricas, usando-se o GeoGebra em sequências didáticas. Estas sequências didáticas poderão ser usadas inclusive em qualquer série do Ensino Médio, pois um dos objetivos do projeto é dar suporte para os alunos, independentemente da série que estão cursando. As primeiras sequências têm o objetivo de mostrar alguns recursos do software e as demais, construções geométricas e propriedades envolvidas

Designing and Piloting a Tool for the Measurement of the Use of Pronunciation Learning Strategies

What appears to be indispensable to drive the field forward and ensure that research findings will be comparable across studies and provide a sound basis for feasible pedagogic proposals is to draw up a classification of PLS and design on that basis a valid and reliable data collection tool which could be employed to measure the use of these strategies in different groups of learners, correlate it with individual and contextual variables, and appraise the effects of training programs. In accordance with this rationale, the present paper represents an attempt to propose a tentative categorization of pronunciation learning strategies, adopting as a point of reference the existing taxonomies of strategic devices (i.e. O'Malley and Chamot 1990; Oxford 1990) and the instructional options teachers have at their disposal when dealing with elements of this language subsystem (e.g. Kelly 2000; Goodwin 2001). It also introduces a research instrument designed on the basis of the classification that shares a number of characteristics with Oxford's (1990) Strategy Inventory for Language Learning but, in contrast to it, includes both Likert-scale and open-ended items. The findings of a pilot study which involved 80 English Department students demonstrate that although the tool requires considerable refinement, it provides a useful point of departure for future research into PLS

Metalinguistic Knowledge and Language Ability in University-Level L2 Learners

Existing research indicates that instructed learners' L2 proficiency and their metalinguistic knowledge are moderately correlated. However, the operationalization of the construct of metalinguistic knowledge has varied somewhat across studies. Metalinguistic knowledge has typically been operationalized as learners' ability to correct, describe, and explain L2 errors. More recently, this operationalization has been extended to additionally include learners' L1 language-analytic ability as measured by tests traditionally used to assess components of language learning aptitude. This article reports on a study which employed a narrowly focused measure of L2 proficiency and incorporated L2 language-analytic ability into a measure of metalinguistic knowledge. It was found that the linguistic and metalinguistic knowledge of advanced university-level L1 English learners of L2 German correlated strongly. Moreover, the outcome of a principal components analysis suggests that learners' ability to correct, describe, and explain highlighted L2 errors and their L2 language-analytic ability may constitute components of the same construct. The theoretical implications of these findings for the concept of metalinguistic knowledge in L2 learning are considered. © Oxford University Press 2007

Adult beginner distance language learner perceptions and use of assignment feedback

This qualitative study examines perceptions and use of assignment feedback among adult beginner modern foreign language learners on higher education distance learning courses. A survey of responses to feedback on assignments by 43 Open University students on beginner language courses in Spanish, French, and German indicated that respondents can be classified into three groups: those who use feedback strategically by integrating it into the learning process and comparing it with, for example, informal feedback from interaction with native speakers, those who take note of feedback, but seem not to use it strategically, and those who appear to take little account of either marks or feedback. The first group proved to be the most confident and most likely to maintain their motivation in the longer term. The conclusion discusses some of the pedagogical and policy implications of the findings

English medium instruction, EAP/ESP: exploring overlap and divergences in research aims

English medium instruction (EMI) is now a well-established field of education research, yet its distinction from English for academic purposes (EAP) and from English for specific purposes (ESP) remains a subject of debate. This scoping review investigates the overlap and divergences between these fields. As well as using raw data from a previous systematic review of EMI, we identified research questions published in five selected journals between 2017 and 2022: Journal of English for Academic Purposes, English for Specific Purposes, International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, Language and Education, and Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development in order to identify the convergence and divergence in academic interest areas. We additionally examined research settings and participants across these studies. Our findings revealed a spectrum of research questions with largely distinct areas of research interest and considerable differences in research settings. This study contributes to the academic discussion by offering a detailed picture of the current research landscape, and suggests not only a need for collaboration between EMI, and EAP/ESP researchers but also a value in maintaining some distinction between the two fields

The effect of first and second language use on question types in English medium instruction science classrooms in Hong Kong

The role of the first language (L1) in second language (L2) learning has been widely discussed and researched in the second Language Acquisition (SLA) literature. Benefits of L1 use have been found for vocabulary acquisition, and in facilitating comprehension thereby alleviating student anxiety. Many teachers appear to consider L1 use as a necessary option in L2 pedagogy. Disadvantages of L1 use are argued to be that it reduces exposure to the L2 thereby not enabling more implicit forms of L2 acquisition. Considerably less research has been carried out in English medium instruction (EMI) classrooms, surprisingly, as these are predicated on the benefits of massive exposure to the L2. This study investigated the effect of L1 and L2 use on teacher question types and interaction patterns in science lessons in early EMI and late EMI schools in Hong Kong. Our findings show that in late EMI, where there was much greater use of the L1, teachers tended to use higher order questions and were more interactive. In early EMI, despite students having received four more years of greater exposure to English instruction than late EMI students through the use of English as the vehicular language, teachers asked lower order questions and the interaction was more monologic. The implications for policy and pedagogy are discussed

English medium instruction, EAP/ESP: exploring overlap and divergences in research aims

English medium instruction (EMI) is now a well-established field of education research, yet its distinction from English for academic purposes (EAP) and from English for specific purposes (ESP) remains a subject of debate. This scoping review investigates the overlap and divergences between these fields. As well as using raw data from a previous systematic review of EMI, we identified research questions published in five selected journals between 2017 and 2022: Journal of English for Academic Purposes, English for Specific Purposes, International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, Language and Education, and Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development in order to identify the convergence and divergence in academic interest areas. We additionally examined research settings and participants across these studies. Our findings revealed a spectrum of research questions with largely distinct areas of research interest and considerable differences in research settings. This study contributes to the academic discussion by offering a detailed picture of the current research landscape, and suggests not only a need for collaboration between EMI, and EAP/ESP researchers but also a value in maintaining some distinction between the two fields

English Medium Instruction in China’s higher education: teachers’ perspectives of competencies, certification and professional development

Despite the increasing popularity of English Medium Instruction (EMI) for academic subject teaching in China, there is little research regarding the competencies that an EMI teacher needs for effective EMI course delivery and professional development (PD) in the higher education (HE) context. No research has investigated how those can be recognised through certain kinds of certification. This study fills the gap by investigating teachers’ perspectives on competencies, certification and PD of EMI in relation to China through 133 survey returns and 12 semi-structured interviews. Our findings show that teachers have a generally positive attitude on EMI certification and PD programmes though few universities have made either a priority. Competencies required for effective EMI teaching include not only English proficiency and teaching skills through L2 but also skills of instruction in respective academic disciplines. This poses challenges for the design and implementation of EMI PD leading to teacher certification. The lack of official government involvement (at policy level) and institutional involvement (evaluation and faculty promotion) further complicates this issue in a country like China with a top-heavy bureaucracy