Perception of Fa by non-native listeners in a study abroad context

The present study aims at exploring the under-investigated interface between SA and L2 phonological development by assessing the impact of a 3-month SA programme on the pronunciation of a group of 23 Catalan/Spanish learners of English (NNSs) by means of phonetic measures and perceived FA measures. 6 native speakers (NS) in an exchange programme in Spain provided baseline data for comparison purposes. The participants were recorded performing a reading aloud task before (pre-test) and immediately after (post-test) the SA. Another group of 37 proficient non-native listeners, also bilingual in Catalan/Spanish and trained in English phonetics, assessed the NNS' speech samples for degree of FA. Phonetic measures consisted of pronunciation accuracy scores computed by counting pronunciation errors (phonemic deletions, insertions and substitutions, and stress misplacement). Measures of perceived FA were obtained with two experiments. In experiment 1, the listeners heard a random presentation of the sentences produced by the NSs and by the NNSs at pre-test and post-test and rated them on a 7-point Likert scale for degree of FA (1 = “native” , 7 = “heavy foreign accent”). In experiment 2, they heard paired pre-test/post-test sentences (i.e. produced by the same NNS at pre-test and posttest) and indicated which of the two sounded more native-like. Then, they stated their judgment confidence level on a 7-point scale (1 = “unsure”, 7 = “sure”). Results indicated a slight, non-significant improvement in perceived FA after SA. However, a significant decrease was found in pronunciation accuracy scores after SA. Measures of pronunciation accuracy and FA ratings were also found to be strongly correlated. These findings are discussed in light of the often reported mixed results as regards pronunciation improvement during short-term immersion

Linguistic outcomes of English medium instruction programmes in higher education: A study on economics undergraduates at a Catalan University

Globalisation and international mobility in the 21st century has led to the internationalisation of the English language (Crystal, 2003). Research regarding linguistic gains at university levels is however extremely scarce. This study aims to address this gap of knowledge and provide some answers as to how much linguistic gain can be expected after one year of English medium instruction. Two groups of undergraduate students enrolled in different levels of English medium instruction (EMI) were given a pre and post-test over a 1 year period. Results were analysed statistically; significant gains were found only in the semi- immersion group in the grammatical domain; although, there was a trend for improvement as well as higher scores for full immersion students. It might be interpreted that in order for linguistic gains to be seen in adults there needs to be some focus on form and language guidance (Muñoz, 2007; Pérez-Vidal, 2007). Thus, an integrated content and language (ICLHE) approach is more effective than a solely content based EMI model for university level content courses, if linguistic gains are the desired outcomes of the programme.DOI: 10.18870/hlrc.v5i1.23

Context and Learner Attitude in Oral L3 Development: insights from

native and non-native performance after a stay abroa

Motivation and investment : exploring the choice of English-medium instruction for mid-degree undergraduates in Catalonia

The purpose of the present study is to offer insights into how Spanish undergraduates, who were mid-way through an English-medium programme at a university in Catalonia, articulate their past decision to study an academic subject in English. Economics students (34 in total) completed an oral elicitation task and the monologues yielded were analysed using thematic analysis. Three dominant themes emerged: (1) The right fit for me; (2) To practise my English; and (3) English comes with benefits. Each of these themes is presented as a composite description of the students' ideas about their past choice from the temporal position of the here-and-now, and explored through distinct but complementary social psychological and sociological lenses. The present study finds threads running through the students' narratives of a near effortlessness to choose to learn in this way, as well as an understanding of the capital value of English. For some, their sole stated motive was to develop and preserve this linguistic asset

Alfabetização para além do método: uma sintaxe freiriana

Paulo Freire is without a doubt the biggest Brazilian educator, its workmanship searchs, through the practical literacy, to think Brazilian forms to know Brazil. Instead of a kind of Brazil concerning to the oligarchical elites, the social inequality, the concentration of income, he wants to know Brazil of the point of view of its people, the quotidian of the Brazilian society. The Freire's thought is a compromised radical thought with solidarity between the men. Paulo Freire fought against oppression, the exploration, the social injustice. The education was its fighting area and the ideas and the words its weapons of fight. The workmanship of Freire produced a new syntax in the educational field. When defending the literacy as act of reflection, creation, awareness and release, Freire rejects the conception that sees the literacy as acquisition of codification mechanics/decoding of words and signs. Freire, when articulating the reading of the world to the reading of the word, inserts the practical literacy in the perspective of one cultural politics -culture understood here as the relation of the man with its milieu, that it searchs to namely instrumental educating to think the space where he lives in order to organize the fight against the oppression and the injustice. In this direction, the literacy concept extends itself and it exceeds its etymological content to deal with letters and words mechanically, beginning to translate the relations of educating with the world, mediated for the transformer practical of this worldPaulo Freire é sem dúvida o maior educador brasileiro, por meio da prática alfabetizadora, sua obra pensa formas brasileiras de conhecer o Brasil, não o das elites oligárquicas, da desigualdade social, da concentração de renda, mas o Brasil do ponto de vista de seu povo, o cotidiano da sociedade brasileira. O pensamento freireano é radical, comprometido com a solidariedade entre os homens. Paulo Freire lutou contra a opressão, a exploração e a injustiça social. A educação foi sua arena e as idéias e palavras suas armas de luta. A obra de Freire produziu uma nova sintaxe no campo educacional. Ao defender a alfabetização como ato de reflexão, criação, conscientização e libertação, Freire rejeita a concepção que vê a alfabetização como aquisição mecânica de codificação/decodificação de palavras e signos. Freire ao articular a leitura do mundo à leitura da palavra, insere a prática alfabetizadora na perspectiva de uma política cultural -cultura aqui entendida como a relação do homem com o seu entorno, que busca instrumentalizar o educando a saber pensar o espaço em que vive para nele se organizar na luta contra a opressão e a injustiça. Neste sentido, o conceito de alfabetização se amplia e transcende o seu conteúdo etimológico de lidar com letras e palavras mecanicamente, passando a traduzir as relações do educando com o mundo, mediadas pela prática transformadora desse mund

Análisis comparativo de las aplicaciones Snapchat e Instagram: nuevas tendencias derivadas de su uso

[Resumen] Es difícil realizar una descripción de nuestra sociedad actual sin hacer mención a las conexiones que se establecen de forma online gracias a las redes sociales. Es por ello por lo que resulta digno de estudio realizar un análisis comparativo del flujo de consumo de dos importantes aplicaciones: Instagram y Snapchat, siendo su modelo de negocio bastante similar. El objetivo principal es observar la evolución de estas herramientas 2.0, así como comprobar si existe algún tipo de conexión entre el descenso de la popularidad de la aplicación del fantasma y la proliferación de la función de Instagram Stories. Por último, pero no menos importante, se explicarán las nuevas profesiones que han surgido a raíz de este tipo de aplicaciones, especialmente gracias a Instagram, que no sólo ha contribuido al aumento de usuarios de la plataforma, sino que se ha posicionado como una ventana de contacto con ellos. Además ha traído consigo nuevos modelos de negocio de los que tanto marcas como profesionales freelance se están beneficiando. Finalmente, es resaltable la consideración de un futuro incierto de este mundo online que se rige por la preferencia de los usuarios de las aplicaciones que se encuentran de moda en cada momento. Este mercado ofrece la posibilidad de crear nuevas aplicaciones que triunfen entre la población si tienen las características necesarias para satisfacer sus necesidades.[Abstract] It is difficult to make a description of our current society without mentioning the online connections due to social networks. That is why it is worth studying a comparative analysis of the flow of consumption of two important applications: Instagram and Snapchat, because their business model is quite similar. The main aim of the investigation is to observe the evolution of these tools, as well as checking if there is some kind of connection between the decrease of the popularity of Snapchat and the proliferation of the function of Instagram Stories. Last but not least, the new professions that have emerged from this type of applications will be explained, especially the one which emerge from Instagram. This one has not only contributed to the increase of users of the platform, but has been positioned as a way of contact with them. It has also brought with it new model of bussines, which both brands and freelance are taking profit of. Finally, it is worth highlighting the uncertain future of this online world that is governed by the preference of the users of the applications that are in fashion at all times. This market offers the possibility to create new applications that succeed among the population if they have the necessary features to satisfy their needs

Epigraphic news of Edeta (Llíria, Valencia)

Se presentan en este artículo diversas inscripciones romanas de la antigua civitas Edetanorum (Llíria, Valencia) recuperadas en las intervenciones arqueológicas realizadas entre los años 2008 y 2013. Nuestro trabajo se centra en el estudio de seis inscripciones realizadas sobre soporte pétreo y diversos grafitos inscritos sobre instrumentum domesticum, ambos sobre dos dolia.In this article we present several Roman inscriptions discovered during the archaeological excavations carried out between 2008 and 20013 in the old civitas Edetanorum (Llíria, Valencia). We focus on the study of six inscriptions on stone and different graffiti engraved on instrumentum domesticum, both over two dolia