Insights from interlanguage as revealed in writing: toward the development of metalinguistic competences for portuguese adult learners of English

Based on a written corpus by 69 Portuguese learners of English, this study was designed to discover insights into the metalinguistic competences of young adult L2 users over three different sessions of a 30-hour a Technical English for Pharmacists at the School of Health of the Guarda Polytechnic Institute in Portugal. The longitudinal study effectively covered a total of 138 texts submitted as an initial and final report by each learner, written in conditions similar to those of the International Corpus of Learner English (ICLE). For the initial report, a portrait emerges of the written interlanguage of Portuguese science students after their K-12 course of study, with errors distributed among syntactic (43%), lexical (36%), and style and spelling (21%) sources. The written interlanguage analyzed consisted of 28,069 words, constituting 1,311 T-units, which revealed a total of 4,143 errors. The difference from the initial to the final report revealed an overall improvement of 6% less errors, from the pattern of 43-36-21% pattern for syntactic-lexical-style & spelling errors to 47-37-16%, after the 30-hour course. This was accompanied by a 42% growth in the number of words produced, and a corresponding increase of 17% in the number of T-units as well as a 23% rise in their mean length (MLT-U). These changes were further explored to determine that, of the three groups studied, one first and two second year groups, with average ages of 19 and 20.13 respectively, reveal age to be a significant factor for improvements, particularly in both the number of words and T-units. Error analysis determined an overall error recurrence of 45% syntactic, 37% lexical, and 18% due to style and spelling; further analysis found that, in six of the ten subclassifications, representing 57% of the written corpus, errors due to collocation, pronouns, Portuguese-influenced lexical choices, style, such as repetition and punctuation, and spelling showed patent improvement over the 30-hour course. The remaining 43%, distributed among four lexical and syntactic subclassifications in which more errors were revealed in the final reports at the end of the 30-hour course, lexical morphology and lexical choice as well as errors of distribution and production of verbal groups, were closely examined for insights into the metalinguistic competences of these subjects. Due to its exploratory nature, this study forged beyond L1 influence on errors, established at a total of 39% of the syntactical and lexical areas analyzed, to reveal a myriad of highly dynamic metalinguistic approaches to word formation and syntactic creation, the awareness of which can be productive for both learners and teachers. As such, the thesis concludes with a number of suggestions for best practice in the classroom based on the insights from interlanguage as revealed in writing

Historical linguistics, linguistics and applied linguistics: a study inspired by trees.

This innovative perspective on historical linguistics, linguistics, and applied linguistics examines these areas of study with the role of trees in mind. It covers the quest for the founding father of historical linguistics - from the German Schleicher through the Scots, Stewart and Hutton, to the Americans, Whitney and Peirce, and the Swiss, Saussure. A brief but sweeping review of early linguistics and language study before the advent of cognitivism reveals American structuralism and immediate constituent analysis in descriptive linguistics relying on the tree structure even prior to the time transformative generative grammar was institutionalized.Esta perspectiva original sobre la linguística histórica,la linguística, y la linguística aplicada examina estas áreas de estudio desde un punto de vista arbóreo.Cubre la búsqueda de un padre fundador de la lingüística histórica - desde el alemán,Schleicher, y los escoceses, Stewart y Hutton, a los norte-americanos, Whitney y Pierce y el suizo, Saussure. Una breve pero vasta revista de la primitiva lingüística y el estudio de lenguas antes de la aparición del cognitivismo revela que el estructuralismo americano y el análisis de los constituyentes inmediatos en la lingüística descriptiva dependen de la estructura arbórea incluso antes que la gramática generativa transformativa fue institucionalizada

Crossing Disciplines: Interdisciplinary Practice in Higher Education

In this article on interdisciplinary higher education with a view to English language learning, specific education benefits are revealed, ranging from critical thinking skills and the toleration of ambiguity to the recognition of bias and the appreciation of ethical concerns. In the Bologna-inspired environment of higher education aimed at the workplace, language centres are uniquely poised to promote an interdisciplinary approach to better serve student needs. In the author’s experience over two decades in Portuguese higher education, increased student interest, dedication, and enjoyment in interdisciplinary activities demonstrate the applicability of this proactive enhancement of competencies where the target language is the medium of communication. Modelling the synergistic nature of the learning process exercising various knowledge systems, Best Practice is described for crossing disciplines by selecting materials, understanding their application and dealing with assessment.

O utilizador da LE/L2: o perfil psicopedagógico do ensino em LE/L2

Given the lack of self-confidence and diversified learning strategies identified in foreign language learners in Portugal, this paper proposes a solution that mediates the needs of both students and teachers. The introduction of a teaching perspective that treats students as users of the language instead of separating native speakers from language learners could benefit students in a number of ways, beginning with increased self-esteem and self-respect. L2 users (the students) taught in this way are not seen as having an L2 deficit but rather are celebrated for the knowledge they possess in not just one but two (or even more) languages.  They also learn to value their own multicompetence and how to acquire new approaches to learning, in general and for language learning, as well as toward acquiring skills for self-assessment. For the teacher, this approach is also beneficial given the breadth of possibilities for new positioning in the classroom; the teacher’s role can be transformed into that of a more dynamic facilitator and strategist for getting the students to truly use their multicompetence. This perspective also sheds the terrible practice of classifying the non-native language teacher as less capable, withdrawing the prohibition of use of the L2 in the classroom and honouring the cognitive flexibility and linguistic resources used in interlanguage, language transfer and interculturality. Working with L2 users also pays special heed to the teacher’s ability to put L2 users in situations that provide real opportunities to use the target language. This approach, considering the L2 users in all their abilities, goes a long way in reducing the fear of a foreign language, the unknown, to motivate students to recall the knowledge they already possess which serves as the basis for constructing new competences with the appropriate level of support so that, later, their competences can continue to grow autonomously.Face à falta de autoconfiança e de estratégias de aprendizagem diversificadas do estudante de língua estrangeira (LE) em Portugal, apresenta-se uma proposta para esta lacuna que sugere uma solução mediadora com vista à satisfação tanto de alunos como de professores. Em vez de separar os falantes nativos dos de expressão estrangeira, esta perspetiva pedagógica considera os estudantes também como utilizadores da LE/L2. Esta noção, na ótica do estudante como na do professor, traz múltiplos benefícios, entre os quais uma maior autoestima e respeito por si próprio aliados a novas abordagens à aprendizagem e à autoavaliação

Languages and the market: a ReCLes.pt selection of international perspectives and approaches

ReCLes.pt – the Association of Language Centres in Higher Education in Portugal – was honoured to host the ReCLes.pt 2014 International Conference on Languages and the Market: Competitiveness and Employability at the Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies (ESHTE – Escola Superior de Hotelaria e Turismo de Portugal). This topic is pivotal for the development and improvement of specific language skills that serve different areas in the labour market. Indeed, according to the report Languages for Jobs: Providing multilingual communication skills for the labour market, a report set up under the Education and Training 2020 framework, language learning should be “better geared to professional contexts and the needs” of the job market since doing so will then benefit not only learners but also “those seeking to employ people who are well-trained and properly qualified to assume their professional responsibilities” (2011: 4). Although the working group did include representatives from Italy and Ireland, it did not include Spain or Portugal, meaning that only two of the five most troubled countries in terms of their employment and economic situations contributed to the final report. This lack of representation motivated, in part, the conference theme for the ReCLes.pt 2014 International Conference, with the dual need for ever-improving research results for language teaching and the increasing relevance of language learning at a time of staggering austerity and rising rates of youth unemployment. Indeed, the ability to speak a number of foreign languages not only generates economic benefits and fosters employability but also promotes the mobility of professionals and diverse business activities, enabling companies to perform successfully on the global stage. From the confluence of educators, researchers and representatives from the business world debating languages as competitive assets in professional contexts, a selection of authors were invited to publish their papers in this volume. The collection comprises eleven relevant papers in Portuguese and in English divided in five topics: Languages, Culture and Employability; Languages and Technology; Languages and New Technologies; Languages for Tourism Purposes; and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). On the topic of Languages, Culture and Employability, Monika Hrebackova’s article on “Intercultural Communicative Competence and the Management Dimension of Culture” explores the impact of intercultural contexts on communication competencies in a foreign language, specifically English. The author describes the clear competitive advantage of intercultural competence in the corporate sector, covering perceptions of stereotypes, time and negotiating as well as issues of hierarchy, individualism and indulgency, among others. She brings her personal experience as a Czech to her outline of Czech cultural values to determine sources of cultural clashes and suggest some strategies for applying intercultural competence in management situations. On the same topic, Abdelaziz Kesbi’s “Foreign Language Mastery and Glocal Employability” reflects on the linguistic map of Morocco and the functional specializations of each language of the country’s patent multilingualism to determine the economic relevance of teaching their various foreign languages for the global market. This analysis is made within the context Moroccan language planning policies, concerning Arabization, Arabic and Amazigh as well as the status of French and English. Kesbi concludes with the proposal of English as a lingua franca to support the country’s most recent progressive free trade agreements. On the topic Languages and Technologies, the volume offers five articles, the first of which is “The Status of EFL Teaching in Moroccan Vocational Schools: A case study at the Meknès School of Technology”, Mohamed El Kandoussi argues the inadequacy of the linguistic competence of recent graduates and their challenges in the labour market. His research is based on a case study of local English language courses to ascertain the compatibility of the course content with the students’ vocational orientations while uncovering teachers’ attitudes and opinions towards a number of pedagogical practices, including the corporate culture of their school, course material, the students’ needs for English for Specific Purposes (ESP) versus general English and the perceived need for further teacher training. In line with technical concerns for future Engineers, Milan Smutny’s article on “The Language of Science and Technology: Linguistics as a part of a multidisciplinary study program” examines terminology, especially the formation of adjectives using premodification to effectively and precisely communicate within a specific discourse community. The author provides examples of the shared profession knowledge as part of the language of Science and Technology so that English language teachers can better understand the ways specific terminology is created as a precise description of reality in the daily professional lives of Electrical Engineers. Another contribution involving new technologies is by Maria de Lurdes Martins, Gillian Moreira and António Moreira on “Aprendizagem dialógica, dialética e autêntica da língua inglesa com recurso à Web 2.0”, where the authors discuss the open, participatory and social nature of Web 2.0 and the challenges it brings to foreign language classes. This paper, which describes the design and implementation of an action research project in English language courses, focuses on the interactional tasks that were implemented using Web 2.0 tools and their results, which led to the creation and maintenance of dialogic processes for the production of collaborative outputs through an active involvement of students in solving authentic activities, while developing their capabilities to manage individual and collaborative learning processes. Luisa Salvati and Luana Cosenza’s article on “Teaching Foreign Languages for Specific Purposes in Mobile Learning for the Internationalization of SMEs” reflects on the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as enablers of foreign language learning and facilitators of internationalization. Their paper focuses specifically on the results of LSECON, a project that dealt with the implementation of language courses to support SMEs in the Tuscany region of Italy. To conclude the technologies section, the volume offers the results of a joint project that has dealt with working across cultures in tandem-learning situations albeit in a readily available online source, presented in Regina Mügge and María del Carmen Arau Ribeiro’s article on “Language Learning with the SEAGULL Tandem Database”, which delves into this rich European Union-funded project, an acronym for Smart Educational Autonomy by Guided Language Learning. The result of collaboration between 18 partner institutes from 11 countries, SEAGULL provides language learning material for 13 languages with a number of special online features. This tool for tandem partners who aim to continue working together after their first exchange offers linguistic support, suggested issues for discussion and a myriad of cultural information about the countries involved in the SEAGULL project. The authors provide a guided visit of the wealth of material available at http://SEAGULL-tandem.eu/ that can be easily accessed by teachers and students alike. On the topic of Languages for Tourism Purposes, Gisela Soares and Teresa Pataco examine the specificities of language learning in the hospitality sector, namely in the areas of catering and restaurant service. In “‘Eu nem sei o que é um badejo em Português!’: um projeto de desenvolvimento de vocabulário específico em língua inglesa para a indústria hoteleira”, the authors reflect on the teaching methodologies and results of an interdisciplinary project developed by higher education students in TV Cooking Show, an English language course that aims to develop the specific vocabulary of students through research and task-based activities which enhance learner autonomy. In the following article by María del Carmen Arau Ribeiro and Florbela Rodrigues, these researchers consider the plethora of materials available from Tourism Marketing as an authentic source for teaching English, Spanish, Portuguese and French in higher education, drawing on commercial goods and promotional material on the respective countries to enhance intercultural awareness and to practice language skills based on maximizing communication and theories of visualization. The relevant and timely teaching strategies in their article, “Making Tourism Marketing Work for You in the FL Classroom” cover, among others, the value of fostering positive attitudes toward error in foreign language use, problem-centeredness, and motivation. The authors find that, while simultaneously promoting student strategies for developing skills in global effectiveness in their future professions, discerning teachers can take steps to ensure that language users are immersed in a graphic and semiotic richness of cultural and linguistic messages. The final topic in the volume is dedicated to Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), beginning with an article by Margarida Coelho on “Scaffolding Strategies in CLIL Classes – supporting learners towards autonomy”, in which she deftly attributes scaffolding and scaffolding strategies the key roles in CLIL teaching. She presents a brief overview of the origin of the concept as a teaching strategy, focusing on some recent studies, and systematizes the most relevant approaches and conceptual frameworks to scaffolding presented in those studies. As a conclusion, she argues for a broader, more extensive, continuous and innovative use of different scaffolding strategies in CLIL classes as an effective means to foster learner autonomy and progressively build their confidence in using a FL language for effectively dealing with content. The volume then concludes with “The State of the ReCLes.pt CLIL Training Project”, by María del Carmen Arau Ribeiro, Ana Gonçalves, Manuel Moreira da Silva, Margarida Morgado and Margarida Coelho, which provides an update to the developments in research and publications in the national project, from a collaboratively written book to numerous articles, presentations and posters, culminating in first place at the friendly competition in the strand From research to practice at the XIV CercleS International Conference on Enhancing Learners' Creative and Critical Thinking: The Role of University Language Centres in September 2016.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Promoting dynamic CLIL courses in portuguese Higher Education: from design and training to implementation

This article demonstrates the method, procedures and results of a national research project aiming to implement Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) courses in Portuguese higher education (HE). ReCLes.pt, the Network Association of Language Centres in HE in Portugal, carried out a review of the literature and an extensive needs analysis based on interviews with administrators and subject teachers to substantiate this need for CLIL in HE. The irst 10-hour CLIL teacher training pilot courses, conceived of as Communities of Practice, involved learning to deal with approaches to teaching language and content by scaffolding and applying a terminology-based approach, all of which was systematized in a collaboratively written training guide. Data gathering instruments were created for observation, questioning and documenting, which served to analyse the results and assess the sustainability of the interrelated objectives of creatingPreparación para profesores, creada en Portugal, ha originado cursos CLIL en enseñanza superior. El curso en una Comunidad de Práctica ya ha sido testado por todo el paı́s, basado en una larga investigación teórica aliada a un estudio nacional de las necesidades y un manual de capacitación escrito de forma colaborativa. La implementación de módulos de CLIL acentúa incluso scaffolding y terminologı́a.Tento přı́spěvek představuje metodu, postupy a výsledky národnı́ho výzkumné- ho projektu zaměřeného na zaváděnı́ kurzů CLIL do portugalského vyššı́ho vzdělávánı́ (VV). ReCLes.pt, Sı́ťová asociace jazykových center VV v Portugalsku, provedla recenzi literatury a rozsáhlou analýzu potřeb založenou na rozhovorech s administrátory a oborovými učiteli, aby doložila nezbytnost CLIL ve vyššı́m vzdělávánı́. Prvnı́ desetihodinové pilotnı́ lektorské kurzy CLIL, zahájené pod názvem Communities of Practice, zahrnovaly učenı́ se postupům výuky jazyka a obsahu vytyčenı́m a aplikovánı́m terminologického přı́stupu, což bylo systematizováno ve společně vytvořené instruktážnı́přı́ručce. Pilotnı́kurzy byly evaluovány a zı́skané výsledky budou využity při zaváděnı́dalšı́ch modulů CLIL v zemi.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Promoting Dynamic CLIL Courses in Portuguese Higher Education: From design and training to implementation

This article demonstrates the method, procedures and results of a national research project aiming to implement Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) courses in Portuguese higher education (HE). ReCLes.pt, the Network Association of Language Centres in HE in Portugal, carried out a review of the literature and an extensive needs analysis based on interviews with administrators and subject teachers to substantiate this need for CLIL in HE. The first 10-hour CLIL teacher training pilot courses, conceived of as Communities of Practice, involved learning to deal with approaches to teaching language and content by scaffolding and applying a terminology-based approach, all of which was systematized in a collaboratively written training guide. Data gathering instruments were created for observation, questioning and documenting, which served to analyse the results and assess the sustainability of the interrelated objectives of creating further CoPs so that more and better CLIL modules can be implemented across the country.

Mediação intercultural e território: estratégias e desafios

ISBN 978-989-685-078-4No presente texto partilhamos um conjunto de reflexões acerca da mediação intercultural e da sua importante mobilização em territórios multiculturais. Pensar o território, qualquer que seja, implica conhecer e compreender as populações, cultura(s), potencialidades e dinâmicas. Supõe, igualmente, com-preender as interações sociais e eventuais situações de tensão ou conflito que aí se manifestem no âmbito das vivências dos seus habitantes migrantes e/ou naturais. Sabendo que todos os territórios são dinâmicos e passíveis de trans-formação, consideramos fundamental avaliar as mudanças sociais e culturais que neles ocorrem e atender às várias identidades que aí se geram e integram

The State of the ReCLes. pt CLIL training project

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), an area that has only recently been more thoroughly explored for appropriate use at higher levels of education, has been one of the research areas identified by the Association of Language Centers in Higher Education in Portugal (ReCLes.pt). ReCLes.pt members – administration and research professors are striving to make a difference in the paucity of scientific publications in this area with the creation of their national program for training content teachers in Portuguese higher education. To best learn from each other in a collaborative network and apply well-informed teaching and learning methodology to English-taught classrooms, the underlying concepts range from classroom management and scaffolding to learner autonomy and from Web 2.0 tools to terminology-based learning. As an update of the current state of the art as interpreted in this project, the outreach and reception will be described in full with attention to some detailed examples of the more successful aspects as well as others where we have found room for improvement. Recommendations will be made for other networks and individual schools aiming to effectively prepare their students for the market by using an integrated approach to content and language learning. This paper reports on the current state of the ongoing ReCLes.pt CLIL Training Project, financed in part by the FCT (the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology), with project members from a number of universities and polytechnics across Portugal.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

CLIL in portuguese higher education – building a community of practice and learning

O capítulo reporta os resultados de um projeto, em desenvolvimento, sobre o estudo paralelo e comparativo da utilização de CLIL (abordagem integrada de conteúdo e língua) em cinco institutos politécnicos portugueses, objeto de uma subvenção da FCT, durante sete meses, para Partilha e Divulgação de Experiências em Inovação Didática no Ensino Superior Português. O estudo, que decorre desde 2013, subdivide-se em três etapas de investigação: a primeira, que decorreu em 2013-2014, consistiu num levantamento de necessidades em diversas instituições do ensino superior de modo a perceber a receptividade das mesmas para aceitação de modalidades de ESP (ensino de inglês para fins específicos), EMI (utilização do inglês como língua de ensino) ou abordagens CLIL, como estratégias de apoio à sua internacionalização. Durante a segunda etapa de investigação, que decorreu em 2014-2015, construiu-se uma comunidade de prática entre as diversas instituições de ensino superior politécnico envolvidas no projeto. O capítulo relata essencialmente como se constituiu esta comunidade, como foi apoiada e desenvolvida, os recursos criados e partilhados, as linhas de orientação que apoiaram o trabalho interativo e colaborativo de um grupo de professores de língua estrangeira e de professores de outras áreas científicas no desenvolvimento de módulos CLIL. Descrevem-se outras ações concomitantes ao desenvolvimento da comunidade de aprendizagem CLIL, como sejam a escrita colaborativa de um Guia de Formação de Formadores CLIL por um grupo de professores de língua estrangeira, para apoiar os cursos de formação implementados em cada instituto politécnico; a investigação aplicada decorrente deste processo que sublinhou: a importância da constituição de comunidades de prática CLIL locais, apoiadas na ReCLes (Associação em Rede dos Centros de Línguas do Ensino Superior) enquanto comunidade de prática mais alargada, à escala nacional; a importância de técnicas de scaffolding no ensino superior por oposição ao scaffolding proposto para outros níveis de ensino; e a utilização de estratégias de identificação de terminologia no contexto de práticas de CLIL ou TerminoCLIL. O capítulo inclui ainda alguns dados recolhidos na terceira etapa do projeto (2015-2016), durante a qual se implementaram módulos CLIL piloto; os dados foram recolhidos tanto junto dos professores que os lecionaram, como junto dos alunos, e incidiram sobre a recolha das suas reações e perceções aos módulos CLIL implementados. Estes são apresentados sob a forma de estudos de caso em cada instituição de forma a evidenciar as perspetivas dos sujeitos envolvidos.This report is the result of an ongoing project on the parallel and comparative study of the use of CLIL in five Higher Education Polytechnic Institutes in Portugal that received support from FCT for a seven-month period as potential best practice in higher education. The study was developed over a two-year period (2013-2015) and comprised three different research stages. The first stage (2013-2014) focused on needs across HE institutions to assess the readiness of institutions to engage with ESP, EMI or CLIL /ICL approaches to meet their internationalization strategy. During the second stage, the emphasis was on the development of a CLIL community of practice across higher education institutions (HEI) in Portugal. This article reports on how this community was created and nurtured, the resources used and shared, guidelines offered through the interaction and collaborative work of HE content and language lecturers. Comments are offered on the Training Guide written collaboratively by a number of language teachers across the Institutes and about the CLIL training courses developed in each institute; the applied research that highlighted the importance of building local CLIL communities of practice that were supported by ReCLes (Associação em Rede dos Centros de Línguas do Ensino Superior) as a wider CLIL community of practice, understanding scaffolding in higher education as opposed to what is advised for secondary education, and using terminology-based CLIL or TerminoCLIL. Insights are also offered on the third stage where CLIL pilot sessions or modules were put into practice by subject teachers‘ and on their students‘ reactions and perceptions on the implementation of CLIL through a series of case studies at each HEI as a way to highlight the perspectives of content teachers in HE.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio