Talker identification is not improved by lexical access in the absence of familiar phonology

Listeners identify talkers more accurately when they are familiar with both the sounds and words of the language being spoken. It is unknown whether lexical information alone can facilitate talker identification in the absence of familiar phonology. To dissociate the roles of familiar words and phonology, we developed English-Mandarin “hybrid” sentences, spoken in Mandarin, which can be convincingly coerced to sound like English when presented with corresponding subtitles (e.g., “wei4 gou3 chi1 kao3 li2 zhi1” becomes “we go to college”). Across two experiments, listeners learned to identify talkers in three conditions: listeners' native language (English), an unfamiliar, foreign language (Mandarin), and a foreign language paired with subtitles that primed native language lexical access (subtitled Mandarin). In Experiment 1 listeners underwent a single session of talker identity training; in Experiment 2 listeners completed three days of training. Talkers in a foreign language were identified no better when native language lexical representations were primed (subtitled Mandarin) than from foreign-language speech alone, regardless of whether they had received one or three days of talker identity training. These results suggest that the facilitatory effect of lexical access on talker identification depends on the availability of familiar phonological forms

The Language Laboratory and Teaching English at the College Level in Japan

A recommendation made by the Central Council on Education inJapan states that in foreign language education the main concentrationshould be placed on the development of practical abilities. LanguageLaboratory facilities are becoming widespread in Japan as one of the mosteffective methods of meeting the needs of foreign language training

Global issues and global values in foreign language education : selection and awareness-raising

The global education trend has recently been gaining in significance in education systems throughout the world. This paper discusses a number of issues regarding the possibility of incorporating a global perspective into foreign language education, and considering also some of the implications of this for language teacher education Firstly, I shall describe my former teaching context – a pre-service foreign language teacher training course at the Belarusian State Pedagogical University in Minsk, Belarus. Then, I shall briefly discuss the concept of global education and its particular relevance to foreign language teaching, focusing on global issues and values as ways of incorporating a global perspective into foreign language education. Next, I shall report on and discuss the findings of my 2001 study of EFL teachers’ attitudes to certain aspects of the incorporation of a global perspective into foreign language education

Conceptual basis of professionally oriented foreign language training of future specialists in applied mechanics

The article deals with the problem of definition of the notion of “professionally oriented foreign language training of future specialists in applied mechanics”, particularly, it reveals the differentiation of the notions of “foreign language training”, “foreign language education” and “teaching foreign languages”, determines the purpose and the content of foreign language education and teaching foreign languages and the peculiarities of foreign language education of future specialists in applied mechanics. Integration into European educational space caused the changes in the Ukrainian educational market including professional training of future specialists in applied mechanics who should be able to adapt to multicultural, multilingual environment for the realization of personal and professional needs. The concept of professionally oriented foreign language training is analyzed and defined by scientists as a process of teaching foreign languages oriented to the formation of foreign language professional competence for solving professional tasks in their sphere. The key factors of professionally oriented foreign language training of future specialists in applied mechanics (cognitive and informational, linguistic, professional, psycholinguistic, content and structural) are introduced in the paper. The leading role of foreign language education consists in effective communication, cultural awareness, ability to work and adapt to multilingual and multicultural teams and high level of communication competence, which are considered as the key requirements of the recruitment strategies of employers

METHODOLOGICAL BACKGROUNDS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TRAINING OF THE FUTURE NON-FILOLOGICAL SPECIALTIES TEACHERS

It is necessary to clarify the methodological background for the process of foreign language training of non-philological specialties teachers. The insufficient attention to the theoretical principles of foreign language training modernization namely, as well as the need to develop new conceptual approaches and implementation of modern technologies in the formation of foreign language communicative competence have been viewed in the article. Its objectives, components and structure have been defined. It has been pointed out that foreign language training in higher educational establishments should focus on: optimization of the methodological aspects of foreign languages learning; intensification of the process of foreign languages learning; integration of cooperative, personality-oriented, informational and communicative training technologies; implementation of communicative, competence and behavioural approaches; interdisciplinary links; different learning styles of subjects of instructional process. The significant factors forming the foreign communicative competence of future teacher has been found out.It has been concluded that the system of foreign language training should include the creation of conditions that allows taking into account not only global educational trends but also peculiar features of national and cultural educational environment

Застосування інтерактивних методів навчання у процесі підготовки майбутніх екологів до професійного спілкування в іншомовному середовищі (The usage of the interactive methods in the process of future ecologists’ training for foreign language professional communikation)

У статті розглянуті теоретичні аспекти застосування інтерактивних методів навчання у процесі підготовки майбутніх екологів до професійного спілкування в іншомовному середовищі. Проаналізовано роль і значення іншомовної професійної підготовки у процесі професійної підготовки майбутніх екологів. Визначено шляхи підвищення ефективності підготовки майбутніх екологів до професійного спілкування в іншомовному середовищі через застосування інтерактивних методів навчання у процесі цієї підготовки. (This article deals with the specific features of the process of future ecologists’ training for foreign language professional communication. The role and the place of foreign language professional training in the process of future ecologists’ professional training have been defined. The efficient ways of the of the process of future ecologists’ training for foreign language professional communication have been characterised. The role of interactive methods of foreign language learning has been defined. The efficient ways of the interactive methods of teaching usage in the process of future ecologists’ training for foreign language professional communication have been analysed. Special attention is given to the interactive method of teaching – role-play. The specific features of these method usage in the process of future ecologists’ training for foreign language professional communication have been analysed.

Contemporary foreign language teachers training

The article deals with contemporary foreign language teacher’s training. Based on experience it is analyzed foreign language teacher’s training system in Russia and noted specific tendencies in teacher’s training and his/her personal qualities. The authors consider innovative approaches directed to contemporary teacher of the 21-st century who is a central facilitator of a foreign language educational process. Due to the research there were established the most effective learning techniques for development of teacher’s methodological thinking and his/her personal qualities formation (communication skills, empathy, creativity, reflexivity etc.

Needs and challenges for online language teachers - the ECML project DOTS

The growing use of digital technologies in educational settings, paralleled by a paradigm change in educational theory from an instructivist transmission approach to constructivist and sociocultural theories of learning, demands more adapted teacher training programs, both technical and pedagogical. Looking at factors influencing teachers’ implementation of ICT in the foreign language classroom and guided by the results of a needs analysis survey conducted among twenty six language teachers from twenty five different European countries, the DOTS project aims to develop an online workspace with bite-sized learning objects for autonomous use by language professionals, particularly freelance teachers who frequently miss out on the training opportunities provided for their full-time colleagues

It’s Not Brain Science… Or Is It? How Early Second Language Learning Can Impact Future Achievement

Capstone paper from 2015 spring MPA program. Instructed by Allen Zagoren.We live in a global economy, yet U.S. citizens lag far behind in the knowledge of other countries’ languages, cultures, customs, geographies and peoples. Equipping the next generation with foreign language skills as well as knowledge of other cultures and customs will not only provide increased career opportunities for individuals but also aid in the future success of the U.S. economy. The U.S. educational system does not stress the learning of language beyond English: K-12 curriculum is rigidly mandated, budgets are tight, class time and teacher training is limited, and language programs are often among the first to be cut during budget crises. There is a time period when a child’s brain is developing and most receptive to learning, and that is early childhood. If the seed were planted in a child before he/she enters kindergarten to learn the basics of a foreign language and culture, perhaps that knowledge could be nourished throughout the rest of their lives, preparing those children to embrace cultural differences, live and compete more successfully in an evolving and diverse world, and be better equipped for later education. Besides examining the current state of foreign language education in the U.S. and how learning occurs, the benefits of foreign language learning in relation to business and human relations are examined in this paper. Multiple solutions to solving the foreign language deficit are mentioned including a proposal for an early-learning language program