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Second Language Learning (second + language_learning)
Selected AbstractsEffects of Frequency in Classroom Second Language Learning: Quasi-Experimental and Stimulated-Recall Analysis,by TODE, TOMOKOMODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 2 2010CLAUDIA FERNÁNDEZ No abstract is available for this article. [source] Gesture and Creating Zones of Proximal Development for Second Language LearningMODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 2 2002Steven G. McCafferty This study investigated the role of gesture in and of itself and in conjunction with speech in creating zones of proximal development (ZPD) for second language learning and teaching. A university student of English, newly arrived in the United States, was videorecorded once a week in conversational interaction with an American graduate student, an ESL/EFL teacher, over two different periods lasting 15 weeks altogether. The view taken in the study of Vygotsky's concept of the ZPD follows that of Newman and Holtzman (1993), who argued that it primarily concerns revolutionary activity, that learning and teaching transforms as a consequence of interacting in the ZPD, and that this affects all participants. Findings indicate the important role that gesture played both in promoting language learning and in facilitating positive interaction between the two participants, helping to create a sense of shared social, symbolic, physical, and mental space. [source] Investigating grammatical difficulty in second language learning: Implications for second language acquisition research and language testingINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS, Issue 1 2008Rod EllisArticle first published online: 20 FEB 200 Both second language acquisition (SLA) researchers and language testers collect data in order to make statements about what learners have learned. Many researchers and testers consider the ideal data for this purpose to be naturally occurring language use. This paper examines whether data elicited by instruments designed to provide separate measures of implicit and explicit second language knowledge afford a valid basis for determining what learners have learned. It reports on a study that tested predictions derived from Pienemann's Processability Theory regarding the learning difficulty of four grammatical structures. The results showed that the predictions were borne out in the data from the tests of implicit knowledge but not in the data from the tests of explicit knowledge. The study suggests that experimentally elicited data can be used to examine interlanguage development (i.e. how learners' implicit knowledge develops) and to make statements about learners' grammatical proficiency. It also indicates that what constitutes learning difficulty needs to be considered separately for implicit and explicit knowledge. The implications for SLA research and language testing are considered.1 [source] The evolving sociopolitical context of immersion education in Canada: some implications for program development1INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS, Issue 2 2005Merrill Swain l'immersion; l'éducation bilingue; le multilingualisme; la théorie socioculturelle In 1997 Swain and Johnson defined immersion as one category within bilingual education, providing examples and discussion from multiple international perspectives. In this article, we review the core features of immersion program design identified by Swain and Johnson and discuss how current sociopolitical realities and new research on second language learning serve to update and refresh the discussion of these features. One feature identified by Swain and Johnson is that "the classroom culture is that of the local L1 community". The dramatic increase in ethnic diversity in Canada's urban centres calls into question the notion of a monolithic culture in the school community. A second example concerns the use of the L1 in the classroom: while a central feature of immersion education is the use of the L2 as medium of instruction, new research suggests that allowing a judicious use of the L1 on the part of learners may be warranted. The article concludes with suggestions for building on multiple L1s in the immersion classroom. En 1997, Swain et Johnson ont défini l'immersion comme une catégorie del'éducation bilingue, fournissant des exemples et une discussion à partir de multiples perspectives internationales. Dans cet article, nous passons en revue les éléments de base du programme d'immersion tels qu'identifiés par Swain et Johnson, et portons la discussion sur la façon dont les réalités socio-politiques actuelles et les nouvelles recherches sur l'apprentissage de la langue seconde permettent de mettre à jour et de reprendre la discussion de ces éléments. Un de ceux-ci, identifié par Swain et Johnson signale que «la culture de la salle de classe est celle de la langue première de la communauté locale.» La remarquable augmentation de la diversité ethnique dans les centres urbains du Canada remet en question la notion d'une culture monolithique dans la communauté scolaire. Un deuxième exemple concerne l'utilisation de la langue première en salle de classe. Bien que l'utilisation de la langue seconde comme moyen d'enseignement reste un élément central de l'immersion, de nouvelles recherches suggèrent que de permettre une utilisation judicieuse de la langue première chez les apprenants peut se justifier. En conclusion, l'article présente des suggestions pour tirer parti des multiples langues premières dans la classe d'immersion. [source] Fossilization: five central issuesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS, Issue 2 2004ZhaoHong Han Second language acquisition research over the past three decades has generated a wide spectrum of different interpretations of "fossilization", a construct introduced by Selinker (1972) for characterizing lack of grammatical development in second language learning. These conceptual differences found in the literature, it has become increasingly clear, create confusion rather than offering clarification, thereby obstructing a coherent understanding of the theoretical notion as well as empirical research findings. This article addresses the conceptual differences by raising and discussing five central issues: (1) Is fossilization global or local? (2) Is L2 ultimate attainment isomorphic with fossilization? (3) Is fossilization a product or a process? (4) Is stabilization synonymous with fossilization? (5) Should empirical studies of fossilization span five years or more? [source] Gesture and Creating Zones of Proximal Development for Second Language LearningMODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 2 2002Steven G. McCafferty This study investigated the role of gesture in and of itself and in conjunction with speech in creating zones of proximal development (ZPD) for second language learning and teaching. A university student of English, newly arrived in the United States, was videorecorded once a week in conversational interaction with an American graduate student, an ESL/EFL teacher, over two different periods lasting 15 weeks altogether. The view taken in the study of Vygotsky's concept of the ZPD follows that of Newman and Holtzman (1993), who argued that it primarily concerns revolutionary activity, that learning and teaching transforms as a consequence of interacting in the ZPD, and that this affects all participants. Findings indicate the important role that gesture played both in promoting language learning and in facilitating positive interaction between the two participants, helping to create a sense of shared social, symbolic, physical, and mental space. [source] | ||||||||||