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Language Study (language + study)
Kinds of Language Study Selected AbstractsFrameworks for Language Study at A LevelENGLISH IN EDUCATION, Issue 2 2000John Keen Abstract This article argues that students of language study at A level need opportunities to build a broad foundation for exploring language experience, familiar issues and accessible concepts using practical activities and informal discussion if they are to develop their understanding of the more formal and systematic aspects of language theory. Teachers need familiarity with the staging points which correspond to different levels of students' understanding, and access to frameworks for language study which are sufficiently detailed to enable them to recognise growth points and build on students' achievements. [source] African-American Students' Opinions About Foreign Language Study: An Exploratory Study of Low Enrollments at the College LevelFOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS, Issue 2 2005Zena Moore Abstract: Persistent low numbers of African Americans in the foreign language teacher certification program at the University of Texas at Austin motivated the study reported here. Two groups of students responded to a questionnaire that sought information on foreign language experience at elementary and high school, as well as family experiences in foreign languages. Findings revealed that whereas very few students had the opportunity to study a foreign language at the elementary level, all were exposed to at least a two-year compulsory program at high school. These experiences were not motivating enough to encourage college-level continuation, nor were family experiences. Students' language preferences did not support previous findings that low enrollment figures resulted from language offerings that lacked ethnic and cultural appeal. Rather, the study found that there appeared to be little effort made to encourage African-American high school and college students to consider teaching career paths. Students recommended more aggressive dissemination of information to African-American students at the college level about the advantages on pursuing foreign language study. They overwhelmingly suggested including a foreign language requirement in all discipline areas. [source] Academic Achievement Through FLES: A Case for Promoting Greater Access to Foreign Language Study Among Young LearnersMODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2010CAROLYN TAYLOR The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 established foreign languages as a core curricular content area; however, instructional emphasis continues to be placed on curricular areas that factor into state educational accountability programs. The present study explored whether foreign language study of first-year Grade 3 foreign language students who continued their foreign language study through Grade 5 in Louisiana public schools contributed to their academic achievement in curricular areas tested on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program for the 21st Century (LEAP 21) test. Notable findings emerged. First, foreign language (FL) students significantly outperformed their non-FL peers on every test (English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies) of the Grade 4 LEAP 21. Second, the present research suggested that regardless of the test, whether the Grade 4 criterion-referenced LEAP 21 or the Grade 5 norm-referenced ITBS, at each grade level FL students significantly outperformed their non-FL counterparts on language achievement tests. [source] The Struggle for a Place in the Sun: Rationalizing Foreign Language Study in the Twentieth CenturyMODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2001James P. Lantolf Over the course of the past century, the MLJ was one of the sites where the vigorous, and often times passionate justification for, and defense of, foreign language (FL) study in the educational curriculum of the United States unfolded. Almost 10% of the slightly more than 4,000 articles published in the MLJ during the past century focused on the value and relevance of FL study in the educational enterprise. This article will focus on five major themes that surfaced throughout the 8 decades covered by our survey. The first theme comprises the general arguments offered by the profession in support of the value of FL study, most of which were impacted directly or indirectly by world events. The second and third themes document periods of general doubt and optimism about the place of FLs in the curriculum. In the fourth major theme, we describe the passionate and intense argumentation between the faculties of education and the defenders of FL study. The fifth, and final theme, addresses the question of which FLs should be taught in the schools and what contribution each might make to a student's education. As we enter the 21st century, it seems clear that the profession still feels compelled to justify the educational merit of its subject matter. In the end, given the twists and turns that history can take, it is difficult to predict whether FL study will eventually find an uncontested place in the sun. [source] Language study in higher education and the development of criticality1INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS, Issue 2 2005Christopher Brumfit criticalité; éducation supérieure; langues étrangères This article explores the development of criticality in Modern Languages graduates in the UK. It is based on a larger research project investigating the development of criticality in (initially) two academic disciplines through the detailed analysis of a large corpus of qualitative data. This includes student interviews, teacher interviews, classroom observation, written and oral work produced by students, documentation produced for courses, and policy statements from national and institutional sources. This article focuses on the relationship between the Modern Languages curriculum, particularly language teaching and learning, and the development of criticality. Drawing upon evidence from the qualitative data, it outlines the ways in which the courses can be seen to contribute to the development of wider social competences. Finally it discusses the distinctiveness of the contribution to criticality development provided by the cross-cultural and cross-linguistic experience of Modern Languages undergraduates. Cet article explore le développement de la ,criticalité' chez les étudiants en langues étrangères à l'université en Grande-Bretagne. Il se base sur l'analyse détaillée d'un corpus important de données qualitatives, recueilli dans le contexte d'un projet de recherche sur le développement de la ,criticalité' dans deux disciplines différentes. Ce corpus comprend des entretiens avec des étudiants, leurs professeurs, ainsi que des observations de cours, le travail écrit et oral produit par les étudiants, la documentation accompagnant les cours, et les communiqués provenant de sources institutionnelles et nationales. Cet article examine en détail la relation entre le programme d'études de langues, et tout particulièrement l'apprentissage et l'enseignement de la langue elle-même, et le développement de la ,criticalité'. Il expose la façon dont les cours contribuent au développement de compétences sociales plus larges, à partir d'une analyse qualitative des données. En dernier lieu, il examine les caractéristiques spécifiques de la contribution au développement de la ,criticalité' fournies par les experiences plurilinguies et multiculturelles des étudiants en langues. [source] Learners' Descriptions of German Pronunciation, Vocabulary, and Grammar: A Folk Linguistic AccountDIE UNTERRICHTSPRAXIS/TEACHING GERMAN, Issue 1 2009Monika Chavez Following a folk linguistic approach, this investigation of first-, second- and fourth-year learners' accounts of German found that (1) few had held pre-conceived notions about German prior to language study; (2) most pre-conceived notions concerned German pronunciation; (3) pre-conceived notions about vocabulary were most likely to influence the decision to study German; and (4) among current perceptions of German, learners (a) believe German to be more "systematic" than English; (b) are virtually exclusively concerned with rules of "accuracy" (not appropriateness); (c) tend to judge the "merits" of German rules in comparison with English but also the Romance languages; (d) consider grammar more different between English and German than vocabulary and pronunciation; and (e) register no observable differences across different years of study or between German and non-German majors. [source] Frameworks for Language Study at A LevelENGLISH IN EDUCATION, Issue 2 2000John Keen Abstract This article argues that students of language study at A level need opportunities to build a broad foundation for exploring language experience, familiar issues and accessible concepts using practical activities and informal discussion if they are to develop their understanding of the more formal and systematic aspects of language theory. Teachers need familiarity with the staging points which correspond to different levels of students' understanding, and access to frameworks for language study which are sufficiently detailed to enable them to recognise growth points and build on students' achievements. [source] Anxiety and the True Beginner,False Beginner Dynamic in Beginning French and Spanish ClassesFOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS, Issue 2 2005Diana Frantzen Abstract: This study considered true beginners and false beginners in first-semester university French and Spanish classes to: (a) determine whether true beginners and false beginners differ in anxiety, grades, and plans to continue language study; and (b) identify classroom factors that foster anxiety or comfort. Students completed a questionnaire that included the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986), MacIntyre and Gardner Anxiety Subscales (1989, 1994), demographic information, grade expectations, and open-ended questions. Randomly selected students were interviewed about their experiences in the courses. Statistical analyses revealed that (a) although neither group was terribly anxious, true beginners were significantly more anxious overall and during processing and output stages than false beginners; (b) true beginners expected and received lower grades than false beginners; and (c) significantly more true beginners than false beginners planned to continue studying the language. Comments on one written open-ended question and in the interviews pointed to the key role of the instructor in reducing anxiety. [source] African-American Students' Opinions About Foreign Language Study: An Exploratory Study of Low Enrollments at the College LevelFOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS, Issue 2 2005Zena Moore Abstract: Persistent low numbers of African Americans in the foreign language teacher certification program at the University of Texas at Austin motivated the study reported here. Two groups of students responded to a questionnaire that sought information on foreign language experience at elementary and high school, as well as family experiences in foreign languages. Findings revealed that whereas very few students had the opportunity to study a foreign language at the elementary level, all were exposed to at least a two-year compulsory program at high school. These experiences were not motivating enough to encourage college-level continuation, nor were family experiences. Students' language preferences did not support previous findings that low enrollment figures resulted from language offerings that lacked ethnic and cultural appeal. Rather, the study found that there appeared to be little effort made to encourage African-American high school and college students to consider teaching career paths. Students recommended more aggressive dissemination of information to African-American students at the college level about the advantages on pursuing foreign language study. They overwhelmingly suggested including a foreign language requirement in all discipline areas. [source] Primary to Secondary LOTE Articulation: A Local Case in AustraliaFOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS, Issue 3 2001Article first published online: 31 DEC 200, Robert C. Kleinsasser Data taken from an independent school's admission documents over a 4-year period provide insights and reveal trends concerning students' preferences for language study, LOTE study continuity, and reasons for LOTE selection. The data also provides an accounting of some multiple LOTE learning experiences. The analysis indicates that many students who begin a LOTE in the early grades are thwarted in becoming proficient, because (1)continuation in the language is impossible due to unavailability of instruction; (2)expanded learning is hampered by teachers' inability to deal with a range of learners, (3)extended learning is hampered by administrative decisions or policies, or (4)students lose interest in the first LOTE and switch to another: Finally, a call is made for data gathering and research in local contexts to gain a better understanding of LOTE articulation challenges at the local, state, national, and international levels. [source] The FLES Attitudinal InventoryFOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS, Issue 3 2000Teresa J. Kennedy The primary purpose of this study was to compare attitudinal differences between elementary students (K-5) involved in a regular Foreign Language in the Elementary Schools (FLES) program with their peers who were not provided with additive foreign language curriculum. Results from the study showed that students participating in FLES programs had positive attitudes relating to school, perceived difficulty in language acquisition, perceived desirability of foreign language study, cultural views, and student self-esteem and confidence levels in relation to their academic achievement in comparison with their non-FLES peers. The conclusions of this study suggest that FLES programs provide students with improved motivation to participate, to persist, and to succeed in second language study. [source] Verbal Artistry in Southern Paiute Narratives: Reduplication as a Stylistic ProcessJOURNAL OF LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 1 2002Pamela Bunte This article examines stylistic uses of reduplicated nouns and verbs in Southern Paiute narrative performances. Traditional Paiute storytellers in the San Juan andKaibab communities of north-central Arizona employ reduplication to index simultaneously narrative structure and specific referential meanings. The analysis of this creative and multi-indexical process demonstrates the importance of examining the verbal artistry of devices like reduplication in any language study. [source] Maternal Alcohol Use During Pregnancy Causes Systemic Oxidation of the Glutathione Redox SystemALCOHOLISM, Issue 1 2010Theresa W. Gauthier Background:, Increased systemic oxidant stress contributes to a variety of maternal complications of pregnancy. Although the antioxidant glutathione (GSH) and its oxidized component glutathione disulfide (GSSG) have been demonstrated to be significantly altered in the adult alcoholic, the effects of maternal alcohol use during pregnancy on oxidant stress in the postpartum female remain under investigation. We hypothesized that maternal alcohol use would increase systemic oxidant stress in the pregnant female, evidenced by an oxidized systemic GSH redox potential. Methods:, As a subset analysis of a larger maternal language study, we evaluated the effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy on the systemic GSH redox status of the postpartum female. Using an extensive maternal questionnaire, postpartum women where queried regarding their alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Any drinking, the occurrence of drinking >3 drinks/occasion, and heavy drinking of >5 drinks/occasion during pregnancy were noted. Using HPLC, maternal plasma samples were analyzed for GSH, oxidized GSSG and the redox potential of the GSH/GSSG antioxidant pair calculated. Results:, Maternal alcohol use occurred in 25% (83/321) of our study sample. Two in ten women reported consuming >3 drinks/occasion during pregnancy, while 1 in 10 women reported consuming alcohol at >5 drinks/occasion. Any alcohol use during pregnancy significantly decreased plasma GSH (p < 0.05), while alcohol at >3 drinks/occasion or >5 drinks/occasion significantly decreased plasma GSH concentration (p < 0.05), increased the percent of oxidized GSSG (p < 0.05), and substantially oxidized the plasma GSH redox potential (p < 0.05). Conclusions:, Alcohol use during pregnancy, particularly at levels >3 drinks/occasion, caused significant oxidation of the systemic GSH system in the postpartum women. The clinical ramifications of the observed alcohol-induced oxidation of the GSH redox system on high risk pregnancies or on the exposed offspring require more accurate identification and further investigation. [source] Academic Achievement Through FLES: A Case for Promoting Greater Access to Foreign Language Study Among Young LearnersMODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2010CAROLYN TAYLOR The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 established foreign languages as a core curricular content area; however, instructional emphasis continues to be placed on curricular areas that factor into state educational accountability programs. The present study explored whether foreign language study of first-year Grade 3 foreign language students who continued their foreign language study through Grade 5 in Louisiana public schools contributed to their academic achievement in curricular areas tested on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program for the 21st Century (LEAP 21) test. Notable findings emerged. First, foreign language (FL) students significantly outperformed their non-FL peers on every test (English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies) of the Grade 4 LEAP 21. Second, the present research suggested that regardless of the test, whether the Grade 4 criterion-referenced LEAP 21 or the Grade 5 norm-referenced ITBS, at each grade level FL students significantly outperformed their non-FL counterparts on language achievement tests. [source] A Ten-Year Chronicle of Student Attitudes Toward Foreign Language in the Elementary SchoolMODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 2 2007AUDREY L. HEINING, BOYNTON This article reports the results of 2 studies conducted over a 10-year period that researched student attitudes toward early foreign language learning. These studies are unique because of the long time frame in which the students were followed, and the large data sets collected at the elementary school level. Surveys of students in the Foreign Language in the Elementary Schools (FLES) programs examined the attitudes of all children in 2 school systems in North Carolina: one suburban and one urban. The students studied either French or Spanish. The number of responses to the survey questions ranged from 22,549 to 52,227 for a 4-year period. The results indicated that boys and girls had positive attitudes when responding to 2 questions about enjoyment of their FLES classes and teachers. The girls were positively inclined, and the boys were neutral, in their desire to continue with foreign language study in the next grade. Two items about the use of foreign language outside the school venue and comprehension of foreign language teacher input revealed negative attitudes for both genders. As a follow-up to the quantitative study, qualitative data about attitudes toward foreign language speakers, foreign cultures, and their own education with respect to foreign language study were gathered through structured interviews. The participants were the same students who had completed the original surveys 10 years earlier. In corroboration of the quantitative data, a qualitative analysis revealed that, for a majority of the students, foreign language study was viewed positively, as were foreign language speakers and their cultures. [source] A Study into the Feasibility and Effects of Reading Extended Authentic Discourse in the Beginning German Language ClassroomMODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2002Hiram Maxim Despite efforts to integrate all levels of foreign language instruction, reading remains on the periphery of beginning language study. Reading extended texts is outcast to an even greater degree. This article addresses this issue by presenting the design, results, and implications from a study involving beginning college-level language students who read a 142-page romance novel in their first semester of German. During the semester, the treatment group (N= 27) followed the same standard first-semester syllabus as the comparison group (N= 32), but replaced all standard reading assignments in the textbook with daily in-class readings of the romance novel. The effects of the treatment were assessed on the basis of the two groups' results on (a) three departmental exams and (b) a pretest and posttest consisting of written recall protocols of 4 texts and vocabulary-related questions. A statistical analysis of these two measures yielded 2 central findings. First, students were able to read a full-length authentic text in the first semester. Second, the treatment group performed as well as the comparison group on the three department tests and the posttest, which runs counter to arguments that time spent reading in class adversely affects beginning language learners' second language development. Curricular and pedagogical implications of these findings are discussed. [source] Second Language Acquisition, Applied Linguistics, and the Teaching of Foreign LanguagesMODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 3 2000Claire Kramsch Given the current popularity of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) as a research base for the teaching and learning of foreign languages in educational settings, it is appropriate to examine the relationship of SLA to other relevant areas of inquiry, such as Foreign Language Education, Foreign Language Methodology, and Applied Linguistics. This article makes the argument that Applied Linguistics, as the interdisciplinary field that mediates between the theory and the practice of language acquisition and use, is the overarching field that includes SLA and SLA-related domains of research. Applied Linguistics brings to all levels of foreign language study not only the research done in SLA proper, but also the research in Stylistics, Language Socialization, and Critical Applied Linguistics that illuminates the teaching of a foreign language as sociocultural practice, as historical practice, and as social semiotic practice. [source] | ||||||||||