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As an effective tool to advance language competence, writing papers collaboratively has the characteristic of improving author language skills, providing authors with opportunities to practice language skills in meaningful contexts. As authors collaborate to yield a paper, they get exposure to grammar genres, structures, and expressions. Concurrently, during the process, language is applied to communicate ideas effectively. This paper aims to investigate whether collaboration is really a beneficial aspect for authors. This qualitative investigation was embedded in case study design to uncover truths experienced in real-life situations. To collect data, semi-structured interviews were administered to five university scholars chosen from a population of authors reported to have successfully written publishable papers. It emerged as major findings that individual comprehension can be improved when authors collaborate on paper writing, and, as authors receive written feedback from each other, language competence advances. Although previous publications on writing collaboratively exist, research is silent on improved language competence acquired through this practice. It is concluded that individual comprehension can be improved by collaborative paper writing as the process provides opportunities for authors to justify and discuss their ideas. As they work collaboratively, authors deepen their understanding of the material and enhance their language skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learners' emotions profoundly affect foreign language acquisition. According to the control value theory, foreign language learning boredom is a kind of negative emotion. Foreign language learning boredom can dampen learners' interest in foreign language learning, reduce the efficiency of foreign language acquisition, and have a negative impact on foreign language learning. In view of this, the article aims to outline the influencing factors affecting the emergence of foreign language learning boredom and propose corresponding measures to alleviate it. It is hoped that this will reduce the negative impact of boredom on foreign language learning, improve the efficiency of foreign language learning, and reduce the resistance to foreign language learning. It is also used to refine foreign language classroom teaching, alleviate the negative impact of boredom in foreign language classrooms, and improve classroom efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents conference papers presented at the All-India Conference on Multimedia Enhanced Language Teaching - MELT 2009. Some of the topics presented include language teaching through multimedia, similarities and differences of language teaching and learning between a traditional classroom and a multimedia language lab, and roles of teachers and students when they are in a teaching environment different from the traditional classroom.

This paper presents the most important aspects emphasized and brought up for discussion at Romanian as a Foreign Language Section of the Conference Politeness in Public Sphere that took place at the Department of Modern Languages and Business Communication on the 10th of February 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Language interference is one of the most common problems in foreign language teaching. Language learners inevitably apply knowledge of their native language to a second language, which leads to linguistic interference. The more differences there are between the two languages, the more prominent the interference between them will be. This paper examines the key issues faced by Russian students learning English and English-speaking students learning Russian and suggests key areas of teaching needed in both disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has shown that arts-based approaches facilitate literacy learning in children; however, few studies have focused on the integration of art and early writing in community-based Chinese heritage language classes, which have been marginalized from the formal educational discourse in the United States. By drawing on the theoretical perspectives on social semiotics, this paper explored how young Chinese heritage learners engage in "writing" Chinese characters using fallen leaves. The data sources included field notes of observations, video recordings of the class, and the artifacts made by the children. Multimodal analysis revealed that the teacher invited the students to write together and created a social context for children to compose writing artwork. Children engaged with their composition through a variety of modes. This study has implications for research, practice, and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buyu, also known as verbal complements in pedagogical grammar, are a complex category of structures in Modern Standard Chinese grammar. These elements create a group of structures of different nature that are placed after the verb and some of them cause the displacement of the direct object when they are both present. This aspect of Modern Standard Chinese is especially complex, both for students to learn and instructors to teach. The main focus of this research is to understand better and improve the significance of buyu for Chinese as a foreign language teaching in Spain. For these reasons in this paper, we observe whether this aspect of Modern Standard Chinese is present in the different teaching curricula for Chinese as a foreign language and in HSK test papers and if so, how it is treated. On the other hand we observe the categorization offered in different curricula with the aim to understand a teaching area that is might be considered under-researched, but yet essential for the evolution of Chinese as a second language teaching field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite research suggesting that teachers highly influence their students' knowledge and use of language learning resources such as dictionaries (Loucky, 2005; Yamane, 2006), it appears that dictionary selection and use is considered something to be dealt with outside the classroom. As a result, many students receive too little advice to be able to make informed choices about which dictionary to use for which task. In particular, while teachers may recommend a few paper dictionaries, it appears that little thought is given to electronic and online alternatives. This article uses the case of (English) alphabet-background students of Japanese as an example, and discusses the pros and cons of computer versus non-computer dictionary tools, based on a survey of available resources, and making reference to empirical case studies of students and their dictionary use. The article concludes with recommendations for teachers and students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on several global conferences held in 2011 is presented. Frank Boers has served as one of the speakers at the American Association for Applied Linguistics Conference. Jack Richards has discussed the implications of language learning on teacher education at the International Conference and Workshop on TEFL and Applied Linguistics. Thomas Farrell has emphasized reflective practice for language teachers at the 44th International Annual IATEFL Conference and Exhibition.

Glocalization is a trend that requires individuals to be literate in their native languages and a target language. The use of a foreign language or a non-native language leads to language anxiety. This review paper aims to look into the commonalities and the gaps in the read studies. The researcher found that language anxiety happens in foreign language learning and teaching and at the macro-level of learning. With this, the studies used scales to measure the levels of anxiety of the respondents; they also aimed to study the precedents and effects of language anxiety and the coping strategies of learners and teachers to lessen language anxiety. Finally, gaps in the studies include a need for a language teaching anxiety focusing on macro skills of the teachers; mixedmethod studies are rare for qualitative methods and a need to employ effective strategies to cope with language anxieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights as issues of concern the rapid changes in technology and the tendency to report on partial validation efforts where the work is not identified as forming part of a larger validation project. With close human supervision emerging technologies can have a significant and positive impact on language testing. While technology seems to be constantly changing and improving, there is still a lot to learn in the approaches these papers take in identifying aspects of the constructs of interest amenable to operationalization and measurement through technology. In terms of validation, the paper suggests a number of important things to consider. These include presenting assessment arguments in a form that meets the needs of the stakeholder groups most clearly affected by the claims being made; working towards an interactive communication-based argument approach, ideally involving validators who are independent of the developer; and ensuring that any "partial" validation is explicitly linked to a broader argument. The paper ends by predicting that technology will see the practice of language testing changing radically from where it is today and while fairness, justice and validation will always be primary concerns, the challenges associated with establishing evidence of these will only increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of TESL Canada Journal / Revue TESL du Canada is the property of TESL Canada Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper examines whether and to what extent data-driven learning (DDL) activities can improve the lexico-grammatical use of abstract nouns in L2 writing. A topic-based corpus was compiled to develop concordance learning activities, and 40 Chinese students majoring in English were randomly assigned to a control group or an experimental group. At the prewriting stage, both groups were given a list of five abstract nouns: the experimental group was provided with paper-based concordance lines to study the collocations of the words, while the control group was allowed to consult dictionaries for the usage of the words. The written texts of the pre-test, immediate post-test, and delayed post-test were analysed and compared between and within groups. The results showed that the written output by the experimental group, as compared with the control group, contained a higher variety of collocational and colligational patterns and had fewer linguistic errors in using the target abstract nouns. The post-experiment learning journals and questionnaires administered to the experimental group further confirmed that concordance activities encouraged usage-based learning, helped students notice the lexical collocations and prepositional colligations of the target words, and thus improved accuracy and complexity in their productive language. Despite these positive findings, potential problems of using concordance activities for independent learning were also reflected in the students’ written output and reported in the learning journals. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The use of language laboratory and relevant information technology in foreign language teaching is a necessary model and method in modern foreign language teaching. By using the full-text version of the Chinese Academic Journal Network Publication Database in CNKI, this thesis retrieves the statistic output of researches relating to laboratory use and makes a comparative study of the research distribution of time, periodicals, topics, authors and funding institutions. Then a Bibliometrics ' basic law is applied to investigate university language laboratory development process and its present situation, based on which the existing problems are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "FROM the EDITORS" announces several updates and news in the field of teaching English with technology. The journal, Teaching English with Technology (TEwT), celebrates its 24th year of operation and continues to support underprivileged researchers, such as Palestinian researcher Ms Hidayat Abu Elhawa. The article also highlights the opportunity to pursue a PhD in TESOL at the University of Nicosia with the Editors in Chief of TEwT as supervisors. Additionally, the article mentions the rising Scopus CiteScore of TEwT and the fast-tracking of AI-related articles for publication. The issue includes papers from authors in various countries, covering topics such as online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic and the use of AI in foreign language education. [Extracted from the article]

Were you able to read and understand what that foreign word means? If not, it is never too late to start learning a new language. However, is it possible to become fluent in a foreign language despite the age at which you start? To answer this question this paper delves into the critical periods in language acquisition and their importance. This paper highlights infants' gradual acquisition of different aspects of language, such as phonemes, words, and grammar. To conclude the importance of critical periods, I compare different strategies for infants and adults learning a language, referring to the example of German word order acquisition. Furthermore, this paper focuses on second language learning. It gives some successful examples of perfectly acquired language by foreigners beyond childhood and highlights the phenomenon of exposure to a native-speaking environment. Additionally, I will discuss the degree of plasticity after the critical period ends and some challenges learners might experience when acquiring a second language. In conclusion, this paper offers a comprehensive review that contributes to our understanding of language development and its implications for language learning beyond childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Education is widely recognized as a key domain for the promotion of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), prompting an increased focus on sustainable development in foreign language education. Despite increased attention, guidelines about SDGs are often primarily policy-based without concrete guidance, and the integration of education for sustainable development (ESD) within higher education curricula has been slow. This paper aims to mitigate this gap by providing an outline for the curriculum development for three elective English courses integrating SDG themes. Design/methodology/approach: The paper begins by introducing the SDGs, ESD and its application to language education. From there, this paper outlines three content and language integrated learning courses that integrate global issues into their curriculum. Finally, there is a discussion and consideration of various factors to consider when implementing global issues into an English language classroom. Findings: Following practical examples of how to integrate global issues into an English language classroom, considerations such as socio-cultural context, teaching context and the expertise of the instructor are discussed. Originality/value: This paper covers a variety of social topics related to sustainable development in addition to the often addressed environmental topics. Many guidelines about integrating SDGs into education are policy-based without concrete guidance, so this paper aims to provide practical examples and considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated whether scores obtained from the online and paper-and-pencil administrations of the statewide end-of-course English test were equivalent for students with and without disabilities. Score comparability was evaluated by examining equivalence of factor structure (measurement invariance) and differential item and bundle functioning analyses for the online and paper groups. Results supported measurement invariance between the online and paper groups, suggesting that it is meaningful to compare scores across administration modes. When the data were analyzed at both the item and item bundle (content area) levels, similar performance appeared between the online and paper groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes a comparative study conducted at the item level for paper and online administrations of a statewide high stakes assessment. The goal was to identify characteristics of items that may have contributed to mode effects. Item-level analyses compared two modes of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) for up to four subjects at two grade levels. The analyses included significance tests of p-value differences, DIF, and response distributions for each item. Additional analyses investigated item position effects and objective-level mode differences. No evidence of item position effects emerged, but significant differences were found for several items and objectives in all subjects at grade 8 and in mathematics and English language arts (ELA) at grade 11. Differences generally favored the paper group. ELA items that were longer in passage length and math items that required graphing and geometric manipulations or involved scrolling in the online administration tended to be the items showing mode differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution discusses how classroom videos can be employed for the professional development of foreign language teachers. We address the discrepancy between the learning potential of videos on the one, and the challenges which accompany their use on the other hand. Classroom videos make teacher and student behavior accessible for a broader audience and allow for careful analysis, but they also run the risk of exposing teachers and/or students. Hence, we argue for seven standards of good conduct and suggest the RESPECT Principle. Based on our own research and other studies focusing on the use of videos in teacher education contexts, we elaborate on this principle in a theoretical and application-oriented manner. After reviewing research on video-based foreign language teacher education we illustrate subject-specific insights to be gained from video studies and explain why these might be challenging when used in teacher education. Then, we introduce our English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher professional development program and explain how we apply and evaluate our principle within it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new environment of technological development has led to a transformation of teaching and learning methodologies, especially in the field of language teaching. In this field, the so-called Crowdsourcing, applied in other fields, is an essential element to be considered. This paper tries to identify the applications of Crowdsourcing for teaching and learning. The aim is to observe the state of the art and its trends in order to improve efficiency in learning processes. The paper analyses 192 documents on crowdsourcing and language teaching and learning, extracted from the Web of Science in the period 2012 to 2023. The article carries out a literature review and performs a bibliometric and visualisation analysis essentially on journals, authors and keywords. The results show the importance of crowdsourcing in language teaching and learning, and the particularities of aspects such as Crowdteaching and Crowdlearning associated with new methodologies and technological developments. New trends indicate the relevance of including aspects such as, apart from language and linguistic considerations technological developments such as machine learning, natural language processing, sentiment analysis, or classification models. The results offer guidance to researchers and teachers to plan their research and to improve language teaching and learning processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A call for papers on learning and teaching intercultural communication in the second/foreign language classroom is presented.

The article calls for the submission of papers in the field of language teaching.

With the advent of the digital revolution, language testers have endeavored to utilize state-of-the-art computer technology to satisfy the ever-growing need for a tool to measure English communication skills with maximal accuracy and efficiency. Thanks to the concerted efforts made by experts in such fields as computational linguistics, computer engineering, computer-assisted language learning, and psychometrics, language testers have recently succeeded in developing computer/web-based language tests. Among them are the TOEFL CBT by Educational Testing Service and CommuniCAT by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate. As with the paper-based language test (PBLT), more rigorous research is now being conducted on the validity of computer-based language tests (CBLT) and computer adaptive language tests (CALT). Content analyses and comparability studies of PBLT and CBLT/CALT are prerequisites to such validation research. In this context, utilizing an EFL test battery entitled the Test of English Proficiency developed by Seoul National University (TEPS), the present study is aimed at addressing the issue of the comparability between PBLT and CBLT based on content and construct validation employing content analyses based on corpus linguistic techniques in addition to such statistical analyses as correlational analyses, ANOVA, and confirmatory factor analyses. The findings support comparability between the CBLT version and the PBLT version of the TEPS subtests (listening comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension) in question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to describe and reflect on the position of what are called second additional languages in the language teaching landscape of South African schools. This landscape is crowded, with different South African languages vying for attention. Amidst efforts to increase the number of learners who offer an African language as one of the subjects in the school exit examination, initiatives to introduce languages like Mandarin and Swahili put additional pressure on an already over-burdened system. The paper considers this crowded landscape and the implications for the teaching of German, French and Mandarin at secondary school level. These are only three of at least fifteen languages offered as second additional languages. This paper focuses on these three because they are most widely taught in mainstream schools. The policies and practices as well as the problems with teaching these languages are described, focusing on the types of learner who will choose these languages, the approach to teaching them and possible actions that could ensure the continued offering of second additional languages at primary and secondary schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of foreign language (FL) learning for individuals who have found learning to read and write in their first language extremely problematic has been an under-researched area throughout the world. Since the 1980s, Leonore Ganschow and Richard Sparks have conducted pioneering research into the nature of difficulties, why they are encountered and how they can be minimized. In this paper the authors trace the development of their research on foreign language difficulties for students with language learning problems. They provide a summary of their findings and suggest new questions and directions for the field. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Linguistic & Literary Studies is the property of International Islamic University Malaysia, Department of Arabic Language & Literature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Studies about Language / Kalbu Studijos is the property of Studies about Language / Kalbu Studijos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

While approaches informed by Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) have been widely applied to the field of language education since the 1960s, the idea of the system embodying the meaning potential of language in context, represented as a system network, could be used to make a much more significant contribution to second language (L2) or foreign language education, where despite pioneering efforts the uptake of SFL has been less than in L1 education. In this paper, we will take stock of the ways system networks have been used in studies concerned with L2 education and at the same time we will highlight new opportunities to empower new studies and applications based on system networks as a way of engaging with the central notion of learning how to mean in a second/foreign language. We argue that system networks can make a very significant contribution to L2 education if they are given more attention and their deployment is highlighted. The uses considered in this paper include the following: Tracking language development systemically; diagnosing problems in L2 student texts; supporting sequencing in the curriculum of the learning of the L2 meaning potential; designing exercises based on options in system networks; guiding L2 learners by means of system networks as cartographic tools; contrasting L1 and L2 resources based on multilingual system networks; and supporting advanced L2 learners expanding their L2 uses by adding translation skills drawing on multilingual system networks. We will touch on these uses, highlighting those that have perhaps given the least attention in L2 education drawing on SFL, but which look very promising as we move ahead in the next couple of decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most universities strive to create a favourable educational environment according to modern trends and requirements. The paper analyzes and systematizes the essence of the concepts «educational environment» and «foreign-language environment» based on the research of Ukrainian and foreign scholars. Drawing on the typology of educational environments, the authors of the paper refine the understanding of the concept of a «foreign-language educational environment» based on the literature reviews. Considering the challenges of the present, caused by COVID-19, the post-COVID era, and the war in Ukraine, the factors influencing the transformation of the modern educational environment are presented and discussed. The paper organizes existing research on the explored problem and presents the authors' vision of the contemporary educational environment of a university under modern conditions. It includes the description of technologies used to address various educational needs and to meet the technological requirements. Therefore, the typical features of such an educational environment are personalization, flexibility, engagement, interactivity, availability, and multisensory and multimode experience. The creation of the aforementioned environment is possible due to specific training of the current academic staff and encouragement and professional training of future pedagogues. The experience revealed in the paper is based on the authors' work at the Faculty of Pedagogical Education of Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University, specifically with the students of specialties 012 Preschool Education and 013 Primary Education foreign language training [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article emphasizes the crucial role of language proficiency as well as language sensitivity, especially within multilingual classroom environments, underlining the significance of adhering to the Common European Reference of Languages (CEFR) as a means of fostering global cohesion. It underscores the importance of aligning Ukraine' s educational strategies with international standards, particularly emphasizing the value of foreign language education. Furthermore, the paper stresses the necessity for foreign language teachers to acquire adequate didactical and methodological competencies, an awareness for language sensitivity, and intercultural understanding. It describes Austria' s successful implementation of the CEFR in language assessment, illustrating its pivotal role in standardized examinations and its broad international recognition. Specifically, the article outlines the structure of Austria' s Matura exam for foreign languages, which evaluates reading, listening, language in use, and writing, with a mandatory requirement to achieve a B2 level of CEFR proficiency. It suggests that standardized assessment formats, based on CEFR levels, mitigate stigmatization and ensure fairness in evaluation. Consequently, the paper recommends integrating the CEFR into Ukraine' s educational system to foster language proficiency and enhance language sensitivity in multilingual classrooms. It advocates training programs for language teachers on CEFR implementation and assessment, with the aim of fostering European unity through language education. The article suggests incorporating CEFR principles into Ukraine' s educational reform «New Ukrainian School», and underscores the importance of collaboration between Austrian and Ukrainian educators and researchers in achieving this goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the grounds that assessment stands for a mirror of teaching and learning practices, its value cannot be ignored in teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) programmes as all those involved in foreign language teaching in non-native settings need constant feedback about the effectiveness of their ventures. Assessment of young learners of English has been also receiving rising attention as this group of language learners at the preliminary stages of learning a foreign language differ from adult learners in nature and thereby their assessment requires great care. While there exist continuous amendments in foreign language teaching policies nationally to improve the quality of EFL teaching and its assessment, it is significant to look inside the classrooms to realize whether the actual assessment practices reflect the performance outcomes expected by the policy documents. This paper, therefore, attempts to investigate the consistency between the ELT policy and EFL teachers' in-class practices of assessment of young learners in middle schools in the Turkish context. The study was conducted at the end of the spring term of 2017-2018 academic year with 152 EFL teachers working in middle schools in the central districts of Denizli province. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative research methods: the quantitative method provided information about EFL teachers' preferences of item types in terms of traditional and alternative assessment types with the help of a questionnaire while the qualitative method provided information about how frequently EFL teachers assessed four skills through exam papers they used in their classrooms. Results showed inconsistency between the policy and assessment practices of EFL teachers in the study: EFL teachers tended to design traditional paper and pencil tests based on language structures and vocabulary rather than the assessment of learners' communicative competence or language skills through alternative assessment methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article announces winners of Editors' Choice paper prize for Volume 28 of the periodical which include "L. V. Shcherba: a ‘new slant' on modern foreign languages in the school curriculum?" and shortlisted such as "Reconsidering school politics: educational controversies in Sweden."

Academic writing often poses considerable difficulties that have to do with the way academic writing courses are conceived and the skills students are taught within this context. Especially students in foreign language studies deal with additional difficulties that are related to their self-perception as scholars, to their somewhat limited experience within the academic environment and to expressing logical/epistemic thinking in the foreign language. The aim of the study presented in this paper is to explore the nature of academic writing as a sociolinguistic practice. Research questions are: how do (a) the lack of sociolinguistic lived experience within academia, (b) the discrepancies between first and foreign language, (c) the absence of the core skills of grammar, logic and rhetoric influence academic writing? Participants in the study attended an academic writing workshop. Data was gathered using Contextual Inquiry by means of observation grids and semi-structured interviews. Results show that (a) even high-achieving students exhibit feelings of incompetence when it comes to academic writing, (b) the material of academic writing courses should include logical/epistemic thinking tasks, based on the training of core skills, (c) achievement in academic writing correlates with a sense of scholarship, (d) a distinction between social communicative and academic communicative language might be helpful. Academic writing courses should take existential, declarative as well as linguistic knowledge into consideration. The study concludes that it is advisable to integrate logical and epistemic thinking training into academic writing courses, broadening their scope. Alternatively, introducing a separate logical and epistemic thinking course would be more advantageous. This approach is preferable because logical and epistemic thinking extends beyond writing (such as papers and theses) to encompass spoken communication (presentations) and reading (strategies for literature search and synthesis). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the New Skills for New Jobs initiative, the European Commission wants to (1) promote better anticipation of future skills needs, (2) develop better matching between skills and labour market needs and (3) bridge the gap between the worlds of education and work. With relatively little effort, the use of lingua receptiva can contribute significantly towards achieving these goals. Including it in the Skills Agenda as a "transversal skill" could: - enhance the key competence "Communicating in and learning a foreign language"; - refine the European Qualification Framework (EQF); and, - strengthen the Europass. This position paper1 elaborates on the arguments for including Lingua Receptiva in these policy papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reprint of the article "Lingua receptiva: position paper on the European Commission's Skills Agenda" which published on May 11, 2016, is presented. Topics discussed include the application of lingua receptiva on promoting labor market and skills, the foreign language learning, and the importance of learning lingua receptiva and language policy.

Past studies have explored the role of student science notebooks in supporting students' developing science understandings. Yet scant research has investigated science notebook use with students who are learning science in a language they are working to master. To explore how student science notebook use is co‐constructed in interaction among students and teachers, this study examined plurilingual students' interactions with open‐ended science notebooks during an inquiry science unit on condensation and evaporation. Grounded in theoretical views of the notebook as a semiotic social space, multimodal interaction analysis facilitated examination of the ways students drew upon the space afforded by the notebook as they constructed explanations of their understandings. Cross‐group comparison of three focal groups led to multiple assertions regarding the use of science notebooks with plurilingual students. First, the notebook supported student‐determined paths of resemiotization as students employed multiple communicative resources to express science understandings. Second, notebooks provided spaces for students to draw upon diverse language resources and as a bridge in time across multiple inquiry sessions. Third, representations in notebooks were leveraged by both students and teachers to access and deepen conceptual conversations. Lastly, students' interactions over time revealed multiple epistemological orientations in students' use of the notebook space. These findings point to the benefits of open‐ended science notebooks use with plurilingual students, and a consideration of the ways they are used in interaction in science instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper takes up the call for political geographers to engage more directly with Wittgenstein's later philosophy of language, namely his emphasis on language as activity and practice. In particular, it considers his approach to linguistic demonstration over representation, whereby the reader is not 'told' but 'shown.' This arguably instructive conceptualisation of the functioning of language is here applied to a space of geopolitics, focusing on the political potentialities of articulating an Arctic otherwise through selective bilingualism and language‐use. More specifically, the paper centres on the particular use of North Sámi language in a conference space otherwise dominated by English and Norwegian. The act of 'articulating otherwise' is not here an act of defiance but rather an invitation for re‐conceptualisation. In making Indigenous voices heard on their own terms, it is not only the words but even more so the act of their utterance that carries political power. The paper therefore argues that political geographers ought to (re)direct attention to language‐use and the socio‐political practices of linguistic world‐making. By drawing on Wittgenstein's approach to language‐use, what here becomes clear is that geopolitical questions too are negotiated not through given answers but rather through the interactive process of reaching these together – insights that in turn allow us to consider how agency and change may play out through language‐use, potentially articulating geopolitics otherwise. This paper takes up the call for political geographers to engage more directly with Wittgenstein's later philosophy of language, namely his emphasis on language as activity and practice. The paper focuses on the potentialities of articulating an Arctic otherwise through selective bilingualism and Sámi language‐use in a conference space. It argues that political geographers ought to (re)direct attention to language‐use and the socio‐political practices of linguistic world‐making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper focuses on the only available South-Western Karaim translation of the Latter Prophets, registered under the accession number ADub.III.83. Alongside a concise overview of the manuscript and its copyist, Jeshua Josef Mordkowicz, the paper offers a brief analysis of the Modern South-Western Karaim traits displayed in the language of the manuscript. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an analysis of the language employed in the Pentateuch section of the Eupatorian print (Gözleve) edition, a comprehensive translation of the Old Testament into the Karaim language published in 1841. The objective of the study is to identify the specific Crimean Karaim variety employed in the translation through an examination of phonological, morphological, and lexical features. The analysis reveals that the translation displays features of both Crimean Kipchak Karaim and Crimean Turkish Karaim, and that the characteristics vary depending on the specific books and chapters of the edition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims at providing an assessment of the new generation of dictionaries of the Karaim language prepared and published by Karaim speakers over the last two decades. Apart from that, the paper aims at providing a brief analysis of the already existing documentation of the Karaim language. The article is divided into two parts: firstly, the evaluation of the previously published dictionaries of Karaim language is provided; secondly, the new generation of dictionaries published by Karaim speakers, is being analysed, focussing on four works, namely two Polish-Karaim, one Russian-Karaim and one Lithuanian-Karaim dictionary. The dictionaries are being analysed by raising the same question in each case: what information in these dictionaries is provided about the Karaim language? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to put forth a short overview of the study in the Karaim language. Firstly, the position and importance of Karaim is stressed. Secondly, trends in research are demonstrated. Thirdly, general descriptions, grammars, and dictionaries are presented. The article highlights the most significant studies in the basic domains of Karaim linguistics such as phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax, lexicology, and semantics. At the same time, the article formulates several postulates for tasks to be done. A selected bibliography of most relevant studies has also been included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing foreign language students with opportunities to engage in meaningful and purposeful communication and culturally authentic interaction with peers and native speakers is critical to successful second language acquisition and the development of intercultural competence. This paper describes research that investigated how selected native speaker mentors supported foreign language university students as they completed authentic collaborative tasks in an online community of learners. Intermediate and advanced level students of Italian at an Australian university collaborated with each other and with their assigned mentors through online resources provided in the course website. Data were collected and analysed through multi-data sources including online interactions, forum posts and individual and focus group interviews with mentors and students. Findings suggest that native speaker mentors actively supported students' learning and provided effective scaffolding across a number of domains. The paper concludes with specific recommendations to guide mentors and language educators in the process of assisting student collaborative learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topic of the paper is the comparative and contrastive study of some selected paremiological units in the field of foreign language teaching. The starting point is the paremiological minimum (PM), which is one of the key concepts of current paremiodidactics and a useful tool in teaching L1 as well as L2/FL. The attention is focused on Italian and Slovak, two languages having different origin, but sharing a common European geographical and cultural context, including the most important literary sources. Since Italian does not currently have (apart from some partial attempts) a PM, the PM available for Slovak is taken as a starting point. The goal of the paper is to examine a group of animal proverbs and identify the most appropriate correspondences in Italian. Study contributes to a deeper knowledge of proverbs as well as cultural knowledge in Slovak - Italian perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents insights from two interview studies with the aim of shedding light on the learning potential of studying abroad in an area where English is used as a lingua franca. The majority of previous research on study abroad focuses on students' experiences of studying abroad in target-language regions, for example learners of English studying abroad in English-speaking countries. To date, the learning potential of spending time in English as a lingua franca (ELF) contexts remains an under-researched area. The present paper draws on two separate interview studies that have been conducted with five Turkish and five Swiss study abroad students that stayed in different European ELF contexts as part of their studies at higher education institutions. The data suggests that even though the participants still partially adhere to native speaker norms, they also discuss a number of characteristics of English as a lingua franca study abroad (ELFSA) contexts that they deem conducive to learning English and enhancing their plurilingual competences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given that Ecuadorians are one of the largest groups of Hispanics living in New York, they have become a tight community that they now call little Ecuador. Although Ecuadorians living in the diaspora in NYC come from different parts of the country (mostly from the Andean region), they share the same cultural practices they performed in Ecuador that give them the sense of being in their country without bearing the instability and turmoil their country experiences. This shows how the group has fostered a sense of a multifaceted, multidimensional simultaneity between the host country and the motherland. The goal of this paper is to analyze the strategies Ecuadorian migrants use to validate their language and cultural practices to negotiate their identity as a group. Data for this paper come from ethnographic observations, semi-spontaneous conversations, oral interviews with members of the group, along with pictures taken while walking the community and participating in some of their events. Our study reveals that participants hold varying perceptions regarding their linguistic and cultural practices. However, it is noteworthy that they recognize these practices as a manifestation of Ecuadorianness, signifying a sense of solidarity among community members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the author discusses the papers of Muñoz and Housen and colleagues on the sociocultural and contextual process of second language acquisition (SLA). The author mentions the complexity of the language input and contextual factors in learner's cognitive processing and the individual differences and developmental factors of second language (L2) processes. The interplay of learning, interaction, and input in the L2 language development of the learners are also mentioned.

In this article, the authors have characterized the main directions of methodological search in teaching Ukrainian as a foreign language at the present stage: the experience of teaching this course at some Ukrainian institutions of higher education has been analyzed. The potential of teaching Ukrainian on the basis of the methodological approach / language skills / lexical topics has been specified in this paper. The authors have elucidated the criteria offered as indicative for designing textbooks and guidelines for teaching non-native speakers or foreigners. Particular attention is paid to factors that cause significant public response to learning and teaching Ukrainian considering the current geopolitical situation in Europe and in the world. The paper describes current trends in teaching Ukrainian and offers prospects for creating further methodological support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we deal with the issue of teaching foreign language grammar using literature in secondary schools. The aim of this paper is to propose and provide teachers of French as a foreign language with effective and practical didactic recommendations for teaching the past tenses in French through authentic literary text. Working with a literary text has the potential to contribute to the learner's self-development, to the development of his/her reading and language skills, to the development of critical thinking and other important aspects of his/her personality. The literary text chosen is the Quebec short story "Le petit bonhomme de graisse", which meets the criteria for selecting a text for didactic purposes in terms of content and scope. From a linguodidactic point of view, it corresponds to the language level B1 according to the CEFR, at which the learners are confronted with the chosen grammatical phenomenon and the problem of its application in communicative practice. When developing proposals for didactic procedure for working with the selected text, we come out from Rafajlovičová's research of the assessment of grammatical competence from the year 2016, which shows that the application ability of foreign language learners is significantly lower in comparison with the mechanical formation of grammatical forms. The partial aim of this paper is to contribute to the development of grammatical competence and its application to learners' communicational practice. In proposing activities related to authentic literary text, we take into account Slovak learners in Slovak schools, but nevertheless these proposals are applicable in the educational system of other countries, where French is taught as a foreign language. The topic of past tenses in French is one of the most difficult phenomenon to learn and use in communication, as the Slovak language operates with a different grammatical system. The proposed activities serve for effective teaching and acquisition of past tenses in French, not only their formation, but also their application to common communicative situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]