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This paper examines student responses to a small-scale pilot of peer learning in undergraduate translation classes. It examines the possible benefits and risks of a learner-centred approach and explores these through feedback from two groups of undergraduate modern language students attending translation classes over a semester at a UK university. With the first group, peer learning was implemented over a six-week period in the second half of the semester; with the second group, only a single 'one-off' peer-learning session was delivered. Feedback from the former group suggests a largely positive experience, while much more resistance and uncertainty are evident in feedback from the latter group. The paper explores possible reasons for successes and pitfalls in peer learning, and recommends some strategies for implementing a learner-centred model as an effective alternative to more traditional forms of translation teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the relationship between the decisions made by school leaders in England concerning their school policy for teaching modern foreign languages (MFL) post-14, and student motivation for MFL. Seventy head teachers, 119 heads of modern languages and 666 students aged 14-15 from schools in England took part in the questionnaire-based study. Student motivation was measured using the Self-Regulation Questionnaire (Academic) [Ryan, R.M. and J.P. Connell. 1989. Perceived locus of causality and internalization: examining reasons for acting in two domains. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 57, no. 5: 749-61], based on Self-Determination Theory. The relationship between student perceptions of the usefulness of specific languages and the decision to study these was considered. Results show that the way choice is presented is a key part of student motivation for MFL, and that students see different languages as useful for different reasons. Furthermore, the data suggest that the ways school leaders make decisions concerning language policy do not align with language provision that optimises student motivation. The study concludes by suggesting new pathways for rejuvenating language learner motivation in anglophone contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of HOW: A Colombian Journal for Teachers of English is the property of Asociacion Colombiana de Profesores de Ingles 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.)

Most educators are aware that some students utilize web-based machine translators for foreign language assignments, however, little research has been done to determine how and why students utilize these programs, or what the implications are for language learning and teaching. In this mixed-methods study we utilized surveys, a translation task, and interviews to discover some of the students' beliefs and strategies in using such tools. Our results suggest that students hold a range of beliefs about the usefulness of machine translators for writing assignments, and that many of them can articulate and reflect upon the strategies that they use. We discuss implications for the use of machine translation in the foreign language curriculum based on the example of university German. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the present study we surveyed the English language learning motivations of 740 secondary school students belonging to different social classes in the capital of Chile, Santiago. We applied multiple analyses of variance to analyse how motivational variables differ depending on students' social class. The results suggest that social class has an overall medium-size effect on motivational factors with self-efficacy beliefs being the most strongly related to socio-economic status. The most important differences in motivation, self-regulation and learner autonomy were found between upper-middle and high social class students on the one hand and low and lower middle class students on the other hand, which we explained with reference to the inequality created by the Chilean schooling system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present research was intended to investigate the effectiveness of foreign language vocabulary acquisition through pictures and short stories. The subjects were divided into four groups as follows: a) 15 males in age range of 8-10 b) 15 females in age range of 8-10 c) 15 males in age range of 20-30 d) 15 females in age range of 20-30. All the participants came from the same linguistic background. In all the groups vocabulary items were presented through pictures and short stories. The treatment of the study took five sessions. The researcher used two similar tests as pretest and posttest. Each of them consisted of 40 vocabularies. After the treatment, the posttest was administered. Then the statistical technique of two-way ANOVA was utilized to analyze the collected data. The results revealed that: 1. Both pictures and short stories are useful in teaching vocabulary items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigates the possible causes of delayed acquisition of Taiwanese EFL learners in mastering English aspect constructions by examining the lexical aspect of verbs in varied grammatical aspects via a cross-linguistic analysis of English and Chinese aspectual manifestations. Two groups of Chinese speakers of L2 English were invited to participate in an acceptability judgment test consisting of four situational types of verbs in interaction with two grammatical aspects. It was found that progressive aspect was conceptually simpler and acquired faster than perfective aspect, which was conceptually complicated with the addition of durative phrase or terminative phrase. Among the four situational types of verbs, states and activities progressed significantly greater than achievements and accomplishments, probably due to the fact that Chinese has only two primitive verbs, i.e., state and activity, and achievements and accomplishments are derived either morphologically with other verbs or syntactically with aspect markers or additional phrases. Achievements appeared difficult because Taiwanese EFL learners were not aware of the incompatibility of punctuality with the durative phrase, and accomplishments, the disagreement of telicity with the durative phrase but agreement with the terminative phrase. Without attending the required agreement, Taiwanese EFL learners dragged in the development of English aspect acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Synergies Monde Méditerranéen is the property of GERFLINT (Groupe d'Etudes et de Recherches pour le Francais Langue Internationale) 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 reviews research to date into the foreign language (FL) gains made by the large number of FL students from the UK who undertake a period of residence abroad (RA) as a component of their degree. It examines in detail the efficacy of the most common form of RA undertaken by UK students, namely the study year at a foreign university (URA). It highlights the growing body of evidence for strong general linguistic gains but also draws attention to highly differentiated progress rates. The authors then draw on quantitative data from their own longitudinal study of the progress of a cohort of students from a British university which replicates these findings of substantial general progress and large differences in individual gains. After considering a variety of potential reasons for these individual differences, they propose two hitherto unreported explanations based on qualitative data from the study: differing levels of emotional intelligence and the arbitrary nature of the URA experience for FL students. The paper concludes by discussing whether these two explanations would be helpful or harmful to the case for the continuation of URA in its present form. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In 2007 a remarkable development for the Irish language outside of Ireland took place. A dedicated space for speaking and learning the language was established in Ontario, Canada, now known as Gaeltacht Thuaisceart an Oileáin Úir. While the adoption of the term ‘Gaeltacht’ may be controversial in an allochthonous context, this site is sustained by a diasporic community that endeavours to preserve an Irish cultural identity through learning and speaking the language. This paper presents the results of fieldwork conducted among Irish-language learners in Canada who have invested time and resources to establish a permanent space for the language. Data retrieved through an online survey reveal that the language serves as a vehicle for those wishing to maintain or connect with an Irish cultural identity, as well as for those outside of the diaspora who learn the language for other social, professional or educational purposes. Notably, such narratives are perfectly at ease within a modern, multicultural Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper reports on parental involvement as experienced by a group of elite secondary school pupils in learning English vocabulary on the Chinese mainland. It highlights the variety of strategies that Chinese parents adopted to support, sustain and enhance these pupils’ efforts to learn English vocabulary. They functioned as critical agents regulating and controlling their children’s learning process and provided social opportunities for them to deepen/widen their engagements with English. These parents also mediated the pupils’ motivational discourses, beliefs and knowledge. In addition, they supported their learning with enormous material investment. Further research into parental involvement in children’s learning of additional languages is believed to generate important findings for the development of teacher–parent collaboration that can help equalise the effects of unequal familial resources that different learners can access in respect of their achievements in learning languages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contributes to scant empirical investigation of peer critique of writing among heterogeneously grouped native and nonnative speakers of English, now commonplace in higher education. This mixed-methods study investigated the use of directed peer review to improve writing among graduate students, the majority of whom were nonnative speakers of English. Following a modified version of the Optimal Model of peer critique of university coursework, statistically significant gains were realized between the initial draft of a business proposal and its final submission for each of the measured items: support, audience focus, writing conventions, and organization. In addition, during the qualitative phase, students were observed to identify how peer editors naturally engaged in probing and collaborative styles of feedback known as discovery mode interactions. Approximately 80% of the students engaged in interactions to clarify the text and align it with the author’s intentions, and approximately 37% sought to enhance and develop the text. Finally, the results suggest that the face-to-face peer review did improve the quality of a business communication assignment and implies a number of essential instructional practices toward improved writing and collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of GIST: Education & Learning Research Journal is the property of Institucion Universitaria Colombo Americana (UNICA) 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 GIST: Education & Learning Research Journal is the property of Institucion Universitaria Colombo Americana (UNICA) 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 study investigates the use of prosodic information in the segmentation of French speech by mid-level and high-level English second/foreign language (L2) learners of French and native French listeners. The results of two word-monitoring tasks, one with natural stimuli and one with resynthesized stimuli, show that as L2 learners become more proficient in French, they go from parsing accented syllables as word-initial to parsing them as word-final, but unlike native listeners, they use duration increase but not fundamental frequencyx ( F 0) rise as a cue to word-final boundaries. These results are attributed to: (1) the L2 learners' native language, in which F 0 rise is a reliable cue to word-initial boundaries but not word-final boundaries; (2) the co-occurrence of F 0 and duration cues in word-final syllables in French, rendering L2 learners' use of F 0 rise unnecessary for locating word-final boundaries; and (3) the optional marking of word-initial boundaries by F 0 cues in French, thus making it difficult for non-native listeners to tease the two types of F 0 rise apart. We argue that these factors prevent English listeners from attending to F 0 rise as a cue to word-final boundaries in French, irrespective of their proficiency in French. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many learners of a foreign language (L2) struggle to correctly pronounce newly learned speech sounds, yet many others achieve this with apparent ease. Here we explored how a training study of learning complex consonant clusters at the very onset of L2 acquisition can inform us about L2 learning in general and individual differences in particular. To this end, adult Dutch native speakers were trained on Slovak words with complex consonant clusters (e.g., pstruh/pstrux/'trout', štvrt'/ʃtvrc/'quarter') using auditory and orthographic input. In the same session following training, participants were tested on a battery of L2 perception and production tasks. The battery of L2 tests was repeated twice more with 1 week between sessions. In the first session, an additional battery of control tests was used to test participants' native language (L1) skills. Overall, in line with some previous research, participants showed only weak learning effects across the L2 perception tasks. However, there were considerable individual differences across all L2 tasks, which remained stable across sessions. Only two participants showed overall high L2 production performance that fell within 2 standard deviations of the mean ratings obtained for an L1 speaker. The mispronunciation detection task was the only perception task which significantly predicted production performance in the final session. We conclude by discussing several recommendations for future L2 learning studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variability in achievement across learners is a hallmark of second language (L2) learning, especially in academic-based learning. The Twins Early Development Study (TEDS), based on a large, population-representative sample in the United Kingdom, provides the first opportunity to examine individual differences in second language achievement in a longitudinal and genetically sensitive design, and to relate these differences to variability in first language achievement. Teacher National Curriculum ratings for Modern Foreign Language achievement at age 14 for 1632 twin pairs (611 monozygotic, 1021 dizygotic) constituted the core measure. Measures of socioeconomic status, early (ages 2-4) first language achievement (L1), and adolescent (age 12) L1 and reading significantly predicted L2 achievement. However, both individually and collectively they accounted for only a small proportion of the variance of L2 across the entire distribution. Twin analyses revealed that 42% of the variance of L2 was due to genetic variance, and about a third to shared environmental factors (shared within a family). Structural equation modeling confirmed that although there were genetic and environmental factors that influenced both L1 and L2 achievement (genetic correlations between L2 and other measures ranged from .33 to .51, and shared environment correlations ranged from .15 to 1.00), most of the genetic influence on L2 was independent of genetic influence on L1. Thus, the genetic factors that contribute to individual differences in L2 learning are largely distinct from those influencing L1. Additional analyses showed that the balance of genetic and environmental factors was very similar for the low achieving and high achieving students (lowest and highest 10%, respectively), and was similar to that for the full distribution. This pattern of results suggests that variability in L2 achievement is a continuous variable across the entire range, rather than reflecting qualitative or categorical differences at the extremes, and that it is largely the same genes which influence variability within the normal range and at the extremes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I describe studies conducted over 25 years with secondary and post-secondary L2 learners in the United States. The evidence from these studies shows that there are important connections between students' early L1 skills and their L2 aptitude and L2 proficiency and that individual differences in students' L1 skills in elementary school are related to differences in their L2 achievement several years later. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on a mixed-methods study of Chinese university students' knowledge of and attitudes toward plagiarism in English academic writing. A sample of 270 undergraduates from two Chinese universities rated three short English passages under different conditions, provided open-ended responses to justify their ratings, and completed a written questionnaire. The rating tasks were designed to determine their ability to recognize two forms of intertextuality (i.e., unacknowledged copying and paraphrasing) generally regarded as plagiarism in Anglo-American academia. The questionnaire was administered to collect self-appraisals of competence in source use and to assess declarative knowledge of intertextual practices that match typical Anglo-American definitions of blatant and subtle plagiarism. Qualitative and quantitative analyses revealed that a minority of the students recognized the two forms of plagiarism and generally took a punitive attitude toward the detected cases of plagiarism. Further quantitative analyses found that discipline, self-reported competence in referencing, and knowledge of subtle plagiarism were consistently significant predictors of successful plagiarism detection. These findings raise questions about some culturally based interpretations of plagiarism and point to the need to take a nuanced approach to plagiarism in L2 writing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Hacettepe University Journal of Education is the property of Hacettepe University Journal of Education 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 CEPS Journal is the property of University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education 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 study examined the relationship among word reading efficiency, text reading fluency, and reading comprehension for adult English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Data from 185 adult Chinese EFL learners preparing to take the Test-of-English-as-a-Foreign-Language™ (TOEFL®) were analyzed in this study. The participants completed a computer-based test battery of word reading efficiency and text reading fluency in addition to TOEFL iBT (Internet-Based Test) reading comprehension. The findings showed a stronger relationship between text oral reading fluency and reading comprehension than between word reading efficiency and reading comprehension. The authors recommended that attention be paid to text oral reading fluency in adult EFL reading research and instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the following self-study, I consider how my involvement in a teacher preparation program that features looking across multiple contexts of second language teaching influenced my supervisory practice with a particular student teacher during her secondary foreign language student teaching placement. I conduct this inquiry by identifying and reflecting upon instances in which I made connections across contexts during postobservation conferences with this student teacher as well as instances in which I neglected to make connections. To conclude, I discuss the potential of preparing and professionally developing teachers from different second language contexts together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Electronic Turkish Studies is the property of Electronic Turkish Studies 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.)

During the last decades, the role of mother tongue in language teaching has been the subject of a host of research studies (e.g., Block, 1986; Kern, 1994; Jimenez, Garcia, and Pearson, 1996; Upton, 1997); however, quite rarely have researchers addressed such issues as comparing the use of mother tongue and other teaching techniques like paraphrasing and translation effects on teaching specific texts in literary courses. This study aimed to explore whether paraphrases vs. translations of English poems make any significant difference in EFL students' level of comprehending literary texts. It also aims to examine whether paraphrases or translations of literary text at undergraduate level affect significantly the performance of male and female students' comprehension of such texts. The data for this study were collected through two comprehension tests and a personal questionnaire from 40 English students who study at University of Isfahan. The data were analyzed descriptively and also inferentially. The overall findings of the study indicated that there was no significant difference between the comprehension of those who received Persian translation of the poems and those who dealt with the paraphrase of the same poems. However in the group, in which students received translation of the poems, the male participants significantly outperformed the female learners whereas in the group in which students received the paraphrase of poems, the female participants significantly outperformed the male learners. The findings of the present study would help teachers and teacher trainers to construct and implement L1 and paraphrase in literature classes more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the developmental and fossilized prepositional errors in Persian EFL learners' compositions at three levels of proficiency; participants were divided into lowerintermediate, upper-intermediate, and advanced levels. For each participant, four compositions were collected, and after identifying the prepositional errors for each level, their frequency and mean differences were compared across these levels to identify developmental and fossilized errors. Fifteen prepositional error types were identified, of which the most frequently made was the wrong selection of prepositions before nouns. Out of 15 error types, two were identified as developmental and 12 as fossilized. Findings indicate that most of the students committed fossilized errors, which shows the permanent retention of prepositional errors in their compositions. Accordingly, serious pedagogical consideration needs to be given to the teaching of prepositions to improve the writing competence of Iranian EFL learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The investigation of English as a lingua franca (ELF) has produced significant results in the last few years especially in regard to the description and use of this variety of English in various domains. Somewhat less is known about how far the learners and users of English as a foreign language are aware of the changing role of English, how they relate to the new phenomenon of ELF, and in what ways ELF affects their language learning aims. The present study investigates this issue among a specific group of learners: tertiary level students of various branches of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). Using questionnaire data from 239 students from four different educational institutions in a small EU country, structural equation modeling was performed to reveal the relationship between ELF, ESP, English as a native language (ENL) and the students’ language learning beliefs and aims. Our model shows not only the prevailing effect of ENL on the participants’ aims and beliefs, but also a strong presence of ELF, which seems to be independent from ENL. We believe this to further support the claim that ELF and ENL are two different constructs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present paper reports on a study that builds upon Dörnyei and Csizér's and Cheng and Dörnyei's research on the teaching practices foreign language instructors consider most motivational. The study utilized an instrument based on that of Dörnyei and Csizér, but changed the cultural context in which the survey was administered (North America) and added the perspective of foreign language students. The results of the study offer further support to the findings of the earlier studies. Findings also suggest additional cross-cultural differences in perceptions of motivational teaching practices. Furthermore, the present study underscores the importance of including students’ perspectives on classroom practices, as some significant differences were found between teachers’ and students’ responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Routine formulae are highly frequent, situationally bound chunks that are beneficial to L2 learners′ pragmatic performance. These formulae are usually more easily acquired in the target language setting but they are to some extent also learnable in foreign language classrooms. This study investigates the effect of different lengths of residence abroad on the recognition of situational routine formulae. A total of 262 ESL and EFL learners completed a test battery which included assessment of receptive knowledge of routines. Learners with even short-term residence of two months had increased knowledge of routines, and further residence led to further improvement in knowledge in this area. Even EFL learners without residence knew some routine formulae but knowledge of routines was independent of general proficiency. Learners in the L2 setting get routines ‘for free’ through exposure to contextualized L2 discourse, but which specific routines are acquired depends on the interactional settings in which learners communicate. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Sintagma: Revista de Linguistica is the property of Sintagma: Revista de Linguistica 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.)

The article discusses a study which investigates the attitude of university learner in the U.S. towards foreign language (FL) writing. The study examined of 759 FL students enrolled at a midsized university in the western U.S. The study showed positive attitudes towards FL writing among the students and the inclination of students to continue to write in their FL after college.

Copyright of HOW: A Colombian Journal for Teachers of English is the property of Asociacion Colombiana de Profesores de Ingles 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 Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal is the property of Colombian Applied Linguistics 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.)

While foreign language learners fear spoken skills stating reasons such as they do not understand anything from what they listen to or they are afraid of making mistakes while speaking, their teachers try to find ways to prevent these negative feelings. Using podcasts is one of the ways the teachers use for this purpose. Aiming to introduce podcasting and to synthesize the ways of using the target language in spoken activities, this descriptive study first describes what podcasting is and it discusses the benefits and the ways of using them in education. Then, it demonstrates how podcasts are used in foreign language speaking and listening activities, and it provides some podcast examples of listening activities for learning French as a foreign language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Lähivõrdlusi / Lähivertailuja is the property of Eesti Rakenduslingvistika Uhing (ERU) / Estonian Association for Applied Linguistics 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 Scientific Bulletin of the Politehnica University of Timisoara: Transactions on Modern Languages / Buletinul ştiinţific al Universităţii Politehnica din Timişoara: Seria Limbi Moderne is the property of Politehnica University of Timisoara, Department of Communication & Foreign Languages 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 article discusses problems arising due to lack of scholarly accord regarding the definition of the term idiom. Following a critical review of several of these definitions, a new category of idiom, which I have termed vivid phrasal (VP) idiom, is suggested. The subclassification of VP idioms along a conceptual Lexical-Image Continuum is then presented. I suggest that while there still exist various means of categorizing idioms, agreement among idiomatologists regarding the definition of idiom can be reached and that, even more importantly, a common research agenda for second language acquisition researchers and language teachers is possible. Using empirical evidence, markedness factors, and implicational universals for VP idioms, I make recommendations for future idiom research. The article concludes with a discussion of the advantages of a common research agenda for the development of strategies to assure second and foreign language learners' idiomatic competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]