Browsing by Subject "SLA"
Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item The co-emergence of Spanish as a second language and individual differences : a dynamical systems theory perspective(2012-05) Lyle, Cory Jackson; Koike, Dale April; Salaberry, Maximo; Nishida, Chiyo; Blyth, Carl; Streeck, JürgenDynamical Systems Theory (DST) (De Bot, Lowie, & Vespoor 2007; Larsen-Freeman 1997, 2007; Larsen-Freeman & Cameron 2008; Dörnyei 2009; and van Lier 2000) represents a scientific paradigm shift derived from the fields of physics, engineering and theoretical mathematics that attempts to solve real-world scenarios that do not respond to scientific reductionism, otherwise known as ‘analysis’. The purpose of this dissertation is to (re)frame foreign language learning/use as a dynamical process that that involves interplay among what Dörnyei (2009) terms the language, the agent and the environment. More specifically, this dissertation presents a quasi-experimental, psycholinguistic study that looks at the interface between language (in this case the talk that resulted from NS-NNS interactions) and agent (as defined by a set of personal traits, or Individual Differences [IDs], including motivation, attitudes, personality and aptitude) in order to answer the research question: Do IDs vary in conjunction with language learning/use, and if so, how? Eight tutored Spanish learners were followed over the course of 16 weeks during which time they participated in 8 chat sessions with a native Spanish-speaker. Their ID profiles were measured immediately before and after each session and sessions with significant pre- to post-session ID shifts were analyzed to determine to what extent such shifts correlated with certain types of talk and/or think-aloud sequences. Results indicated that all participants’ pre- and post-interactional ID profiles fluctuated measurably and significantly, even within the span of a single interaction. Moreover, those sessions with significantly positive ID shifts were qualitatively different in terms of language-related episodes (LREs), conversation management/pragmatic markers, and metacognition from those with significantly negative ID shifts. Other unexpected findings revealed, for example, that LREs (especially NS-initiated LREs) negatively impacted motivations and attitudes and, therefore, the language-learning process itself. Taken together, the results of this study indicate that the agent’s IDs and their (inter)language co-emerge; that is to say, they evolve simultaneously and in response to one another. Moreover, this study suggests that DST can indeed be quasi-experimentally applied to the study of SLA, thus necessitating further development in DST-oriented methodologies and research questions.Item Describing and analyzing English as a Lingua Franca(2012-12) Dunlap, Katie J.; Horwitz, Elaine Kolker, 1950-; Sardegna, Veronica GResearchers are becoming increasingly interested in responding to the effects of the English language’s viability as a Lingua Franca. English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) is being used predominantly in communication from one non-native speaker to another, and descriptive studies are just beginning to emerge (Dewey 2007; Jenkins, 2000; Seidlhofer, 2004). This report offers a theoretical overview showing ELF’s increasing relevance, and reviews empirical studies that have investigated how ELF is manifesting in the field of language education. These empirical studies are gaining significant traction, specifically in relation to descriptive linguistics, sociolinguistics, and applied linguistics (House, 2003; Mauranen, 2003). In order to investigate a formal description of ELF, recent empirical work is reviewed after two seminal articles were published that helped gain viability into ELF as a distinct research area (i.e. Seidlhofer, 2001; Mauranen, 2003). Such reviews of empirical studies through the use of corpora are not meant to distinguish ELF as a distinct variety of English, but to simply allow for a deep description of how ELF is being used currently. Also discussed are the developments to English language pedagogy and directions for future research as ELF scholars begin to re-conceptualize what is meant by language context and communication in ELF.Item The effects of speaking anxiety on foreign language learning(2009-12) Park, Sae Mee, 1985-; Horwitz, Elaine Kolker, 1950-; Palmer, Deborah K.The purpose of this paper is to examine in depth and to synthesize the literature on foreign language anxiety, with specific focus on speaking anxiety. This paper reviews the development of the foreign language anxiety construct and extensive research on its relationship with other domains of second language acquisition, including specific language skills and language learning processes. Review of the literature has confirmed that foreign language anxiety plays a significant role in learners’ performance and achievement. However, there are still many areas that need further research and clarification. Variables such as individual differences still cloud the relationship between anxiety and achievement, thus suggesting that further research should be conducted in order to clarify the effects of foreign language anxiety and should strive to alleviate learners’ anxiety in the language classroom.Item ESL students’ interaction in Second Life : task-based synchronous computer-mediated communication(2010-05) Jee, Min Jung 1977-; Schallert, Diane L.The purpose of the present study was to explore ESL students’ interactions in task-based synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) in Second Life, a virtual environment by which users can interact through representational figures. I investigated Low-Intermediate and High-Intermediate ESL students’ interaction patterns before, during, and after three kinds of tasks, a Jigsaw task, a Decision-making task, and a Discussion task. The findings were that the Low and High-Intermediate ESL students engaged in several forms of interaction during the pre- and post-task periods in Second Life, such as checking their voice chat function, checking members, moving their avatars, and closings. These activities pointed to the nature of Second Life voice chat interaction as preconditions for further conversation, and for closing their conversation. Official task period activities revealed factors for task success, such as a leader, a structured way of approaching a task, no technical problem, and establishing a sense of telepresence (Schroeder, 2002) before the task. Concerning negotiation of meaning, the High-Intermediate students made more negotiation during the Decision-making tasks than the Jigsaw tasks, caused mainly by lexical meanings. The wrong answer team and the incomplete team engaged in more negotiations than the correct answer team and the complete team. However, the Low-Intermediate students in the complete team made more negotiations of meaning than the incomplete team. Both levels of students had fewer negotiations during the Discussion task than in the Jigsaw and Decision-making tasks, and they used comprehension checks, confirmation checks, and clarification requests as strategies for negotiation, overwhelmingly focused on meaning rather than form. The students played with their avatars more often during the Discussion task session than during the Jigsaw or Decision-making tasks, and their use of avatars seemed simply to be for fun, although another way explaining what students were doing is to recognize that they were also exploring the affordances of Second Life. Generally, the Low-Intermediate students had a positive attitude toward their learning experience in Second Life, whereas the High-Intermediate students expressed a more neutral view of their experience in Second Life.Item Key components in a successful Arabic immersion program for high school students : a case study(2010-05) Milliman, Britten Moya Jo; Al-Batal, Mahmoud; Schulte-Nafeh, MarthaAs more second-language acquisition research is published about the optimal age to begin foreign language instruction, and the best methods for teaching foreign languages, many colleges and universities are seeking to create intensive immersion programs which would prepare prospective students for the rigors of their language programs and serve as a productive language-learning environment. One such program, the Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy, is based on the highly successful summer language schools model. This research isolates the components which would help create successful, intensive Arabic immersion programs. Specifically, this thesis asks: How can an institution create a successful Arabic immersion learning environment for high school students? To answer this question, this thesis reviews current literature in the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA), includes personal observations about the program and analyzes responses to surveys administered to two groups of stakeholders, namely students, and teachers/resident assistants. After the descriptive section, the thesis proposes a curricular framework which encompasses the main components of the curriculum (including goals, teacher and learner training, instructional materials, and native versus target language use). This framework is presented as a model to help teachers and other administrators as they try to set up new Arabic programs for high school students.