Enhancing Intercultural Communication in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language : An Action Research Study

Enhancing Intercultural Communication in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language – An Action Research Study Over the past few decades, the rapid development of information communication technology, internationalization and globalization worldwide have required a shift in the focus of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) towards competence in intercultural communication in which the role of culture in the acquisition of CFL and in the pragmatic use of the language is emphasized and promoted. However, most of the current research in this academic area remains only on a theoretical level. Practical examples, particularly with regard to distance learning/teaching of the Chinese language, are very limited. This motivated the implementation of an action research study which aimed at exploring the possibilities and limitations of integrating Chinese culture and applying intercultural communication theory into a contemporary distance CFL course for beginners. By observing and comparing the performance of subjects in the control and experimental groups, this action research study focuses on exploring three basic areas. Firstly, it discloses the cultural elements which underlie effective daily communication. Secondly, it investigates how students acquire cultural knowledge and develop their ability to competently communicate in the target course. And thirdly, it evaluates how the modified course syllabus could enhance students’ intercultural communicative competence. The findings of the research aim to serve as both a resource and reference for educators and researchers who are interested in carrying out reforms and research in this academic domain.

Wie lässt sich das Interesse am Erlernen von Deutsch als Fremdsprache (wieder) steigern? : Warum lernt man als schwedischer Schüler neben der eigenen Muttersprache gerade Deutsch als zweite Fremdsprache? Was sind Anreize dafür?

By the means of a questionnaire the present work examines the attitudes among pupils between the 5th and 9th grade towards choosing French, Spanish or German as their third language. The main question to be answered is "What needs to be improved to raise the interest in choosing specifically German as their preferred third language?". The other questions posed are for example "Do they want to study a language at all?", "Which language do they want to study and why?" or "What motivates them to keep studying generally?". The results show a high motivation and that the most pupils have already decided for a specific language at the middle of the 5th grade. Family and friends play a crucial role in choosing their language in combination with other factors such as the experiences of visiting countries or settings where the target language is used. To raise the popularity of German as the chosen language is not a short time project. More variation in teaching and real contact with German people, for instance language trips, needs to be done or improved. Nearly all of the pupils want to use modern techniques like chat or video conversations instead of just reading a text book.

To speak or not to speak English during English lessons : A literature study on language use in the elementary classroom

There are different views regarding which language should be used in the second language classroom. Therefore, the aim of this literature review is to find out if the teachers’ choice of language use in the classroom can affect the students’ motivation to speak English and if there are other factors that can affect the teachers’ choice of language use. This study is based on six different sources who all have investigated the use of the first language and/or the target language in schools in different parts of the world. The results of this study show that both the use of the first language and the target language can affect the students’ motivation to speak English. The results also show that there are many different factors that can affect the teachers’ choice of language in the classroom, apart from motivation. These factors include the use of the first or the target language to ensure comprehension, encourage communication, create and maintain relationships between teachers and students, keep up a good classroom climate, and to uphold discipline. There are arguments both for using the first language and the second language in the second language classroom and it is difficult to determine which language is the best to use. However, what can be determined is that it is the teachers’ responsibility to decide and to have a reason for choosing one language or the other.

Comparison of Authentic and Simplified Texts : A case study of Wuthering Heights

The aim of this essay is to explore in what way Graded Readers are different from authentic texts against the background of English as a Second Language (ESL) and the use of authentic and simplified text in ESL teaching. The material used for this purpose is the authentic text of Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë and two upper-intermediate Graded Readers from two different publishers. The study uses the software readability-score and manual analysis to examine the texts with regards to lexical choice, language structure and story. The study showed that the Graded Readers are simplified in all aspects studied. Moreover, the Graded Readers differ from each other as well, most notably in the style of the text due to sentence structure and story simplification. This could imply that different authors of Graded Readers adopt different styles when simplifying text and that the grading levels are not comparable between different publishers.

Aprendizaje de vocabulario en clase de lengua extranjera : Una revisión de literatura

El vocabulario es una parte esencial en el aprendizaje de una lengua extranjera. Aunque el estudio de vocabulario es un proceso complejo, existen estrategias de aprendizaje que pueden facilitar este proceso. El propósito de este estudio es hacer una revisión literaria de diferentes investigaciones sobre las estrategias de aprendizaje que utilizan los alumnos para aprender palabras en la asignatura de lengua extranjera. Los resultados obtenidos mediante una comparación de dos estudios empíricos, uno realizado en Suecia y otro en España, mostraron que tanto los alumnos suecos como los españoles solían usar la mayor parte del tiempo estrategias clásicas de aprendizaje que conllevan la repetición de las palabras, tanto de forma escrita como leída, junto con su traducción. La conclusión a la que llegan los autores es que los profesores deben promover que los alumnos utilicen estrategias de aprendizaje variadas.

Nationella läsförståelseprov – på papper eller på skärm? : En studie av elevresultat på digitala läsförståelseprov gentemot pappersbaserade prov

Due to the upcoming digitalization of the Swedish schools standardized national tests, the aim of this study is to compare the results of a reading comprehension test on paper versus on computer screen and to examine whether the results differ between boys and girls and between swedish and swedish as a second lanuague students, or not. Previous studies show inconclusive results, some show that students get higher results when taking a test on paper then on computer screen, some show that the results don’t differ between the two medias. In this study, the national test for course Svenska 1 (Swedish) and Svenska som andraspråk 1 (Swedish as a second language) from the autumn term 2011 was transformed into a digital test. 38 students in the 10th grade took the test and the results were then compared with the same students results on the following national test of the spring term 2016 which is given on paper. The results show that the scores between the digital test and the paperbased test don’t differ. The boys got equally lower scores than the girls in both the digital test and the paperbased test. The swedish as a second language students got lower scores than the swedish students. The results are discussed in relation to previous research by Ackerman and Lauterman (2012), Mangen, Walgermo and Brønnick (2013), Rasmusson (2014) , Pasquarella, Gottardo and Grant (2012) and Norman and Furnes (2016).

English, Swedish or both? : An empirical study on teachers’ choice of language in the EFL classroom

There are different ideas when it comes to the use of either Swedish or English during EFL lessons. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate teachers’ choice of language in the upper elementary EFL classroom in Swedish schools and their arguments for the use of one or the other. In order to find out which language different teachers use and why, semi-structured interviews with six different teachers were carried out. All respondents were currently teaching English in grade 4-6. The results of the study show that the teachers’ most commonly used language in the EFL classroom is English. However, several of the teachers mention that they also use Swedish, for example when it comes to explaining difficult instructions or grammar. All teachers participating in this study mention the importance of hearing and using English in order for the pupils to learn English and therefore they try to use mostly English. Nevertheless, this study only has six participants, all living in the same county and working at schools with many similarities, which makes it difficult to draw any generalizable conclusions. To be able to draw better conclusions, a study would have to be conducted with more participants within a larger area.

Un estudio sociolingüístico sobre el catalán : Los efectos de la inmersión lingüística

This thesis analyzes the current state of the language immersion program in Catalonia after its implementation 30 years ago, and after the immigration wave of the last decade. The language immersion is a method of teaching a second language using a language of instruction different than the students’ mother tongue. The Catalan authorities use this as a method for preserving Catalan in the society.The aim of this study is to examine the use of Catalan at school and outside of school by students who have followed the language immersion program. Language attitudes play an important role for the maintenance of a minority language, as Catalan. Therefore, in this study, the informants’ attitudes towards Catalan have also been measured. The method applied is a quantitative method where the informants have answered a written questionnaire. The results show a high level of knowledge of Catalan and its frequent use in the classroom. In contrast, outside of school the Castilian language is more often used. The informants seem to have a positive attitude towards Catalan.The conclusion is that the language immersion works satisfactory in a school context but often fails outside of school.

”Vi måste träna på språket hela tiden precis som man måste göra om man vill bli duktig på fotboll” : Pedagogers syn på att arbeta med elever som har svenska som andraspråk

Syftet med denna studie är att få en inblick i hur pedagoger som arbetar i grundskolans senare år upplever hur det är att arbeta med elever som har svenska som andraspråk, och vilka svårigheter som kan uppstå. Undersökningen genomfördes med kvalitativa intervjuer på en skola i mellersta Sverige. De intervjuade i studien är totalt fyra stycken: en SVA-lärare, en NO-lärare och två SO-lärare. Resultatet visar att samtliga lärare är medvetna om att det är viktigt att arbeta med språket även i ämnesundervisnigen, men olika faktorer gör att det är svårt att genomföra detta i praktiken. Dessa faktorer är: tidsbrist, stora nivåskillnader mellan eleverna och att det saknas kompetens hos ämneslärarna inom området svenska som andraspråk. Slutligen kan man ej förvänta sig att de intervjuade pedagogerna och andraspråkseleverna som de undervisar ska vara representanter för hela Sveriges skolor, då undersökningen endast genomförts på en skola med fyra intervjuer med pedagoger.

El cambio de código en hispanohablantes en Suecia : Experiencias y actitudes

In this thesis it is investigated how Spanish-speakers in Sweden experience living with two languages ​​and how common it is for them to use code-switching in their everyday speech. The study has focused on not only the experiences but also the use of code-switching among Hispanics who have become bilinguals in Sweden. The study has also examined the attitudes the informants show towards code – switching.The aim of this study is to provide a picture of the experiences Spanish-speakers have of becoming bilinguals in Sweden and of learning and using Swedish as a second language. It is of interest to see how the bilinguals converse inside and outside the home and how frequent and accepted it is among the Hispanics in Sweden with the use of code-switching in different social contexts. In summary, we can see that the Hispanics in Sweden are satisfied with the linguistic development they have experienced by learning a new language and that they consider it beneficial being bilingual. The study shows that code-switching is very much used, but not fully accepted even by those who use it on a daily basis. Code-switching is in many cases not considered appropriate and it is sometimes performed unconsciously.

Muntlig framställning : att tolka och förstå kunskapskraven i nationellt prov SVA 1

Den här studien har haft som syfte att studera om kvalitetskraven i betygsskalan stämmer överens mellan nationellt prov i SVA1 och motsvarande kursplan svenska som andraspråk 1 (SVA1) samt på vilket sätt det nationella provet underlättar tolkningen av kunskapskraven i kursplanen för SVA1. Undersökningen begränsar sig till att omfatta enbart den muntliga delen, delprov A muntlig framställning. För att beskriva och analysera vilka kunskaper som anses vara eftersträvansvärda i muntlig framställning har en kvalitativ innehållsanalys genomförts som ger en grundmodell till den efterföljande kunskapsanalysen. Resultaten från studiens innehållsanalys visar fram en hur processen kring den muntliga framställningen utgår från den retoriska arbetsmodellen med ett gediget förberedande arbete som följs upp med anförande och avslutas med elevresponser. Resultatet från kunskapsanalysen visar hur eleverna behöver behärska en kombination av kunskapsformerna episteme, techné och fronesis för att uppfylla betygskraven på de högre nivåerna. Studiens slutsatser är att kvalitetskraven stämmer överens mellan det nationella provets bedömningsmatris och kursplanen i svenska som andraspråk 1 (SVA 1) vad gäller bedömningen av elevens språkliga kvaliteter. Dessutom går det att dra slutsatsen att de krav på anpassning till det retoriska sammanhanget också är krav som återfinns i kursplanen men beskrivs mer allmänt i ett språkutvecklande perspektiv vilket underlättar tolkningen av kunskapskraven i kursplanen. Studien visar hur eleven för att få det lägsta betyget (E) behöver kunskaper om en retorisk framställning och att eleven kan presentera ett förberett innehåll inför en publik.

Klassrumsinteraktion i de tidiga skolåren : flerspråkiga elever i skolans språkliga vardag

Classroom interaction is particularly important for those students who learn school knowledge in a second language. In this article two episodes of whole class teaching in pre-school and standard one are analyzed. The analysis shows the importance of making teachers aware of interactional patterns in classrooms. Although knowledge was presented clearly and concretely and teachers used routines that made norms explicit, inconsistencies in interactional patterns made the role of the teacher stand out as unclear. Whole class teaching of this type does not provide students with such linguistic and intellectual demands that are necessary for their language development.

Variação, contato e mudança linguística em Moçambique e Cabo Verde : A concordância variável de número em sintagmas nominais do português

This study investigates variable noun phrase number agreement (VNA) in two second language varieties of Portuguese, spoken in Maputo, Mozambique and in Mindelo, Cape Verde. Quantitative VARBRUL analysis is carried out based on recordings made in Maputo and Mindelo 2007 and 2008. Previous quantitative studies on VNA in varieties of Brazilian Portuguese (Guy, 1981; Lopes, 2001; Andrade, 2003) as well as on VNA in first and second language varieties of Portuguese from São Tomé (Baxter, 2004; Figueiredo, 2008, 2010) indicate contact between Portuguese and African languages as the main origin of this phenomenon. VNA in Brazilian Portuguese is, however, interpreted by Scherre (1988) and Naro & Scherre (1993, 2007) as the result of language internal drift. Varieties of Portuguese from Mozambique and Cape Verde are particularly interesting to contrast in order to investigate influences from African languages on VNA, as in Mozambique Bantu languages are first languages of the vast majority of Portuguese speakers, whereas in Cape Verde, practically all Portuguese speakers are first language speakers of Cape Verdean Creole, whose substrates are West African, and not Bantu, languages. Comparison is also made with previous studies from Brazil and São Tomé. The results of this study comment previously postulated explanations for VNA in Portuguese in various ways. The analysis of the variables onset age and age stratum indicates that VNA in the analyzed varieties is a phenomenon linked to the acquisition of Portuguese as a second language and/or language contact rather than the result of internal drift. The fact that all the compared varieties tend to mark plural on pre-head components contradicts Bantu transfer as an explanation for this pattern, and raises the need to also consider more general explanations based on language contact. The basic structural similarity between the compared varieties suggests the existence of a grammatical restructuring continuum.

Svenska för invandrarskap? : Språk, kategorisering och identitet inom utbildningsformen Svenska för invandrare

The overall purpose of this thesis and the four independent studies it builds upon is to examine how categorizations and identity positions are constructed and negotiated in the educational program Swedish for immigrants (SFI) both historically and among participants in the program at the beginning of the 21th century. The analytical focus is on the discourses that frame the development of the SFI program with a specific interest in categorizations and identity in relation to gender, language and national belonging. The empirical material includes historical texts (curricula, commission reports, public inquiries, political propositions, laws) from 1965 to 2010, as well as approximately 95 hours of audio and video recorded data and ethnographic field notes from five SFI classrooms. The results are presented primarily in the four articles but partly also in the thesis itself. Our analysis in the first study, that takes a sociohistorical perspective as a point of departure, indicates shifts in discourses with regards to the categories and aims of the educational program, thus, making certain identity positions more accessible than others at specific times. Using the approach of nexus analysis, the theoretical framework employed in the second study approaches language policies n terms of a dialectical elationship between policy and the learning that takes lace in the language focused classroom. Feminist and postcolonial frameworks re employed ore pecifically in the third and fourth studies. The historical nalysis presented in article three shows how the categories of “immigrant” and Swedes” ave been produced and negotiated in discourses on gender and gender quality in the SFI program since the early 1970s. The fourth study highlights he omplex relationship between gender equality and integration policies, as well as he perception of gender equality as a central part of Swedishness”, negotiated in he everyday conversations in the SFI classroom. Overall, the results illuminate he circulation of discourses both cross ime and between policy and classrooms. oreover, it contributes to a critical discussion about the intersection of language, ender and national elonging in the negotiation of boundaries between insiders and outsiders in Swedish society.

The priority of temporal aspects in L2-Swedish prosody : Studies in perception and production

Foreign accent can be everything from hardly detectable to rendering the second language speech unintelligible. It is assumed that certain aspects of a specific target language contribute more to making the foreign accented speech intelligible and listener friendly, than others. The present thesis examines a teaching strategy for Swedish pronunciation in second language education. The teaching strategy “Basic prosody” or BP, gives priority to temporal aspects of Swedish prosody, which means the temporal phonological contrasts word stress and quantity, as well as the durational realizations of these contrasts. BP does not prescribe any specific tonal realizations. This standpoint is based on the great regional variety in realization and distribution of Swedish word accents. The teaching strategy consists virtually of three directives: · Stress the proper word in the sentence. · Stress proper syllables in stressed words and make them longer. · Lengthen the proper segment – vowel or subsequent consonant – in the stressed syllable. These directives reflect the view that all phonological length is stress-induced, and that vowel length and consonant length are equally important as learning goals. BP is examined in the light of existing findings in the field of second language pronunciation and with respect to the phonetic correlates of Swedish stress and quantity. Five studies examine the relation between segment durations and the categorization made by native Swedish listeners. The results indicate that the postvocalic consonant duration contributes to quantity categorization as well as giving the proper duration to stressed syllables. Furthermore, native Swedish speakers are shown to apply the complementary /V: C/ - /VC:/ pattern also when speaking English and German, by lengthening postvocalic consonants. The correctness of the priority is not directly addressed but important aspects of BP are supported by earlier findings as well as the results from the present studies.