L1 en el aula de L2: ¿por qué no?

Una de las cuestiones más polémicas que ha recorrido la enseñanza de lenguas modernas a lo largo de todo el siglo XX ha sido, sin duda, el debate sobre el empleo de la primera lengua de los estudiantes en el aula de idiomas. A ese respecto, han sido muchos y muy variados los argumentos a favor y en contra. Nuestro artículo se propone revisar tanto las razones que se han argüido para rechazar la presencia de la L1 en la clase de lenguas extranjeras como las que se aducen para incluirla, con especial atención a las aportaciones más recientes de la Teoría sociocultural del aprendizaje de idiomas. No se trata de un tema meramente lingüístico, sino que entran en juego también factores de índole psicológica, social y cultural, que vinculan directamente este asunto con los fenómenos de multicompetencia y plurilingüismo.

Processos metafóricos no desenvolvimento da escrita em aprendentes chineses de PLE

Esta é uma investigação em linguística aplicada que, ao procurar perceber melhor o modo como o processo de aprendizagem do aprendente chinês de português como língua estrangeira(PLE)pode ser afetado pela aquisição do significado metafórico, assume um pendor linguístico, não deixando de se situar no âmago do ato pedagógico. Admitindo a hipótese da existência de uma correlação positiva entre a frequência do uso da metáfora gramatical e o nível de proficiência dos aprendentes na expressão escrita, esta dissertação pretende aprofundar a compreensão dos mecanismos de aquisição do Português por aprendentes (PLE/PL2) que têm como língua materna o Chinês, designadamente os que se prendem com a aquisição de processos metafóricos. Neste estudo, teremos como referência a teorização sobre o significado metafórico proposto por Halliday (1985, 1994, 2004). A ocorrência de metáforas gramaticais foi escrutinada emdois manuais de ensino de PLE concebidos para os níveis A2 e B1 do QECR, de forma a poder identificar, qualitativa e quantitativamente, os padrões textuais metafóricos com que os aprendentes têm que lidar nestes momentos específicos do processo de aprendizagem. Para compreender a produção escrita de pendor metafórico dos aprendentes, é realizada análise sistemática de amostras da expressão escrita de alunos de PLE chineses dos mesmos dois níveis, constantes no Corpus de Português Língua Estrangeira/Língua Segunda, COPLE2. Do confronto dos dados dos dois planos de análise, foi possível confirmar que a transição entre os dois níveis subsequentes escolhidos (A2 e B1) representa uma mudança crucial no padrão metafórico, quer dos textos propostos aos aprendentes, quer dos textos por estes produzidos, mudança esta que pode explicar alguns dos bloqueios de aprendizagem associados ao nível B1 e seguintes. Foi possível, entre outros aspetos, identificar a primazia da metáfora ideacional na acomodação da expressão metafórica, compreender como o aprendente evita o recurso metafórico, tornando a sua escrita menos abstrata e densa, como o aprendente aborda a metáfora interpessoal, restringindo o seu uso a géneros discursivos muito específicos. Sendo, embora, um estudo exploratório, permite confirmar que esta linha de investigação oferece dados inestimáveis aos professores de PLE e agentes de ensino, em geral.

Identity construction through phonetic crossing among young Capetonian gang members

Uncountable gangs operate in post-Apartheid South Africa, particularly in greater Cape Town, competing over turf and controlling the drug trade. Consequently, gang violence is rife in Western Cape and especially widespread in urban areas. In this paper young Capetonians’ narratives of gang violence are analyzed. In the narratives of attacks on Black or White South Africans by Coloured gang members, the Coloured narrators make use of their victims’ varieties of English, more precisely, of phonetic features. Hence, the aggressors do language crossing towards their targets when narrating their feats. Rampton (1995a:485) considers language crossing a ‘code alternation by people who are not accepted members of the group associated with the second language that they are using (code switching into varieties that are not generally thought to belong to them)’. This switching involves a transgression of social or ethnic boundaries that allows the young gangsters to construct, negotiate, uphold and manage their social identities, as language still functions as an utterly important identity marker in post-Apartheid South Africa.

The colloquial faculty for languages : cerebral localization and the nature of genius : tentamen physiologicum /

Includes bibliographical references.

Automaticity in L2 learning: Correlation between vocabulary proficiency and response time in word recognition

Automaticity (in this essay defined as short response time) and fluency in language use are closely connected to each other and some research has been conducted regarding some of the aspects involved. In fact, the notion of automaticity is still debated and many definitions and opinions on what automaticity is have been suggested (Andersson,1987, 1992, 1993, Logan, 1988, Segalowitz, 2010). One aspect that still needs more research is the correlation between vocabulary proficiency (a person’s knowledge about words and ability to use them correctly) and response time in word recognition. Therefore, the aim of this study has been to investigate this correlation using two different tests; one vocabulary size test (Paul Nation) and one lexical decision task (SuperLab) that measures both response time and accuracy. 23 Swedish students partaking in the English 7 course in upper secondary Swedish school were tested. The data were analyzed using a quantitative method where the average values and correlations from the test were used to compare the results. The correlations were calculated using Pearson’s Coefficient Correlations Calculator. The empirical study indicates that vocabulary proficiency is not strongly correlated with shorter response times in word recognition. Rather, the data indicate that L2 learners instead are sensitive to the frequency levels of the vocabulary. The accuracy (number of correct recognized words) and response times correlate with the frequency level of the tested words. This indicates that factors other than vocabulary proficiency are important for the ability to recognize words quickly.

The effects of video games on the receptive vocabulary proficiency of Swedish ESL students

Playing video games is an activity that takes up an increasing amount of children’s and adolescent’s spare time. While some previous studies have highlighted the negative aspects of video games, little research has been carried out on the linguistic learning opportunities that video games present. This study primarily investigates if Swedish second language learners of English can increase their vocabulary proficiency in English with the use of video games. In order to answer the research questions, two quantitative data elicitation methods are used: a questionnaire which aims to gather attitudinal and behavioral data, and a Vocabulary Levels Test which elicits data about the participants’ receptive vocabulary proficiency. The participants consist of 25 students at an upper secondary school in Stockholm. The results show that participants who played video games scored higher on the Vocabulary Levels Test, indicating a higher receptive vocabulary proficiency. Furthermore, the results show that participants who played moderate to frequent amounts of time performed better in the Vocabulary Levels Test than infrequent players. The results also show that video games emphasizing co-operation and communication are preferable to use for vocabulary acquisition. Additionally, the study discusses if video games could be integrated into the Swedish upper secondary school system.

La aplicación del componente pragmático funcional en un manual sueco de español publicado tras el currículo Lgy 2011

El objetivo de esta monografía es el de analizar el modo en el que un manual didáctico para la enseñanza del español en el contexto educativo sueco de bachillerato aplica y desarrolla la competencia pragmática funcional en sus propuestas didácticas. Para la realización de dicho análisis usaremos como instrumento de medida, por una parte, las actividades de simulación, escenario y role-play que propone Sánchez Sarmiento (2005), y que se dirigen a la activación de la competencia pragmática de los estudiantes de lenguas extranjeras y, por otra, los criterios de transacciones e interacciones de colaboración para el desarrollo de la competencia pragmática funcional que se recogen en el §.5 del Marco Común Europeo de Referencia para las lenguas: aprendizaje, enseñanza, evaluación (MCER, 2002). La hipótesis de la que parte este estudio postula que el manual que analizamos (Caminando 5, Natur & Kultur, 2013), a pesar de estar compuesto de propuestas didácticas en las que se presentan el componente pragmático funcional, no enuncia de forma explícita el trabajo con ella, no conduce ni a su activación ni a su desarrollo, su frecuencia de aparición en el manual es irregular, y las actividades que forman parte de sus propuestas didácticas no proponen reflexiones metapragmáticas sobre los propios contenidos pragmáticos de la lengua. La investigación que hemos desarrollado confirma que, aunque en algunas propuestas didácticas del manual  se proponen actividades que activan y desarrollan algunos de los criterios de transacción e interacción colaborativa del MCER (2002), su tratamiento resulta poco exhaustivo y su explicitación es escasa. Sin embargo, se puede constatar que el manual representa un acercamiento a los principios metodológicos de los enfoques comunicativos y que su explotación didáctica, aunque no de forma explícita, conduce, en parte, al trabajo con algunos de los criterios pragmáticos funcionales que se proponen en el MCER (2002).

Scaffolding and bilingual shared reading experiences: Promoting primary school students' learning and development

This paper explores the connections between scaffolding, second language learning and bilingual shared reading experiences. A socio- cultural theory of cognition underpins the investigation, which involved implementing a language and culture awareness program (LCAP) in a year 4 classroom and in the school community. Selected passages from observations are used to analyse the learning of three students, particularly in relation to languages other than English (LOTE). As these three case study students interacted in the classroom, at home and in the community, they co-constructed, appropriated and applied knowledge form one language to another. Through scaffolding, social spaces were constructed, where students learning and development were extended through a variety of activities that involved active participation, such as experimenting with language, asking questions and making suggestions. Extending these opportunities for student learning and development is considered in relation to creating teaching and learning environments that celebrate socio-cultural and linguistic diversity.

Student expectations of TESOL programs: Student and teacher perspectives

Most practitioners teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) will agree that students come with some expectations about course content and teaching methodology and that these expectations play a vital role in student motivation and learning. However, the study of student expectations has been a surprising omission from Second Language Acquisition research. In the studies reported here, the authors develop a model of student expectations by adapting the Expectation Disconfirmation paradigm, widely used in consumer psychology. Student and teacher perspectives on student expectations were gathered by interviews. Responses shed light on the nature of expectations, factors causing expectations and effects of expectation fulfilment (or lack of it). The findings provide new avenues for research on affective factors as well as clarify some ambiguities in motivational research in second language acquisition. The model presented here can be used by teachers or institutions to conduct classroom-based research, thus optimising students' learning and performance, and enhancing student morale.

The effect of music therapy services on classroom behaviours of newly arrived refugee students in Australia

This pilot study examined the effects of a short-term music therapy program on the classroom behaviours of newly arrived refugee students who were attending an intensive 'English as a Second Language' secondary school. A cross-over design with two five-week intervention periods was employed with group music therapy sessions conducted one or two times per week. Data from the Behaviour Assessment Scale for Children were used to evaluate a range of positive and negative school behaviours. A significant decrease in externalising behaviours was found with particular reference to hyperactivity and aggression. No significant differences were found in other behaviours. Explanations and implications of these findings are discussed.

Development of a multi-tiered speech annotation system for accented English

This paper discusses methodological issues in the development of a multitiered, phonetic annotation system, intended to capture pronunciation variation in the speech of second language learners and to serve in construction of a data base for training ASR models to recognize major pronunciation variants in the assessment of accented English.