Per aprendre anglès, quan abans millor? L'aprenentatge de l'anglès com a llengua estrangera. When Learning English, is it a case of 'The earlier the better?' Learning English as a foreign Language

En contra del que molts pares i mestres pensen, i en contra del que s'ha trobat en contextos d'adquisició natural de segones llengües i d'immersió, començar al més aviat possible l'aprenentatge d'idiomes, sobretot pel que fa a les tasques cognitivament més exigents, com l'escriptura, no sembla l'opció més eficaç. Els resultats del Grup de Recerca en Adquisició de Llengües (GRAL) estudià aprenents d'anglès que començaren als vuit i onze anys i trobaren, sistemàticament, que a llarg termini, després de les mateixes hores d'instrucció, eren els més grans, que havien començat als onze anys, els que obtenien millors resultats en totes les proves orals i escrites d'anglès excepte en alguna de prova de reconeixement fonètic. La maduresa cognitiva dels alumnes més grans i els diferents mecanismes d¿aprenentatge implícit i explícit entre els nens més petits i els adults ajuden a explicar per què només començar abans l'aprenentatge d'idiomes no sembla suficient per obtenir millors resultats.

A virtual mathematics learning environment for engineering students

Teachers of the course Introduction to Mathematics for Engineers at the UOC, an online distance-learning university, have designed,developed and tested an online studymaterial. It includes basic pre-university mathematics, indications for correct follow-up of this content and recommendations for finding appropriate support and complementarymaterials. Many different resources are used,depending on the characteristics of thecontents: Flash sequences, interactive applets, WIRIS calculators and PDF files.During the last semester, the new study material has been tested with 119 students. The academic results and student satisfaction have allowed us to outline and prioritise future lines of action.

A Virtual Mathematics Learning Environment for Engineering Students

Teachers of the course Introduction to Mathematics for Engineers at the UOC, an online distance-learning university, have designed and produced online study material which includes basic pre-university mathematics, instructions for correct follow-up of this content and recommendations for finding appropiate support and complementary materials.

The Connectivity of Musical Aptitude and Foreign Language Learning Skills: Neural and Behavioural Evidence

Given the structural and acoustical similarities between speech and music, and possible overlapping cerebral structures in speech and music processing, a possible relationship between musical aptitude and linguistic abilities, especially in terms of second language pronunciation skills, was investigated. Moreover, the laterality effect of the mother tongue was examined with both adults and children by means of dichotic listening scores. Finally, two event-related potential studies sought to reveal whether children with advanced second language pronunciation skills and higher general musical aptitude differed from children with less-advanced pronunciation skills and less musical aptitude in accuracy when preattentively processing mistuned triads and music / speech sound durations. The results showed a significant relationship between musical aptitude, English language pronunciation skills, chord discrimination ability, and sound-change-evoked brain activation in response to musical stimuli (durational differences and triad contrasts). Regular music practice may also have a modulatory effect on the brain’s linguistic organization and cause altered hemispheric functioning in those who have regularly practised music for years. Based on the present results, it is proposed that language skills, both in production and discrimination, are interconnected with perceptual musical skills.

The Effects of Drama on Oral Fluency and Foreign Language Anxiety: An exploratory study

Previous research has suggested that drama has positive effects on learners' oral communication and anxiety; however, it is unclear which dimensions, or to what extent, they are affected by drama. This research narrows the investigation by examining how a drama-based EFL program impacts three dimensions of oral communication: fluency, comprehensibility, and accentedness, and one anxiety factor - foreign language speaking anxiety (FLSA) -, over time. Speech samples were collected from EFL learners in a treatment and a control group, and subsequently assessed by untrained Canadian-born raters. FLSA levels were measured through questionnaires and interviews. Pre- and post-test analysis indicate that learners in the treatment group made significant gains in oral fluency while oral fluency among learners in the control group remained unchanged. There was a significant reduction in FLSA levels among learners in both groups. Finally, qualitative analyses suggest that drama activities, among others, enhance learners' comfort levels in speaking English.

Linguistic relativity in foreign language teaching : a didactic proposal. 'Relatividad linguística en la enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras'.

Resumen de la revista

Literature in the foreign language syllabus : engaging the student through active learning. 'El rol de la literatura en la enseñanza de la lengua extranjera : la implicación del estudiante en el aula a través del aprendizaje activo'.

Resumen en español. Resumen tomado de la publicación

Cultural studies in foreign language education.

Se ocupa de un aspecto de la enseñanza de las lenguas extranjeras que a menudo se ha descuidado y es la comprensión de las culturas y de los pueblos cuyos idiomas se enseñan. Por tanto, se reivindica la enseñanza de lenguas, en la educación secundaria general, en todas las facetas y con un enfoque global. Es un intento de aumentar la conciencia del profesor y del alumno sobre el pleno valor educativo del aprendizaje de otras lenguas.

Foreign language learning with digital technology.

Ofrece una mirada académica a las importantes repercusiones que ha tenido la tecnología digital como herramienta para la enseñanza de las lenguas extranjeras y cuya utilización ha sido reconocida en las últimas décadas por las políticas educativas en todo el mundo. Las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación, desde Powerpoint a Internet, han creado nuevas oportunidades de aprendizaje e introducido nuevos elementos en el proceso cognitivo de aprendizaje de estas lenguas.

Child's play : an introduction to children's literature for teachers of English as a foreign language. 'Juego de niños : una introducción a la literatura infantil para profesores de inglés como lengua extranjera'.

Se establece la definición de niño y de literatura infantil. Se analizan las características y contenidos de la literatura infantil además de estudiar a los potenciales usuarios de dicha literatura. Se hace mención a la literatura para adolescentes y a la literatura gay y lesbiana para niños. Se describen y analizan los diferentes géneros existentes dentro de la literatura infantil: poesía oral y escrita, canciones, cuentos populares, ficción, teatro y comics. Se hace un repaso histórico de la literatura infantil inglesa desde la Edad Media hasta el siglo XXI. Finalmente, se presenta una serie de actividades para la utilización de la literatura infantil en las aulas: preparación de las clases, actividades orales, actividades de teatro, uso de canciones, actividades lecto-escritoras y actividades de animación a la lectura.