Abstract not available.

Abstract not available.

Some have argued in favor of translation in the L2 classroom (Danchev, 1983; Levenston, 1985; Ballester Casado, 1991; Newson, 1998; Malloy, 2001; Bonyadi, 2003; Colina, 2006; Kulwindr, 2005; Petrocchi, 2006; House, 2008), while others have argued against it (Sweet, 1899/1964; Jespersen, 1901/1904; Lado, 1957, 1964; Gatenby, 1967; Sankey, 1991), mainly due to its association with the Grammar-Translation Method and the Contrastive Analysis Theory. However, there is limited empirical research evaluating this. The goal of this study is to evaluate the effect of translation tasks in L2 written production. I conducted an experiment with 104 college-students enrolled in a Spanish Advanced Grammar course. The independent variables were type of instruction (explicit vs. implicit) and translation (translation vs. without translation). Four sections of this course were randomly assigned to a group condition: IIG-T (implicit instruction group with translation), IIG-WT (implicit instruction group without translation), EIG-T (explicitinstruction group with translation), EIG-WT (explicit instruction group without translation). Students completed a pretest to assess their proficiency level in writing cover letters. Each condition was given a different step-by-step activity on how to write cover letters. Finally, they wrote a cover letter in Spanish serving as the posttest and composition of the course and they completed a qualitative questionnaire. Data was evaluated via three domains: vocabulary, grammar and discourse, where L2 performance was operationalized as the total number of errors using the same evaluation for both the pretest and posttest. A two-way ANOVA estimated the effect by comparing the aggregated change score (difference between pretest and posttest totals) across the translation and instruction conditions, and also comparing each domain individually. Results indicated that explicit instruction had a significant effect on aggregated change scores and also on discourse change scores. The use or lack of translation and implicit instruction did not have a significant effect on vocabulary and grammar. Therefore, we can still infer that translation was not detrimental for students' L2 acquisition. It will be crucial to implement other empirical studies that involve not only a longitudinal approach but also longer exposure to translation tasks.

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What is the role of literature study in EFL education? How can the study of literature make its maximum contribution within the total field of EFL education? These are the two major questions which this paper attempts to answer. The urge that prompted this study comes from the author's deep concern with the study of English at advanced levels in foreign language institutes in China. Research and study of the students and other circumstances at these language institutes show that it is possible as well as desirable for advanced students there to take up the study of literature. Literature study was the only approach to language teaching before the 1940's. In the modern approaches to language teaching, attention has been given to the study of language itself, and the study of literature has been quietly pushed into the shade. It is the author's belief that, as H.L.B. Moody puts it: 'the pendulum has perhaps swung too far from one extreme to the other' After much research and study about the value of literature in language classrooms, the author intends to show in this paper that the study of literature in language classrooms can be expected to: a) improve students' general linguistic ability; b) provide an insight into the culture associated with the target language; c) through reading, develop students' comprehension and ability to read between the lines . Parallel with these points, this paper is also intended to establish a theoretical basis for three aspects of the study of literature in EFL: Literature as language; (see: Chapter Three) Literature as experience; (see: Chapter Four) Literature as art. (see: Chapter Five). In Chapter Six of this paper, tentative suggestions are given concerning the problems of selecting appropriate materials for advanced foreign Language learners, and how literature study can be carried out both in and outside classrooms. The limitations of the study of literature in certain circumstances arc also considered in Chapter Six. It is hoped that this paper will serve as a basis for further study and research.

Foreign language teachers, experts of pedagogy, and textbook publishers often cite frequency as an important tool in the creation of textbooks, as well as in teaching students a foreign language. These same figures, however, rarely question the application of frequency in these works. This thesis examines the application of frequency over a range of first-year German textbooks compared to a textbook that is explicitly based on a particular frequency dictionary. These textbooks are compared to each other and to the Jones and Tschirner Frequency Dictionary of German and Pfeffer’s Grunddeutsch: Basic (Spoken) German Word List, Grundstufe.

Foreign language teachers, experts of pedagogy, and textbook publishers often cite frequency as an important tool in the creation of textbooks, as well as in teaching students a foreign language. These same figures, however, rarely question the application of frequency in these works. This thesis examines the application of frequency over a range of first-year German textbooks compared to a textbook that is explicitly based on a particular frequency dictionary. These textbooks are compared to each other and to the Jones and Tschirner Frequency Dictionary of German and Pfeffer’s Grunddeutsch: Basic (Spoken) German Word List, Grundstufe.

No description available.