This study explored the learning experience of Arabic language learners at the college level, focusing on their perception of effective and ineffective Arabic language teachers as well as the influence of their experiences on their motivation. The study also attempted to shed some light on the nature of the teacher-student interaction within the current sociopolitical context. The 29 students who agreed to participate in this study were all Arabic language learners enrolled in the second year or higher of Arabic at a major university in the United States. Data were collected from multiple sources including an open-ended survey and semi-structured interviews that were conducted on a one-on-one basis with the participants. Data were analyzed using coding procedures suggested by Strauss and Corbin (1998) from a grounded theory qualitative approach. Results indicated that participants perceived their effective Arabic language teachers as adaptable teachers. These adaptable teachers influence learners' learning outcomes by balancing their high expectations of their students with an awareness of language learning needs. Moreover, participants' perceptions of their best Arabic learning experiences were always associated with adaptable teachers, whose positive interaction style radiated throughout in their teaching. The data indicated that participants were intrinsically motivated in four different ways: (1) intrinsic motivation for the linguistic aspects of Arabic, (2) intrinsic motivation for knowledge, (3) intrinsic motivation for optimal experience, and (4) intrinsic motivation for accomplishment. Moreover, motivation constructs such as expectancy-value, self-efficacy, and flow were related to the students' experiences. According to many students, the more years they spent in learning Arabic, the more they had become obsessed with it. Most participants in this study credited both native and non-native speakers as effective language teachers.. Participants credited their native teachers for their linguistic knowledge and their in-depth understanding of the Arabic culture and described them as resourceful. At the same time, they credited non-native teachers for their pedagogical knowledge, organizational skills, and knowledge of learners' characteristics, and described them as role models. Suggestions for future research and implications for research and practice are discussed. / Not available / text

This dissertation addresses the differential effects of two oral corrective feedback strategies, recasts and metalinguistic prompts, on the acquisition of Chinese wh-questions and classifiers, while examining how individual differences (i.e. language analytical abilities, attitudes, and anxiety) would moderate the effects of CF. Two beginning Chinese classes were randomly assigned to the recast or metalinguistic prompts group. In a span of 5 weeks, a total of 4 treatment sessions took place. Students were tested with an oral production task and a written error correction task before, immediately after, and two weeks after the treatment. Mixed-method ANOVAs were used to analyze the differential effects of the two CF strategies on the acquisition of wh-questions and classifiers. In addition, students also completed two questionnaires, with one testing their language analytical ability, and a combined questionnaire measuring their attitudes and anxiety. Multiple regressions were used to analyze the relationship between individual differences and students’ learning outcome. The results showed that the metalinguistic prompts group had significant gains in accuracy in all measures, regardless of testing time (posttests or delayed posttests), target forms (wh-questions or classifiers), and testing mode (oral production or written error correction tests). The recast group showed significant gains in the written tests for wh-questions and classifiers, but only achieved significant short-term gains for wh-questions in the oral test. Regarding individual differences, we found that learners’ language analytical abilities and attitudes were important in predicting their test performance, while anxiety did not affect the learning outcome. Results were discussed within the Interactional Cognitive Framework. Form-focused instruction, along with metalinguistic prompts, which were consistent, output-pushing, and reminded students of previous learned declarative knowledge, worked better than input-providing CF (recasts) for both syntactic and lexical features. Metalinguistic prompts withheld the target L2 forms, provided metalinguistic comments, and pushed for modified output, which may have increased the likelihood for learners to close the gap between their existing knowledge and the target L2 forms, and convert declarative knowledge into procedural knowledge. The findings also suggested that CF could be delivered without raising students’ anxiety, and helping students maintain positive attitude was important for their language development.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:26:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2004Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:34:53Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 quiroga_vv_me_assis.pdf: 300239 bytes, checksum: cceb3f0b8e6ae4317604197a6fc03774 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo verificar se o estudo autônomo é desenvolvido e como isso se realiza pelos estudantes de Espanhol como Língua Estrangeira, num curso que visa a formação de professores. A possibilidade desta pesquisa surgiu a partir de algumas inquietações relacionadas ao processo de ensino-aprendizagem de línguas estrageiras. Tal tipo de investigação foi possível através de leituras acerca da Pesquisa Heurística, que proporciona o auto-conhecimento do pesquisador e as implicações de suas características pessoais com o objeto investigado, conforme ensina Moustakas (1990). Utilizo, também, nesta pesquisa, a metodologia qualitativa. Os dados coletados estão a cargo de observações da sala de aula, respostas a questionários específicos e entrevistas áudio-gravadas. Todos estes dados convergem para uma análise interpretativista, com as intervenções necessárias para modificar certas situações, quando necessário. Este é o modelo indicado pela pesquisa-ação, pontuada por Thiollent (2003)... / The purpose of this research is to investigate whether students enrolled in a University Spanish Language and Literature Teacher Education Course engage themselves in self-study activities and, in positive case, how and in what extent they do it. The inicial adea for this work was raised in answer to my concern about foreign language learning and teaching questions and processes. The development of the investigation is related to Heuristic survey which brings the possibility of including the researcher's personal history as part of the study, as pointed out of Moustaka's (1990). The metodology is grounded on a qualitative approach. Data were gathered through classroom observation, questionaries and audio-recorded interviews, on an action-research basis (THIOLLENT, 2003)... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

O mundo passa por um envelhecimento populacional e, segundo estimativas do IBGE, o Brasil será o sexto país no mundo com a maior população idosa em 2025. Com o aumento da expectativa de vida, aumenta também o tempo livre, de aposentadoria, dando espaço para atividades esportivas, recreativas, educativas, dentre outras. A busca pela realização pessoal tem levado os idosos a procurarem atividades que haviam adiado devido ao trabalho, à família e a outros fatores. Dentre essas atividades, há grande interesse pelos cursos de língua estrangeira. Surgem, então, oportunidades de contato intergeracional nas aulas de língua, que trazem benefícios para todos os participantes. Para o desenvolvimento desta pesquisa, partimos da discussão sobre identidade, abordada pelos Estudos Culturais (em especial, Stuart Hall e Tomaz Tadeu da Silva), estudos da Psicologia Social sobre estereótipos e preconceito e pesquisas na área de Gerontologia. O Italiano no Campus (IC), apesar de não ter sido criado especificamente com o intuito de ser um Programa Intergeracional, possui grupos etariamente heterogêneos, com alunos de 16 até 78 anos, podendo, assim, ser considerado um ambiente intergeracional em que os participantes possuem um objetivo em comum: aprender a língua italiana. Dessa forma, o IC constitui um espaço de grandes trocas e de ampla possibilidade para a quebra de estereótipos e preconceitos sobre os idosos e o próprio processo de envelhecimento. O ambiente propicia, também, aumento do respeito ao outro e maior conhecimento de uma geração sobre a outra, bem como a quebra de estereótipos negativos que envolvem os idosos e o processo de aquisição/aprendizagem de uma língua estrangeira. O papel do professor torna-se, então, fundamental nesse contexto, já que pode determinar o sucesso ou o fracasso desses ambientes intergeracionais e das relações que neles ocorrem. Nossa pesquisa envolveu alunos e monitores do IC, com um levantamento de dados realizado em três etapas, com questionários aplicados a alunos e monitores e entrevistas feitas com monitores. Com os dados, conseguimos traçar o perfil dos alunos do Italiano no Campus que hoje conta com um quarto do seu público dentro da chamada terceira idade e colher depoimentos sobre as relações intergeracionais tanto na visão dos monitores quanto na visão dos alunos. Os resultados nos mostraram que a maioria dos alunos prefere os grupos intergeracionais e que tanto alunos quanto monitores acreditam que a heterogeneidade etária enriquece o curso. Mesmo que não tenha sido concebido com essa finalidade, o IC tem potencial para ser um Programa Intergeracional, auxiliando, inclusive, na reinclusão social do idoso. / Overall, the global population is aging and, according to IBGE estimates, Brazil will have the sixth largest elderly population by 2025. The increase in life expectancy, together with the amount of free time available in retirement, has meant more time for sporting, recreational and educational activities, among other things, for this segment of the population. The quest for personal fulfillment has led many elderly to finally participate in activities that they had previously postponed, largely due to more pressing work and family commitments. Included among these activities, there is now great interest in foreign language courses. Thus, opportunities for intergenerational contact among participants of language courses arise, which in turn bring benefits for all those involved. Our starting point for the development of this study was the discussion around identity covered by various Cultural Studies (particularly, those by Stuart Hall and Tomaz Tadeu da Silva), as well as studies about stereotypes and prejudice in the realm of Social Psychology and general research into the area of Gerontology. Despite not being created specifically for the purpose of being an Intergenerational Program, the Italian on Campus (IC) course has groups that span considerable age ranges, from 16 to 78 years. These groups can thus be considered intergenerational environments in which participants have a common objective: learning the Italian language. Accordingly, the IC has constructed a space for important exchanges and with great potential for breaking down stereotypes and prejudices about the elderly and the aging process itself. This type of environment also promotes increased respect for others and greater opportunities for the generations to find out more about each other, as well as getting rid of the negative stereotypes pertaining to the elderly, with regards to the process of acquiring and learning a foreign language. Therefore, the role of the teacher becomes fundamental in this context, because it can determine the success or failure of these intergenerational environments and the relationships that occur within them. Our study involved IC students and monitors and comprised of a fact-finding mission in three stages, with questionnaires applied to students and monitors, as well as interviews with the monitors themselves. With this data, we were able to define the profile of the students participating in the Italian on Campus course, where a quarter of participants are now defined as seniors, and to record experiences about intergenerational relationships, both from the standpoint of the monitors as well as from that of the students themselves. The results show us that most of the students prefer the intergenerational groups and both students and monitors believe that broad age range enriches the course. Even though it was not conceived for this purpose, the IC course has the potential of becoming a true Intergenerational Program, further aiding in the social re-inclusion of the elderly.

A number of studies in the literature claim that storytelling is a powerful tool in the development of receptive (i.e., Reading and Listening) and productive (i.e., Speaking and Writing) language skills, including pronunciation (e.g., Atta-Alla, 2011; Mottalabi & Pourgharib, 2013; Zare-Behatash, Saed and Sajjadi, 2016). Furthermore, there are studies that suggest that storytelling is even more effective than traditional teaching methods (e.g., Hsu, 2010; Li & Seehouse, 2010; Zare-Behatash, Saed and Sajjadi, 2016). The problem, however, is that those studies generally lack specific information about how storytelling improves pronunciation and what aspects are enhanced, for instance. This study aims to fill such a gap in the literature by investigating the effect(s) of storytelling on the development of the pronunciation of Brazilian beginner learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) who are 15 years of age and older, through a focus on specific segmental (i.e., /I/; /i/ and /ð/; /θ/) and suprasegmental (i.e., word stress) features that are considered difficult for Brazilian learners of English to pronounce intelligibly (i.e., Baptista, 2001; Cruz, 2003; Reis, 2006). Additionally, it aims to investigate how storytelling activities compare in effectiveness to textbook activities in the development of pronunciation, since textbook activities are widely used pedagogical tools in English classes in Brazil and generally considered to be effective in the development of language skills (e.g., Consolo, 1990; Xavier & Urio, 2006). Last, the study examines Brazilian learners’ perceptions about the usefulness and relevance of the storytelling/textbook activities they were exposed to in improving their pronunciation. Data were collected at a private school in Brazil three times a week, in 12, 25-minute sessions. A total of 86 learners participated in the study and were randomly divided into three different groups (i.e., experimental, n=28; comparison, n=29; and control, n=29). The experimental group performed storytelling activities and the comparison group performed textbook activities. The control group received no treatment. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted to examine the data gathered from pre-tests, post-tests and questionnaires. The findings of the statistical analyses showed significant differences in the participants’ performance in the perception and production pre-tests/post-tests, suggesting that storytelling and textbook activities played an effective role in the pronunciation improvement of the participants. In addition, findings showed that storytelling and textbook activities had a similar effect on pronunciation. The findings of the quantitative and qualitative questionnaires showed that, in general, participants in the experimental (i.e., storytelling) and comparison (i.e., textbook) groups similarly enjoyed performing their respective activities, although they were not much sure about their usefulness and relevance for the improvement of their English pronunciation. This study offers various contributions in the investigation of the effect of storytelling on pronunciation improvement. In addition to addressing the lack of specific information in previous studies on the relationship between storytelling and pronunciation development, it also contributes to the field by showing teachers that L2 pronunciation development may be impacted by a number of factors at individual, psychological, sociocultural and sociocognitive levels, to mention a few. Moreover, it suggests that the implicit approach examined in the study did not seem to play an effective role in the development of learners’ pronunciation. Instead, an inductive approach that involves exposing learners to target sounds through the use of enhanced input, for instance, could potentially increase the effectiveness of pronunciation improvement through storytelling. / Graduate

This comparative study aims to discover and demonstrate the potential relationship between foreign language speaking anxiety and course level among 183 students from three consecutive courses of English as a foreign language, i.e. English 5, 6, and 7, at three upper secondary schools in the South of Sweden. Accordingly, a survey was distributed in order to account for demographic information about the students, such as course level, age, and sex, to determine the students’ oral proficiency levels, and to assess the students’ anxiety levels in relation to 33 anxiety-provoking classroom situations. The results showed that Swedish upper secondary students are not particularly anxious regardless of course level, save that the students in English 5 would feel less comfortable around native speakers of English, although not to an extent which would indicate anxiety, and that the students in English 7 would, in contrast to the other course levels, experience high levels of anxiety when volunteering answers and being called on in class. However, the most notable differences were found between the genders and between the students with high and low oral proficiency levels. Female students generally showed higher levels of anxiety than male students did. Yet, in most cases, the difference did not suggest that one of the genders was anxious while the other one was not. In terms of oral proficiency levels, the students with low oral proficiency showed higher levels of anxiety, often to the extent that they would be anxious while the ones with high proficiency would not. Thus, the levels of anxiety seem to depend on gender and oral proficiency more than the students’ course levels.

Chinese international students represent one sixth of the international post-secondary student population present in Anglophone Canada. A popular field of study for this demographic is engineering. Considering differences in cultural background and English language barriers, Chinese international students face their own unique set of challenges in university classrooms where collaborative work has become a standard measure to instruct and assess material. Four face-to-face focus groups with fourteen Chinese international students examined how collaborative work with non-Chinese peers shapes the self-perceptions of English language skills by Chinese international students. Using Saldaña’s approach to coding as the selected method, the data generated categories, a concept and a key assertion. Participants’ perceptions of English language are shaped by efficiency, embarrassment and confidence. A desired goal of Chinese international students, which is only achieved by very few, is English language fluency. Suggesting an interrelated relationship, the key assertion proposes that language competence and perceptions develop in four stages. Perceptions and language competence transition through a non-linear process, which ranges from Shock, to the Brutal Upward Learning Curve, Acceptance and eventually Confident Mastery. Focus group participants demonstrated a high level of accurate self-assessment and are forced to adopt a dismissive attitude which allows them to move past negative experiences and perceptions and develop a strong sense of confidence which is necessary for survival.

This research is logged in the field of language acquisition, focusing on Spanish as a foreign language learnt at university level. It investigates how learning strategies are used by students to develop proficiency in Spanish over a three-year period (from the first year to the third year). Adopting a cognitive lens that places special attention to how linguistic knowledge is constructed, deconstructed and reconstructed, this study focuses on the language learning process, specifically on what the students do to learn a language. Taking into account that the learning of foreign language poses particular and distinctive challenges – as opposed to the learning of a second language – and using a multiphase design that combines sequential strands encompassing quantitative and qualitative techniques, this study finds that those who successfully complete all the Spanish courses are the ones who report significantly more use of metacognitive strategies in the first year. The study concludes by proposing a framework that helps to classify the role that the use of strategies play in learning a foreign language from a student’s perspective. This framework adds a new dimension and provides valuable information to similar types of studies. Considering the above-mentioned findings, the study recommends introducing first-year students to the potential value of using metacognitive strategies in foreign language learning, and suggests that lecturers should recommend more activities for students to engage in the language outside the classroom. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Modern European Languages / PhD / Unrestricted

This study sought eight grade students’ experiences of verbal production in the English classroom. From the perspectives of foreign language anxiety (FLA) and willingness to communicate (WTC), what are the students' experiences of verbal production, in what situations are students willing to communicate and in what situations are they not? A quantitative study was conducted using a self-report paper questionnaire, consisting of Nilsson’s (2019) modified version of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) in conjunction with open-ended questions. The result indicates that verbal production causes a high level of foreign language anxiety, and that the students' willingness to communicate increases and decreases depending on stable and situational variables that influence a student's willingness to use their L2. The findings of this study are beneficial to English teachers by raising awareness of FLA and WTC and their presence in our classrooms. The greatest beneficiary of this study is L2 language teachers, who will be inspired to create a classroom environment where the students seek opportunities to engage in verbal production.

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