To use literature in English as a foreign language (EFL) or English as a second language (ESL) classroom is something which, for many decades was regarded as too difficult or not relevant in many countries, Sweden being one of them. In the past few decades the view of literature as a means for education in Sweden has changed. Research shows that texts are useful to enhance critical thinking skills and to help foster democratic citizens, which is something the Swedish curriculum for upper secondary school advocates for. This study sought to examine what goals teachers apply to the teaching of literature and also how these goals were realized in the classroom and, reasons to why it what not realized if that was the case. The study was conducted using an online questionnaire, Google Forms, which was sent out to an upper secondary school in Sweden and posted on a Facebook page devoted to English teachers at upper secondary schools in Sweden. The results of the study showed that most of the goals stated in this study were realized to some extent in the EFL classrooms, but there were also discrepancies between teachers views on what is important to teach and what the curriculum states should be taught. An example of this was that some teachers did not teach the goal of text analysis, it was not found to be ‘interesting’ or ‘relevant’. However, the curriculum for English at upper secondary schools in Sweden, does not advocate that teachers should teach text analysis specifically. On the other hand, the curriculum does advocate that students should meet different forms of text. This study, therefore, also discusses possible ambiguities within the curriculum of English at upper secondary school.

The aim of this study was to show whether there was a correlation between teachers’ opinions on the use of English in the EFL classroom and the students’ grades. The participants were four classes consisting of 75 students and four teachers from two Swedish upper secondary schools. A mixed-method was used consisting of two questionnaires and the students’ final grades from their English 5 course. The questionnaires were self-administrated and distributed via Google drive. Findings from this study indicate that there was no relationship between the teachers’ opinions and the students’ grades, but that Extramural English seems to affect the students’ grades. The extent of this has, however, not been established in this study. Further research within this area is needed.

The aim of this study was to investigate Swedish upper secondary school students’ attitudes toward English in school as well as to identify in what ways and to what extent they interact with English outside of school. An online questionnaire was used to collect data. The participants were three groups consisting of a total of 31 students at a school in northern Sweden. Findings from this study indicate that although the attitudes differ significantly within and between the different groups, the consensus was that English is a moderately difficult subject where they learn as much as or less than they learn outside of school. Additionally, all groups were shown to spend a lot of time engaging in a variety of different English activities outside of school, among which listening to music, using social media and watching different kinds of online visual media were the most prevalent.

Excerpt: This account of an empirical study of elicited requests of Chinese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) addresses the relative paucity of research on second language learners’ communicative competence and thereby contributes to the understanding of cross-cultural pragmatics and interlanguage pragmatics (ILP).

Although studies of lexical inferencing indicate that second language learners frequently encounter difficulties inferring lexical meaning from context, lexical inferencing, or deriving lexical meaning from contextual analysis, constitutes an essential part of reading comprehension. Two main purposes motivated the current study. The first purpose was to investigate how 139 Japanese EFL learners performed in lexical inferencing tasks and the second purpose concerned to what degree their linguistic and extralinguistic knowledge sources were related to lexical inferencing and which knowledge sources contributed to successful lexical inferencing. Linguistic knowledge sources were categorized into lexical knowledge (recognition vocabulary and collocation), syntactic knowledge (syntactic property of words and sentence-level grammar), and discourse knowledge of cohesion and coherence (conjunction, pronoun reference, and discourse prediction). Extralinguistic knowledge sources concern background knowledge related to the topic of texts. The participants were relatively successful at the lexical inferencing tasks for two reasons. First, the lexical density of the texts was controlled so that almost all of the non-target words were at the 2,000 word frequency level, a comprehensible level for the participants in this study. Second, the data were analyzed in a way that gave the participants credit for acquiring partial knowledge of the semantic features of the target words. All the knowledge sources were significantly correlated with lexical inferencing, and a hierarchical multiple regression identified the three best predictors of lexical inferencing. Discourse prediction was the best predictor of lexical inferencing due to the similarities of the cognitive processes of bridging information gaps through scrutinizing textbase input. The second best predictor was written receptive vocabulary size, the most fundamental component of deriving meaning in a text. It was followed by text-related background knowledge. Other significant, but minor predictors were knowledge of the part-of-speech of words and syntax, both of which are constituents of sentence-level processing. Collocational knowledge and knowledge associated with discourse-processing constituents were not significant predictors of lexical inferencing. To summarize, three semantically oriented knowledge sources, i.e., discourse prediction, recognition vocabulary, background knowledge, were more important predictors of lexical inferencing than structurally oriented knowledge sources such as part-of-speech and syntax. / CITE/Language Arts

Overall patterns of language use variation across oral proficiency levels of 1,243 Japanese EFL learners and 20 native speakers of English using the linguistic features set from Biber (1988) were investigated in this study. The approach combined learner corpora, language processing techniques, visual inspection of descriptive statistics, and multivariate statistical analysis to identify characteristics of learner language use. The largest spoken learner corpus in Japan, the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology Japanese Learner English (NICT JLE) Corpus was used for the analysis. It consists of over one million running words of L2 spoken English with oral proficiency level information. The level of the material in the corpus is approximately equal to a Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) range of 356 to 921. It also includes data gathered from 20 native speakers who performed identical speaking tasks as the learners. The 58 linguistic features (e.g., grammatical features) were taken from the original list of 67 linguistic features in Biber (1988) to explore the variation of learner language. The following research questions were addressed. First, what linguistic features characterize different oral proficiency levels? Second, to what degree do the language features appearing in the spoken production of high proficiency learners match those of native speakers who perform the same task? Third, is the oral production of Japanese EFL learners rich enough to display the full range of features used by Biber? Grammatical features alone would not be enough to comprehensively distinguish oral proficiency levels, but the results of the study show that various types of grammatical features can be used to describe differences in the levels. First, frequency change patterns (i.e., a rising, a falling, a combination of rising, falling, and a plateauing) across the oral proficiency levels were shown through linguistic features from a wide range of categories: (a) part-of-speech (noun, pronoun it, first person pronoun, demonstrative pronoun, indefinite pronoun, possibility modal, adverb, causative adverb), (b) stance markers (emphatic, hedge, amplifier), (c) reduced forms (contraction, stranded preposition), (d) specialized verb class (private verb), complementation (infinitive), (e) coordination (phrasal coordination), (f) passive (agentless passive), and (g) possibly tense and aspect markers (past tense, perfect aspect). In addition, there is a noticeable gap between native and non-native speakers of English. There are six items that native speakers of English use more frequently than the most advanced learners (perfect aspect, place adverb, pronoun it, stranded preposition, synthetic negation, emphatic) and five items that native speakers use less frequently (past tense, first person pronoun, infinitive, possibility modal, analytic negation). Other linguistic features are used with similar frequency across the levels. What is clear is that the speaking tasks and the time allowed for provided ample opportunity for most of Biber’s features to be used across the levels. The results of this study show that various linguistic features can be used to distinguish different oral proficiency levels, and to distinguish the oral language use of native and non-native speakers of English. / Teaching & Learning

In the current study, we synthesize recent research on digital game-based learning and itspotential effect on the speaking and interaction skills of young learners of English as a secondlanguage. Various relevant studies enlisting different methodologies are reviewed todetermine how digital games affect speaking and interaction skills and the role of motivationin the process. A common conclusion from the reviewed results is that digital games motivatelearners to develop their speaking and interaction skills. In addition, the studies reveal thatlearners who play digital games tend to have a higher level of proficiency.

Este estudo pretendeu verificar como aprendizes de inglês (L2) do sul do Brasil percebem, em termos de ponto de articulação, consoantes plosivas surdas sem soltura audível em codas simples finais de palavras do inglês. A pesquisa contou com 17 acadêmicos do primeiro semestre do curso de graduação em Letras, matriculados na disciplina Inglês I, turmas A e B, da UFRGS. Os acadêmicos foram submetidos ao Oxford Placement Test (ALLAN, 2004), que apontou duas categorias, básico e intermediário. Para medir a acurácia quanto ao ponto de articulação das consoantes propostas, foram aplicados dois testes de percepção: (a) teste de identificação perceptual, com 81 questões e (b) teste de discriminação categórica [de acordo com o modelo ABX (LIBERMAN et al. 1957)], com 135 questões. As palavras que serviram como estímulos auditivos nos testes foram selecionadas segundo a estrutura silábica CVC e equidistribuídas de acordo com as vogais [], [] e [] (como em ―beep”, ―lit”, ―sack”). Todas as palavras foram gravadas por três falantes nativos de inglês americano, gênero masculino, provenientes do oeste americano. De modo a verificar se a instrução explícita sobre o fenômeno da não soltura de oclusivas teria papel sobre a acuidade na percepção dos pontos de articulação das consoantes, os acadêmicos foram alocados em dois grupos: (a) grupo experimental, que recebeu instrução sobre o fenômeno, contando com 10 alunos; e (b) grupo controle, o qual foi composto de 7 alunos que não receberam qualquer instrução sobre o fenômeno. Os testes foram conduzidos no Laboratório de Línguas da universidade e executados durante 25 minutos em média. Através dos experimentos mencionados, os resultados mostram que: (a) os pontos de articulação labial e velar obtiveram maiores índices de acuidade; (b) as vogais nucleares [] e [] são as que favorecem a percepção do ponto de articulação das consoantes abordadas; (c) o grupo experimental obteve maiores índices de acuidade quando comparado ao grupo controle; e (d) os acadêmicos de nível intermediário apresentam maiores índices de acuidade, comparados aos acadêmicos de nível básico. / This study aimed to investigate how Southern Brazilian EFL learners perceive, in terms of distinctions in place of articulation, the English unreleased voiceless stops in word-final position. Seventeen undergraduate students of English from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul participated in this research study. The participants took the Oxford Placement Test (Allan, 2004), which grouped them in two levels of proficiency (basic and intermediate). In order to determine the perceptual accuracy regarding the place of articulation of the three consonants, two perception tasks were applied: (a) a perceptual identification task, containing 81 questions, and (b) a categorical discrimination task, following the ABX pattern (Liberman et al., 1957), with 135 questions. The words which served as auditory stimuli in both tasks were selected to meet the CVC syllabic structure and were equidistributed according to the vowels [], [], and [], as in ―beat”, “bit”, “bat”. The stimuli were recorded by three male native speakers of American English. In order to check whether explicit instruction regarding wordfinal consonant unrelease would play a role in the perception of the consonants‘ places of articulation, the participants were divided into two groups: (a) an experimental group, which has been instructed on the phenomenon, composed by 10 students; and (b) a control group, which refers to 7 students who were not instructed on the phonetic aspect researched. The tasks were conducted in the Language Laboratory of the university and took the participants around 25 minutes to be done. The results are the following: (a) the labial and velar places of articulation had higher levels of accuracy; (b) the nuclear vowels [] and [] are the ones that optimize the perception of the consonants‘ place of articulation; (c) the experimental group showed higher levels of accuracy, when compared to the control group; and (d) intermediate students show higher levels of accuracy in the perception tasks, when compared to the basic students.

Este estudo pretendeu verificar como aprendizes de inglês (L2) do sul do Brasil percebem, em termos de ponto de articulação, consoantes plosivas surdas sem soltura audível em codas simples finais de palavras do inglês. A pesquisa contou com 17 acadêmicos do primeiro semestre do curso de graduação em Letras, matriculados na disciplina Inglês I, turmas A e B, da UFRGS. Os acadêmicos foram submetidos ao Oxford Placement Test (ALLAN, 2004), que apontou duas categorias, básico e intermediário. Para medir a acurácia quanto ao ponto de articulação das consoantes propostas, foram aplicados dois testes de percepção: (a) teste de identificação perceptual, com 81 questões e (b) teste de discriminação categórica [de acordo com o modelo ABX (LIBERMAN et al. 1957)], com 135 questões. As palavras que serviram como estímulos auditivos nos testes foram selecionadas segundo a estrutura silábica CVC e equidistribuídas de acordo com as vogais [], [] e [] (como em ―beep”, ―lit”, ―sack”). Todas as palavras foram gravadas por três falantes nativos de inglês americano, gênero masculino, provenientes do oeste americano. De modo a verificar se a instrução explícita sobre o fenômeno da não soltura de oclusivas teria papel sobre a acuidade na percepção dos pontos de articulação das consoantes, os acadêmicos foram alocados em dois grupos: (a) grupo experimental, que recebeu instrução sobre o fenômeno, contando com 10 alunos; e (b) grupo controle, o qual foi composto de 7 alunos que não receberam qualquer instrução sobre o fenômeno. Os testes foram conduzidos no Laboratório de Línguas da universidade e executados durante 25 minutos em média. Através dos experimentos mencionados, os resultados mostram que: (a) os pontos de articulação labial e velar obtiveram maiores índices de acuidade; (b) as vogais nucleares [] e [] são as que favorecem a percepção do ponto de articulação das consoantes abordadas; (c) o grupo experimental obteve maiores índices de acuidade quando comparado ao grupo controle; e (d) os acadêmicos de nível intermediário apresentam maiores índices de acuidade, comparados aos acadêmicos de nível básico. / This study aimed to investigate how Southern Brazilian EFL learners perceive, in terms of distinctions in place of articulation, the English unreleased voiceless stops in word-final position. Seventeen undergraduate students of English from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul participated in this research study. The participants took the Oxford Placement Test (Allan, 2004), which grouped them in two levels of proficiency (basic and intermediate). In order to determine the perceptual accuracy regarding the place of articulation of the three consonants, two perception tasks were applied: (a) a perceptual identification task, containing 81 questions, and (b) a categorical discrimination task, following the ABX pattern (Liberman et al., 1957), with 135 questions. The words which served as auditory stimuli in both tasks were selected to meet the CVC syllabic structure and were equidistributed according to the vowels [], [], and [], as in ―beat”, “bit”, “bat”. The stimuli were recorded by three male native speakers of American English. In order to check whether explicit instruction regarding wordfinal consonant unrelease would play a role in the perception of the consonants‘ places of articulation, the participants were divided into two groups: (a) an experimental group, which has been instructed on the phenomenon, composed by 10 students; and (b) a control group, which refers to 7 students who were not instructed on the phonetic aspect researched. The tasks were conducted in the Language Laboratory of the university and took the participants around 25 minutes to be done. The results are the following: (a) the labial and velar places of articulation had higher levels of accuracy; (b) the nuclear vowels [] and [] are the ones that optimize the perception of the consonants‘ place of articulation; (c) the experimental group showed higher levels of accuracy, when compared to the control group; and (d) intermediate students show higher levels of accuracy in the perception tasks, when compared to the basic students.

Este estudo pretendeu verificar como aprendizes de inglês (L2) do sul do Brasil percebem, em termos de ponto de articulação, consoantes plosivas surdas sem soltura audível em codas simples finais de palavras do inglês. A pesquisa contou com 17 acadêmicos do primeiro semestre do curso de graduação em Letras, matriculados na disciplina Inglês I, turmas A e B, da UFRGS. Os acadêmicos foram submetidos ao Oxford Placement Test (ALLAN, 2004), que apontou duas categorias, básico e intermediário. Para medir a acurácia quanto ao ponto de articulação das consoantes propostas, foram aplicados dois testes de percepção: (a) teste de identificação perceptual, com 81 questões e (b) teste de discriminação categórica [de acordo com o modelo ABX (LIBERMAN et al. 1957)], com 135 questões. As palavras que serviram como estímulos auditivos nos testes foram selecionadas segundo a estrutura silábica CVC e equidistribuídas de acordo com as vogais [], [] e [] (como em ―beep”, ―lit”, ―sack”). Todas as palavras foram gravadas por três falantes nativos de inglês americano, gênero masculino, provenientes do oeste americano. De modo a verificar se a instrução explícita sobre o fenômeno da não soltura de oclusivas teria papel sobre a acuidade na percepção dos pontos de articulação das consoantes, os acadêmicos foram alocados em dois grupos: (a) grupo experimental, que recebeu instrução sobre o fenômeno, contando com 10 alunos; e (b) grupo controle, o qual foi composto de 7 alunos que não receberam qualquer instrução sobre o fenômeno. Os testes foram conduzidos no Laboratório de Línguas da universidade e executados durante 25 minutos em média. Através dos experimentos mencionados, os resultados mostram que: (a) os pontos de articulação labial e velar obtiveram maiores índices de acuidade; (b) as vogais nucleares [] e [] são as que favorecem a percepção do ponto de articulação das consoantes abordadas; (c) o grupo experimental obteve maiores índices de acuidade quando comparado ao grupo controle; e (d) os acadêmicos de nível intermediário apresentam maiores índices de acuidade, comparados aos acadêmicos de nível básico. / This study aimed to investigate how Southern Brazilian EFL learners perceive, in terms of distinctions in place of articulation, the English unreleased voiceless stops in word-final position. Seventeen undergraduate students of English from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul participated in this research study. The participants took the Oxford Placement Test (Allan, 2004), which grouped them in two levels of proficiency (basic and intermediate). In order to determine the perceptual accuracy regarding the place of articulation of the three consonants, two perception tasks were applied: (a) a perceptual identification task, containing 81 questions, and (b) a categorical discrimination task, following the ABX pattern (Liberman et al., 1957), with 135 questions. The words which served as auditory stimuli in both tasks were selected to meet the CVC syllabic structure and were equidistributed according to the vowels [], [], and [], as in ―beat”, “bit”, “bat”. The stimuli were recorded by three male native speakers of American English. In order to check whether explicit instruction regarding wordfinal consonant unrelease would play a role in the perception of the consonants‘ places of articulation, the participants were divided into two groups: (a) an experimental group, which has been instructed on the phenomenon, composed by 10 students; and (b) a control group, which refers to 7 students who were not instructed on the phonetic aspect researched. The tasks were conducted in the Language Laboratory of the university and took the participants around 25 minutes to be done. The results are the following: (a) the labial and velar places of articulation had higher levels of accuracy; (b) the nuclear vowels [] and [] are the ones that optimize the perception of the consonants‘ place of articulation; (c) the experimental group showed higher levels of accuracy, when compared to the control group; and (d) intermediate students show higher levels of accuracy in the perception tasks, when compared to the basic students.