<p>The aim of this study was to investigate how code-switching operates and what impact it has on the interaction in the EFL classroom. The study was conducted at a Swedish secondary school by means of observations, interviews, and a questionnaire. The participants of the study were 79 students and two teachers. Both teachers and students were observed and, in addition to this, the students answered the questionnaire and the teachers were interviewed.</p><p>The results showed that there were several factors that triggered the students' use of the native language and the ultimate reason for switching to the native language was often to facilitate the learning process. Typical situations in which the students switched to Swedish were when they communicated with their peers or when they encountered unfamiliar words. Moreover, the results suggest that the teacher plays an important role for the choice of code in the classroom through his/her own language use and attitude towards code-switching. Neither of the interviewed teachers nor the majority of the students thought that there were any positive aspects to code-switching.</p>

This dissertation investigates an area of notorious difficulty for learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) within the framework of Cognitive Linguistics. Research from previous studies has indicated that phrasal verb learning may be more effective if a Cognitive Linguistic approach is adopted. However, the quantitative and qualitative research in this dissertation demonstrates that the approach, once integrated into a regular, classroom-based EFL programme, does not consistently yield significant learning gains. Further qualitative investigations highlighted the fact that the benefits of the approach have less to do with the Cognitive Linguistic explanations than with their compatibility with other learning strategies, such as employing imagery and grouping information. In addition, the approach is most suited to phrasal verbs that are already partially familiar to students. However, for other phrasal verbs the Cognitive Linguistic approach may even impede learning. In addition, the implications for phrasal verb pedagogy are then presented and discussed.

This dissertation investigates an area of notorious difficulty for learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) within the framework of Cognitive Linguistics. Research from previous studies has indicated that phrasal verb learning may be more effective if a Cognitive Linguistic approach is adopted. However, the quantitative and qualitative research in this dissertation demonstrates that the approach, once integrated into a regular, classroom-based EFL programme, does not consistently yield significant learning gains. Further qualitative investigations highlighted the fact that the benefits of the approach have less to do with the Cognitive Linguistic explanations than with their compatibility with other learning strategies, such as employing imagery and grouping information. In addition, the approach is most suited to phrasal verbs that are already partially familiar to students. However, for other phrasal verbs the Cognitive Linguistic approach may even impede learning. In addition, the implications for phrasal verb pedagogy are then presented and discussed.

Institution: Halmstad University/School of Teacher Education (LUT) Course: C-level paper, 15 credits Term: Spring 2010 Title: Two Sides of the Same Coin - A study of EFL-teachers knowledge regarding the divergences between British and American English; and the challenges which arise from having more than one accepted variety of English in EFL teaching. Pages: 41 Writer: Linda Jensen Purpose: The purpose of this essay is to ascertain if Swedish EFL teachers have sufficient knowledge regarding the differences between BrE and AmE, the two major varieties of English. Furthermore, I aim to examine what challenges are created when two models of English, BrE and AmE, are accepted in upper secondary schools in Sweden. Method: A quantitative web-based survey.Material: Questionnaire filled in by 59 EFL teachers in upper secondary schools in Halland, Sweden. Main results: Upper secondary EFL teachers in Halland, Sweden do appear to have a basic knowledge of the differences between BrE and AmE and as such a majority placed themselves in the correct category. However, there is a lack of consistency and all the teachers mixed the two varieties to some extent. The challenges that arise from having two accepted varieties in Swedish schools are amongst other things the question of the consistency rule, dealing with the value system associated with British and American English and the question of whether Mid-Atlantic English should be accepted as a third educational standard. Keywords: British English, American English, Mid-Atlantic English, divergence, EFL, consistency, challenges, value system.

The aim of this essay is to analyze two different educational paradigms, which I refer to broadly as the behavioristic way of learning through imitation versus intercultural education, as these are depicted in the novel Purple Hibiscus by the Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The analysis focuses on how the narrator Kambili´s learning, identity and personal development are differently affected by these two contrastive approaches to education. After the analysis, examples of how the novel can be taught in intercultural, communicative EFL classrooms will be given. In the analysis theories of mimicry and imitation, and identity will be used as well as understandings of the terms intercultural education and behaviorism. The analysis shows that Kambili´s father Eugene represents behaviorism in the novel, whereas Kambili´s aunt Ifeoma symbolizes intercultural education. At home, Kambili learns to imitate her father´s behavior and values. In Ifeoma´s house on the other hand she encounters a kind of intercultural education, where critical thinking and questioning are encouraged. The thematization of contrastive educational and developmental paradigms in the novel is relevant to the comprehensive goals of Swedish upper secondary schools, which promote intercultural learning, as well as critical thinking and reflection on learning processes. Reading literature in the EFL classroom at this level may promote these broad educational objectives as well as the achievement of more specific, language- and culture-based learning outcomes. For many Swedish EFL students, Purple Hibiscus may represent difference, and therefore it is a suitable novel to include in intercultural education, as the students are encouraged tounderstand and reflect on different perspectives. By discussing the novel in groups, the education becomes intercultural because everyone becomes active participants and everyone´s voices are heard.

This dissertation analyses the effects of age on the acquisition of vocabulary in English as a Foreign Language (FL). It focusses on productive vocabulary because it is a crucial aspect in language learning which is also vital in communication, both oral and written, and it has often been the neglected component in research on age. Studies on age in naturalistic contexts have usually shown that 'the earlier one starts learning the language, the better'. Although in the short term Early Starters (ES) are outperformed by Late Starters (LS), due mainly to the superior cognitive maturity and the quickest rate of development of the latter, in the long run ES will catch up with LS and will eventually overtake them. Our educational system also promotes an early start to the FL, as the age at which English is first introduced at schools has progressively been brought down in the recent years. However, results in instructional settings are not as clear-cut as the ones obtained in natural contexts and 'the earlier the better' assumption does not always seem to apply in a straightforward way. The present work analyses the oral and written production of two groups of Catalan/Spanish bilinguals who learn English at school as a FL. One of the main aims of the research is to determine if, in the long term, towards the end of secondary education, there are consistent differences between a group of ES (who started at 8) and one of LS (who started at 11) as regards productive vocabulary. The design presented also allows to study the development and draw comparisons between the groups from primary education onwards (data collections were carried out after 200, 416, 726 and 800 hours of exposure). Therefore, the analyses are performed by controlling the Amount of Exposure that learners have received, their Cognitive Maturity (Age at Testing) and their Age of Onset (Starting Age). In order to analyse the participants' production, both intrinsic and extrinsic vocabulary measures are used. It is also a research purpose of the present work to survey some of the widely-used measures of lexical richness and to evaluate new ones, such as D and P_Lex. In addition, as the Second Language Acquisition research field is very much in need of testing tools, especially as regards vocabulary, this thesis presents one of the first methods to compute estimates of productive vocabulary size for different tasks. The process to carry out the estimations has been automated into V_Size, a new computer tool.Results show that in the long term, ES do not surpass LS in a formal context as far as lexical production is concerned. The same takes place even if ES receive some more exposure. This LS advantage seems to be present since the first stages of learning the FL, even though both groups show a boost in vocabulary from the age of 13 onwards. The findings are discussed in the light of other results found in natural and formal contexts for lexis and other language components. They are also interpreted in relation to other factors that may contribute to a successful learning apart from an early start. Results on different lexical measures are considered for research in the field and potential advantages of the new V_Size are described. Therefore, not only does the thesis bring new evidence to research on age and FL acquisition, but it also offers new insights into productive vocabulary testing. / CATALÀ:Aquesta tesi analitza els efectes del factor edat en l'adquisició de vocabulari en anglès com a llengua estrangera. Es centra en vocabulari productiu perquè és un aspecte crucial en l'aprenentatge de llengües que també és molt important per la comunicació, oral i escrita, i ha estat sovint el component oblidat en recerca sobre edat. Els estudis sobre el factor edat en contextos naturals mostren que és millor començar a aprendre un idioma el més abans possible. Tot i que a curt termini els aprenents més grans siguin millors que els joves, sobre tot a causa del la maduresa cognitiva i del ritme ràpid de desenvolupament dels primers, a llarg termini els més joves atrapen els grans i arriben a depassar-los. El nostre sistema educatiu també promou un començament primerenc de l'anglès, ja que l'edat en què l'idioma estranger és introduït a les escoles és cada vegada més baixa. Tanmateix, els resultats en contextos d'instrucció no són tan clars com els obtinguts en contextos naturals i la suposició de 'quan abans millor' no sembla del tot certa. Aquest treball analitza la producció oral i escrita de dos grups d'estudiants bilingües català/castellà que aprenen anglès com a llengua estrangera a l'escola però que començaren a edats diferents (uns als 8 i els altres als 11). Un dels propòsits de la recerca és determinar quin dels dos grups serà més competent a llarg termini, al final de la Secundària, pel que fa al vocabulari productiu. El disseny permet també estudiar el desenvolupament i establir comparacions entre els dos grups des de l'educació primària (es portaren a terme recollides de dades després de 200, 416, 726 i 800 hores d'aprenentatge). Les anàlisis controlen, per tant, les hores d'exposició, la maduresa cognitiva i l'edat d'inici de l'anglès. Per tal d'analitzar la producció dels aprenents s'han utilitzat mesures de vocabulari intrínisques i extrínsiques. És també objectiu d'aquesta tesi estudiar algunes de les mesures més utilitzades en lèxic així com avaluar-ne de noves com la D i el P_Lex. A més, com que el camp de recerca en Adquisició de Segones Llengües necessita eines d'avaluació, especialment en vocabulari, es proposa en aquest treball un dels primers mètodes per realitzar estimacions del tamany de vocabulari productiu dels aprenents per diferents tasques. Aquest procés d'estimació ha estat computeritzat en el programa V_Size, una nova eina informàtica. Els resultats indiquen que, a llarg termini, els aprenents més joves no avantatgen els més grans en contextos formals a igualtat d'hores d'exposició pel que fa a vocabulari productiu, encara que els més joves hagin començat abans; tampoc si aquests han rebut més hores d'exposició. Aquest avantatge dels més grans sembla ser present des dels estadis inicials d'aprenentatge, tot i que hi ha un desenvolupament notable als voltants dels 13 anys en ambdós grups. Els resultats són posats en relació a altres estudis en contextos formals i naturals tant pel que fa a vocabulari com per altres components lingüístics. Així mateix, són interpretats en relació a altres factors que poden ser tan o més importants que una jove edat d'inici. També els resultats obtinguts de les diferents mesures lèxiques són considerats per recerca en el camp i es descriuen els possibles beneficis derivats del nou mètode d'estimació de tamanys de vocabulari. Per tant, la tesi ofereix no només noves evidències a la recerca sobre el factor edat en l'adquisició de llengües estrangeres sinó també nous mètodes d'anàlisi de vocabulari productiu.

The aim of the present study was to analyse leaners’ use of logical connectors within the EFL classroom setting as well as to provide insights into the effects of instruction on their acquisition process. To this aim, two different types of instructional treatments (i.e. explicit versus implicit) were implemented on two groups of secondary school learners’ to determine progress in the use of logical connectors by comparing the two teaching approaches. The explicit instructional approach was operationalised on the basis of the principles underlying the "focus on form" paradigm providing extensive opportunities for communicative practice together with an explicit type of feedback. In contrast, the implicit one provided learners with exposure to the target items by means of reading comprehension passages and vocabulary work, with fewer opportunities for productive use of the language and an implicit type of feedback. Results showed that both types of instructional treatments proved to be beneficial for learners increasing their use of connectors in written texts. However, the approach that incorporated an explicit focus on form proved to be more effective to enhance learners’ accurate production of the target items. In addition to this, the study also focuses on task demands (free or controlled) regarding accuracy in connector use. Finally, wrong uses of connectors are analysed taking into account aspects such as function and/or type of connector in an attempt to create a taxonomy of logical connector errors. It is suggested that specific types of errors may be found within local or global discourse levels affecting learners’ discourse competence in various ways.

This study investigated cognitive factors that might influence Chinese EFL learners’ argumentative essay writing in English. The factors that were explored included English (L2) language proficiency, Chinese (L1) writing ability, genre knowledge, use of writing strategies, and working memory capacity in L1 and L2. Data were collected from 136 university students who received a battery of tests in two sessions. The tests consisted of timed essay writing tasks in L1 and L2, post-writing questionnaires for genre knowledge and use of strategies in the writing process, a timed grammaticality judgment task for L2 grammar knowledge, a receptive vocabulary test and a controlled-production vocabulary test for L2 vocabulary knowledge, and working memory span tasks in L1 and L2. Quantitative analyses using correlations, paired-samples t-test, analysis of variance and multiple regression revealed that L2 language proficiency is the most important predictor of L2 writing, followed by genre knowledge and L2 writing strategies. L1 writing ability and working memory capacity have slight impact as explanatory variables for L2 writing performance in the timed essay writing task.

Originating in a curiosity of how literature is used in the EFL classroom, the aim for this study has been to examine if four teachers‟ purpose for, and procedure in, using literature in the EFL classroom concur with what is a useful method on the subject as demonstrated by a methodological model constructed from current research. For this study, a model of beneficial methods of using literature in the EFL class was constructed from selected current research. Because there is a lot of research in this area, there is no claim that this study includes all theories regarding the use of literature in the EFL classroom. Still, it was possible to construct a useful model of common and constructive methods of literature use in EFL education. The conclusion of this study is that the teachers‟ purpose when using literature in the EFL class varies with the different teachers. However, they do concur with that of the national syllabi and to some extent also to written research on the subject. Further on, the teachers do work both in accordance with, and opposite to, procedures that the methodological model establishes to be productive.

The aim of this study is to investigate how the cultural component, described in the communication content of the course plan, is implemented in textbooks written for English 5. Furthermore, we aim to discover to what extent practising upper secondary-school teachers in Uppsala use textbooks for English 5, as well as to ascertain how teachers teach the cultural component specified in the course plan. The methods used are quantitative and qualitative text analysis of textbooks used in English 5, as well as qualitative interviews with upper secondary-school teachers in Uppsala who teach English 5. The results are that the spread of English is portrayed in the textbooks through the mentioning of different English-speaking countries, through the inclusion of authors of different nationality and, to some extent, through informative texts. Concerning the aspects of culture that are featured in the textbooks it can be said that the culture-specific content is not very frequent and that it focuses on living conditions and traditions, but also mentions historical events and attitudes. The portrayal of culture is often implicitly present in short-stories and novel extracts rather than being presented in informative texts where the cultural descriptions are the main focus. The general Western culture emerges as norm in the textbooks and non-Western countries and minorities are described as different from the norm, often as exotic, traditional and uniform. Concerning the use of textbooks by teachers, the interviewees use them to a small extent to implement some of the content of communication, but only ever as a complement to their other materials. The cultural component can be seen as being interpreted in three ways by teachers. Firstly, as societal issues and current events, secondly as a national phenomenon, and lastly as a tool to enable the students to objectively view cultures, their own as well as foreign cultures, national or otherwise. Accordingly, seven out of the eight interviewees feel that the cultural component is important, but challenging to implement.