This study is dedicated to the investigation of the motivational profiles in university students on campus and on distance. Having said that, the present study aims to investigate the following aspects related to these groups of students: a) their motivational profile; and b) if they differ in the motivational profile according to the type of study in which they are inserted (campus ordistance).  A survey has been carried out on campus on university students as well ason distance students, these students were surveyed through a questionnaire based on, in part, on the theory of the motivational self-system in L2 created by the psycholinguist Zoltán Dörnyei in 2009. Due to the limitations of the study and of the members the groups, this study doesn’t intend to generalize, moreover, this study was carried out with the materials and resources available, to date.  This study will try to demonstrate the different aspects of the motivational system in L2 in the two different groups and in their modalities.

This research paper examines Swedish students’ attitudes and motivation towards English education in two upper secondary schools, using Dörnyei’s (2005) L2 motivational self system. Of interest is whether theoretical and vocational students have motivational differences when it comes to learning English as a second language. A quantitative questionnaire was compiled using the instrument variables from previous studies of L2 motivation, and question items, which were “re-theorized” for this particular study. 58 students participated, of which 30 were theoretical students and 28 vocational students. Results were then analyzed across three dimensions of L2 motivation: ideal L2 self, ought to L2 self, and L2 learning experience. Findings revealed that, on average, both groups were motivated to learn English as a second language, but that there is an apparent difference between theoretical and vocational students’ attitudes towards learning an L2: the theoretical students’ data showed that they have stronger influence than vocational students in the ideal l2 self, integrative/integrativeness, instrumentality-promotion, attitudes to l2 community, ought-to l2 self, instrumentality-prevention, family influence, attitudes to learning English, and criterion measures.

This microanalytic study focuses on the mutimodal word look-up practices of Japanese foreign language learners of English at the novice level using electronic dictionaries (e-dictionaries) in pair conversations. Not yet investigated with a Conversation Analysis (CA) approach, this analysis examines reoccurring interactional and collaborative repair practices (Schegloff, Jefferson, & Sacks, 1977; Schegloff, 2000) of the learners' look-ups, and explicates from the sequential turn-taking procedures (Sacks, Schegloff, & Jefferson, 1974), the underlying social organization of the e-dictionary look-up sequence. Recent research has found that not-yet-fluent learners are capable of relatively smooth turn-taking (Carroll, 2000, 2004), and they employ various embodied actions (Olsher, 2004) to complete their turns. Nonvocal resources such as gaze movement (Goodwin, 1981) and gestures were also investigated in order to better understand how learners collaboratively utilize vocal and nonvocal resources in hybrid actions, to co-construct the meaning of look-up words, and maintain intersubjectivity. While enrolled in a university intensive English program, thirteen native speakers of Japanese video-recorded thirty-minute conversations; and during these conversations, they completed look-up sequences as interactional achievements. The results indicated that EFL novice learners display sophisticated competencies when using e-dictionaries for communication. While collaboratively completing look-up sequences, they display multimodal competencies by noticing trouble with words, initiating look-ups, making candidate proposals of word translations, correcting themselves, mutually acknowledging their understanding, and maintaining intersubjectivity and sequential relevance. In terms of language learning, learners' collaborative learning of words demonstrates instances of learning-as-interaction (Brouwer & Wagner, 2004; Firth & Wagner, 2007), making public the participants' socially situated cognition. Indications of a change in the participants' cognitive state can emerge in the look-up sequential organization. A lack of knowledge is displayed publically in before-look-up actions, encouraging collaboration in the look-up. Multiple proposals and acknowledgement sequences, often displayed in embodied expansions, provide multimodal indications of a possible change in cognitive state and possible gain in knowledge. Thus, the look-up sequence organization is proposed as an interactional organization for the learning of vocabulary. Finally, the understanding of sequential structures and practices that interactants use in looking up words can inform teachers concerning the efficacy of e-dictionary use in the classroom. / CITE/Language Arts

This study aims to explore Swedish upper secondary students’ attitudes toward first language (L1) use in a second language (L2) English learning environment. In addition, it aims to explore the functions of L1 use. Through a qualitative approach with both observations and interviews, a pattern of L1 use was noticed. The results corroborate prior research on student attitudes and show that students are positive toward L1 use. Swedish students tend to use their L1 through translanguaging and codeswitching as a tool for understanding, and as a way to establish relationships. In other words, L1 use needs to be considered a natural part of their L2 learning environment, even though they also understand the importance of exposure to and use of English in the classroom in order to become proficient in it. The students’ attitudes thus challenge the monolingual approach that is predominantly used in Swedish upper secondary schools today.

<p>The present study examines the effects of immersion education on the English of two groups of advanced Swedish learners at upper secondary school. In immersion education, or CLIL, subject content is taught through a second language as a means of enhancing target language competence. In this study, language proficiency was measured in terms of the ratio of low frequency vocabulary (LFV) and the ratio of motivated tense shift (MTSh) in the learners’ free written production in English. An additional aim was to see whether the results were related to the students’ motivation as reported in a questionnaire.</p><p>This longitudinal study was based on three sets of narratives, written by 86 students, half of them enrolled at the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB) where English is the medium of instruction, and the other half at national programmes (NP), where English is studied as a foreign language. At the outset, the IB and NP groups had similar results on a general diagnostic test, which was the basis for the formation of three subgroups: I, II and III, with above average, average and below average scores respectively. Mean LFV and MTSh ratios as well as different kinds of motivation were compared, both overall and in the subgroups.</p><p>The IB students overall, and those in subgroup III in particular, showed the best results. As to the overall results, the IB students used significantly higher mean ratios of LFV and MTSh than the NP students in the final set of compositions. There were also a number of motivational factors that were stronger in the IB students.</p><p>As to the subgroups, the most interesting results were found in subgroups I and III. While the IB students in subgroup I had high mean ratios already in the first composition, and retained them over time, their use of MTSh tended to grow subtler. The NP students had lower mean results initially, and while their mean MTSh ratio increased and ended up on a level similar to that of the IB students, their mean LFV ratio remained low.</p><p>In subgroup III the results of the IB and NP students diverged over time. While the IB students progressed as reflected in their mean LFV and MTSh ratios, the NP students tended to regress. The difference in mean LFV ratios was statistically significant. The IB students were also better motivated than their NP peers. In all, this study suggests that immersion education has positive target language effects, especially on less proficient but motivated students.</p>

The present study examines the effects of immersion education on the English of two groups of advanced Swedish learners at upper secondary school. In immersion education, or CLIL, subject content is taught through a second language as a means of enhancing target language competence. In this study, language proficiency was measured in terms of the ratio of low frequency vocabulary (LFV) and the ratio of motivated tense shift (MTSh) in the learners’ free written production in English. An additional aim was to see whether the results were related to the students’ motivation as reported in a questionnaire. This longitudinal study was based on three sets of narratives, written by 86 students, half of them enrolled at the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB) where English is the medium of instruction, and the other half at national programmes (NP), where English is studied as a foreign language. At the outset, the IB and NP groups had similar results on a general diagnostic test, which was the basis for the formation of three subgroups: I, II and III, with above average, average and below average scores respectively. Mean LFV and MTSh ratios as well as different kinds of motivation were compared, both overall and in the subgroups. The IB students overall, and those in subgroup III in particular, showed the best results. As to the overall results, the IB students used significantly higher mean ratios of LFV and MTSh than the NP students in the final set of compositions. There were also a number of motivational factors that were stronger in the IB students. As to the subgroups, the most interesting results were found in subgroups I and III. While the IB students in subgroup I had high mean ratios already in the first composition, and retained them over time, their use of MTSh tended to grow subtler. The NP students had lower mean results initially, and while their mean MTSh ratio increased and ended up on a level similar to that of the IB students, their mean LFV ratio remained low. In subgroup III the results of the IB and NP students diverged over time. While the IB students progressed as reflected in their mean LFV and MTSh ratios, the NP students tended to regress. The difference in mean LFV ratios was statistically significant. The IB students were also better motivated than their NP peers. In all, this study suggests that immersion education has positive target language effects, especially on less proficient but motivated students.

Le but de cette étude était de considérer la possibilité de la mise en œuvre de l’approche d'apprentissage par problèmes (APP), Problem Based Learning (PBL), comme une méthodologie d'enseignement, épistémologiquement solide, pour enseigner l'anglais de spécialité (ASP), en particulier, dans le domaine académique de la médecine, English for Academic Medical Purposes (EAMP). Dans un premier temps, l'étude a examiné si PBL est compatible avec l'enseignement des langues et a cherché à déterminer les avantages que cette méthode peut apporter à l'enseignement de l'ASP. L'étude a également tenté de résoudre des problèmes d'apprentissage en anglais qui ont été identifiés dans les Collèges de Santé de l’Année préparatoire (Branche Féminine) au sein de l'Université de Hail, Arabie Saoudite. Une analyse des besoins a été menée dans l'institution pour mieux identifier ces problèmes d'apprentissage. En conséquence, PBL a été mis en œuvre pour déterminer si cette approche est capable de fournir une solution possible à la question, puisque PBL a été initialement mis en œuvre en médecine pour faire face à des problèmes similaires. Cela a entraîné un changement dans les niveaux macro-méthodologique et micro-méthodologique, comme Demaizière (1996 ; 66) les appelle. Dans la partie empirique, une étude longitudinale a été menée avec 13 étudiantes qui ont été observées dans une période de 8 semaines au cours de cinq PBL tutoriels, qui a eu lieu pendant quinze séances. En général, les résultats étaient en faveur de la mise en œuvre de cette approche dans l'enseignement de l'anglais médical. Ils ont également montré que PBL peut améliorer l'autonomie des apprenants ; leurs permettre de développer des stratégies d'apprentissage ; les aider à exploiter leurs compétences linguistiques ; et d'apprendre le contenu orienté vers leur domaine. / The purpose of this study was to consider the implementation of Problem Based Learning (PBL) as an epistemologically sound teaching methodology to teach English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and particularly English for Academic Medical Purposes (EAMP). The study examined whether PBL is compatible with language teaching and determined the benefits that this methodology can bring to ESP. The study also attempted to solve problems with English learning that were identified in the Preparatory Year Health Colleges (Female Branch) within Hail University, Saudi Arabia. A needs analysis was conducted in the institution to examine the English learning situation and better identify these learning problems. Then PBL was implemented to determine if it provided a possible solution to the issue. This entailed a change in the macro-methodological and micro-methodological levels, as Demaizière (1996) called ‘le niveau macromethodologique’ and ‘le niveau micromethodologique’ (p.66). In the empirical part of this study, a longitudinal study was conducted with 13 students who were observed through a period of 8 weeks and over five PBL tutorials, which took place over fifteen sessions. During these fifteen sessions, learners’ behaviors or indicators of autonomy were observed at the group level for the first and third session of each PBL tutorial and at the individual level in session 2. In general, the results favored the implementation of this approach in teaching English for Academic Medical Purposes (EAMP). They also showed that PBL can improve learners’ autonomy; enable learners to develop learning strategies; help learners harness their language skills; and learn content oriented to their field.

Computer assisted language learning (CALL) comprises a wide range of information technologies that aim to broaden the context of teaching by getting advantages of IT. For example, a few efforts have been put on including a combination of voice and its visual representation for language learning, and some studies are reporting positive outcomes. However, more research is needed in order to assess the impact caused by specific visualization styles such as: highlighting syllables and/or wave of sound. In order to explore this issue, we focused at measuring the potential impact that two distinct visualization styles and its combination can have on teaching children the pronunciation of English as a second language. We built a prototype which was designed to assist students while learning pronunciation of syllables. This system was employing two different real-time interactive visualization styles. One of these visualization styles utilizes audio capturing and processing, using a recent technology development: Web Audio API.We evaluated the effect of our prototype with an experiment with children aged from 9 to 11years old. We followed an experimental approach with a control group and three experimental groups. We tested our hypothesis that states that the use of a combined visualization style can have greater impact at learning pronunciation in comparison with traditional learning approach.Initial descriptive analyses were suggesting promising results for the group that used the combined visualization prototype. However, additional statistical analyses were carried out in order to measure the effect of prototype as accurately as possible within the constraints of our study. Further analyses provided evidence that our combined visualizations prototype has positively affected the learning of pronunciation. Nonetheless, the difference was not big comparing to the system that employed only wave of sound visualization. Ability to perceive visual information differs among individuals. Therefore, further research with different sample division is needed to determine whether is the combination of visualizations that does the effect, or is the wave in itself. Slitting groups based on this characteristic and perform the testing will be considered for the future research.Eventually, we can be confident to continue exploring further the possibility of integrating our proposed combination of two visualization styles in teaching practices of second language learning, due to positive outcomes that our current research outlined. In addition, from a technological perspective, our work is at the forefront of exploring the use of tools such as Web Audio API for CALL.

Detta arbete hade syftet att undersöka hur det arbetas med ordinlärning i engelskundervisningen i den svenska grundskolan. Studien är baserad på intervjuer med syfte att undersöka lärares syn på ordinlärning och vilka metoder de finner mest gynnande för den långsiktiga inlärningen. Intervjuerna var semistrukturerade och genomfördes med hjälp av två lärare som undervisar i årskurserna 1-3 och tre lärare som undervisar i årskurserna 4-6. Resultaten visar att det finns olika metoder som används vid ordinlärning och dessa inkluderar att läraren genemsamt läser och uttalar ord tillsammans med sina elever, samt att uppmärksamma nya ord i texter under läsningens gång. Lärarnas svar visade även att lärarna medvetet integrerar olika metoder i undervisningen för att gynna elevernas ordinlärning. Lärarna säger att de märker vilka metoder eleverna föredrar, vilket bland annat involverar samarbeten, webbaserade aktiviteter och läsning i grupp. Lärarna säger även att det genom undervisningen framgår vilka metoder som är mest gynnsamma än andra.

The aim of this paper is to investigate in which manner and to what extent the existence of a multilingual self, that is, the ability of an individual to adopt a vision of themselves that encompasses many languages, relates to different aspects, such as the will to improve one’s linguistic ability or motivation to study, within learning and acquisition of second languages. The idea of a multilingual self has its theoretical base within the Second language motivational self system, or the L2MSS for short, which states that motivation is primarily derived from one’s vision of self and one’s previous experiences.  The investigation was carried out using custom made surveys which were distributed among university students of Spanish in Sweden. The investigation received 42 answered surveys in return using which several separate comparisons were carried out with the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods.  The findings of the investigation have shown that the multilingual self has a positive correlation in every single one of the aspects used in the investigation. Therefore, according to the results of this investigation, the identification with the multilingual self has a positive correlation with learning and acquisition of second languages. The biggest factor that leads to a larger possibility of an individual to identify with the multilingual self seems to be said individuals experience of learning the languages that they possess. / El objetivo de este trabajo es investigar de qué manera y en qué medida la existencia de un yo multilingüe, es decir, la capacidad de un individuo para adoptar una visión de sí mismo que abarca muchas lenguas, se relaciona con diferentes aspectos, tales como la voluntad de mejorar su capacidad en sus lenguas o la motivación para estudiar y aprender otras lenguas. La idea de un yo multilingüe tiene su base teórica dentro del sistema del yo motivacional de segundas lenguas, o L2MSS por sus siglas en inglés, que establece que la motivación se deriva principalmente de la visión que uno tiene de sí mismo y de las experiencias previas. La investigación se llevó a cabo a través de encuestas personalizadas que se distribuyeron entre estudiantes universitarios de español en Suecia. La investigación recibió 42 encuestas respondidas, las cuales fueron analizadas mediante el uso de métodos tanto cuantitativos como cualitativos. Los resultados de la investigación han demostrado que el yo multilingüe tiene una correlación en todos y cada uno de los aspectos utilizados en la investigación. Por tanto, según los resultados de esta investigación, la identificación con el yo multilingüe tiene una correlación positiva con el aprendizaje y adquisición de segundas lenguas. El factor más importante que conduce a una mayor posibilidad de que un individuo se identifique con el yo multilingüe parece ser la experiencia de aprendizaje que poseen.