Submitted by ALINE MARA FERNANDES null (alinemaraf@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-07-19T00:57:37Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Aline Mara Fernandes_doutorado.pdf: 8608630 bytes, checksum: 37557e2e427164282e4f176d5da189ea (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Paula Grisoto (grisotoana@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-07-20T13:56:22Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 fernandes_am_dr_sjrp.pdf: 8608630 bytes, checksum: 37557e2e427164282e4f176d5da189ea (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-20T13:56:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 fernandes_am_dr_sjrp.pdf: 8608630 bytes, checksum: 37557e2e427164282e4f176d5da189ea (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-06-10 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Este trabalho, inserido na área de avaliação de proficiência de professores de língua estrangeira, investigou o uso da metalinguagem para explicação gramatical em língua inglesa a partir de dados coletados em contexto real de uso da língua em dois cursos de Licenciatura em Letras. Os objetivos centrais desta pesquisa foram: (1) discutir o uso da metalinguagem em dois contextos de formação de professores de língua estrangeira e o desenvolvimento da competência metalinguística de futuros professores; (2) caracterizar a explicação gramatical em língua inglesa pela análise de sua estrutura textual, a partir de amostras de falas de professores e alunos em aulas, seminários e teste oral do EPPLE (Exame de Proficiência para Professores de Línguas Estrangeiras) e (3) propor um quadro de especificações de teste para a elaboração de tarefas do teste oral do EPPLE que contemplem a explicação gramatical. Para alcançar esses objetivos, foi realizada a descrição de aulas de língua inglesa coletadas nos dois cursos de formação de professores de língua estrangeira, de modo a obter um panorama do uso da metalinguagem para explicação gramatical. Foram também analisados trechos de seminários apresentados pelos alunos  professores em formação  e trechos de gravações do desempenho dos alunos no teste oral do EPPLE, aplicado nos anos de 2012 e 2013. A esse conjunto de dados, em uma primeira etapa, aplicamos uma metodologia baseada na Linguística Sistêmico-Funcional, de análise da estrutura esquemática (EGGINS, 2012) para a caracterização da explicação gramatical. Observamos uma estrutura típica na realização da explicação gramatical nos três tipos de eventos comunicativos analisados (aulas, seminários e teste oral), marcada especialmente pela descrição do uso linguístico e pela exemplificação, além de outros elementos secundários, como fornecimento de prática e elicitação de participação dos alunos pelo professor. Tendo em vista a recorrência da explicação gramatical nos dados e dos elementos que compõem sua estrutura esquemática, foi possível afirmar seu lugar no domínio de linguagem específico do professor. Foi apresentado também um levantamento do léxico empregado por (futuros) professores no fornecimento da explicação gramatical, capaz de auxiliar na elaboração e na avaliação das tarefas orais. A segunda etapa deste estudo foi dedicada à discussão sobre especificações de teste, com base na literatura da área de avaliação de língua (por ex. FULCHER; DAVIDSON, 2007; O’SULLIVAN, 2012); à descrição do construto do EPPLE, com base em estudos e publicações realizadas no escopo do projeto desse exame (por ex. CONSOLO et al, 2009, 2010; CONSOLO E TEIXEIRA DA SILVA, 2007, 2014; ANCHIETA, 2015); e, por fim, à criação de especificações de teste para elaboração de tarefas para o teste oral do EPPLE. A caracterização da explicação gramatical, desenvolvida na primeira etapa de análise dos dados, permitiu delimitar traços específicos desse uso da metalinguagem possíveis de serem incluídos em tarefas de teste e em critérios de avaliação da proficiência oral em língua inglesa. Com este estudo, esperamos contribuir para a descrição do domínio de linguagem do professor de LE, para documentação do EPPLE e para o desenvolvimento de materiais de teste direcionados a elaboradores e avaliadores do exame. / This study, inserted in the area of language testing, investigates the use of metalanguage for grammatical explanation in English from data collected in contexts of real language use in two undergraduate language courses in Brazil. The main objectives of this research study are: (1) to discuss the use of metalanguage in two different contexts of foreign language teacher education and the development of metalinguistic competence of teachers-to-be; (2) to study grammatical explanation in English through analysis of its textual structure, based on samples of teachers’ oral language in lessons, oral presentations and the oral test of EPPLE (Proficiency Examination for Foreign Language Teachers), and (3) propose a test specifications sheet for the development of tasks for the EPPLE oral component that include grammatical explanation. In order to achieve these objectives, we described a number of English lessons observed in the two language university courses and analyzed excerpts from students’ oral presentations and from their performance in the EPPLE oral test, in 2012 and 2013. For the first part of data analysis, we used a methodology based on Systemic Functional Linguistics, for describing the schematic structure (EGGINS, 2012) of the grammatical explanation. We observed a structure that is typical in the performance of grammatical explanation in the three kinds of communicative events studied (lessons, oral presentations and oral test), which is marked especially by the description of the linguistic use and by the use of examples. Moreover, secondary elements of the schematic structure are the provision of practice and teachers’ elicitation of students’ participation. Considering the recurrence of grammatical explanation in the data and its structural elements, it is possible to assert its place in foreign language teachers’ specific linguistic domain. We also mapped the lexicon used by teachers in giving grammatical explanation to students, which is believed to bring benefits for task development and scoring. The second phase of this study consists of discussions about test specifications, based on the literature on language testing (for instance, Fulcher & Davidson, 2007; O’Sullivan, 2012); description of EPPLE construct, based on studies and publications in the scope of this examination project (for instance, Consolo et al, 2009, 2010, Consolo & Teixeira da Silva, 2007, 2014, Anchieta, 2015); and finally the design of test specifications for the development of tasks for the EPPLE oral test. The study of the grammatical explanation textual characteristics permitted us to delineate specific traits of this metalinguistic use which could be included in test tasks and in criteria for English oral proficiency assessment. With this research study, we intend to contribute to the description of the language domain of foreign language teachers, to the EPPLE documentation and to the generation of test materials aimed at the EPPLE developers and examiners.

When speaking a language, whether it is our first or second language, grammatical mistakes will be made. The aim of this essay is to look into what kinds of mistakes some Swedish learners of English make when speaking English and to analyze why these mistakes are made. The essay also aims at looking into what grammar teaching can look like in Sweden and how some teachers look upon their students’ oral proficiency. The method used for this study was a qualitative one, namely interviews. Twelve students, eight in grade seven and four in grade nine, and two teachers were interviewed. During the interviews with the students a dictaphone was used. When interviewing the teachers notes were taken, and these have been the foundation of the analysis. The results showed that many of the mistakes made by the students seemed to originate in transfer from their first language. Preposition mistakes, for instance, were made in 20% of the cases and they mainly originated in interference with their first language. Verbs turned out to be the area where most mistakes were made, followed by prepositions and pronouns. 50% of the mistakes made by students in grade nine were verb mistakes, whereas the students in grade seven made verb mistakes in 33% of the cases. This study further shows that the teachers had a good grasp of what their students know, and do not know, but there were some mistakes the learners made which the teachers did not mention. Finally, the study showed that spoken language is in focus within the classroom. Students are allowed to make mistakes, even though the interviewed teachers find grammar important.

Syftet med detta arbete är att undersöka hur pedagoger arbetar med elevers muntliga färdighet, alltså hur denna färdighet arbetas med i klassrummet samt om den medför konsekvenser, både positiva och negativa.  Metoden som används är kvalitativa intervjuer där 5 grundlärare i årskurs 1-3 intervjuas. Metoden kvalitativa intervjuer valdes för att kunna titta närmare på pedagogernas erfarenheter och åsikter.  Resultatet från intervjuerna styrker till största del den tidigare forskningen. Pedagogerna tar under intervjuerna upp någonting som forskningen inte gör. De tar upp exempel på aktiviteter där den muntliga färdigheten tränas. Forskningen och de intervjuade håller dock med varandra om att den muntliga färdigheten är någonting som hela tiden måste arbetas med och vidareutvecklas. Forskningen visar att pedagogen oftast är den som tar upp mest talutrymme i klassrummet samtidigt som de intervjuade kan anse att talutrymmet är lika stort för både elever och pedagog. Både forskningen och de intervjuade ser att den muntliga färdigheten medför både hinder och möjligheter. Dock vinner möjligheterna i längden. / The purpose of this work is to study how teachers work with pupils' oral proficiency. The purpose is to find out how this proficiency is being trained in the classroom and whether it has consequences, both positive and negative.  The method used is qualitative interviews, where five elementary school teachers in grades 1-3 are interviewed. The qualitative interviews were chosen to study the educators' experiences and opinions.  The results obtained from the interviews largely reinforce the results from previous research. During the interviews, the educators mentioned something that the previous research did not mention. They list examples of activities where the oral proficiency is trained. The research and the interviewees agree, however, that the oral proficiency is something that must always be worked on and further developed. Research shows that the pedagogue usually takes up the most speech space in the classroom, while the interviewees may think that the speech space is the same for both students and educators. Both the research and the interviewees agree that the oral proficiency consists of both obstacles and opportunities. However, opportunities usually prevail.

This paper examines language ideology in the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) 2012 speaking proficiency guidelines using the method of critical rhetoric analysis. Language ideologies, a concept borrowed from linguistic anthropology, are the ways people and organizations conceptualize and talk about language. In this paper, I explore how the ACTFL speaking proficiency guidelines discuss proficient language. Since these guidelines are widely used and highly respected, it is necessary for those who use them to understand what ideologies of proficiency they express. Therefore, this study also discusses how the language ideologies in the guidelines may impact consequential validity. The results from this analysis are a description of language ideologies found in the guidelines, including ideologies about standard language and native speakers. From these findings, I make recommendations for how knowledge about these language ideologies should inform decisions being made for users of the guidelines and the accompanying test, the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview. These recommendations include considering 1) how generalizable these ideologies are to languages other than English, 2) how what is included and excluded in the definition of proficiency could impact less prestigious speakers of the languages tested, and 3) how well these ideologies align with the decisions that will be made based on the test's results.

The present study was designed to understand the retrospective account of the learning experience of four successful learners of Russian who made substantial oral gains as measured by the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) during a semester study abroad (SA) program in Moscow, Russia. Each participant made as much as two sublevels' improvement on the ACTFL scale, even those who began with Advanced level proficiency. Specifically, the study examines what students believe, how they exercise their agency, cope with constraints, and take advantage of affordances in out-of-class contexts. The qualitative data includes semi-structured interviews while quantitative data consists of pre- and post-program OPI scores. This research addresses the question of second language learning in a foreign language immersion program through thick description and through cross-case analyses. Findings were interpreted in relation to van Lier's theory of the ecology of language learning (2004) and the notion of affordances which suggests that if learners are proactive and outgoing (or initiate interactions) they will perceive language affordances as valuable and will use them. This theoretical approach provides a means to understand how most students were able to improve in oral performance while lacking meaningful contact with native speakers (NSs) or struggling to make friends with them. Regardless of the difficulties encountered during their time in Russia, students exercised their agency through participating in more self-initiated non-interactive activities without being directed by others. Each of the students perceived the meaning of his or her learning experience in a different way, demonstrating how the SA experience is highly individualized. This study argues that regardless of students' individual differences, they have one key principle in common: autonomous behavior. Further research is needed to investigate what fosters learners' autonomy and contributes to learners' self-efficacy.

This study explored the effectiveness of a Willingness to Communicate (WTC) scale with advanced foreign language (L2) learners. The WTC instrument included sections on communicating with native speakers of the L2 and peer language learners in various settings (at home, abroad, in-class and online). As most prior research had focused on beginning language learners, for this study, we recruited participants who began to learn their respective languages in informal, long-term immersion settings. Participants took the WTC survey as part of a larger self-assessment instrument with a subset of 600 intermediate and advanced level Spanish (n = 339), Portuguese (n = 155), and French (n = 106) L2 students taking an Oral Proficiency Interview (computerized). The instrument was found to be reliable (Cronbach α = .88), and there was a significant difference [t (5) = 2.97, p = .031] in WTC between sections for online and in-class settings. However, the WTC had no significant relationship (Pearson's r2 = .0005) with OPIc score. Thus, while WTC might help beginning learners reach advanced level language, it might not discriminate among learners who are already advanced.

This study investigates the interplay between temporal fluency measures, self-assessment, and language proficiency scores in novice- to intermediate- level language learners of Spanish and French. Analyzing data from 163 participants, the research employs both traditional linear regression and advanced XGBoost machine learning models. Findings demonstrate a moderate positive correlation between self-assessment and Oral Proficiency Interview by Computer (OPIc) scores, underscoring the dependable self-awareness of learners. Notably, XGBoost performs as well as linear regression in predicting OPIc scores and has more potential, underlining the efficacy of advanced methodologies. The study identifies Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) as a crucial predictor, highlighting specific temporal fluency measures' significance in determining proficiency. These findings contribute to language assessment practices, advocating for the integration of machine learning for enhanced precision in predicting language proficiency and informing tailored instructional approaches.

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