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With globally increased migration and mobility between countries, it has become critical for many people to learn to speak a second language. The focus of this study is on adult migrant language learners that are learning a second language of the host country on the side of their working life. This study aims to support learners in their second language acquisition outside classrooms settings. In particular, it explores how the use of a specially designed application aimed at helping learners to keep track on how much time they spend on studying a second language affects their engagement and motivation to continue study the target language. To support migrant learners keeping track of the time spent on language learning activities (e.g., speaking, writing, reading and listening), a web-based application, the TimeTracker App, accessible through users’ mobile device has been developed by the researcher and offered to the learners. Participants in this study used the application for around two weeks. A mixed method approach was employed: data was collected through semi-structured interviews and by extracting log data from the application’s database. Interview data was analysed by means of a conventional content analysis and log data by using descriptive statistics. Overall, the study’s results show that the use of the TimeTracker App enabled the respondents to feel more aware of how much time they spent on their studies, and inspired them to devote more time to study the target language compared to before using the application. The findings suggest that migrant learners become more motivated and engaged in their second language learning when using the application. / Globalt ökad migration och rörlighet mellan länder har gjort det kritiskt för många att lära sig att tala ett andraspråk. Denna studie fokuserar på arbetande migranter som lär sig ett andraspråk vid sidan av sitt arbetsliv. Studien syftar till att stödja de studerande i sitt lärande av ett andraspråk utanför klassrummet. I synnerhet undersöker den hur användningen av en speciellt utformad applikation som syftar till att hjälpa eleverna att hålla reda på hur mycket tid de spenderar på att studera ett andraspråk påverkar deras engagemang och motivation för att fortsätta studera målspråket. För att hjälpa studerande migranter hålla reda på den tid som spenderas på språkinlärning (t ex att tala, skriva, läsa och lyssna) har en webbaserad applikation, TimeTracker App, som är tillgänglig via användarnas mobiltelefon, utvecklats av författaren och erbjudits till eleverna. Deltagarna i denna studie använde applikationen i cirka två veckor. En blandad metod användes: data samlades in genom halvstrukturerade intervjuer och genom att extrahera loggdata från applikationsdatabasen. Intervjudata analyserades med hjälp av en konventionell innehållsanalys och loggdata med hjälp av beskrivande statistik. Sammantaget visar studiens resultat att användningen av TimeTracker App gjorde det möjligt för respondenterna att bli mer medvetna om hur mycket tid de spenderade på sina studier och det inspirerade dem att ägna mer tid att studera målspråket jämfört med innan man använde applikationen. Resultaten tyder på att arbetande migranter blir mer motiverade och engagerade i sitt studerande av ett andraspråk när de använder applikationen.

Considering teacher talk as the main input into the English as a foreign language classroom, this study aims to highlight and gain a deeper understanding of how target language use can look like in a foreign language classroom in Sweden. To investigate in this essay, the following research questions are addressed: • What is the teachers´ attitude towards the use of the target language in English teaching? • To what extent does the teacher communicate orally in English during English lessons? And on what occasions does the teacher choose to use the target language andthe first language during English lessons? The study was conducted in four different elementary schools, and four teachers were observed who taught in different grades. An interview was held after every observation, and through the interviews a deeper understanding was obtained. The material consists of notes through observation schedules and recordings of interviews and recording of observation. The study is based on Krashen's (1981) input hypothesis as well as Vygotskijs (2001) notion of Zone of proximal development. Research indicates that using the target language consistently can create learning opportunities for students, and a relaxing environment for them to use the target language themselves fluently during English lessons. Furthermore, studies has alsoshown using the first language can affect the students own language production and learning of the target language. However, other have shown that in some cases it can be an advantage to use the first language to include all students during English lessons, especially for the weak students in the class. Therefore, taking into consideration these different perspectives, I investigate four teachers´ use of English and Swedish in the Swedish EFL classroom.The findings show that three out of the four teachers observed used the target language in the beginning of the English lesson, while giving instructions, commanding the students to use the target language and asking them questions however, only one of them used the target language consistently during the English lesson. The findings also shows that the teachers used the first language to facilitate the students´ comprehension and to translate when they didn’t seem to understand what was said in English. Notably, some of the participating teachers indicated a desire to use the target language to a larger extent during English lessons, but they felt obligated to use Swedish in order to include all the students. The overall 3conclusion of this study is that it can be beneficial for both teachers and students if the teacher is aware of their approach toward the target language. They can thereby reflect on the impact this can have on their students´ language learning, their English lessons and their students´ use of the target language.

Denna kunskapsöversikt syftar till att sammanställa, analysera och presentera vad forskningen anser om att använda bilderböcker i undervisning av andraspråk i grundskolans tidigare år, alltså årskurserna 1 till 6 där eleverna är mellan 6-14 år. Med undervisning i andraspråk och andraspråksundervisning menar vi exempelvis engelskundervisning i det svenska skolsystemet som utgår ifrån svenska som modersmål och förstaspråk. Vidare är syftet att dedidaktiska för- och nackdelarna med bilderböcker kartläggs och att vi ska kunna reflektera över det sammanställda kunskapsfältet. Urvalet av artiklar samlades in genom en systematisk litteratursökning i olika databaser. Artiklarna är primärstudier med en spridning över olika delar av världen. Forskarna i våra utvalda studier använder antingen kvalitativ, kvantitativ eller blandade datainsamlingsmetoder. Den samlade forskningen som vi tagit del av visar ensamstämmighet kring den positiva effekten av att använda bilderböcker i undervisning av andra språk. De olika forskningsstudierna fokuserar på olika språkförmågor såsom ordinlärning, läsning och skrivning. Utöver dessa lyfts vikten av motivation som central del i samtliga studier. Studierna lyfter även fram behovet av ytterligare forskning inom fältet och belyser bristen på språklärarnas kompetens och lärarnas begränsade tid för att på ett strukturerat sätt använda bilderböcker i andraspråksundervisning.

In recent years, increasing attention has been placed on providing pronunciation instruction that meets the communicative needs of nonnative speakers (NNSs) of English. Empirical research and pronunciation materials writers suggest that teaching suprasegmentals before segmentals to intermediate and advanced NNSs could be more beneficial in a shorter period of time. However, the majority of the materials available that emphasize suprasegmentals are textbook-based, relying principally on classroom settings and teacher feedback. The purpose of Pronunciation Progress: Stress in American English is to provide NNSs with pronunciation materials for self-access and student-directed learning environments. These materials are designed as a series of computerized modules that focus on one element of suprasegmentals – stress. Pronunciation Progress: Stress in American English is divided into three units: syllable unit, word unit, and sentence unit. Each unit consists of different sections that include explanations of the content, examples, and practice exercises with immediate feedback. Learners can listen to native speakers on the computer and navigate through the content at their own pace, focusing on specific areas that they deem important for their learning. A pilot study was conducted over a three week period to evaluate these materials. Students at Brigham Young University's English Language Center provided written and oral feedback detailing their reactions to the materials. Participants responded to surveys for each of the three units and participated in a focus group that gathered comments regarding the overall usefulness and design of the program. Overall reactions to the program were very positive. In general, participants responded favorably to each of the three units for statements regarding ease of use, level of enjoyment, clarity of directions, newness of knowledge, interest of practice exercises, understanding of examples, and desires to practice outside of the lab. Many of the students said that they enjoyed all of the units, and all but one who participated in the focus group commented that they liked the sentence unit the most. Student comments also implied that participants had a raised awareness of features of stress in American English.

In the Swedish school system, English is one of three core subjects that are mandatory to pass at the end of year 9 to be able to engage in further studies in high school. However, English is not introduced at the same time in all schools. In fact, primary schools in Sweden can choose freely (between age 6-10) when they want to start introducing English to their students. The main purpose of this paper is to disclose if starting English education at an earlier age results in higher student scores on the total score and the three different parts of the National Exam for English in year 6. The National Exam scores from 14 different schools were collected and compared. 7 schools that introduce English in year 1, and 7 schools who begin their English education in year 3. The results from the statistical tests show that there is a significant difference between the two groups at the total score, speaking, and receptive skills. The early starters performed better on all parts. However, there was no significant difference between the groups in writing.

I dagens skolor är allt fler elever flerspråkiga. De flerspråkiga eleverna bär med sig språket som en resurs i undervisningen och tenderar därmed att utveckla en djupare och bredare kunskap inom andraspråksinlärningen. Syftet med studien är att öka kunskapen om hur och med vilket resultat grundskollärare med inriktning årskurs 4–6 beskriver att de arbetar transspråkande för att främja flerspråkiga elevers språkutveckling inom svenskämnet.Följande frågeställningar har besvarats för att uppfylla studiens syfte: • På vilka sätt beskriver lärare att elevers förstaspråk påverkar andraspråksutvecklingen? • På vilka sätt uppger lärare att de använder elevers förstaspråk för att arbeta språkutvecklande? • Vilka resultat anser lärare kunna uppnå med att arbeta transspråkande? En kvalitativ semistrukturerad intervjustudie har genomförts med sammanlagt fem grundskollärare med inriktning årskurs 4–6. Samtliga lärare undervisar i svenskämnet och arbetar i en flerspråkig skolverksamhet, vilket innefattar erfarenhet av arbete med flerspråkiga elever. Studien har sin utgångspunkt inom det sociokulturella perspektivet. Resultatet som framkom i undersökningen visar att samtliga lärare har varierade uppfattningar kring transspråkande som arbetssätt. Det synliggörs att transspråkande implementeras i olika grader och på varierade sätt i klassrummen. Resultatet tyder på att lärarna har olika mycket erfarenheter och de anser att det finns andra sätt att arbeta på för att utveckla andraspråket. En del av lärarna menar att flerspråkiga elevers andraspråksutveckling främjas genom bland annat samspel med andra och digitala verktyg som hjälpmedel. / In today´s schools more pupils are multilingual. The multilingual pupils carry the language with them as a resource in the teaching and thus tend to develop a deeper and broader knowledge in second language learning. The purpose of the study is to increase knowledge about how teachers describe that translanguaging is implemented in the Swedish subject and how it affects the second language development of the multilingual pupils.The following questions have been answered to fulfill the purpose of the study: • In what ways do teachers describe that pupils’ first language affects second language development? • In what ways do teachers use pupils’ first language to work on language development? • What results do teachers think they can achieve by working translingual? A qualitative semi-structured interview study has been conducted with a total of five elementary school teachers with a focus on grades 4-6. All teachers teach the Swedish subject and work in a multilingual school, which includes experience of working with multilingual pupils. The study is based on the sociocultural perspective.The results that emerged in the survey show that all teachers have varied perceptions about translanguaging as a way of teaching. It is visible that translanguaging is implemented in different degrees and in varied ways in the classrooms. The results indicate that the teachers have different amounts of experience and they believe that there are other ways of working to develop the second language. Some of the teachers believe that multilingual pupils’ second language development is promoted through, among other things, interaction with others and digital tools as aids.

Denna studies syfte är att undersöka lärarupplevelser kring transspråkande inom svenskt skolsammanhang. För att besvara syftet ställdes tre frågor som bidrog med en omfattande resultat baserade på lärarupplevelser. För att besvara frågorna genomfördes kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer som metod och svaren analyserades genom en innehållsanalys och abduktiv ansats. Studiens resultat tyder på att lärare använder transspråkande som en organiserad, omedveten eller osystematisk form i undervisningen. Resultaten visar också att lärarna upplever att transspråkande påverkar elevernas skolutveckling positivt genom meningsfullhet,goda relationer, inkludering och globalisering men också negativt i förhållande till utmaningarna. Utmaningarna är lärarnas och elevernas språkkunskaper, läroplanen, konflikthanteringen och exkludering. Detta innebär även att lärare upplever såväl möjligheter som utmaningar med transspråkande i klassrummen. Lärarnas upplevelser och studiens tidigare forskning samt bakgrund innehar aspekter som går att relatera till varandra beträffande transspråkandes positiva effekter på elevernas skolutveckling, kunskapsutveckling, identiteter och inkludering. Lärarna upplever dock att utmaningarna som de upplever överstiger möjligheterna vilket gör att möjligheterna inte kan betraktas som fördelaktiga enligt lärarnas upplevelser och studiens analys. / The purpose of this study is to investigate teacher experiences around translanguaging within a Swedish school context. To answer the purpose, three questions were asked that contributed to a comprehensive result based on teacher experiences. To answer the questions, qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted as a method and the answers were analyzed through a content analysis and abductive approach. The results of the study indicate that teachers use translanguaging as an organized, unconscious, or unsystematic form in teaching. The results also show that the teachers feel that translanguaging affects the students' school development positively through meaningfulness, good relationships, inclusion and globalization, but also negatively in relation to the challenges. The challenges are the teachers' and students' language skills, the curriculum, conflict management and exclusion. This also means that teachers experience opportunities as well as challenges with translanguaging in the classroom. The teachers' experiences and the study's previous research and background have aspects that can be related to each other regarding translanguaging's positive effects on the students' school development, knowledge development, identities and inclusion. However, the teacher’s experiences that the challenges exceed the opportunities, which means that the opportunities cannot be considered beneficial according to the teachers'experiences and the study's analysis.

The aim of this study was to show what influences the students’ use of English during class and what the students themselves believe would develop their use of English. The aim was also to study what the teachers thought affected the use of English, and what they said they did to influence students to speak more. The data was collected through electronic and paper questionnaires. The study found that the reason for not talking English during lessons was that the students did not felt comfortable speaking in class. This was something both teachers and students agreed upon. The students felt most comfortable talking English outside the classroom and they wanted other things to develop their use than what their teachers offered them.

No description available.