Usage-based approaches to Second Language Acquisition (SLA) hold that grammatical development can at least in part be explained by a trajectory from initially entrenched formulaic chunks of linguistic material through partially abstract low-scope patterns to abstract constructions. Although earlier empirical research found little to support such a trajectory, more recent research suggests that when the methodological focus is on the breakdown of tokens not on the acquisition of abstract morphology formulaic chunks do seem to develop into at least low-scope patterns. What is not clear from these later studies, however, is why users select tokens from the environment, how these selections are repurposed to meet communicative needs and what grammatical development may be the result of such repurposing. Drawing on insights into usage-based approaches to SLA in general, and specifically predictions that the analogical processing of similar tokens can explain in part a trajectory from tokens in the linguistic environment to abstract constructions, this study investigates whether intervention in the form of task demands and written task productions can drive the selection and repurposing of task-relevant input, and whether such repurposing may influence the development of past-counterfactual constructions in instructed SLA. The study uses a classroom-based pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental design with pre-sessional university students in intact classes (n=92). Out of the three groups in the study, one group were exposed to instances of past counterfactuals which were identical to the forms needed for task completion in terms of function and lexical items (Literal Group). A second group were exposed to instances which called for the same function but different lexical items for successful task completion (Analogous Group), while a third group were not exposed to input. Results show that the analogous processing of task-relevant tokens led to positive and significant gains on most acceptability judgment and production test measures. Regression models further show that the selection of tokens explained very little variance, while analogical processing, operationalised as the repurposing of tokens to fit task demands, explained a significant amount of the variance in the same models. These findings highlight the importance of analogical processing in SLA and the significant implications such processing has for cognitive accounts of SLA and for second language teaching.

This exploratory case study examined the digital practices and literacies of Generation Z language learners and explored how these practices could be better addressed in the language classroom through "Real-World" tasks. The study was conducted within the theoretical framework of the Sociocultural Approach to Language Learning and the pedagogical framework of the Real-World Task-Based Language Teaching approach, with an emphasis on the eLANG citizen project. The data was analyzed through qualitative thematic analysis of both a corpus of learner final reports and two questionnaires, resulting in a detailed portrait of the learners' digital practices. The findings indicate that implementing real-world, task-based language learning projects that utilize Generation Z's pre-existing digital competencies can lead to improved language and digital literacy skills. Students reported enhancements in their oral expression, use of slang, and interaction with native speakers, as well as improvements in their understanding of hashtags, video planning and editing, and trend tracking. The students had multiple real-world, authentic interactions through the digital citizenship project, which enabled them to become enhanced digital citizens in FLS by formulating their identities, observing established communities and language users, participating in these communities directly, and learning in informal, gameful ways. It is proposed that utilizing the digital practices of Generation Z learners for language learning not only enhances the authenticity and relevance of the activities but also helps to achieve pedagogical objectives. This prepares learners for their future in a technology-saturated world and becoming effective members of society and is the next relevant step in sociocultural language pedagogy.

The potentially beneficial role of classroom codeswitching, or the use of the first language (L1) in foreign language (FL) classroom settings, is gradually becoming acknowledged in the field of second language acquisition (SLA) research. However, researchers call for the construction of a framework, which indicates when this use is beneficial for language learning and when it is not. In an attempt to contribute to the construction of this framework, the present study investigates whether codeswitching can be used as a tool within task-based learning settings for the development of second language (L2) oral fluency. It is hypothesised that by allowing learners to codeswitch during task completion, their willingness to communicate (WTC) is enhanced because the function of that switching is likely to be mainly the metalanguage needed to complete the task. Previous research has also suggested that task repetition might lead to greater fluency. However, both teachers and learners may be sceptical of the value of repetition without some form of feedback on the first task attempt. This study sought to explore therefore the value of task repetition with feedback (TR+). By repeating the task with feedback that recycles metalanguage into the L2, it is hypothesised that learners will learn to move to a state of less reliance on their L1, while simultaneously achieving the overall aim of tasks, which is effective L2 communication. With increased WTC and L2 metalanguage, extensive L2 oral practice will facilitate the proceduralisation processes needed for fluency development. In short, the pedagogical package of TR+ on recycled language is tested in the present study as a potential contributor to oral fluency. The thesis begins by relating these themes with the context of Cyprus through teacher interviews. It becomes evident through these interviews that the activities taking place in this context are not tasks in the sense researchers intended. Following the setting of the context, the interactions of 75 primary school learners of English (11-12-year-olds) practising TR+ are analysed qualitatively. This analysis determines whether the package can lead to enriched output on the second attempt. In addition, there is a quasi-experimental aspect to the study. The students were allocated in three groups, each testing a different package. The codeswitching group was allowed to switch to Greek while completing the tasks and had their L1 metalanguage recycled into the L2 when they repeated the tasks. The English-only group completed the tasks strictly under L2 conditions and repeated them with feedback on accuracy. The comparison group completed the tasks once with no language instructions. Oral production tests, used as pre- and post-tests, partly support the hypothesis by suggesting that WTC is enhanced with the incorporation of codeswitching, but no evidence supports fluency development. Nevertheless, when comparing TR+ with no task repetition, the data indicate that TR+ leads to greater fluency. It is suggested that a larger and longer intervention would have allowed more time for fluency to be developed when codeswitching was incorporated. As for task-based learning, it is suggested that TR+ is a more viable way to move forward in real classroom contexts, particularly those with young learners. Furthermore, the results of the present study indicate that this package works better with learners of a certain proficiency level.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-22T17:27:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 camila santos.pdf: 5757223 bytes, checksum: 5751db54cee5418f1946a79e6ff6feaa (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-07-01 / This doctoral dissertation presents a qualitative investigation, the purpose of which is to propose a new type of Webquest, that will be related to language teaching, through an interactive authoring system ELO Cloud tool. The research proposes the development of an Interactive and Adaptive Webquest focused on the practice of english teaching and its implementation in a class with students from the sixth semester of a Language Course, for evaluation, both held under the perspective of the Activity Theory, Distributed Cognition and Task Based Teaching. Created in 1995 by a professor at San Diego State University, Bernie Dodge, the methodology Webquest is gaining its place in the educational field because its potential concerning to the use of information from the Web which makes the learning more significant and effective. The data were collected through interviews, observation, photography, documental analysis and questionnaire. The initial discussion of the data on the development of an Interactive and Adaptive Webquest indicated that the pre-task moment and the extension of the Webquest via modules can come to enhance language learning since these elements seem to expand the possibility of exposure to and use of the target language. Besides, the data showed that the Interactive and Adaptive Webquest raised the level of satisfaction of the students in performing the activity, providing more favorable conditions for learning from interactive activities. Furthermore, the results point to the expansion of a learning cycle during implementation in which students build knowledge through interactions with human and non-human resources / O presente estudo, de cunho qualitativo, tem como objetivo propor um novo modelo de Webquest voltada ao ensino de línguas por meio de um sistema interativo de autoria a ferramenta ELO Cloud. A pesquisa propõe o desenvolvimento de uma Webquest Interativa e Adaptativa voltada ao ensino de línguas e sua implementação em uma turma de Inglês do sexto semestre do Curso de Letras de uma universidade da cidade de Pelotas, para avaliação, sob a perspectiva da Teoria da Atividade, da Teoria da Cognição Distribuída e do Ensino Baseado em Tarefas. Criada em 1995 pelo professor da San Diego State University, Bernie Dodge, a metodologia Webquest vem ganhando seu espaço no âmbito educacional por aproveitar o conteúdo existente na Web de maneira significativa em prol de uma aprendizagem efetiva. Os dados para a pesquisa foram coletados mediante entrevista, observação participante, fotografia, análise documental e questionário. A discussão inicial dos dados referente ao desenvolvimento de uma Webquest Interativa e Adaptativa indicou que o momento Pré-tarefa, a importância de input e a ampliação da Webquest por meio de módulos podem vir a potencializar a aprendizagem de línguas, uma vez que esses elementos parecem ampliar as possibilidades de exposição e uso da língua-alvo. A triangulação de dados, a partir das análises realizadas, demonstrou que o modelo de Webquest Interativa e Adaptativa elevou o índice de satisfação dos alunos na execução da atividade, proporcionando condições mais favoráveis de aprendizagem a partir de atividades interativas. Além disso, os resultados apontam para a expansão de um ciclo de aprendizagem onde os alunos constroem conhecimento por meio das interações com recursos humanos e não humanos

A pesquisa aqui apresentada surgiu com o intuito de trazer para a sala de aula a realidade da língua italiana, proporcionando assim aos aprendizes brasileiros um meio para interagir através da comunicação, tanto oral como escrita. A preocupação que deu origem à reflexão proposta baseou-se em dois pontos fundamentais no âmbito do ensino/aprendizagem de língua estrangeira: o que ensinar e como ensinar. Para refletir sobre a primeira questão, foram problematizados os conceitos de material autêntico e de autenticidade, enquanto para a segunda foram tomados como referência os estudos relacionados ao ensino por tarefas. Com base nessas reflexões teóricas, foi realizado um curso experimental de italiano para principiantes, com uma duração de 45 horas, cujas unidades didáticas foram inteiramente elaboradas a partir de material autêntico e cujas atividades foram desenvolvidas tendo como apoio teórico o ensino por tarefas. Paralelamente ao citado curso experimental, aconteceu outro curso, também para principiantes e com a mesma duração, que pertencia aos cursos de extensão universitária da Universidade de São Paulo, para o qual foi utilizado o livro didático adotado. Os participantes dos dois cursos constituíram um grupo experimental e um grupo controle. O objetivo principal foi verificar, comparando os dois grupos, se a utilização de material didático e de atividades significativas produz diferenças não apenas no desempenho linguístico dos dois grupos, mas também em sua atitude em relação à aprendizagem da língua estrangeira. / This research appeared in order to bring to the classroom the \"reality\" of the Italian language, thereby providing to brazilian learners an instrument to interact through both oral and written communication. The concern that is part of the proposed reflection was based on two key points in the teaching/learning of foreign languages: what to teach and how to teach. For the first point, we started from the questioning of authentic material, authenticity and of the concept of task, and for the second one, we took as reference the studies about task based learning and teaching. Based on these theoretical reflections, it was designed an experimental italian course for beginners, with a duration of 45 hours, whose teaching units were created entirely starting from authentic materials and tasks. Together with this experimental course, an italian course level 1 was also realized. In this course the Italian language was studied with a teaching book. The participants of both courses constituted an experimental and a control group. The main objective was to investigate, comparing the two groups, if the utilization of teaching material and meaningful activities produces differences not only in the linguistic performance of the two groups, but also in their attitude related to the foreign language learning.

A pesquisa aqui apresentada surgiu com o intuito de trazer para a sala de aula a realidade da língua italiana, proporcionando assim aos aprendizes brasileiros um meio para interagir através da comunicação, tanto oral como escrita. A preocupação que deu origem à reflexão proposta baseou-se em dois pontos fundamentais no âmbito do ensino/aprendizagem de língua estrangeira: o que ensinar e como ensinar. Para refletir sobre a primeira questão, foram problematizados os conceitos de material autêntico e de autenticidade, enquanto para a segunda foram tomados como referência os estudos relacionados ao ensino por tarefas. Com base nessas reflexões teóricas, foi realizado um curso experimental de italiano para principiantes, com uma duração de 45 horas, cujas unidades didáticas foram inteiramente elaboradas a partir de material autêntico e cujas atividades foram desenvolvidas tendo como apoio teórico o ensino por tarefas. Paralelamente ao citado curso experimental, aconteceu outro curso, também para principiantes e com a mesma duração, que pertencia aos cursos de extensão universitária da Universidade de São Paulo, para o qual foi utilizado o livro didático adotado. Os participantes dos dois cursos constituíram um grupo experimental e um grupo controle. O objetivo principal foi verificar, comparando os dois grupos, se a utilização de material didático e de atividades significativas produz diferenças não apenas no desempenho linguístico dos dois grupos, mas também em sua atitude em relação à aprendizagem da língua estrangeira. / This research appeared in order to bring to the classroom the \"reality\" of the Italian language, thereby providing to brazilian learners an instrument to interact through both oral and written communication. The concern that is part of the proposed reflection was based on two key points in the teaching/learning of foreign languages: what to teach and how to teach. For the first point, we started from the questioning of authentic material, authenticity and of the concept of task, and for the second one, we took as reference the studies about task based learning and teaching. Based on these theoretical reflections, it was designed an experimental italian course for beginners, with a duration of 45 hours, whose teaching units were created entirely starting from authentic materials and tasks. Together with this experimental course, an italian course level 1 was also realized. In this course the Italian language was studied with a teaching book. The participants of both courses constituted an experimental and a control group. The main objective was to investigate, comparing the two groups, if the utilization of teaching material and meaningful activities produces differences not only in the linguistic performance of the two groups, but also in their attitude related to the foreign language learning.

Submitted by Aline Batista (alinehb.ufpel@gmail.com) on 2015-04-02T19:23:46Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Aprendizagem da língua inglesa como segunda língua baseada em tarefas.pdf: 10361270 bytes, checksum: 50839ecc3d133d5fe19ddf26c6cd568f (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Aline Batista (alinehb.ufpel@gmail.com) on 2015-04-03T01:21:36Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Aprendizagem da língua inglesa como segunda língua baseada em tarefas.pdf: 10361270 bytes, checksum: 50839ecc3d133d5fe19ddf26c6cd568f (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-03T01:23:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Aprendizagem da língua inglesa como segunda língua baseada em tarefas.pdf: 10361270 bytes, checksum: 50839ecc3d133d5fe19ddf26c6cd568f (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-01-31 / Sem bolsa / Em 1997, a autora Diane Larsen-Freeman publicou um inquietante artigo chamado “Ciência do Caos / Complexidade e Aquisição de Segunda Língua” (LARSENFREEMAN, 1997). Nesse trabalho, a linguista argumenta que há muitas similaridades entre a nova ciência do caos/complexidade e a aquisição de segunda língua. Diante das reflexões que tais ideias suscitam, pretende-se analisar a estrutura e a teoria da aprendizagem baseada em tarefas (Task Based Learning), sob a ótica da teoria do caos/complexidade. De acordo com Willis, J. (1996), essa abordagem comunicativa apresenta seis etapas, a saber: pré-tarefa, tarefa, planejamento, relatório, análise e prática. Como recorte em um universo tão amplo de pesquisa, tem-se a relação da teoria do caos/complexidade com o ciclo da tarefa – tarefa, planejamento e relatório (task-planning-report), enunciado por Willis, J. (1996).De acordo com Larsen-Freeman e Cameron (2008), uma abordagem complexa não se traduz em um método de ensino de L2 complexo. Este trabalho visa aproximar o trabalho seminal da linguista Diane Larsen-Freeman sobre a Teoria do Caos/Complexidade e Aquisição de Segunda Língua (1997) com a Aprendizagem Baseada em Tarefas propostanove anos antes por Willis, J. e Willis, D. (1988). Esta dissertação de mestrado concluiu que o ciclo da tarefa pode ser caracterizado como um sistema adaptativo complexo, uma vez que satisfaz suas regras de baixo nível, já que se trata de um sistema que é dinâmico, complexo, não linear, caótico, imprevisível, sensível às condições iniciais, aberto, auto-organizável, sensível ao feedback e adaptável. / In 1997, the linguist Diane Larsen-Freeman published a disturbing article called “Chaos/Complexity Science and Second Language Acquisition”(LARSENFREEMAN, 1997). In this article, the author states that there are many similarities between the new science of chaos/complexity and second language acquisition. Faced with the reflections, which give rise to such ideas, one intends to analyse the structure and theory of Task Based Learning under the light of the Chaos/Complexity Theory. According to Willis, J. (1996), this communicative approach presents itself with six stages, namely: pre-task, task, planning, report, analyses and practice. As part of a so vast research area, one intends to relate the Chaos/Complexity Theory with the task cycle – task, planning and report – formulated by Willis, J. (1996). According to Larsen-Freeman and Cameron (2008), a complexity approach does not translate into a complexity method for teaching language. This work aims to approximate the seminal article by Diane Larsen-Freeman about the Chaos/Complexity Theory and Second Language Acquisition (1997) with Task Based Learning proposed nine years before by Willis, J. and Willis, D. (1988).To sum up, this dissertation aims to show that the task cycle may be characterized as a complex adaptive system, once it complies with the rules of such systems, that is, dynamic, complex, nonlinear, chaotic, unpredictable, sensitive to the initial conditions, open, self-organizing, feedback sensitive and adaptive.

This study investigates the view of some students and a teacher’s attitudes towards the learning possibilities of the integration of personal interests to the teaching of English. The research carried out at one of the largest profile schools in Sweden, with an aesthetic subject-orientation. These subjects are referred to as “passion subjects”. Qualitative interviews and observation were the methods used for data collection. The research questions were about students’ and teachers attitudes towards the involvement of their passion subject in the formal education process, as well as their views on integrating English as a foreign language in the teaching/learning process of their passion subject. The results show that the teacher and the students view the involvement of students’ personal interests in the formal education as a key source for motivation. Regarding the involvement of English as a foreign language in the passion subject, the results are both positive and negative: positive in the sense that it is viewed as getting extra lessons in English and negative in the sense that information can be overlooked as the students not always understand the input.

Abstract Task-Based Language Teaching has long been a method for education in different subjects. This study investigates the use of Task-Based Language teaching regarding vocabulary acquisition in English upper secondary/high school students. Through the use of a database, multiple scientific studies and research papers on vocabulary acquisition through TBLT have been included. This study contains the results of the use of TBL through similar teaching methods with the focus on vocabulary development in the L2 classroom. The findings show that studies have different results regarding what tasks to include but present a similar conclusion regarding what method to use; TBLT. The results also show that regardless of what task is used, communication could be beneficial and even played a big role in multiple studies where it increased students vocabulary acquisition. The conclusion of our study suggests that TBLT is an efficient method for developing vocabulary acquisition in upper secondary and high school students. All research papers analysed concluded that TBL and TBLT can be used as means for motivating students which aided the task engagement, thus helping develop their vocabulary acquisition.

The overall purpose of this study is to investigate whether the motivation of Swedish pupilsin grades 4-6 to learn can increase when textbooks and workbooks are exchanged for fiction,and more fiction is incorporated in English teaching in Sweden. The study hopes tocontribute to knowledge development that strengthens and develops English teaching inSweden. The teacher is responsible for planning their teaching - at the same time, there aremany discourses about student influence in school contexts. According to the SwedishNational Education Agency (2022), all students should have the right to influence theireducation and school activities. The pupils’ life stories and experiences can contribute toschools' developmental work. Furthermore, this paper aims to find out why and how it ispossible to work with literature to achieve the learning goals stated in the curriculum. It alsoserves as a basis for teachers to gain in-depth knowledge of how they can motivate studentsto work with fiction when teaching English. The essay also provides a variety of workingmethods for integrating fiction in English teaching in grades 4-6 in Swedish schools. The methods used for this essay are qualitative group interviews of a semi-structured natureand the answers come from 25 pupils from two different schools in the middle of Sweden.The intervention study involved three classes, 66 pupils from grades 4 and 5. This study demonstrates that using fiction in English teaching increases pupils' motivationand knowledge acquisition compared to if they are only allowed to work with textbooks andworkbooks.