Foreign Language Exposure in Knowledge-Building Forums Using English as a Foreign Language

This study examines whether foreign language acquisition can be acquired through sharing information when students participate in knowledge building forums using English as the lingua franca. It also explores whether the students with higher levels of linguistic knowledge and cultural awareness relating to the foreign language share this information with their peers throughout the writing process. The study was conducted in two Spanish classrooms, where the participants were bilingual in both Catalan and Spanish. A pre-questionnaire was used to determine the level of exposure to the English language and English culture outside of the classroom. The students were scored on their responses and then divided into three groups: low-, medium-, and high-level exposure to the English language and culture. A one-way ANOVA was used to determine whether exposure to the English language and culture outside of the classroom would influence pre-test scores, and there is an interaction effect between language and cultural exposure and the pre-test scores (F = 5.17). Upon the conclusion of the collaborative writing task, a one-way ANOVA was used to determine whether there was an interaction effect between language and cultural exposure and the post-test scores (F = 4.47). The student scores increased at the same rate across the groups. In collaborative writing and knowledge building tasks, students learn about the content from their peers, and the information disperses throughout the group where there is a shared understanding of the content upon completion. However, the linguistic and cultural knowledge the students have prior to participating in these tasks do not get dispersed in the same manner, rather, all groups show an improvement in their foreign language skills, but the knowledge of the foreign language does not equalize across the groups.

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Second language learning in knowledge forums: an analysis of L2 acquisition of students participating in the knowledge building international project

CALL and complexity – short papers from EUROCALL 2019 ◽

10.14705/rpnet.2019.38.1021 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 270-274

Author(s):

Marni Manegre ◽

Mar Gutiérrez-Colón

Keyword(s):

Foreign Language ◽

Language Learning ◽

Knowledge Building ◽

Collaborative Writing ◽

International Project ◽

Computer Assisted ◽

L2 Acquisition ◽

Foreign Language Acquisition ◽

Post Test ◽

Working Together

This study presents the results of an experiment designed to determine whether knowledge building can facilitate foreign language acquisition. We examined how groups of Catalan students in secondary schools worked together on collaborative writing tasks in English, their foreign language. The students were participating in the Knowledge Building International Project (KBIP), which is based on the concept that students can learn while working together in computer-assisted learning environments. The quantitative data was collected through a pre-test and post-test. The pre- and post-tests were divided into four sections, which were grammar, vocabulary, long answer, and multiple-choice. The results show an increase overall in the performance of the foreign language, English. In particular, the analysis determined that the comprehension of the subject matter and writing abilities in the L2 showed an increase at high confidence levels, however, there are challenges in determining whether the students have acquired new vocabulary or developed a better understanding of grammatical rules, since it is difficult to predict which words and sentence structures they will use when participating in this project.

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Demotivating Factors of Indonesian College Students to Learn English as A Foreign Language

Sukma Jurnal Pendidikan ◽

10.32533/02101(2018) ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 1-24

Author(s):

Reza Anggriyashati Adara

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Foreign Language ◽

University Students ◽

Intrinsic Motivation ◽

Mixed Method ◽

English Language ◽

The Other ◽

English Speaker ◽

Language And Culture ◽

Method Approach

Investigating demotivating factors can help teachers to avoid them and provide more insights on sustaining learners’ interest in FL learning. The present study aimed to analyse demotivating factors in FL learning. To obtain the findings, the present study applied a mixed method approach. A set of questionnaires adapted from Sakai and Kikuchi’s (2009) questionnaires were distributed to thirty eight university students whereas interviews were conducted to three of them. The findings indicated teacher’s competence and lack of intrinsic motivation as the most salient factors that caused demotivation among the participants. In this consideration, teachers were perceived as incompetent by the participants when teachers have poor English pronunciation and do not provide communicative classrooms. On the other hand, lack of intrinsic motivation was indicated by the loss of students’ interest in learning and their goal to be an English speaker. Providing a communicative classroom with a fluent teacher as well as promoting students’ interest in English language and culture seem to be the solutions to reduce students’ demotivation. [Penelitian tentang faktor-faktor yang menurunkan motifasi (demotivation) dapat membantu para guru untuk menghindari factor-faktor tersebut dan memberikan wawasan untuk mempertahankan minat peserta didik dalam pembelajaran bahasa asing. Penelitian ini menganalisis faktor demotivasi dalam pembelajaran Bahasa asing. Untuk memperoleh jawaban dari beberapa pertanyaan, penelitian ini menerapkan pendekatan metode campuran. Seperangkat kuesioner yang diadaptasi dari model Sakai dan Kikuchi (2009) didistribusikan kepada tiga puluh delapan mahasiswa sedangkan wawancara dilakukan terhadap tiga dari mahasiswa tersebut. Temuan menunjukkan bahwa kompetensi guru dan kurangnya motivasi intrinsik merupakan faktor yang paling menonjol yang menyebabkan demotivasi di antara para peserta. Dalam hal ini, guru dianggap tidak kompeten oleh para peserta ketika guru memiliki pelafalan bahasa Inggris yang buruk dan tidak menyediakan ruang kelas yang komunikatif. Di sisi lain, kurangnya motivasi intrinsik ditunjukkan oleh hilangnya minat siswa dalam belajar dan tujuan mereka untuk berbicara dalam bahasa Inggris. Menyediakan ruang kelas yang komunikatif dengan guru yang fasih serta mempromosikan minat siswa dalam bahasa dan budaya Inggris tampaknya menjadi solusi untuk mengurangi demotivasi siswa]

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Explication of axiological component of the Japanese folkloreme Issun-bōshi in the English versions of eponymous fairy tale

Филология научные исследования ◽

10.7256/2454-0749.2021.3.35242 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 27-37

Author(s):

Vasilina Yur'evna Krasnova

Keyword(s):

Foreign Language ◽

Fairy Tale ◽

English Language ◽

Value Orientations ◽

Japanese Culture ◽

Family Ties ◽

Language Version ◽

Language And Culture ◽

Folk Tale ◽

The Subject

The subject of this research is actualization of the value component of Japanese culture on the periphery of the original Japanese folkloreme “Issun-bōshi” in the nine English-language versions of eponymous fairy tale. The article examines the methods of verbal explication on the discourse level through the dialogues, descriptions, and events of the original Japanese fairy tale and its English interpretations. The author determines seven axiological characteristics of the Japanese folkloreme, such as acceptance, dependence, modesty, service, etc. It is demonstrated how depending on the dialogues and descriptions in different versions of the Japanese folk tale, the value orientations of Japanese culture are explicated inalterably or adjusted to the perceptions of the author of English version. The conducted research reveals the specificity of one culture through another language and culture, as well as variability of presentation of the value orientations, attitudes, and preferences through the prism of mentality and values of the author of the foreign-language version. The following axiological components of Japanese folkloreme were determined: designated environment; love and acceptance; service to the emperor; family ties; modesty; spiritual beauty; and the folkloreme of magic gavel. The author carries out a comparative analysis of explication of the Japanese folkloreme in different English versions of the fairy tale; reveals the axiological components explicated in the text of Issun-bōshi and the differences in value orientations described in the English versions of the fairy tale.

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Peer-interaction patterns in a Chinese as a foreign language pair writing task

Chinese as a Second Language (漢語教學研究—美國中文教師學會學報) ◽

10.1075/csl.19008.zha ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 55 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Mengying Zhai

Keyword(s):

Foreign Language ◽

Peer Interaction ◽

Collaborative Writing ◽

Pair Interaction ◽

Interaction Patterns ◽

Fine Grained ◽

The Past ◽

Chinese Learners ◽

Writing Task ◽

Language Pair

Abstract Research on peer interaction patterns over the past three decades has provided insights regarding how relationships formed among peers can influence task performance. Six pairs of intermediate Chinese learners participating in a collaborative writing task were recruited, and their pair-interaction patterns were investigated for detailed evidence of how such patterns were constructed through their co-participation measured by two indices proposed by Storch (2002a), equality and mutuality. Furthermore, taking a Conversation Analytical (CA) perspective, this study also examined the fine-grained detail of several interactional practices displaying participants’ orientation to the peer relationship. This revealed that each pair displayed a distinctive interaction pattern that was constructed through diverse participatory practices which are contingent upon the ongoing interaction as it unfolds. The findings shed new light into analyzing pair interactions in collaborative writing from a CA perspective in CFL settings and have important implications for studying interaction patterns and implementing collaborative writing tasks.

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Teachers and Students’ Attitudes towards the Integration of the Target Culture in the English as a Foreign Language Class: A Case Study

International Journal of Linguistics Literature & Translation ◽

10.32996/ijllt.2021.4.4.28 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 253-266

Author(s):

Simon Pierre DABOU ◽

Abdelhak HAMMOUDI ◽

Romaissa CHIBANI

Keyword(s):

Foreign Language ◽

English Language ◽

Structured Interview ◽

Language Teachers ◽

Language And Culture ◽

Language Class ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

Teachers And Students ◽

Students Attitudes ◽

Target Culture

Language and culture are like two sides of the same coin, the music on a radio or the soul in a body. The two are so interrelated that separating them is almost impossible. Therefore, teaching a foreign language implies integrating the target culture. In this context, this study aimed to investigate teachers and students’ attitudes towards the integration of the English culture in the EFL curriculum at the University of Sétif 2. A Semi-structured interview with six English language teachers and a questionnaire to 53 third-year English students were the tools used to collect the necessary data. The analysis of the data showed that all the teachers were for the integration of the target culture in the EFL classes. The study also revealed that students who had positive attitudes towards the target culture represented only 28% of the sample. Therefore, the researchers suggested that the concept of target culture be properly defined within the EFL class and appropriately approached to sustain interest. Moreover, teachers are encouraged to integrate certain aspects of the target culture, such as language, norms, and values, to avoid misunderstanding, and respect each other’s cultural rights.

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Demotivating Factors of Indonesian College Students to Learn English as A Foreign Language

Sukma Jurnal Pendidikan ◽

10.32533/02101.2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 1-24

Author(s):

Reza Anggriyashati Adara

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Foreign Language ◽

University Students ◽

Intrinsic Motivation ◽

Mixed Method ◽

English Language ◽

The Other ◽

English Speaker ◽

Language And Culture ◽

Method Approach

Investigating demotivating factors can help teachers to avoid them and provide more insights on sustaining learners’ interest in FL learning. The present study aimed to analyse demotivating factors in FL learning. To obtain the findings, the present study applied a mixed method approach. A set of questionnaires adapted from Sakai and Kikuchi’s (2009) questionnaires were distributed to thirty eight university students whereas interviews were conducted to three of them. The findings indicated teacher’s competence and lack of intrinsic motivation as the most salient factors that caused demotivation among the participants. In this consideration, teachers were perceived as incompetent by the participants when teachers have poor English pronunciation and do not provide communicative classrooms. On the other hand, lack of intrinsic motivation was indicated by the loss of students’ interest in learning and their goal to be an English speaker. Providing a communicative classroom with a fluent teacher as well as promoting students’ interest in English language and culture seem to be the solutions to reduce students’ demotivation. [Penelitian tentang faktor-faktor yang menurunkan motifasi (demotivation) dapat membantu para guru untuk menghindari factor-faktor tersebut dan memberikan wawasan untuk mempertahankan minat peserta didik dalam pembelajaran bahasa asing. Penelitian ini menganalisis faktor demotivasi dalam pembelajaran Bahasa asing. Untuk memperoleh jawaban dari beberapa pertanyaan, penelitian ini menerapkan pendekatan metode campuran. Seperangkat kuesioner yang diadaptasi dari model Sakai dan Kikuchi (2009) didistribusikan kepada tiga puluh delapan mahasiswa sedangkan wawancara dilakukan terhadap tiga dari mahasiswa tersebut. Temuan menunjukkan bahwa kompetensi guru dan kurangnya motivasi intrinsik merupakan faktor yang paling menonjol yang menyebabkan demotivasi di antara para peserta. Dalam hal ini, guru dianggap tidak kompeten oleh para peserta ketika guru memiliki pelafalan bahasa Inggris yang buruk dan tidak menyediakan ruang kelas yang komunikatif. Di sisi lain, kurangnya motivasi intrinsik ditunjukkan oleh hilangnya minat siswa dalam belajar dan tujuan mereka untuk berbicara dalam bahasa Inggris. Menyediakan ruang kelas yang komunikatif dengan guru yang fasih serta mempromosikan minat siswa dalam bahasa dan budaya Inggris tampaknya menjadi solusi untuk mengurangi demotivasi siswa]

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ONLINE COLLABORATIVE WRITTEN ACTIVITIES IN L2 FOR THE TEACHING OF LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

European Journal of Foreign Language Teaching ◽

10.46827/ejfl.v5i4.3744 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Ioanna Tyrou

Keyword(s):

Foreign Language ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

New Technologies ◽

Collaborative Writing ◽

Language And Culture ◽

Final Questionnaire ◽

Alternative Culture ◽

Online Activities ◽

The University ◽

University Settings

This study investigates the potential affordances of new technologies and the opportunities offered by wikis in facilitating L2 collaborative writing in university settings for the teaching of culture. Participants were 92 undergraduate students of Italian as foreign language in the department of Italian Language and Literature of the university of Athens. They attended and participated in a laboratory course of alternative culture environments and online activities in foreign language. A task-based wiki environment managed to involve the students in a variety of online activities culturally meaningful and authentic educational activities. An initial and a final questionnaire were selected and analysed by ANOVA and POST HOC TEST (Tukey) confirming that online collaborative wikis tools are able to promote teamwork, can increase knowledge of culture and foreign language and can create positive conditions for cultivating creativity and collaborative, written expression. Article visualizations:<img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0750/a.php" alt="Hit counter" />

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Foreign Language Learning In Knowledge Forums: using a knowledge-building forum in an EFL classroom

The EuroCALL Review ◽

10.4995/eurocall.2019.11150 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 3 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Marni Manegre ◽

Mar Gutiérrez-Colón ◽

Mercè Gisbert

Keyword(s):

Second Language Acquisition ◽

Language Acquisition ◽

Foreign Language ◽

Language Learning ◽

Knowledge Building ◽

Collaborative Writing ◽

Foreign Language Learning ◽

Writing Project ◽

Foreign Language Acquisition ◽

Show Evidence

This paper presents the first phase of a study conducted to analyze Knowledge Building forums for evidence of second language acquisition. This study is an analysis of the posts within an existing forum in search of evidence of foreign language learning. The analysis found that the collaborative writing project shows evidence that the students passed through the stages of construction of knowledge within their foreign language classroom, however factors, such as confounding variables, inconsistencies in error types, and the small number of posts by the participants made it challenging to determine whether there is evidence of language acquisition for each student. The forum posts show evidence of knowledge acquisition, but further investigation is required to determine whether collaborative writing in knowledge forums is effective for foreign language acquisition.

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An intercultural analysis of English language textbooks in Iran

Apples - Journal of Applied Language Studies ◽

10.17011/apples/urn.201804172107 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 55-70 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Parastou Pasand ◽

Ali Ghasemi

Keyword(s):

Foreign Language ◽

Intercultural Competence ◽

English Language ◽

Communicative Competence ◽

Close Association ◽

English Language Teaching ◽

Junior High Schools ◽

Language And Culture ◽

International Language ◽

Intercultural Analysis

With the rise of English as an international language and the close association between language and culture, attaining intercultural competence has become necessary in English language teaching enterprise. Intercultural competence, as one of the components of communicative competence, is defined as the ability to interact with people from differing cultures using a foreign language (Byram, 1997). Meanwhile, textbooks are the main sources of input for many L2 learners in most EFL settings like Iran. As such, the present study aimed at examining the newly developed ELT textbooks used in Iranian junior high schools in terms of the representation of cultural points in them and also the extent to which the textbooks can develop intercultural competence in the learners. The sample was the three textbooks including English Prospect 1, 2, and 3. Content analysis of the lessons was done adapting a framework used by Hillard (2014). Results of the analyses revealed that the range of cultural topics represented in the series is rather narrow. The findings also showed that the series is very limited in its account of intercultural elements, and it is solely constrained to local matters. These findings indicate a need for the inclusion of more cultural topics in the textbooks and it highlights that more attention should be devoted to developing the students’ intercultural competence by the inclusion of tasks or activities directed to other cultures and communities.

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