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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Second language learning'
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McGarry, Theresa. "Language Ideology and Second Language Learning." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2005. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/6144.
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Muramatsu, Chie. "Portraits of second language learners: agency, identities, and second language learning." Diss., University of Iowa, 2013. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/4885.
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This study is a qualitative examination of second language (L2) learning processes by four advanced learners of Japanese in the community of a summer intensive full-immersion program in the United States. Using L2 socialization theory as a theoretical framework, this study conceives of L2 learning as a process of social participation in a community of practice and examines L2 learning processes by four learners, focusing on the dynamic interplay between the affordances of the social community and the agency of the individual learners. The purpose of this study is twofold: (a) It investigates the ways in which the four learners exercise their agency to pursue their goals of learning Japanese and (b) it documents how the different ways in which the four learners exercise agency form different trajectories of learning and create different experiences of L2 socialization.
This study has adopted an ethnographic case study approach to the investigation of research inquiries. Through the analyses of data obtained from multiple sources, including interviews with the four learners, observations of their engagement in the community of practice of the summer intensive full-immersion program, their audio-recorded conversations with other members of the community, and various artifacts, this study explores the role of L2 learner agency in the process of L2 socialization and describes in depth their experiences of learning Japanese from their emic perspectives.
The case studies of the four learners have highlighted the different ways in which they engaged in the community of practice, understood their tasks of learning Japanese, interpreted the affordances of the social community, negotiated the meaning of their participations, defined and redefined their sense of self, and eventually achieved their L2 learning goals.
The findings suggest that the richness and effectiveness of a social environment are not characterized by the physical and academic affordances of a social community alone; rather they are constructed in a dynamic relation between the affordance structure of a social community and the L2 learners' agency in the pursuit of the joint enterprise of making L2 learning happen.
With regard to the role of L2 learner agency, the study has foregrounded the important role of the aspirations of the four L2 learners for personal transformation and negotiation of the meaning of self of the past, the present, and the future. The findings suggest that L2 learners' diverse and complex social and personal desires for learning an L2 may not be able to be explained using the notion of investment (Norton, 1995, 2000) alone.
Since the SLA debate initiated by Firth and Wagner (1997, 2007), SLA research has begun to reconceptualize L2 learners as socially situated beings with diverse needs, wants, and identities. This study presents four portraits of L2 learners who engaged in the enterprise of learning Japanese, as a means of contributing to this reconceptualization, and explores for these four learners what it meant to learn Japanese in the summer of 2010.
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Jönsson, Andreas. "Learning cohesively : Cohesion in Second Language Learning." Thesis, Högskolan i Gävle, Avdelningen för humaniora, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-8537.
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This essay concerns itself with the importance of learning English as a second language cohesively. The research focus is on student responsibility to learn English and if as well as how this responsibility contributes to have students' perceptions of learning the language cohesively. The applied research method consists of a student questionnaire and two teacher interviews. The questionnaire produces a description of students' relationship to, and view of, the English language and how they understand their learning process in acquiring it. The two teacher interviews establish if and how the teachers influence the students' cohesive understanding of the English language.
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Doering, Lynda. "Language learning strategies of younger second language learners." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape3/PQDD_0019/MQ58027.pdf.
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Malerba, Candilio Maria Luisa. "Social Networking in Second Language Learning." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/565551.
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Aquesta tesi se centra en l'aprenentatge informal d'una segona llengua en comunitats en línia com Livemocha i Busuu. Els objectius són: (1) analitzar el potencial de les comunitats en línia per a aconseguir resultats d'aprenentatge a llarg termini; (2) examinar les accions dels estudiants mentre construeixen oportunitats d'ús de la segona llengua en aquests entorns, i (3) explorar les potencialitats i les limitacions de les eines de les comunitats en línia. Amb la finalitat d'assolir aquests objectius, l'estudi, que s'inscriu en el marc teòric de la perspectiva sociocultural i de la teoria de l'activitat, ha utilitzat una metodologia de recerca principalment qualitativa i centrada en el mètode etnogràfic. La recerca conclou amb una reflexió crítica sobre la importància de l'autonomia de l'estudiant. S'ha destacat que l'autonomia de l'estudiant és un requisit important perquè l'experiència d'aprenentatge informal en aquests entorns sigui eficaç. A més, aquest estudi tradueix els resultats obtinguts en un conjunt de recomanacions pedagògiques dirigides a experts d'entorns d'aprenentatge, a estudiants i a professors d'idiomes, per tal de fomentar una experiència d'aprenentatge en les comunitats en línia més positiva tenint en compte, també, la seva possible aplicació en un context d'aprenentatge formal.Esta tesis está centrada en el aprendizaje informal de una segunda lengua en comunidades en línea como Livemocha y Busuu. Los objetivos son: (1) analizar el potencial de las comunidades en línea para lograr resultados de aprendizaje a largo plazo; (2) examinar las acciones de los estudiantes mientras construyen oportunidades de uso de la segunda lengua en estos entornos, y (3) explorar las potencialidades y las limitaciones de las herramientas de las comunidades en línea. Con la finalidad de alcanzar estos objetivos, el estudio, que se inscribe en el marco teórico de la perspectiva sociocultural y de la teoría de la actividad, ha utilizado una metodología de investigación principalmente cualitativa y centrada en el método etnográfico. La investigación concluye con una reflexión crítica sobre la importancia de la autonomía del estudiante. Se ha destacado que la autonomía del estudiante es un requisito importante para que la experiencia de aprendizaje informal en estos entornos sea eficaz. Además, este estudio traduce los resultados obtenidos en una serie de recomendaciones pedagógicas dirigidas a expertos de entornos de aprendizaje, a estudiantes y a profesores de idiomas, con el fin de fomentar una mejor experiencia de aprendizaje en las comunidades en línea tomando en consideración también su posible aplicación en un contexto de aprendizaje formal.
This thesis deals with informal second language learning in online communities such as Livemocha and Busuu. The thesis' objectives are: (1) analyse the potential effectiveness of these communities for long-term learning outcomes; (2) examine learners' construction of opportunities for L2 use in these environments; (3) explore affordances and constraints of online communities. To this end, a longitudinal multiple ethnographic case study approach was used under the theoretical framework of Socio-Cultural Theory and Activity Theory (AT). The research concludes with a critical reflection on the role of learner autonomy as a prerequisite for the creation of effective learning experiences in these environments, as this study clearly demonstrates. Moreover, the study translates its findings into a set of pedagogical recommendations for platform developers, learners and teachers to maximize the advantages of L2 learning in online communities as well as establish possible applications in formal learning settings.
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Dupuy, Ludivine. "Pragmatic Abilities and Second Language Learning." Thesis, Lyon, 2017. http://www.theses.fr/2017LYSE2133.
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L’objectif de ce travail de thèse était d’étudier les capacités pragmatiques universelles des adultes apprenant une langue seconde et l’impact de cet apprentissage sur la maîtrise de l’aspect communicatif du langage. Une première étude a montré la capacité des apprenants à produire des inférences scalaires, un cas prototypique d’enrichissement pragmatique d’une forme logique, mais pas d’impact de l’apprentissage des langues sur les capacités pragmatiques. Un effet lié à la nécessité d’utiliser deux langues a néanmoins été observé. Une seconde étude, sur les scalaires enchâssées, a montré que les capacités pragmatiques sont susceptibles d’être utilisées pour compenser un déficit linguistique. La troisième étude a montré l’impact du contexte discursif sur le taux de réponse pragmatique. Dans la quatrième étude, nous avons examiné une différence potentielle entre le français et l’anglais quant aux présuppositions implicitées. Ceci permettra ultérieurement de tester un transfert de la L1 vers la L2The aim of this PhD work was to assess the impact of language learning on the universal pragmatic competence of adult second language learners. A first study showed that L2 learners have the ability to derive scalar implicatures, a universal pragmatic phenomenon, in their second language but no impact of language learning on pragmatic abilities. An effect linked to the need to mobilize two languages was nonetheless observed. In another study, using embedded scalars, we investigated the possibility that language learners use their pragmatic knowledge to compensate a lower linguistic proficiency. The results suggest that learners can indeed rely on compensatory strategies. A third study has shown the impact of the discursive context on the rate of pragmatic answers. In the fourth study, we examined a potential difference between the French and English language regarding implicated presuppositions. This will allow conducting a study on negative transfer from the L1 to the L2
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Chalmers, James. "How stable is second language aptitude? Effects of second language learning and language analysis training on second language aptitude test scores." Thesis, Griffith University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/376507.
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While second language (L2) aptitude has traditionally been considered a stable individual
factor in SLA, more recent research and theory has questioned this assumption (Singleton,
2017). If L2 aptitude is stable, then the implication is that this set of cognitive abilities are
genetic in origin and/or limited (Skehan, 1998). On the other hand, if L2 aptitude is not stable
and is sensitive to experience, then it suggests that whatever constitutes L2 aptitude can be
taught to make initial L2 learning easier and faster. While more recent studies have found that
the L2 learning experience itself seems to have a training effect on L2 aptitude test scores
(Ganschow, 1993; Ganschow & Sparks, 1995; Sáfár & Kormos, 2008; Sparks, Ganschow,
Pohlman, Skinne, & Artzer, 1992; Sparks, Ganschow, Artzer, & Patton, 1997), both the size
of such training effects and the effects of direct training of L2 aptitude abilities (Politzer &
Weiss, 1969) remain unclear.
The current study contributes to this debate by investigating the stability of L2 aptitude test
scores. Conducted over an 8-week period of L2 instruction, the study investigated whether 6
weeks of aptitude training would enhance language analytic abilities, an area less researched
in previous studies. Participants were 85 university students taking an introductory Spanish
course, which included 6 weeks of instruction and practice on language analysis for learning
L2 Spanish. The study operationalised L2 aptitude in terms of the abilities measured by the
LLAMA tests: associative memory (LLAMA B), sound discrimination (LLAMA D),
sound-symbol association (LLAMA E), and language analytic abilities (LLAMA F).
Pre-testing took place at the beginning of L2 instruction and post-testing was conducted after
the completion of the language analysis skills instruction. Stability was investigated through
changes in L2 aptitude test scores. Results showed that post-test scores were significantly higher for all LLAMA tests except for the LLAMA E (sound-symbol association), which
showed a ceiling effect in both pre- and post-tests. At the whole-group level, the size of gain
scores differed across all tests with the greatest gains on the LLAMA B (associative memory)
and the smallest for the LLAMA F (language analytic abilities). However, at the sub-group
level, it was mainly participants with lower than average pre-test scores who achieved
significant gains, with comparable effect sizes across all tests (except the LLAMA E).
Trainability was investigated by comparing the predictive ability of training variables (e.g.
accuracy scores and speed on training tasks) with L2 aptitude pre-test scores. Results for the
predictive ability of training language analytic abilities were mixed on post-test scores. A
random-forest regression (see Strobl, Malley, & Tutz, 2009) found that accuracy scores on the
training were more predictive of post-test scores than LLAMA pre-test scores, but a step-wise
linear regression did not confirm this finding. However, training variables were important
predictors in both regression models.
Overall, the findings suggest that L2 aptitude scores increase over time with L2 learning
experience and instruction, in line with previous longitudinal studies (Sparks, Ganschow,
Artzer, & Patton, 1997). This may imply that L2 aptitude is trainable, with some training
variables being important predictors of post-test scores. The sensitivity of L2 aptitude
measures to L2 learning experience and instruction may have implications for the validity of
static, one-off measures of L2 aptitude for predicting L2 achievement.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Hum, Lang & Soc Sc
Arts, Education and Law
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Alang, Jaapar. "The effect of language contact and language use on second language competence and language attitude." Thesis, Bangor University, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.296186.
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Shei, Chi-Chiang. "Combining 'translation into the second language' and 'second language learning' : an integrated computational approach." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/27373.
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This thesis explores the area where translation and language learning intersects. However, this intersection is not one in the traditional sense of second language teaching: where translation is used as a means for learning a foreign language. This thesis treats translating into the foreign language as a separate entity, one that is as important as learning the foreign language itself. Thus the discussion in this thesis is especially relevant to an academic institution which contemplates training foreign language learners who can perform translation into the foreign language at a professional level. The thesis concentrates on developing a pedagogical model which can achieve the goal of fostering linguistic competence and translation competence at the same time. It argues that constructing such a model under a computerised framework is a viable approach, since the task of translation nowadays relies heavily on all kinds of computational tools, whereas the computer assisted language learning framework (including the domain of distance learning) advances at a slow but steady pace, which offers a bridge to connect translation and language learning. The theoretical underpinning of the model is established by relating translation competence to linguistic competence. It is argued that a successful translator working in the area of translating into the second language must also be a competent learner of that language, and the instructions for both are inseparable. At the practical level, the thesis distinguishes three types of software which are relevant in the current context: the translation workstation (TW) based system, the computer assisted translation learning (CATL) system, and the computer assisted language learning (CALL) system. The first kind of system is based on existing translation aid software such as the well-known category of Translation Memory Systems. Besides being used as a computer environment for translating, the translation memory software can also be used to embed second language teaching concepts. The second type of system is the software that is especially developed for teaching translation AND the foreign language being translated into. In particular, the discussion concentrates on a kind of model referred to here as the Translation Micro World, which is an intelligent tutoring system drawing from pre-edited bilingual coipora built into the system. It is shown that this type of construct is especially useful for building up the translator's idiomatic competence in the target language in which the translator is a learner. The third and last type of software is the computer assisted language learning software which can be adapted to incorporate the element of translation. The idea is to embed translation activities in existing CALL constructs such that translation becomes the primary means for learning the target language. Thus, by covering the whole range of these three types of translation or language learning software, it is hoped that a curriculum aimed at fostering translators translating into the second language can have a rich repertoire of computer assisted learning tools to draw on. The pedagogical framework proposed in this thesis has to be practicable in an educational setting. The last part of the thesis thus considers the implementation issues of this framework. It is argued that the traditional syllabus design concepts are not fully transferable to the current pedagogical framework. Traditional syllabi consist of the statements of goals and objectives, learning material based on the objectives, lesson plans including presentations, tasks and exercises contrived around the material, and assessments. The current pedagogical model, however, emphasises the use of computers in the curriculum, and thus the goals and objectives need to be stated in a different way, learning material has to be prepared in different forms, and classes have to be conducted in an entirely different manner and at a different pace. Learning tasks, exercises and assessments all have different meanings in a computerised learning environment.
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Moore, Glenn Edward. "Anxiety and motivation in second language learning." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2004. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2448.
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This study investigates student and instructor perceptions of the causes and effects of anxiety and motivation's effect on a student's ability to learn a second language. The study focused on the participant's perceptions of the causes and effects of anxiety, and relationships between anxiety and motivation, in both short-term and long-term learners.
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Durrant, Philip Lee. "High frequency collocations and second language learning." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2008. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10622/.
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This thesis explores the implications of high frequency collocation for adult second language learners. It addresses three main questions. First, it asks to what extent high frequency of occurrence in a corpus indicates that collocations are independently represented in the minds of native speakers. A word association study indicates that high frequency of occurrence is a fairly reliable predictor of mental representation, though this methodology does not allow us to determine the precise strength of the relationship. A series of lexical decision studies also show a relationship between frequency and representation, but effects are limited to those collocations which are sufficiently salient to also register as associates. This suggests that psycholinguistic 'priming' models may not be the best way of understanding collocation. Second, the thesis examines the idea that adult second language learners usually fail to retain the collocations to which they are exposed. This is tested through a lab-based training study and a learner-corpus study. Results suggest that adult learners are capable of learning collocations from input, but that 1) the relatively low levels of input to which most learners are exposed mean that they nevertheless tend not to attain native-like profiles of collocation use, and 2) input which provides repeated exposure to collocations can dramatically improve learning. Third, the thesis asks whether a useful pedagogical listing of frequent 'academic collocations' can be compiled. Results suggest that an academic collocation list is viable, but that important caveats need to be made concerning the nature of the collocations included and the range of disciplines for which such a listing will be useful. Moreover, listings of two-word collocations should be seen only as a starting point for more comprehensive phraseological listings. Suggestions will be made for ways in which we might go beyond such two-word listings.
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Kiziltepe, F. Zeynep. "Attitudes and motivation in second language learning." Thesis, University of Exeter, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.363374.
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Berzak, Yevgeni. "Second language learning from a multilingual perspective." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/115634.
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Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2018.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 119-127).
How do people learn a second language? In this thesis, we study this question through an examination of cross-linguistic transfer: the role of a speaker's native language in the acquisition, representation, usage and processing of a second language. We present a computational framework that enables studying transfer in a unified fashion across language production and language comprehension. Our framework supports bidirectional inference between linguistic characteristics of speakers' native languages, and the way they use and process a new language. We leverage this inference ability to demonstrate the systematic nature of cross-linguistic transfer, and to uncover some of its key linguistic and cognitive manifestations. We instantiate our framework in language production by relating syntactic usage patterns and grammatical errors in English as a Second Language (ESL) to typological properties of the native language, showing its utility for automated typology learning and prediction of second language grammatical errors. We then introduce eye tracking during reading as a methodology for studying cross-linguistic transfer in second language comprehension. Using this methodology, we demonstrate that learners' native language can be predicted from their eye movement while reading free-form second language text. Further, we show that language processing during second language comprehension is intimately related to linguistic characteristics of the reader's first language. Finally, we introduce the Treebank of Learner English (TLE), the first syntactically annotated corpus of learner English. The TLE is annotated with Universal Dependencies (UD), a framework geared towards multilingual language analysis, and will support linguistic and computational research on learner language. Taken together, our results highlight the importance of multilingual approaches to the scientific study of second language acquisition, and to Natural Language Processing (NLP) applications for non-native language.
by Yevgeni Berzak.
Ph. D.
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Lengeris, A. "Individual differences in second-language vowel learning." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2009. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/19029/.
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Adults often have difficulty in acquiring non-native vowels especially when the vowel inventories in first (L1) and second language (L2) are very different. However, even when testing L2 groups with similar profiles, there are great individual differences in the perception and production of non-native sounds. Similarly, computer-based training studies of L2 sounds report that improvement after training can range greatly across individuals. This thesis explores possible sources of individual differences in Greek native speakers’ perception and production of Southern British English vowels. Study 1 examined the perceived relationship between English vowels (in /bVb/ and /bVp/ contexts) and Greek vowels along with English vowel discrimination by the same participants. Greek speakers were found to perceive English vowels via both spectral and temporal assimilation to their L1 categories despite the fact that Greek does not use duration in L1 vowel distinctions. Study 2 defined the endpoints for the synthetic vowel continua to be used in Study 3 using a best exemplars experiment. In study 3, Greek speakers from a homogenous population (in terms of L1 background, age of L2 learning, amount and quality of L2 input) were tested on a large test battery before and after receiving 5 sessions of high-variability perceptual training. The test battery examined their perception of natural and synthetic vowels in L1 (Greek) and L2 (English) and their frequency discrimination ability (F2 only) as well as their production of L2 vowels. Group results showed significant improvement in the trainees’ perception of natural L2 vowels and their L2 vowel production. However, large individual differences were evident both before and after training. Vowel processing in L2 was found to relate to individual variability in vowel processing in L1 and, importantly, to frequency discrimination acuity, a finding that favours an auditory processing hypothesis for L1 and L2 speech perception of vowels.
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Kruger, Marlene. "Drama-based second language teaching and learning." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/78099.
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This study engages with the domains of second language teaching and learning (L2TL), drama-based teaching and learning (DBTL) and embodied cognition in order to establish how the effective implementation of DBTL may contribute to the efficacy of L2TL practices. There are shortfalls in second language (L2) classrooms and there is a need for a L2 teaching approach, which promotes social interaction in varied sociocultural contexts wherein learners are encouraged to make meaning in order to convey their message. The L2 learning processes created by this approach could overcome the shortfalls of L2TL and offer what is required by Second Language Acquisition (SLA) to acquire a L2. This study proposes that the use of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment (CEFR) could overcome these shortfalls. However, CEFR can only be effective if the approach that is utilised in its implementation aligns with CEFR’s principles. This study argues that a drama-based teaching approach could adhere to CEFR and address the shortfalls of L2TL. This study explores drama as a facilitation tool and uses elements of process drama to create an approach to DBTL that could create learning experiences which may enhance the efficacy of L2TL and adhere to CEFR.
This study argues that for a DBTL approach to be effective in L2TL, it has to foreground embodied cognition. Embodied cognition theories state that in order to create optimal learning opportunities, social, affective learning experiences should be created wherein learners interact with other humans and their environment in order to make and convey meaning. By critically engaging with embodied cognition theories, this study establishes which components of embodied cognition should be considered for DBTL to be effectively implemented in L2 classrooms. Subsequently, this knowledge ensures that the proposed approach to drama-based second language teaching and learning (DBL2TL) could allow for effective implementation. This study argues that a hypothetical DBL2TL programme based on this DBL2TL approach, which is steered by embodied cognition and adheres to CEFR, could overcome the shortfalls of L2TL. Furthermore, the programme could offer insight into how DBTL could effectively be implemented in L2TL, which in turn could enhance the effectual implementation of DBTL in L2 classrooms. Therefore, the hypothetical DBL2TL programme could enhance the efficacy of L2TL.Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria 2020.
Drama
MA
Unrestricted
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Wilson, Rachel. "Syntactic category learning in a second language." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/289805.
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A central question in the study of language learning is how humans acquire syntactic categorical distinctions among words (e.g. noun, verb, etc.). Past research using miniature artificial grammars suggests that semantic information is not needed for this learning; distributional information alone can provide adequate input for learning. The current experiments extended this finding to a natural language. Adults who had never studied Russian listened to lists of Russian words for seven minutes. The words consisted of a content morpheme and a grammatical ending. The participants were not told the meanings of the words. Next they were tested on a series of legal and non-legal morpheme sequences, including sequences that were not in the training. Results showed that participants were able to distinguish between new legal and non-legal morpheme sequences, provided there were at least two category-markers in the input. This suggests that they were generalizing the words into categories. A corpus study showed that Russian probably contains the kind and quantity of markings required for category learning to take place. Reaction times were also analyzed.
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Garza, Maria. "Second Language Recall in Methods of Learning." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/6788.
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This dissertation examined the relationship between the acquisition and recall of English language vocabulary. This study explored 2 different learning recall strategies to determine which approach was the quickest or more efficient way to remember vocabulary words. Previous researchers had focused on learning a second language phonetically and had not explored different instructional strategies to study the most useful or quickest way to learn a second language for adults. However, there remains an important gap in the current research regarding how to present different methods of instruction to acquire a new second language more rapidly. The purpose of this study was to determine which method was easier and quicker to assist the second language learner to recall and acquire vocabulary. The sample came from 3 different adult second language classrooms. The participants completed a pretest to assess their English word knowledge before the treatment. The participants had a timed 15-min or 30-min period to learn the cards for recall using flash cards with words only or with words and pictures. Once the period was over, the participants completed a posttest measure of language acquisition. There were no statistically significant differences in posttest scores based on method of learning, length of time for learning, or the interaction between the two. The results of the study added to the research on determining whether different instructional methods assisted an adult second language learner to acquire a second language more swiftly.
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Guillory, Helen E. (Helen Elizabeth). "Computer Applications to Second Language Acquisition." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1991. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc504628/.
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This thesis is intended to give a panorama of technology in foreign language pedagogy. Although my field of study is French, the computer applications under scrutiny do not relate solely to the teaching of French. This paper begins with a criticism of the rigid listen-and-repeat language laboratory concept while tracking the rise of communicative language learning theory; follows the microprocessor revolution in language consoles; documents the development of computer-assisted instruction; showcases software evaluations of computer-assisted language learning; explores telecommunications; discusses satellite dishes and other computer peripherals; presents the results of a survey of Texas universities; and concludes with the presentation of the evolving language media center.
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Adamu, Taddele. "Individual differences in second language learning in formal contexts." Thesis, Online version, 1990. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?did=1&uin=uk.bl.ethos.276152.
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Zhao, Yifan. "Language Learning through Dialogs:Mental Imagery and Parallel Sensory Input in Second Language Learning." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1396634043.
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Milligan, James N. "Second language learning needs of illiterate Italian adults, students of English as a Second Language." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp04/mq28716.pdf.
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Fogle, Evelyn Wright. "Language socialization in the internationally adoptive family identities, second languages, and learning /." Connect to Electronic Thesis (CONTENTdm), 2009. http://worldcat.org/oclc/460562377/viewonline.
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Dutta, Lipika. "The role of output in second language learning." Thesis, Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2002. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B31945260.
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Basic, Lejla. "Speaking anxiety : An obstacle to second language learning?" Thesis, Högskolan i Gävle, Akademin för utbildning och ekonomi, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-10831.
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Language is a system for communication, for that reason it is evident that communication skills are a big part of learning a language. To practice speaking is therefore a central part of English lessons in schools today. However, to make students speak the target language is not always easy and there can be several different reasons why this is the case. The current study investigates one possible reason, namely speaking anxiety and its influence on second language acquisition. The study’s purpose was to examine how a teacher can encourage students to communicate orally but also to learn why the phenomenon is not dealt with more in schools. The study is mainly based on literature but also contains an interview with two upper secondary teachers. It is found that speaking anxiety inhibits students from speaking which has a negative effect on their oral skills. The study also shows that speaking anxiety is not a prioritized problem in schools, a reason can be that speaking anxiety is not seen as a problem concerning language teaching since it can be considered as a social difficulty. Nevertheless, since oral proficiency is a big part of the English course in the Swedish upper secondary school, speaking anxious students have a harder time mastering the goals for education than other students. In order to encourage speaking in a classroom it is important to strive for a pleasant atmosphere where every student can feel relaxed and motivated to communicate orally.
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Mwange, Sepiso. "Process drama : affecting the second language learning classroom." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20618.
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This is a practice as research (PAR) study that investigates Process drama as a pedagogical methodology for second language acquisition. The dramas were structured around role play in fictional situations designed to improve the pupils' vocabulary in English, mainly using the strategies of Teacher in Role and Mantle of the Expert. This research demonstrates the effect and affect of placing the pupils in experiential learning environments that empower him/her to be a co-creator of knowledge, as well as the skills needed by the researcher to facilitate this process. The pilot study was designed for implementation over four months, with pupils in second language English classes in grades 2 and 3 (i.e. seven/eight years old). Qualitative research methods were used, including critical and reflexive ethnography, simple questionnaires, and unstructured interviews with teachers and pupils, Teachers' and Visitors' feedback, video recordings and the researcher's journal. The sample of participants was too small to make recommendations, but the study tested the Process Drama method and the techniques of role, Teacher-in-role and Mantle of the Expert. The analysis of the project draws from the theoretical principles applied in other case studies by practitioners in the field, comparing the methods used and their outcomes. As well as the assumption that Process Drama is a good way to teach language because it creates the space for emotion and cognition to co-exist within the learning space.
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Marchenkova, Ludmila Alexandrovna. "Interpreting dialogue: Bakhtin’s theory and second language learning." The Ohio State University, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1111777929.
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Carrasco-Ortiz, Haydee. "Morphosyntactic learning of french as a second language." Thesis, Aix-Marseille, 2012. http://www.theses.fr/2012AIXM3039.
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La présente thèse a pour but d'étudier l'apprentissage morphosyntaxique du français comme langue seconde (L2). Elle cherche à examiner l'hypothèse proposée par certains modèles linguistiques et neurocognitifs selon laquelle les difficultés observées chez des bilingues tardifs à maitriser les connaissances morphosyntaxiques en L2 peuvent s'expliquer par un échec lors de la représentation mentale et le traitement de l'information morphosyntaxique, en comparaison avec les locuteurs natifs. Ainsi, les travaux présentés dans cette thèse utilisent des mesures électrophysiologiques afin de déterminer si ces difficultés sont associées (a) à la réalisation phonologique des inflexions morphologiques de la langue cible et (b) à l'interférence de la langue maternelle (L1). Les résultats démontrent que les apprenants tardifs sont capables d'acquérir des représentations morphosyntaxiques similaires à celle des locuteurs natifs. Nous avons également montré que l'information phonologique comprise dans les inflexions morphologiques joue un rôle important dans l'apprentissage morphosyntaxique en L2. Ces résultats nous ont permis de conclure que la capacité des apprenants bilingues à traiter l'information morphosyntaxique en L2 est moins influencée par la L1 à un niveau avancé d'apprentissage, tout en restant affectée par les propriétés morphosyntaxiques de la langue cible. De plus, ces résultats plaident en faveur des modèles linguistiques et neurocognitifs qui postulent que le traitement morphosyntaxique chez les bilingues avancés implique les même processus cognitifs que ceux des locuteurs natifsThis thesis investigates morphosyntactic learning in adult second language (L2) learners of French. It examines the assumption posited by linguistic and neurocognitive models according to which L2 learners' difficulty in fully mastering morphosyntactic knowledge is due to a failure to mentally represent and process morphosyntactic information in a native-like manner. The series of experiments presented in this thesis use ERPs to investigate whether the difficulties that late L2 learners encounter in processing morphosyntactic agreement can be explained by (a) the phonological realization of inflectional morphology in the target language and (b) interference from the learners' native language (L1). The findings demonstrate that late L2 learners can achieve native-like processing of morphosyntactic knowledge at high levels of proficiency, regardless of the status of the morphosyntactic system in their L1. In addition, we provide evidence that phonological information contained in inflectional morphology plays an important role in the acquisition and processing of morphosyntactic agreement in L2. It is thus argued that L2 learners' processing of morphosyntactic agreement is less influenced by the L1 at high levels of proficiency, while still being potentially affected by the specific morphosyntactic properties of the target language. These findings give further support to linguistic and neurocognitive models positing that morphosyntactic processing in adult L2 learners involves mental representations and cognitive mechanisms similar to those used by native speakers
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Dutta, Llipika. "The role of output in second language learning /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 2002. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B25262828.
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Marchenkova, Ludmila Alexandrovna. "Interpreting dialogue Bakhtin's theory and second language learning /." Connect to this title online, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1111777929.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2004.Document formatted into pages; contains x, 153 p.; also contains graphics. Includes bibliographical references. Abstract available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center; full text release delayed at author's request until 2010 March 25.
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Wullur, Bill Glenny. "Multidimensional Task Engagement and Second Language Lexical Learning." Thesis, Curtin University, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/86763.
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This mixed methods study investigates the relationship between multidimensional engagement in task-based language teaching and lexical language learning of Indonesian college students. Task engagement was examined in several dimensions, namely cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and social.
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Wistner, Brian. "Effects of metalinguistic knowledge and language aptitude on second language learning." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2014. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/250126.
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Applied LinguisticsPh.D.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of metalinguistic knowledge and language learning aptitude on second language (L2) procedural knowledge. Three lines of inquiry were undertaken: (a) confirming the factorial structure of metalinguistic knowledge and language learning aptitude; (b) testing the relative effects of metalinguistic knowledge and language learning aptitude on L2 procedural knowledge; and (c) assessing the relative contributions of receptive and productive metalinguistic knowledge and components of language learning aptitude to L2 procedural knowledge. Two-hundred-forty-nine Japanese university students participated. One receptive and two productive tests of metalinguistic knowledge related to metalinguistic terminology and English grammatical rules were administered. Learners' language learning aptitude was measured using the Lunic Language Marathon, which consisted of four scales: number learning, sound-symbol association, vocabulary learning, and language analytical ability. Participants' L2 procedural knowledge was assessed through performance on a timed writing task. The writing samples were scored for overall quality, L2 complexity, accuracy, and fluency. The scores from each test were subjected to Rasch analyses to investigate the construct validity and unidimensionality of the instruments. The results of the Rasch analyses indicated that the test items fit the Rasch model, supporting the construct validity of the instruments. The unidimensionality of each instrument was established through Rasch principal component analyses. Interval-level Rasch measures were used for the subsequent analyses. The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that metalinguistic knowledge and language learning aptitude were distinct constructs. A two-factor model showed good model fit and explained the relationship between the two constructs. Structural equation modeling revealed that metalinguistic knowledge significantly predicted L2 procedural knowledge, complexity, accuracy, and fluency. Language learning aptitude, however, was not a statistically significant predictor of the L2 procedural knowledge variables. The results of a path model analysis indicated that productive metalinguistic knowledge was the strongest predictor of L2 procedural knowledge, language analytical ability predicted receptive metalinguistic knowledge, and number learning was negatively associated with L2 procedural knowledge. The findings point to the facilitative role of metalinguistic knowledge in L2 learning and the viability of L2 declarative knowledge becoming proceduralized through practice.
Temple University--Theses
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Borg, Simon. "Teacher cognition in second language grammar teaching." Thesis, University of Exeter, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.284617.
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Chen, Yih-Lan. "Motivation and language learning strategies in learning English as a foreign language /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/7593.
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金裕璟 and You-kyong Kim. "The learning experience of Koreans learning Cantonese as a second language." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1999. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31945041.
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Regan, Jeanette. "The dance of learning on encounters in adult second-language learning." Bern Berlin Bruxelles Frankfurt, M. New York, NY Oxford Wien Lang, 2008. http://d-nb.info/996091572/04.
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Kim, You-kyong. "The learning experience of Koreans learning Cantonese as a second language." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1999. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B21160776.
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Freeman, Mike. "Time factors as predictors of success in language learning : a study of background variables and language learning activities." Thesis, University of Surrey, 1996. http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/843702/.
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The present research examines the importance of time factors as predictors of success in language learning. Time factors are periods of time which students spend on language learning. The research addresses four main questions: (1) what is the nature of the relationship between language learning and time; (2) what is the relative importance of time factors to language learning; (3) to what extent can time factors predict success in language learning; and (4) what do students spend most time on? A group of 118 students of French and EFL at the Universities of Sussex and Brighton completed a questionnaire during the period March to May 1995. This questionnaire collected data on the periods of time students spent on language learning and on student proficiency levels, using self-report instruments. This data was triangulated with similar data collected from 23 interviewees, and 6 case-study students. The results of a correlational analysis indicated that total hours of study and active residence was the best predictor of student proficiency, and that there seemed to be a logarithmic relationship between this predictor and proficiency. The best multiple regression model accounted for 67% of variance in proficiency levels. Students of French spent most time on classwork and homework, whereas the EFL students spent most time chatting to non-native speakers and listening to the radio.
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Lennon, P. "Second language acquisition of advanced German learners." Thesis, University of Reading, 1987. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.378307.
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Sriruksa, Pratoom. "A sociocultural model of second language learning in the Thai context /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2005. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe19187.pdf.
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Bradfield, Marjorie. "Successful female adult language learners, their strategy use in second language learning." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1996. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp04/mq21903.pdf.
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Mežek, Špela. "Advanced Second-Language Reading and Vocabulary Learning in the Parallel-Language University." Doctoral thesis, Stockholms universitet, Engelska institutionen, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-94766.
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Due to the internationalisation of higher education, the use of English at higher education institutions has become widespread. Today an increasing number of students participate in courses with the local language as medium of instruction but with textbooks in English. These have been called parallel-language courses, because they are expected to facilitate learning disciplinary discourse in two languages: the local language and English. This thesis reports an exploration of Swedish students' reading and learning from English textbooks in parallel-language courses. The overarching aim was to investigate the relationship between the students' Swedish and English reading habits and reading proficiency, their academic biliteracy, and incidental learning of subject-specific terminology in English from reading. The study also set out to identify pedagogical solutions to facilitate students' reading and learning from reading in English. The investigation comprised four studies which utilised a variety of methods and approaches, both qualitative and quantitative. Participants were Swedish and British students of biology and Swedish students of English. The results show that many Swedish students are capable of reading and learning from texts in Swedish and English without experiencing serious difficulties, although additional support is required for the learning of English terminology. The findings also indicate that some students' difficulty when reading in English is not due to poor English language proficiency, but rather a range of other factors such as weak general literacy skills, low motivation, low subject and vocabulary knowledge, note-taking strategies, slow reading speed, and time. For some students, learning is also rendered difficult by their self-perceptions and beliefs about reading and learning. Based on my findings, I propose a range of practices for EAP and subject teachers to adopt in order to improve reading and learning in parallel-language courses.At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Submitted. Paper 4: Submitted.
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Thacker, Josie Eileen. "The Effect of Language Learning Experience on Motivation and Anxiety of Foreign Language Learning Students." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2020. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/8759.
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The purpose of this study was to examine how motivation and anxiety within learners studying a foreign language are affected by a participant's language requirement (whether a participant has a language requirement as part of their education), language class level, and language learning environment (those with traditional classroom verses significant in- country experience). The current study surveyed and analyzed the responses of 124 students currently enrolled in a language class at Brigham Young University. Self- reported survey results demonstrate the relationship between motivation and anxiety with relation to language class level, language learning experience, and language requirement fulfillment. Further analyses were done in order to explore the interaction of different types of motivation (instrumental, integrative, intrinsic and resultative) and different types of anxiety (classroom, text anxiety and fear of negative evaluation) on the three factors examined in this study. Results indicated that there was a significant difference in motivation for participants whose major required taking foreign language courses and those whose major did not require a foreign language. Specifically, the results of the sub types of motivation (integrative, intrinsic, instrumental, and resultative) indicated that those that were required to take the language as a requirement had higher instrumental motivation than those that were not required to take a foreign language. The second significant finding of this study is that there was no effect on motivation and anxiety levels of participants with regard to language class level with one exception. Students at the 200 level had greater language class anxiety and lower resultative motivation than the other levels did. The third significant finding was that significant in- country experience did not affect motivation or anxiety. These results demonstrate that several factors may influence students' motivation and anxiety levels when learning a foreign language.
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Kilagård, Carl. "Selection and Use of Films in Second Language Learning." Thesis, Örebro universitet, Institutionen för humaniora, utbildnings- och samhällsvetenskap, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-75535.
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Film is a teaching resource offering great possibilities in the English language classroom. In the curriculum for the English courses at upper secondary school in Sweden (Lgy11), it is mentioned four times that film should be included when teaching English. However, most films are not produced for the purpose to educate, but to entertain. This essay focuses on how to select films appropriate for second language learning. My study examines the work of teachers at the upper secondary school-level in Sweden, and more specifically how they select films for English teaching to their students. Starting with the hypothesis that selecting films for language teaching could be problematic, my results have instead shown that, in general, the participants did not find it problematic to make film choices. Other important findings regarding what needs to be considered when selecting films include the following: checking for content appropriateness, re-using films, including important themes, considering language usage, using different formats of films, and using film adaptations of literary works. In general, there are many advantages in treating film as a language learning resource when teaching English to second language learners, which creates many opportunities for language teachers.
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Saunders, Åhlén Tina. "Multiilingualism and Language Learning in School." Thesis, Högskolan i Halmstad, Akademin för lärande, humaniora och samhälle, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-30022.
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This thesis examines how students, aged 13-15, with a mother tongue other than Swedish, experience learning English in school. This is important since there is an increasing number of bilinguals and multilinguals learning English in schools in Sweden and around the world. Several concepts are presented and discussed that have been argued to pose barriers to bilingual and multilingual language learning. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with ten students, aged between 13 and 15. The empirical material shows that bilingual and multilingual students usually refer to Swedish, even when their mother-tongue may be a better reference for learning English. This is because teachers commonly refer to Swedish grammar rules in attempting to clarify English grammar rules and the textbooks used to support the learning process are in Swedish. This may pose problems for the learning process, particularly for students who are not proficient in Swedish. The study also highlights the importance of diagnosing bilingual students' L1 and L2 on a regular basis to see when the optimum time is to be exposed to English language learning rather than the current approach of immersing them in English learning without considering the other language learning processes the student may be engaged in. The study also found that students commonly perceived their English to be proficient even though they had poor grades. One possible reason for this is that they manage well in their day-to-day engagement with computer games, films and social media while formal English learning, including aspects such as grammar and writing, require a different type of application. Finally, the thesis describes how important high metalinguistic awareness is for language learning and it is suggested that additional research focuses on how this conceptual understanding can be translated in practitioner tools useful for teachers. Schools need to create an environment that values and supports multilingual students’ language competence and an early national diagnostic test would help to support those conditions.
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Andersson, Sandra. "A study in second language vocabulary : Learning and teaching." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för språk och litteratur, SOL, 2010. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-7940.
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This paper investigates individual learning and teaching strategies by conducting a study among pupils and teachers on the topic. Pupils have answered a questionnaire where they were asked how they learn vocabulary. In addition, teachers have been interviewed where they were asked how they teach vocabulary. Finally, it was investigated what words pupils should learn. The study showed that pupils use a variety of different learning strategies. In addition, teachers use different teaching strategies when teaching vocabulary. It is stated that there are a number of different learning strategies pupils can use. The main teaching strategies should be to teach the words in different contexts but also present different meanings to the word. Finally, high-frequency words should be in focus as well as words of specific use to the pupils.
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Valencia, Cabrera Marlon. "Learning about humor teaching second language humor in ESL /." Online access for everyone, 2008. http://www.dissertations.wsu.edu/Thesis/Spring2008/m_valencia_042808.pdf.
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Roehr, Karen. "Metalinguistic knowledge in second language learning : an emergentist perspective." Thesis, Lancaster University, 2004. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.429996.
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DuQuette, Jean-Paul Lafayette. "Cypris Village: Language Learning in Virtual Worlds." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2017. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/428760.
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Applied LinguisticsEd.D.
ABSTRACT Online virtual worlds provide a unique environment for language instruction and learning, yet there are few longitudinal studies that chronicle the workings of existing communities on avatar-based graphical platforms. This study focuses on Cypris Chat, a nonprofit English learning and teaching group within Linden Lab’s Second Life. In this study, I discuss the structure of this community, the factors behind this group’s development from five members in 2008 to 882 in 2016, and the reasons for its appeal as a virtual world language learning group. I also examine the ways in which teaching and learning take place there. Although the study is primarily descriptive and ethnographic, it also makes use of three theoretical frameworks to analyze different aspects of the group. The digital habitats framework of Wenger, White, and Smith (2009) was used to judge Cypris’ efficacy as a working online community. Lim’s (2009) Six Learnings framework was utilized to explore how adequately the group made use of affordances specific to learning opportunities in virtual worlds. Finally, Holzman’s (2010) interpretation of sociocultural learning theory was used to analyze recorded discourse of formal and informal language learning activities. Data were collected through interviews of 21 Cypris staff and members; a majority of participants were adults of Japanese nationality, but members from Europe and the Middle East also participated. Participant observation and my personal experiences with Cypris’ history were also utilized, both to inform the development of interview questions and to determine the long-lasting appeal of the group; observations drew on my eight years experience as resident researcher and volunteer tutor at Cypris. Finally, disparate learning activities, both formal lessons and informal impromptu interactions during extracurricular conversations and games, were recorded, and select incidents were analyzed through discourse analysis. Results suggest that members’ perception of the importance of both formal activities and informal socializing outside of class was crucial to the continued existence of the group. Additionally, they also suggest that the group’s long-lasting appeal is related to the adventurous spirit of key members identified as Internet early adopters. As for teaching and learning within the community, observations indicated that tutors and learners alike took advantage of both traditional instructional methods and the unique affordances of the Second Life environment, both within and outside formal instruction at Cypris. Conclusions suggest that both Wenger et al.’s (2009) digital habitats and Lim’s (2009) Six Learnings frameworks are robust measures of online learning communities, and Holzman’s (2010) interpretation of sociocultural learning theory was shown to be applicable to both exploration of learning through play and informal interactions as well as more structured lessons in online virtual world learning groups like Cypris. This study contributes to the body of research on models of online language education, multimodal learning in virtual worlds, and the potentially revolutionary possibilities and challenges inherent in language learning communities such as Cypris.
Temple University--Theses
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Lin, Chai-Wei. "Second Language Learners' Recognition of Unknown Words." Master's thesis, University of Central Florida, 2005. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/2212.
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Recent research has underscored the important role of second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition in the reading process. The present study examined how accurately eighteen learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) were able to identify unknown words within a reading passage. It is assumed that "noticing" unfamiliar words in a text plays an important role in being able to extract meaning from context, which may ultimately result in word learning; thus, whether or not learners are able to recognize unknown words as unknown is a key step in vocabulary learning. The design of this study was based on previous research (Laufer and Yano, 2001) on the connection between first language background and self-assessment of L2 word knowledge. The first three steps of the Lafuer and Yano study were used in this study. In the first step, ESL learners self-assessed their ability to identify selected words in a text. After this, L2 learners explained or translated the meanings of the words. Finally, the two sets of data were analyzed to measure correlations. The findings of the study showed that teachers, as well as learners, should not underestimate the importance of vocabulary. Instead, they should provide more explicit vocabulary instruction and practice. In addition, L2 learners need to learn to identify words that are unknown. The act of "noticing" unknown words and identifying them as such is the initial step towards building vocabulary through reading. Lastly, L2 learners should not rely solely on context clues for the "guessing" strategy when they have a limited level of vocabulary because they may develop mistaken word knowledge, which would impact reading comprehension. Instead, learners should develop a wide range of strategies to comprehend academic reading.M.A.
Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures
Arts and Sciences
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
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Machimana, Petronella Nondumiso Nompilo. "Language-learning strategies of English second-language learners participating in peer tutoring Petronella." Thesis, University of Pretoria, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/80459.
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This study aims to identify, explore and elucidate the language-learning strategies used by African English second-language learners participating in peer tutoring in Gauteng province, South Africa. Informed by pragmatism, this study was situated in a constructivist epistemology and a relational ontology. Consistent with a constructivist epistemology, Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory was utilised and adapted for the purpose of this study to reflect a hybridised model which is more suitable for studying the language-learning strategies used by indigenous learners. Using a convergent mixed methods design, a total of 137 second-language learners in Grades 8 and 9 from seven different peer tutoring programmes were purposefully sampled to be part of this study. The data collection methods used for this study were: a quantitative as well as a qualitative questionnaire, focus group discussions and non-participant observation.
The findings of this study show that learners use a range of conventional strategies at a high frequency (metacognitive, social, cognitive and affective) while compensation and memory strategies were used at a medium frequency. The qualitative results show that the use of conventional strategies took place in a collectivist manner, which relates to the relational ontology of this study. A significant insight derived from this study is that African second-language learners use a range of indigenous strategies for L2 learning. These strategies include various art forms such as dance, music, poetry and word games. Consistent with the use of humour by many African literary scholars, learners in this study also used humour for downplaying their second-language mistakes, managing emotions and for critical thinking. The use of strategies was shown to be affected by learner motivation, gender, resource availability, identity, home language knowledge and the context in which learners learn. The peer tutoring learning context was shown to be an effective method for scaffolding second-language learning by allowing learners to be taught within their zone of proximal development.
I theorise that the use of a hybridised framework that combines both conventional and indigenous knowledge systems should be considered to aid the learning of a second language. This framework lends support for strengthening learners’ home language(s) through translanguaging practices and by valorising learners’ translingual identity. Therefore, it is recommended that policymakers should ensure the inclusion of indigenous knowledge systems in the curriculum and put measures in place for monitoring the effective implementation of these indigenous knowledge systems in the South African curriculum.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2020.
pt2021
Humanities Education
PhD
Unrestricted