Literatura científica selecionada sobre o tema "Learning second and foreign languages"

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.

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.

Educators have claimed that listening to music in a second or foreign language (L2) can provide fun and motivating educational material and that singing can enhance the L2 learning process by improving listening and speaking skills, pronunciation, intonation, and vocabulary. Experiments have shown that under certain conditions, a sung presentation of linguistic material can facilitate verbal learning in the native language. To date, however, there is very little research evidence that singing can increase L2 skills. This thesis begins to methodically evaluate whether listening to songs and singing in a new language can facilitate L2 learning, compared to practising L2 material through more traditional, speech-based instructional methods. The research studies also explore the extent to which individual di erences (IDs) between learners may mediate any observed benefits of using songs in L2 instruction. The first two studies examine under controlled experimental conditions whether singing can support adults’ beginning-level modern language learning compared to speech over a short time period. Results indicate that when no significant group di erences exist for the ID measures, an instructional method that incorporates L2 singing can facilitate short-term learning and memory. Results also showed that IDs between learners, in particular previous language learning experience, musical abilities, mood, and motivation, can mediate the benefits of L2 learning through a singing method. The third study describes a four-week, classroom-based arts intervention exploring the e ects of incorporating songs and dramatic dialogues into the L2 curriculum, both in terms of learning outcomes and the adolescents’ opinions. In addition to increases in French skills, many children reported that the dramatic and musical activities had increased their confidence to speak in French. There was also an overall preference for listening to songs and more children reported that the songs repeated in their heads after class. The thesis concludes by discussing practical implications for L2 instruction and proposes a framework to guide future research exploring how and why singing can support modern foreign language learning.