Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: input

Resumen:

The present mixed-methods study was an inductive investigation of 8-to-12-year-old English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) children’s English input received beyond the classroom (IBC) in Hong Kong. Individual interviews, with an inductive co-constructive approach, were conducted with the participating children’s parents/guardians (n = 173) to elicit their IBC. The children completed four proficiency tests (listening, reading, speaking, and writing), the scores of which were analysed with their IBC. Medium to large effects were found in correlations between various aspects of IBC and proficiency. Spoken IBC (i.e. exposure to spoken English) generally showed stronger associations with proficiency than written IBC (i.e. exposure to written English) did. Regression analyses demonstrated that both types of IBC were significant predictors,...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: factores afectivos

Resumen:

Although research into emotions has flourished in second language (L2) / foreign language (FL) learning in recent decades, few attempts have been made to examine learners as clusters based on their emotional profiles. The current study set out to first investigate the nature of 98 Grade-4-to-5 English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ emotional profiles, as represented by classroom anxiety, boredom, and enjoyment. The hierarchical clustering analysis revealed three distinct profiles: Negative Emotion (NE; 21.43%), High Enjoyment (HE; 46.93%), and high in both Enjoyment and Anxiety (EA; 31.63%). We then analysed FL motivation and family background (household income and parental education) between the three groups. We also compared the FL proficiency levels (listening, reading, speaking, and writing) between the three groups from...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: enseñanza/aprendizaje de lenguas

Resumen:

While most empirical studies have investigated the improvement of learners’ L2 spoken proficiency via speaking-related interventions, the present study examined the same topic through a different modality: listening. Ninety-five first-year tertiary-level students of English as a second language (ESL) in Hong Kong participated in this three-month experiment. They were separated randomly into three groups: (A) narrow listening with latitude for learners to choose their own materials; (B) narrow listening without such latitude; and (C) a control group without narrow listening. All participants attended a compulsory course on English phonology. Narrow listening was set as homework for the two experimental groups A and B. The overall results indicated that groups A and B improved significantly more than group C in pronunciation and fluency...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: enseñanza/aprendizaje de lenguas

Resumen:

Set against the backcloth of increasing recognition and attention to literature in foreign language education (FLE) globally, this article reports part of a large-scale study of 1,190 secondary-level learners’ views of the benefits of literature, as instantiated by short stories (ShS) and poems and songs (PS) in their English-as-a-foreign-language learning. An inventory of 27 items (13 language-related and 14 non-language-related) was compiled with reference to previous studies and curricular documents. The analyses compared the two modules through independent t-tests, as well as including an exploratory factor analysis to examine latent factors. Findings reveal a three factor structure and a slightly positive view of the benefits of literature. ShS were perceived to be generally more beneficial than PS, especially in the domains of...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: factores afectivos

Resumen:

Learners’ anxiety has drawn widespread attention in the field of second language / foreign language (L2/FL) teaching and learning (e.g. classroom anxiety, communication (with foreigners) anxiety, and anxiety associated with the four macro-skills, namely listening, reading, speaking, and writing). However, this topic is under-explored in L2/FL public speaking (e.g. oral presentations in academic studies), in which anxiety is especially prominent. This study investigated the relationships between EFL (English as a foreign language) learners’ anxiety in public speaking, self-perceived pronunciation competence, and actual speaking proficiency. 176 tertiary-level EFL students in Hong Kong participated in this mixed-methods study using questionnaires and interviews. Overall, different aspects of self-perceived pronunciation were negatively...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: comprensión oral

Resumen:

With the advancements in technology and a growing number of mobile/computer-accessed platforms, opportunities for spoken foreign language (FL) exposure have increased considerably. While some learners seize these opportunities to engage in FL listening beyond the classroom (e.g., watching FL movies), others remain demotivated to do so. This mixed-methods study set out to examine 275 Grade-10-to-12 English-as-a-FL (EFL) learners' motivation and perceptions based on the amount of voluntary English listening they engaged with outside class. The findings from the e-questionnaire revealed that most participants had little-to-some such exposure. Through the lens of self-determination theory, we found that those having a lot of exposure showed the highest (FL listening) intrinsic motivation; however, it was the little-to-some group that...

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