Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: motivación

Resumen:

Despite extensive research in task-based language learning, the role of learners’ motivational dispositions in their task experience and performance has remained underexplored. To help bridge that gap, this study investigated the relationships between second language (L2) learners’ chronic regulatory focus and their oral task emotions and performance. One hundred and thirty-three high school students studying English as a foreign language in China completed a regulatory focus questionnaire, an English proficiency self-rating questionnaire, an oral opinion task, and a post-task questionnaire measuring their task anxiety and enjoyment. Multiple regression results showed that the learners’ chronic promotion focus positively predicted their task enjoyment, which, in turn, predicted their oral task performance. In addition, the...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: enfoque por tareas

Resumen:

This study is aimed to identify the effects of task complexity on first language (L1) use and the functions it may serve when two groups of learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) work on collaborative tasks. Twenty-four pairs of Chinese EFL learners from two universities were assigned to a lower-proficiency and a higher-proficiency group, each with twelve pairs. Each group completed two collaborative tasks of different cognitive complexity. The results showed that task complexity had an appreciable impact on the use of L1 and its functions. It is also found that the impact of task complexity was dependent on learners’ English proficiency. Specifically, the higher-proficiency group employed more L1 to perform complex tasks than they did in the simple versions of the tasks. These learners also devoted significantly more L1...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: feedback/retroalimentación

Resumen:

Given much attention associated with learner engagement in second language (L2) writing, an increasing body of studies has reported that learner engagement with feedback is a critical construct to enhance English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ writing achievement. However, little research has been conducted to explore the predictive effect of grit and examine the mediating role of learner engagement with feedback in the relationship between grit and English writing achievement (EWA) in the underlying mechanism of L2 writing. Therefore, the current study aims to address these under-researched issues by investigating a mediation model of L2 grit, learner engagement with feedback, and EWA among English major students. The findings demonstrated that: (1) perseverance-of-effort variation in L2 grit predicted variance in learner...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: vocabulario

Resumen:

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Este estudio examina la percepción de 21 participantes de ELE sobre la enseñanza del léxico tabú en un curso introductorio de traducción español-inglés. Se investiga la efectividad de las actividades y el nivel de comodidad de los participantes al usar dicho léxico. Utilizando la práctica reflexiva basada en los principios de Schön (1987), la enseñanza se centró en la conciencia consciente y actividades estructuradas y comunicativas para desarrollar la competencia comunicativa. Con una metodología mixta, se buscan las mejores prácticas para enseñar y aprender el lenguaje tabú en ELE. Se evalúa la satisfacción de los estudiantes, se identifican mejoras para el curso y se presentan los resultados....

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: feedback/retroalimentación

Resumen:

Although numerous studies have attested to the effectiveness of written corrective feedback (WCF) in promoting second language (L2) accuracy, the extent to which WCF contributes to acquisition is still debatable. This study thus aimed to investigate the effects of WCF on the development of Thai EFL (English as a foreign language) learners’ implicit and explicit knowledge of English plurals, and the extent to which learner differences in working memory capacity (WMC) moderated the efficacy of WCF. This experimental study adopted a pre–post–delayed-posttest design and was carried out over the course of a 9-month period. Seventy-five low intermediate learners were randomly assigned to the direct focused, direct unfocused and the control group. All groups completed a metalinguistic knowledge, untimed grammatical judgement, timed writing,...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: comprensión lectora

Resumen:

Underdeveloped reading comprehension skills can limit academic success; a particular challenge for English language learners (ELLs). The current study investigated whether a web-based text structure strategy, delivered via the Intelligent Tutoring of Structure Strategy (ITSS) program to adult Chinese ELLs, improved students’ use of reading strategies and/or overall reading comprehension. Using a quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design, 207 adult Chinese ELLs from four classes were assigned to intervention or control groups. The intervention group utilized the ITSS to support their English reading instruction, whereas the control group was exposed to only traditional instruction. Our results indicate that the ITSS intervention had a statistically significant positive effect on adult Chinese ELLs’ reading comprehension ( β...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: expresión escrita

Resumen:

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Current willingness to communicate (WTC) scales center on WTC in general second language (L2) learning, while L2 writing WTC is underrepresented. This study intended to close this gap by developing and validating an L2 writing WTC scale. A three-phase sequential embedded mixed-methods design was adopted to overcome the over-reliance on quantitative data and provide adequate evidence of validity. Nineteen items were generated based on our literature search and thematic analysis of the interview data (n = 10). With quantitative data collected from 288 learners of English as a foreign language (EFL), the psychometric properties of the initial scale were examined by exploratory factor analysis. After...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: feedback/retroalimentación

Resumen:

An extensive number of corrective feedback (CF) studies have examined learners’ errors with grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and spelling (non-formulaic forms) and established an association between learners’ uptake of CF and their second language development. However, learners’ errors with formulaic sequences (FSs) comprising idioms, collocations, lexical bundles, and compounds (formulaic forms) have received scant attention in CF research. This study investigated any associations among formulaic vs. non-formulaic errors, CF types, uptake, and successful uptake rate by drawing on the audio-recordings of 36 hours of primarily meaning-oriented teacher–learner interactions in three advanced English as a foreign language classes. The findings demonstrated that learners made more errors with FSs, whereas CF was provided significantly...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: interacción

Resumen:

Negotiation serves to solve communication problems in second language (L2) learners’ peer interaction including negotiation of meaning (NoM), negotiation of form (NoF), negotiation of content (NoC) and negotiation of procedure (NoP). The four negotiation types are initiated through negotiation strategies. This study examined how negotiation types and negotiation strategies were distributed and how the distributions developed. The data came from five rounds of group interaction conducted by 52 Chinese postgraduate students in a semester. The findings reveal significant differences in the distributions of negotiation types and negotiation strategies. NoC occurred significantly more frequently than NoM and NoF. Each negotiation type had its major negotiation strategies and they had significantly higher percentages than the other...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: expresión oral

Resumen:

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Because most real-life foreign language speech is naturally unpredictable, spontaneous speech should be practiced in the foreign language classroom. Student teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) may benefit from practising methodology for spontaneous speech practice. This article reports the findings for a study into EFL student teachers’ experiences with using improvisation activities, exploring the relevance of improvisation activities for spontaneous speech practice. The data include semi-guided texts and reluctant speakers’ interviews. The findings showed that improvisation activities facilitated spontaneous speech practice and strengthened speaking confidence through enjoyment. The...

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