Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: enseñanza/aprendizaje de vocabulario

Resumen:

This study explores whether middle-school students can exploit explicitly addressed crosslinguistic lexical similarities between German and English to learn vocabulary more efficiently. Across six weeks, 260 Swiss German learners of English as a foreign language (17 classes) completed three vocabulary learning tests (T1, T2 and T3). Additionally, 7 of these 17 classes attended a 90-minute intervention between the first and second test: During a 45-minute introductory lesson students discovered four systematic orthographic correspondence rules (e.g.

to as in ship and Schiff), followed by three 15-minute sessions to consolidate their knowledge. The intervention group's improvement in cognate learning was significantly larger in comparison to the control group. The difference was observed across both test modes and all rules...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: español como lengua de herencia

Resumen:

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This study investigates the cognitive processing of Spanish idioms from a pragmatic perspective, with the goal of examining the idiom superiority effect. An eye-tracking experiment was conducted with 77 participants to assess how idiomaticity influences processing and whether heritage speakers align more with L1 or L2 patterns. Results show a processing advantage for idioms among L1 speakers, suggesting reduced cognitive load in later stages. Both heritage and L2 speakers showed longer reading times, but only L2 speakers benefited consistently from idiomaticity. Heritage speakers processed idioms more slowly, indicating difficulty with opacity despite early exposure. Findings support hybrid models of idiom...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: revisión bibliográfica

Temas: factores afectivos

Resumen:

Boredom, though a significant emotion in second language acquisition, has received less attention compared with anxiety and enjoyment. Existing research on the effects of boredom presents mixed findings. To date, no study has systematically synthesized evidence regarding its impact on language achievement and its potential moderating factors. This study addresses this gap by conducting a meta-analysis to examine the influence of boredom on language achievement. A comprehensive analysis of 23 studies involving 9,154 participants was performed. The results from the random effects model revealed a small to medium negative effect size (r = −0.34), indicating that boredom has a detrimental impact on language achievement. Furthermore, moderator analyses identified significant variations in effect sizes across different research contexts,...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: motivación

Resumen:

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This study investigates the impact of online versus in-person learning environments on the motivation of beginning-level Spanish students. Using a modified Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB), data were collected from 18 students enrolled in a 15-week Basic Spanish Skills course. Quantitative analysis revealed a clear preference for in-person classes, with students reporting greater enjoyment, engagement, and motivation compared to online sessions, which were described as less stimulating and less enjoyable. The teacher's role in fostering a supportive, engaging classroom environment was found to significantly enhance student motivation. These findings underscore the importance of...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: feedback/retroalimentación

Resumen:

There is growing consensus that the provision of Written Corrective Feedback (WCF) on second language (L2) writing is beneficial for long-term L2 development. Yet, while WCF may help improve linguistic accuracy, there is no evidence that it promotes the development of linguistic complexity. Further, WCF is also often laborious and time-consuming for the provider. One intervention that may mitigate the above is learner exposure to comparator (model) texts. Studies have demonstrated that the use of comparators can lead to noticing and uptake in immediate revisions. However, no attempt has been made to ascertain the longer-term effect of comparators on the complexity and accuracy of new pieces of writing. Using a pre-, post-, delayed post-test design, this study examined the effects of two interventions on the complexity and accuracy of...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: metodología de investigación

Resumen:

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El propósito de este artículo es explorar la aplicación del software de transcripción TEMI (https://www.temi.com/) en la investigación cualitativa, específicamente en el contexto de las estrategias de aprendizaje en estudiantes de inglés como L2. Este estudio se basa en el trabajo previo de la investigadora, que utilizó el análisis temático para examinar cómo los profesores de inglés describen el uso directo e indirecto de estrategias por parte de sus estudiantes. La transcripción automatizada, la reproducción sincronizada de video y las etiquetas personalizables de los oradores que permite TEMI facilitaron la organización y revisión de entrevistas y grupos focales, contribuyendo al análisis...

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Tipo: informe

Temas: Reino Unido

Resumen:

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La Consejería de Educación en el Reino Unido e Irlanda, en estrecha colaboración con la reconocida consultora en el campo de la enseñanza de lenguas Teresa Tinsley, ha llevado a cabo una labor de recopilación y análisis de los datos disponibles para elaborar en edición bilingüe el informe La enseñanza del español en el Reino Unido. Una tendencia al alza / The Teaching of Spanish in the UK. A Growing Demand. Este informe se ha concebido no solo como una herramienta clave de diagnóstico de la situación actual del español en el Reino Unido, sino también como una base de partida necesaria para desarrollar una planificación estratégica en el marco de la acción educativa española en el exterior....

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: formación de profesores

Resumen:

In the attempt to make a further step toward a research-based definition of the core professional development needs of teachers of languages for specific purposes (LSP), this paper aims to upgrade the framework of professional development needs of LSP teachers developed by Bocanegra-Valle and Basturkmen (2019). With this objective in mind, the paper will examine the differences in the professional development needs of LSP teachers in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) based on their experience with LSP teaching in higher education, qualification level, and LSP taught. The results suggest that the core LSP teacher professional development needs are distributed across the categories of course development, knowledge of the target discipline/profession/industry, knowledge of language use in the target discipline/profession/industry...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: expresión oral

Resumen:

This study investigates whether linguistic outcomes of second language (L2) learners' performance are consistent across oral and written modalities and, if so, whether the consistency remains across proficiency levels. The study also explores whether the linguistic outcomes of speaking, writing, or both are related to working memory capacity. Eighty-six L2 learners, from beginner to advanced, described a series of pictures within time constraints in speech and in writing, and completed two working memory tests. The study found greater syntactic complexity and lexical sophistication in the written than in the oral modality. However, the oral task elicited more lexical diversity, and the advanced learners produced more subordinate clauses in the oral task than in the written task. Learners with more working memory capacity produced...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: factores afectivos

Resumen:

Although researchers have found strong relationships between first language (L1) skills and second language (L2) anxiety, less is known about how L1 skills in primary school impact L2 anxiety years after L1 has been acquired. Previous research lacked evidence for the mediating role of L2 aptitude and L2 achievement in the relationship. This study applies structural equation modelling to examine pathways by which L1 skills are associated with L2 anxiety via the mediators. Sixty-five students were administered L1 skill measures from 1st–5th grades, then followed over 10 years when completing L2 courses in high school. We examined the model across six different ages and found the effect of L1 skills on L2 anxiety was indirect through L2 aptitude and L2 achievement, indicating the impact is better understood through the mediators. The...

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