Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition

Preface

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EFL Teacher Preparedness to Include Learners with Dyslexia: Israeli Context (ICFSLA 2023)

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The aim of this study was to investigate Israeli English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ perceived preparedness to include learners with dyslexia in mainstream classrooms (TEPID) and to verify whether there were cross-country differences in this respect. The study examined the effect of demographic variables on Israeli EFL teachers’ TEPID and identified their professional development needs around inclusive teaching. Principal components analysis of the TEPID scale led to a two-factor structure, that is, knowledge about dyslexia and self-efficacy in implementing inclusive instructional practices with dyslexic EFL learners
(F1), and stance towards inclusion (F2). Statistically significant effects were found for training, highest level of education, years and type of teaching experience with dyslexic learners, and type of certification in relation to F1, yet, only type of teaching experience with dyslexic EFL learners (direct contact and personal involvement in teaching) impacted teacher stance towards inclusion (F2). Additionally, Israeli teachers differed significantly from Polish and Cypriot teachers on both factors of the TEPID, but not from Greek teachers. Moreover, both
Greek and Israeli teachers evaluated their knowledge and skills (F1) as well as stance towards inclusion (F2) higher than Polish and Cypriot teachers. Teachers stressed the need for practical information and training about how to teach students with dyslexia. Implications regarding content of teacher training are discussed.

Can We Modify Teacher Mindsets: Towards Well-being in Education

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Following the impact of positive psychology on education, the term well-being has recently received more attention. However, there is not much research devoted to practical aspects of developing well-being. The studies that exist focus on mindset of novice (Dweck, 2014b) or pre-service teachers (Irie, Ryan, & Mercer, 2018; Haukås & Mercer, 2021). Therefore, there is still much to be done as far as teacher training and well-being development (TT&WD) is concerned. Inspired by Maslow’s study (1943) on self-actualised people, the main aim
was to present characteristic features of growth mindset teachers. A mixed method study (Cresswell & Cresswell, 2018, p. 304) was applied to analyse statements about pre-service teacher well-being. By focusing on teachers’ beliefs, the distinction was made between fixed and growth mindsets. In the first phase of the study, using Likert-scale, a set of 50 questions was created to capture nuances of positive and negative stance of pre-service teachers. The aim was not to verify the teachers’ “subjective well-being” (SWB) (Mazzucchelli & Purcell,
2015), but to focus on the “psychological well-being” (PWB) based on their beliefs and attitudes (Werbińska, 2011). In the second phase, a qualitative analysis of 15 narrative statements served as an indication of the pre-service teacher well-being. The narratives turned out to be the projections of either success or failure of the participants. Finally, a well-being intervention was used which aimed at influencing teachers’ mindsets by involving them in three tasks. The data also show subtle differences in respondents’ answers concerning the way certain students recognise and show their attitudes to life or the teaching profession, which correspond to fixed and growth mindset (Dweck, 2006). These findings highlight the importance of training pre-service teachers in well-being and offer some implications connected with developing a paradigm framework of teacher well-being.

Digital Game-Based Language Learning (DGBL): An Analysis of Polish and Spanish Teacher Candidates’ Knowledge and Attitudes

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The digital gaming industry is experiencing rapid growth and presents significant potential for implementation in educational contexts. Despite a significant body of literature on Digital Game-Based Language Learning (DGBL), the focus has primarily been on students as game players rather than on teacher candidates as future educators. This study aimed to examine the attitudes and knowledge of 205 teacher candidates from Poland (n = 79) and Spain (n = 126) regarding digital games’ potential for foreign language learning. Convenience sampling was used, and a mixed-method approach was taken to collect quantitative and qualitative data via pre-post surveys, digital game presentations, and class discussions. Participants undertook various DGBL activities and were grouped into teams to choose games for language learning, create infographics, and share their insights in a collaborative learning environment. Statistical analysis indicated differences in the first-time technology access and gameplay frequency between the Polish and Spanish cohorts. The Wilcoxon-signed rank test revealed a significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) in two of the five scale dimensions: usefulness (U) and preference for digital games (PDG). The findings suggest that while teacher candidates hold a positive view of DGBL’s potential, they lack practical knowledge of its implementation in the language classroom.

Are Portuguese Higher Education Students Motivated to Study English as a Second/Foreign Language?

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Being motivated is fundamental for any individual to achieve personal and professional success. In the context of learning in Higher Education, Motivation is crucial for achieving this success. Understanding the motivational state of students is essential for higher education managers and teachers. Understanding students’ Amotivation, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation can provide vital information to initiate changes in teaching and learning. In this sense, measuring Amotivation, Intrinsic Motivation, and Extrinsic Motivation allows for understanding the general state of students’ Motivation. This study aims to analyze the Motivation of 145 Portuguese Higher Education Students (70 Male and 75 Female) aged between 17 and 47 years old who studied the second/foreign language (English) in Portugal during the Academic Year of 2020/2021. We used the Academic Motivation Scale to measure Motivation to study English. The results show that students are not demotivated. The Motivation that prevails in the results is Intrinsic Motivation, and Extrinsic Motivation was insignificant. This study’s results contribute to the literature on Motivation to study Second Language, especially concerning the need to understand why students are only intrinsically motivated. Are the lessons, the teaching methodologies, the techniques and the contents not able to motivate them?

The Nexus between Social Factors, Basic Psychological Needs and Task-value of Tertiary EFL Learners: A Bangladeshi Perspective

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This paper aims to explore the impacts of social factors and basic psychological needs of tertiary EFL learners on their task-value to learn English. Though ample studies have investigated EFL learners’ socio-economic status and basic psychological needs, there is a dearth of studies of their effects on their task value in English as a Foreign Language learning. Hence, this study has employed a quantitative research design with a questionnaire to collect data from 110 EFL tertiary learners of Dhaka, Bangladesh. A correlation using SPSS and path and mediation analyses using IBM SPSS AMOS were conducted to analyze the data. The results revealed a positive and significant correlation of learners’ task value with their social factor—school location and two basic psychological needs (BPN): factors-competence and relatedness. Fathers’ education among social factors and autonomy among BPN factors had the largest effects on task value. School location significantly influenced learners’ autonomy and competence. Both autonomy and competence in turn significantly and positively affected learners’ task value. Autonomy and competence also mediated in the relationship between learners’ school location and task value in the EFL context. In addition to adding new insights to the existing EFL achievement motivation literature, the paper also discusses the pedagogical implications of the findings.

Exploring Lexical Sophistication in Second Language: An Analysis of Vocabulary Using a Word-Rating Method

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Previous research has established that determining lexical sophistication (i.e., the percentage of sophisticated words in a text) through the judgment of teachers on a corpus of words is a more accurate method than relying on word frequency-based lists. However, this approach can be time-consuming. To overcome this drawback, a new method is proposed in this study, which involves rating specific words out of context. A list of 68 words that appeared in approved high-school textbooks of teaching Hebrew to Arabic speakers was given to six experienced Hebrew teachers, who then categorized the words into four levels of lexical sophistication: (1) very basic words to (4) very advanced words. From this, a list of 28 words was created, with seven words from each level, and the lexical sophistication level was agreed upon by two-thirds of the teachers. Nineteen Arabic-speaking learners of Hebrew were asked to define the chosen words (passive vocabulary) and compose
a sentence including each (controlled-active vocabulary) in a test-retest study at two time-points: the 11th and 12th grade. The results indicated that although there was no significant increase in lexical sophistication over time, significant differences emerged between the four levels of lexical sophistication, with students’ accuracy decreasing as the level of lexical sophistication increased. Additionally, only in the 11th grade was passive vocabulary found to be significantly larger than controlledactive vocabulary. However, as acquisition time increased, the gap between these two vocabulary types narrowed, due to improved performance in the controlled-active task. Furthermore, a significant correlation was found between passive and controlled-active vocabulary, which became stronger with more acquisition time.

The Role of Phonesthemes in EFL Learners’ Word Acquisition

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Phonesthesia is one of the counterexamples of the arbitrariness of human languages. Although an individual word still appears arbitrary, a group of words bearing the same sound pattern might share similar meaning. This study investigated phonesthesia as a route to improving word acquisition. First, by comparing the guessing accuracy of phonesthemic versus prosaic words, we found phonesthemic words were significantly guessed better, suggesting EFL learners’ sensitivity to English phonesthemes prior to explicit instruction. Phonesthemes provide hints for learners trying to ascertain the meaning of an unknown word. However, according to the participants’ self-report, such sensitivity seems to lie somewhere in between pure clang association and genuine phonesthemic association. In another experiment, we examined the effect of phonesthemic knowledge, induced by explicit instruction, on the retention of phonesthemic words. The experimental group was taught 12 English phonesthemes while the control group wasn’t. It was revealed that learners equipped with phonesthemic knowledge could retain phonesthemic words significantly better over an interval. We argue this is due to an extension of the lexical network in learners’ minds. The second experiment further verified the facilitative role of phonesthemes in word retention. It is recommended that EFL teachers raise learners’ attention to phonesthesia, which may potentially assist in word learning.

The Cultural Component of Selected LSP Textbooks in the Area of Business and Their Potential for Developing Intercultural Competence

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The article aims to investigate the cultural component of selected LSP textbooks in Business English, German, French and Spanish from the point of view of their potential for developing intercultural competence, which is indispensable in business communication (Stegu, 2017). The study analyses the cultural content of twenty textbooks as well as activities aimed at developing and practising intercultural skills. As the results show, they include different cultural information and focus on developing different skills. Moreover, they mostly present such information implicitly rather than explicitly, for example, model business letters show how business correspondence is written in the target language culture, without making explicit statements on politeness in that culture. It is thus the teacher’s role to select the textbooks, draw the learners’ attention to the cultural elements, and to supplement the books with other materials.

The Sounds of Conflict: Lexical Representation of Anger in Listening Activities from Modern ELT Coursebooks

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Modern coursebooks serve a fundamental function in contemporary ELT practice. This paper discusses the problem of representation of anger in listening activities from selected ELT coursebooks issued by leading publishing companies. Thirteen coursebooks form three internationally-recognized ELT series for adult learners of English were analysed for the conflictive dialogues presented in their audio materials, as well as for the ways in which the anger of the Speaker(s) was expressed. The result of the analysis shows that interpersonal exchanges portrayed in the database coursebooks were largely oriented towards the expression of polite interpersonal beliefs, the culture of positivity and attitude of agreement and cooperation. In situations where conflict was presented in the recordings, anger was expressed primarily through prosodic features of speech, followed by the presence of exclamations and certain non-verbal vocalisations. No instances of swearing and expletive interjections, a common way of expressing negative emotions in everyday informal communication, were found in the database. The analysis confirms some of the observations and criticisms concerning the global ELT coursebooks. While understanding publishers’ caution and decidedly refraining from advocating unrestricted use of taboo language in recorded ELT materials, this paper points to the importance of realistic representation of conflictive and argumentative interpersonal communication, not just for the aim of presenting different contexts of English use, but also for the practical applications outside the realm of foreign language learning.

Impact of Task-based and Task-supported L2 Teaching on the Use of Connective Markers in Learners’ Written Performance

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The current study investigates the impact of two types of instruction on teaching connective markers in learners' written performance. 82 EFL learners were assigned to two experimental groups (EG1, N = 29 and EG2, N = 25) and one control group (CG, N = 28). The experimental groups were introduced to a set of connective markers in two sessions. EG1 followed a task-based approach, while EG2 experienced task-supported language teaching. CG took part in regular classes that were not intended to teach connective markers. The analysis of variance showed that instruction in both experimental groups positively impacted the number and quality of connective markers used in learners' for-and-against essays, with a slight but non-significant advantage of TBLT in the delayed post-test. The study is timely in that it addresses a still inconclusive line of research on L2 pragmatics instruction, investigates the thriving area of task-based teaching, and employs the most often-used type of essay on a nationwide secondary school-leaving examination.

Facilitating Learning of Generation Z Learners towards Effective Remote English Language Learning

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As remote English language learning has become widespread in the context of the global pandemic, it is essential to understand effective pedagogical practices specifically with the Generation Z population (born between 1997 and 2012) from economically less developed communities. Using a survey research design, the study identified the preferred remote teaching-learning modality and techniques among 75 Generation Z learners. An online survey was administered to randomly selected Junior High School students in the Philippines. The results revealed that synchronous learning was believed to be more helpful in enhancing the students’ English language learning, with techniques that encouraged them to speak and practice their
grammar. Interactive group activities were mostly preferred by the learners to enhance their viewing, reading, listening, and writing skills. The study concludes with a discussion about teaching-learning techniques for teachers to successfully carry out a meaningful, enjoyable, and engaging learning experience toward effective remote English language learning.

Acquisition of L2 English Negative Quantifiers without Equivalent Lexical Items in an L1

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This article investigates how second language learners interpret a scope bearing item in the target language. According to Sprouse (2006), L2 learners’ task is to relabel their native language’s lexical items in line with the features of the target language. An interesting lexical item is the English negative quantifier, for which there is no equivalent in Japanese. It was discovered that the default interpretation of the English negative quantifier by
Japanese-speaking learners of English was a narrow scope reading (i.e., Quantifier Raising (QR) does not occur). We follow Beghelli and Stowell’s (1997) elaborated functional structures for quantifier feature checking at Spec-Head agreement. Because Japanese is considered to be a “no agreement” language (Kuroda, 1992; Fukui & Sakai, 2003), QR is failed since the English negative quantifier cannot satisfy “agreement” for the feature-checking. Hence, even if the equivalent lexical item does not exist in Japanese, a grammatical constraint such
as “no agreement” is transferred to the initial state of the second language (Full Transfer in Schwartz and Sprouse, 1996).