Speaking And Instructed Foreign Language Acquisition

Developing the ability to speak in a foreign language is an arduous task. This is because it involves the mastery of different language subsystems, simultaneous focus on comprehension and production, and the impact of a range of social factors. This challenge is further compounded in situations in which learners have limited access to the target language. Thus, there is a need to explore issues related to teaching, learning and testing speaking with a view to translating the guidelines based on theoretical positions and research findings into feasible and context-specific pedagogical recommendations. This is the rationale behind this book, which considers speaking from leading theoretical perspectives, investigates individual variables which affect its development, and reports the results of studies focusing on different aspects of its instructed acquisition.

Variability in predispositions for language learning has attracted scholarly curiosity for over 100 years. Despite major changes in theoretical explanations and foreign/second language teaching paradigms, some patterns of associations between predispositions and learning outcomes seem timelessly robust. This book discusses evidence from a research project investigating individual differences in a wide variety of domains, ranging from language aptitude over general cognitive abilities to motivational and other affective and social constructs. The focus lies on young learners aged 10 to 12, a less frequently investigated age in aptitude research. The data stem from two samples of multilingual learners in German-speaking Switzerland. The target languages are French and English. The chapters of the book offer two complementary perspectives on the topic: On the one hand, cross-sectional investigations of the underlying structure of these individual differences and their association with the target languages are discussed. Drawing on factor analytical and multivariable analyses, the different components are scrutinized with respect to their mutual dependence and their relative impact on target language skills. The analyses also take into account contextual factors such as the learners’ family background and differences across the two contexts investigated. On the other hand, the potential to predict learner’s skills in the target language over time based on the many different indicators is investigated using machine learning algorithms. The results provide new insights into the stability of the individual dispositions, on the impact of contextual variables, and on empirically robust dimensions within the array of variables tested.

Introduction to Instructed Second Language Acquisition is the first book to present a cohesive view of the different theoretical and pedagogical perspectives that comprise instructed second language acquisition (ISLA), defined as any type of learning that occurs as a result of the manipulating the process and conditions of second language acquisition. The book begins by considering the effectiveness of ISLA and the differences between ISLA and naturalistic L2 learning. It then goes on to discuss the theoretical, empirical, and pedagogical aspects of such key issues in ISLA as grammar learning; interaction in the classroom; focus on form, function and meaning; vocabulary learning; pronunciation learning; pragmatics learning; learning contexts; and individual differences. This timely and important volume is ideally suited for the graduate level ISLA course, and provides valuable insights for any SLA scholar interested in the processes involved in second language learning in classroom settings.

This book offers a comprehensive account of individual differences variables as well as contextual factors that impinge on second language learners’ willingness to communicate (WTC). Firstly, it adopts a macro-perspective on WTC, which entails an attempt to identify variables that are related to WTC, taking into account the specificity of the Polish higher education setting. Secondly, it embraces a micro-perspective on WTC, striving to pinpoint the individual and contextual influences on levels of WTC in the course of regularly-scheduled, naturally-occurring English classes, as well as to capture the dynamic nature of WTC during such classes. Together, these perspectives bring the reader closer to understanding the mechanisms underlying WTC in specific contexts, thereby providing a basis for recommendations for classroom practice that could translate into learners’ success. It will be of interest to second language acquisition researchers and students, as well as to methodologists and materials writers who can use the research findings to improve the practice of teaching and learning speaking in the language classroom.

Evidence-Based Second Language Pedagogy is a cutting-edge collection of empirical research conducted by top scholars focusing on instructed second language acquisition (ISLA) and offering a direct contribution to second language pedagogy by closing the gap between research and practice. Building on the conceptual, state-of-the-art chapters in The Routledge Handbook of Instructed Second Language Acquisition (2017), studies in this volume are organized according to the key components of ISLA: types of instruction, learning processes, learning outcomes, and learner and teacher psychology. The volume responds to pedagogical needs in different L2 teaching and learning settings by including a variety of theoretical frameworks (sociological, psychological, sociocultural, and cognitive), methodologies (qualitative and quantitative), target languages (English, Spanish, and Mandarin), modes of instruction (face-to-face and computer-mediated), targets of instruction (speaking, writing, listening, motivation, and professional development), and instructional settings (second language, foreign language, and heritage language). A novel synthesis of research in the rapidly growing field of ISLA that also covers effective research-based teaching strategies, Evidence-Based Second Language Pedagogy is the ideal resource for researchers, practitioners, and graduate students in SLA, applied linguistics, and TESOL.

Over the last few decades, the use of virtual technologies in education, including foreign/second language instruction, has developed into a substantial field of study. Through virtual technologies, language learners can develop metacognitive and metalinguistic skills, and they can practice the language by interacting with real/virtual users or virtual objects, a very important issue for language learners who have no or little contact with native or target language speakers outside the classroom. Assessing the Effectiveness of Virtual Technologies in Foreign and Second Language Instruction provides emerging research exploring the theoretical and practical aspects of virtual technologies and applications in engaging language learners both within and outside the classroom. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as game-based learning, online classrooms, and learning management systems, this publication is ideally designed for academicians, researchers, scholars, educators, graduate-level students, software developers, instructional designers, linguists, and education administrators seeking current research on how virtual technologies can be utilized and interpreted methodologically in virtual classroom settings.

This book presents theoretical considerations and the results of empirical research on pronunciation learning strategies (PLS) deployed by pre-service trainee teachers majoring in English as a foreign language who experienced different levels of language anxiety (LA). The theoretical part focuses on the concepts of pronunciation learning, pronunciation-learning strategies and language anxiety and includes an overview of recent empirical research dealing with various related issues. The empirical section of the book presents the findings of a research project that investigated the interplay between PLS and LA, in which both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Based on the findings, the author proposes two profiles of anxious and non-anxious EFL trainee teachers who support their pronunciation learning with an array of pronunciation learning strategies and tactics.

This book investigates the three pivotal points of text for foreign language acquisition: reception, construction and deconstruction. In Part One, the focus is on various aspects of text reception, such as developing literacy, text interest, and perceptions of the academic register or the assessment of spoken language in educational contexts. Part Two deals with various aspects of composing text, such as author identity, lexical constructs or collaborative web-based writing. Lastly, Part Three presents the various segmental items that constitute text, like lexical clustering, L1/L2 relationship, classroom talk as text, etc. The division corresponds with what can be viewed as a logical sequence of text-related processes reflected in formal learning and teaching environments.