0000000000145948
AUTHOR
Mary Frances Litzler
Students' Out-of-Class Activities for Practicing English as a Foreign Language: A Log Study
In recent years scholars have indicated that students learning a foreign language benefit from work with the structures of the language along with use of the language itself for communicative purposes if they are to achieve a high level of proficiency. This paper examines the out-of-class choices in this regard of a group of 22 first-year university students in a degree in Modern Languages and Translation in Spain. The data were taken from their learning logs, a course requirement for their English class. The objective of this study was to determine whether the students focused on the components of the language or on meaning as conveyed through actual language use, and in particular, what t…
Learning logs in foreign language study: Student views on their usefulness for learner autonomy
Se han empleado diarios en una variedad de contextos de aprendizaje. Para realizar un diario en una clase de idioma extranjero, los alumnos anotan las actividades que realizan para estudiar, practicar, y/o mejorar su capacidad en la lengua meta. En el caso de un grado en Lenguas Modernas y Traducción ofertado en una universidad en el centro peninsular, 76 estudiantes tuvieron la opción de hacer un diario, un resumen semanal o un informe semanal acerca de sus búsquedas bibliográficas en cuanto a estrategias de aprendizaje. El presente artículo explica esas opciones e informa sobre las elecciones de los estudiantes, sus opiniones acerca de la utilidad de la actividad en general y sus impresio…
Washback factors and inference predictors in the Spanish University Examination: The OPENPAU Project (FFI2011-22442)
Background: University Entrance Examinations provide information the student?s opportunities to succeed in their academic university career. However, the current foreign language paper of the Spanish University Entrance Examination does no permit to obtain enough evidence to make academic inferences. Purpose of Study: The purpose of this study was to determine if the new test would serve for these objectives according to the students? needs and expected use of the language. Sources of Evidence: Based on Chapelle (2007) and García Laborda (2010). Analysis and results: Primary findings indicate that the test requires a deep revision in the test items, task typology and, overall, the test defi…