Search results for " Language acquisition"

The development of L2 Italian morphosyntax in adult learners with limited literacy

2020

Low literacy and schooling rates are a significant factor among adults in the recent migration towards Europe, including Italy. However, in Italy linguistic research has paid very little attention to the relationship between newcomers’ language learning processes and (low) schooling and literacy. This lack of attention to the role of home language(s) literacy – and, more in general, to the sociolinguistic variables characterising the condition of migration – is problematic at a theoretical level. As it assumes the role of literacy as the main research question, the investigation on the acquisition of morphosyntax by adult learners with limited literacy, which is described in the volume, rep…

Similarities between Playing World of Warcraft and CLIL

2012

This article argues that playing World of Warcraft (WoW) and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) have a number of similar features. We base our argument on findings from three studies. The first (Sylvén 2004/2010) is about CLIL and non-CLIL students at upper secondary level and aims to investigate what effect, if any, CLIL has on the incidental acquisition of vocabulary. The second (Sundqvist 2009) is about extramural English and aims to examine its potential impact on learners’ oral proficiency and vocabulary. Extramural English is broadly defined as any type of contact that learners have with English outside the classroom. The third is a joint study focusing on young learners …

Continuity of Communication and Language Development (M����tt�� et al., 2016)

2022

Purpose: This longitudinal study examined the development of prelinguistic skills and the continuity of communication and language from the prelinguistic stage to school age. Method: Prelinguistic communication of 427 Finnish children was followed repeatedly from 6 to 18 months of age (n = 203���322 at ages 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 months), and its associations with language ability at ages 2;0 (n = 104), 3;0 (n = 112), 4;7 (n = 253), 5;3 (n = 102), and 7;9 (n = 236) were examined using latent growth curve modeling. Results: Prelinguistic development across several skills emerged as a rather stable intraindividual characteristic during the first 2 years of life. Continuity from prelinguistic de…

Norwegian children's acquisition of the dialect feature r

2019

The pronunciation of r is a central dialect feature of Norwegian. The main division is between a front and a back pronunciation. The back realization is acquired relatively early (around age 4), while the front realization is one of the most problematic sounds to acquire, and substitution sounds are frequent. Using two data collection points, we show how four children learning Norwegian start by substituting r use of the r of their dialect area or idiolectal surroundings. The main argument of this article is that the r-development of kindergarten children is not only governed by rules on acquisition and development lines, but also by the sociolinguistic variation and use of r in the Norwegi…

“Too much grammar will kill you!” Teaching Spanish as a foreign language in Norway: What teachers say about grammar teaching

2019

Exam results show that many Norwegian students lack communicative competence in their second foreign language. This study investigates Spanish language instruction in Norway, in particular Spanish teachers’ opinions about grammar teaching, and why and how grammar is taught in lower and upper secondary school. Furthermore, the study explores whether common grammar teaching approaches are primarily explicit (rules provided) or implicit (rules not provided), inductive (language first) or deductive (rules first), and whether the language of instruction is primarily Norwegian or Spanish. The data comprise interviews with teachers and classroom observations, as well as teaching plans and other ma…

Metalinguistic Development in First-Language Acquisition

1997

At a very early age, the child is able to manipulate language appropriately, both in its comprehension and its production. Later comes the ability to reflect upon and deliberately control its use. The emergence of these metalinguistic abilities must be distinguished from that of ordinary verbal communication. The key questions concerning this topic are: What is metalinguistics? What knowledge do metalinguistic abilities require? Are they conscious activities? And how do they develop? (also see the review by Tunmer in Volume 2 and by Nicholson in this volume.)

Early ERP Evidence for Children’s and Adult’s Sensitivity to Scalar Implicatures Triggered by Existential Quantifiers (Some)

2021

How quickly do children and adults interpret scalar lexical items in speech processing? The current study examined interpretation of the scalar terms some vs. all in contexts where either the stronger (some = not all) or the weaker interpretation was permissible (some allows all). Children and adults showed increased negative deflections in brain activity following the word some in some-infelicitous versus some-felicitous contexts. This effect was found as early as 100 ms across central electrode sites (in children), and 300–500 ms across left frontal, fronto-central, and centro-parietal electrode sites (in children and adults). These results strongly suggest that young children (aged betwe…

Izcilu studentu angļu valodas kā svešvalodu apguves daudzveidība

2021

Maģistra darba izvēlētā tēma ir aktuāla un nozīmīga, jo eksistē daudz un dažādas pieejas(problēmas) angļu valodas kā otrās valodas apguvē, bet tai pat reizē nav tādu kopēju vadlīniju , kas palīdzētu mūsdienu skolotājam risināt šīs problēmas. Šī darba mērķis bija analizēt un interpretēt angļu valodas apguves veidus, ko izmanto skolēni,kas sasnieguši labus rezultātus angļu valodas kā otrās valodas apguvē, kā arī lai noskaidrotu virzienus izvērstiem pētījumiem par efektīvas apguves rādītājiem. Darbā autors apkopojis un analizējis dažādās pieejas angļu valodas kā otrās valodas apguvē,sniedz pātnieciski pamatotus ieteikumus-vadlīnijas kā analizēt mācīšanas un mācīšanās procesus,veicis praktisku …

Vocabulary Learning Strategies

2015

Learner identity in EFL: An analysis of digital texts of identity in higher education

2018

This study explores learner identity (LI) in digital texts of identity (DTI) produced by college learners in English as a foreign language (EFL). In so doing, it aims to shed light on learners’ connections of their learning experiences across time and settings, and their impact on the various learner identities that form their LI. It also intends to elucidate how learners construct powerful learner identities in and through their digital discourses. To this end, 51 DTI were collected and scrutinized, following studies on LI, critical and poststructuralist discourse analysis, and “thematic” and “dialogic/performative” analysis within narrative research. Learners established connections betwe…