Search results for "L2 learning"

Aprendizaje lingüístico e inclusión social : combinación del enfoque comunicativo y el enfoque por tareas.

2017

Resumen: La presente propuesta de experiencia práctica aspira a compartir los buenos resultados conseguidos en un curso de español como lengua extranjera dirigido a inmigrantes realizado en “L’Espai d’Inclusió i Formació Casc Antic” (Eicascantic Barcelona), en el que se combinó el enfoque comunicativo con el enfoque por tareas con los objetivos de mejorar el nivel lingüístico de los alumnos y de favorecer su inclusión social en su nuevo contexto. Para ello, se creó el material sociolingüístico del nivel A2 del MCERL Conociendo y se aplicó en un curso intensivo de 54 horas de duración llevando a cabo, a posteriori, un análisis de los resultados obtenidos. Todo ello se realizó teniendo en men…

Lexically specific vs. productive constructions in L2 Finnish

2020

ABSTRACTIt is assumed from a usage-based perspective that learner language constructions emerge from natural language use in social interaction through exemplar learning. In L1, young learners have been shown to develop their constructions from lexically specific, formulaic expressions into more productive, abstract schemas. A similar developmental path has been shown for L2 development, with some exceptions. The aim of the current study is to explore to what extent the default assumption holds for L2 learning. The development of two constructions was traced in four adults learning L2 Finnish. Free-response data, collected weekly over a period of 9 months, were used to investigate the produ…

Assessing learners’ writing skills in a SLA study: Validating the rating process across tasks, scales and languages

2014

There is still relatively little research on how well the CEFR and similar holistic scales work when they are used to rate L2 texts. Using both multifaceted Rasch analyses and qualitative data from rater comments and interviews, the ratings obtained by using a CEFR-based writing scale and the Finnish National Core Curriculum scale for L2 writing were examined to validate the rating process used in the study of the linguistic basis of the CEFR in L2 Finnish and English. More specifically, we explored the quality of the ratings and the rating scales across different tasks and across the two languages. As the task is an integral part of the data-gathering procedure, the relationship of task p…

Utterance fluency in Finnish Sign Language L1 and L2 signing

2021

This paper explores the fluency of first language (L1) and second language (L2) signers of Finnish Sign Language. The phenomenon was approached by measuring utterance fluency using speed and breakdown parameters. The findings revealed clear differences between L1 and L2 signers regarding the measured fluency parameters. On average, L1 signers produced more signs and had fewer breakdowns per minute than L2 signers. However, the slowest L1 signer and the fastest L2 signer were more similar to each other than the averages of the L1 group’s (129.3) and the L2 group’s (71.4) signs per minute might suggest. The number of breakdowns per minute differed between the groups, with L2 signers breaking …

Learning English vocabulary using the Internet : a quantitative study of a group of first-year upper secondary students

2012

Internetin käytön yleistyttyä monet tieteenalat ovat alkaneet tutkia sitä. Internetin käytöllä on kielitieteessä erityinen arvo, sillä suuri osa Internetin sisällöstä on kirjoitusta ja nettivideoiden yleistyttyä myös puhetta. Internetin suurimpana käyttäjäryhmänä nuoriso omaksuu Internetiä käyttäessään paljon englannin kieltä, sillä enemmistö sisällöstä on englanniksi. Tutkijoita kiinnostaa se, miten paljon nuoret oikeastaan omaksuvat vierasta kieltä Internetiä käyttäessään. Tämä tutkimus pyrki selvittämään, miten lukiolaisten Internetin käyttö hyödyttää heidän englannin sanasto-osaamistaan. Tutkimusryhmänä oli 28 oppilaan ryhmä lukion ensimmäisen vuosiluokan opiskelijoita. Heidän sanasto-o…

Dynamic assessment of word derivational knowledge: Tracing the development of a learner

2016

The present paper reports on a case study that explored the applicability of dynamic assessment (DA) for promoting learners’ word derivational knowledge in English as a second or a foreign language (L2). One learner’s performance on tasks assessing his word derivational knowledge was measured four times. The first two measurements were conducted before and after three weekly human-mediated DA sessions and the last two, which took place a year and a half later, before and after three weekly computerised DA sessions. Think aloud protocols and interviews were used to trace changes in the learner’s use of strategies and knowledge sources. The results revealed that following the dynamic assessme…

Young Russian Immigrants' Segmental Duration and Length in Finnish

2015

This pilot study sheds light on how young Russian immigrants (n=10) produce Finnish segmental duration and length in read-aloud speech as compared to native Finnish speakers (n=5). Segment duration is distinctive in Finnish and an important feature of Finnish phonology, whereas in Russian it only plays a marginal role. The results show a general tendency of durational contrasts being difficult to learn with great interspeaker differences. peerReviewed

Second language demotivation : factors that discourage pupils from learning the English language

2004

Using Chinese in China - challenges and opportunities : a case study of three Finnish sojourners

2016

Despite the growing attention on interaction between language learners/sojourners and host community, there has been little research on second language (L2) using experience by adopting case study approach, by which each individual’s voice is valued. Grounded in sociocultural theory (SCT), the present study explores challenges and opportunities of international sojourners when they use Chinese in China by investigating three Finnish sojourners’ experiences in using Chinese. Coleman’s concentric circles model is adopted to illustrate sojourners’ different language choices and reasons with compatriots, international people and host community. Narratives and interview data are analyzed and dis…