Hasil untuk "Language acquisition"

J. Lantolf

F. Moore

E. Clark

David Spenger, Stefan Kordel, Lukas Schorner

Addressing the research desideratum of health status and practices of refugees in the settlement phase as well as rural specificities in dealing with health issues, this article explores refugees’ self-reported health status as well as experiences with health infrastructure. Following a salutogenic approach to health, we consider both disease prevention and health promotion and explicitly take into account leisure practices as a way to acquire health resources. Results firstly show a persistence of self-reported diseases and manifold interactions with the settlement process, e.g. housing or language acquisition. Secondly, we found that refugees are looking for (new) leisure activities at the place of living, which allow to gain sovereignty about everyday lives and thus improve their health status. Based on our results, we suggest to take up post-medicinal and life-course approaches in future research designs for a more profound understanding of migrant health.

David Birdsong, Michelle R. Molis

Shahram Esfandiari, Diyar Mazharpour

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have emerged as transformative technologies in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education, offering immersive, adaptive environments that enhance learner engagement, retention, and motivation. This systematic review synthesized 48 peer-reviewed studies published between 2019 and 2024 to examine AR/VR applications, implementation strategies, challenges, and learning outcomes within EFL contexts. The researchers established inclusion criteria—English language studies published from 2019 onward in Scopus-indexed language teaching and learning journals, fully accessible online, and thematically aligned with research objectives—and applied exclusion criteria to studies that were non-English, dated before 2019, restricted in access, or published in low-impact or non-verified outlets. Data from the selected articles were imported into MAXQDA 24 for qualitative coding, yielding 64 open codes that were consolidated into 12 axial codes and further synthesized into six overarching themes: learner engagement, integration strategies, implementation practices, learner perceptions, adoption challenges, and language acquisition outcomes. Findings indicate AR/VR interventions significantly bolster engagement and linguistic competence when embedded within pedagogically sound frameworks, although technical constraints, cost considerations, and teacher readiness can hinder adoption. Educators should design scalable, user-friendly experiences and invest in targeted professional development to optimize outcomes. This review advances our understanding of AR/VR’s pedagogical potential in EFL settings by highlighting evidence-based practices and persistent challenges. It offers actionable recommendations for future research.

Hanada Taha Thomure, Haitham Taha, Taline Sabella et al.

Arabic is a diglossic language in which standard Arabic coexists with diverse spoken varieties, posing distinct challenges for language acquisition and instruction. Understanding how this context shapes bib_meiseles_1980 educational outcomes is essential for improving Arabic language teaching and learning. Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched eight education and social science databases, and relevant grey literature (1970–2021), screening 927 Arabic and English records and including 101 studies. Descriptive review synthesis identified five recurring themes: Diglossic distance, achievement gap, prestige and attitudes, policy, and exposure to Standard Arabic, including parental engagement. Recommendations relevant for educators, policymakers, and researchers include curriculum strategies include integrating simplified standard Arabic in early childhood education, applying evidence-based methods in teacher training and professional development, and expanding home-based exposure to Standard Arabic through accessible, engaging resources. The findings highlight the need for research to develop and evaluate pedagogical approaches suited to diglossic contexts.

Yan Ding, Jing Zhu

Abstract Despite its feasibility and potential, technology-supported peer feedback in foreign language speaking classrooms has been under-researched. The present study aimed to extend this line of research by modeling Chinese postgraduates’ and undergraduates’ motivation, behavioral engagement in feedback provision, and achievement in a particular type of technology-supported peer feedback, i.e., group peer feedback via WeChat in EFL speaking classrooms. The results indicated that the two motivational constructs investigated in the study, namely, expectancy for success and subjective task value did not predict learners’ behavioral engagement in feedback provision; behavioral engagement in feedback provision significantly predicted the assessors’ achievement; and educational level did not moderate the relations between motivation, behavioral engagement in feedback provision, and achievement. The results pointed to the complexity of the relations between motivation and engagement in complicated contexts like technology-supported peer feedback. They also highlighted the value of mobile based group peer feedback tasks in EFL speaking classrooms. Theoretical and pedagogical implications were discussed.

N. Spada

Woldemariam Bezabih Bedilu, Hailu Wubshet Degefu

AbstractIn Ethiopia, there is a growing demand for early English education. Teaching vocabulary to young learners is crucial for language acquisition, and teachers’ perceptions and actions in the classroom are essential for effective teaching. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the relationship between teachers’ perceptions and their teaching practices in teaching vocabulary to young learners (TVYLs) in some selected primary schools in Ethiopia, South Western Regional State (SWRS), Dawro Zone. To explore their relationship, a descriptive survey research design with a mixed-methods approach was used. A total of 90 EFL teachers with different levels of experience participated in the study through simple random sampling techniques. Data were collected using classroom observation, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficients, both quantitatively and thematically. The data analysis showed individual differences in teachers’ theoretical perceptions and indicated that there is a discrepancy between their perceptions and classroom practices. The main factors affecting teachers’ effective TVYLs were large classes, teachers’ lack of knowledge of approaches, lack of time to practice vocabulary through integration with other skills, and teachers’ lack of experience in professional development. Finally, recommendations were made based on the main findings.

Lusiana Indra Sari

This research aims to determine effective learning methods to enrich the intake of adult second language acquisition. Teaching English as a second language has developed rapidly and produced a variety of approaches and theories. Therefore, various approaches are designed to improve second language acquisition so that it is easy to learn and well understood. The results of this research found that Natural Method is a second language teaching method that emphasizes spoken communication and direct experience in getting the meaning of a word or sentence. This method really supports learning aimed at gaining intake, especially in adult second language acquisition.

Hongyi Jia, Feng-hsi Liu

To date there have not been many studies that examine how Mandarin is acquired in an immersion setting. In this study we examine how early-stage immersion learners of Mandarin acquire a grammatical structure— the ba construction. This is a frequently used structure in Mandarin that has a non-canonical SOV word order, an order for which English has no counterpart. Taking a qualitative approach, we collected learner utterances over a 4-month period. It was found that the learners did not like to deviate from the canonical SVO word order and it was difficult for them to produce the ba construction. However, when they did use the construction, their utterances satisfied a complex predicate constraint that is imposed on the construction, suggesting that the learners have knowledge of the constraint. Above all, immersion young learners have a grammar of their own. Their language development offers a new window into bilingual language acquisition.

S. Mcleod, Kathryn Crowe

Purpose The aim of this study was to provide a cross-linguistic review of acquisition of consonant phonemes to inform speech-language pathologists' expectations of children's developmental capacity by (a) identifying characteristics of studies of consonant acquisition, (b) describing general principles of consonant acquisition, and (c) providing case studies for English, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish. Method A cross-linguistic review was undertaken of 60 articles describing 64 studies of consonant acquisition by 26,007 children from 31 countries in 27 languages: Afrikaans, Arabic, Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Jamaican Creole, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Maltese, Mandarin (Putonghua), Portuguese, Setswana (Tswana), Slovenian, Spanish, Swahili, Turkish, and Xhosa. Results Most studies were cross-sectional and examined single word production. Combining data from 27 languages, most of the world's consonants were acquired by 5;0 years;months old. By 5;0, children produced at least 93% of consonants correctly. Plosives, nasals, and nonpulmonic consonants (e.g., clicks) were acquired earlier than trills, flaps, fricatives, and affricates. Most labial, pharyngeal, and posterior lingual consonants were acquired earlier than consonants with anterior tongue placement. However, there was an interaction between place and manner where plosives and nasals produced with anterior tongue placement were acquired earlier than anterior trills, fricatives, and affricates. Conclusions Children across the world acquire consonants at a young age. Five-year-old children have acquired most consonants within their ambient language; however, individual variability should be considered. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.6972857.

Moskovchuk Natalia

The article is devoted to the topical issue of modern linguistic didactics – the formation of the Ukrainian-language professional and communicative competence of future specialists in technical specialties. The definition of this phenomenon is presented as a personal quality of future specialists, their ability to effectively use in educational and professional activity a set of acquired language knowledge and speaking skills in accordance with the norms of the modern Ukrainian literary language, which, with the acquisition of Ukrainian-language experience of communication in technical discourse, will ensure successful professional and technical activity. The components of the Ukrainian-language professional-communicative competence of a future specialist in a technical specialty (communicative, motivational, value-oriented, general cultural, intellectual-mental and professional-technical) and the methodological approach to its formation (competence-based approach) are determined. Emphasis is placed on the need to find modern and effective methods of forming students' speaking competence, which will stimulate their cognitive, emotional and practical activity as well as increase their motivation to study. The possibility and advantages of involving students in the creation of custom media content as a method of forming the Ukrainian-language professional and communicative competence of future specialists in technical specialties are considered, which stimulates the creative activity of students and makes it possible to increase interest in the discipline "Ukrainian (profession-oriented)". The essence of the concepts "media content" and "custom media content" is revealed. We present our own interpretation of the concept "custom media content" in the context of speech training aimed at future specialists in technical specialties which is defined as media content available on public digital platforms that is different in form and creation technology, has a creative nature and is oriented towards meeting the informational, educational, social and emotional needs of a person. The main recommendations for students on creating custom media content as an educational task and an example of systematization of similar works on Instagram are positioned. The motivational basis for creating media content by students was analysed and the stages of the process of creating and distributing media content were determined.

Muhammad Iqbal, Auliana Auliana, Dwhy Dinda Sari et al.

Early childhood language development is a multifaceted and intricate process that includes the acquisitionof various linguistic components. However, occurrence of language delays or disorders among 3-5-years-old children is a significant challenge that can impede this progression. These delays or disorders can have asignificant impact on word class acquisition, which is a fundamental aspect of language development. Thisstudy aims to elucidate the diverse types of word classes observed in the language acquisition process ofchildren aged 3-5 years in North Aceh. Specifically, the investigation focuses on noun, verb, and adjectiveword classes. Employing a qualitative approach within a descriptive research framework. Thus, variousdata collection techniques including observation, listening, recording, note-taking, and documentation,were utilized in this study. Purposive sampling was employed, resulting in a sample size of 5 participants.These five participants were selected based on their age criteria, research site location, language proficiency,active engagement in interactions, as well as their availability and willingness to participate. The primarydata source encompassed children aged 3-5 years, with a particular emphasis on nouns, verbs, and adjectivesderived from conversational interactions. The results revealed three distinct types of word classes in thelanguage acquisition process of children aged 3-5 years. Firstly, the noun word class encompassed a rangeof entities, such as people, animals, fruits, flowers, food and drinks, tableware, sports equipment, clothing,plants, transportation equipment, and other nouns typically associated with the child’s environment.Secondly, the verb word class comprised verbs accompanied by objects and verbs without objects. Thirdly,the adjective word class characterized the state of nouns or objects, encompassing descriptors relatedto mental attitude, shape, size, color, mileage, temperature and humidity, power of energy, and senseimpressions. This study sheds light on the diverse nature of language learning in children aged 3-5 yearsby evaluating and analyzing these distinct word classes. Equally significant, by examining the linguisticpatterns and structures that emerged during this time period, this study contributes to our understanding of how children acquire language during the preschool years.

Vahid Norouzi larsari

Postmodernism represents skepticism toward metanarratives and universal ideologies that dominated the modernist era. The study focuses on three key postmodernist concepts - alternative assessment, process syllabi, and self-directed learning. Alternative assessment emphasizes evaluating the learning process over summative testing. Process syllabi focus on the learning experience rather than rigid outcomes. Self-directed learning enables student responsibility in setting learning goals and processes. This paper examined the effects of postmodernist educational concepts on improving Iranian EFL learners’ autonomy. A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design was utilized with 60 intermediate level Iranian EFL students divided into an experimental and control group (n=30 each). The experimental group received instruction utilizing the three postmodernist concepts over 14 weeks, while the control group received traditional modernist instruction. Autonomy was measured using a validated questionnaire before and after the intervention. The results showed the experimental group demonstrated significant increases in autonomy compared to the control group. Paired sample t-tests revealed significant differences between pre-test and post-test autonomy for the experimental group across all three postmodern concepts - alternative assessment, process syllabi, and self-directed learning. This suggests postmodernist concepts that decentralize instruction and emphasize student process over outcomes can enhance Iranian EFL learners’ self-direction and responsibility for language acquisition. The study implies EFL syllabus designers and instruction should transition to postmodern models centered on individualized assessment, flexible syllabi, and student-guided learning to boost autonomy. Further research can expand sample sizes and explore additional postmodernist concepts across diverse demographics.

Marit Westergaard

In this article, I argue that first language (L1), second language (L2) and third language (L3) acquisition are fundamentally the same process, based on learning by parsing. Both child and adult learners are sensitive to fine linguistic distinctions, and language development takes place in small steps. While the bulk of the article focuses on crosslinguistic influence in L2/Ln acquisition, I first briefly outline the Micro-cue Model of L1 acquisition (Westergaard, 2009a, 2014), arguing that children build their I-language grammars incrementally, paying attention to small distinctions in syntax and information structure from early on. They are also shown to be conservative learners, generally not producing overt elements or performing movement operations unless there is positive evidence for this in the input, thus minimizing the need for unlearning. I then ask the question how this model fares with respect to multilingual situations, more specifically L2 and L3 acquisition. Discussing both theoretical and empirical evidence, I argue that, although L2 and L3 learners are different from L1 children in that they are not always conservative learners, they are also sensitive to fine linguistic distinctions, in that transfer/crosslinguistic influence takes place on a property-by-property basis. Full Transfer is traditionally understood as wholesale transfer at the initial state of L2 acquisition. However, I argue that it is impossible to distinguish between wholesale and property-by-property transfer in L2 acquisition on empirical grounds. In L3 acquisition, on the other hand, crosslinguistic influence from both previously acquired languages would provide support for property-by-property transfer. I discuss a few such cases and argue for what I call Full Transfer Potential (FTP), rather than Full (wholesale) Transfer, within the Linguistic Proximity Model (LPM) of L3 acquisition. Thus, rather than assuming that ‘everything does transfer’, I argue that ‘anything may transfer’.

B. Vanpatten

Richard Ching Ho Cheng

Shadow education has remained a supportive role in many countries, and studies have shown that it has had both positive and negative impacts on students’ academic performance. However, the views so far for private tutors have often been neglected by researchers. Private tutors are one of the important stakeholders in shadow education since they are the knowledge providers and facilitators in the classroom. Their opinions can help to show a more realistic picture of shadow education in Hong Kong. In this study, the focus is on investigating Hong Kong shadow education from private tutors’ perspectives. There were 20 private tutors from local private tutorial centres participating in this study, and they were invited to individual interviews to express their ideas about shadow education in Hong Kong. Thematic analysis was used to organize and analyze the data in this study. The results showed that private tutors felt shadow education in Hong Kong is too ‘materialistic,’ and sometimes they felt lost when teaching because of the result-oriented atmosphere in the Hong Kong education system. Furthermore, social inequalities and washback were reported as well. This has further highlighted some of the negative impacts brought by shadow education.

Natascha Müller