Catalogue Search | MBRL
Are you sure you want to remove the book from the shelf?
{{itemTitle}}
46,861
result(s) for
"Language attitudes"
Sort by:
The implementation of plurilingual language policies in Higher Education – the perspective of language learning students
It is undeniable that English has become the worldwide lingua franca for the academic world. Many countries have therefore opted for Higher Education programmes fully in English, of which the Netherlands is the frontrunner. Language policies that include drawing on students plurilingual repertoires could offer the opportunity to employ several languages in the classroom (
). Although the attitudes of lecturers have been studied before, students are often overlooked when creating language policies and in particular students in language-related courses. This mixed-method study aimed to map the affordances and constraints associated with the implementation of a plurilingual policy from the students’ perspective. First, 20 h of classroom observations showed that plurilingual approaches were used when explaining concepts, yet were refrained from when struggling with the language of instruction. Second, a survey with 103 students attending language-related courses showed general positive attitudes towards using plurilingual approaches, in which being proficient in a large number of languages played a significant role. Overall, the affordances of a plurilingual policy, such as new ways of thinking, and the use of a student’s full linguistic repertoire, surpassed the constraints, such as the lack of inclusion, and as a result, the advantage for Dutch students was mentioned.
Journal Article
The Results of the National Heritage Language Survey: Implications for Teaching, Curriculum Design, and Professional Development
: This article reports on a survey of heritage language learners (HLLs) across different heritage languages (HLs) and geographic regions in the United States. A general profile of HLLs emerges as a student who (1) acquired English in early childhood, after acquiring the HL; (2) has limited exposure to the HL outside the home; (3) has relatively strong aural and oral skills but limited literacy skills; (4) has positive HL attitudes and experiences; and (5) studies the HL mainly to connect with communities of speakers in the United States and to gain insights into his or her roots. We argue that a community‐based curriculum represents an effective way to harness the wealth of knowledge and experiences that HLLs bring to the classroom and to respond to their goals for their HL.
Journal Article
Youth ethnic and national identity in Bosnia and Herzegovina : social science approaches
\"Youth Ethnic and National Identity in Bosnia and Herzegovina offers a unique insight into the ethnic relations of contemporary Bosnia and Herzegovina by providing a wealth of new primary data on the Bosnian-Herzegovinian youth attitudes. The study utilizes both quantitative and qualitative research techniques such as large scale surveys, focus groups, interviews and discourse analysis among others. The data are interpreted in accordance with the theoretical models drawn from different academic disciplines including social psychology, cultural studies, linguistics, sociology, anthropology and social and political theory. In exploring the social context of living in post-conflict societies such as Bosnia and Herzegovina and the social and psychological research on the phenomenon of ethnicity, this book reveals a society of sharp, constitution-embedded ethnic divisions, which are maintained through different aspects of social and individual lives; by being politicized, one's ethnicity also became a relevant point of reference in everyday life, focusing people's lives on ethno-driven cognition, emotions, and behaviour. Furthermore, through the study of ethnic identity of youth in Bosnia-Herzegovina, this book analyzes how ethnic identity is constructed through social relations, communication, social perception, and political attitudes among young people\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
L2 learners' language attitudes and their assessment
This article describes the development of a new questionnaire for assessing L2 learners' language attitudes. Drawing on theoretical work in the fields of social psychology and applied linguistics, the author reviewed the concept of (language) attitudes and contrasted them with the concept of (language) motivation. This thorough literature review, including an examination of the currently available instruments, resulted in the generation of question items for the new questionnaire. The empirical part of the project consisted of data collection and analyses to establish the internal structure of the proposed instrument and to assess its reliability. The new Language Attitudes Questionnaire for Language Learners was found psychometrically sound and easily interpretable. The Challenge Many language programs serve multitudes of students whose only reason for being in a language class is this class being a requirement. Why are these students not continuing their language study? In part, this can be explained by their language attitudes. How can we assess these L2 learners' attitudes?
Journal Article
Well, If You Talk to Me in Norwegian, I Won’t Answer You: Language Policies and Practices in Latvian Diasporic Families
The article explores the concept of family language policy in relation to heritage languages and child agency in the context of Latvian as a heritage language. Its aim is to find out what role Latvian may have in relation to other languages within the core families in the diaspora, as well as in communication with their extended families in Latvia. For this, we investigate which language beliefs and attitudes underlie those language practices and examine children’s engagement in family language management. Our research is based on 20 in-depth interviews collected in 2023. Respondents were recruited through the distance online learning program “Latvian as a foreign language teacher” created for the Latvian diaspora and through Saturday (community) schools. The main research questions are as follows: What role does Latvian have in relation to other languages in Latvian diasporic families, and how do language practices reflect beliefs and attitudes of the parents? Which languages and which communication channels are used by diasporic families in communication with their (extended) families in Latvia? What impact do children have on family language policies? Our data show a huge diversity in family language practices, switching between two and more languages depending on communicative situations, the age of children, their language proficiency, and the communication channels. Family members flexibly use their languages to participate in family life and to achieve interactional goals, not always focusing just on particular language use. Heritage language transmission correlates with family language planning and consequent language use. On the other hand, language is tightly tied to the relationships and emotions of family members.
Journal Article
Communication, public opinion, and globalization in urban China
\"As China is increasingly integrated into the processes of economic, political, social, and cultural globalization, important questions arise about how Chinese people perceive and evaluate such processes. At the same time, international communication scholars have long been interested in how local, national, and transnational media communications shape people's attitudes and values. Combining these two concerns, this book examines a range of questions pertinent to public opinion toward globalization in urban China: To what degree are the urban residents in China exposed to the influences from the outside world? How many transnational social connections does a typical urban Chinese citizen have? How often do they consume foreign media? To what extent are they aware of the notion of globalization, and what do they think about it? Do they believe that globalization is beneficial to China, to the city where they live, and to them personally? How do people's social connections and communication activities shape their views toward globalization and the outside world? This book tackles these and other questions systematically by analyzing a four-city comparative survey of urban Chinese residents, demonstrating the complexities of public opinion in China. Media consumption does relate, though by no means straightforwardly, to people's attitudes and beliefs, and this book provides much needed information and insights about Chinese public opinion on globalization. It also develops fresh conceptual and empirical insights on issues such as public opinion toward US-China relations, Chinese people's nationalistic sentiments, and approaches to analyze attitudes toward globalization\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Language Attitude in Jordan: A Study of Males’ Evaluation of Females’ Variety Choice
This study aims at exploring the attitudes of males toward different spoken varieties of Jordanian Arabic when utilized by females. A female speaker delivered three recorded guises in the major spoken varieties of Jordan: urban, Bedouin, and rural. A Matched Guise Test (MGT) and informal interviews were utilized. In the MGT, 402 participants, evenly representing the three spoken varieties, responded to a questionnaire containing 12 statements related to status and solidarity traits. The analysis, employing Multiple-way ANOVA and Wilcoxon nonparametric tests, revealed a consistent pattern: Participants, irrespective of their spoken variety, rated the speaker of the urban guise most favorably and the speaker of the rural guise least favorably in terms of the examined traits. Results from the interview data, based on content analysis, supported the findings from the quantitative part. The observed attitudes are discussed in terms of socio-economic factors such as education and disparities in labor force participation. Additionally, the findings of the study are discussed with reference to themes from the third wave of sociolinguistics, including indexicality, iconicity, and multiplicity of social meanings.
Journal Article