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Disciplinary differences in the use of English in higher education
In post-Bologna Europe, there has been a noticeable increase in English-medium instruction. In this article we take the case of Sweden as an illustrative example of the wider disciplinary issues involved in changing the teaching language in this way. By 2008 the use of English in Swedish higher education had risen to such an extent that it had to be regulated at the governmental level and through university language policies. Such policies have attempted to provide generalised pragmatic guidelines for language use across educational programmes. In this paper we argue that such general policies fail to take into consideration fundamental disciplinary differences and their potential impact on language use. We present a theoretical argument about the knowledge structures of disciplines, relating these to the disciplinary literacy goals of educational programmes. We then illustrate our argument using data from an extensive survey carried out at a major Swedish university. We conclude that the disciplinary variation in the use of English can be seen as a product of different knowledge-making practices and educational goals. This conclusion problematises \"one-size-fits-all\" language policies which only deal with general features of language use and do not allow for discipline-specific adjustments.(HRK / Abstract übernommen).
Journal Article
Language Use and Attitudes Among Ukrainian Refugees in Canada: Do They Differ by Participants’ Age?
The language use of Ukrainian war refugees has attracted the attention of researchers worldwide due to the unprecedented number of individuals displaced since the onset of the war in 2022. Earlier studies have documented a shift in language use and attitudes in Ukraine, marked by a diminished role for Russian and increased prominence of Ukrainian both within the country and among Ukrainian émigré communities abroad. However, the role of age in this process has not yet been thoroughly investigated. Moreover, research on the specific characteristics of language shift and social integration among Ukrainian refugees in Canada is still insufficient. This article reports the results of a study aimed at examining how home languages shift and the use of the official languages among Ukrainian refugees in Canada may vary by age. The vresearch employed a mixed-methods approach, based on a survey (65 participants). In this research, quantitative data were drawn from the closed-ended survey questions, and open-ended questions were employed to illustrate quantitative results for more depth and insight. The results indicate that there are no significant differences in L1 and L2 or L3 by age in this sample. The study confirms a language shift from Ukrainian-Russian bilingualism in Ukraine to Ukrainian dominance, which does not differ by age or age group. What does differ by age and generation is the proficiency in English, English use, and the perceived difficulty in learning English, whereby younger participants reported higher proficiency in English, its higher use in daily communication, and less difficulty acquiring it, as compared to their older peers. While the findings align with previous research on language use among immigrants—including the impact of age—they offer new insights into the experiences of refugees, highlighting how different age groups respond to social pressures in migration. A further contribution of this study lies in addressing the language shift from the perspectives of both younger and older refugees and establishing that the language shift in Ukraine swept across all ages.
Journal Article
A guide to writing social stories : step-by-step guidelines for parents and professionals
\"Developed with the input of parents and professionals, and informed by new Social Stories research, this is a comprehensive, clear step-by-step guide to writing personalised Social Stories that gives children social information, creating many benefits for them\"--Back cover.
Book
Narrative abilities in subgroups of English language learners and monolingual peers
Aims and objectives:
The objective of this study was to examine the narrative ability of two subgroups of English Language Learners (ELLs) relative to a group of English monolingual (EL1) peers. Specifically, we investigated whether the three groups of children differed on measures of narrative macrostructure and microstructure.
Methodology:
Two groups of ELLs were identified on the basis of parent report of the language most often heard and spoken at home (ELL English language users, ELL minority language users). A group of monolingual English children served as a comparison group (n = 25 per language group). The children averaged 56 months of age. All children completed a narrative retell task.
Data and analysis:
The retell task was scored in relation to macrostructure (narrative information) and microstructure (number of utterances, mean length of utterance, number of different words, grammaticality). ANCOVAs, partialling out age and memory, revealed distinct performance profiles for the two ELL groups.
Findings:
There were no group differences on the number of utterances or story grammar. However, the performance of the ELL minority language group was significantly different from that of the EL1 and the ELL English language group on all microstructure measures (number of different words, sentence length, and grammaticality). Overall, the performance of the ELL English language users was indistinguishable from the EL1 group.
Originality:
The study highlights the heterogeneity in an ELL kindergarten sample with respect to English narrative ability, based on the extent to which English was heard and spoken at home.
Implications:
The findings highlight the need to gather detailed linguistic information about the home language environments of ELL children when involving them in language- or literacy-related tasks. An important implication of this information is the potential to lead to more nuanced expectations or teaching methods for subgroups of ELL children.
Journal Article
The Effect of Perception of Teacher Characteristics on Spanish EFL Learners' Anxiety and Enjoyment
The present study explores the relationship between Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE) and Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety (FLCA) and a number of teacher-centered variables within the Spanish classroom context. Participants were 210 former and current learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) from all over Spain who filled out an online questionnaire with Likert scale items. A moderate negative relationship emerged between FLE and FLCA. Participants who had an L1 English speaker as a teacher reported more FLE and less FLCA than those with a foreign language user of English. Teacher characteristics predicted close to 20% of variance in FLE but only 8% of variance in FLCA. The strongest positive predictor of FLE was a teacher's friendliness while a teacher's foreign accent was a weaker negative predictor. Teacher-centered variables predicted much less variance for FLCA. Participants experienced more FLCA with younger teachers, very strict teachers, and teachers who did not use the foreign language much in class. The findings confirm earlier research that FLE seems to be more dependent on the teachers' pedagogical skills than FLCA.
Journal Article
Foreign language practice in simulation video games: An analysis of game‐based FL use dynamics
Video/digital games have grown into a mainstream language‐mediated activity that attracts millions of foreign language (FL) learners worldwide. While empirical studies have demonstrated that digital game‐based interactions offer valuable opportunities for FL practice and learning (e.g., Sundqvist & Wikström, 2015), little is known about the specific dynamics of FL use that facilitate FL learning. The present exploratory case study examined three Arabic learners’ game‐based FL use when playing the Arabic simulation‐management video game Baalty. The study was framed by an ecological approach to FL learning, and data were collected through gaming journals, interviews, observations, and think‐aloud protocol. Findings revealed that a number of specific dynamics including engagement, active FL use, and embodied meaning motivated, promoted, and scaffolded FL practice in the course of gameplay. Pedagogical and research implications are discussed. The Challenge Video/digital games have grown into a widely practiced leisure activity. How can such experiences be leveraged to support language and cultural learning and increase learners’ engagement?
Journal Article