Results 1 - 10
of
259
Vygotsky’s neglected legacy”: Cultural-historical activity theory
- Review of Educational Research
, 2007
"... The authors describe an evolving theoretical framework that has been called one of the best kept secrets of academia: cultural-historical activity theory, the result of proposals Lev Vygotsky first articulated but that his students and followers substantially developed to constitute much expanded fo ..."
Abstract
-
Cited by 76 (10 self)
- Add to MetaCart
(Show Context)
The authors describe an evolving theoretical framework that has been called one of the best kept secrets of academia: cultural-historical activity theory, the result of proposals Lev Vygotsky first articulated but that his students and followers substantially developed to constitute much expanded forms in its second and third generations. Besides showing that activity theory trans-forms how research should proceed regarding language, language learning, and literacy in particular, the authors demonstrate how it is a theory for praxis, thereby offering the potential to overcome some of the most profound problems that have plagued both educational theorizing and practice.
Changing Perspectives on Good Language Learners
- TESOL Quarterly
"... profession. It also welcomes responses or rebuttals to any articles or remarks ..."
Abstract
-
Cited by 59 (2 self)
- Add to MetaCart
(Show Context)
profession. It also welcomes responses or rebuttals to any articles or remarks
Current perspectives on teaching World Englishes and English as a lingua franca
- TESOL Quarterly
, 2006
"... The purpose of this article is to explore recent research into World ..."
Abstract
-
Cited by 51 (0 self)
- Add to MetaCart
The purpose of this article is to explore recent research into World
Social dimensions of telecollaborative foreign language study. Language Learning
- Technology
, 2002
"... Previous research on network-based foreign language study has primarily focused on: a) the pedagogy of technology in the language curriculum, or b) the linguistic characterization of networked discourse. In this paper, I explore socio-institutional dimensions of German-American telecollaboration and ..."
Abstract
-
Cited by 49 (1 self)
- Add to MetaCart
(Show Context)
Previous research on network-based foreign language study has primarily focused on: a) the pedagogy of technology in the language curriculum, or b) the linguistic characterization of networked discourse. In this paper, I explore socio-institutional dimensions of German-American telecollaboration and the ways in which they may shape foreign language learning and use. Telecollaborative partnerships represent particularly productive sites for the examination of social aspects of foreign language study since, by definition, they entail tight sociocultural and institutional interface. Within the theoretical framework of social realism (e.g., Carter & Sealey, 2000; Layder, 1993), any human activity is thought to be shaped by both macro- and micro-level sociological features. These include social context and institutional setting, situated activity and individual agency, respectively. In this analysis, I intertwine the socially and institutionally contingent features of language valuation, computer know-how, Internet access, and learning accreditation and the micro features of situated classroom interaction and individual psycho-biography in order to provide a rich and multi-faceted characterization of foreign language learning and use on both ends of a German-American telecollaborative partnership.
Learners’ perspectives on networked collaborative interaction with native speakers of Spanish in the US. Language Learning
- Retrieved November 29, 2005, from http://llt.msu.edu/vol8num1/lee/ Marjanovic, O
, 2004
"... In this paper, I discuss a network-based collaborative project that focused on the learning conditions non-native speakers (NNSs) of Spanish perceived to be necessary to satisfactoraly communicate with native speakers (NSs). Data from online discussions, end-of-semester surveys, and final oral inter ..."
Abstract
-
Cited by 37 (2 self)
- Add to MetaCart
(Show Context)
In this paper, I discuss a network-based collaborative project that focused on the learning conditions non-native speakers (NNSs) of Spanish perceived to be necessary to satisfactoraly communicate with native speakers (NSs). Data from online discussions, end-of-semester surveys, and final oral interviews are presented and discussed. The results of this study demonstrated that the NNS and NS online collaboration promoted the scaffolding by which the NSs assisted the NNSs in composing meaning (ideas) and form (grammar). In addition, the NNSs praised the unique learning condition of being exposed to a wide range of functional language discourse produced by the NSs. Students perceived that open-ended questions for two-way exchange were meaningful for them because they were encouraged to use specific vocabulary and structures during the discussions. In spite of the positive conditions and benefits created by networked collaborative interaction (NCI), it was found that there were some major issues that are crucial for NCI. This study demonstrates that learners ' language proficiency, computer skills, and age differences are important factors to be considered when incorporating institutional NCI as these may linguistically and socially affect the quality of online negotiation and students ' motivation toward NCI. Practical ideas for further research are suggested.
Negotiation for meaning and peer assistance in second language classrooms
- Applied Linguistics
, 2005
"... This paper investigates the value of language classroom negotiation of meaning from both cognitive and sociocultural perspectives. According to Long (1985, 1996) comprehensible input gained through interactional adjust-ments such as negotiating meaning and modifying output is central to second langu ..."
Abstract
-
Cited by 36 (0 self)
- Add to MetaCart
(Show Context)
This paper investigates the value of language classroom negotiation of meaning from both cognitive and sociocultural perspectives. According to Long (1985, 1996) comprehensible input gained through interactional adjust-ments such as negotiating meaning and modifying output is central to second language acquisition, and much research has been undertaken to discover which classroom activities give learners the greatest benefit from this type of interaction (Pica 1994). This paper discusses the measures typically used to identify negotiated interaction and proposes that more rigorous definitions need to be employed to separate signals of communication problems from signals of interest and encouragement. In the study reported for this paper, learners were recorded during an interactive classroom task, and the incidence of negotiation moves (learners ’ clarification requests, comprehension and confirmation checks) was calculated by counting only those instances where communication problems were clearly signalled. The quantitative results show that the incidence of negotiating meaning was very low. A qualitative analysis of the data subsequently investigated what was going on in the long stretches of interaction that lacked any signs of meaning negotiation. A picture emerges of learners actively assisting each other to transact the task through co-construction and prompting. Learners expressed interest and encouragement while seeking and providing assistance and initiating self-repair of their own utterances, all in the absence of communication breakdowns. Obtaining completely comprehensible input appeared to be of lower priority than maintaining a supportive and friendly discourse. Negotiation is one of a range of conversational processes that facilitate SLA as learners work to understand and express meaning in the L2.
Second Language Acquisition, applied linguistics, and the teaching of foreign languages”.
- The Modern Language Journal,
, 2000
"... ..."
(Show Context)
2004, ‘Supporting Synchronous Distance Language Learning with Desktop Videoconferencing’, Language Learning
- Technology
, 2004
"... This study involves three dimensions: distance language education (DLE) as the context, videoconferencing as the technology, and the provision of synchronous oral and visual interaction in DLE as the core research problem. This article follows on this author's previous research in regard to the ..."
Abstract
-
Cited by 21 (1 self)
- Add to MetaCart
(Show Context)
This study involves three dimensions: distance language education (DLE) as the context, videoconferencing as the technology, and the provision of synchronous oral and visual interaction in DLE as the core research problem. This article follows on this author's previous research in regard to the inclusion of oral and visual interaction in distance language learning through the use of Internet-based desktop videoconferencing tools. It evaluates the findings from a two-stage evaluation of a particular videoconferencing tool, NetMeeting. The results from this research confirm that the present generation of Internet-based desktop videoconferencing tools are capable of supporting oral and visual interaction in DLE. Recommendations are presented for future use of videoconferencing in DLE.
CONVERSATIONS-- AND NEGOTIATED INTERACTION-- IN TEXT AND VOICE CHAT ROOMS
"... Despite the expanded use of the Internet for language learning and practice, little attention if any has been given to the quality of interaction among English L2 speakers in conversational text or voice chat rooms. This study explored the patterns of repair moves in synchronous non-native speaker ( ..."
Abstract
-
Cited by 19 (0 self)
- Add to MetaCart
(Show Context)
Despite the expanded use of the Internet for language learning and practice, little attention if any has been given to the quality of interaction among English L2 speakers in conversational text or voice chat rooms. This study explored the patterns of repair moves in synchronous non-native speaker (NNS) text chat rooms in comparison to voice chat rooms on the Internet. The following questions were posed: (a) Which types of repair moves occur in text and voice chats; and (b) what are the differences, if any, between the repair moves in text chats and voice chats when time is held constant? Repair moves made by anonymous NNSs in 10, 5-minute, synchronous chat room sessions (5 text-chat sessions, 5 voice-chat sessions) were counted and analyzed using chi-square with alpha set at.05. Significant differences were found between the higher number of total repair moves made in voice chats and the smaller number in text chats. Qualitative data analysis showed that repair work in voice chats was often pronunciation-related. The study includes discussion that may affect teachers ' and learners ' considerations of the value of NNS chat room interaction for second language development. LANGUAGE LEARNING VIA INTERACTION AND REPAIR MOVES Social interaction is essential to language learning, according to the arguments presented by studies based in the communicative approach to language teaching (see, e.g., Hall & Verplaetse, 2000; Lantolf, 2000; Long, 1983, 1996; Pica, 1994). Empirical evidence suggests that social interaction is a wellspring for negotiation of meaning, a communicative exchange that sustains and repairs conversations (Long 1983, 1996; Pica, 1994). Negotiation of meaning is a cognitive process that speakers use to better understand one another, that is, to increase the comprehensibility of language input. Furthermore, negotiation of
Focus-on-form through collaborative scaffolding in expert-to-novice online interaction
, 2008
"... Synchronous Computer-mediated communication (CMC) creates affordable learning conditions to support both meaning-oriented communication and focus-on-form reflection that play an essential role in the development of language competence. This paper reports how corrective feedback was negotiated throug ..."
Abstract
-
Cited by 15 (1 self)
- Add to MetaCart
(Show Context)
Synchronous Computer-mediated communication (CMC) creates affordable learning conditions to support both meaning-oriented communication and focus-on-form reflection that play an essential role in the development of language competence. This paper reports how corrective feedback was negotiated through expert-to-novice collaborative efforts and scaffolding with 30 subjects working on three different tasks—jigsaw, spot-the-differences and open-ended question. The findings reveal that text chats supported the focus-on-form procedure through collaborative engagement. Despite the fact that the experts were able to provide step-by-step scaffolding at the right moment to call learners ’ attention to non-target-like-forms that resulted in error corrections, they needed to be made aware of not over-intervening as students reported interference between the expert's goals and the learner's. To maintain intersubjectivity, the use of both L2 and L1 shaped the route taken by experts and learners alike to negotiate L2 forms for both syntactic and lexical errors. The study concluded that it was not easy to provide corrective feedback and to attend to linguistic errors in a timely fashion during the meaning-based interaction. The long-term effect of focus-on-form procedures on L2 development through CMC remain to be explored in future studies.
