Modern Language

Analyses of second language (L2) classroom interaction often categorize joking and other humorous talk by students as disruptive, off-task behavior, thereby rendering it important only from a classroom management perspective. Studies of language play, however, have illustrated that such jocular talk not only allows students to construct a broader and perhaps more desirable range of classroom identities, but also occasions more complex and creative acts of language use than those normally found in L2 instructional settings. Likewise, critical sociolinguists have observed that the use of humor may constitute opposition and/or resistance to monotonous, culturally insensitive, or even face-threatening classroom practices. This article presents a case for a particular communicative mode-humor-to be seen as a pedagogical safe house , extending this notion beyond spatial and temporal domains. Specifically, it draws on the notions of performance, calibration , and layered simultaneity to understand how particular instances of classroom humor function in this fashion. It then considers how an understanding of humor as a safe house can inform recent theoretical discussions of communicative competence and L2 classroom interaction.

Description: Jordan wrote four chapters and collaborated on a fifth: History (3-34), Authorship (70-91), Genre (92-116), Film Studies and Film Theory (170-93) and Stars (collab: 117-33), as well as the Conclusion, Glossary of Film Terms, Useful Websites and ...

Theoretical issues underlying the development of scales of language proficiency are examined. First, a brief classification of scale types is presented, and problems identified in them and advantages they offer are outlined. Discussion then moves to the issues of describing and measuring language proficiency. In this section, behavi. ally-based scales in work performance, the historical development of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages/Interagency Language Roundtable (ACTFL/ILR) proficiency guidelines, the utility of the Rasch model in rating framework development, and subjectivity in judgments and observed behavior ratings are discussed. A many-faceted version of the Rasch item-response theory model is suggested as an instrument that may aid in the mapping of behaviors onto a common metric while identifying different interpretation of the same descriptors by different types and groups of users. Contains about 250 references. (MSE)

The MLJ reviews books, monographs, computer software, and materials that (a) present results of research in-and methods of-foreign and second language teaching and learning; (b) are devoted to matters of general interest to members of the profession; (c) are intended primarily for use as textbooks or instructional aids in classrooms where foreign and second languages, literatures, and cultures are taught; and (d) convey information from other disciplines that relates directly to foreign and second language teaching and learning. Reviews not solicited by the MLJ can neither be accepted nor returned. Books and materials that are not reviewed in the MLJ cannot be returned to the publisher. Responses should be typed with double spacing and submitted electronically online at our ScholarOne Manuscripts address: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/mlj.

This study examines possible connections between second language competency and frequency and type of gesture use (illustrators, compensatory illustrators, adaptors, emblems, regulators, and affect displays). To this end, 75 students enrolled in beginning, intermediate, and advanced college-level Spanish courses were videotaped while conversing in dyads, first in Spanish and then in English. ANOVA results based on observer responses to the videotape indicated that advanced learners used significantly more speech-related, meaning-enhancing gestures than did beginning and intermediate students and that participants used significantly more gestures overall in their native English than they did in the target language (Spanish). Pedagogical implications address the creation of supportive environments, training in strategies, and the use of authentic classroom activities that include the visual modality.

Recently, the field of second language acquisition (SLA) has seen the growing impact of social context on second language learning, which has been called by Block a "social turn" (2003). This increasing interest in social context and SLA has resulted in a need to theorize two notions, "social" and "context," which have been defined differently across language-related fields. Similarly, the concept of "discursive practice" has started to appear more. Yet, despite its frequent use, this latter term has not been explored in detail. Discursive Practice in Language Learning and Teaching, the sixth volume in the Language Learning monograph series, fills this gap by unpacking and analyzing these key concepts. According to Lourdes Ortega, the series editor, Young, a scholar at the center of research on context and SLA, presents "a highly personal, deeply synthetic, and remarkably organic treatment of the social context of additional language learning" (p. vii) and attempts to map out an approach to second language learning theory that has implications for second language teaching and testing. In this book Young significantly expands the scope of SLA by introducing practice theory to the field. While he covers both written and spoken discourse, the latter is more dominant.

The study investigated the effect of emblematic gestures on the development and access of mental representations of French expressions. The major hypothesis of the study was that learning emblematic gestures with simultaneously presented French expressions would cause an increased depth of processing as measured by greater retention. The second hypothesis was that recall would persist over time. A pretest posttest repeated measures design was used. Three groups consisting of 112 first-semester university French students participated in the study. The experimental group learned the gestures and used them to recall the expressions in the posttest. The no-treatment group did not see the gestures at any time. The comparison group did not learn the gestures, but did see them in the posttest. Results of analysis of variance (ANOVA) performed on the posttest scores revealed that learning emblematic gestures simultaneously with French expressions does lead to greater recall. Secondly, although all groups experienced a decay in recall, the groups that saw the emblematic gestures forgot significantly fewer sentences than the group that did not see the gestures.

A discussion of the loss and maintenance of second language skills beyond the formal education process provides information about skill loss and a variety of strategies and suggestions for language skill maintenance. The book begins with an overview of the subject of language loss and maintenance (Jean Berko Gleason and Barbara Alexander Pan), discussing personal factors that seem to make a difference in language study, cultural influences, and the relationship between the kind of language instruction received and the likelihood of losing the language. Subsequent chapters focus on different efforts to help prevent the loss of a foreign language. These include personal learning strategies (Rebecca Oxford and David Crookall), self-instructional resources such as cassettes and other learning resources (John Means), the use of computers to maintain language skills (Frank Otto), study and travel abroad (Helene Zimmer-Loew), and the community as a cultural learning resource (Frederick L. Jenks). References, additional resources, and useful addresses are included. (MSE) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.

Tucci (12521737) Graduando em Letras pela FFLCH-USP Resumo: O objetivo deste artigo será estabelecer vínculos, através da análise comparativa, entre Cantigas de Amor, Amigo, Escárnio e Sátira e as diversas produções poéticas-principalmente nas que condizem à Música Popular Brasileira e suas especificidades-da língua portuguesa. Tais semelhanças poderão ser: expressivas, respectivo à mecanismos de linguagem utilizados que se mantém até os dias de hoje, que inspiraram outros que são populares atualmente ou que são parecidos com mecanismos atuais; temáticas, concernindo os assuntos tratados nos textos; linguísticas, na utilização de termos que conseguiram se manter relevantes ao longo dos séculos.

Previous research has devoted a great deal of attention to describing the long-term patterns and relationships among trait-level or situation-specific variables. The present discussion extracts kernels of wisdom, based on the literatures on language anxiety and language learning motivation, that are used to frame the argument that choosing to initiate communication at a particular moment in time can be conceptualized as a volitional (freely chosen) process. The result is a degree of willingness to communicate (WTC) with the potential to rise and fall rapidly as the situation changes. Previous research based on both qualitative and quantitative methodologies is described that demonstrates the complexity of the processes involved in creating WTC. It is argued that methodologies must be adapted to focus upon the dynamic process of choosing to initiate or avoid second language communication when the opportunity arises.

This study examined the relationship between anxiety and native language skill and foreign language aptitude measures among 154 high school foreign language learners. Three levels of anxiety were identified using the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale or FLCAS . Low Anxiety (LO-ANX) students were expected to have significantly stronger native language skills and foreign language aptitude than High Anxiety (HI-ANX), students and significantly higher foreign language grades. Average Anxiety (AVE-ANX) students were expected to score somewhere in-between. Findings showed overall significant differences among the groups on nine variables, including measures of native language phonology/orthography, semantics, and verbal memory; foreign language aptitude; eighth-grade English grade; and end-of-year foreign language grade. On measures of phonology/orthography, eighth-grade English, and foreign language grade, LO-ANX and AVE-ANX students outperformed HI-ANX students. On a foreign language aptitude measure and foreign language grade, LO-ANX students outperformed both AVE-and HI-ANX students. On measures of verbal memory and reading comprehension, LO-ANX students outperformed HI-ANX students. Discriminant analysis results showed that all test measures but one were significant in distinguishing the three groups. Among others, implications include the suggestion that skill in one's native language and aptitude for learning a foreign language may affect anxiety level and that the FLCAS may provide an early indicator of basic language problems.

The MLJ reviews books, monographs, computer software, and materials that (a) present results of research in-and methods of-foreign and second language teaching and learning; (b) are devoted to matters of general interest to members of the profession; (c) are intended primarily for use as textbooks or instructional aids in classrooms where foreign and second languages, literatures, and cultures are taught; (d) convey information from other disciplines that relates directly to foreign and second language teaching and learning. Reviews not solicited by the MLJ can neither be accepted nor returned. Books and materials that are not reviewed in the MLJ cannot be returned to the publisher. Responses should be typed with double spacing and submitted electronically online at our new Manuscript Central address: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/mlj.

Research on second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition has revealed that words associated with actual objects or imagery techniques are learned more easily than those without. With multimedia applications, it is possible to provide, in addition to traditional definitions of words, different types of information, such as pictures and videos. Thus, one of the fundamental research questions posed in the use of multimedia systems is: How effective are annotations with different media types for vocabulary acquisition? This article discusses the results of three studies done with 160 university German students using C'berBuch, a hypermedia application for reading German texts that contains a variety of annotations for words in the form of text, pictures, and video. The issues examined are related to (a) how well vocabulary is learned incidentally when the goal is reading comprehension, (b) the effectiveness of different types of annotations for vocabulary acquisition, and (c) the relationship between look-up behavior and performance on vocabulary tests. The results showed a higher rate of incidental learning than expected (25% accuracy on production tests, 77% on recognition tests), significantly higher scores for words that were annotated with pictures + text than for those with video + text or text only, and a correlation between looking up a certain annotation type and using this type as the retrieval cue for remembering words.

The MLJ reviews books, monographs, computer software, and materials that (a) present results of research in-and methods of-foreign and second language teaching and learning; (b) are devoted to matters of general interest to members of the profession; (c) are intended primarily for use as textbooks or instructional aids in classrooms where foreign and second languages, literatures, and cultures are taught; and (d) convey information from other disciplines that relates directly to foreign and second language teaching and learning. Reviews not solicited by the MLJ can neither be accepted nor returned. Books and materials that are not reviewed in the MLJ cannot be returned to the publisher. Responses should be typed with double spacing and submitted electronically online at our Scholar One Manuscripts address

The present study investigated the differences in pedagogical thought units between teachers with a bachelor's degree (B.A.) in English and their counterparts with a master's degree (M.A.) in TESOL. English-as-a-foreign-language (n = 8) teachers with similar teaching experiences (between 2 and 3 years of teaching experience) and teaching in similar contexts (teaching in the same institute, the same book, and the same level of learners) took part in this study. A complete teaching session of each of the participants was video-recorded and teachers' pedagogical thoughts were probed using stimulated recall technique. The research found that, on the whole, M.A. teachers produced significantly more pedagogical thoughts compared to the B.A. teachers: The average pedagogical thought units for M.A. teachers was 5.18 per minute, whereas B.A. teachers produced 2.58 of such units per minute. In terms of thought categories, the same families were observed for both groups; however, there were slight differences in their ranking and significant differences in their frequency. THE LAST TWO DECADES HAVE BEEN YEARS of growing complexity and sophistication for second-language (L2) teacher preparation and development research. Numerous books and papers currently deal with different aspects of teacher education, and teacher growth is addressed from professional, cognitive, social, as well as contextual perspectives (

This article provides an empirically based perspective on the contribution of conversation analysis (CA) and sociocultural theory to our understanding of learners' second language (L2) practices within what we call a strong socio-interactionist perspective. It explores the interactive (re)configuration of tasks in French second language classrooms. Stressing that learning is situated in learners' social, and therefore profoundly interactional, practices, we investigate how tasks are not only accomplished but also collaboratively (re)organized by learners and teachers, leading to various configurations of classroom talk and structuring specific opportunities for learning. The analysis of L2 classroom interactions at basic and advanced levels shows how the teacher's instructions are reflexively redefined within courses of action and how thereby the learner's emerging language competence is related to other (interactional, institutional, sociocultural) competencies. Discussing the results in the light of recent analyses of the indexical and grounded dimensions of everyday and experimental tasks allows us to broaden our understanding of competence and situated cognition in language learning.

The last 2 decades witnessed a growth in American Sign Language (ASL) as a foreign language in U.S. secondary schools. This overview of the current state of ASL as a foreign language in the schools consists of a history and a survey. The information on history was drawn from a study conducted by . This history is followed by a national survey compiled by Rosen on U.S. secondary schools offering ASL for foreign language credit. The survey provided information on the number and distribution of schools, teachers, classes, students, departments, and the process for program implementation. The information is used to ascertain the current breadth and scope of, and to discern trends in, ASL as a foreign language in public high schools nationwide.

The Amsterdam Academic Archive is an initiative of Amsterdam University Press. The series consists of scholarly titles which were no longer available, but which are still in demand in the Netherlands and abroad. Relevant sections of these publications can also be found in the ...

For some time now second language acquisition (SLA) research has been hampered by unhelpful debates between the “cognitivist” and “sociocultural” camps that have generated more acrimony than useful theory. Recent developments in second generation cognitive science, first language acquisition studies, cognitive anthropology, and human development research, however, have opened the way for a new synthesis. This synthesis involves a reconsideration of mind, language, and epistemology, and a recognition that cognition originates in social interaction and is shaped by cultural and sociopolitical processes: These processes are central rather than incidental to cognitive development. Here I lay out the issues and argue for a language socialization paradigm for SLA that is consistent with and embracive of the new research.

The MLJ reviews books, monographs, computer software, and materials that (a) present results of research in-and methods of-foreign and second language teaching and learning; (b) are devoted to matters of general interest to members of the profession; (c) are intended primarily for use as textbooks or instructional aids in classrooms where foreign and second languages, literatures, and cultures are taught; and (d) convey information from other disciplines that relates directly to foreign and second language teaching and learning. Reviews not solicited by the MLJ can neither be accepted nor returned. Books and materials that are not reviewed in the MLJ cannot be returned to the publisher. Responses should be typed with double spacing and submitted electronically online at our Manuscript Central address: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/mlj

This article describes the technologies in use for second language learning, in relation to the major language areas and skills. In order, these are grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, pronunciation, listening, speaking, and culture. With each language area or skill, the relevant technologies are discussed with examples that illustrate how practitioners have employed the technological tool to help assist the language learner. In each case, the examples are chosen to highlight current points of focus and priorities, to give an indication of successful applications, and, in some cases, to draw attention to areas in which further work is required before a viable application is achieved.

In this article, we analyze the relationship between studies in second language acquisition and studies in bilingualism as areas that have been traditionally ignored but which share some common perspectives. Then we look at new trends in both areas that are compatible with a holistic perspective in the study of multilingualism. Based on these trends, we propose “Focus on Multilingualism,” an approach that looks at the whole linguistic repertoire of multilingual speakers and language learners and at the relationships between the languages when conducting research, teaching, or assessing different languages. In the second part of the article, we report on the results of an exploratory study on the development of writing skills in three languages: Basque, Spanish, and English. We explore different ways to look at the three languages and their interaction by focusing on the multilingual speaker and his or her languages rather than each of the specific languages in isolation. The results indicate that the languages are related to each other in different ways and that multilingual speakers develop their creativity in these language practices. We argue that by focusing on the different languages, we can gain new insights about the way languages are learned and used.

The MLJ reviews books, monographs, computer software, and materials that (a) present results of research in-and methods of-foreign and second language teaching and learning; (b) are devoted to matters of general interest to members of the profession; (c) are intended primarily for use as textbooks or instructional aids in classrooms where foreign and second languages, literatures, and cultures are taught; and (d) convey information from other disciplines that relates directly to foreign and second language teaching and learning. Reviews not solicited by the MLJ can neither be accepted nor returned. Books and materials that are not reviewed in the MLJ cannot be returned to the publisher. Responses should be typed with double spacing and submitted electronically online at our Manuscript Central address: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/mlj THEORY AND PRACTICE COOK, VIVIAN. Second Language Learning and Language Teaching . 4th ed. London: Hodder Arnold, 2008. Pp. xiii, 306. $33.95, paper. ISBN 0-340-95876-6.

The MLJ reviews books, monographs, computer software, and materials that (a) present results of research in-and methods of-foreign and second language teaching and learning; (b) are devoted to matters of general interest to members of the profession; (c) are intended primarily for use as textbooks or instructional aids in classrooms where foreign and second languages, literatures, and cultures are taught; (d) convey information from other disciplines that relates directly to foreign and second language teaching and learning. Reviews not solicited by the MLJ can neither be accepted nor returned. Books and materials that are not reviewed in the MLJ cannot be returned to the publisher. Responses should be typed with double spacing and submitted electronically online at our new Manuscript Central address: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/mlj.

The MLJ reviews books, monographs, computer software, and materials that (a) present results of research in-and methods of-foreign and second language teaching and learning; (b) are devoted to matters of general interest to members of the profession; (c) are intended primarily for use as textbooks or instructional aids in classrooms where foreign and second languages, literatures, and cultures are taught; (d) convey information from other disciplines that relates directly to foreign and second language teaching and learning. Reviews not solicited by the MLJ can neither be accepted nor returned. Books and materials that are not reviewed in the MLJ cannot be returned to the publisher. Responses should be typed with double spacing and submitted electronically online at our new Manuscript Central address: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/mlj.

The MLJ reviews books, monographs, computer software, and materials that (a) present results of research in-and methods of-foreign and second language teaching and learning; (b) are devoted to matters of general interest to members of the profession; (c) are intended primarily for use as textbooks or instructional aids in classrooms where foreign and second languages, literatures, and cultures are taught; and (d) convey information from other disciplines that relates directly to foreign and second language teaching and learning. Reviews not solicited by the MLJ can neither be accepted nor returned. Books and materials that are not reviewed in the MLJ cannot be returned to the publisher. Responses should be typed with double spacing and submitted electronically online at our Scholar One Manuscripts address

... Martin (2005), describing codeswitching in Malaysia, shows how: ... lovely food, K. something for all of us … these children are doing GCSE this year so. they will come as guests, all grown up. ... As López (2008) argued, both languages are “needed” in connection to one another. ...