bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Some aspects of repair in native and non-native speaker conversations in English
Authors: Eleftheriadou Martha , Badger Richard 
Published: December 2016

Abstract
The ability to carry out repairs is a key skill in spoken discourse for non-native speakers of English and has been widely studied. However, VAN HEST et al. (1997) have suggested that investigations into repair in L2 need to be more theoretically driven and less concerned with individual differences. Drawing on information from a pilot study of twenty-three conversations, lasting 185 minutes between six native and six non-native speakers, this paper argues that there is no conflict between a concern with individual differences and theory building. What is needed is a contextualised theory which is grounded in particular situations and individual differences. The paper identifies three possible areas of difficulty that may arise if a theory is not contextualised. Firstly, the paper argues that theory driven research encourages methods of data collection that we characterise as experimental and suggest that these need to be supplemented by more naturalistic forms of data collection. Secondly, the paper criticises the view that there are general preferences as to who initiates and who completes repairs and argues that a contextualised theory of repair would capture initiation/completion patterns more adequately. Finally, the paper argues that the distinction between native and non-native speakers needs to be re-examined. This is supported by the finding in the pilot study that there was little variation between native and non-native speakers in terms of these analyses.
Tests as a Second Language Research Method
Authors: Ito Akihiro 
Published: December 2016

Abstract
In second language acquisition (SLA) research various tests are employed for theory building. However, what tests should be administered to participants in a research setting? In order to address the issue, this study was conducted to examine the reliability, validity of tests themselves, and the difference in results according to the difference of test-types, focusing on cross-sectional restrictive relative clause acquisition and relative clause test-types. Among the variety of relative clause tests, four test-types that appear frequently in recent SLA academic publications were selected. The four test-types were Translation, Cloze Procedure, Grammaticality Judgment, and Sentence Combining. The results from 120 Japanese students indicate the following. First, Sentence Combining shows high reliability in internal consistency and the highest validity. Second, the research results change across the different test-types. Third, the concept of 'test-type (task) related interlanguage variability' should be explained by the combination of quality-related issues such as 'measurement error' and the cognitive demands each test-type requires of the subjects. Implications for the practical issues of language test construction for SLA research, educational evaluation, and the directions for further research are also discussed.
Non-Foreign-Accented Speech in Adult Second Language Learners
Authors: Neufeld Gerald G. 
Published: December 2016

Abstract
The findings of this study add to the growing number of reports in which investigators claim to have located adult second language learners who, under rigorous test conditions, manage to pass as native speakers in L2. The aims of this paper were two, first, to provide a detailed account of how we tested and qualified our Anglophones as native-like speakers of French and, second, to suggest that, interesting as our data were, more questions emerge than do answers.
Seven of 18 English/French bilinguals, having acquired L2 after the age of 16, were selected by means of a pre-test interview with three Francophones as “potentially of French-speaking background.” These seven, along with three Francophone controls, recited an 81-word passage in French onto a tape-recorder. Sixty-eight native-speaking French raters, of similar dialectal background and weak in English, each heard one of four tapes with differing random roders of the 10 passages, their task being to designate each voice as “Franco-phone” or “non-Francophone.” Four of our seven English-Franch bilinguals obtained ratings statistically comparable to those of our three Francophone controls.
Reading Strategies in L1 and L2
Authors: Yamashita Junko 
Published: December 2016

Abstract
This study compared LI (Japanese) and L2 (English) reading strategies reported by four groups of readers with different reading ability backgrounds. Information on the strategies was extracted by a think aloud method. The following points emerged. (1) Generally speaking, readers tend to transfer their LI reading strategies to their L2 reading. (2) Language independent strategies are more likely to be transferred from LI to L2 than language dependent strategies. (3) High LI reading ability compensates for weak L2 reading ability, but there is a limit to this compensation. These results suggested a stronger relationship between LI and L2 reading processes than is predicted by the linguistic threshold hypothesis. The possibility that we can explain the results by combining the linguistic threshold hypothesis and the linguistic interdependence hypothesis, which have often been treated as conflicting, was discussed.
"Have I got it right?"
Authors: Leong Ping Alvin 
Published: December 2016

Abstract
This paper presents the findings of a survey-based study on the abilities of Singaporean students at a local university to interpret the writing tasks as set out in the instructional verbs of examination questions. The study seeks to determine the extent to which the task requirements of examination questions are clear to the students. The survey findings reveal general comprehension problems among the student respondents as regards the writing tasks demanded of them. Given these findings, this paper further discusses possible avenues of corrective action to help ensure that the underlying intentions of question-setters are uniformly interpreted by students.
Lexical Signatures in Foreign Language Free-Form Texts
Authors: Meara Paul , Jacobs Gabriel , Rodgers Catherine 
Published: December 2016

Abstract
Abstract This paper presents an investigation into the extent to which the lexical choices made by learners of a second language (L2) are distinctive. It follows on from an earlier paper by the same authors in which a neural network was successfully trained to mark a set of texts produced by L2 learners to the same standard, within broad categories, as had been awarded by experienced human markers. For this present paper, we examined a set of L2 texts and searched them for unique lexical choices (‘lexical signatures’). The results suggest a possible explanation for the success of the neural-network trial, and may have some practical implications for determining the levels of achievement reached by L2 learners.
Age differences in foreign language learning
Authors: Cenoz Jasonc 
Published: December 2016

AbstractThis article is based on the results of a project that analyses the linguistic development of English as a third language at different ages in a bilingual program. Specifically, it examines the influence of the age of introduction of English as a foreign language on general proficiency. Participants were 60 secondary school students who had Basque and/or Spanish as their first language and Basque as the language of instruction except for the subjects Spanish and English. All the students had studied English for six years but they had started learning English at different ages. Half of the students started learning English in grade 6 and the other half in grade 3. All the participants completed a battery of tests and questionnaires including different measures of proficiency in English: story telling, listening comprehension, composition, grammar and cloze test. The results indicate that older learners present a higher level of proficiency in English. The differences between older and younger students are discussed as related to several factors involved in foreign language learning.
“Explication de Texte” Revisited in an ESP Context
Authors: Dhieb-Henia Nebila 
Published: December 2016

Abstract
This study investigates current reading instruction in ESP. Specifically, it studies what has changed and what has not in a context where explication de texte used to be a major asset in teaching English as a foreign language. Four-point scale questionnaires were gathered from 13 secondary school inspectors, 65 ESP teachers and 94 students. They were asked about using texts to (a) teach grammar and vocabulary, and (b) practice reading strategies (careful reading, skimming, reading from beginning to end and reading only beginnings and ends). To shed additional light on these areas, we asked them three further questions on (c) reading aloud, (d) text length, and (e) time given to read a one-page text. Results showed that although, on some items, some movement away from the traditional approach has been recorded, the majority of reading instruction is still under the spell of explication de texte. This paper suggests that EFL science students need more in terms of reading strategies, if we want to make of them operational readers of literature in their field of study.
The Acquisition of the Plural in Tarifit-Berber
Authors: Rramdani Y.E 
Published: December 2016

Abstract
This paper brings a quantitative and qualitative study of the proficiency of bilingual children in plural formation in Tarifit-berber. These children were born and live in the Netherlands. Besides, a monolingual group in Morocco was submitted to the same plural task. The group in Morocco is used in this study as a reference group.
The expectations about the performances of the two groups are built on two facts. The first, the plural system of Tarifit-Berber is a complex one. Second, children born and grown up in migration (the Netherlands in this case) have a reduced input in their parents' language (Tarifit-Berber). The bilingual children in The Netherlands are expected to have more difficulties in performing the task. The study is intended to show how the two groups performed in the task, types of difficulties faced, commonalities and differences between them.
La Puntuación De Los Escritos Académicos De Los Estudiantes Universitarios
Authors: Serrano Neus Nogué 
Published: December 2016

Abstract
Este artículo presenta los resultados de un estudio sobre el uso de la puntuación en un corpus de textos expositivos y
argumentativos escritos por estudiantes de varias titulaciones de la Universidad de Barcelona, tanto desde una perspectiva
cuantitativa como cualitativa. Aislando los principales contextos en los que este uso se aparta de las convenciones establecidas
se han detectado tendencias claras en relación a los aspectos de la puntuación en los que los estudiantes muestran menos
competencia. Puede ser útil, pues, para orientar la enseñanza de este aspecto de la escritura, tanto en la universidad como, sobre
todo, en los niveles educativos anteriores. El artículo también incluye algunas reflexiones sobre la estrecha vinculación que
existe entre la puntuación y el proceso general de composición del escrito, y sobre la relación que suele establecerse – a nuestro
juicio, erróneamente, tanto desde una perspectiva didáctica como teórica– entre la puntuación y la entonación (y la prosodia, en
general).
Punctuation in English and Its Interlanguage Effects
Authors: Nsakala Lengo M. , Matondo Roger K. 
Published: December 2016

Abstract
This article discusses the manifestations of interlanguage punctuation from a short dialogue in which the subjects of the investigation had to restore missing punctuation marks. The testees realized a meagre score in the task, leaving out punctuation marks where they were compulsory, inserting punctuation marks where they were not needed, and placing punctuation marks where others were required. This state of affairs emanated from a poor command of these orthographic devices. The sample was composed of four groups of students of English, and the one-way analysis of variance conducted on their performance showed a significant difference across the groups. Such a situation proves that although punctuation is under-represented in grammar classes, students manage to acquire incidentally personal information on this area in their target language development. However, the knowledge acquired is inadequate to satisfy the specifications of punctuation in a piece of textual material. It was also observed that students encounter more problems with non-terminal than with terminal punctuation marks. Therefore, systematic instruction is recommended in order to promote students’ control of these devices in text production and in text reception.
The Influence of Learners’ Attitudes to and Perceptions of Call
Authors: Vandewaetere Mieke , Desmet Piet 
Published: December 2016

Abstract
In recent years, the field of Computer-Assisted Language Learning – CALL – has grown tremendously and has seen a number of major developments: CALL has become accessible to a larger and more diverse audience and has developed didactic practices that can be implemented in education. In addition, there has been a growing amount of research that focuses on learners’ attitudes towards CALL and, more generally, towards computer-based language learning environments. These, however, seem to be fraught with methodological problems, often leading to inconsistent results. Rather than corroborating separate unidirectional relations between variables (e.g., the effect of instructional intervention on learning outcomes or motivation), researchers need to develop structural and integrative models that integrate multiple relations between several latent constructs.
It is our aim in this pilot study to present a methodological framework for CALL-related theory construction. To reach this goal, we psychometrically validated the multifaceted construct of ‘attitude to CALL’. We demonstrate the development and validation of a preliminary integrative model on the concept of ‘attitude to CALL’. Structural equation modelling was used for the validation of our model.
St Aying Abroad with the Family
Authors: Muñoz Carmen 
Published: December 2016

AbstractThe present paper deals with second language learning in an increasingly common type of situation: the one encountered by children of families that move to a different country for a limited period of time. These children enjoy a learning experience that provides them with a naturalistic setting for full immersion in the language community as well as formal instruction at school. The paper presents a case study that investigates the longitudinal development of English proficiency in two Catalan-Spanish bilingual siblings during a year’s stay abroad with their family. Specifically, the study measures gains in the two learners’ written productions in English by examining the development of the dimensions of fluency, syntactic complexity, lexical diversity and accuracy. The findings highlight the variability inherent in L2 development and the possible effects of proficiency level on the language gains. In addition, the on-site observation provides insights into the qualities of the stay abroad experience that also help explain the results.
La Lisibilité Computationnelle
Authors: François Thomas 
Published: December 2016

RésuméAvec la multiplication des documents disponibles, notamment sur le web, la tentation est grande, pour le professeur de français langue maternelle ou seconde, de se passer des manuels balisés et de proposer à ses étudiants un texte à son goût. Cependant, il risque alors de perdre un temps précieux à sélectionner un texte qui convienne au niveau de ses étudiants. Il existe pourtant des outils dont la vocation est de l’assister dans cette tâche : les formules de lisibilité. Peu connues dans la culture francophone, elles jouissent dans la culture anglo-saxonne d’un large succès. Cet article présente une nouvelle synthèse des études en lisibilité du français L1 et L2. Partant du constat que les études récentes sont trop rares, nous présentons le nouveau paradigme dominant dans les études anglo-saxonnes, que nous avons appelé la lisibilité computationnelle. Ces recherches combinent des techniques issues du traitement automatique du langage et de l’apprentissage automatisé afin de prendre en compte l’ensemble des dimensions d’un texte : lexicale, syntaxique, sémantique et organisationnelle. Nous clôturons ce parcours en présentant nos propres travaux dans le domaine et, en particulier, «Dmesure», un prototype de plateforme web pour la lisibilité du FLE.
The Nature of the Relationship between Student Learning Styles and Performance on Selected English Second Language Tasks
Authors: Cekiso Mzwamadoda Phillip 
Published: December 2016

Abstract
An awareness of individual differences in learning has made ESL/EFL educators and programme designers more sensitive to their roles in teaching and learning and has permitted them to match teaching and learning styles so as to develop students’ second and foreign language learning. The purpose of the present study is to (a) determine what the learning style profiles of College of Education (Eastern Cape) students look like as well as (b) to determine if there is a relationship between the learning styles of these students and their performance on selected ESL tasks. The results indicated that the ESL college learners in the Eastern Cape displayed a variety of learning styles and also performed differently on a variety of ESL tasks.
The Business of Pragmatics. The Case of Discourse Markers in The Speech of Students of Business English and English Linguistics
Authors: Buysse Lieven 
Published: December 2016

AbstractThis paper investigates how foreign language learners use discourse markers (such asso, well, you know, I mean) in English speech. These small words that do not contribute much, if anything at all, to the propositional content of a message but modify it in subtle ways, are often considered among the last elements acquired in a foreign language. This contribution reports on close scrutiny of a corpus of English-spoken interviews with Belgian native speakers of Dutch, half of whom are undergraduates majoring in Commercial Sciences and half of whom are majoring in English Linguistics, and sets it off against a comparable native speaker corpus. The investigation shows that the language learners exhibit a clear preference for “operative discourse markers” and neglect or avoid “involvement discourse markers”. It is argued that in learner speech the former take on functions typically fulfilled by the latter to a greater extent than in native speech, and that in some cases the learners revert to a code-switching strategy to cater for their pragmatic needs, bringing markers from Dutch into their English speech. Finally, questions are raised as to the place of such pragmatic devices in foreign language learning.
English-Medium Education in Economics and Business Studies
Authors: Unterberger Barbara , Wilhelmer Nadja 
Published: December 2016

AbstractWith the advent of the Bologna reforms, English-medium education has become increasingly popular in economics and business studies. This paper is a work-in-progress report of the authors’ PhD projects, which both focus on English-taught programmes at Austrian business faculties. In the first section the studies are placed in a broader research context by identifying external forces that have triggered the rise of English-medium instruction in the European higher education context. This includes a discussion of how the Bologna reforms paved the way for more content teaching through a non-domestic language and why this language is usually English. Subsequently, a conceptual framework for this teaching approach is proposed and the question is addressed as to which term is most appropriate for this particular setting: CLIL, EMI or ICLHE? Based on these considerations, the different varieties of English-medium teaching at university and their underlying criteria are identified. Moreover, the research questions and strategies aimed at contributing to a clearer and more nuanced understanding of English-taught business education are outlined. The final section concludes with targeted outcomes and demonstrates the practical relevance of the anticipated results.
If all Business Education Were in English, Would it Matter?
Authors: Wilkinson Robert 
Published: December 2016

Abstract
Increasingly, English is becoming the dominant language of business education. The reasons are well known: internationalization, globalization, and the desire to prepare students for the business environment in the coming decades. This paper speculates about the impact of English-medium instruction in business education on the nature of English proficiency, the nature of the content learned, and the perspective for business practice. Firstly, students can learn content effectively through a foreign language, and have been doing so for centuries. However, with English-medium instruction in a non-English-speaking environment, the growth in language competences in English may rather lie in specific skills, with the acceptance of ‘fossilized’ language use, reduced accuracy and less nuanced communication, even if CLIL approaches are adopted. Secondly, regarding the impact on content learning, it is possible that the learning itself may be relatively unaffected, but if both students and staff have a less accurate and less nuanced competence in English, the expressive competences may be affected. Thirdly, a language imposes its own perspectives on the world. Business education through the medium of English may engender an English filter on students’ perspectives on business practices and communication. This paper suggests that this matters.
Lsp Research Today
Authors: Rycker Antoon De , Buyse Kris , Vangehuchten Lieve 
Published: December 2016

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to examine whether a “general approach for specific purposes”, i.e. a general approach to Language for Specific Purposes (LSP) research, is possible or even desirable. We will briefly review some of the major changes that have taken place in LSP research, and this with a view to situating the five studies that have been included in this special issue of ITL – International Journal of Applied Linguistics. The approach is based on the existing LSP literature, but rather than attempting a comprehensive overview, we will discuss only those trends that may be instrumental in forging a general research agenda for the near future. LSP research has gradually replaced texts as its main object of enquiry in favour of the complex social and discursive practices of a particular discipline. Though the areas covered in this special issue are business, legal and maritime discourse, it is equally interesting to?tices (like recreational team sports). The shift from text to practice, from terminology to communication, has necessitated a principled inter-disciplinary and multi-perspectival stance in terms of both theories and methodologies. In addition, globalisation, technology and other societal forces have affected the dynamics of professional and organisational communication. This article will argue that it is to these trends and developments that the special issue makes a significant contribution. At the same time, it is hoped that our article will open up new possibilities for applied linguistic research and will also stimulate debate on what direction LSP researchers, both experienced practitioners and newcomers, should be moving in.