摘要:

Within the last decade systematic attempts to contrast different sociolects of a language have been undertaken which have important theoretical and practical implications on “contrastive linguistics.” One of the essential findings of such studies is the existence of systematic relationships between fluctuating variants, the structured variability captured in Labov's formulation of the “variable rule.” The notion of structured variability developed from studies in social lectology seems to provide an essential framework for contrasting different languages as well since it can capture the structured variability found in fluctuating interference variants. Both the static and dynamic aspects of this variation are discussed here, and practical considerations for future contrastive studies are su

ISSN:0023-8333    

DOI:10.1111/j.1467-1770.1978.tb00302.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1978

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

In examining a possible analogy between the process of decreolization and the process of second language learning in a natural environment, speculations are made here to account for the similarities between the linguistic development exhibited in decreolization and second language learning in terms of extra‐linguistic factors which seem to affect the degree to which the learner acculturates toward the ‘model’ language group. It is claimed that extra‐linguistic factors account for the varying levels of linguistic development exhibited in the fossilized speech of the three second language learners studied here. Within the framework of second language learning these extra‐linguistic factors take the form of social and psychological distance (Schumann 1975, 1976). Further examination of these two factors suggests that psychological distance exerts a greater effect on the second language learner's degree of acculturation than does social distance. In addition, the learner's motivational orientation seems to be the most influential aspect of psychological distance which determines the degree of acculturation toward the ‘model’ language group and consequently the degree of linguistic development toward the ‘

ISSN:0023-8333    

DOI:10.1111/j.1467-1770.1978.tb00303.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1978

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Measures intended to assess attitudes of Japanese students of EFL toward themselves, toward other Japanese, toward English speakers, toward travel to an English speaking country, and finally toward learning English, are studied in relation to attained EFL proficiency. The measures used to assess attitudes and motivations were modelled after previous questionnaires by Gardner, Lambert, Spolsky, and others. Results show weak correlations between factors distilled from the attitude measures and attained EFL proficiency. In some cases where positive correlations are expected, negative or insignificant correlations are observed. Two possible explanations are suggested: first, as Gardner has surmised, the relationship between attitudes and the attainment of proficiency in a target language may be quite indirect and therefore weak. However, this suggestion cannot explain the unpredicted positive and negative correlations. A second alternative is to question the validity of the attitude measures. If this is done the results and conclusions of many previous studies are drawn into question.

ISSN:0023-8333    

DOI:10.1111/j.1467-1770.1978.tb00304.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1978

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

A model of second language learning is proposed which attempts to account for discrepancies both in individual achievement and achievement in different aspects of second language learning. The model outlines aspects of the input of information through various kinds of exposure to the language, the storage of that information for the language learner, and the responses that are produced as a function of the stored information.The operation of the model is explained in terms of learning processes and learning strategies. The former refer to the obligatory relationships that hold between aspects of the model and are true for all second language learners. The latter describe a group of optional strategies that may be employed by different language learners and in different learning situations. Individual learner characteristics, such as language learning aptitude and attitude, affect the efficiency with which the processes will operate for an individual and the extent to which he will use the learning strategies.Illustrations are provided to explain how the model would account for performance on a number of different learning tasks.

ISSN:0023-8333    

DOI:10.1111/j.1467-1770.1978.tb00305.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1978

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Self‐reported attitude data over the last decade have often been used as predictors of attained second language proficiency and for other purposes. Three possible sources of non‐random but extraneous vairance in self‐reported attitude data are considered: self‐flattery, response set, and the approval motive. It is suggested that some of the variance in verbal intelligence is common to variance in first and second language proficiency, some of which in turn may be common to the kinds of non‐random sources of variance in self‐reported data which are listed above. It is demonstrated that it is possible that self‐reported attitude measures may be surreptitious measures of verbal intelligence and/or language proficiency. To the extent that extraneous non‐random sources of variance in self‐reported attitude measures can be shown to exist, the measures must be assume

ISSN:0023-8333    

DOI:10.1111/j.1467-1770.1978.tb00306.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1978

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0023-8333    

DOI:10.1111/j.1467-1770.1978.tb00307.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1978

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Students who wish to read French and who are willing to omit instruction in the spoken language have learned successfully by using texts that are mixtures of French and English. The texts begin with English words in French word order, and in subsequent passages a few French words are substituted for the English words. Later the proportion of French gradually rises. The method has the advantage that adult students can practice from the beginning with adult materials. They need never be subjected to the French equivalent of “Dick and Jane”. The method also allows a relatively systematic introduction of grammatical material, another advantage for the adult student, and it allows a good many aspects of the language to be absorbed relatively unconciously through extensive exposure to written matierals. Its major disadvantage is the unaesthetic appearance of the mixed texts. The method violates a number of widely held assumptions about second language instruction but reasons exist for doubting all these assumpti

ISSN:0023-8333    

DOI:10.1111/j.1467-1770.1978.tb00308.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1978

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Although studies of the relationship between affective factors and language learning proficiency abound in the literature, the evidence to support such a relationship is difficult to interpret. Much of the problem resides in the fact that a wide range of variables are lumped together under the rubric “affect.” An attempt is made to ameliorate this situation by defining affective variables in terms of traditional psychological theory and classifying them as a subset of those variables intrinsic to the learner. The conflicting evidence dealing with one important affective variable, anxiety, is then examined, and it is shown that ambiguous experimental results can be resolved if the distinction between facilitating and debilitating anxiety is drawn. Further classificatory distinctions are discussed from the abundant experimentation undertaken by applied psychologists, and an attempt is made to consider the implications of some of this research for adult language learning–for some of the new methodologies in EFL as well as for future research opportun

ISSN:0023-8333    

DOI:10.1111/j.1467-1770.1978.tb00309.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1978

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

This paper reports an experiment which was designed to determine whether foreign language pronunciation could be improved through hypnosis. Twenty subjects were first given the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotizability to familiarize them with the state of hypnosis. In the second session each subject was individually tested on his/her ability to pronounce Thai words under three conditions: Baseline, Hypnosis, and Post‐Hypnosis. For each experimental condition the subjects heard and repeated the stimulus items on one of three lists of 15 Thai words. The subjects' responses were later evaluated by a native Thai linguist. The results indicate that deeply hypnotized subjects (as defined by self‐reported depth) performed significantly better than less well hypnotized subje

ISSN:0023-8333    

DOI:10.1111/j.1467-1770.1978.tb00310.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1978

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Reading comprehension tests are supposed to measure students' understanding of what they have read; answering a question correctly should depend entirely on information contained in the associated reading passage. However, both teachers and students suspect that general knowledge and sound guessing may enable one to perform substantially better than chance, even with little knowledge of the reading passage. Studies of “passage dependency” in tests for native speakers of English confirm this suspicion.This paper reports an experiment which measured passage dependency in one major ESL test: the reading comprehension section of the Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency (MTELP). We administered one form of this section (20 items) to 60 adult subjects: 30 native speakers of English and 30 non‐native speakers of varied language backgrounds. Half of the subjects in each group received an ordinary version of the test, with a reading passage preceding each set of five questions; the other half received only the questions, with appropriate instructions (the “passage‐out” condition).The results indicate the extent to which the test is passage‐dependent for both native and non‐native students. Test items varied considerably in their passage dependency. We suggest that passage‐dependency is one measure which can be used to select good reading compreh

ISSN:0023-8333    

DOI:10.1111/j.1467-1770.1978.tb00311.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1978

数据来源: WILEY