刊讯｜SSCI 期刊 System 2022年第106卷

SYSTEM

Volume 106, July 2022

SYSTEM（SSCI一区，2021 IF：4.518）2022年第106卷共发文32篇，其中研究性论文27篇，书评5篇。研究论文涉及二语教学（从教师和学生多角度），心理语言学，EAP等等，并且本期还开设了“线上教学的挑战和对策”专栏。

往期推荐：

目录

     Regular Articles

■Exploring first-year university students’ learning journals: Conceptions of second language self-concept and self-efficacy for academic writing, by Laura Mendoza, Tuula Lehtonen, Sari Lindblom-Ylänne, Heidi Hyytinen.

■Conversation for co-learning in the eikaiwa classroom, by Chieri Noda, Hua Zhu.

■Situating emotionality within socialization in study abroad contexts: The Student's perspective,‍ by Min Kim.

■What is second language pronunciation proficiency? An empirical study, by Yui Suzukida, Kazuya Saito.

■Learning to construct authorial voice through citations: A longitudinal case study of L2 postgraduate novice writers, by Qingyang Sun, Irena Kuzborska, Bill Soden.

■An exploratory study of EAP teachers' coping strategies, by Ogholgol Nazari, Mahmood Reza Atai.

■Motivational profiles of learners of multiple foreign languages: A self-determination theory perspective, by Meng Liu, W.L.Quint Oga-Baldwin.

■L2 development of phraseological knowledge via a xu-argument based continuation task: A latent curve modeling approach, by Jianhua Chen, Xiaopeng Zhang.

■The impact of early foreign language learning on language proficiency development from middle to high school, by Nils Jaekel, Michael Schurig, Isabelle van Ackern, Markus Ritter.

■The effect of self-regulated writing strategies on students’ L2 writing engagement and disengagement behaviors, by Shiyao Ashlee Zhou, Phil Hiver. 

■Examining the underlying structure of after-class boredom experien-ced by English majors, by Mirosław Pawlak, Mariusz Kruk,Joanna Zawodniak, Sławomir Pasikowski.

■Validating word lists that represent learner knowledge in EFL contexts: The impact of the definition of word and the choice of source corpora, by Geoffrey G. Pinchbeck, Dale Brown, Stuart Mclean, Brandon Kramer.

■When CLIL is for all: Improving learner motivation through peer-tutoring in Mathematics, by Otilia Martí Arnándiz, Lidon Moliner, Francisco Alegre.

■Peer interaction, writing proficiency, and the quality of collaborative digital multimodal composing task: Comparing guided and unguided planning, by YouJin Kim, Sanghee Kang, Yunjung Nam, Stephen Skalicky.

■Tertiary-level students' L2 reticence in relation to teacher leadership in an English-medium classroom, by  Dae-Min Kang, Jianbin Zhu.

■The dynamics of monthly growth rates in the emergence of complexity, accuracy, and fluency in L2 English writing at secondary school–a learner corpus analysis, by Katarzyna Joanna Rokoszewska.

■The use of online dictionaries in video-mediated L2 interactions for the social accomplishment of Virtual Exchange tasks, by Fulya Çolak, Ufuk Balaman.

■Community of Inquiry perceptions and divergences between students and instructors, by Karen Englander, Bruce Russell.

■Vocabulary in EAP learning materials: What can we learn from teachers, learners, and corpora? by Cailing Lu,Thi Ngoc Yen Dang.

■The possibility of improving automated calculation of measures of lexical richness for EFL writing: A comparison of the LCA, NLTK and SpaCy tools, by Ryan Spring, Matthew Johnson.

■Diagnosing listening and reading skills in the Chinese EFL context: Performance stability and variability across modalities and performance levels, by Lianzhen He, Lidi Xiong, Shangchao Min. 

■Innovations in teaching L2 writing: How changes in teachers' SCK and PCK impact learners’ perceptions and writing outcomes, by Leimin Shi, Amanda Baker.

■A mixed-methods cross-cultural study of teacher care and teacher-student rapport in Iranian and Polish University students’ engagement in pursuing academic goals in an L2 context, by Ali Derakhshan, Dariusz Doliński, Kiyana Zhaleh, Mostafa Janebi Enayat, Jalil Fathi.

■L2 Chinese teachers’ beliefs about engagement strategies for students in Australia: Findings from Q methodology research, by Cheng-wen Yuan, Joseph Lo Bianco.

■Dispreferred speech acts in virtual reality: Analysis of tone choices and hesitations, by Naoko Taguchi.

Article(s) from the special issue "Teaching and learning languages online: Challenges and responses"

■Conversation and transcription activities with synchronous video computer-mediated communication: A classroom investigation, by Shawn Loewen, Maria Buttiler, Matt Kessler, Daniel Trego.

■The emotional landscape of online teaching: An autoethnographic exploration of vulnerability and emotional reflexivity, by Juyoung Song.

Book Reviews

■Understanding Corpus Linguistics, Danielle Barth, Stefan Schnell. Routledge (2022),x+238 pp, by Hong Lei,Zhanhao Jian.

■Assessing Change in English Second Language Writing Performance, Khaled Barkaoui, Ali Hadidi. Routledge, New York, NY (2021), (Paperback), ISBN: 978-0-367-55190-2, by Yali Shi. 

■Routledge, New York, NY, 315, J.R. Martin, K. Maton, Y.J. Doran. (2020),978-0-367-23607-6 (pbk), by Feifei Liu, Zhanting Bu, Xiaochen Hua.

■Vocabulary in Language Teaching, Norbert Schmitt, Dian Schmitt. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY (2020), (Hardback), ISBN: 978-1-108-70160-0 (Paperback), ISBN: 978-1-108-47682-9, by Nassim Golaghaei.

■Competency-Based Teacher Education for English as a Foreign Language edited by Amber Yayin Wang, by Sayid Ma'rifatulloh, Fikri Yanda.

摘要

Exploring first-year university students’ learning journals: Conceptions of second language self-concept and self-efficacy for academic writing 

Laura Mendoza, Centre for University Teaching and Learning, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014, Finland 

Tuula Lehtonen,Language Centre, University of Helsinki, P.O.Box 4, 00014, Finland 

Sari Lindblom-Ylänne, Centre for University Teaching and Learning, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014, Finland 

Heidi Hyytinen, Centre for University Teaching and Learning, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014, Finland 

Abstract  This qualitative study analyzes first-year university students’ conceptions of their second language (L2) self-concept and self-efficacy for academic writing in English. The data consist of learning journals (N = 74), collected at a Finnish university in an English as a medium of instruction (EMI) context. L2 self-concept descriptions included positive, mixed, and negative ends of the continuum as well as stories of change. These descriptions encompassed various contextual mentions including grades, the current EMI context, and social comparison. The self-efficacy beliefs for academic writing reflected a stage of change among the students. The students reporting more positive, emerging self-efficacy described sensations of familiarity with academic writing. In turn, the students reporting low self-efficacy emphasized that academic writing was new and that they needed more guidance and feedback. An analysis of how the L2 self-concept conceptions and self-efficacy beliefs for academic writing cooccurred on an individual level revealed further variation among this group. Nevertheless, the negative L2 self-concept conceptions seemed to co-occur more with low self-efficacy for academic writing. Furthermore, the findings suggest that positive L2 self-concept conceptions may be of help when building self-efficacy for academic writing in English. The implications are discussed on theoretical and pedagogical levels.
Key words  L2 self-concept, Self-efficacy for academic writing, English as medium of instruction, Higher education, First-year university students

Conversation for co-learning in the eikaiwa classroom 

Chieri Noda, Department of Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK 

Hua Zhu,  IOE, University College London, London, UK

Abstract  This paper discusses how the concept of co-learning and the pedagogy of vulnerability(Brantmeier, 2013) can explain shifts in participation in a language classroom. Its empirical evidence is from our investigation of interactions in an eikaiwa (English-conversation) classroom in Japan where small groups of Japanese learners of English are encouraged to converse with a language teacher. Using multimodal Conversation Analysis, we found that the participants showed more active engagement when the teacher reversed his role from a language authority to a cultural novice and when the participants drew on their experience and expertise. In this way, conversation for learning becomes conversation for knowledge co-construction, conversation for perspective-taking, and conversation for co-learning. Fundamental to the conversation for co-learning approach is the pedagogy of vulnerability, in which the traditional authoritative and subordinate relationship between teachers and learners are challenged and reversed.
Key words  L2 classroom interaction, Contingent learning opportunities, Co-learning, Conversation-for-learning

Situating emotionality within socialization in study abroad contexts: The Student's perspective 

Kyung Min Kim, University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 411 B, Long Bin Building, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai, 200240, China

Abstract  Although second language emotion literature has emphasized the need to make emotionally difficult experiences transformative, the emotional realities of study abroad have remained almost in private narratives. By situating emotionality as one of the essential factors influencing students' socialization process (Duff, 2019) within a broader frame of study abroad, this case study traces a Chinese student's experience in a US university to see how emotionality maps onto his socialization process. To examine his poetic, linguistic, and academic identity, multiple sources of data were collected for three semesters: an interview, writing samples including autobiographical poems, and observation. The findings suggest that his affective stance shaped his engagement with English and multiple communities because it was intertwined with his investment within academic and non-academic venues. His stories illustrate how reframing his emotional struggles as investment allowed him to reinforce or negotiate his beliefs, learning strategies, and writer identity, thus revealing the nuanced ways in which his socially and emotionally mediated agency forged his multilingual identity. The study highlights the mediating role of reflection on emotionally charged experiences to lay a foundation for meaningful participation in new communities.
Key words Study abroad, Second language learning, Emotionality in SLA, Language socialization, Second language poetry, Autobiographical writing, ESL, Emotions in ESL, Intercultural competence

What is second language pronunciation proficiency? An empirical study

Yui Suzukida, University College London, London, UK

Kazuya Saito, University College London, London, UK

Abstract  The current study set out to examine which segmental and suprasegmental factors discriminate different levels of global second language (L2) pronunciation proficiency. First, a total of 40 extemporaneous speech samples were elicited from Japanese learners of English with diverse experience/ proficiency levels. Subsequently, experienced raters holistically assessed the global pronunciation qualities of the samples using the rubrics in IETLS Pronunciation Scale (Low to High). Finally, the dataset was submitted to a comprehensive set of segmental and suprasegmental measures. The results revealed that the raters attended to, in particular, the ratio of segmental errors with high communicative value (determined via the functional load principle) to distinguish between Low- and Mid-level L2 pronunciation proficiency. Other specific measures—segmental errors with low communicative value, the schwa vowel insertion in complex syllables, and the absence of word stress—played a significant role in the raters’ decision to assign high ratings to identify High-level L2 pronunciation proficiency.
Key words  Second language pronunciation, Pronunciation proficiency, Segmentals, Suprasegmentals

Learning to construct authorial voice through citations: A longitudinal case study of L2 postgraduate novice writers

Qingyang Sun, School of Languages, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, 111 Ren Ai Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, PR China; Department of Education, University of York, Heslington, YO10 5DD, UK

Irena Kuzborska, Department of Education, University of York, Heslington, YO10 5DD, UK

Bill Soden, Department of Education, University of York, Heslington, YO10 5DD, UK

Abstract  The construction of authorial voice through citations is an important criterion for judging the success of students' academic writing. Students are required to distinguish a diversity of other views or voices advanced in texts, including their own, and to adopt an identity as an author that maintains the control of other voices. Thus, while a complex undertaking, the construction of voice also requires the reflection and reshaping of self as learners. Learners need to compare their existing knowledge of writing with the writing demands of their new disciplinary communities and revise it to meet those demands. Relatively little is known, however, about the process of such construction. To fill this gap, this study focused on ten Chinese students enrolled in a one-year master's programme in a UK university and examined their rhetorical purposes for source use over time, while also comparing source use by academic score. Students' course assignments and their dissertation literature review chapters were collected and analysed using an adapted framework following Petrić (2007) and Swales (1990). To understand students' citation practices, discourse-based interviews with students were also employed. The results from the text analysis showed that students tended to use citations primarily for knowledge display but less for comparing and contrasting sources and evaluating them, although more of the latter were made in their literature review chapters. The thematic analysis of the discourse-based interviews further revealed the influence of complex factors of citation use. These were students' language proficiency, reading skills, subject knowledge, their commitment to and time limit on coursework writing, and their beliefs about themselves as learners and knowledge construction.
Key words Academic writing, Citation, Postgraduate, Rhetorical functions, International Chinese students

An exploratory study of EAP teachers' coping strategies

Ogholgol Nazari, Islamic Azad University(IAU), Gorgan Branch, Department of English Language Teaching, Post Code 19615-1194, IAU, Daneshjoo Street, Shahid Kalantari Boulvard, Gorgan, Iran

Mahmood Reza Atai, Department of Foreign Languages, Kharazmi University, Post Code 15614, No. 43 Mofatteh Street, Tehran, Iran

Abstract  English for Academic Purposes (EAP) teachers are expected to cope with the manifold challenges of teaching EAP courses although they do not generally receive adequate training for handling them. Therefore, this study explored the coping strategies used by them upon facing different challenges and probed the effectiveness of these strategies. To this end, we collected quantitative data from 314 EAP teachers through a questionnaire developed for the purposes of this study and conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 teachers chosen from those who completed the questionnaire and volunteered to participate in the interview. The results revealed the coping strategies used by the participants of the study and highlighted the effective ones. The findings provide implications for current and prospective EAP teachers as well as teacher educators by presenting some effective strategies for EAP instruction.
Key words  EAP，EAP teachers, Coping strategies, EAP instruction

Motivational profiles of learners of multiple foreign languages: A self-determination theory perspective

Meng Liu, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

W.L.Quint Oga-Baldwin, Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

Abstract  Adopting a person-centred and multilingual perspective, this study drew on self-determination theory and used latent profile analysis to investigate the motivational profiles of learners of multiple foreign languages. Chinese tertiary-level students (N = 523), concurrently studying English and a language other than English (LOTE), participated in the research. Latent profile analysis identified four groups for English motivation (High Quantity, Moderate Quality, Poor Quality and Amotivated) and three groups for LOTEs motivation (High Quantity, Medial and Amotivated). Our findings revealed high between-person and between-language heterogeneity in profile distribution, profile combination, and profile association with emotions. Specifically, negative emotion was more predictive of English motivational quality whereas positive emotion was more predictive of LOTEs motivational quality. Our results also suggest that making LOTEs compulsory is not sufficient to motivate students, as evidenced by the Medial profile being the normative profile unique to LOTEs. Regarding profile combinations, the best performing profile (High Quantity) was also the most likely shared profile by the same individual. While most learners had different profiles for different languages, it was extremely unlikely for the same individual to have profiles of opposite configurations. Our findings demonstrate the utility of combining person-centred techniques with a multilingual perceptive to produce a more nuanced and precise understanding of language learning motivation.
Key words  Self-determination theory, Motivation, Latent profile analysis, LOTEs, Simultaneous language learning, Multiple language learning, Multilingualism

L2 development of phraseological knowledge via a xu-argument based continuation task: A latent curve modeling approach 

Jianhua Chen, Ningxia Liupanshan High School, No.423, Changcheng Avenue, Yinchuan, Ningxia, 750021, China

Xiaopeng Zhang, School of Foreign Studies, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No.28, Xianning West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710049, China

Abstract  The xu-argument based continuation task is able to closely couple language input with output when learners are continuing or extending an input text. This continuation process has been found to incur alignment to the input text, and consequently promote L2 learning. This article reports on a longitudinal study, testing the effect of a xu-argument based continuation task on Chinese high-school students’ English n-gram use over five months via latent growth curve modeling. The unconditional modeling yielded that written bi- and tri-gram proportions and association strength captured by MI and Delta P scores increased for the entire group over time. The conditional modeling showed that the English-English group produced more high-frequency and strongly-associated bi- and tri-grams than the Chinese-English group. These findings substantiate the effectiveness of the xu-argument based continuation task in L2 development of phraseological knowledge and have useful implications for L2 phraseological pedagogy.
Key words The xu-argument based continuation task, Longitudinal developmentn-gram use, Chinese high-school students, Latent growth curve modeling

The impact of early foreign language learning on language proficiency development from middle to high school

Nils Jaekel, University of Oulu, Finland

Michael Schurig, Technische Universität Dortmund, Germany

Isabelle van Ackern, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany

Markus Ritter,Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany

Abstract  Early foreign language instruction has become the norm across Europe. Expected benefits for students include linguistic advantages and ease of learning the second language (L2). However, research rarely supports these assertions. The present study investigated the receptive skills of two cohorts of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Years 5, 7, and 9 in Germany. The cohorts differed in their age of EFL onset in elementary school and, consequently, in the amount of exposure before secondary school. Linear mixed model analyses were employed to account for the hierarchical structure of the data. Learners with an earlier start performed better in Years 5 and 9 than late starters, suggesting possible long-term benefits of an earlier start. In Year 7, late starters scored higher on the proficiency assessment. Across the Year 5–9 span, the effects of learner characteristics’ on English proficiency remained stable for gender, L1, grades, cognitive abilities, and cultural capital.
Key words  Early foreign language learning, Receptive language skills, Learner characteristics, Linear mixed modeling

The effect of self-regulated writing strategies on students’ L2 writing engagement and disengagement behaviors

Shiyao Ashlee Zhou, Hainan University, China

Phil Hiver, Florida State University, USA

Examining the underlying structure of after-class boredom experienced by English majors

Mirosław Pawlak, Adam Mickiewicz University, Kalisz, Poland；State University of Applied Sciences, Konin, Poland

Mariusz Kruk, University of Zielona Góra, Wydział Humanistyczny, al. Wojska Polskiego 71a, 65-762, Zielona Góra, Poland

Joanna Zawodniak, University of Zielona Góra, Wydział Humanistyczny, al. Wojska Polskiego 71a, 65-762, Zielona Góra, Poland

Sławomir Pasikowski, University of Łódź, Poland

Abstract  Learning a second and/or a foreign language (L2) is accompanied by both positive and negative emotions which influence the quality, dynamics and efficiency of this process. One of the achievement emotions that has only recently been recognized by second language acquisition (SLA) researchers as an important individual difference (ID) factor is boredom. The study reported in this paper aimed to identify factors constituting the structure of after-class boredom, a negative emotion that learners experience in out-of-class situations, whether completing tasks and activities assigned by the teacher or such that they choose of their own accord. It was also intended to examine the extent to which the intensity of boredom is affected by general boredom proneness and attainment, and to develop and validate a domain-specific scale tapping into this negative experience in after-class contexts. The study involved 107 English majors in Poland who filled out the Boredom in Learning English Outside of School Questionnaire (BLEOS). Using the Boredom Proneness Scale (BPS) and end-of-the-year examination grades, participants were divided into more and less susceptible to boredom as well as into high- and low-achievers. Exploratory factor analysis allowed extraction of three factors underlying after-class boredom: (F1) unwillingness to learn English and inability to find (interesting) tasks, (F2) lack of creativity, focus and involvement and (F3) altered time perception, underused language abilities and monotony. Statistically significant differences were detected between more and less boredom-prone students for all three factors.
Key words  Boredom, After-class boredom, Boredom proneness, Negative emotions, Attainment

Validating word lists that represent learner knowledge in EFL contexts: The impact of the definition of word and the choice of source corpora

Geoffrey G. Pinchbeck, SLALS, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada

Dale Brown, Kanazawa University, Japan

Stuart Mclean, Momoyama Gakuin University, Osaka, Japan

Brandon Kramer, Kwansei Gakuin University, Hyogo, Japan

Abstract  While word-frequency lists have been commonly used as indexes of word usefulness, their role as a proxy for learner word knowledge is unclear. Word knowledge in a structured sample (N = 625) of Japanese university-level EFL learners, operationalized using dichotomous Rasch modeling of test-item data, was used as an external reference criterion to investigate two issues germane to the development of word lists representing learner knowledge in EFL contexts: 1) the definition of word and 2) the choice of reference corpus. On the former, corpus-derived, word-frequency lists based on either word orthographic forms, flemmas, or word families were generated from 18 different corpora. Word-frequency lists using flemma-based word groupings resulted in higher correlations with learner population word knowledge as compared with those using word-family-based groupings across all 18 sets of word lists tested. On the latter, lists derived from corpora of spontaneous speech, fictional TV/movies for younger viewers, and narrative written texts consistently showed higher correlations with word knowledge than those derived from non-conversational speech, or any non-fiction written text genre. These results suggest that mega-corpora compiled from conveniently available electronic written texts may not be ideal as scales for diagnostic vocabulary testing or as indexes used in readability formulae.
Key words  Vocabulary, Word list, Morphology, Register, Frequency, Assessment, English as a foreign language

When CLIL is for all: Improving learner motivation through peer-tutoring in Mathematics

Otilia Martí Arnándiz, Jaume I University, Av. Sos Baynat s/n, 12071, Castellon, Spain

Lidon Moliner, Jaume I University, Av. Sos Baynat s/n, 12071, Castellon, Spain

Francisco Alegre, Jaume I University, Av. Sos Baynat s/n, 12071, Castellon, Spain

Abstract  The obligatory provision of CLIL is raising concerns about the discouraging effects it may have. Yet little research so far has explored the impact of collaborative classroom methodologies on learners' motivation towards both content and language in integration. The present study sets out to examine the potential benefits of peer-tutoring in raising motivation towards CLIL in Mathematics for Compulsory Secondary Education. A pretest-posttest with control group design was adopted. Participants were 408 students from grades 7, 8 and 9 in a state-run secondary school based in the Valencian Community (Spain). Two factors were analyzed: intrinsic motivation (i.e. positive attitude and classroom enjoyment) and motivational force (i.e. confidence and anxiety). Eight focus groups provided qualitative data. Findings point to statistical significant increases for the experimental group in both factors but with moderate effect sizes. The peer-tutoring experience proves more positive for the younger participants (7 graders) and for enhancing males' intrinsic motivation and females' motivational force. The qualitative results obtained from the focus groups also suggest that these pedagogical practices may reduce students' anxiety, build their self-confidence and encourage more positive attitudes towards CLIL. Implementing peer-tutoring in CLIL, then, might improve students’ motivation towards Mathematics through English.
Key words  CLIL motivation, Peer-tutoring, Secondary education, Gender, Mathematics

Peer interaction, writing proficiency, and the quality of collaborative digital multimodal composing task: Comparing guided and unguided planning

YouJin Kim, Department of Applied Linguistics and ESL, Georgia State University, USA

Sanghee Kang, Department of Applied Linguistics and ESL, Georgia State University, USA

Yunjung Nam, Department of Applied Linguistics and ESL, Georgia State University, USA

Stephen Skalicky, School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract  In the current digital era, writing is viewed as communication beyond monomodal written language, and thus the importance of multimodal literacies has received increased attention from language researchers. Recently, language educators have begun incorporating the use of collaborative digital multimodal composing (DMC) tasks in the language learning classroom. However, because DMC tasks are rather new, different approaches to implementing DMC tasks have not been explored. In the current study, we investigated the implementation of DMC tasks in a Korean high school English classroom. Through a combined perspective rooted in multimodal literacies and task-based language teaching (TBLT), we examined the role of guided and unguided pretask planning on the amount of peer interaction (operationalized as DMC episodes) during pretask planning and DMC task performance. We also examined the extent to which writing proficiency, pretask planning condition, and the number of DMC episodes predicted performance scores of collaborative DMC task outcomes. To do so, we analyzed data from DMC tasks and English writing tests completed by 116 Korean high school students over a period of eight days. Students’ interactions during planning time and task performance were recorded and transcribed to identify different DMC episodes. Both the written essays and DMC tasks were scored using analytic rubrics. The results showed that a larger number of DMC episodes were produced by the guided planning group when compared to the unguided planning group during planning time, whereas the opposite picture was found during task performance. This increased number of episodes during guided planning also predicted higher DMC task scores when compared to the unguided group. Additionally, there was some evidence of a small association between English writing proficiency and the quality of DMC task outcomes.
Key words  Task-based language teaching, Collaborative writing, Digital multimodal composing, Second language writing, Pretask planning

Tertiary-level students’ L2 reticence in relation to teacher leadership in an English-medium classroom

Dae-Min Kang, College of Foreign Studies, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin, China

Jianbin Zhu, College of Foreign Studies, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, China

Abstract The present study investigated the relationships between second language (L2) reticence and language teacher leadership. Twenty graduate students enrolled in an English-medium course  at a Chinese university and their teacher participated in this case study. The research  instruments included classroom observations, reflective journal  writing, and in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The results showed that the students' L2 reticence persisted throughout  the observation period in complicated  interaction with the teacher's leadership. Both the students and teacher were found to have exercised their agency in relation to L2 reticence and teacher leadership.Based on the findings of the study, implications are suggested. Key words  L2 reticence, Language teacher leadership, Agency, English-medium classroom, EFL

The dynamics of monthly growth rates in the emergence of complexity, accuracy, and fluency in L2 English writing at secondary school–a learner corpus analysis

Katarzyna Joanna Rokoszewska, The Institute of Linguistics, The Faculty of Humanities, Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa, Poland, Al. Armii Krajowej 36A, 42-200, Czestochowa, Poland

Abstract  The present paper examines the development of complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) in the emergent field of adolescent L2 writing from the perspective of Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST). The paper reports a panel study whose aim was to investigate the monthly growth rates (MGRs) of ten selected measures of syntactic complexity, lexical complexity, accuracy, and fluency as well as to examine the relationships between the growth rates of these measures in L2 English writing at secondary school. The study was based on The Written English Developmental Corpus of Polish Learners (WEDCPL) which consists of over 1900 texts. The corpus was built on the basis of 21 repeated measurements in the form of essays written by 100 learners over the period of 3 years at secondary school. The results of the study revealed insignificant peaks in the trajectories of the monthly growth rates of all measures, but some significant differences and relationships between the average monthly growth rates (AMGRs), pointing to competition between and support within language subsystems. The findings align with previous research in terms of the nonlinearity and interconnectedness of CAF measures in L2 writing development and provide some practical implications on language instruction and evaluation.
Key words  Monthly growth rate (MGR), Average monthly growth rate (AMGR),Complexity, accuracy and fluency (CAF),Complex dynamic systems theory (CDST), Learner developmental corpus

The use of online dictionaries in video-mediated L2 interactions for the social accomplishment of Virtual Exchange tasks

Fulya Çolak, School of Foreign Languages, İzmir Institute of Technology, Turkey

Ufuk Balaman, Department of English Language Teaching, Hacettepe University, Turkey

Abstract  Mobile applications and dedicated websites as online dictionaries have been common resources in language learning and teaching settings for years. Primarily used for looking up unknown words in reading, writing, and vocabulary learning activities, online dictionaries have been considered highly feasible, individual learning materials. However, their situated use in synchronous video-mediated interactions has remained largely unexplored despite their potential to help L2 earners resolve word-knowledge-related troubles, thus creating opportunities for meaning negotiation. Using Multimodal Conversation Analysis, this study describes the active use of online dictionaries in task-oriented video-mediated L2 interactions of Virtual Exchange participants in higher education. The close examination of the screen-recorded interactions shows that online dictionaries play an essential role in the social accomplishment of intercultural tasks. The findings indicate that L2 learners do not only look up unknown words, but they also look up the synonyms of already known words and validate their existing knowledge. Moreover, online dictionaries operate in a context-specific sequential environment consisting of diverse participant roles (describer/recipient), embodied actions, and grammatical action formats. Additionally, we observe that Wikipedia and image search emerge as supplementary tools to dictionary look-ups. The findings bring new insights into computer assisted language learning, video-mediated interactions, and Virtual Exchange.

Key words  Multimodal conversation analysisVideo-mediated interaction, Online dictionary use, Telecollaboration, Interculturality, Technology-mediated TBLT, CALL, Virtual exchange

Community of Inquiry perceptions and divergences between students and instructors

Karen Englander, University of Toronto, 40 Willcocks Street, WE136, Toronto, ON M5S 1C6, Canada

Bruce Russell, University of Toronto, 40 Willcocks Street, WE136, Toronto, ON M5S 1C6, Canada

Abstract  While investigations into students' and instructors’ experiences of online learning are long-standing, the Covid-19 pandemic caused many universities to suddenly deliver remote programming that had never been done before, or not at this scale. In this study, we investigate a well-established English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Pathway Program that was redesigned for remote teaching and learning. The Community of Inquiry (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 1999) was used as both a design tool and research tool. Students completed a questionnaire at two points in the academic year that investigated their experience. Social presence rated lowest and teaching presence rated highest, with an overall score of 4.3 of 5 for their satisfaction with the program. Forty hours of instructor discourse were analyzed concerning their perceptions of how they promoted social, cognitive, and teaching presence in their courses. Results show that students and instructors perceived efficacy of cognitive and teaching presence differently (positive for students, less positive for instructors), but both recognized the shortcomings of social presence in the student experience. This is one of very few studies to investigate online teaching of EAP using the Community of Inquiry framework and demonstrates its efficacy as a lens for understanding curriculum and student experience.
Key words  Community of inquiry, English for academic purposes, Pathway programs, Remote teaching, Online learning, Student experience of online learning, Pivot to remote, International students, Canadian EAP, EAP

Vocabulary in EAP learning materials: What can we learn from teachers, learners, and corpora?

Cailing Lu, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China

Thi Ngoc Yen Dang, University of Leeds, United Kingdom

 Department of Applied Linguistics and Communication, Birkbeck,       University of London, London, UK

Abstract  Despite the role of teachers and learners in vocabulary learning and teaching, no studies have combined the information from these sources with that from corpora to examine vocabulary in EAP learning materials for learners in EFL contexts. This study employed a mixed-method approach which combined corpus, learners, and teachers to investigate vocabulary in all core materials in an EAP course for postgraduates in China. First, the vocabulary levels of 537 students in this course were measured. Then, the vocabulary in the course learning materials was analyzed with RANGE (Heatley et al., 2002). Finally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six teachers teaching in the EAP course. As a whole the learners had mastered only the most frequent 1000 words. However, to achieve reasonable comprehension of their learning materials, they would need to know the most frequent 4000 words. Interviews with teachers also revealed that vocabulary in the materials appeared to be difficult for learners. One possible reason for the heavy vocabulary load of the learning materials was the insufficient attention to vocabulary in the design of these materials, which was in turn due to either the lack of knowledge or insufficient knowledge of research-based principles on vocabulary instruction.

Key words  Vocabulary, Test, Learning materials, Teacher cognition, Corpus, Lexical coverage

The possibility of improving automated calculation of measures of lexical richness for EFL writing: A comparison of the LCA, NLTK and SpaCy tools

Ryan Spring, Tohoku University, 980-8576, Miyagi Prefecture, Sendai-city, Aoba-ku, Kawauchi 41, Japan

Matthew Johnson, Independent researcher, Japan

Abstract  Automatically calculating measures of lexical richness is important for L2 learning because they can be used for assessment of productive abilities and general linguistic ability. One popular tool for doing so is the Lexical Complexity Analyzer (LCA), but more advanced tools for parsing have become available since its creation. This paper compares a modified version of the LCA code run with NLTK and SpaCy, two popular natural language processing toolkits, and the online version of the LCA to calculate 26 measures of lexical richness. We show how similarly they calculate the measures and how well each of the three tools' calculations correlate with EFL writer's human-rated scores and TOEFL® ITP scores. We found that six of the measures suggested to be associated with higher oral proficiency by Lu (2012) were also highly correlated with higher human-rated scores and TOEFL® ITP scores in our data set. However, the modifications to our code that utilize a different list to determine word sophistication and allow be and have verbs to be treated as lexical verbs caused four measures which Lu (2012) found to be unassociated with proficiency to be correlated with both human-rated scores and TOEFL® ITP scores, particularly when run with SpaCy.
Key words  Lexical richness, EFL writing, Automated assessment, Computer assisted evaluation

Diagnosing listening and reading skills in the Chinese EFL context: Performance stability and variability across modalities and performance levels

Lianzhen He, School of International Studies, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, PR China

Lidi Xiong, School of International Studies, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, PR China

Shangchao Min, School of International Studies, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, PR China

Abstract  This study employed cognitive diagnostic modeling to examine whether learners' performance on the common subskills of listening and reading varied across modalities and performance levels, aiming to provide a better understanding of the similarities and differences between listening and reading in the Chinese EFL context. Specifically, we retrofitted a large-scale EFL test taken by 797 non-English-major undergraduates. We utilized the G-DINA package in R to obtain test takers’ mastery patterns of global and local subskills in the listening and reading tests and further compared them through a mixed-design ANOVA. The results showed that the comprehension subskills were manifested similarly in listening and reading, but a modality effect did exist. Learners generally performed worse in listening and their mastery status of local and global skills was significantly different across modalities in that learners fulfilled global tasks better in listening and local tasks better in reading. The high-performing group mastered global skills better in listening and local skills better in reading while the low-performing group mastered global skills better in both listening and reading. The findings of the study provide backing for a modality effect in L2 comprehension, encouraging comprehension theorists and language teachers to reconsider the value of the modality-specific characteristics.

Key words  L2 comprehension, Cognitive diagnostic modelling, Subskill performance, Modality, Performance levels

Innovations in teaching L2 writing: How changes in teachers' SCK and PCK impact learners’ perceptions and writing outcomes

Leimin Shi, Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Wollongong, Australia

Amanda Baker, School of Education, University of Wollongong, Australia

Abstract  Learners' perceptions of their teachers' practices have received considerable research attention due to their impact on both teacher development and students' learning outcomes. However, students' perceptions of their teachers' knowledge have rarely been explored. This qualitative study investigates: 1) students' perceptions of changes to their teachers' knowledge of subject matter (SCK) and pedagogical content (PCK) about writing instruction, and 2) how such changes impact students' (perceptions of good) writing outcomes. To achieve these aims, six experienced university teachers in China attended workshops, which introduced them to a Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL)-informed genre approach for teaching writing. The teachers then implemented this approach in their classes. Thirty students from the teachers' classes subsequently participated in focus group interviews about their perceptions of potential changes to their teachers' SCK and PCK as a result of the workshop series. Nine sets of writing samples, consisting of students' pre- and post-workshop writing samples, were also collected to address the second aim. Overall, findings showed that students perceived changes to their teachers' SCK and PCK positively and that students’ writing outcomes also improved. This study has implications for both the application of SFL genre approach in EFL contexts and second language teacher professional development.
Key words  Teacher knowledge, Teacher cognition, Genre pedagogy, Student perceptions, Writing, Pedagogical content knowledge

A mixed-methods cross-cultural study of teacher care and teacher-student rapport in Iranian and Polish University students’ engagement in pursuing academic goals in an L2 context

Ali Derakhshan, Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Golestan University, Gorgan, Iran

Dariusz Doliński, Faculty of Psychology in Wroclaw, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Poland

Kiyana Zhaleh, Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

Mostafa Janebi Enayat, English Department, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Maragheh, Maragheh, Iran

Jalil Fathi, Department of English and Linguistics, Faculty of Language and Literature, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

Abstract  A convergent parallel mixed-methods approach was used to explore teacher care, teacher-student rapport, and engagement in pursuing academic goals in a foreign language (L2) context, as perceived by 223 Iranian and 208 Polish L2 students. Quantitative data were obtained through three scales, the cross-cultural validity and factor structure of which were ensured through testing measurement invariance and confirmatory factor analysis, respectively. The structural equation modeling results obtained through running Mplus approved that care and rapport predicted Iranian and Polish students' engagement in pursuing academic goals in an L2 context. For checking the equality of the structural path coefficients, the Omnibus Wald test was employed. Group differences in factor means were tested, showing that Iranian and Polish students differed significantly regarding their levels of engagement. Qualitative data, obtained through running interviews with 30 Iranian and 24 Polish students, selected from the initial sample, approved the predictive links of care and rapport with Iranian and Polish students' engagement in pursuing academic goals in an L2 context. However, the students' qualitative reports revealed how their perceived country's cultural and instructional contexts influenced their engagement, empirically supporting the supposition that engagement is the by-product of the dynamic interaction between the individual factors and the instructional context, necessitating the examination of the role of sociocultural values and home culture in accomplishing this educational objective.

Key words  Engagement in pursuing academic goals in an L2 context,Teacher care, Teacher-student rapport, Cross-cultural comparison, Second language classroom, Measurement invariance

L2 Chinese teachers’ beliefs about engagement strategies for students in Australia: Findings from Q methodology research

Chengwen Yuan, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, Australia

Joseph Lo Bianco, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, Australia

Abstract  In most Anglophone countries, the lack of engagement in the second language (L2) classroom has been recognised as one of the greatest challenges for L2 teachers, but there have not been many studies addressing teachers' beliefs about the issue. This study uses Q methodology to explore teachers' beliefs about engagement strategies held by teachers who teach Chinese as an L2 in Australian secondary schools. Twenty-five teachers with diverse backgrounds were recruited in this study, and they were asked to complete a Q-sort containing 48 statements related to engagement strategies. In the process, we identified four recurring clusters of beliefs as follows: orthodox subject-centred, progressive student-centred, nurturing effort-promoting and authoritative competition-encouraging. All teachers realise that following the structure of a given textbook closely and teaching to the test are not suitable approaches in Australia. However, they show different opinions about emphasising students’ efforts, creating a fun learning environment and empowering students as partners in their learning. Implications for L2 Chinese teaching and teacher professional development in the Anglophone context are provided in this study.
Key words  Teachers' beliefs, Teaching Chinese as a second language, Motivational strategies, Engagement strategies, Q methodology

Dispreferred speech acts in virtual reality: Analysis of tone choices and hesitations

Naoko Taguchi, Northern Arizona University, English Department, College of Arts and Letters, PO Box 6032, Flagstaff, AZ, 86001, USA

Abstract  This study compared participants' dispreferred speech acts between two oral discourse completion tasks (oral DCT): computer-based and virtual reality (VR)-based. Both tasks involved a series of scenarios eliciting speech acts of refusals and complaints (i.e., dispreferred acts). While the computer-based oral DCT elicited participants' speech directed to their imaginary interlocutor, in the VR-based task participants produced their speech to an actual interlocutor appearing in 360° visualizations.Sixty-two native and nonnative speakers of English completed both tasks. Using mixed effects models, the impact of task conditions (computer-based or VR-based) and language background (native or nonnative speakers) was assessed on two linguistic features: tone choices (rising, falling, and level tone) and hesitations (e.g., occurrences of filled and unfilled pauses). Both participant groups produced more level tones and hesitations in the VR-based than the computer-based DCT. Although native speakers used more falling tones, nonnative speakers used more rising tones, and their speech involved more hesitations.

Key words Pragmatics, Virtual reality, Dispreferred acts,Intonation, Hesitations

Conversation and transcription activities with synchronous video computer-mediated communication: A classroom investigation

Shawn Loewen, Michigan State University, USA

Maria Buttiler, University of California, Davis, USA

Matt Kessler, University of South Florida, USA

Daniel Trego, Michigan State University, USA

Abstract  As much second language (L2) teaching and learning continues to move online, teachers are increasingly seeking out creative ways to integrate synchronous video computer-mediated communication (SVCMC) technologies such as Zoom and Skype with other types of activities. The current study investigates this issue by exploring pedagogical activities used in a university's existing L2 Spanish program, as it instituted a requirement for its L2 learners to engage in SVCMC conversations. In the study, learners (N = 35) first engaged in SVCMC conversations with L1 Spanish speakers using TalkAbroad. Then learners completed a transcription activity in which they reflected on their conversations. Using a cognitive-interactionist approach, we investigate the L2 learning potential of these activities by examining: the types of focus on form that occurred in learners' SVCMC sessions; the correspondence between the SVCMC interactions and learners' transcriptions; and the relationship between students' interactions, their focus on form, and their transcriptions, when compared with students' self-reported noticing and learning of linguistic items. Findings suggest that SVCMC can provide opportunities for various types of focus on form that might promote L2 development. Transcription can also lead to self-reported noticing of L2 linguistic features.
Key words  Synchronous computer-mediated communication, Focus on form, L2 transcription, Pedagogical activities

The emotional landscape of online teaching: An autoethnographic exploration of vulnerability and emotional reflexivity

Juyoung Song, 

Department of Applied Linguistics and Communication, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK

Abstract  In this autoethnography, I share my lived experiences of emotions in online teaching. Employing the notion of vulnerability, I explore my feelings as I negotiated the specific structural conditions of online teaching and the challenges presented by social interactions, student participation, and by my own sense of my teacher-educator identity, mediated by my background as an Asian female, non-native English speaker. My reflection on my own sense of vulnerability brought to the forefront various dimensions of my personal and professional identity. I felt marginalized further in online teaching due to the lack of direct social interactions and my self-doubt about online pedagogy, which accentuates, rather than subdues, my status as a non-native speaker and deepens my emotional struggles in negotiating and reinventing my teacher identity. In stepping back and looking at my own sense of increasing vulnerability and at the same time re-living past experiences, I not only came to understand my own emotions, but also was able to develop sensitivity to students’ emotions through a closer attention towards their silence and (non) participation. I end the autoethnography emphasizing the importance of emotional reflexivity in grappling with challenges in teaching, enabling both personal growth and professional transformation.

Key words  Teacher emotions, Identity, Vulnerability, Online teaching, Social presence, Autoethnography

期刊简介

This international journal is devoted to the applications of educational technology and applied linguistics to problems of foreign language teaching and learning. Attention is paid to the learning and teaching of all languages (e.g. English) as second or foreign languages in all countries. System requires articles to have a sound theoretical base and a visible practical application for a broad readership. Review articles are considered for publication if they deal with critical issues in language learning and teaching with significant implications for practice and research.

《系统》致力于教育技术和应用语言学在外语教学中的应用。在所有国家，人们都重视将所有语言(如英语)作为第二语言或外语的学习和教学。《系统》要求文章要有良好的理论基础和明显的实际应用，有广泛的读者群。如果评论文章涉及语言学习和教学中对实践和研究有重大影响的关键问题，则可考虑发表。

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https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/system

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