Màster Oficial - Lingüística Aplicada i Adquisició de Llengües en Contextos Multilingües

URI permanent per a aquesta col·leccióhttps://hdl.handle.net/2445/48105

Treballs finals del Màster de Lingüística Aplicada i Adquisició de Llengües en Contextos Multilingües del Departament de Filologia Anglesa i Alemanya de la UB.

Estadístiques

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Mostrant 1 - 20 de 67

Noticing and intake of formulaic sequences in L2 subtitles: an eye-tracking study on the effects of genre and input enhancement
(2017-07) Moskvina, Natalia; Gilabert Guerrero, Roger
[eng] The present study explores the effects of input enhancement and genre on the noticing and intake of formulaic sequences in the context of captioned videos. It involves 31 Catalan-Spanish English learners. Highlighted groups outperformed non-highlighted ones at the posttest, showing that input enhancement leads to the increase in intake. The non-fiction groups showed higher degree of noticing, suggesting that participants tend to focus on the textual part more for this genre. It is further inferred that genre and highlighting can have an impact on participants behavior in terms of noticing and potentially, intake. The results are interpreted in terms of the Cognitive Load Theory and the Noticing Hypothesis.
Corrective feedback in a MIM application: Organization, timing and students' participation
(2022-09) Pérez Rodríguez, Keren; Tragant Mestres, Elsa
Due to globalization and the exponential development of smartphone technology, MALL (Mobile-Assisted Language Learning) has received crucial attention in the context of foreign language teaching and the way in which corrective feedback is given in this context. The following study aims to analyze the role of corrective feedback in a WhatsApp chat group, focusing the attention on the interactions during a corrective feedback episode and the factors (timing and type of correction) that influence students' participation. The corpus includes 31 feedback episodes that are analyzed in detail to identify the different strategies used by the teacher and the different interactions. Also, a Mann-Whitney U Test is carried out in order to identify if timing is a factor that promotes students' participation during corrective feedback provision. Overall results show that interactions during a corrective feedback episode in a WhatsApp context follow an informal pattern, and the use of strategies that indicate location and different alternatives to repair the mistake increase students' participation. However, time is not a factor that influences students' participation. Corrective feedback provision seems to be appropriate in a MALL context if the strategies are adequate for the context.
Students' perceptions of mobile-mediated corrective feedback and oral messaging in a WhatsApp chat group
(2021-09) Green, Jasmine; Tragant Mestres, Elsa; Pinyana Garriga, Àngels
[eng] This study has been carried out in response to the scarcity of research dedicated to corrective feedback provision on mobile devices and the tendency for investigators and educators alike to overlook the multi-modal features of mobile instant messaging platforms, such as oral-based messages. The present study, attempts to bridge this gap by examining a class of 17 intermediate EFL learners and their perceptions towards receiving corrective feedback in a WhatsApp chat group (supplemented with a weekly feedback session on Zoom), which ran for the duration of 6 weeks. Screenshots of the chat were analysed to provide a comprehensive overview of interaction and participation with a special focus on oral messages. A semi-structured questionnaire was also administered to glean information regarding students' perceptions of the corrective feedback they received in the two modalities, in addition to their perceptions of oral-based messages. Findings revealed positive attitudes towards receiving corrective feedback in this manner, with a preference towards receiving more explicit corrective feedback. The production of oral messages was scarce, although students highly rated having the opportunity to use this feature.
Was That a Bag or a Bug? Perceptual Measures, Euclidean Distance, Mahalanobis Distance, and Pillai Scores in the Assessment of L2 Pronunciation
(2021-09-02) Waltz, James; Mora Bonilla, Joan Carles
[eng] Researchers employ a variety of techniques to measure accuracy of second-language pronunciation. Little research has been done on certain measures that have been used more in recent studies, such as Mahalanobis distance and Pillai scores, and how they compare to perceptual measures. Using pre- and post-test recordings of 23 Spanish/ Catalan learners of English that were obtained using a delayed word repetition task in a previous, high-variability phonetic training study on the English phonemes /æ/ and /ᴧ/, this thesis examines the relationship between native-speaking judges’ word identification and goodness ratings, Euclidean distances, Mahalanobis distances, and Pillai scores in their evaluation of pronunciation accuracy and improvement between test times. For each acoustic metric, measures between native- and non-native speakers’ productions are taken as well as measures between non-native speakers’ realizations of /æ/ and /ᴧ/. An experimental way of computing perceptual ratings for items that are incorrectly identified by raters is also investigated and compared to existing measures.
Do you eat 'pasta' for dessert and 'tender' your clothes? A comparison of cross-language activation in Turkish and Spanish learners of English
(2022-06-28) Kelly Iturriaga, Lara Maite; Mora Bonilla, Joan Carles
[eng] The present study investigates whether L1 Turkish and L1 Spanish learners of English experience cross-language activation when recognising words that share spelling but differ in meaning across languages, i.e., interlingual homographs (IHs). Two primed lexical decision tasks in English were employed to examine if primes semantically related to the target IH’s L1 meaning – e.g., arena (sand in Spanish) preceded by beach – would entail shorter reaction times. Additionally, this study examines if typological differences between participants’ L1 (Turkish or Spanish) and L2 (English) influence L2 word recognition, a rather understudied relationship. Results from both experiments revealed dual-language activation, as participants recognised interlingual homographs significantly slower than control words. However, no significant differences were found between the Turkish and Spanish group, thus, language typology did not have a significant effect on L2 visual word recognition. Moreover, no cross-language semantic priming effects were found, as IHs were processed slower than control words, which did not hold a semantic relationship with their primes. Importantly, the results from this study support the language-non-selective hypothesis, i.e., the notion that L2 word recognition entails co-activation of languages, even in monolingual settings.
A Task-Based Needs Analysis of Primary School-Aged Children with Migrant or Refugee Backgrounds in Austria
(2022-06-14) Trager, Vera; Gilabert Guerrero, Roger
[eng] In the last decade, Austria was among the European countries that received a high number of young refugees and learning German has been crucial for their successful integration. However, their language needs had not yet been analysed systematically. In this study, we report on a task-based needs analysis (TBNA) for primary school-aged newcomers to Austria, which aimed at detecting target tasks and describing them in terms of multiple task dimensions, as per Gilabert & Malicka (2021). Semi-structured interviews with field experts and former newcomers were conducted and a survey inquiring about the frequency and the need for training of 38 target tasks was distributed. Results show general, academic, social, and family-oriented tasks that newcomers need to perform in their L2 German and their rankings regarding perceived frequency and the need for training. The study demonstrates how the triangulation of multiple sources and methods facilitates such an identification of target tasks in various life domains, as well as the development of detailed task descriptions along multiple task dimensions. Collectively, the results provide a well-informed basis for task selection, task sequencing, and the development of a meaningful and effective syllabus for refugee/migrant populations at the primary school level in Austria.
Examining individual differences of L1 English senior learners of Spanish: A multiple-case study
(2022-09-05) Montañés Ballesté, Júlia; Celaya Villanueva, Ma. Luz (María Luz), 1962-
[eng] Research studies support the idea that language learning is an activity that enhances cog-nition, social relationships, and subjective positive feelings among older populations. However, little research has investigated how older people learn languages, especially if and how their psychological individual differences can shape their process of acquisition. Moreover, most studies conducted so far deal with L2 English senior learners, but very few explore the study of other languages. In this regard, the present study aims at explor-ing L2 Spanish senior learners’ psychological individual differences, namely beliefs, mo-tivation, and strategies used. The participants were 9 L1 English senior learners who were learning Spanish as a foreign language. A mixed-methods approach was followed, con-sisting of a background questionnaire, a questionnaire that encompassed 36 statements on beliefs, motivation, and strategies to be rated on a Likert Scale, and a fifteen-minute semi-structured interview. Results show a variety of positive emotions linked to foreign language learning, an increasing desire to travel, which constitutes the primary motivation to learn Spanish, and the high use of metacognitive, cognitive, compensation and social strategies as a means to build their own learning process and self-motivation.
Phonological Representations in the Mental Lexicon of Second Language Learners: A Synthesis
(2021-06-27) Elkuch, Lea; Mora Bonilla, Joan Carles
[eng] Being able to perceive the difference between two sounds can be difficult for L2 learners. This synthesis aims at analyzing the processes that occur during the encoding of phonological representations into the mental lexicon of an L2 learner. Recently, the topic of how L2 phono-lexical representation are updated has gained more attention; therefore, it is timely to revisit previous findings and evaluate opportunities for further research. Through an analysis of findings across 13 primary studies, this synthesis presents some preliminary answers on two core topics 1) the source of asymmetries in learners lexical decision patterns, as well as 2) the question of whether and how initially inaccurate phono-lexical representations can be updated. Numerous reports confirm asymmetries in lexical access of L2 learners. We argue that inaccurate perception alone cannot explain the reported asymmetries, while they may indicate non-target-like encoding of difficult contrasts in the lexical representations. Based on recent evidence (Darcy & Thomas, 2019; Llompart, 2021), we suggest that old and new phono-lexical representations seem to co-exist, while new representations are more target-like. Finally, drawing on the findings from this synthesis, we will propose some pedagogical implications.
It’s not just what we say but also how we say it: How non-native English-speaking teachers use their linguistic repertoire in the EFL classroom
(2021-06-21) Schefers, Sarah; Celaya Villanueva, Ma. Luz (María Luz), 1962-
[eng The primary goal of this study was to shift the geographical focus of research away from Europe and North America and into Asia. This was done to highlight the unique struggles faced and strategies employed by non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs) in Thailand while providing them with the opportunity to engage with theoretical frameworks that originated in Europe. This was done through a small, ethnographic study that focused on two teachers and how they use their linguistic repertoires in the classroom. It was found that while teachers are partially aware of the factors that impact what language they choose for specific classroom tasks, it is often their perceptions of their own proficiency that plays the largest role. It was also found that students often respond in the language that the teacher used to engage them in a communicative task. This leads to the conclusion that more should be done to promote NNESTs sense of identity as L2 users as well as their sense of agency as professional language instructors to promote greater use of the target language (TL) in the classroom.
The Effects of Regular and Enhanced Captions on Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition
(2021-06-29) Finger-Bou, Rebeca; Muñoz Lahoz, Carme
[eng] This study explores the effects of regular and enhanced captions through short exposure to a documentary on incidental vocabulary acquisition by L1-Spanish/Catalan learners of English. This research work also analyses how the potential vocabulary learning might be affected by individual differences such as previous vocabulary knowledge or language learning aptitude as measured by the LLAMA B and D subtests. Two randomly distributed groups were formed. Group 1 was provided with regular captions, whereas group 2 viewed the same audio-visual material with enhanced captions. Vocabulary gains were assessed through pre-, immediate post- and delayed post-tests that tapped into meaning recall, meaning recognition and form recognition knowledge. Results showed a significant advantage of enhanced captions over regular captions only in within-group scores. Vocabulary size emerged as the most significant predictor, whereas LLAMA B and D had a non-significant contribution. Level of proficiency in which participants were enrolled at the language school had a significant interaction with time at testing for meaning recall, regardless of experimental condition. Retrospective questionnaires on participants’ focus of attention reported an almost unanimous emphasis on captions and comprehension. Participants from the EC group described mixed opinions about the amount of distraction typographically enhanced items provoked in their attention.
"Really? Thanks, I got it at the mall": How EFL Learners Perceive Compliment Responses and the Role of Proficiency
(2022-09-05) Botey Riaza, Athenea; Barón Parés, Júlia
[eng] This study aims to investigate the interface between proficiency and second language (L2) pragmatics by focusing on the pragmatic awareness of the speech act of compliment responses (CRs). The research centred around a teenage population of Spanish learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). Their perceptive pragmatic knowledge was tested via a pragmatic awareness video elicitation task (PAVET) where they had to rate the appropriateness of 15 CRs from 1 (inappropriate) to 6 (very appropriate). Subjects were divided into high and low proficiency groups according to their vocabulary sizes to see in what ways their responses to the task differed. Their ratings were then compared to a native speaker (NS) benchmark to obtain a sameness score and results indicate a moderate inverse correlation between proficiency level and near-nativeness. Findings suggest the first language (L1) plays an important role in pragmatic awareness and that proficiency alone is not a determinative factor in order to acquire pragmatic knowledge as there are several other factors that can influence pragmatic development.
The Provision of English as a Foreign Language during Transition from Primary to Secondary School in the Classrooms of Catalonia
(2013-07-18) Camuñas Avalos, Marisa; Tragant Mestres, Elsa
In the field of education, transition from primary to secondary school has been a matter of concern for many years because it is usually followed by a drop in student achievement and motivation. It has been claimed that this drop in attainment is more likely to be related to the nature and quality of primary and secondary schooling and to the organization of the transition process than to students’ ability. The focus of this research is on the provision of English as a foreign language during the transition from primary to secondary school in the context of Catalonia and aims at analyzing and discussing how first year English secondary teachers and first year secondary students experience transition. 28 EFL students were interviewed during their last year of primary education (2011/12) and two to three months after transfer to secondary school (2012/2013). The 28 EFL students’ primary English teachers and their secondary English teachers were also interviewed. It was found that there is insufficient contact between primary and secondary education in order to discuss and ensure curriculum continuity and build on pupils’ previous attainment. The teacher interviews also revealed the existence of very different teaching cultures in the two phases, going from a focus on oral skills and vocabulary in primary education to a focus on the explicit teaching of grammar and written accuracy in secondary education. The analysis of the student interviews also showed that pupils experience this change of teaching focus as too abrupt.
Longitudinal Classroom-Based Research: A Synthesis of L2 studies
(2020-09-08) Bridgewater, Christina; Tragant Mestres, Elsa
Classroom spaces are common contexts second language acquisition. In addition, they provide congenial and manageable contexts for study of the second language acquisition process. Because that process is inherently extended through time, classroom-based longitudinal studies should provide credible and useful information about the conditions, and trajectories over time, of second language learning. This thesis Is a research synthesis of such studies included in nine journals from 2017 through 2020. Using Ortega and Iberri Shea’s (2005) chapter on longitudinal research in second language acquisition as a reference, results of analysis of the 27 qualifying studies are presented : with a focus on five dimensions: design, duration, focus change over time, methodological innovations and role of teachers and researchers. Further examination of these studies, categorized by their quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methodologies, is conducted in order to determine whether, within the context of classroom-based research, trends noted by Ortega and Iberri- Shea have remained constant, or have evolved. Noteworthy studies within each methodology are highlighted and innovation of design or methodology are discussed. We close with a bottom-up definition of longitudinal research and summary of some trends observed as well as possible implications for future research.
Materials and resources for teaching Italian pragmatics
(2020-09-05) Bicciato, Stella; Barón Parés, Júlia
This study aims to describe the materials and the resources employed for the instruction of Italian pragmatics, in both foreign and second language contexts. 139 teachers of Italian answered an online questionnaire which elicited information about the materials and resources they used in the classroom as well as information regarding their teaching techniques. Their answers were clustered into five main categories. The results revealed that the most commonly used materials were printed, audiovisual, self-produced, students’ oral production and digital materials. Within these categories, textbooks (printed materials) and videos (audiovisual material) were considered as the most preferred materials by the teachers. Regarding teaching techniques, the most frequently used by teachers were role plays, watching videos and listening exercises. The findings of the present study suggest that textbooks, the main resource for teaching pragmatics, should be implemented with specific activities on this topic. By receiving guidelines teachers could appropriately teach pragmatics in their classes, without the need to create their own materials.
Please don't stop the music: an exploratory study on teaching pronunciation and vocabulary through songs in different modalities
(2019) Mannarelli, Paola; Serrano Serrano, Raquel
Pop songs could provide a noteworthy source of L2 native input both inside and outside the classroom even in settings where the foreign language is not ordinarily spoken. The present study investigates perceptual/receptive and productive learning of English pronunciation and vocabulary through songs in different modalities (with or without lyrics) and instruction (direct or indirect) in the case of teenage Italian learners. Results show that treatment was effective for most tests and they provide support for the inclusion of songs in the L2 class. Overall, Modality did not stand out as a significant variable, while Instruction did only in Vocabulary Production. The study also registered a significant interaction between the no-lyrics modality and the indirect type of instruction, which supports the idea of effective extensive listening, when the activity is not aimed at comprehension and aural input is supported with images.
Malleability of previously-established and newlyestablished phono-lexical representations: a design
(2020-09-07) Adrian Vinagre, Miren; Mora Bonilla, Joan Carles
Previous phonetic training research has yet to provide evidence of its effectiveness in modifying L2 learners’ inaccurate phonological representations in perception and production. In addition, no study to date has explored whether all the words that constitute learners’ L2 lexicon are equally malleable and susceptible to improvement. The study we propose in this paper sets out to test, within a high-variability phonetic training (HVPT) paradigm involving AX discrimination, an identification, and immediate repetition tasks, i) the malleability of the phonological representation of L2 words targeting the difficult vowel contrast /æ/-/ʌ/. And ii) potential differential effects of training participants with lexical (words) or non-lexical (nonwords) materials. To compare the malleability of previously-established and newlyestablished phonological representations participants are asked to complete a series of wordlearning tasks for the latter. Afterwards, they are trained on the target vowel contrast and tested on its perception and production in both word types (i.e.: old and new). To test the differential effects of training materials participants were randomly assigned to lexical or non-lexical training groups. Hypothesized results will be provided based on the evidence that the literature has provided.
Intentional vocabulary learning through repeated-reading-based techniques: a case study of an adult Spanish-speaking learner of Chinese
(2019) Zhang, Lijun; Serrano Serrano, Raquel
This study examined the effects of repeated reading (RR) and RR-based summarizing and the additive effect of written corrective feedback (WCF) on intentional vocabulary learning with one foreign language learner of Chinese. During three weeks, the participant received a different treatment for each week. Immediate and delayed post-tests were administered to assess the receptive and productive knowledge of the self-selected words. Results showed that a combination of unassisted RR and assisted RR was effective in acquiring receptive vocabulary knowledge and short-term productive vocabulary knowledge. The study also found that summarizing was not so effective in long-term vocabulary learning as in the short term. Moreover, the findings on the additive effect of WCF were inconclusive due to the limited data. Participant’s motivation is discussed as well.
The impact of complexity, accuracy and fluency (CAF) on comprehensibility and perceived fluency in the case of L2-Greek: a partial replication study
(2020-07-01) Defto, Katerina; Gilabert Guerrero, Roger; Andria, María
The present Master thesis aimed to partially replicate the article by Suzuki and Kormos (2019) on the linguistic dimensions of comprehensibility and perceived fluency. The distinguishability among the two constructs as well as their associations to complexity, accuracy and fluency (CAF) were investigated in the case of L2-Greek picture/descriptive speech. Speech stimuli from 68 Spanish/Catalan L2-Greek learners was presented to 8 naïve native judges to be evaluated with regards to comprehensibility and perceived fluency in a 9-point scale and was objectively analysed in terms of CAF measurements. Correlation analysis showed that most of the CAF variables are more or less correlated with both comprehensibility and perceived fluency and confirmed a strong association among the two constructs. However, judges were stricter when judging fluency than when judging comprehensibility. Furthermore, a series of multiple regression analyses revealed that within-clause pause ratio, grammatical accuracy and lexical complexity are the strongest predictors of comprehensibility, while grammatical accuracy, within-clause pause ratio, lexical complexity and lexical error rate best predict perceived fluency.
The impact of auditory attention in L2 vowel perception and production by means of phonetic training
(2020) Frank, Josh; Mora Bonilla, Joan Carles
A listener must process complicated incoming auditory information and strive to accurately perceive and produce language. High Variability Phonetic Training (HVPT) is used to train the perception and production of L2 speech sounds, improving the learner’s perception of a larger amount of contrasting sounds. However, a learner’s individual differences when processing this auditory input may explain inequalities in L2 perception and production. Attentional resources may be one source of individual differences in acquiring a L2, where differences in attentional capacity can lead to gains or deficits in learning. The aim of the current thesis was to examine if individual differences in auditory selective attention and auditory attention switching explained differences in gains from HVPT within and across HVPT training sessions. One-hundred and five Catalan/Spanish learners of English participated in four sessions of HVPT over a two-week period. Training consisted of two perception tasks, AX discrimination and Identification, and a production task, Immediate repetition. All the tasks focused on the English vowel contrast /æ/-/ʌ/, which is difficult to Catalan/Spanish learners of English. In the perception tasks accuracy was analyzed and in the production task Bark-converted spectral distance scores were evaluated. Participants were also measured on tasks of auditory selective attention and auditory attention switching and assigned to high and low attention control groups using cluster analysis. General linear mixed models examined gains from HVPT between attention groups, within session and between sessions. Results showed that gains in the perception tasks were significantly greater for the higher than the lower auditory attention group both within sessions and over successive sessions. For the production task there were no gains within the sessions, but attention did explain performance over consecutive sessions. These results suggest that gains made in HVPT are related to auditory attention control, especially in AX discrimination and the Identification perception tasks of the /æ/-/ʌ/ vowel contrast and to a lesser extent the Immediate Repetition production task.
Digital flashcards for English grammar: A pilot study in rural Cambodia
(2019) Serfaty, Jonathan; Serrano Serrano, Raquel
Digital flashcards are widely used and studied for vocabulary memorisation, but there has been no previous research into using this tool for grammar learning. This study aims to address this gap by examining whether full-sentence flashcard training could cause learners to notice grammatical patterns in their output and apply these inferred rules to novel sentences. The participants were school-aged students in rural Cambodia, where English proficiency is highly valued but difficult to obtain. In a pre-test / post-test design, students spent eight days typing translations from their L1 Khmer to English using the smartphone app Cram.com Flashcards, with each item repeating in a cycle until answered without errors. Post-tests of trained and untrained items took place one day, two weeks, and eighteen weeks after treatment. Results showed high relative gains for all students (M = 81%) and minimal losses at the final post-test. Equal results between trained and untrained items demonstrated that participants had indeed inferred grammar rules from the training, and a refresher session for one group fully mitigated losses. The findings are discussed in terms of the facilitating effect of output on form acquisition, and it is recommended that further research into digital flashcards for grammar is conducted under different conditions, to better understand which factors influence gains. It is further recommended that apps be used in environments where trained teachers and other resources are unavailable.

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