Volume 15, Issue 1

This paper studies linguistic accommodation patterns in a large corpus of private online conversations produced by Flemish secondary school students. We use Poisson models to examine whether the teenagers adjust their writing style depending on their interlocutor’s educational profile, while also taking into account the extent to which these adaptation patterns are influenced by the authors’ own educational background or by other aspects of their socio-demographic profiles. The corpus does reveal accommodation patterns, but the adjustments do not always mirror variation patterns related to educational profiles. While salient features like expressive markers seem to lead to pattern-matching, less salient features appear less prone to ‘adequate’ adjustment. Lack of familiarity with the online behavior of students from other educational tracks is a factor too, since online communication clearly proceeds primarily within ‘same-education’ networks. The focus on cross-educational communication is quite unique in this respect and highly relevant from a sociological perspective.

Telecollaborative exchanges between students from different countries are increasingly becoming a common practice in foreign language education and calling for new teacher competences for task design in order to maximize interactional opportunities in these settings. Considering that tasks are dynamic in nature and subject to constant change from their initial design to implementation by L2 learners, there is a need for teacher training activities promoting opportunities for improving the required digital and pedagogical competences. With this in mind, this paper sets out to explore the interactional architecture of the multiple steps involved in the training of pre-service language teachers in pedagogical task design for telecollaboration-oriented video-mediated interactional settings. We describe the procedural unfolding of the telecollaborative tasks by analyzing (i) pre-service teachers’ collaborative design meetings and (ii) written design reports; (iii) peer and mentor evaluation of these design ideas in whole-class feedback sessions in teacher training classrooms; (iv) written reports of redesigns after the feedback session, (v) video-mediated implementation by telecollaborative task participants, and finally (vi) pre-service teachers’ written reflections based on the implementation of their own designs. We use Conversation Analysis to closely examine audio and screen-recording data and draw on the textual data to present the procedural unfolding of two tasks over multiple phases, namely design, feedback, implementation, and reflection. The findings show that a telecollaborative task is a co-construction by the pre-service teachers as task designers, the teacher trainer as the mentor, and the L2 learners as the end users in interactionally trackable ways across the teacher education events. The results bring insights into the novel sets of digital, pedagogical, and interactional competencies in L2 contexts. We conclude that task enhanced telecollaboration holds great potential to critically advance research and practice in L2 teaching and teacher education worldwide.

This study aims to examine the extent to which peer collaboration affects EFL learners’ speech act production and cognitive processes. Eleven EFL students in the individual group and 22 students (11 pairs) in the collaborative groups were asked to report their cognitive processes when working on a written discourse completion task (WDCT). The WDCT performances were rated on a five-point Likert-type scale, and the verbalizations were analyzed in terms of pragmatic-related episodes (PREs). Results showed that the individual group scored higher on content, whereas the collaborative group outperformed their counterparts on forms. Regarding the cognitive processes, the individual group tended to plan the general direction of their writing before writing the WDCT and paid more attention to sociopragmatic content while writing. In contrast, the collaborative group planned specific details before the task and attended to pragmalinguistic forms more often while writing.

This study explores how the identity is constructed of elders who have Dementia of the Alzheimer Type (DAT) by examining the communicative disorder in daily interactions with other interlocutors. Specifically, this paper evaluates a conversation between one Chinese elder with early-stage DAT and the interviewer. It analyzes the identity construction processes in the discourse in depth, using the age-identity taxonomy, self-identity representation theory, and the pragmatic emergentist model. Based on the case study, this paper confirms the five dimensions of age-identity taxonomy provided by Coupland as: (1) disclosure of chronological age, (2) age-related categories/role reference, (3) age-identity concerning health, decrement, and death, (4) adding time-past perspective, and (5) self-association with the past. Meanwhile, two more approaches to the age-identity taxonomy were developed, i.e., address behavior and cross-generational contrast. Self-identity to realize interactional goals is typically constructed at the individual level, although rarely at the relational level. The DAT elder conducts compensation in the interaction by adopting verbal and non-verbal strategies to bridge cognitive disorders such as memory loss, word-finding difficulty, or meeting the desire to enhance the pragmatic effects of their identity. This shows that the self-identity construction also facilitates the DAT elders in generating a discourse strategy when encountering pragmatic impairment.

Recent English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) studies have examined the linguistic features of disagreements during interactive academic tasks and casual conversations. Fewer studies, however, have explored nonverbal cues of disagreement, and even less is known about how interlocutors perceive disagreements. Therefore, using data from a corpus of ELF interaction, this study examined the verbal features and visual cues used by ELF university students to disagree during an academic discussion task. The disagreement episodes were selected through a content analysis of stimulated recall protocols in which a speaker stated that a disagreement had occurred. Transcripts were analyzed to classify the speaker’s verbal strategies as being mitigated or unmitigated. Video recordings were examined for facial expressions, body movements, and hand gestures. Findings revealed that ELF students used mitigated linguistic strategies, such as hedges, during disagreement while gaze aversion, smiling, and head nods were the most frequent nonverbal cues. The stimulated recall data showed that disagreements were perceived as an opportunity to listen, think, and share different opinions. Implications are discussed in terms of how to interpret features of disagreement in language classrooms.

This study investigated the relationships between struggling writers’ motivation (i.e., interest, self-efficacy, and growth mindset) and their use of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies (i.e., planning, text-generating, self-monitoring, and collaborative learning) and writing competence in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context. Participants were 368 primary students in Hong Kong who scored 15 or less out of 48 marks in a writing test. They reported a generally moderate level of motivation and lower medium level of SRL strategy use. Especially, the participants reported a low level of interest. Results of structural equation modelling (SEM) suggested that growth mindset had the strongest positive correlations with the struggling EFL writers’ use of SRL strategies. Both self-efficacy and interest also had positive correlations with the students’ SRL strategy use, but only self-efficacy had significant and positive relations with their writing competence. Implications for English teachers to improve instruction for struggling EFL writers’ in order to promote their motivation and SRL strategy use are provided and suggestions for future research are also discussed.

Self-regulated (SRL) writing strategy use is considered a potent method for improving writing performance. Motivational regulation, an underresearched aspect of SRL, has become more recognized in SRL models recently. The present study aims to depict the interplay among SRL writing strategies and English writing performance. It also examined the influences of motivational regulation writing strategies on English writing performance, and whether such relationship would be mediated by other SRL writing strategies. Endeavors were also made to evaluate the moderation effects of gender and major, and the predictive effects of self-efficacy. Teng, L. S. & L. J. Zhang. 2016a. A questionnaire-based validation of multidimensional models of self-regulated learning strategies. Modern Language Journal 100(3). 674–701.  Writing Strategies for Self-regulated Learning Questionnaire was administered to 340 university students in China, and their English writing test scores were collected. Structural equation modeling results verified the hypothesized partial mediation model with both direct and indirect paths from motivational regulation strategies to English writing performance. Cognitive and metacognitive strategies both served as mediators while social strategies failed to do so. No moderation effect of gender and major was found. Learners’ writing self-efficacy beliefs predicted their use of SRL writing strategies, with the strongest effects on motivational regulation strategies. Pedagogical implications are drawn.

This study is an attempt to investigate the scope and type of error in feedback effectiveness. This study consists of two experiments. One was conducted to investigate the feedback effects on a rule-based error type (i.e. subject–verb agreement errors) and the other was conducted to investigate the effects on a lexically-based error type (i.e. verb–noun collocation errors). In addition, the scope of error was investigated in both experiments. In terms of the rule-based error type, results for the immediate posttest writing task showed focused feedback to be effective for the narrowly defined subject–verb agreement errors (i.e. subject–verb agreement involving lexical verbs or copula be). In the delayed posttest writing task, the benefit still persisted for the narrowly defined subject–verb agreement errors. In terms of the lexically-based error type, results for the immediate posttest writing tasks showed focused feedback to be effective for the broadly defined verb–noun collocation errors (three or four collocation errors made and corrected in pretests). In the delayed posttest writing tasks, the benefit still persisted for the broadly defined verb–noun collocation errors broadly defined. These findings suggest that the notion of error type should influence the feedback effectiveness. Theoretical implications regarding the role of notice in the second language acquisition process were discussed based on the results obtained in this study.

Drawing on self-regulated learning (SRL) theory, this quasi-experimental research examined the effectiveness of SRL listening instruction and its influence on L2 listening motivation and strategy use. Quantitative data were collected from 80 undergraduate students who enrolled in an English listening course at a Chinese university. The experimental group ( N  = 40) received 17-week SRL English listening instruction, whereas the control group ( N  = 40) received traditional product-oriented listening instruction. All the participants completed pre- and post-listening proficiency tests along with questionnaires at the beginning and end of the intervention program. Results showed that influenced by SRL listening instruction, the experimental group outperformed the control group in the post-listening proficiency test with a large effect size, and SRL listening instruction also enhanced the students’ expectancy and the perceived importance of L2 listening comprehension, as well as fostering their top-down strategy use. Some pedagogical implications are discussed.

This work suggests that greater permeability exists between the fields of speech-language therapy and foreign language teaching. A materials analysis was carried out to assess the pedagogical potential of a set of resources emanating from the Anglo-Saxon context. Specifically, seven material sources were selected that focus on pragmatic impairment, and the difficulties in learning idiomatic expressions (or idiomaticity deficit); these cover a publication period from 1992 to 2016. In addition, the strengthening of the links between psycholinguistic experimental research and the teaching of languages is asked for, including in the design of didactic materials. In this sense, the paper discusses the way in which a person with a pragmatic impairment, or a foreign language learner, processes an idiomatic phrase, as it considers that these psycholinguistic data are useful not only for clinical intervention, but also for creating effective didactic materials for the teaching of idiomatic expressions in a foreign language. Finally, regarding the materials analysed here, the typology of activities included in the older examples is reminiscent of structural language teaching methods, whereas, in materials published more recently, the influence of communicative methodologies is present.

In this contribution, we analyse how students perceive and comment on potential instances of intercultural clashes in the writing component of the International English Language Testing System. Following student accounts, we argue that intercultural bias is indeed perceived, preventing test takers from fully positioning themselves regarding cultural practices in general, and religious beliefs more particularly, as well as from expressing their sociocultural identities. Analysing a corpus of interviews in Amman (Jordan) with Jordanian students who took the test, we uncover how student perceptions of elements that reflect the culture of the test creator negatively influenced their performance, or at least their perception of what constitutes a good performance, which they implicitly identify with like-mindedness and alignment with the test creator’s cultural expectations.

This study examines a series of government textbooks used to teach Korean language and culture to spouses of South Korean nationals living in Korea. A multimodal analysis of textbook images and narratives explores how strictly defined gender identity discourses are constructed and circulated through these government textbooks in ways that not only seek to reinforce gender conventions, but also advance a conservative, assimilationist curriculum for these immigrants. The analysis reveals ways in which female marriage immigrants are positioned primarily as housekeepers; how they are subordinately positioned vis-à-vis in-laws and their husbands; and finally, how intercultural miscommunications are presented as the fault only of the immigrants. In this, the burden for intercultural communication and learning is placed solely on the immigrants in the multimodal narratives presented in the textbooks, without reciprocal burden ever placed on the spouse or spouse’s family, or effective ways of negotiating intercultural miscommunications being shared. Images and text work together in multimodal ensembles to craft narratives that position immigrant women in ways that textual or visual analysis alone would not fully capture. Thus, the study argues the use of multimodal analytical approach in examining language textbooks as a way of deconstructing broader discourses and disrupting problematic discourses.

Hearing parents with deaf children face difficult decisions about what language(s) to use with their child. Sign languages such as American Sign Language (ASL) are fully accessible to deaf children, yet most hearing parents are not proficient in ASL prior to having a deaf child. Parents are often discouraged from learning ASL based in part on an assumption that it will be too difficult, yet there is little evidence supporting this claim. In this mixed-methods study, we surveyed hearing parents of deaf children ( n  = 100) who had learned ASL to learn more about their experiences. In their survey responses, parents identified a range of resources that supported their ASL learning as well as frequent barriers. Parents identified strongly with belief statements indicating the importance of ASL and affirmed that learning ASL is attainable for hearing parents. We discuss the implications of this study for parents who are considering ASL as a language choice and for the professionals who guide them.

This article aims to investigate Confucius Institute teachers’ lived intercultural experiences during the triple crises, i.e., the pandemic, hostility towards Confucius Institutes (CIs) and rampant racism. Through the analytical lens of teacher resilience, the article looks beyond what has gone wrong and foregrounds resourcefulness, strength, and agency of CI teachers. It draws the data from interviews with nine CI teachers based in US, Europe and Australia where CI closure has been reported, over a period of three months in 2020 and 2021. In addition to technological and pedagogical challenges and well-being issues, CI teachers found themselves in the vulnerable position of ‘being caught in the middle’ exacerbated by the changing political dynamics, rising anti-Chinese racism, cross-cultural differences in health behaviours and broken partnership with the host universities. Our analysis shows that despite these challenges, CI teachers built resilience and remain committed to their professional values. They adopted a pragmatic approach to depoliticise language teaching through ‘safe’ cultural activities and engaged in perspective-taking and reflexivity. The findings further demonstrate the importance of mutual support and co-learning for developing resilience, thus offering new insights on factors contributing to teacher resilience. Our research raises questions about the CI operational/partnership model and urges policy makers and senior management teams to put teachers and students’ needs first in their decisions.

Self-praise is very common on social media, and various translanguaging strategies are often used by internet users in online communication. Most of the existing studies on self-praise have centered on strategies for self-praise, ignoring the multimodal communication styles involved. On the other hand, although translanguaging has attracted significant research attention in linguistics and multilingual education, few studies have explored translanguaging in a specific speech act. Therefore, this study investigates the translanguaging practices involved in self-praising in Chinese netizens’ social media by analyzing 300 Chinese microblog posts containing self-praise. The results indicate that there are three major categories of translanguaging strategies in self-praise in microblogs, namely multimodal, multilingual and multi-semiotic resources, with various sub-strategies involved in each category. The study also discusses the possible factors motivating Chinese netizens to deploy translanguaging practices to self-praise on social media. This study contributes to the body of research on translanguaging pragmatics in social media communication.