Band 54, Heft 1 -

Interword spacing facilitates English native readers but not native readers of Chinese, a writing system that does not mark word boundaries. L1-English readers of Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) could then be facilitated if spacing is added between words in Chinese materials. However, previous studies produced inconsistent results. This study tested the hypothesis that interword spacing facilitates L1-English CSL readers. We used an online multiple-choice gap-filling task to test 12 English CSL readers and 12 Chinese natives reading a series of eight texts of suitable difficulty, written with or without interword spacing. The CSL readers read faster with interword spacing than without, while Chinese native readers were not affected. The interword spacing effect was negatively correlated with measures of reading proficiency. It is argued that interword spacing facilitates CSL readers reading materials of sufficient complexity by facilitating their lexical parsing. Pedagogical implications are discussed.

In this article we report on an experiment set up to investigate lexical richness and collocational competence in the written production of 39 low-intermediate and intermediate learners of Italian L2. Lexical richness was assessed by means of a lexical profiling method inspired by Laufer and Nation (1995) and developed by Bardel, Lindqvist and Gudmundson (Bardel and Lindqvist 2011; Bardel et al. 2012; Lindqvist et al. 2011, Lindqvist et al. 2013). The lexical profiler was used to compare the lexical richness of the L2 texts with that of 18 native speakers of Italian. The study focuses on the relationship between lexical richness, operationalized as lexical frequency, and the overall proficiency level in Italian of the L2 learners, measured by a C-test. In order to get a deeper insight into the development of lexical skills in L2, next to the lexical profiling method, an additional analysis of the use of collocations in L2 and L1 was carried out. The results show that although a relationship in L2 between lexical richness, collocational competence and general language proficiency could not be demonstrated, there appeared to be a number of traits which differentiate L2 and L1 writers.

Scholars have recommended various listening processes to help develop second language listeners’ abilities, processes that have been largely included in current listening course materials. However, there has been little research examining the usefulness of these various processes for the listeners, and therefore knowledge is lacking into which of these processes may be worth foregrounding in such courses and why. This study provides initial insights into these areas. Lower-intermediate level learners are taught in two listening courses, and then provide accounts of which strategies and skills benefitted them the most (and also the least, in some instances), and also reasons why. Learners’ views are supported by their accompanying growth in listening proficiency, and where possible, in the relevant strategy or skill they are evaluating. The study also provides information regarding the possible sequencing of some processes in a listening course.