Search

The purpose of this paper is to gain insights into the strategies employed by beginning learners of Spanish, German, Chinese and Japanese as Foreign Languages at university level in order to comprehend texts in their target languages. It also investigates possible relationships between strategic behaviour and success in reading comprehension tasks. Strategy use is assessed using qualitative analysis of reported strategic behaviour elicited from participants using open-ended questions, combined and compared with data generated using a modified sub-section of the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning [Oxford, R. 1990. "Language Learning Strategies: What Every Teacher Should Know." Boston: Heinle and Heinle; Oxford, R. 2011. "Teaching and Researching Language Learning Strategies." Harlow, UK: Pearson Education]. Implications of the study for the beginners' language classroom, and for language learning strategy research, particularly strategy measurement, are also considered.

This paper explores the attitudes of undergraduate language learners and their lecturers towards the introduction of an attendance policy in an Irish Higher Education Institution. It also analyses the relationship between the introduction of this policy and student performance (average grade) and progression (pass rates). The policy was introduced on a pilot basis on thirty core language modules delivered on first or second year undergraduate programmes. They consisted of language modules in German (beginners and intermediate), French (intermediate), Spanish (beginners and intermediate), Chinese (beginners) and Japanese (beginners). The findings suggest predominantly positive attitudes towards the attendance policy among both staff and students. They also indicate a positive impact on performance and progression in some modules, in particular first year beginner languages where attendance has been an issue in the past. The paper considers the implications of these findings both for this field of research and for practitioners particularly in university language learning contexts.

This paper considers the position of university language students whose mother tongue is other than the medium of instruction. Specifically, it investigates the attitudes and experiences of non-native English speakers studying either German or Japanese as foreign languages at an English-medium university. The findings indicate that the non-native speakers (NNSs) of English consider themselves to be at an advantage over the native speakers (NSs) of English in the study of German and Japanese as Foreign Languages, despite the fact that the medium of instruction is English, at least in the early stages of the language module. This is primarily owing to the fact that the non-native English speakers are already experienced language learners with an extensive linguistic repertoire. This view is supported by the NSs of English. Some concerns are expressed by non-native speakers of English in relation to an assumed knowledge of culture and society of the host country. The implications of these findings are discussed. Diverging from previous studies, this research focuses on learners of languages other than English and contributes to recent discussions on the increase in linguistic and cultural diversity and its impact within the foreign language classroom.

This paper considers the attitudes and behaviours of university language lecturers and their students regarding the use of the L1 in the higher education L2 classroom. A case study of one Irish higher education institution was carried out and qualitative interviews conducted with six lecturers in Japanese and six in German. The results indicated widespread support among the participants for the judicious use of the L1 in limited instances, particularly where it can facilitate a reduction in cognitive overload and learner anxiety by, for example, the explanation of complex terminology, concepts and grammatical structures, as well as aiding in the creation of a relaxed classroom environment. Implications for the language classroom and for this field of research are considered.

The student body is becoming increasingly diverse in terms of language, nationality and cultural background. This study explores ways in which such linguistic diversity can be harnessed in the language classroom to enhance the language learning process. This paper describes a series of activities which were designed and implemented in four higher education language classrooms in Ireland. The activities included awareness-raising of the language profile of students taking a particular language module, and facilitated comparison of key grammatical concepts in both the target languages of the groups concerned (German and Japanese) and in the other languages in the participants' linguistic repertoires. The grammatical concepts included cases, sentence structure, tenses, passive voice and register. Analysis of participant feedback indicates that 36% of the participants were unaware of the other languages spoken by their fellow students prior to participating in the study, with 80% describing such knowledge as valuable to them. More than two-thirds (70%) of participants described the activities as aiding their study of their target language.

A review of the literature on language teaching reveals predominantly negative attitudes towards the use of translation in language teaching (TILT) (Cook, 2010). The purpose of this article is to explore the question of whether this negativity is reflected in the attitudes and behaviours of university lecturers engaged in language teaching as well as to consider the background and contextual factors associated with these attitudes and behaviours. A case study of one Irish Higher Education Institution was conducted, and qualitative interviews were carried out with six lecturers in Japanese and six in German in conjunction with a review of the relevant documentation including course outlines and module descriptors. The results indicated widespread support on the ground for the use of TILT in some form suggesting a need for further research on the impact of the use of TILT on the language learning process.

Tandem learning involves learners with complementary target and native languages communicating for the purpose of learning each other's languages and cultures. Studies indicate that it can function as a powerful complement to formal language learning classes with regard to the development of both language proficiency and cultural intelligence. This article reports on an intervention designed to create a basis for integration of tandem learning into language modules for undergraduate students of international business. The exercise involved 32 students in Ireland and Austria who completed letters of application and Curriculum Vitae in their target languages and engaged in peer review with one another. This article describes this process in more detail, discussing successes and obstacles and describing plans for enhancement.

Identifies the language learning strategies associated with the achievement of higher levels of oral proficiency in German for 100 Irish students about to complete their second year at Dublin City University. Investigates the way in which these strategies are used by those with higher and lower levels of proficiency. (Author/VWL)

Assesses the changes in the use of language learning strategies by 18 Irish students of German over the course of their 4-year undergraduate degree. The Strategy Inventory for Language Leaning was used to assess the use of language learning strategies by these students in year 2 and again in year 4. (VWL)