Terri Schroth, Bryant Smith, Erin KYLES

2927

Language Learning Background and Attitudes in ESL Contexts: The Case of Verb Acquisition

In order to determine how learner background and attitudes affect English as a Second Language (ESL) students’ verb production, eleven ESL learners participated in both oral and written tasks. They were given written surveys to determine if speaking or writing was emphasized more in learning English in their home countries. Another survey was administered to determine which of these activities they preferred. Next, the participants watched a movie clip and completed writing and speaking activities. The total amount of written and spoken verbs and the total amount of verbs used correctly were compared and analyzed to determine if there was a relationship among participants' learning background knowledge, correct verb usage, and activity preference. In the end, a variety of demographic differences played the largest role in verb production. Meanwhile, a slight but noticeable relationship between a preference for speaking and the number of correct verbs produced was noted.
Keywords:

English as a Second Language (ESL), second language acquisition (SLA) verb acquisition, language learning background knowledge, learner attitudes,

PDF

___

  • Ansarimoghaddam, S., & Tan, B.H. (2014). Undergraduates’ experiences and attitudes of writing in L1 and English. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 14(1), 7-28. Block, D. (2000). Revisiting the gap between SLA researchers and language teachers. Links & Letters, 7, 129-143 . 2. Cohen, A. D., & Robbins, M. (1976). Toward assessing interlanguage performance: The relationship between selected errors, learners’ characteristics, and learners’ explanations. Language Learning, 26(1), 45-66.
  • Daly, J. A., & Miller, M. D. (1975). The empirical development of an instrument of writing apprehension. Research in the Teaching of English, 9, 242–249.
  • Schroth, T., Smith, B., & Kyles, E., The Journal of Language Teaching and Learning, 2015–2, 74-85
  • Dvorak, T. (1977). Grammatical practice, communicative practice, and the development of linguistic competence. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). The University of Texas, Austin, Texas.
  • Hendrickson, J.M. (1976). The effects of error correction treatments up on adequate and accurate communication in the written compositions of adult learners of English as a second language. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation), The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
  • Holley, F., & King, J. K. (1974). Imitation and correction in foreign language learning. In J. H. Schumann & N. Stenson (Eds.), New frontiers in second language learning (pp. 81-89). Rowley: Newbury House. Lee, S.Y. (2005). Facilitating and inhibiting factors in English as a foreign language writing performance: A model testing with structural equation modeling. Language Learning, 55(2), 335-374.
  • Lee, S.Y., & Krashen, S. (2003). Writer's block in a Chines e sample. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 97, 537-542.
  • Liu, S., & Laohawiriyanon, C. (2013). Students’ attitudes towards cultural learning in the English classroom: A case study of non-English major students in a Chinese university. International Journal of English Language Education, 1(3), 28-42. Retrieved from http://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/ijele/article/view/3508/291717
  • Mak, B., & White, C. (1996). Communication apprehension of Chinese ESL students. Hong Kong Journal for Applied Linguistics, 2(1), 81-95.
  • Nassaji, H., & Tian, J. (2010). Collaborative and individual output tasks and their effects on learning English phrasal verbs. Language Teaching Research, 14(4), 397-419.
  • Noor, N. M. (2011). Reading habits and preferences of EFL post graduates: A case study. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 1(1), 1-9. Retrieved from http://ejournal.upi.edu/index.php/IJAL/article/download/95/59
  • Ramirez, A. (1995). Creating contexts for second language acquisition theory: methods. White Plains: Longman Publishers.
  • Samimy, K. (1994). Teaching Japanese: Consideration of learners’ affective variables. Theory into Practice, 33(1), 2933.
  • Schumann, J. H. (1978). The Pidginization process: A model for second language acquisition. Rowley: Newbury House Publishers.
  • Shabani, E.A., & Meraji, S.R. (2010). Preference consequentialism: An ethical proposal to resolve the writing error correction debate in EFL class room. International Journal of Language Studies, 4(4), 313-332. Retrieved from http://www.ijls.net/volumes/volume4issue4/shabani1.pdf
  • Shabani, M. B. (2012). Different learning style preferences of male and female Iranian non-academic EFL learners. English Language Teaching, 5(9), 127-137. Retrieved from http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/elt/article/view/19344/12814 18. Zhou, A.A., Busch, M., & Cumming, A. (2014). Do adult ESL learners’ and their teachers’ goals for improving grammar in writing correspond? Language Awareness, 23(3), 234-254.
The Journal of Language Learning and Teaching-Cover
  • ISSN: 2146-1732
  • Başlangıç: 2011
  • Yayıncı: Gazi Yabancı Diller Derneği
Arşiv
Sayıdaki Diğer Makaleler

Carolina Girón-García, Claudia Llopis-Moreno

Thomas Lehmann, Tanja Weber

Polly Holder

Susana Nicolas Roman, Silvia Abril Soriano

Terri Schroth, Bryant Smith, Erin KYLES

Stephanie M. Knouse, Francisco Salgado-Robles