Do Modification And Interaction Work? – A Critical Review Of Literature On The Role Of Foreigner Talk In Second Language Acquisition

Vol. 6  Issue 3
Year:2016
Issue:Jul-Sep
Title:Do Modification And Interaction Work? – A Critical Review Of Literature On The Role Of Foreigner Talk In Second Language Acquisition
Author Name: John Paul O. Dela Rosa and Diana C. Arguelles
Synopsis:
This critical review of literature provides a detailed description of foreigner talk as a simplified register and critically discusses findings entrenched in studies done about this SLA issue. The studies cited are classified as researches concerning foreigner talk that occurs in both natural and classroom settings. Based on the critical review, more research investigations have to be done to enrich the area of foreigner talk in second language acquisition and learning. The most important consideration is the need to conduct more researches that would validate both the positive and negative effects of foreigner talk in the process of acquiring and learning a second language as well as a foreign language like English. The emergence of significant concerns on the study of FT is also highlighted in this presentation which include how researchers regarded the effectiveness of both input modifications and interactional adjustments along with the occurrence of negotiation of meaning and the use of communication strategies in the SLA process. The paper also presents empirical data on the effectiveness of NNS-NNS interactions in second language learning in contrast with interactions occurring between Native Speakers (NSs) and Nonnative Ones (NNSs). Finally, the paper deals with what could be done to address the “inconclusiveness” of relevant research findings on foreigner talk.

Power Of Pen: Expressive Writing As An Intervention Tool On Exposure To Thin-Ideal Images With Dietary Restraint And Self-Compassion As Covariates

Vol. 6  Issue 3
Year:2016
Issue:Jul-Sep
Title:Power Of Pen: Expressive Writing As An Intervention Tool On Exposure To Thin-Ideal Images With Dietary Restraint And Self-Compassion As Covariates
Author Name: Dennis Relojo and Angelo Emil Gagani
Synopsis:
Expressive Writing (EW) has been recognised as an intervention tool for thin-ideal images. However, to date, there are limited studies which investigated its efficacy to involve dietary restraint and self-compassion as moderating variables. The present work assessed the efficacy of EW in improving levels of body satisfaction and positive affect among 140 Filipino female university students ageing 18-25. They were tested in groups and wrote either about life goals (n = 46), positive experiences (n = 49) or a control topic (n = 46). It further examined how EW could benefit people on the basis of their levels of dietary restraint and self-compassion. Results demonstrated that EW has no significant effect on body satisfaction and positive affect. However, it was revealed that dietary restraint and self-compassion have moderating effects.

Student beliefs towards Written Corrective Feedback: the case of Filipino high school students

Vol. 6  Issue 3
Year:2016
Issue:Jul-Sep
Title:Student beliefs towards Written Corrective Feedback: the case of Filipino high school students
Author Name: Roselle A. Balanga, Irish Van B. Fidel, Mone Virma Ginry P. Gumapac , Howell T. Ho, Riza Mae C. Tullo, Patricia Monette L. Villaraza and Camilla J. Vizconde
Synopsis:
The study identified the beliefs of high school students toward Written Corrective Feedback (WCF), based on the framework of Anderson (2010). It also investigated the most common errors that students commit in writing stories and the type of WCF students receive from teachers. Data in the form of stories which were checked by teachers were gathered from 83 students from a private sectarian school. Survey-questionnaires regarding beliefs in WCF were also administered. Five types of written corrective feedback were identified: direct feedback, indirect feedback, focused feedback, unfocused feedback and reformulation. Results also showed that students strongly agree that having good grammar is important in academic writing and academic success. They also strongly agreed on the statement: written corrective feedback (any written indication to show that an error has occurred) helped improve my grammar. The most common error found among the data was on the misuse or non-use of punctuations.

Functional Digital Literacy Calls for SOS by a Smuggled Afghan Boy:Teaching Phonics and Pragmatics for Survival Language

Vol. 6  Issue 3
Year:2016
Issue:Jul-Sep
Title:Functional Digital Literacy Calls for SOS by a Smuggled Afghan Boy:Teaching Phonics and Pragmatics for Survival Language
Author Name: Lucia Y. Lu 
Synopsis:
On April 8, 2016 when the class was discussing “digital literacy”, a shocking news story from London AP intrigued us. The news was about a brief text message delivered by Ahmed, a refugee Afghan boy of 6-year old. His text message flashed on the cellphone of Liz Clegg, a volunteer at a migrant camp in France. Clegg and other volunteers had handed out hundreds of basic cellphones to children living there, programming in a phone number for them to text in case of danger. The author read Ahmed's text message and tried to “sound it out”. My students figured out that the message was “invented spelling” which was Ahmed's call for SOS. The text message was in the Pashto language, and was identified as “broken English”on a no-frills cellphone. The police in London quickly set off a trans-Atlantic search and rescued Ahmed and the other 14 migrants who were smuggled in a locked refrigerator truck which was heading toward England. The author and her students defined this shocking text message as “digital literacy”. In this research, they embedded phonics and pragmatics into digital literacy to make literacy education more functional to ELLs like Ahmed whose first language is not English.

Causes of the 'I can understand English but I can’t speak' Syndrome in Turkey

Vol. 6  Issue 3
Year:2016
Issue:Jul-Sep
Title:Causes of the 'I can understand English but I can’t speak' Syndrome in Turkey
Author Name: Abdullah Coskun
Synopsis:
The saying 'I can understand English but I can't speak' is so commonly used by Turkish people that it would be fair to state that not being able to speak English has almost become a syndrome in society. This study delves into the causes of this syndrome. In two state high schools, 293 high school students filled out a questionnaire including Likert-type items about the possible causes of this syndrome, and an open-ended question aiming to reveal their suggestions on how they can improve their speaking skills. The analysis of the quantitative data was done by means of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 23, and the responses to the open-ended question were analyzed through content analysis. According to the results, it is commonly believed that they cannot speak English because of the focus on grammar rules in English lessons, differences between English and Turkish, lack of experience abroad, limited speaking practice opportunities outside the classroom, feeling anxious while speaking English, use of mother tongue by the teacher and the course books which do not include colloquial English. Therefore, some of the participants suggested having communication driven lessons and engaging in out of class speaking practice activities as ways of improving their speaking skills. It is hoped that such studies will help better understand the sources of failure in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) speaking, and begin to solve this problem more effectively.

English language teachers’ implementation of curriculum with action-oriented approach in Turkish primary education classrooms

Vol. 6  Issue 2
Year:2016
Issue:Apr-Jun
Title:English language teachers’ implementation of curriculum with action-oriented approach in Turkish primary education classrooms
Author Name:P. Yeni-Palabiyik and A. Daloglu 
Synopsis:
The aim of the study is to explore English language teachers' implementation of a curriculum innovation with an actionoriented approach in the context of teaching English to very young learners in Turkish primary schools. As a part of exploratory case study design, data from multiple sources were gathered in the form of observational field notes, followup interviews and document analysis. Findings indicated a variation in teachers' instructional practices ranging from traditional to constructivist. Even if factors such as presence of instructional materials and facilities of the school influenced the implementation, this study indicated that the teacher is the main factor in effective delivery of any imposed change. Besides, the positive influence of proficiency in subject-matter knowledge and curricular knowledge to achieve coherence between the intended and delivered curriculum was revealed. The results showed that providing an ongoing support and including teachers in the process of curriculum development helped to promote the effective implementation of the curriculum innovation.

Is it too Late Now to Say Sorry? – the Language of Public Apologies in the Contexts of American and Philippine Television

Vol. 6  Issue 2
Year:2016
Issue:Apr-Jun
Title:Is it too Late Now to Say Sorry? – the Language of Public Apologies in the Contexts of American and Philippine Television
Author Name:John Paul O. Dela Rosa and Lorna B. Castro 
Synopsis:
This pragmatic study of the speech act of apology aims to look into the apology strategies and felicity conditions fulfilled in the public apology statements of an American and a Filipino TV host after alleged faults done during the pageant nights of Miss Universe 2015 and Binibining Pilipinas 2015, respectively. Specifically, the study purposes to establish similarities and differences between the apology strategies and felicity conditions employed in both American and Filipino public apologies. It was found that the American TV host provided a more direct apology expression as compared to the more intensified expression of the Filipino TV host. On the basis of the apology strategies used, the American TV host made emphasis on self-blame, self-embarrassment, and on a more empathetic type of apology. On the other hand, the Filipino TV host made her apology more self-justifying which highlights explicit lack of intent and denial of self-responsibility. As regards felicity conditions, the apology statement of the American TV host is more felicitous than that of the Filipino TV host. The emergence of less common apology strategies was also traced from the statement of the Filipino TV host-the transfer of guilt towards the “apologizee” and the expression of gratitude to a certain group of people to counter the negative impact of the mistake or fault committed.