Communication and aging: A study of the effects of cohort‐centrism and perceived decoding ability on communication competence and communication satisfaction

From a sample of 190 males and females (120 “young,”; 70 “old"), this study sought to determine differences in perceived levels of communication competence and communication satisfaction as a function of the main and joint effects of cohort‐centrism and perceived decoding ability. Analyses provided only weak support for the joint effects. However, older persons considered their conversational partners, whether young or old, to be more competent than did younger persons. Also, on the whole, older persons were more satisfied conversing with young persons, while younger persons were less satisfied, regardless of the age of the conversational partner. Those who perceived themselves as high decoders rated their partners as more competent than did those who perceived themselves as low decoders, and high decoders were also more satisfied with the interaction than low decoders. Cohort‐centrism was supported only in the case of low‐decoding older persons.     

The communication anxiety inventory: Validation of state‐and context‐communication apprehension

Research reported in this paper investigates the reconceptualization (McCroskey, 1984) of communication apprehension (CA), focusing on the relationship between context‐CA and state‐CA. The validity of the reconceptualization can be enhanced by demonstrating that state‐CA (level of fear and anxiety) is systematically related to context‐CA (predisposition). Two research studies using a new operational measures of state‐CA and context‐CA, the Communication Anxiety Inventory, offer empirical support for the relationship between context‐CA and state‐CA. Results show that context‐CA explains a minimum of 50% of the state‐CA variance. Conclusions suggest that level of fear or anxiety varies closely with context‐CA and that the new scales have strong predictive validity.     

Academic self‐beliefs and prior knowledge as predictors of student achievement in Mathematics: a structural model

The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between prior knowledge, academic self‐beliefs, and previous study success in predicting the achievement of 139 students on a university mathematics course. Structural equation modelling was used to explore the interplay of these variables in predicting student achievement. The results revealed that domain‐specific prior knowledge was the strongest predictor of student achievement over and above other variables included in the model and, together with previous study success, explained 55% of the variance. Academic self‐beliefs strongly correlated with previous study success and had a strong direct influence on prior knowledge test performance. However, self‐beliefs predicted student achievement only indirectly via prior knowledge. The results imply that both prior knowledge and self‐beliefs should be taken into account when considering instructional support issues, because they can provide valuable insights about the future performance of the students.     

‘The English is not the same’: challenges in thesis writing for second language speakers of English

In this article I describe my interaction as an English for academic purposes (EAP) practitioner with a supervisor and her two postgraduate international students, both of whom were second language speakers of English (L2). Because of linguistic and relationship issues the supervisory experience for the parties was challenging and frustrating. I discuss the implications of this research and suggest that while linguistic difficulties impact negatively on the supervisory relationship this is exacerbated by the differing assumptions and expectations of the stakeholders. I argue, however, that what is regarded as ‘acceptable’ English at our institutions has not been sufficiently interrogated and the belief that English as a native language (ENL) is the only acceptable variety of English needs further investigation. Such an investigation needs to take place in a forum where the less powerful voices of the EAP practitioners and the students will not be marginalised.     

Do teachers make all their students play the same learning games? A comparative study of learning games in biology and English as a second language

This article, based upon the field of comparative didactics, seeks to contribute to the identification of generic and specific features in the teaching and learning process. More particularly, its aim was to examine, through the study of two different school subjects: biology and English as a second language, how passive didactic differentiation can develop and account for the gap in progress growing between more-able and less-able students. For our analysis, we adopt a didactic viewpoint basing our study on what is going on in the class when the teacher and her students interact and use notions borrowed from the Joint Action Theory in Didactics. At the end of the article, we mainly argue that more teacher training focused on ‘objects of learning’ and ‘knowledge-in-use’ is necessary if we want teachers to be able to produce didactic milieus adapted to students with mixed abilities and, more generally, if we want to increase epistemic access.     

Narrative inquiry as a mediational space: examining emotional and cognitive dissonance in second‐language teachers' development

In the practice of teacher education, most would agree that critical reflection in and on the process of learning to teach and the activities of teaching play a central role in teachers' professional development. Using Vygotskian sociocultural theory, we examine how narrative inquiry functions as a culturally developed tool that mediates teachers' professional development. We analyzed narratives written by three teachers of English as a second/foreign language set in three different instructional contexts. Our analysis suggests an interwoven connection between emotion and cognition, which drove these teachers to search for mediational tools to help them externalize their experiences. The activity of engaging in narrative inquiry created a mediational space where teachers were able to draw upon various resources, such as private journals, peers and ‘expert’ or theoretical knowledge, that allow them to reconceptualize and reinternalize new understandings of themselves as teachers and their teaching activities. The intersection of experiential and ‘expert’ knowledge provided a discourse through which these teachers named experiences and constructed a basis upon which they grounded their transformed understandings of themselves as teachers and their teaching. Depending on where these teachers were in their professional development when they wrote their narratives, we uncovered evidence of idealized conceptions of teaching with commitment to action as well as the transformation of teachers' material activities. Implications for the role teachers' narrative inquiry may play in teacher education programs are provided.     

Peer and self‐assessment in the first year of university

This paper reviews the literature about peer and self‐assessment in university courses from the point of view of their use, and the suitability of their use, in the first year of university study. The paper is divided into three parts. The first part argues that although first‐year students are involved in many of the studies that report on the use of peer and self‐assessment in higher education, the proportion of these studies that do so is somewhat less than in other year levels. In addition, relatively little of this work directly and explicitly discusses the suitability of peer and self‐assessment for students and courses at this year level. The second part of the paper provides an introductory exploration of the relationship between peer and self‐assessment, and specific features of first‐year assessment, learning and teaching. Three issues relating directly to the suitability of peer and self‐assessment in the first year are explored. In the third part, the paper briefly discusses the desirability of implementing peer and self‐assessment, in general, before seeking to extend this specifically to the first year. The paper concludes by recommending that greater use can and should be made of peer and self‐assessment in the first year of university study.     

English‐medium Content Courses in Non‐English Higher Education: a study of lecturer experiences and teaching behaviours

Abstract

One important factor concerning the internationalization of higher education might be the adoption of a common language as the medium of instruction. For non‐English speaking countries this language tends to be English. Though educational institutions in Europe have already started to conduct (parts of) their curricula in English it is still not clear what effects this change of instructional language will have either on the lecturers involved or on the quality of their instruction. The present article is an attempt to provide an answer to these questions, based on Dutch experiences.     

Perception of competence: risk and protective predictors following an e‐self‐advocacy intervention for adolescents with learning disabilities

The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of competence among adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) who participated in a virtual supported self‐advocacy programme within the risk and protective paradigm. The sample consisted of 374 adolescents with and without learning disabilities, students of the 7th to 9th grades, at 15 schools across Israel. The adolescents were divided into three groups, matched by age and gender: 111 adolescents with LD who participated in a five‐month virtual‐supported intervention, and two comparison groups: adolescents with LD (N = 115) who did not participate in the program and adolescents without LD (N = 148). The self‐perceptions of adolescents were assessed using the following questionnaires: basic psychological skills (competence and relatedness); hope and loneliness. Following the intervention, higher competence scores were reported by students with LD who participated in the programme. At that time (the end of the academic year), the predictors of the groups of students with LD for the competence measure were their level of competence at the beginning of the period, their belonging to the group who participated in the intervention, their loneliness and hope. Comparisons with predictors of the group of students without LD, and with predictors of competence at the beginning of the year, emphasized the importance of risk factors (loneliness) and the protective factors (hope) for students with LD. In addition, the results focused attention at the contribution of the participation in an e‐supported self advocacy programme for enhancing competence among students with LD.     

Solving arithmetic problems in first and second language: Does the language context matter?

Learning mathematics in a second language is a challenge for many learners. The purpose of the study was to provide new insights into the role of the language context in mathematic learning and more particularly arithmetic problem solving. We investigated this question in a German–French bilingual educational setting in Luxembourg. Participants with increasing bilingual proficiency levels were invited to solve additions in both their first and second instruction languages: German and French. Arithmetic problems were presented in two different conditions: preceded by a semantic judgment or without additional language context. In the French session we observed that additions were systematically performed faster in the condition with an additional language context. In contrast no effect of the context was observed in the German session. In conclusion, providing a language context enhanced arithmetic performances in bilinguals' second instruction language. This finding entails implications for designing optimal mathematic learning environments in multilingual educational settings.     

A self‐study of a national curriculum maker in physical education: challenges to curriculum change

This paper captures a national curriculum maker’s experiences of revising the physical education curriculum in South Korea. A self‐study was conducted in order to make known the chairperson’s experiences concerning the various obstacles encountered in revising the national curriculum and to offer previously unseen insights afforded by the curriculum maker’s personal reflections. This study specifically offers a detailed analysis of four challenges the national curriculum maker encountered: (1) personal obstacles encountered as a young female chairperson, (2) environmental obstacles encountered as a marginally positioned chairperson, (3) professional obstacles faced as an innovative chairperson, and (4) institutionalized obstacles related to being named the official chairperson. In this self‐study conducted in the narrative inquiry tradition, several important findings emerge about the nature of curriculum making and how curriculum making transpires at a national level.     

Effects of spell checkers on English as a second language students’ incidental spelling learning: a cognitive load perspective

Computer-based spell checkers help to correct misspells instantly. Almost all the word processing devices are now equipped with a spell-check function that either automatically corrects errors or provides a list of intended words. However, it is not clear on how the reliance on this convenient technological solution affects spelling learning. According to cognitive load theory convenience might be harmful for learning because it reduces the amount of effort invested in the learning task. In this study, effects of spelling aids on detecting and correcting misspelled words were examined by comparing English as a second language students’ performances on detecting and correcting the misspelled word across four conditions: control, red underline, spell-check (drop-down list), and dictionary. Learning transferability and durability were also examined. Results indicated that all spelling aids induced error-detection learning even when the errors were presented in a different context (transferability) or in a delayed posttest (durability). For error-correction learning, results showed that both the spell-checker (drop-down list) and the dictionary helped the students to learn the spelling incidentally. On the delayed posttest, error-correction performance in these two aided conditions was significantly higher than the performance in the control group. In conclusion, effort spent on searching for the correct words relates to better incidental spelling learning. Convenience and effort should be considered as factors influencing incidental spelling learning in the design of computer-based spell checkers.     

Affordances of a mobile learner-generated tool for pupils’ English as a second language vocabulary learning: An ecological perspective

This paper reports on a case study of English as a second language (ESL) vocabulary learning that examined a group of Grade 4 students’ mobile learning experiences of bridging in-class and real-life vocabulary learning mediated by a mobile learner-generated content (m-LGC) tool. This study was premised on the proposed framework of mobile vocabulary learning from an ecological perspective using the concept of affordances, taking the topic of “Food” as an example. Data collection included learning logs created by students and a questionnaire about students’ perceptions of the m-LGC tool for vocabulary learning. The results revealed four types of affordances of the m-LGC tool that the learners perceived and acted on in real life outside the classroom, namely: vocabulary form-meaning mapping, consolidating vocabulary by productive use, vocabulary revision and social affordance. The students’ perceptions of the m-LGC tool for vocabulary learning were positive. This study shows that the various affordances helped students in applying newly learned words to real-life contexts. Social affordance provided the social contexts for communication via peer interaction, vocabulary expansion as well as the creation of a learning community.     

Measures of reading comprehension: do they measure different skills for children learning English as a second language?

The validity of two measures of English reading comprehension was examined across three different groups of English language learners (ELLs; 64 Portuguese, 66 Spanish and 65 Cantonese). All three groups were achieving within the average range in second grade. An exploratory principal components analysis of reading skills was carried out to determine which skills were related to two commonly used tests of reading comprehension, the Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery??s test of Passage Comprehension (WLPB-PC; Woodcock, 1991) and the Gray Oral Reading Test-4 (GORT-4; Wiederholt & Bryant, 2001). The factor solutions were different for the three language groups but showed many similarities in that the GORT-4 and WLPB-R tests of reading comprehension fell on the same factor within each group. Hierarchical regression analyses examining relationships among vocabulary, decoding and reading comprehension showed that language group membership did not significantly predict performance on either measure of reading comprehension. Differences that arose are likely due to issues with task validity and not ELL status. Limitations and future research are discussed.     

Perception of self‐competence among Asian Indian preschoolers living in the USA and India

Past research has indicated that it is imperative to promote a feeling of positive self‐competence at a younger age. Forty‐eight preschoolers (living in the USA = 26; living in India = 22) between the ages of three and five years participated in the study. The children attended preschools in either the USA or India. The children’s perception of self‐competence was measured using the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children (Harter & Pike, 1984 Harter, S and Pike, R. (1984). The pictorial scale of perceived competence and social acceptance for young children. Child Development, 55: 1969–1982. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar]). The scale has four subscales: Cognitive Competence, Physical Competence, Peer Acceptance, and Maternal Acceptance, each composed of six items. A one‐way (2: country of domicile) ANOVA was conducted on each of the self‐competence subscale scores. Results showed significant differences in the perception of self‐competence depending on whether the Asian Indian preschoolers were living in the USA or in India: Cognitive Competence F(1,46) = 9.59, p < .003; Peer Acceptance F(1,46) = 10.33, p < .002; and Physical Competence F(1,46) = 5.06, p < .03. No significant differences were found in the Maternal Acceptance F(1,46) = 1.48, p < .23 subscale. Post hoc analysis indicated that compared with Asian Indian children living in India those living in the USA had higher perceptions of Cognitive and Physical Competence, and Peer Acceptance. Several factors influence the perception of self‐competence among children, and their cultural and environmental background is one of the most important. As children are constantly striving to become part of the larger society, they try to fulfill the cultural expectations required of them, and this is reflected in their perception of self‐competence. However, more research is needed within children of similar ethnicities to better understand the role of cultural influences and acculturation in children’s development.

Les recherches déjà faites ont indiqué qu’il est impératif de favoriser un sentiment de compétence individuelle positive à un âge plus jeune. Quarante huit élèves du cours préparatoire (vivant aux Etats‐Unis = 26, vivant à l’Inde = 22) entre les âges de 3 et 5 ans ont participé à l’étude. Les enfants assistaient aux préscolaires soit aux Etats‐Unis ou à l’Inde. La perception des enfants de la compétence individuelle a été mesurée en utilisant l’Echelle Imagée de la Compétence Perçue et de l’Acceptation Sociale pour les Enfants en Bas âge (Harter et Pike, 1984 Harter, S and Pike, R. (1984). The pictorial scale of perceived competence and social acceptance for young children. Child Development, 55: 1969–1982. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar]). L’échelle a quatre sub‐échelles: La Compétence Cognitive, la Compétence Physique, l’Acceptation de pair, et l’Acceptation Maternelle, chacune composée de 6 points. Une analyse unidirectionelle ANOVA (2: le pays de domicile) a été conduit sur chacun des points des sub‐échelles de la compétence personnelle. Les résultats ont montré des différences significatives dans la perception de la compétence personnelle selon si les élèves indiens asiatiques du cours préparatoire habitaient aux Etats‐Unis ou à l’Inde: Compétence Cognitive F (1, 46) = 9.59, p < 003; Acceptation de Pair F(1,46) = 10.33, p < 002; et Compétence Physique F(1,46) = 5.06, p < 03. Aucune différence significative n’a été trouvée dans la sub‐échelle de l’Acceptation Maternelle F(1,46) = 1.48, p < 23. L’analyse post‐hoc a indiqué que comparé aux enfants indiens asiatiques qui habitent à l’Inde, ceux qui habitent aux Etats‐Unis ont des perceptions plus élevées de la compétence cognitive et physique, et de l’acceptation de pair. Plusieurs facteurs influencent la perception de la compétence individuelle parmi les enfants, et leur fond culturel et environnemental est un des plus important. Pendant que les enfants tâchent constamment de devenir une partie de la société plus large, ils essayent d’accomplir les espérances culturelles exigées d’eux, et ceci est reflété dans leur perception de la compétence individuelle. Cependant, plus de recherche est nécessaire chez les enfants des appartenances ethniques semblables pour comprendre mieux le rôle des influences culturelles et de la acculturation sur le développement des enfants.

Las investigaciones ya efectuadas han indicado que es imprescindible promover una sensación de capacidad personal positiva a una edad temprana. Cuarenta y ocho pre‐escolares (viviendo en los Estados Unidos = 26, viviendo en la India = 22) entre las edades de 3 y 5 años participaron en el ­estudio. Los niños atendían centros pre‐escolares en los Estados Unidos o en la India. La percepción de la capacidad personal de los niños fue medida usando la Escala Ilustrada de la Capacidad Percibida y de la Aceptación Social para los Niños Pequeños (Harter y Pike, 1984 Harter, S and Pike, R. (1984). The pictorial scale of perceived competence and social acceptance for young children. Child Development, 55: 1969–1982. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar]). La escala tiene cuatro sub‐escalas: La capacidad cognoscitiva, la capacidad física, la aceptación del par, y la aceptación maternal, cada uno compuesta de 6 puntos. Un análisis unidireccional ANOVA (2: el país de domicilio) fue conducido en cada uno de los puntajes de las subescalas de la capacidad personal. Los resultados demostraron diferencias significativas en la opinión de la capacidad personal según si los pre‐escolares indo‐asiáticos vivían en los Estados Unidos o en la India: Capacidad cognoscitiva F(1, 46) = 9.59, p < 003; Aceptación del par F(1,46) = 10.33, p < 002; y Capacidad Física F(1,46) = 5.06, p < 03. No se encontró ningunas diferencias significativas en la sub‐escala de la Aceptación Maternal F(1,46) = 1.48, p. < 23. El análisis post‐hoc indicó que comparados con los niños indo‐asiáticos que vivían en la India los que vivían en los Estados Unidos tenía opiniones más altas de la capacidad cognoscitiva y física y de la aceptación del par. Varios factores influencian la opinión de la capacidad personal entre los niños y sus antecedentes culturales y ambientales son unos de los más importantes. Mientras que los niños se están esforzando constantemente para formar parte de la sociedad en general, ellos intentan satisfacer las expectativas culturales requeridas de ellos, y esto se refleja en sus opiniones sobre la capacidad personal. Sin embargo, es necesario hacer más investigaciones entre los niños de pertenencias étnicas similares para entender mejor el papel de las influencias culturales y de la aculturación en el desarrollo de los niños.     

Benefits of personality characteristics and self‐efficacy in the perceived academic achievement of medical students

This study investigates the joint impact of personality characteristics and self‐efficacy on the perceived academic achievement of medical students on top of their prior high school performance. The sample consisted of medical students in their pre‐clinical years. The students’ grade point average scores at high school were included as control variable in our explanatory models. Based on previous findings in the literature, we selected self‐discipline, social activity and emotional stability from the Five Factor Model of Personality as predictor variables. Furthermore, following the social cognitive theory of Bandura, we added self‐efficacy (students’ belief in their academic skills) as an additional predictor. The logistic regression analyses confirmed the importance of self‐discipline (positively related) and social activity (negatively related) for these students’ perceived academic achievement. Additionally, we found a positive contribution of self‐efficacy. The results of this study (as discussed in the final sections) have implications for support programmes in the practical field.     

Foreign language teachers and the implementation of intercultural education: a comparative investigation of the professional self‐concepts and teaching practices of Belgian teachers of English,French and German

It has now become a commonplace to state that foreign language learning should be viewed from an intercultural perspective. Teachers are now required to teach intercultural communicative competence instead of mere communicative competence. It follows that new professional demands are made on teachers. The assumption seems to be that teachers are already moving in the advocated direction and are willing to support the new objectives put forward. The observation that this belief remains largely intuitive with little rigorous evidence to support it constituted the rationale for the research we report on here. The study's aim was to enquire into how the current professional self‐concepts of Flemish teachers of English, French and German relate to the envisaged profile of the intercultural foreign language teacher and into the extent to which their teaching practice can be characterized as directed towards the attainment of intercultural communicative competence instead of towards communicative competence. The findings of this study inspire optimism that progress is being made and that teachers are willing to support intercultural objectives. At the same time, our hypothesis that teachers might not yet have left approaches that favour the teaching of communicative competence for approaches directed towards the acquisition of intercultural communicative competence found confirmation.

Il est à présent communément admis que l'acquisition des langues étrangères doit être considérée dans une perspective interculturelle et que les professeurs ne doivent pas enseigner la compétence communicative mais la compétence communicative interculturelle. Par conséquent, de nouvelles exigences professionnelles s'imposent. On suppose généralement que les professeurs sont déjà en train de s'orienter vers cette nouvelle direction et sont positifs vis‐à‐vis des nouveaux buts à atteindre. Le fait que cette supposition est surtout intuitive et n'est pas étayée par des données objectives constitue le point de départ de l'étude que nous présentons dans cet article. Notre étude consiste à examiner le rapport entre l'image professionnelle qu'ont les professeurs flamands d'anglais, de français et d'allemand d'eux‐mêmes et le profil voulu d'un professeur de langues étrangères sous l'angle interculturel, ainsi que la mesure dans laquelle leur pratique d'enseignement peut être caractérisée comme orientée vers l'acquisition d'une compétence communicative interculturelle au lieu d'une compétence communicative. Les résultats de notre étude suggèrent que les pratiques ont en effet évolué dans ce domaine et que les professeurs veulent atteindre les objectifs interculturels. En même temps, notre hypothèse selon laquelle les professeurs n'auraient pas encore remplacé les approches qui favorisent l'apprentissage de la compétence communicative par les approches orientées vers l'acquisition de la compétence interculturelle a été confirmée.

Behaupten, dass der Fremdsprachenunterricht aus interkultureller Sicht betrachtet werden soll, ist heutzutage zu einem Gemeinplatz geworden. FremdsprachenlehrerInnen werden erwartet, interkulturelle kommunikative Kompetenz statt kommunikative Kompetenz zu fördern. Folglich werden neue professionelle Anforderungen an LehrerInnen gestellt. Generell wird angenommen, dass LehrerInnen die neuen interkulturellen Zielsetzungen unterstützen und sie in ihrem Unterricht auch anstreben. Die Beobachtung, dass diese Annahme größtenteils intuitiv bleibt und nicht von empirischen Daten untermauert wird, war Anlass zu der Untersuchung, über die hier berichtet wird. Zielsetzung der Studie war es, zu überprüfen, in wie weit das professionelle Selbstverstehen von Flämischen Englisch‐, Französisch‐ und DeutschlehrerInnen sich zum Profil des interkulturellen Fremdsprachenlehrers verhält, und in welchem Maße der aktuelle Unterricht sich als Unterricht charakterisieren läßt, der den Erwerb interkultureller kommunikativer Kompetenz statt kommunikativer Kompetenz nachstrebt. Die Ergebnisse unserer Studie sind vielversprechend und zeigen, dass Fortschritte gemacht werden und dass LehrerInnen dazu bereit sind, in ihrem Unterricht interkulturelle Zielsetzungen anzustreben. Zugleicherzeit aber bestätigt unsere Studie die Hypothese, dass der aktuelle Fremdsprachenunterricht eher auf den Erwerb kommunikativer als interkultureller kommunikativer Kompetenz ausgerichtet ist.

Hoy en día es un tópico afirmar que el aprendizaje de las lenguas extranjeras debería ser abordado desde una perspectiva intercultural. Actualmente se les pide a los profesores de lengua que impartan competencias comunicativas interculturales en lugar de meras competencias comunicativas. De ahí que los profesores tengan que responder a nuevos requisitos profesionales. La suposición parece ser que los profesores ya están yendo en la dirección indicada y que están dispuestos a llevar a cabo los nuevos objetivos. La observación de que esta opinión todavía es muy intuitiva y que no está apoyada en evidencia rigorosa constituye el motivo de la investigación que presentamos aquí. El objetivo de este estudio es examinar en qué medida la auto‐percepción de profesores flamencos de inglés, francés y alemán se corresponde con el perfil previsto del profesor de lengua extranjera intercultural, y hasta qué punto sus prácticas docentes están enfocadas hacia la adquisición de la competencia comunicativa intercultural en lugar de la competencia comunicativa. Los resultados de este estudio justifican el optimismo ante la idea de que hay progreso y que los profesores están dispuestos a fomentar objetivos interculturales. Al mismo tiempo, se ve confirmada nuestra hipótesis de que hay profesores que aún no han cambiado enfoques que favorecen la enseñanza de competencia comunicativa por enfoques dirigidos a la adquisición de la competencia comunicativa intercultural.