Learning to read and spell in English among Chinese English-as-a-second-language learners in Hong Kong

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pui-sze Yeung
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Learning To Read

scholarly journals Can non-interactive language input benefit young second-language learners?

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 323-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
TERRY KIT-FONG AU ◽  
WINNIE WAILAN CHAN ◽  
LIAO CHENG ◽  
LINDA S. SIEGEL ◽  
RICKY VAN YIP TSO
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Second Graders ◽  
Story Reading ◽  
Linguistic Input ◽  
Children First

ABSTRACTTo fully acquire a language, especially its phonology, children need linguistic input from native speakers early on. When interaction with native speakers is not always possible – e.g. for children learning a second language that is not the societal language – audios are commonly used as an affordable substitute. But does such non-interactive input work? Two experiments evaluated the usefulness of audio storybooks in acquiring a more native-like second-language accent. Young children, first- and second-graders in Hong Kong whose native language was Cantonese Chinese, were given take-home listening assignments in a second language, either English or Putonghua Chinese. Accent ratings of the children's story reading revealed measurable benefits of non-interactive input from native speakers. The benefits were far more robust for Putonghua than English. Implications for second-language accent acquisition are discussed.

scholarly journals Using drama activities to teach beginner’s French to Chinese students at a tertiary institution in Hong Kong: An exploratory case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 711-736
Author(s):  
Zarina Marie Krystle M. Abenoja ◽  
Matthew DeCoursey
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Tertiary Institution ◽  
Positive Effects

The exam-oriented education system in Hong Kong has created a language learning environment that is largely confined to traditional classroom settings, which may not take best advantage of students’ abilities to relate what they have learnt in class to real-life scenarios. Such learning environments may have implications for the way second language learners learn a new language. Numerous studies suggest that drama activities used in language classrooms can enhance second language learning. These studies put forward tasks that generate pleasant and rewarding experiences, enhance confidence and subsequently increase motivation to learn a language. By focusing on students studying in a beginning French course at a tertiary institution in Hong Kong, this article reports on how drama activities make a target language more enjoyable and easier to recall. Classroom observations and interviews with students (N = 30) revealed that learning French via drama had a number of positive effects on second language learners especially in terms of their confidence. The learning of French through drama may provide a language learning environment that enables students to apply their French language skills more effectively in real-life situations.

Using a Modified Dictogloss to Improve English as a Second Language Learners’ use of Genre-appropriate Conventions and Style

RELC Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 003368822110457
Author(s):  
Lam Ting Chun ◽  
Scott Aubrey
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Text Type ◽  
Joint Reconstruction ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
Esl Learners ◽  
Model Texts

This article explores the potential for using a modified dictogloss task to improve ESL learners' use of genre-appropriate conventions and genre-appropriate style in the context of genre-based instruction for writing. Dictogloss has been traditionally used to enhance learners' focus on lexical and grammatical features through discussions during the joint reconstruction of a text. The innovation of the current practice lies in its application to teach generic aspects specific to a particular text type, such as formatting, register, and organization. This practice is potentially important as it is a meaningful, productive task that raises learners' awareness of genre-related features of writing – an often-neglected but important aspect of learning to write. This practice was carried out in a secondary ESL classroom in Hong Kong, and the evaluation was based on an analysis of improvements in learners' genre-specific conventions and genre-specific style. Implications of this practice are discussed in terms of the possibilities for using model texts in dictogloss tasks within a genre-based approach to writing.

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