Cross-Language Transfer and Attentional Control in Early Bilingual Speech

Purpose: This study investigated the roles of cross-language transfer of first language (L1) and attentional control in second-language (L2) speech perception and production of sequential bilinguals, taking phonological overlap into account. Method: Twenty-five monolingual Dutch-speaking and 25 sequential bilingual Turkish–Dutch-speaking 3- and 4-year-olds were tested using picture identification tasks for speech perception in L1 Turkish and L2 Dutch, single-word tasks for speech production in L1 and L2, and a visual search task for attentional control. Phonological overlap was manipulated by dividing the speech tasks into subsets of phonemes that were either shared or unshared between languages. Results: In Dutch speech perception and production, monolingual children obtained higher accuracies than bilingual peers. Bilinguals showed equal performance in L1 and L2 perception but scored higher on L1 than on L2 production. For speech perception of shared phonemes, linear regression analyses revealed no direct effects of attention and L1 on L2. For speech production of shared phonemes, attention and L1 directly affected L2. When exploring unshared phonemes, direct effects of attentional control on L2 were demonstrated not only for speech production but also for speech perception. Conclusions: The roles of attentional control and cross-language transfer on L2 speech are different for shared and unshared phonemes. Whereas L2 speech production of shared phonemes is also supported by cross-language transfer of L1, L2 speech perception and production of unshared phonemes benefit from attentional control only. This underscores the clinical importance of considering phonological overlap and supporting attentional control when assisting young sequential bilinguals' L2 development.

Plurilingual and Literacy Competencies in Preschool

This chapter describes a didactic proposal with the main goal of introducing plurilingual and literacy competencies in early school years. Furthermore, the chapter offers a linguistic and intercultural analysis of two picture books that can be used at preschool to promote L2 learning and cultural awareness. Firstly, the legislation regarding preschool is commented on and related to L2 development and acquisition at this stage. Then secondly, children's literature is regarded as an intercultural vehicle and connected to “culture” in a preschool content and language integrated learning (CLIL) setting. Thirdly, two picture books are analysed with respect to their potential as language learning materials and cultural triggers, and finally, some brief reflections are made.

Destabilizing effects of L2 explicit pronunciation instruction on L1 speech:

Anchored in a Complex Dynamic perspective on language development, this study explores the effects of L2 explicit pronunciation instruction on L2 English and L1 Brazilian Portuguese VOT production. To this end, 16 Brazilian intermediate users of L2 English were investigated. Volunteers were divided into control and experimental groups. The latter received explicit pronunciation instruction on the production of the English voiceless stops. The study included three data collections, a pre-test, an immediate post-test and a delayed post-test. An acoustic analysis of VOT duration is reported. The results revealed that the control group did not produce the expected VOT pattern for L2 English at any time of the study. No alterations in the L1 were reported. On the other hand, after the instruction, the experimental group produced higher L2 English VOT values. First language attrition was reported since the L1 BP VOT durations also increased after instruction. In addition to highlighting the effects of explicit instruction on L2 development and L1 attrition, this study confirms that language development is constant, and that even L1 adult grammars are not rigid, with potential to change due to the perception and processing of novel nonnative phonetic-phonological categories.

The Effects of Digitally Mediated Multimodal Indirect Feedback on Narrations in L2 Spanish Writing: Eye Tracking as a Measure of Noticing

Written corrective feedback (CF) could pave the way for L2 development, especially when embedded in multimodality. Building on prior research, this descriptive study drew a relationship between specific types of errors that were most successfully revised and noticing measured by eye-tracking techniques. Additionally, this study furthers our understanding of the impact of indirect CF (i.e., codes accompanied by metalinguistic hints) delivered by two multimodal components: (a) a video tutorial on how to approach teachers’ comments and (b) a soundless video displaying individualized teacher feedback. To this end, three L2 learners of Spanish completed a narration in the target language, watched a tutorial on attending to CF, received indirect feedback via the personalized soundless video (i.e., option “b” above), and corrected their errors. An eye tracker recorded all ocular activity while the participants watched both recordings. The results suggested that receiving training on approaching teachers’ comments may enhance the overall success rate of revisions, especially in verb and vocabulary-related errors. Last, a detailed unfolding of the revision process unveiled by eye-tracking data accounted for (1) an explanation of why two specific types of errors were more successfully revised and (2) some pedagogical recommendations.

LONGITUDINAL L2 DEVELOPMENT IN THE PROSODIC MARKING OF PRAGMATIC MEANING

This study investigated whether L2 English learners’ prosodic properties in speech acts change as they are immersed in the English-speaking academic community over time, and if so, what individual and contextual factors (proficiency, orientation to language study, and target language contact) potentially affect these changes. Forty-seven Japanese learners of English in an English-medium university in Japan completed a speaking task that elicited two speech acts (request and opinion) three times over one academic year (8 months). Their speech was analyzed for discourse intonational features (e.g., tone choices, prominence ratio, and pitch range). Results showed that all prosodic properties changed over time, although the pace and patterns of changes differed among the properties. Proficiency and language contact significantly affected the change in tone choice, but no other relationship was found between individual/contextual factors and changes in prominence ratio or pitch range.

Effect of Interaction Intensity on Alignment and EFL Learners’ Oral Production in the Reading-Speaking Integrated Continuation Task

This study aims to uncover the relationship between interaction and alignment in a reading-speaking integrated continuation task, especially focusing on whether an increase in interaction intensity can lead to stronger alignment and further generate positive effects on L2 learning. To this end, 31 participants were asked to perform reading-speaking integrated continuation tasks under three different conditions featuring low, medium and high interaction intensity respectively. The results showed that 1) alignment existed in the reading-speaking integrated continuation task; 2) increasing interaction intensity generated stronger alignment at both linguistic and situational levels; 3) growing interaction intensity contributed to more coherent and accurate L2 oral production. These findings not only proved the workings of mind-body-world alignment, but also testified that increasing interaction intensity could bring about a stronger alignment effect (Wang, 2010), which then contributed to better L2 oral performance. These findings confirm again the role of interaction in L2 learning and suggest that alignment could possibly be a mediating factor that links interaction and L2 development. Pedagogical implications for teaching and learning L2 speaking are discussed.

Written Languaging and Engagement with Written Corrective Feedback: The Results of Reflective Teaching

For corrective feedback (CF) to contribute to second language (L2) development, some cognitive processes need to be completed. Learners need to notice and comprehend the CF, reflect on and deeply process it, and finally integrate it into their interlanguage (Gass, 1997). Written languaging (WL), which requires learners to explicitly explain to themselves why they have received CF, has been proposed as a technique which can stimulate deep cognitive processing of the written CF. In an effort to improve learners’ writing accuracy, I adopted WL, whereby upon receiving online direct corrections, learners typed their selfexplanations regarding the underlying reasons for their writing mistakes. Then, I engaged in systematic reflection and journaling during a 10-week semester to critically analyze the affordances and limitations of WL. The conclusion, drawn from my perceptions of the usefulness of WL originating from my journal writing, is that WL has the potential to not only facilitate learning for students but also can provide teachers with a rich description of learners’ cognitive and affective engagement with CF. Some recommendations are made for better implementation of this instructional technique. Pour que la rétroaction corrective (RC) contribue au développement de la langue seconde (L2), des processus cognitifs doivent se produire. Les apprenants doivent remarquer et comprendre la RC, y réfléchir, la traiter profondément et pour finir, l’intégrer dans leur interlangue (Gass, 1997). La mise en langue écrite (MLE), qui exige des apprenants qu’ils s’expliquent à eux-mêmes de façon explicite pourquoi ils ont reçu de la RC, a été proposée comme une technique qui peut stimuler le traitement cognitif profond de la RC écrite. Dans le but d’améliorer la précision de la rédaction des apprenants, j’ai adopté la MLE, où, lorsqu’ils recevaient les corrections directes en ligne, les apprenants tapaient leurs propres explications sur les raisons pour lesquelles ils avaient commis des erreurs écrites. Ensuite, je me suis employé à réfléchir systématiquement et à tenir un journal pendant les 10 semaines que durait le semestre, afin d’analyser de façon critique les opportunités et les limitations de la MLE. La conclusion, tirée de mes perceptions de l’utilité de la MLE puisées dans mon journal, est que la MLE a non seulement le potentiel de faciliter l’apprentissage des apprenants, mais peut aussi fournir aux enseignants une riche description de l’engagement cognitif et affectif des apprenants eu égard à la RC. Des recommandations sont faites pour une meilleure mise en œuvre de cette technique d’enseignement.