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- Volume 152, Issue, 2006
ITL - International Journal of Applied Linguistics - Volume 152, Issue 1, 2006
Volume 152, Issue 1, 2006
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L2 Tasks and Orientation to Form
Author(s): Rebecca Adamspp.: 7–33 (27)More LessTask-based language teaching has been advocated as a means of promoting learning through learner interactions in the classroom. However, characteristics of the design and implementation of communicative tasks have been shown to influence learner orientation to form. One task characteristic that may affect learner attention to form, modality, is examined here to determine whether it influences learners' tendency to focus on second language form. Forty-four adult ESL learners engaged in information gap tasks targeted at specific second language forms that required the learners to collaboratively achieve both an oral and a written outcome. Analysis of orientation to form in both spoken and written sections of the task indicated that task modality plays a role in influencing learner orientation to form.
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Focused Tasks, Mental Actions and Second Language Learning. Cognitive and Connectionist Accounts of Task Effectiveness
Author(s): Machteld Moonen, Rick de Graaff and Gerard Westhoffpp.: 35–53 (19)More LessThis paper presents a theoretical framework to estimate the effectiveness of second language tasks in which the focus is on the acquisition of new linguistic items, such as vocabulary or grammar, the so-called focused tasks (R. Ellis, 2003). What accounts for the learning impact offocused tasks? We shall argue that the task-based approach (e.g. Skehan, 1998, Robinson, 2001) does not provide an in-depth account of how cognitive processes, elicited by a task, foster the acquisition of new linguistic elements. We shall then review the typologies of cognitive processes derived from research on learning strategies (Chamot & O'Malley, 1994), from the involvement load hypothesis (Laufer & Hulstijn, 2001), from the depth of processing hypothesis (Craik & Lockhart, 1972) and from connectionism (e.g Broeder & Plunkett, 1997; N. Ellis, 2003). The combined insights of these typologies form the basis of the multi-feature hypothesis, which predicts that retention and ease of activation of new linguistic items are improved by mental actions which involve a wide variety of different features, simultaneously and frequently. A number of implications for future research shall be discussed.
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The Effect of Task Complexity and Task Conditions on Foreign Language Development and Performance. Three Empirical Studies.
Author(s): Lies Sercu, Lieve De Wachter, Elke Peters, Folkert Kuiken and Ineke Vedderpp.: 55–84 (30)More LessIt has been argued that tasks constitute a valid alternative unit to sequence the language learning process, as opposed to linguistically defined syllabuses. Implementing this claim presupposes that it is possible to assess the cognitive and linguistic demands of tasks, so that they can be sequenced in such a way that they optimally support and promote the L2 learning process. Knowing what demands a task will make opens up the possibility of using task design to manipulate the learner's attention between form and meaning in ways that may help interlanguage development.
In this article, we present three empirical studies, which have tried to manipulate task complexity in order to study the effects of differing levels of task complexity on (L2) performance. We situate our studies within the Triadic Componential Framework for Task Design (TCFTD), elaborated by Robinson (1995; 2001; 2005) and interpret our findings in the light of two alternative theories, trying to explain effects on L2 performance arising from task manipulation, namely the Limited Attentional Capacity Model (Skehan & Foster 2001), and the Cognition Hypothesis (Robinson 2001; 2005). Apart from yielding evidence against or in favour of these theories, our studies demonstrate that manipulating L2 learners' attention while performing a task is anything but straightforward. The studies also illustrate how task conditions appear to interact with task complexity.
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Taking Text to Task
Author(s): Heidi Byrnes, Cori Crane, Hiram H. Maxim and Katherine A. Sprangpp.: 85–109 (25)More LessThis article argues that the construct of task can provide a principled and effective foundation for the development of extended, multi-year curricula and pedagogies for second/foreign language learning of adults. That assertion is made with an important condition: "task" must be expanded, both theoretically and empirically, toward issues that arise in conjunction with textuality and literacy rather than being grounded primarily in psycho linguistic, sentence-oriented processing considerations, as original proposals by Long and Crookes (1992) had suggested.
The article presents that overall theoretical argument and then describes how genre-based tasks have been used (1) for selection and sequencing decisions within an existing contentoriented collegiate curriculum in the German Department at Georgetown University; (2) as a way to inform pedagogical choices that target advanced levels of L2 ability, particularly the crucial area of vocabulary development; and (3) to devise genre-based tasks that assess L2 learners' language abilities and content knowledge across the curriculum and also help to further specify learning objectives and curricular choices.
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Motivating Writing Education
Author(s): Kris Buysepp.: 111–126 (16)More LessWriting can turn into a real passion. However, teaching and learning writing skills is hardly ever the most motivating component of a language curriculum. Writing currricula (i) are often purely skill oriented -at the expense of more cognitive and metacognitive aspects-, (ii) involving oneto- one communication using traditional tools, (iii) lacking clearly differentiated and sequenced goals per "level", (iv) fail to be embedded in a research environment, and (v) are seldom related to an overall view on language acquisition and learning.
Inspired by our view on language learning, called "entorno M@estro" -a learning environment which should be Motivador, Agradablemente Academico - pleasant & academic-, Ecologico (1), Semi-integrado, Traslucido -transparent-, Rutinario and Omnimodo -with multiple means-, the ElektraRed-team combined existing and personal software applications in order to turn the teaching and learning process into a blended learning group travel from the smallest linguistic components (letters & words), over chunks of words, collocations, propositions, paragraphs, to a wide variety of text types, a task-based journey where coaches help learners to discover, train and improve their own strengths and weaknesses in comparison with their colleagues and their own former output. Making use of multimedia enabled us also to compare writing results between various levels and training centres, and to classify writing topics and problems according to training levels. In this article we will present the aims and results of our two-year experiment focussing on innovation in writing education through the use of multimedia. We will show how the results of our experiment allow us now to differentiate, and sequence preferential topics per level. Our ultimate aim with the innovation was to make students write better and ... with passion, as well as make teachers enjoy their jobs even more.
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Learner Perception of Learning Tasks
Author(s): B. Kumaravadivelupp.: 127–149 (23)More LessIn the context of task-based language teaching, a challenge facing the language teaching profession is to determine how learners perceive and treat the formal and functional properties of language learning tasks. The preliminary study reported here presents the interplay between teacher objectives, task input, peer interaction and learner perception of transactional tasks. The study shows that the formal, functional and interactional dimensions of a task seem to operate in tandem when learners perform a task in order to get business done in the classroom and, by extension, in the outside world. The study also suggests that the boundaries of the three dimensions are blurred in the learners' mind, and that the degree of attention to the three dimensions is determined largely by learners themselves. This finding has implications for the study for task development, task complexity and also for larger issues of syllabus and methodology.
Volumes & issues
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Volume 175 (2024)
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Volume 174 (2023)
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Volume 173 (2022)
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Volume 172 (2021)
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Volume 171 (2020)
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Volume 170 (2019)
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Volume 169 (2018)
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Volume 168 (2017)
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Volume 167 (2016)
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Volume 166 (2015)
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Volume 165 (2014)
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Volume 164 (2012)
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Volume 163 (2012)
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Volume 162 (2011)
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Volume 161 (2011)
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Volume 160 (2010)
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Volume 159 (2010)
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Volume 158 (2009)
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Volume 157 (2009)
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Volume 156 (2008)
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Volume 155 (2008)
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Volume 154 (2007)
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Volume 153 (2007)
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Volume 152 (2006)
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Volume 151 (2006)
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Volume 149 (2005)
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Volume 147 (2004)
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Volume 145 (2004)
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Volume 143 (2004)
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Volume 141 (2003)
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Volume 139 (2003)
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Volume 137 (2002)
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Volume 135 (2002)
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Volume 133 (2001)
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Volume 131 (2001)
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Volume 129 (2000)
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Volume 127 (2000)
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Volume 125 (1999)
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Volume 123 (1999)
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Volume 121 (1998)
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Volume 119 (1998)
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Volume 117 (1997)
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Volume 115 (1997)
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Volume 113 (1996)
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Volume 111 (1996)
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Volume 109 (1995)
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Volume 107 (1995)
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Volume 105 (1994)
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Volume 103 (1994)
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Volume 101 (1993)
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Volume 99 (1993)
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Volume 97 (1992)
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Volume 95 (1992)
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Volume 93 (1991)
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Volume 91 (1991)
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Volume 89 (1990)
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Volume 87 (1990)
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Volume 85 (1989)
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Volume 83 (1989)
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Volume 81 (1988)
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Volume 79 (1988)
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Volume 77 (1987)
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Volume 76 (1987)
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Volume 75 (1987)
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Volume 74 (1986)
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Volume 73 (1986)
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Volume 72 (1986)
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Volume 71 (1986)
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Volume 70 (1985)
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Volume 69 (1985)
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Volume 67 (1985)
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Volume 66 (1985)
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Volume 65 (1984)
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Volume 64 (1984)
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Volume 63 (1984)
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Volume 62 (1983)
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Volume 60 (1983)
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Volume 59 (1983)
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Volume 58 (1982)
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Volume 57 (1982)
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Volume 56 (1982)
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Volume 55 (1982)
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Volume 54 (1981)
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Volume 53 (1981)
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Volume 52 (1981)
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Volume 51 (1981)
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Volume 49 (1980)
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Volume 48 (1980)
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Volume 47 (1980)
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Volume 45 (1979)
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Volume 44 (1979)
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Volume 43 (1979)
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Volume 41 (1978)
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Volume 39 (1978)
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Volume 38 (1977)
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Volume 37 (1977)
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Volume 36 (1977)
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Volume 35 (1977)
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Volume 34 (1976)
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Volume 33 (1976)
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Volume 32 (1976)
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Volume 31 (1976)
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Volume 30 (1975)
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Volume 29 (1975)
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Volume 28 (1975)
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Volume 27 (1975)
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Volume 25 (1974)
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Volume 24 (1974)
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Volume 23 (1974)
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Volume 22 (1973)
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Volume 21 (1973)
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Volume 20 (1973)
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Volume 19 (1973)
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Volume 18 (1972)
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Volume 17 (1972)
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Volume 16 (1972)
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Volume 15 (1972)
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Volume 14 (1971)
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Volume 13 (1971)
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Volume 12 (1971)
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Volume 11 (1971)
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Volume 10 (1970)
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Volume 9 (1970)
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Volume 8 (1970)
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Volume 7 (1970)
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Volume 6 (1969)
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Volume 5 (1969)
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Volume 4 (1969)
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Volume 3 (1969)
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Volume 2 (1968)
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Volume 1 (1968)
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The updated Vocabulary Levels Test
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