Australian Review of Applied Linguistics - Volume 46, Issue 3, 2023

Abstract

This study investigated levels of communicative anxiety (CA) among three generations of Korean immigrants (i.e., first, 1.5, and second generation) in Australia. A survey asking about their levels of CA in Korean (i.e., heritage language) and in English (i.e., majority language) was completed by 137 Korean immigrants. Some of the survey respondents participated in the open-ended questions and interviews, which asked about anxiety-arousing situations and coping strategies. Overall, all three generations of Koreans showed very low levels of CA in Korean. Regarding CA in English, the first-generation group showed a moderate level of anxiety whereas the second-generation group showed a very low level of anxiety. The 1.5-generation group revealed relatively low levels, but still ‘some’ degree of CA in both Korean and English. Among many contexts, public speaking provoked the most anxiety, both in Korean and English, and for all three generations. Various linguistic and socio-emotional reasons interplayed, and strategies similar to those used by successful foreign or second language learners were reported.

Abstract

This article investigates second language socialization of three international students in a tertiary institute in New Zealand. To understand the experiences of international students, the article draws on the theoretical framework of the production of space to examine how the students experienced their new social space. The article uses multiple sources of data including video/audio recordings of the classroom interaction, field notes, interviews with the focal students/teachers/tutors/lecturers, diaries, and institutional documents to provide a thick description of students’ participation, language socialization, and identities. It does a within and across case analysis of the students’ experience to situate the learning experiences but at the same time to highlight the role of space as a participating social being in the socialization process. The concepts of language socialization and identities are reconceptualized as ever-evolving and ever-changing phenomena, whose production depends on the social conditions and relationships in the social space.

Abstract

This article reports initial parts of a classroom-based action research aimed to teach students to write a literature review (LR), which is considered as a critical, yet often overlooked genre, thus posing difficulties to the students. The existing works on LRs appear to treat the ability to write overviews of individual studies, and to combine them in acceptable ways, as assumed knowledge. In fact, for the learners in the context of the study, and in many second- and foreign-language learning contexts, such abilities are not shared among learners. Therefore, in the implementation of an initial short course, a genre analysis of 60 literature reviews from publications and completed theses in applied linguistics was conducted to identify suitable generic patterns used in literature reviews that could be implemented in the context. The result is a pedagogical genre of literature review, a genre description of LRs appropriate for the students’ English proficiency level, outlined in detail in this article with the teaching implication for this pedagogical context.

Abstract

Developing L2 learners’ productive mastery of vocabulary is a challenging task. Recent research has called for greater attention to understanding how receptive vocabulary may be transformed for productive use (Schmitt, 2019). Using a design-based research methodology, this study investigated adult ESL learners’ productive oral vocabulary development through engaging them in a series of classroom workshops where they were exposed to nine target words in five different contexts. Findings suggest that such exposure to words combined with phonological form-focused elaboration facilitates the development of metalinguistic awareness, specifically the associations between grammatical patterns and word meaning, leading to subsequent productive use of target words. The paper contributes to the understanding that vocabulary training combining a focus on meaning with a focus on phonological and grammatical form may enhance form-meaning mapping, leading to productive oral vocabulary development.

Abstract

This exploratory Australian study tested a novel mobile-based language learning service intervention (via WhatsApp) called ‘Chatloop’ with 31 newly arrived migrants. This intervention was offered in tandem with the traditional Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) classroom curriculum. A mixed methods approach was employed to trial the intervention of Chatloop with AMEP students at two Queensland TAFE campuses. Quantitative data were gathered to measure changes in participants’ English proficiency, and qualitative interviews gathered narratives about the experience of using Chatloop. Chatloop intervention group participants perceived it to be an interactive learning service that significantly improved their reading and writing skills, acculturation, and enhanced social connections. Being able to access Chatloop on their mobile device 24/7 was deemed to be an added advantage as compared to traditional classroom learning; it provided an opportunity to learn more about Australian culture and communication patterns, at their convenience. These findings suggest that such mobile interventions can be a valuable means of enhancing migrant’s English language learning and warrants future research.

This article reviews The concise Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics978-1-119-14736-7