Martin Bygate 3
University of Haifa, Israel
Mr Michael Carrier 1
British Council, London, UK
Dr Charlotte Franson 3
Canterbury Christ Church University, UK
Ms Youping Han 3
National Centre for Languages (CiLT),
Reading, UK
Professor Jennifer Jenkins 2 + 1
University of Southampton, UK
Professor Richard M. Johnstone 4
University of Stirling, UK
Professor David Little 3
University of Dublin, Ireland
Dr Ernesto Macaro 2
University of Oxford, UK
Ms Susan Maingay 2
Kings College London, UK
Dr Emma Marsden 2
University of York, UK
Professor Florence Myles 3
University of Essex, UK
Ms Jenny Pugsley 3
Trinity College, UK
Dr Keith Richards 3
University of Warwick, UK
Rev Dr Lynda Taylor 2
University of Cambridge, UK
Professor Marta Antón 3
Indiana University, USA
Dr Larissa Aronin 3
Professor Anne Burns 2
Macquarie University, Australia
Dr David Carless 2
University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Professor Jasone Cenoz 3
University of the Basque Country, Spain
Dr Alexander Gilmore 3
University of Tokyo, Japan
Professor Claire Kramsch 2
University of California at Berkeley, USA
Dr Jo Lewkowicz 3
University of Warsaw, Poland
Professor Alison Mackey 2
Georgetown University, USA
Mr Waldemar Martyniuk 2
ECML, European Centre for Modern
Languages, Austria
Professor Hossein Nassaji 3
University of British Columbia, Canada
Professor Wang Qiang 4
Beijing Normal University, China
Professor Nina Spada 2
OISE, University of Toronto, Canada
Professor Erwin Tschirner 2
Universität Leipzig, Germany
Dr T. Ruanni F. Tupas 4
National University of Singapore,
Singapore
Professor Cynthia White 3
Massey University, New Zealand
Professor Rosemary Wildsmith- University of Natal, South Africa
Cromarty 3

1.
Modeling the Relationships among Topical Knowledge, Anxiety, and
Integrated Speaking Test Performance: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

This dissertation modeled the relationships among topical knowledge, anxiety, and
integrated speaking test performance and compared the influence of topical knowledge and
anxiety, respectively, on independent speaking test performance and integrated speaking
test performance. The major instruments employed were three integrated tasks and three
independent tasks, four topical knowledge tests constructed and validated on 421 EFL
learners, and the state anxiety inventory. Another 352 EFL students were recruited for the
official study. Data analyses using the two-step structural equation modeling approach led
to four primary findings. First, topical knowledge and anxiety both strongly influenced the
integrated speaking performance. Second, topical knowledge did not significantly affect
anxiety. Third, the effect of topical knowledge on independent speaking performance and
integrated speaking performance varied depending on the topics of the tasks. Fourth, the
impact of anxiety on independent speaking performance and integrated speaking
performance also differed according to the topics of the tasks.

HOSSEIN, JO

2.
Revisiting haiku: The contribution of composing haiku to L2 academic literacy
development

In a recent paper, Hanauer (2011) points out that literacy development can be direct
or indirect and that furthermore we know relatively little about the ways in learning one
genre influences the ability to function in another. This dissertation addresses this issue by
exploring the value of writing haiku- a short, three line Japanese poem with a specific
number of syllables in each line- in a second language on developing academic literacy.
Specifically, the current study focuses on a Japanese EFL university as this is the cultural
context and investigates (1). the interaction between academic prose and the effect of
writing haiku and (2). the integration of first language (L1) linguistic and cultural
knowledge with second language (L2) literacy work from the perspective of looking across
the curriculum at different genre writing. JENNY P, CHARLOTTE

3
 The relationship between phonological awareness and alphabetic literacy, with
reference to L1 Chinese users of L2 English

Phonemic awareness is closely linked to alphabetic literacy. However, previous

research has documented weak phonemic awareness in undergraduate students from Hong
Kong despite extensive L2 English alphabetic literacy, coupled with strong performance by
Mainland Chinese Pinyin-literates. The exact characteristics of these groups’ phonological
awareness and its relationship with alphabetic literacy is unclear.
This thesis describes an empirical investigation of adolescent English L2 users from
Mainland China and Hong Kong, alongside L1 English participants. New phonological
awareness tests and stimuli were created to examine performance across controlled
phonological, orthographic and lexical environments.
Results showed highly differentiated phonological awareness between the groups
and susceptibility to orthographic/phonological manipulations commensurate with
participants’ background; additionally, Mainland Chinese participants displayed weak
syllable-level awareness. It is suggested that there is a complex interaction between
phonological awareness and alphabetic literacy; characteristics of learners’ phonological
awareness should be taken into account to improve L2 alphabetic literacy and
pronunciation. WANG, YOUPING

4
Using a stance corpus to learn about effective authorial stance-taking: A
textlinguistic approach

Presenting a persuasive authorial stance is a major challenge for second language

(L2) writers in writing academic research. Failure to present an effective authorial stance
often results in poor evaluation of a writer’s research potential. This study proposes a
“textlinguistic” approach to advanced academic writing to complement a corpus approach
that is typically oriented toward exploring lexico-grammatical patterns at the clause-level.
A stance corpus was developed which allowed the users to study the linguistic realizations
of stance at both clause and rhetorical move levels. Seven L2 doctoral students in the social
sciences were recruited. The results indicate a positive relationship between writing
performance and stance awareness. The participants also accessed the “context examples”
most frequently instead of the clause-based examples, which suggests that the learning of
stance is vitally contingent on the discursive contexts. However, the corpus environment
did not prompt frequent application of higher order cognitive skills (e.g., inferring and
verifying). Overall, the study reveals that effective authorial stance-taking plays a critical
role in effective academic argument.

RUANNI, LARISSA

5
 Modeling second language learners’ interlanguage and its variability: A computer-
based dynamic assessment approach to distinguishing between errors and mistakes

Despite a long history, interlanguage variability research is a debatable topic as

most paradigms do not distinguish between competence and performance. While
interlanguage performance has been proven to be variable, determining whether
interlanguage competence is exposed to random and/or systematic variations is complex,
given the fact that distinction between competence-dependent errors and performance-
related mistakes should be established to best represent the interlanguage competence.
This thesis suggests a dynamic assessment model grounded in sociocultural theory
to distinguish between errors and mistakes in texts written by learners of French, to then
investigate the extent to which interlanguage competence varies across time, text types, and
students. The key outcomes include an expanded model based to distinguish between errors
and mistakes and a sociocultural insight into interlanguage variability research. Results
demonstrate that interlanguage competence is subject to not only systematic, but also
unsystematic variations.

FLORENCE, DAVID C.

6
Effects of Non-linear Curriculum Design on Arabic Proficiency

In this study I propose a strong and innovative model of teaching that centers on the
student, and I report on the efficacy of this model using quantitative research procedures.
This model of teaching is systematized in the Marhaba! curriculum, a method of teaching
first year high school Arabic that I designed, tested, and evaluated.
The Marhaba! curriculum is founded on best practices and is a natural
outgrowth of contemporary education theories, including non-linear curriculum design and
multiple-modality teaching materials that take into consideration students’ diverse learning
styles.
Analysis of data indicates that use of the Marhaba! curriculum positively
influences student proficiency in Arabic. In particular, students can become proficient
regardless of a student’s gender, grade, socioeconomic status, or parent educational
background. Also, student proficiency is not dependent on a student’s attitude to learning or
engagement in class, or a student’s attitude toward the curriculum.

JASONE, LARISSA

An exploratory study of cultural understanding in English as a Foreign Language (EFL)

reading in Argentina

This thesis investigated cultural understanding in EFL reading in Argentina. The

aim was to describe how the population studied in this context (ten college students, in their
early twenties, one male and nine female, prospective teachers/translators of English at a
public university) understood the cultural content of literary texts in English. I proposed an
exploratory interpretive study which responds to current calls from TESOL regarding the
importance of the individual and the local in classroom-based research efforts that describe
how literacy in English is lived in peripheral countries, of which Argentina is an example.
This urge in the literature to rescue the local within culturally-specific contexts constitutes
the most powerful justification for this study.

Prompted by three literary narrative texts (fragments from Mi planta de naranja-lima, Cat’s
Eye, Desert Wife) with a common theme (Christmas celebrations), different perspectives
(insider, outsider, hybrid), and different cultural loads (relatively culturally familiar, culturally
distant, and totally culturally remote), the participants responded to the texts by producing two
written tasks (among several others) in their native language, Spanish: a reading response task
and a visual representation task. Data were collected during 2009-2010 and were analyzed
using a taxonomy of cultural idea units corresponding to each text, a list of reader behaviours
and a Model of Cultural Understanding designed for the purpose of this investigation. Overall,
the key conclusion resides in the fluidity and complexity of cultural understanding in this
specific setting.
MARTA, ROSEMARY

8
Exploring Second Language Writing Teacher Cognition

Second language (L2) teacher cognition has in recent years attracted the attention of
an increasing number of researchers. While much L2 teacher cognition research focuses on
the teaching of grammar (e.g. Borg, 2003), L2 writing teacher cognition has received
considerably less attention. To address this gap in the literature, this study aims to discover
whether ESL teachers’ teaching L2 writing is influenced by their writing experiences in
their first and/ or second languages. Three native and two non-native English-speaking L2
writing teachers took part in the study. During a 15-week semester, their ESL writing
classes were periodically observed. Additionally, each teacher was interviewed two times
using stimulated recall regarding both their classroom instructional practices and instruction
provided in the margins of student papers. Findings indicated that in all of the cases, being
an advanced writer, whether in their L1 or L2s, was an important contributor to L2 writing
teachers’ cognitions.
BURNS, SUSAN

It’s good to talk. An investigation into target language use in the modern languages
classroom.

This thesis reports the findings of research aimed at identifying strategies that
Modern Languages (ML) teachers, considered examples of good practice, used to engage
secondary school learners in interaction in the target language (TL) in order to develop their
communicative competence. Close analysis of TL interaction which took place in four
teachers’ classrooms revealed TL strategies which appeared to create a collaborative ethos,
in which learners appeared willing to contribute in the TL. Different ‘types’ of TL were
employed depending on the focus of the lesson. The provision of anticipatory cues enabling
learners to respond and teachers’ reformulation were considered particularly effective in
scaffolding learners’ TL in preparation for using it for ‘real’ purposes. The thesis offers an
important contribution to the understanding of the complex nature of interaction in the ML
classroom and the role that teachers’ TL plays in assisting adolescent learners to
communicate.

SUSAN, MARTIN
10

Study Quality in SLA: A Cumulative and Developmental Assessment of Designs,

Analyses, Reporting Practices, and Outcomes in Quantitative L2 Research

This study assesses research and reporting practices in SLA. A sample of 606 primary
studies were collected and coded for designs, statistical analyses, reporting practices, and
outcomes (i.e., effect sizes). The results point to several systematic strengths as well as
many flaws such as incomplete and inconsistent reporting practices and low statistical
power. In contrast to previous findings (e.g., Plonsky, 2011), little to no evidence was
found for a relationship between methodological quality and effect sizes. Finally, the results
comparing research practices over the 1990s and 2000s found substantial improvements in
almost all categories. I discuss the findings in terms of reviews from SLA and other fields
(e.g., education; Skidmore & Thompson, 2010), indicating methodological and analytical
trends and trajectories observed. Based on the findings, I also make pointed suggestions for
methodological reforms in applied linguistics.

KEITH, HOSSEIN

11
PHONOLOGICAL FEATURES OF HONG KONG ENGLISH: PATTERNS OF
VARIATION AND EFFECTS ON LOCAL ACCEPTABILITY

The changing dynamics of international communication in English have led to an

intense questioning of the relevance of native-speaker pronunciation models. The
possibility of using a local model is attractive for various reasons, but in Hong Kong there
are at least two areas requiring research: the extent and nature of inter-speaker variation,
and the attitudes of Hong Kong English users towards the phonological features of their
own variety.
This dissertation employs a variationist, features-based approach. A preliminary
study describes the distributional patterns of consonantal phonological features, while in the
main study local listeners evaluate local accent samples for their pedagogical acceptability.
Data analysis suggests that certain types of accent are likely to be acceptable, and identifies
the features which had significant effects on acceptability judgments. The study contributes
to an understanding of accent variation and acceptability within a new variety of English,
and has implications for language teaching and testing.

DAVID C., JENNY J.

12
THE POWER OF LANGUAGE IDEOLOGIES: DESIGNER IMMIGRANTS
LEARNING ENGLISH IN SINGAPORE

This critical ethnographic school-based case study focuses on the language learning
experiences of five Asian immigrant students. It draws on varied data gathered over an
academic year, including video- and audio-taped classroom interactions, audio-taped
interviews with the focal students and their Singaporean classmates and teachers,
observations of the students outside of the classroom, and artifacts. Particular attention was
paid to how the immigrant students negotiated a standard English ideology and their
discursive positioning over the course of the school year. The study also considers how the
prevailing standard English ideology interacted in highly complex ways with their being
positioned as high academic achievers to ultimately influence their learning outcomes. In
particular, I argue that this potent combination of language ideologies and reified
positionings created a designer student immigration complex. By framing this situation as a
complex, the study problematizes the power of ideologies in shaping the trajectories of
language learners.
RUANNI, JENNY J.

13
TEXT MEMORISATION IN CHINA: HEARING THE LEARNER AND
TEACHER VOICE

In China, a widespread learning practice for foreign languages are reading, reciting
and memorizing texts. This thesis investigates this practice against a background of
Confucian heritage learning and western attitudes towards memorizing, particularly audio-
lingual approaches to language teaching and later largely negative attitudes. The author
conceptually examines a number of issues central to the understanding of the practice of
text memorization in the Chinese educational context. Furthermore, there is an empirical
inquiry into Chinese learners/teachers’ practices and perceptions of the inclusion of text
memorization in FLT/FLL. Drawing on heuristics and insights yielded by both theoretical
and empirical findings, this study promotes a ‘different-rather-than-deficit’ perspective in
understanding Chinese learners and their learning practice as well as discussing the
uncritical assumptions about the negative impact of a Confucian philosophy of education.
More importantly, the topic and theme discussed in this thesis address some fundamental
and/or widely-debated issues in FLT/FLL within China and internationally.

WANG, YOUPING

14
 Teacher Cognition and the Use of Technology
in Teaching Arabic to Speakers of Other Languages

This study investigates teacher cognition and technology use within a context of
teaching Arabic to speakers of other languages. Specifically, teacher cognition is examined
in relation to early learning experiences, teacher education, classroom practice, and work
environment. Following a case study approach, three in-service teachers have been selected
to represent different perspectives on using technology in teaching. Findings suggest that
teachers’ cognitions about teaching and learning, and about themselves as Arabic language
professionals, shape technology use, determine reactions to perceived challenges, and
illuminate differences between practitioners working within the same environment
regarding technology integration. The research suggests that despite the absence of digital
learning opportunities in early schooling and teacher education, these experiences still
influence the choice of instructional strategies employed by teachers to support technology
use. The study accentuates the role of context as a mediating force, supporting teacher
cognition and technology use, but also creating dissonance between them.
CYNTHIA, CHARLOTTE

15
NO TITLE PROVIDED
The thesis discussed how Japanese L2 English users’ construction and negotiation
of L2 identities in English as lingua franca (not excluding NES) interactions. It also
investigated how their negotiation of L2 identities were manifested in their decision making
of L2 pragmatic use. Qualitative inquiry examined multiple sources of data (questionnaire-
based interviews and diaries) collected from 24 participants, and provided an emic
perspective into interactional opportunities that L2 users were engaged. The study
demonstrated that the relation of power and culture had a great impact on Japanese L2
English users’ positioning as English users. Additionally, it presented the L2 users’
construction of L2 identities as a part of multiple identities, and how they explored new
identity options in English. Furthermore, I discussed the L2 users’ pragmatic choice was
based on their negotiation of their identities in a variety of English interactions, which
revealed that they were exercising active social agency.
ALEX, JENNY J. (I know you externaled on this so your report is enough!)

16
NO TITLE PROVIDED
The current individual differences research in the field of second language
acquisition (SLA) addresses the issue of the situated nature of individual difference (ID)
factors. Willingness to communicate (WTC) is a relatively new ID variable in SLA
(Dörnyei, 2005) and it is seen as both a facilitating factor of SLA and a non-linguistic
outcome of the second language learning process (MacIntyre, 2007). Previous research into
WTC primarily focused on its trait disposition as remaining stable across situations. Only a
handful of studies have revealed that the construct might be situation-specific rather than
fixed.
 The present study investigated the dynamic and situated nature of second language
(L2) learners’ WTC in class. Framed within a sociocognitive perspective on L2 learning
which draws together social, environmental and individual factors, this classroom-based
multiple case study involved 18 English as an additional language (EAL) learners in New
Zealand over an academic year and was implemented in three phases. Data were collected
through classroom observations, stimulated-recall interviews, semi-structured interviews
and reflective journals.

Evidence from self-report and observational data suggests that the classroom WTC
construct is best described as a dynamic situational variable rather than a trait disposition.
The findings indicate that situational WTC in class results from the interdependence
between individual characteristics, classroom environmental conditions and linguistic
factors. These three strands of factors interdependently exert either facilitative or inhibitive
effects on an individual student’s WTC in class at any point in time. The effect of the
combinations of factors differs between individuals and the interrelationship is too complex
to be predicted. This study has attempted to describe and measure the WTC construct as
situated in L2 classrooms and it serves as a stepping stone for further research on the role of
WTC in L2 learning.
ERNESTO, EMMA,

17
Investigating the acquisition of English L2 in Irish primary schools

This thesis compares evidence of L2 acquisition among children learning English as a

second language in Ireland with learning outcomes described in the guidelines for English
language support in Irish primary schools: English Language Proficiency Benchmarks for
non-native-speaking pupils at primary level (IILT 2003). It investigates whether these
‘Benchmarks’, derived from the CEFR, reflect the L2 acquisition of 18 ESL pupils. The
research is based on a ten-month longitudinal study (2007-2008) which collected c.80 hours
of recorded L2 oral production and a sample of L2 writing. Using mixed methods, a three-
strand functional, formal and conversational analysis of participants’ L2 use shows that a
clear relation exists between indicators of L2 acquisition and the Benchmarks’ description
of L2 proficiency development. Similar links emerge in qualitative analysis of participants’
L2 literacy development. The study notes possible influences on ESL pupils’ L2 acquisition
including age, home language, learning style and classroom interaction patterns.

DICK,

18
The Role of Voice in High-stakes Second Language Writing Assessment

Although a construct commonly found in writing textbooks and rubrics, voice

remains a concept that is only loosely defined in the literature and mystically assessed in
practice. Few attempts have ever been made to formally investigate whether an authorial
voice in written texts can be reliably measured, and how the strength of an authorial
voice may affect the assessment of the overall quality of writing. Using a mixed-method
 approach, this study 1) developed and validated an analytic voice rubric, and 2) formally
investigated the relationship between voice and writing quality in the context of a high-
stakes L2 writing assessment. Results from the study offered an alternative
conceptualization of voice and showed that overall voice strength was a statistically
significant predictor of L2 argumentative writing quality. Implications of such results for
L2 writing instruction and assessment are addressed, together with directions for future
research.
LYNDA, JO,

19
Complex, dynamic and co-adaptive systems: A study of language teachers’ beliefs
about EFL teaching and learning in the context of secondary schools in China

This dissertation aims to investigate the complex nature of EFL (English as a

foreign language) teachers’ beliefs about EFL teaching and learning, how their beliefs
interact with mental and actional processes triggered by classroom practice, and how their
beliefs co-adapt with contexts so as to maintain the stability of the teachers’ belief systems.
The study takes the form of a case study of six state secondary school EFL teachers in
China in the context of the National English Curriculum Reform. The data were collected
over four months using semi-structured interviews, observations and stimulated recall
interviews. Integrating complexity theory with interpretivist, ecological and sociocultural
perspectives, this study outlines the importance of interconnectedness, dynamic interaction
and co-adaptation of Chinese EFL teachers’ beliefs systems. In this way, the study
contributes to the research agenda in that it provides a systematic framework for examining
teacher beliefs as a whole.
WANG, BURNS

20

Language Aptitude in Young Learners: The Elementary Modern Language Aptitude Test in
Spanish and Catalan

The present dissertation is concerned with foreign language aptitude in young

learners from grade 3 to 7 who are bilingual Catalan/Spanish. After validating the content
of two new aptitude instruments (the adaptation to Spanish and Catalan of the Modern
Language Aptitude Test – Elementary - Carroll & Sapon, 1967), this study sets to analyze
the relationship between language aptitude and L1 acquisition, cognitive development and
sex as well as to check the construct validity of these new aptitude tests using criterion and
objective FL proficiency measures. Results show different item functioning due to the
participants’ bilingualism and that despite proving statistically valid across grades, 3-
graders present some characteristics that show in their performance in the aptitude tests as
compared to older children. However, the variable sex does not seem to be relevant when
studying aptitude in young children as measured by the MLAT-E in Spanish and Catalan.

JASONE, LYNDA

21

NO TITLE
This longitudinal, mixed-method study relied on the assumption that international
students as newcomers to the American culture experience conceptual socialization which
enables them to gain competency in the target language through exposure to the target
language culture. By collecting qualitative and quantitative data three times over a year, the
present study examined the linguistic (i.e., formulaic language) and social development
(i.e., social identity (re)construction) of Turkish international students as a result of their
conceptual socialization in the U.S. The stories of participating Turkish students provided
evidence for the multi-faceted nature of identity (re)construction which required a closer
look at not only the participants’ investment, audibility and symbolic capital but also the
role of external resources such as social networks. On the other hand, the quantitative
findings suggested that the acquisition of formulaic language follows a non-linear, U-
shaped process that relies on trial-and-error and is objected to L1 transfer and
overgeneralization.
MARTA, CLAIRE

22
What makes a Good Graded Reader: Engaging with Graded Readers in the context
of Extensive Reading in L2: Summary

This study investigated the perceptions of the stake-holders involved in second

language learner reading, and found that second language learners often try to read at an
inappropriately difficult level, which can impact adversely on their language proficiency
development. Learners, teachers and publishers tend to believe that the harder the text, the
greater the learning benefits will be. However, the evidence which emerged from this study
suggests that a proportion of curriculum time devoted to easy reading of interesting texts
for pleasure, would be beneficial to learners in developing fluency, alongside the traditional
approach of examining difficult texts.
WALDEMAR, DAVID L.

23

EXPLORATION OF STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF AUTONOMY, STUDENT-

INSTRUCTOR DIALOGUE AND SATISFACTION IN A WEB-BASED DISTANCE
RUSSIAN LANGUAGE CLASSROOM: A MIXED METHODS STUDY

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the relationship between
autonomy, student-instructor dialogue, and student satisfaction within a web-based distance
Russian language course. Forty six (46) students from two US higher education institutions
participated in this research. Using an Exploratory Model with the elements of an
Explanatory Model (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007), the qualitative and quantitative data
were collected at the middle and at the end of the course to provide thorough investigation
of the three variables, to reveal their interactions with each other, and to discover whether
these variables and their relationship change over time. Findings revealed that autonomy,
dialogue, and satisfaction have significant correlation at the beginning and the middle point
of the course. All three variables grew throughout the course; however the relationships
among them significantly decreased towards the end of the course. The results provide
significant contributions for FL teachers and learners.
JENNY P. DAVID L.,

24
Attention and L2 Learners' Segmentation of Complex Sentences

The study investigated L2 Japanese learners’ complex sentence reconstruction from

aural input, and whether their sentence reconstruction ability related to their Japanese
proficiency. Previous studies have suggested that L2 learners’ difficulty in processing
sentences results from limitations in their ability to process syntactic elements that lack
communicative value. To aid learners in the sentence reconstruction tasks, the study
provided them with pictorial cues associated with clauses in complex sentences. During the
experiment, learners were asked to repeat complex sentences accurately, and their
performance in with- or without-pictorial support conditions was compared.
The results revealed that, aside from one bound morpheme that learners had only
recently encountered in class, learners’ reconstruction improved significantly with pictorial
information, including bound morphemes that lack communicative value. Thus, pictures
assisted learners’ reconstruction of only items already internalized in their interlanguage
systems. Learners’ ability to reconstruct verb elements was a reliable predictor of their
receptive proficiency.

ALEX, ROSEMARY

25

A longitudinal and comparative study of primary school children’s language

learning motivation and language attitudes”

The present study investigates Swiss primary school children’s motivational and
attitudinal dispositions with respect to English (a global language) and French (a national
language), comprising a comparative and a longitudinal analysis.
The comparative analysis looks at the learners’ affective dispositions with regard to
both languages. The results reveal sizeable differences between the two languages with
children being substanially more motivated to learn English than French and substanitally
more positively disposed towards English and English-speakers.
The longitudinal analysis looks at the primary school children’s motivational and
attitudinal trajectory with respect to English across a time span of two years (3rd grade to
5th grade) at a macro-level. This analysis reveals a surprising amount of stability in the
primary school children's motivational and attitudinal dispositions which suggests that
young children's attitudes and motivations may be more stable than assumed by many
scholars.
FLORENCE, DICK

26
The effectiveness of comprehensive corrective feedback in second language writing

In three studies, the effects of direct and indirect comprehensive corrective feedback (CF)
on L2 writing were investigated. The project explored the value of CF as a revising tool as
well its capacity to support long-term accuracy development. Additionally, it tested
whether: (a) all errors are equally correctable; (b) CF leads learners to avoid complex
constructions; and (c) the time spent on CF may be more wisely spent on writing practice.
Results showed that comprehensive CF led to improved accuracy, over what was gained
from self-editing or writing practice. This was true not only during revision but also in new
writing. Furthermore, only direct CF was found to result in grammatical accuracy gains,
whereas students’ nongrammatical accuracy benefited most from indirect CF. Moreover,
CF did not result in simplified writing. These findings suggest that comprehensive CF is a
useful educational tool that helps L2 learners to improve their written accuracy.
NINA, LARISSA

27
PRONUNCIATION PEDAGOGY:
SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHER COGNITION AND PRACTICE

The purpose of this study was to explore the dynamic relationships that exist between
second language (L2) teachers’ cognitions (knowledge, beliefs, attitudes) and actual
pedagogical practices, how these cognitions have developed over time, and what
relationships exist between students’ and teachers’ perceptions and classroom observations.
Specifically, the cognitions and practices - as they relate to the teaching of L2
pronunciation - of five experienced teachers in an Intensive English program were
investigated. Selected findings revealed that: 1) graduate courses dedicated to
pronunciation pedagogy had the greatest impact on the development of the teachers’
cognitions; 2) contrary to teachers’ beliefs, students favored receiving explicit feedback in
class in front of their peers over other types of feedback; and 3) the inclusion of classroom
observations and reports of students’ perceptions are essential in investigations of L2
teachers’ cognitions.
CHARLOTTE, JENNY P.

28
The Role of Form-Focused Instruction: Learner Investment in L2 Communication

Although positive effects of form-focused instruction (FFI) have been reported in

instructed second language (L2) acquisition research (Norris & Ortega, 2000), little
attention has been paid to the social factors of FFI , including learner investment— an
ambivalent desire to learn a second/foreign language (Norton, 2000). Drawing on second
language socialization theory (Duff, 2007) and using discursive practices (Young, 2009) as
an analytic framework, I examined how FFI influenced learner investment in L2
communication. Twenty-four high school students in Japan received four 50-minute
lessons. In each lesson, all participants received a 15-minute exclusively meaning-focused
activity and a 15-minute form-focused activity with attention to both form and meaning.
The participants’ video-recorded classroom interactions were analyzed quantitatively and
qualitatively in relation to their stimulated recalls and interview responses. The results
suggest that FFI created social contexts for learners to establish their identities as L2
learners, leading to greater investment in L2 communication.
KEITH, ERWIN

29

An Exploration into the Writing Ability of Generation 1.5 and International

Second-Language Writers: A Mixed Methods Approach

Research suggests that the writing ability of international second language learners
(IL2) and US-resident L2 learners, also referred to as Generation 1.5 (G1.5), differs. The
present study provides much-needed empirical evidence concerning the writing ability of
these two groups.
Writing ability was examined from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives.
Many-facet Rasch measurement procedures were used to analyze learners’ writing scores
five components. Results indicated that the IL2 learners performed better than the G1.5
learners and that the two groups had opposing strengths and weaknesses in grammatical
and sociopragmatic control. Qualitative analyses revealed that the G1.5 group’s
grammatical errors reflected a lack of awareness of certain grammatical features of
academic writing while the IL2 group’s sociopragmatic markers reflected a tendency to
draw on non-academic sources in their writing.
Overall, results showed that both IL2 and G1.5 learners' writing difficulties
stemmed from a lack of adherence to different aspects of academic writing.
ERWIN, MARTA

30
ADULT SECOND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT OF INFL RELATED
PROPERTIES: CONTRIBUTIONS FROM UG, THE L1, AND INPUT

This thesis tests four well-known claims in the literature on L2 acquisition about the
source and development of grammatical knowledge in learners of L2s. A bidirectional
study of the L2 acquisition of properties associated with the INFL(ection) category was
conducted using tests methodologically equivalent for L2 Italian and L2 English. The
acquisition of verb inflection, overt/null subjects, and verb-movement properties were
examined. Results show L1 influence on the acquisition of overt/null subjects in the earliest
stages available in the data and task-independent levels of optionality in use of inflection.
For the most part, results were compatible with one of the four claims (Vainikka and
Young-Scholten, 2007) and a view that UG is implicated in L2 acquisition (contra
Goldschneider & DeKeyser, 2001). The study concludes that the L2 development of INFL
is driven by gradual modification of a lexically-listed T(ense) feature in L2, constrained by
the L1.
ERNESTO, ROSEMARY
 31
Investigating effects of computer-based grammar instruction

This dissertation study examined the broad question of whether computer-based

grammar tutorials are effective and welcome tools to review grammar for language learners
by investigating the effect of three different modes of such tutorials (a static text with a
voice-over narration, an animated text with a voice-over narration, and a recording of a real
teacher) for two German structures (regular verb conjugation and separable-prefix verbs).
The participants for this study were first-year German students at two public universities in
the U.S. They completed a pretest, worked with the assigned tutorial modes, and completed
a posttest for each target structure, and filled out a number of questionnaires. The findings
demonstrated that all three modes of the tutorials helped learners to significantly improve
their knowledge of the target structures. Likewise, all modes of tutorial received similar
satisfaction ratings; however, further analysis demonstrated that many participants
preferred the animated mode.
CYNTHIA, CLAIRE

32
The Differential Effects of Explicit and Implicit Instruction on EFL Learners’ Spoken and
Written Language

This study compared the effects of explicit and implicit pedagogical interventions on the
interlanguage development of 81 Japanese EFL learners. The interventions (4 x 45 minutes)
focused on epistemic stance, which previous studies have shown to be a difficult aspect of
L2 acquisition. Spoken and written production data was collected before, immediately after,
and five months after, the interventions. The study looked at the short- and long-term
effects of the interventions and also at the interaction between type of instruction and four
variables: mode of communication (speaking/writing); proficiency; target form; and
individual differences. The data was analysed at both the group level (using learner corpus
analysis) and the individual level. The data showed that the explicit intervention had a
stronger long-term effect than the implicit intervention and provided strong support for
Schmidt’s Noticing Hypothesis.
EMMA, ALISON

33

NO TITLE
Research into the social roles of the Chinese PhD thesis acknowledgement texts has
received relatively scant attention. To address this gap, the present study examined eighty
Chinese PhD thesis acknowledgement texts written by graduates from four disciplines at a
Chinese university to explore both the typical structure as well as the social roles of the
texts within the particular university setting. Twenty-three interviews were conducted. PhD
guidebooks, supervisors’ CVs and graduates’ publications were collected. Three theoretical
notions - communities of practice (Wenger, 1998b), audience and politeness - were drawn
on in the consideration of the texts. The study concludes that Chinese PhD thesis
acknowledgement texts reflect graduates’ learning as a social practice that is accomplished
in different communities of practice. The texts also reflect students’ self-awareness,
audience awareness, and the politeness norms and social and cultural practices of the local
and wider communities of practice in China.
WANG, YOUPING

34

SILENCE IN THE SECOND LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

This mixed-methods investigation reports on the under-researched issue of silence

within Japanese university second language (L2) classrooms. An extensive, multi-site study
using a structured observation methodology was employed to investigate the silent
behaviour of over 900 language learners across nine universities in Japan. A parallel
qualitative research phase provided an individual-level analysis of learners’ fundamental
beliefs about and personal experiences of not speaking in L2 educational contexts by
drawing on over seventy-thousand words of transcribed data collected during a series of
semi-structured interviews. The third phase of the project adopted an event-specific focus
on classroom silence by utilising a stimulated recall methodology to uncover what students
were actually thinking and feeling whilst silent episodes were in progress during lessons.
Using Dynamic Systems Theory as its conceptual background, the investigation moves
away from traditional reductionist, single-cause explanations for learner reticence to
suggest that silence actually emerges through multiple, concurrent routes.
RUANNI, DICK

35

The relationship between phonological short-term memory and the development of L2

vocabulary and collocational knowledge: A longitudinal study of adult Polish
learners of English at A2 and B1 levels of English proficiency

Phonological short-term memory (PSTM, also referred to as the phonological loop)

is a component of the multi-component Working Memory model (Baddeley & Hitch,
1974), and it is conceptualized here as immediate memory for verbal wordlike material.
The present dissertation explores the link between L1-based (Polish) PSTM measures and
L2 (English) vocabulary and collocation learning in a longitudinal classroom-based study
involving adult native speakers of Polish resident in an English-speaking country (Ireland).
As part of this study six research questions are investigated, three of which examine the
link between PSTM and the development of L2 vocabulary knowledge in adult learners,
while the remaining three examine the link between PSTM and the development of L2
collocational knowledge in adult learners. This study constitutes a significant contribution
to models of L2 collocational learning in adults, and it establishes the involvement of
PSTM in L2 learning at a higher level of L2 proficiency.
JO, WALDEMAR

36
 Transfer of Anaphoric Inference Skills from L1 to L2 Reading

The role of cross-linguistic transfer in second language acquisition (SLA) has been
a field of extensive research in the past few decades. However, little research has been done
on the transfer of higher level reading skills at the discourse level. This study attempted to
find out whether higher level reading skills are transferred, and if they are, how they are
transferred.
Based on a series of cross-linguistic analysis, we hypothesized that only Chinese
learners of English as a second language (ESL) would transfer their zero anaphoric
inference skills to English reading, because those skills are used more extensively in
Chinese than in other languages. Therefore, we predicted that Chinese ESL readers would
be less disrupted by the presence of zero anaphoric expressions.
Three experiments were designed to test the hypotheses. The results show that the
Chinese participants responded significantly faster than their French counterparts. This
seems to indicate that Chinese speakers transfer their zero anaphoric skills. At the end of
the dissertation, theoretical and pedagogical implications of the findings discussed
RUANNI, HOSSEIN

37

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VISUAL FEEDBACK

ON REFLEXIVE BINDING IN L2 JAPANESE

As a step toward being able to tailor instructional methods to language learners’

profiles of abilities based on findings of aptitude-treatment interactions, this dissertation
examines how the effectiveness of different feedback techniques is related to individual
differences among learners. In a computer-mediated experiment with a pre-/post-/delayed-
post-test design, 80 L2-Japanese learners, randomly assigned into 3 treatment conditions,
practiced interpreting sentences containing the reflexive zibun (‘self’). Some received
feedback regarding the correctness of their interpretations, others were additionally shown
visual diagrams of the relevant linguistic structures, and others received no feedback.
Several aspects of aptitude were measured, including grammatical sensitivity, visual
memory, metalinguistic knowledge, and sensitivity to ambiguity. Only the visual-feedback
group demonstrated improvement overall, but individual differences were differentially
related to L2 performance according to experimental condition. Analyses of these
relationships produce insights about learning processes under different task conditions and
have implications for both SLA theory and L2 pedagogy.
ALEX, MARTIN

38
An Ethnographic Approach to Literature: Reading Wildfell Hall in the L1 and L2
Classroom.

Though literary critics and anthropologists have sometimes recognized converging

methods between ethnography and narrative fiction, few interpretive studies of fiction have
been undertaken using the framework of ethnography of communication. Because
ethnography of communication centers attention on language in situated communicative
interaction, it could be a useful tool for exploring literary texts. This dissertation uses
ethnography of communication to interpret communicative events in a Victorian novel,
Anne Bronte‘s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Insights about the characters and the speech
communities deriving from ethnographic interpretation offer options for literary study in L1
and L2 contexts. Ethnography of communication, combining close stylistic analysis of the
language, detailed examination of the cultural and social situation, and re-creation of the
meaning of the event as it may have been experienced by the participants, may also serve as
a general framework for teaching literature in L2 courses.
KEITH, CARRIER

39
The Impact of Interactive Discussions on L2 Chinese Composition Writing

Grounded in both interactionist and collaborative learning theories, this study

investigates the effects of interactive second language (L2) practice on subsequent
individual L2 Chinese composition writing. Two forms of interactive discussion were
investigated: online text chat communication and face-to-face (FTF) oral discussion. Six
third-year Chinese L2 learners participated in this study. The participants conducted five
online-chat and five FTF discussion tasks. Upon completing each interactive task, students
wrote a 350-character composition independently.

The primary results indicated that the collaborative pattern and transfer process
differed between the two mediums. The collaborative pattern in the online chats was
relatively equal, whereas the collaborative pattern in the FTF conversations was relatively
unequal. The transfer process from the online chats to post-chat composition writing was
more of a parallel process, whereas a more selective transfer pattern was seen from the FTF
sessions to the post-FTF composition writing.
CYNTHIA

40
The development and applications of a corpus-informed list of formulaic sequences
for language pedagogy

There is little dispute that formulaic sequences form an important part

of the lexicon, but to date there has been no principled way to prioritize the
inclusion of such items in pedagogic materials, such as textbooks or
vocabulary tests. While wordlists have been used for decades, they have
only provided information about individual word forms (e.g. the General
Service List (West, 1953) and the Academic Word List (Coxhead, 2000)).
This thesis addresses this deficiency by presenting the PHRASal Expressions
List (PHRASE List), a list of the 505 most frequent non-transparent
multiword expressions in English, intended especially for receptive use. The
rationale and development of the list are discussed, as well as its
compatibility with BNC single-word frequency lists. It is hoped that the
PHRASE List will provide a basis for the systematic integration of
multiword lexical items into teaching materials, vocabulary tests, and
learning syllabuses. To that end, two case studies are also reported which
 involved the practical application of the PHRASE List, including the
development and validation of a Phrasal Vocabulary Size Test.
FLORENCE, DICK

41
Engaging with Languages and Multiple Identities:
Portraits of Young French Immersion Chinese Children in Canada

This ethnographic inquiry examines how five young (ages 6 – 8) Chinese children
constructed their identities through multilingual, multiliteracy, and multicultural practices
in the Greater Vancouver area, British Columbia, Canada. Semi-structured interviews and
field observations were conducted at home and in the community from April 2008 to
February 2009. A variety of qualitative methodologies was used to document children’s
multi-linguistic biographies (e.g., choice of languages), multiliteracy practices (e.g., the
kinds of cultural activities that children engaged in both in and outside of the home), and
social relations. The data were analyzed within the context of current sociolinguistic views
of language and identities. Language and literacy practices that I observed in the study are
mainly focused on print-based activities for all the children. The results will be of interest
to teachers and school policy-makers, as they shed light on many aspects of multilingual
and multicultural students’ lives outside of school.

NINA, JASONE,
42 Chavali, Nalini [nchavali@hkeaa.edu.hk]
MARTIN, DAVID L.