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Education Sciences
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Language and Literacy Development in Second Language Learners across the...
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Language and Literacy Development in Second Language Learners across the Curriculum

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2024 | Viewed by 5863

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Oksana Afitska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Language and Linguistics, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YL, UK
Interests: second language teaching methodologies; language and academic literacy development in subject-specific curriculum; language assessment; curriculum design; instructional materials’ development; teacher beliefs and practices
Dr. Nur Ehsan Mohd Said

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Education, National University of Malaysia/Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
Interests: second language pedagogy; language attitude; learning motivation; language anxiety; critical and creative thinking

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Language plays an essential role in communication and learning. It is used to construct and express meaning. In second language classrooms, language is taught as a subject—its acquisition fulfils the learning goals of a language curriculum. In content- and language-integrated classrooms, language is used as means of acquiring non-linguistic content, such as learning scientific or mathematic knowledge. In both types of classrooms, learners have to develop proficiency in a second language. Concurrently, they have to develop other skills, such as academic and subject-specific literacy skills and critical thinking skills. How they do it, as well as how effectively they do it, depends on many different factors, such as teacher qualifications and experience, teacher openness to cross-curricular collaboration, range and availability of appropriate resources, educational policies, and learner motivation, to name a few.

This Special Issue focuses on an investigation into the interplay between these variables. More specifically, it aims to discover the transformative potential of educational establishments, such as schools, colleges, and universities, in developing linguistic and non-linguistic skills in learners needed for their successful progression through educational settings, subsequent employment, and the full realisation of their potential in specialised professional contexts. This issue specifically looks at how contemporary second language teaching pedagogies, as well as pedagogies that make use of second language for content learning, influence learners’ linguistics and non-linguistic skill development at various levels in various settings. The Special Issue also focuses on how learners and teachers feel about their learning experiences and teaching practices and what they perceive to be facilitative and obstructive elements in these processes.

To these ends, this Special Issue welcomes articles examining topics such as the following:

  • Second language pedagogy in contemporary ESL/EFL* classrooms;
  • Language development in subject-specific classrooms;
  • Teacher beliefs and practices in EFL/ESL/CLIL/EMI classrooms;
  • Differentiated instruction in EFL/ESL/CLIL/EMI classrooms;
  • Learner autonomy in EFL/ESL/CLIL/EMI classrooms;
  • Learner attitudes, motivation, and/or anxiety in EFL/ESL/CLIL/EMI classrooms;
  • Language-accommodated instruction in CLIL/EMI classrooms;
  • Materials and resources in EFL/ESL/CLIL/EMI classrooms;
  • Monitoring, feedback, and assessment in second language classrooms;
  • Assessment of subject content through the medium of a second language in CLIL/EMI classrooms;
  • Development of academic literacy and critical thinking skills in language and subject-specific classrooms;
  • Curriculum innovation in contemporary EFL/ESL/CLIL/EMI classrooms.

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*EFL—English as a foreign language

ESL—English as a second language

CLIL—Content- and language-integrated learning

EMI—English medium instruction

-----------------------------------------------

Dr. Oksana Afitska
Dr. Nur Ehsan Mohd Said
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • second language teaching methodologies
  • language and academic literacy
  • curriculum design

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 263 KiB  
Article
Teaching Summary Writing as a Transferable Academic Skill in Ukrainian University Context
by Olga Kvasova
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(3), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14030288 - 8 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 838
Abstract
Teaching and assessing summary writing remains in the focus of research into academic literacy, the issue revisited by every new generation of researchers in the light of the emerging affordances and plurilingual reality. In higher Ukrainian education, where teaching academic skills has gained [...] Read more.
Teaching and assessing summary writing remains in the focus of research into academic literacy, the issue revisited by every new generation of researchers in the light of the emerging affordances and plurilingual reality. In higher Ukrainian education, where teaching academic skills has gained momentum only in the past 15–20 years, summary writing pertains mostly to teaching Ukrainian to international students, teaching English for professional communication and training post-graduates. A 15-year practice of teaching academic English to students of linguistics has provided the author with extensive empirical data which, upon analysis conducted within action research, have enabled maximized effect on teaching summary writing. Along with the teaching methodology, the assessment technique was also optimized, based on rating scales with the criteria accepted by the students and detailed feedback provided to them via the Google Classroom platform. The comparison of pre-and post-tests of writing summaries of Ukrainian research articles verifies the hypothesis about the transferability of summarization skills built in English to academic L1. The author formulates the limitations of the action research project, implications and prospects of further research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language and Literacy Development in Second Language Learners across the Curriculum)
19 pages, 4023 KiB  
Article
Chilean Primary Learners’ Motivation and Attitude towards English as a Foreign Language
by Maria-Jesus Inostroza, Cristhian Perez-Villalobos and Pia Tabalí
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(3), 262; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14030262 - 1 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1190
Abstract
This study aims to identify motivational and attitude variables among Chilean young English learners from Concepción. A child-appropriate Likert scale questionnaire was distributed to 137 students from the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade of two state-run primary schools. The instrument considered five variables: [...] Read more.
This study aims to identify motivational and attitude variables among Chilean young English learners from Concepción. A child-appropriate Likert scale questionnaire was distributed to 137 students from the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade of two state-run primary schools. The instrument considered five variables: attitude towards English, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, Ideal L2 Self, and parent-oriented motivation, because the eclectic nature of early language learning has been shown to be influenced by these factors. The variables for teacher profile considered years of teaching experience, training in primary English language teaching, and access to multisensory and audio-visual materials. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to determine the internal consistency of the instrument. The Mann–Whitney U test and the Kruskal–Wallis H-test using Dunn’s post hoc contrast were used to compare the motivations and attitudes by gender, teacher profile, and grade. Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient was then used to identify the relationship between the target variables and the teacher profile. Results show that teacher profile is a key factor in motivation and attitude to learning English, particularly their access to multisensory and audio-visual materials. This study’s main novelty is that it is the first time a questionnaire focused on children’s attitudes and motivations has been applied in Chile, with clear implications for teacher education and policy implementation assessment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language and Literacy Development in Second Language Learners across the Curriculum)
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10 pages, 388 KiB  
Article
Synergies in Developing Pre-Service Teachers’ Language Assessment Literacy in Ukrainian Universities
by Olga Ukrayinska
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(3), 223; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14030223 - 22 Feb 2024
Viewed by 659
Abstract
Developing the language assessment literacy (LAL) of pre-service foreign language (FL) teachers is thought to be beneficial both to trainee teachers themselves and to their future students and schools. However, it also presents a number of challenges to teacher educators involved in training [...] Read more.
Developing the language assessment literacy (LAL) of pre-service foreign language (FL) teachers is thought to be beneficial both to trainee teachers themselves and to their future students and schools. However, it also presents a number of challenges to teacher educators involved in training these cohorts. Ensuring that pre-service FL teachers are fully confident and competent in assessment requires the design of a preparation programme that is detailed and relevant to their needs. While Taylor has argued that different stakeholders have different language assessment literacy needs, there will also be different needs within groups according to their specific assessment responsibilities. Thus, for language educators, the needs of pre-service teachers are likely to be different from those of in-service classroom teachers, and this should be reflected in the content of their training. However, research has shown that across Europe, training practices vary considerably, often with no training provided in teacher training programmes at all. In this study, I address this issue through a discussion of current approaches to the pre-service development of language assessment literacy across Ukrainian universities. Due to the principle of organizing the learning process at Ukrainian tertiary institutions in blocks of disciplines of general and professional preparation and practical training, students acquire knowledge and develop skills in the field of assessment gradually, through studying various subjects, and not only within one course. This interaction of different subjects with each other and with school placements presents synergies that can enhance LAL, if the corresponding programme takes into account these connections. In order to have a full picture of Ukrainian pre-service teachers’ language assessment development, the current study presents a description of the training system and its LAL-related components retrieved from educational and professional training programmes and discipline curricula of the Ukrainian universities providing relevant preparation programmes. I provide a list of components and discuss didactic conditions that aid the acquisition of LAL by future teachers. I argue that these synergies in the Ukrainian system may provide a useful example of practice for other universities in the European context. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language and Literacy Development in Second Language Learners across the Curriculum)
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14 pages, 701 KiB  
Article
Building Vocabulary Bridges: Exploring Pre-Service Primary School Teachers’ Dispositions on L2 Vocabulary Instruction for Emergent Bilinguals through Interactive Book Reading
by Eline Decraene, Silke Vanparys, Maribel Montero Perez and Hilde Van Keer
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(12), 1220; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13121220 - 7 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1279
Abstract
A strong vocabulary is crucial for language acquisition and can profoundly influence academic and societal success. Interactive book reading (IBR) offers an effective approach for vocabulary instruction as it provides a dynamic and engaging word-learning context. However, as children progress from preschool to [...] Read more.
A strong vocabulary is crucial for language acquisition and can profoundly influence academic and societal success. Interactive book reading (IBR) offers an effective approach for vocabulary instruction as it provides a dynamic and engaging word-learning context. However, as children progress from preschool to primary grades, the emphasis on IBR declines, despite the persistent need for comprehensive literacy education, particularly for emergent bilinguals. This study aims to uncover the reasons underlying the diminishing use of IBR and focuses on the dispositions (i.e., knowledge and beliefs) of pre-service teachers regarding L2 vocabulary instruction during IBR with emergent bilinguals. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 36 pre-service teachers in Flanders. Thematic analysis revealed a foundational knowledge base for vocabulary instruction during IBR, with most beliefs aligning with scientific evidence. Nevertheless, some beliefs contradicted research findings, particularly concerning the deliberate use of IBR to achieve specific learning objectives, harnessing students’ home languages and fully realizing IBR’s potential for optimal vocabulary acquisition. Furthermore, preconditions at the class, school, educational policy and parental levels emerged as crucial factors for effectively implementing vocabulary instruction during IBR. These findings serve as pivotal starting points for further refining pre-service teacher education and developing in-service professional development in Flanders. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language and Literacy Development in Second Language Learners across the Curriculum)
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11 pages, 1728 KiB  
Article
Primary School Pupils’ Use of Verb Collocations in Science Assessment: Patterns of Linguistic Behaviour by Language Background Factor
by Míriam Buendía-Castro and Oksana Afitska
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(12), 1208; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13121208 - 3 Dec 2023
Viewed by 912
Abstract
This article explores patterns of linguistic behaviour and challenges associated with low(er) linguistic competences in primary school learners in subject-specific areas of the curriculum. The study draws on science test data, specifically on two assessment tasks, collected from 209 primary school students, aged [...] Read more.
This article explores patterns of linguistic behaviour and challenges associated with low(er) linguistic competences in primary school learners in subject-specific areas of the curriculum. The study draws on science test data, specifically on two assessment tasks, collected from 209 primary school students, aged between 9 and 11 years (Key Stages 5 and 6 of the statutory framework for learning in England). The population sample is made up of learners from six state primary schools in Yorkshire and the Humber Region, UK. Some of the learners speak English as their mother tongue while others speak English as their second or third language. Learner test data were analysed in order to answer the following research questions: (1) What verb collocations do learners use when demonstrating their content knowledge on the topic of “separating solids and liquids” in Science? (2) Do English language learners (ELLs) and English native speaking learners (ENSs) use verb collocations differently? If so, what is the nature of these differences? The results revealed differences between linguistic performances in the two groups of learners. ENSs tended to produce natural collocations with motion verbs. ELLSs, however, faced challenges in producing idiomatic language. They also encountered more difficulties than ENSs in understanding assessment tasks’ instructions and/or in reporting subject-specific knowledge in response to the assessment tasks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language and Literacy Development in Second Language Learners across the Curriculum)
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Synergies in developing pre-service teachers’ language assessment competency in Ukrainian universities
Authors: Olga Ukrayinska
Affiliation: Lancaster University
Abstract: Developing the language assessment competency of pre-service foreign language (FL) teachers is thought to be beneficial both to the trainee teachers themselves and to their future students and schools. However, it also presents a number of challenges to teacher educators involved in training these cohorts. Ensuring that pre-service FL teachers are fully confident and competent in assessment requires the design of a preparation programme that is detailed and relevant to their needs. While Taylor (2013) has argued that different stakeholders have different language assessment competency needs (referred to by Taylor as language assessment literacy, or LAL), there will also be different needs within groups according to their specific assessment responsibilities. Thus, for language educators, the needs of pre-service teachers are likely to be different from those of in-service classroom teachers, and this should be reflected in the content of their training. However, research has shown that across Europe training practices vary considerably, often with no training provided in teacher training programmes at all (Vogt & Tsagari, 2014). In this study I address this issue through a discussion of the current approaches to pre-service development of language assessment competency across Ukrainian universities. Due to the principle of organizing the learning process at Ukrainian tertiary institutions in blocks of disciplines, students acquire knowledge and develop skills in the field of assessment gradually through studying various subjects and not within one course. This interaction of subjects of the educational process with each other and school placements present synergies that can enhance their preparation. In order to have a full picture of pre-service teachers’ language assessment development the current study presents a decomposition of the system into its components. I will argue that these synergies in the Ukrainian system may provide a useful example of practice for other universities in the European context. Keywords: language assessment competency; pre-service FL teachers; synergies

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