AFFECTIVE VARIABLES IN THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING PROCESS

The article focuses on the development of learning strategies during the process of foreign language learning. With the obvious implementation of cognitive learning strategies, the development of other types of strategies, metacognitive and socio-affective, remains an urgent issue. Very often these latter strategies are either disregarded or dismissed during the language learning process. However, recent studies have pointed out the necessity for the development of all types of learning strategies and their implementation at an early stage of learning. Therefore, the aim of this research is to determine the scope of the development of metacognitive and socio-affective learning strategies during the process of foreign language learning. Quantitative and qualitative methods have been used to determine the frequency and mode of the above-mentioned types of learning strategies during the process of teaching and learning English as a foreign language (EFL). Two hypotheses have been raised: (1) Metacognitive strategies are often disregarded in the process of language learning in the classes for adolescents; (2) The potential of implementation of socio-affective strategies in EFL classes is underestimated in the process of language learning in the classes for adolescents. The object of the research consists of 12 selected EFL textbooks and activities included in them. The research results prove the fact that much more attention to metacognitive learning strategy development is needed during EFL classes, as these strategies strongly benefit the overall process of language acquisition. To compare, socio-affective learning strategies are more often implemented during EFL classes; however, their development is rather unsystematic.

Any language teaching and learning process should include language etiquette. The learning of foreign languages during any stage is characterised by the interaction of many factors such as mother tongue, culture, educational background, and psychological characteristics, among others. The development of socio-cultural competency in teaching a foreign language is a challenging undertaking for teachers. Foreign students from Sudan, Egypt, Indonesia, the Philippines, and other countries can learn Malay in one semester at Multimedia University, Malaysia. This study aims to discuss the importance for international students to learn language etiquette, and to explore the components of language etiquette that international students acquired. This study used a field research method, i.e. the language method in its context, for data analysis. Observations in class and conversations from the Google Meet chat box were used to collect data for this study. It was discovered through data analysis that instructors should be aware of and appreciate the students' native culture as well as their cultural differences in the classroom. It helps all participants/students to pick up the foreign language and its culture as well. In terms of cultural aspects, if the learner's socio-cultural competence is well defined and built during the language teaching process, he or she can be almost on par with native speakers. However, it should be noted that, while etiquette is a fixed part of the culture, norms are constantly evolving. This research focuses on foreign students' language etiquette in Malay language classes. However, future research could focus on other courses or on students' everyday lives. The primary goal of foreign language teaching and learning is for students to be able to speak and comprehend the foreign language. The education of culture and linguistic etiquette is critical to achieving these goals.

Nowadays foreign language is not just a part of nation's culture, it is also the guarantee of student’s successful career in the future. The achievement of high level proficiency of foreign language is not possible without fundamental language training in higher education institution. Most of them in our country provide students with at least two or even three foreign languages. In the context of higher school reforming, important changes in the educational technologies of foreign language teaching are envisaged. Modern language education is also gradually being modernized, introducing a modular rating system for teaching foreign languages. Interdisciplinary integration, democratization and economization of education determine the manifestation of innovative components in the teaching of the foreign languages. All this requires the formulation of the new claims for teaching and a foreign language teacher in the Free Economic Zone. At the current stage of society development, the purpose of foreign language teaching in higher education institutions is students' mastering of communicative competencies that will allow them to implement their knowledge, skills and abilities to solve specific communicative tasks in real life situations. The introduction of the new effective methods of foreign language teaching in the process of preparing students of humanities and technical specialties has become not only desirable but also necessary. Innovative orientation requires teachers to master and apply the pedagogical innovations, as well as stimulate the search for new forms and methods of educational process organization. High-quality language training of students is impossible without the use of modern educational technologies. The most effective are the professionally-oriented foreign language learning, the project work in teaching, the application of information and telecommunication technologies, the work with educational computer programs in foreign languages (multimedia system), the distance technologies in foreign language learning, the use of Internet resources, the foreign language teaching in the computer environment (forums, blogs, e-mail, etc.). Nowadays, the methodology of the use of computer programs is being developed actively getting more used. Computer programs offer ample opportunities to improve the process of foreign language learning, increasing its efficiency. The computer program provides the perception of information through auditory and visual channels, so it also allows you to organize teaching and control the foreign language acquisition in different modes of independent search and at different levels of complexity. Foreign language teaching means are important to ensure the full and effective organization of students' learning in the classroom to master foreign language activities.

Language anxiety has serious repercussions for the process of foreign language (FL) learning and use. Some scholars (e.g., MacIntyre, 1999) even consider it the strongest predictor of success in FL learning. At the same time, several studies have suggested that the most anxiety-generating skill is speaking and that the FL aspect which frequently causes apprehension and fear of being ridiculed is pronunciation (e.g., Phillips, 1992; Price, 1991; Young, 1992). Interestingly, though several language-specific anxiety types have been identified and tools to measure them have been devised, no attempt to examine in depth the construct of anxiety related specifically to FL pronunciation and to design an instrument to diagnose it has been made. A better understanding of the concept seems particularly important when taking into account the fact that speaking is a condition necessary for acquisition (e.g., Savignon, 2005; Skehan, 1989) and that pronunciation anxiety (PA) appears to be significantly related to students’ willingness to communicate in the FL classroom (Baran-Łucarz, 2014a). The present paper has three major aims. First of all, it presents a working model of PA, whose underlying subcomponents are pronunciation self-perceptions (pronunciation self-image, self-efficacy and self-assessment), fear of negative evaluation, and a set of beliefs about pronunciation learning, its role in communication, and about how it sounds. Secondly, the initial version of an instrument (i.e., the Measure of Pronunciation Anxiety in the FL Classroom), designed to measure the construct is introduced. Thirdly, results of piloting the questionnaire among 151 young adults, and establishing its reliability and validity are reported. The paper closes with suggestions on how to refine the instrument and ideas for future research in this area.

The process of foreign language publishing, teaching, and learning are increasingly linked to the technological and socio-cultural expansion of an international communications marketplace. Publishers, such as Langenscheidt, play a pivotal role in the process of cultural production and mediation, which has simultaneously contributed to a reconfiguration of the publishing industry at large. Indeed, language publishing represents merely one programmatic emphasis (or subsidiary) within the operations of multimedia conglomerates, of which Langenscheidt is by no means the largest (in comparison to Bertelsmann, Holtzbrinck, McGraw-Hill, Paramount/Viacom, or Time-Warner). The development and expansion of the Langenscheidt Publishing Group from a print publisher, with a core program of foreign language and reference publishing, to an international, multimedia communications enterprise reveals the changing role(s) of cultural production and mediation both within the contexts of foreign language instruction (e.g., texts, media, and software) and in the broader contexts of an international communications and entertainment industry (travel and lifestyle products). Simultaneously, foreign language teachers and learners are also engaged in the exploration of new communications technologies and the negotiation of culture both within and outside of the foreign language class. The following discussion of recent initiatives by Langenscheidt may indicate the extent to which emergent technologies and strategies of cultural production will link more closely the environments of the foreign language classroom with various modes of intercultural communication and experience. Today, foreign language texts, reference works, and multimedia products for travel and leisure form the core of the Langenscheidt Publishing Group. During the past two decades Langenscheidt has built an integrated publishing concern which emphasizes cross-cultural communication and the international lifestyles of its customers. Through the cquisition of Polyglott, Baedeker, and numerous map publishers in the United States, Langenscheidt has become an international publisher of travel guides and maps, ranking in some U.S. markets with Rand McNally.l In order to ensure that its readers will be able to keep up-to-date with the explosion and secure its position as a leading language-reference publisher, Langenscheidt has also invested in major publishers of reference works and encyclopedias in Germany (including Bibliographisches Institut, F.A. Brockhaus Verlag, Dudenverlag, Meyers Lexikonverlag), as well as the Verlag Enzyklopidie with the DudenBrockhaus-Meyer imprints in the new states. These acquisitions reveal a conceptual development of the publishing group based on the recognition that the need for linguistic, cultural, and geographic orientation will create new demands for culturally-based information products. Rather than compartmentalizing travel, language learning, and ref ence publishing, Langenscheidt seeks to exploit programmatic affinities conceptually and technologically by packaging content-related linguistic guides, travel guides, and maps in multimedia f rmats (which may include various combinations of books, audio/video cassettes, computer oftware, and CD-ROMs). While technological and pedagogical innovation have defined the historical development of Langenscheidt, the integration of new conceptual linkages and technological innovation has led to a holistic approach to publishing which simultaneously expands the boundaries of traditional book publishing. Several examples illust ate this approach.

The study examines whether already knowing several languages and feeling proficient in a new foreign language (FL) has an effect on positive and negative emotions during the learning. The emergence of positive psychology in language acquisition studies has led to the examination of positive emotions in the FL learning process, such as Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE). FLE is a positive emotional state where psychological needs are met and was introduced as the positive emotion counterpart to the oft studied negative emotion, Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA). A international sample of 1622 FL learners were analysed utilising multivariate tests of variance, examining the level of multilingualism and the level of self-perceived FL proficiency as independent variables, with FLE and FLA as dependent variables. Results indicated a very small, but statistically significant interaction effect between the level of multilingualism and self-perceived FL proficiency on the FLA of the language learner, but not on FLE. In addition, higher levels of multilingualism were associated with higher levels of enjoyment and lower levels of anxiety in FL learners. In turn, more self-perceived proficient FL learners indicated higher levels of enjoyment and lower levels of anxiety. Although effect sizes were in some cases very small, the results do indicate the benefits multilinguals and higher proficiency FL learners have when learning a FL.

Family factors significantly influence the development of critical thinking (CT) dispositions. Yet, the dynamics of this influence among foreign language (FL) learners remain underexplored, with potential moderating factors still unclear. Building on social capital theory, social support theory, and ecological systems theory, this study explored this relationship among FL learners and further investigated whether teacher support moderates this connection. A total of 16,006 secondary students from China participated in the study, spanning grades 7 through 12 (M age = 14.842 years, SD = 1.416). Data were collected using student-reported CT disposition scale, FL teacher support scale, and SES questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis revealed a positive relationship between SES and CT dispositions of FL learners. Furthermore, moderation analysis showed that teacher support positively moderated this relationship. That is, higher levels of teacher support enhanced the positive effect of SES on CT dispositions among FL learners. This research has both theoretical and practical implications for the development of CT dispositions among FL learners.

This paper presents the results of the second phase of the research project ''Prácticas evaluativas en la adquisición de lenguas extranjeras, PEALE'' (Assessment practices in foreign languages acquisition), mainly oriented to propose an evaluation system where the communicative competences (linguistic, sociolinguistic and pragmatic) play a very important role. The fndings reveal a set of competences not yet openly discussed: the general competences, regarded by scholars from different academic backgrounds as key factors that deeply infuence foreign language (FL) learning, teaching, and assessment processes. The general competences (i.e., learning, learning to be, learning to do and learning to learn) are part of the teachers' profle proposed in different FL teaching training programs in Colombia. Therefore, it is important to refect on the consolidation processes of these competences: both on their incidence in the students' promotion process, and on the proper use of these competences in the FL teachers' performance and professional development. Teacher training is expected to provide teachers with the appropriate tools to develop the general competences in their actual academic performance contexts. However, the strategies are yet to be defned to verify whether the general competences are consolidated with teaching practice or they tend to lose visibility in favor of the linguistic competences.
 Received: 17-02-09 / Accepted: 08-06-09
 How to reference this article:
 Estrada, L. (2009). Assessment of General Competences in the Professional Development of Foreign Language Teachers. Íkala. 14(2), pp.153-180.

Test anxiety is a strong predictor of achievement in English as a foreign language (EFL) learning process and has considerable influences on proficiency in the target language. Research also has not reached a consensus on the sources and the effects of test anxiety. This study aims to examine the sources of test anxiety among foreign language learners, to find the effects of test anxiety on EFL learners, and explore the strategies used by learners to overcome test anxiety. The sample group of the study consisted of 57 students studying EFL at a preparatory school of a state university in Turkey. A background questionnaire, focus groups, essay papers, and interviews were used to collect qualitative data. The findings reached in the study show that EFL learners suffer from test anxiety due to several reasons and that they experience physical problems, problems related to tests, and affective problems, whereas they use a limited number of strategies to decrease the level of test anxiety. The study suggests that EFL teachers should raise their awareness of anxiety-provoking issues, their effects on learners, and the strategies to decrease their levels.

The difficulties which many dyslexic students encounter in the learning of the English language often extend to the learning of a foreign language in school. Although this problem has been acknowledged for some time, and although the learning of a modern foreign language is a core element in the Scottish curriculum, there has been little research into how modern languages can be presented to offer the best learning opportunities to dyslexic students. Dyslexic students are likely to benefit from a multisensory approach to the learning of a modern foreign language, and it seems likely that they will need to utilize similar strategies to those used for learning their first language. Strategies are discussed with a view to making modern language learning more appropriate for students with difficulties in learning.

The paper presents the distinctive features of dynamic and complex systems, stressing their affinities with the foreign language teaching and learning process. Afterwards, we describe the initial conditions of the first-year-students learning French at the French department of the University of Wrocław, showing to what extent those conditions constitute a challenge for a connected complex system, namely the process of teaching French. Finally, we try to answer the question: “Are we ready, at the university, to teach Foreign Languages in accordance with the theory of complexity?”.

Although several researchers have demonstrated that foreign language (FL) learning experience has a limited effect on the short-term development of second language (L2) fluency, recent studies have suggested that learners can gain long-term (over one year) benefits from FL learning experiences. As a part of the present study, 50 Japanese university students were exposed to L2 learning experience over the course of one academic year to monitor its impact on L2 fluency measures (i.e. speed, breakdown, and repair fluency) in FL context. The relationship between the development of L2 fluency measures and learners’ learning experiences inside and outside the classroom was also investigated. The results showed a significant decrease in the length of between-clause and within-clause pauses that learners made. Furthermore, the correlational analysis showed that their L2 learning experience was uniquely associated with the development of between-clause pause frequency and repair frequency. These findings suggest that, while relatively long-term FL learning impacts the development of L2 fluency, it produces a unique pattern, whereby the effectiveness of FL learning is influenced by how students make the best use of their learning experiences.

Foreign language anxiety (FLA) has been a perennial concern in language learning, as foreign language (FL) learners often communicate feelings of anxiety, stress, or nervousness. This study explored the role of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in speaking practice for FLA management of 48 undergraduate participants in an EFL class in Egypt. An eight‐week, quasi‐experimental pretest–posttest design examined learner anxiety levels using a 33‐item FLA questionnaire. Their oral proficiency was assessed via roleplaying using an interaction‐enhanced public version of the IELTS speaking evaluation rubric. The results confirmed that FL learners experienced FLA pre‐ and post‐intervention. The identified anxiety levels played a facilitative role in FL learning with several ensuing gains. The use of conversationally enhanced AI chatbots in interactive activities slightly intensified learners' FLA, thus meriting further investigation of these objectives. Overall, subject to further development, AI chatbots are promising for significantly improving linguistic output gains; however, this study found that learners' speech‐related anxieties were not reduced following the interactions with the chatbots. It is concluded that FLA plays an underexplored facilitative role in sharpening learner cognitive faculties and linguistic capacities. Moreover, AI chatbots may be beneficial in advancing FL learning with significant potential in EFL contexts, facilitating improved interaction and oral communication. These findings support the integration of AI technologies as effective tools in FL education, providing flexible, interactive, and learner‐centred learning. This study is expected to be of considerable interest to FL educators and learners.

This article examines the significance of foreign language learning and multilingualism in the development of those habits of mind that foster creative thought, critical thinking, and analytical skills, all needed in the globalized interconnected world and workplace -- particularly, the role of solitude and quiet in the development of creativity and critical thinking, as well as the deep, although seldom mentioned, paradoxical, significance of quiet, and even silence, in the foreign language learning process. In addition to the traditional and contemporary reasons for studying a foreign language for cultural and communicative reasons, this article demonstrates that foreign language as a discipline develops the ability to focus through often solitary "deep work" and "deep practice" on the development of foreign languages skills that can be generalized to other subjects and tasks across the disciplines and across linguistic and cultural boundaries. Many Languages One World (MLOW) offers an illustrative example of the ability of students who have mastered other languages to turn their ability to quietly focus, in solitude, to the creation of their winning essays, to collaborative teamwork in developing a UN presentation on the Sustainable Development Goals, and to the creation and delivery of their part of the team presentation. Future steps include incorporation of the silent period into foreign language education to foster sustainable creativity, as well as inclusion of this additional benefit of foreign language learning in promotion and advocacy for foreign languages at all levels.

Video/digital games have grown into a mainstream language‐mediated activity that attracts millions of foreign language (FL) learners worldwide. While empirical studies have demonstrated that digital game‐based interactions offer valuable opportunities for FL practice and learning (e.g., Sundqvist & Wikström, 2015), little is known about the specific dynamics of FL use that facilitate FL learning. The present exploratory case study examined three Arabic learners’ game‐based FL use when playing the Arabic simulation‐management video game Baalty. The study was framed by an ecological approach to FL learning, and data were collected through gaming journals, interviews, observations, and think‐aloud protocol. Findings revealed that a number of specific dynamics including engagement, active FL use, and embodied meaning motivated, promoted, and scaffolded FL practice in the course of gameplay. Pedagogical and research implications are discussed.