Association Between Genetically Predicted Memory and Self-Reported Foreign Language Proficiency.

Under the guidance of foreign language curriculum design theory, foreign language courses in colleges and universities should construct a foreign language course teaching system from the aspects of reconfiguring the course objectives, updating the course content, and designing a diversified evaluation system. This paper combines the 5Ds framework with the GFKE model to establish the teaching system of foreign language courses in colleges and universities, designs the blended teaching mode of foreign language courses in colleges and universities, and constructs the corresponding course evaluation index system. Taking Z University in H province as the research object, the relevant teaching process of foreign language courses was designed, the coefficient of variation method solved the weights of evaluation indexes, and the teaching effect of foreign language courses in universities was comprehensively evaluated by set-pair analysis. On this basis, a validation analysis was carried out using the dimensions of teaching effect and teaching evaluation. The reading scores of students in the Experiment 1 class went up by 3.31 points, and the average score of students’ writing test scores went up by 53.86%, as per the findings. In the posttest of the depth of knowledge of English vocabulary, the experimental 1 class scored 25.83 points, which was 45.28% more than the control 2 class’s score. Blending foreign language courses based on the GRKE model can promote the improvement of students’ foreign language learning ability, and teaching evaluation results will be more accurate.

The purpose of this research is to analyze whether university students would be willing to engage in distance foreign language (FL) course design, and if the knowledge of their preferences could be used to present guidelines for course designers. Student engagement is seen as crucial to graduates’ achievement in HE, especially in online courses, yet there are no studies examining student voice in distance FL course design or curriculum delivery in the context of HE in Poland and very few international ones. The study identified five dimensions and feedback as the basic constructs to analyze students’ preferences about learning design of distance foreign language courses. The research study design is quantitative with descriptive and correlational method. Data were gathered from HE students (n = 626) studying in Poland. The results show statistically significant differences regarding students’ gender, age and academic level. The findings suggest that the learning paths in a FL distance course in HE should be created by taking into account the language skills students want to practice, students’ main language, gender identity, learning communities, and age. The latter can influence students’ willingness to co-design the course, the course content, and the type of interactions.

From the perspective of educational ecology, this study systematically explores the challenges facing the ideological-political education in foreign language courses, and taking the course of "Advanced English" as an example, this study attempts to construct a ecological pathway for ideological-political education in foreign language courses featuring holistic harmony and dynamic balance. It is suggested that in the practice of ideological-political education, foreign language teachers are supposed to first raise their ideological-political initiative and competence, excavate ideological-political elements in English texts and design language-skills-supported value objectives and teaching activities. Then making fullest use of AI environment, foreign language teachers are advised to adopt varied teaching methods to integrate ideological-political education into foreign language courses and evaluate the effect of ideological-political education in a scientific and reasonable way. This study is aimed to practically promote the ideological-political reform in foreign language courses.

This article reviews empirical evidence related to college students classified as learning disabled (LD) and foreign language (FL) learning by examining whether there are differences between: (a) students classified and not classified as LD enrolled in FL courses; (b) LD students with and without IQ–achievement discrepancies and FL aptitude, proficiency, and achievement; and (c) students classified as LD who pass FL courses or receive course substitutions. Findings show that there are no cognitive and achievement differences between students classified as LD and non–LD students enrolled in FL courses or between students classified as LD who pass FL courses or receive course substitutions. Findings have shown that there are no differences in FL outcomes between students classified as LD with and without discrepancies. Research findings over several years show that classification as LD is unimportant for determining whether or not a student will exhibit FL learning problems or fail FL courses.

Few studies focus on the instruction of vocabulary to very young foreign-language learners. How useful, frequent or even interesting are the words that Greek young learners have acquired by the end of their first couple of ‘junior’ years? This paper investigates the vocabulary used in five recent English as a foreign language (EFL) course books currently used in Greece in the first two years of primary EFL teaching which are expected to raise learners to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) A2 level. Our research suggests that the books are insufficiently loaded with vocabulary to achieve this aim and are very heavily focused on only the most frequent vocabulary. It emerges, too, that the course books are extremely varied in the vocabulary they present, which suggests that learners moving from one school to another using different books will find the transition especially difficult. Further, comparison with the word lists for the linked examinations suggests that the content of the course books is not tied to formal exams at beginner's level.

Awareness about possible contributions and drawbacks of English as a foreign language courses through distance and traditional face-to-face education may contribute to improving the efficiency of the process of teaching and learning a foreign language. The aim of this study is to investigate pre-service teachers’ views related to English as a foreign language courses through distance education compared to the traditional face-to-face education. The study intended to reveal the pros and cons of English as a foreign language courses not only through distance education but also face-to-face education and provide some suggestions to overcome possible problems encountered with the distant and/or face-to-face learning/teaching of English. Moreover, the study aimed to explore pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards learning English as a foreign language and the impact of learning English through distance education compared to face-to-face education on their grades. This study employed both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The participants were 91 pre-service teachers from different majors for the quantitative part of the present study while 14 pre-service teachers participated in the qualitative part. The findings highlight the importance of pre-service teachers’ views regarding learning English as a foreign language through distance education compared to the traditional face-to-face education considering the perceived strengths and weaknesses of each. Likewise, the study provided implications to improve their effectiveness in the process of learning English as a foreign language, which is considered one of the top priorities in the Turkish education system.

Learning a foreign language enables learners to go further after graduation. In today’s world, there is a need for students to be able to communicate in at least one foreign language so that they can function well globally. This study investigates learning the German language among engineering students who are taking a dual degree program in a public university in east coast Malaysia. The objectives of the study were: (a) to determine the students’ attitude in learning German language; (b) gauge their understanding of the course in terms of materials and lessons used in learning the language; and (c) identify their motivation and performances taking German language. Using a descriptive research design, 60 students were involved as respondents in this study. Their responses to the researchers’ questionnaire were gathered in a WhatsApp group called Success German Course (SGC). The results of the study indicated that students demonstrated moderate attitude in learning the course since some of them were eager to learn the language while others were not. Some students reported failing to understand the course in the use of the current materials and lessons. Although they showed positive attitude in learning the course, their performances, nevertheless, were not encouraging because they did not have sufficient time to learn the language. It is concluded that students need to learn study skills to help them to be more competence in foreign language proficiency. The overall findings implied th

Proponents of the concept of learning disabilities (LD) assume that students classified as LD and those with IQ‐achievement discrepancies have more severe native language and foreign language learning problems than students not classified as LD. Two studies that included high school students classified as “at‐risk” for learning a foreign language (FL) investigated these assumptions. The first study compared “at‐risk” students classified as learning disabled (LD) with “at‐risk” students not classified as LD. Results showed no significant differences between the two groups on measures of native language skill, FL aptitude, and FL learning and proficiency. The second study examined only the students classified as LD and compared students with and without discrepancies between their scores on measures of intelligence (IQ) and academic achievement. Results showed no significant differences between the two groups on measures of FL learning and proficiency. Findings suggest that students classified as LD and non‐LD do not exhibit cognitive, academic achievement, and FL aptitude differences, or differences in their FL learning and proficiency after two years of FL study. The findings of both studies are contrary to the LD concept. The studies demonstrate the importance of providing verifiable evidence to substantiate claims that a student meets criteria for classification as LD. Implications focus on use of the LD label and IQ‐achievement discrepancies for determining which students may have problems with FL learning.

Recently, in most foreign language course books, rubrics of units, activities, and exercises are codified resulting in a peculiar coexistence of semiotic systems to produce or to accentuate meaning, creating thus polysemiotic signs. In this paper, I study the polysemiotic signs of English and French in foreign language course books published in Greece which are composed of verbal and visual signs within the context of Groupe M. Such a relation of semiotic systems also includes intersemiotic and interlingual translation. My main result is that course books are characterized by an increasing visuality that permits reference to a common cultural framework or semiosphere that enables the polysemiotic signs used in course books to be understood by students learning a foreign language.

This study aims to construct a new model of ideological and political education in foreign language courses based on knowledge graphs and the ADDIE Framework. The "Guidelines for Ideological and Political Construction of Courses in Higher Education Institutions" emphasize the importance of ideological and political education across all disciplines and specialties in universities. However, current ideological and political education in foreign language courses faces several challenges, including the separation of course content and ideological elements, the absence of Chinese cultural elements in textbooks, and the singularity of teaching methods. By utilizing knowledge graphs, high-quality ideological and political elements are integrated into the foreign language curriculum, achieving an organic fusion of ideological education and course knowledge. This model is based on the ADDIE instructional design principle, which includes five stages: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. It also incorporates constructivist theory, emphasizing active student participation and interaction.

Objective: Language barriers between physicians and patients are linked to poorer clinical outcomes,higher healthcare costs, and worse patient satisfaction. Incorporating medical foreign language intomedical school curriculums can be costly and time-consuming. We sought to evaluate the efficacy of astudent-initiated medical foreign language course in communicating with patients with limited Englishproficiency (LEP). Methods: Senior medical students designed the curriculum and textbook for amedical foreign language course aimed at teaching basic medical Mandarin Chinese, Hokkien Chineseand Malay. After the course, students completed questionnaire on their comfort engaging in patientswith LEP and whether they would take a second course. Results: A total of 38 students enrolled and22 completed the post-course questionnaire. Students felt significantly more comfortable engagingpatients with LEP (p < 0.05). All students agreed the course was effective at teaching medical foreignlanguage and the majority would take a second LINGO course in the future. Conclusion: Studentledmedical foreign languages classes may be effective in helping medical students communicate withpatients with LEP.

This study adopted mixed method research to investigate motivating factors of Thai undergraduate students who took foreign language courses at a Thai university in the Greater Bangkok area, using Dörnyei’s (2009) L2MSS as a study framework. One hundred and seventy-three undergraduate students completed a questionnaire, 25 of whom agreed to participate in the semi-structured interview session. Quantitative data were analyzed utilizing frequency, mean, standard deviation, one-way ANOVA, and two-way ANOVA, while interview data were content analyzed. The findings revealed different motivating sources for the students who had taken or were taking foreign language courses. English and Korean students reported the Ought-to L2 Self as their primary source of motivation, while French, Chinese, and Japanese students reported the Past L2 Learning Experience. The study suggested that teachers provide an adequate and supportive learning experience to foreign language students, leading to higher motivation and engagement in foreign language classrooms.

Accommodations in postsecondary settings have become commonplace for many students with learning disabilities (LD) who have documented needs. Many of the accommodations professionals recommend for students with LD are based on an analysis of the course demands, the student's functional limitations, and a basic understanding of how the accommodation can facilitate the demonstration or acquisition of knowledge. However, little is known about which accommodations are recommended for math, science, and foreign language courses as well as the effectiveness of those accommodations. Because these content areas pose substantial hurdles for secondary students with LD who may transition to postsecondary settings, a review of the literature was conducted to evaluate current practices in the provision of accommodations to postsecondary students with LD in math, science, and foreign language courses. Findings indicate strong empirical evidence for extended test time for algebra exams and emerging research in changes to foreign language instruction. Recommendations for further research are provided.

This article studies the imperative of reforms in teaching foreign languages to adults both from the social point of view and methodological needs of the particular process of foreign language teaching for representatives of a special age group. The starting point of the article is the authors` own experimental research in the form of a questionnaire, which, as the target audience, conducted a survey of people aged 45+ studying at or graduated from foreign language courses as a part of integration programs (the survey was conducted among relocants from Ukraine after February 24, 2022) finding out what factors contributed / did not contribute to their success and psychological comfort in language learning. The second part of the study presents the results of a survey of teachers who work in foreign language courses attached to higher educational institutions of Ukraine and presents their point of view on the difficulties of teaching in mixed age groups and in groups dominated by people over 40 years. The purpose of the article is to show that in order to fulfill the social tasks that modern society places on the study of foreign languages by older people, changes in methodological approaches to the stated process are necessary.

Over the past decade there has been an increasing attempt to explore the potential of computer games in order to engage students’ towards foreign language learning. However, literature review has shown that there are still few attempts to provide empiric evidence of the educational potential of computer games, whereas the present study aims to address this lack. The purpose of our paper is to explore the possibilities of using a highly interactive 3D online game, we previously designed according to our student needs, in order to reinforce their foreign language acquisition and communicative competence. The target groups are students of a German foreign language course from the A1 level (CEFR). For our project we designed a 3D online-game that is based on a role-play, in which students need to cooperate in order to complete the game successfully. The game is built upon the OpenSim platform, and cooperation is conducted through game chats. Game chat interactions are being registered in a log file that is later processed. Furthermore, by analyzing different indicators we are able to obtain initial evidences to assess students’ proficiency regarding their communicative competence in the target language. We include some examples from a pilot study we did with students of a German foreign language course (A1).KeywordsCooperative learningvirtual worldscomputer-supported language learning