Interactive fiction and narrative games in instructed second language learning

The concept of learning spaces has moved beyond the walls of the classroom and language learning is now, more than ever, in the hands of the learner. Teachers must accept that their role in the learning process has changed, in many situations, becoming that of facilitator. As facilitators, they should promote the use of learning materials that are motivating, engaging, and useable in both the classroom and in autonomous learning contexts. A valid alternative to traditional language learning materials can be found in digital game-based language learning (DGBLL), which offers a means for all four language skills to be practised in a flexible, highly empowering and engaging way. This chapter proposes and evaluates the use of the text-based video game genre of Interactive Fiction (IF) as an authentic learning material in line with the principles of second language acquisition (SLA). Furthermore, it describes how IF, in addition to creating conditions in which reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills may be practised, can be a particularly useful tool for improving reading for fluency and promoting reading for pleasure.KeywordsVideo GameReading FluencyDigital GameAutonomous LearningGame WorldThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

Reviewed by: Second language acquisition by Roumyana Slabakova Tania Ionin Second language acquisition. By Roumyana Slabakova. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016. Pp. xxi, 483. ISBN 9780199687275. $40. Introduction This book is a textbook of second language acquisition (SLA) written within the theoretical framework of the generative approach to SLA research. The intended readers are advanced undergraduate students and graduate students who have some background in linguistics, in particular in syntax and semantics. The text is intended first and foremost for students with a prior background in generative linguistics. While the main linguistic concepts are explained when they are introduced, such explanations are necessarily brief, and students with no prior background in linguistics would find the more technical parts of the text somewhat difficult to follow. However, students or other readers who have a general interest in language and/or language acquisition, but lack a background in generative linguistics, should still be able to follow the main concepts presented in the book. This textbook is quite unique in that, while its focus is on theoretical research on SLA, it explicitly makes the link to potential pedagogical relevance of the research findings. Brief summary The book consists of thirteen chapters, divided into three parts. Each chapter ends with a section of exercises; at the end of the book are a glossary, references, and an index. Part I, ‘Language’, provides a brief overview of the relevant background information that readers need to have in order to fully appreciate the rest of the book. Ch. 1, ‘Language architecture’, lays out the central argument of generative linguistics for the innateness of language and introduces the reader to several famous proposals on the structure of the language faculty. Ch. 1 then addresses the task faced by a second language learner and lays out the logic of the methodology used in generative SLA research. Ch. 2, ‘Language variation’, walks the reader through the history of the generative study of language variation, from principles and parameters through the minimalist program. Like Ch. 1, Ch. 2 ends by considering the implications of the theoretical linguistic research for the learning task of a second language learner. The goal of Ch. 3, ‘The psychological reality of language in use’, is to prepare the reader for later chapters that address second language processing by reviewing the central models and findings of the literature on language processing and psycholinguistics more generally. Part II, ‘Language acquisition’, has the goal of placing the study of SLA into the study of language acquisition as a whole by considering a number of different language-acquisition scenarios. The focus of this part is on the respective contributions of age of acquisition and of input quantity and quality to the task of language acquisition. Ch. 4, ‘The critical period hypothesis’, goes over the history of critical period studies and addresses the debate about the existence of critical or sensitive periods in SLA. This chapter also considers the role of input, bringing together a number of quite distinct phenomena, including variable input, comparisons between heritage speakers and second language learners, and variability among native speakers at different educational levels. Ch. 5, ‘First language acquisition, two first languages’, provides an overview of the process of first language acquisition; most of the chapter is devoted to monolingual first language acquisition, but the last section discusses simultaneous bilinguals, who form a natural link between monolinguals and adult second language learners. In Ch. 6, ‘Child second language, multilingual and heritage language acquisition, language attrition’, a variety of other types of language acquisition scenarios are discussed. Throughout this chapter, and especially in the last section, the focus is, once again, on the relative contributions of age of acquisition and input quantity and quality to the outcome of the language acquisition process. The position taken in this chapter, and [End Page e198] throughout the rest of the book, is that the effects of age can potentially be overridden by rich input, and that universal grammar remains active in SLA by adults. Part III, ‘Second language acquisition’, is the heart of the book. In addition to providing an overview of SLA research in the core areas of linguistics (with the one exception of...

Contents: Introduction. Part I: Important Social Contexts in Research on Second Language Teaching and Learning. Introduction. M.E. Brisk, Bilingual Education. M.R. Hawkins, ESL in Elementary Education. P.A. Duff, ESL in Secondary Schools: Programs, Problematics, and Possibilities. D.E. Murray, ESL in Adult Education. S. Carkin, English for Academic Purposes. P. Master, English for Specific Purposes. C. Roberts, English in the Workplace. B. Tomlinson, English as a Foreign Language: Matching Procedures to the Context of Learning. Y. Kachru, Teaching and Learning of World Englishes. Part II: Methods in Second Language Research. Introduction. L. Harklau, Ethnography and Ethnographic Research on Second Language Teaching and Learning. L. van Lier, Case Study. A. Lazaraton, Quantitative Research Methods. D. Nunan, Classroom Research. A. Burns, Action Research. Part III: Applied Linguistics and Second Language Research. Introduction. T. Pica, Second Language Acquisition Research and Applied Linguistics. S.L. McKay, Sociolinguistics and Second Language Learning. J. Zuengler, K.M. Cole, Language Socialization and Second Language Learning. G. Kasper, C. Roever, Pragmatics in Second Language Learning. J.P. Lantolf, Sociocultural and Second Language Learning Research: An Exegesis. N. Markee, Conversation Analysis for Second Language Acquisition. R.B. Kaplan, Contrastive Rhetoric. S. Conrad, Corpus Linguistics and L2 Teaching. Part IV: Second Language Processes and Development. Introduction. G. Ioup, Age in Second Language Development. R. DeKeyser, A. Juffs, Cognitive Considerations in L2 Learning. Z. Han, L. Selinker, Fossilization in L2 Learners. M. Swain, The Output Hypothesis: Theory and Research. E. Tarone, Speaking in a Second Language. M. Rost, L2 Listening. T.G. Wiley, Second Language Literacy and Biliteracy. P. Byrd, Instructed Grammar. D.E. Eskey, Reading in a Second Language. I.S.P. Nation, Teaching and Learning Vocabulary. J.S. Hedgcock, Taking Stock of Research and Pedagogy in L2 Writing. E. Hinkel, Analyses of Second Language Text and What Can Be Learned From Them. Part V: Methods and Curricula in Second Language Teaching. Introduction. S.J. Savignon, Communicative Language Teaching: Strategies and Goals. S. Fotos, Traditional and Grammar Translation Methods for Second Language Teaching. J. Williams, Form-Focused Instruction. M.A. Snow, A Model of Academic Literacy for Integrated Language and Content Instruction. R. Ellis, Instructed Language Learning and Task-Based Teaching. M. Celce-Murcia, E. Olshtain, Discourse-Based Approaches: A New Framework for Second Language Teaching and Learning. C.A. Chapelle, Computer-Assisted Language Learning. N.J. Anderson, L2 Learning Strategies. Part VI: Second Language Testing and Assessment. T. McNamara, Introduction. A.J. Kunnan, Language Assessment From a Wider Context. A. Davies, C. Elder, Validity and Validation in Language Testing. M. Chalhoub-Deville, C. Deville, A Look Back at and Forward to What Language Testers Measure. T. Lumley, A. Brown, Research Methods in Language Testing. D. Douglas, Testing Languages for Specific Purposes. C. Leung, Classroom Teacher Assessment of Second Language Development: Construct as Practice. Part VII: Identity, Culture, and Critical Pedagogy in Second Language Teaching and Learning. Introduction. T. Ricento, Considerations of Identity in L2 Learning. M. Byram, A. Feng, Teaching and Researching Intercultural Competence. S. Canagarajah, Critical Pedagogy in L2 Learning and Teaching. Part VIII: Language Planning and Policy and Language Rights. R.B. Baldauf, Jr., Introduction. R.B. Baldauf, Jr., Language Planning and Policy Research: An Overview. T. van Els, Status Planning for Learning and Teaching. A.J. Liddicoat, Corpus Planning: Syllabus and Materials Development. R.B. Baldauf, Jr., R.B. Kaplan, Language-in-Education Planning. D.E. Ager, Prestige and Image Planning. S. May, Language Planning and Minority Language Rights.

Vocabulary knowledge is a core component of second language (L2) proficiency. The critical importance of vocabulary learning is acknowledged by L2 learners, teachers, and researchers alike. Vocabulary development is a growing area of interest in second language research in our increasingly technologized world where rapid technological advancement and widespread access to high-speed internet have started to provide unique and promising opportunities for language teaching and learning. This paper aims to present an overview of computer corpora and concordancing and their potential role in second language vocabulary learning. After providing a brief introduction to the construct of vocabulary knowledge and the role of computer technology in language learning, the paper focuses on the use of computer corpora and concordancing in L2 vocabulary teaching and learning. The paper then presents an example of a KWIC (Keyword in Context) concordance display in order to demonstrate the kinds of lexical information that a number of concordance lines can provide about the target word. Some concordance-based vocabulary activities are also provided. This paper is hoped to help L2 researchers, teachers and learners become more aware of the potential role of computer corpora and concordances in the development of L2 vocabulary knowledge in our highly technologized world.

The relationship between hypertext research and games design is not clear, despite the striking similarity between literary hypertexts and narrative games. This matters as different communities are now exploring hypertext, interactive fiction, electronic literature, and narrative games from different perspectives - but lack a common critical vocabulary or shared body of work with which they can communicate. In this paper I attempt to deconstruct the relationship between literary hypertext and narrative games. I do this through two lenses. Firstly, by looking at Hypertext as Games; with a specific set of mechanics based around textual lexia and link-following (but with a tradition of exploring alternative Strange Hypertext approaches) resulting in a dynamic of exploration and puzzle solving depending on whether agency is expressed at the level of Syuzhet or Fabula. Secondly, by looking at Games as Hypertexts; that depend heavily on textual content, use guard fields, patterns, and sculptural hypertext models to manage agency, that experiment with aporia and epiphany, and that take place within a wider interlinked transmedia experience. This analysis reveals that Narrative Games are both more and less than Hypertext, with a wider set of mechanics and interfaces, but possessed of a core hypertextuality and situated within a greater hypertext context. This suggests that there is much value to be gained from interactions between the communities invested in interactive narrative, and significant potential in the cross-pollination of ideas.

Vocabulary learning is very crucial to be fluent in any language, specifically for second language learning. In Pakistan, teachers often rely on traditional methods like cramming or rote learning to teach vocabulary to second language learners. As a result, students associate words and their meanings with specific texts, limiting their ability to apply these words in varied contexts. To cope with this problem, the researcher employed Fleming’s (2006) multimodal technique which is the Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic technique to teach vocabulary. The research is an experimental study. Pretests and posttests are administered to examine the impact of Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic techniques on vocabulary learning of SLLs (Second Language Learners). The sample is selected through stratified sampling. There are 60 students in one class. This group is taught by lesson plans based on the VAK model. The pretests and posttests are analyzed through Rcampus rubrics. After marking them through rubric the data is analyzed through an independent sample t-test. Significant results have been seen that are indicated by p value which is .000. The research is helpful for language teachers who teach vocabulary to second language learners along with students.

Brave New Digital Classroom: Technology and Foreign Lan- guage Learning by Robert J. Blake. Washington DC: Georgetown University Press, 2008, vii-189 pp. Reviewed by Hye Ri Stephanie Kim University of California, Los Angeles Technology in the 21st century is not an option, but is a vital part of students’ lives. In the efforts to keep up with and take advantage of technological advance- ment, many schools integrate technology into their curriculum. However, one some- times comes across teaching practices that are technology-driven on one end of the extreme while on the other are teaching practices embodied by teachers’ resistance to use technology. Brave New Digital Classroom: Technology and Foreign Language Learning by Robert J. Blake aims to address all prevalent issues of instructional technology use and provides an overview of the most successful technologies used in language classrooms. In short, this small but highly resourceful book is the first of its kind to offer a comprehensive summary of technologies developed to assist language learning, with an emphasis on foreign language classrooms. It would serve as an excellent resource for language curriculum developers or instructors considering incorporating technologies into their program or teaching, as well as for graduate students who wish to get an overview on this topic. In the Preface and Chapter 1, Blake clearly sets the goal of the book and the theoretical basis from which his view on the incorporation of technology originates. The book is not intended to provide instructions on how to use technological tools. Instead, it offers an overview and evaluation of research and successfully used tools, thereby helping the readers to gain a broader understanding of them and encouraging the readers to conduct further research. The asset of the book lies in the fact that incorporation of technology is motivated based on Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theories, in particular the Interactionist Model, which states that social interaction is necessary for and facilitates L2 learning. It is an undeniable fact that living in a country where the target language is spoken provides students with abundant opportunities for input and social interaction. However, this is not a possible option for all learners. By presenting this gap between the ideal and the reality, the book guides the readers to the big question: Can technology then provide more opportunities for social interaction in classrooms? The book mainly focuses on answering this question. In addition, Blake emphasizes that the deci- sion to incorporate technology should be driven by principles of second language acquisition and should only be used in the service of language teaching and learning. By presenting such viewpoints in the beginning, Blake first sets up a rationale for and then justifies the use of technology in language classrooms. Issues in Applied Linguistics © 2009, Regents of the University of California ISSN 1050-4273 Vol. 17 No. 1, 67-69

Identity and language learning is one of the most vibrant areas of current research that considers language learning as a fundamentally social process. While recognizing the limitations of more traditional psycholinguistic models that see language learning as primarily an individualistic mental process, many scholars are now interested in exploring the socially, culturally, and historically situated nature of language learning (Zuengler & Miller, 2006). Parallel to this changing view of language learning is the changing notion of language learners: learners are now seen in terms of their dialectical, or mutually constitutive, relationship to the social world rather than as constellations of particular cognitive styles, affective orientations, and personality types (Norton & Toohey, 2001). Within this view, identity is understood as being constructed and negotiated within a given discourse community. While scholars have drawn from various conceptions of identity, two theoretical orientations that have been particularly influential in second language acquisition (SLA) are what I broadly call sociocultural frameworks and poststructuralist/critical feminist frameworks. The former includes language socialization (Ochs, 1993) and community-of-practice perspectives (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 1998), both of which view language learning as a process of participating in the practices of a given community and gaining competence and membership within that community.

This article investigates the effects of ethnic acceptance and prejudice on English language learning among immigrant nonnative speakers. During 2004 and 2005, the author conducted participatory dialogues among six Vietnamese and Mexican adult immigrant English language learners. The researcher sought to answer five questions: (1) What are some nonnative English speakers’ experience regarding the way native speakers treat them? (2) How have nonnative English speakers’ experiences of ethnic acceptance or ethnic prejudice affected their learning of English? (3) What do nonnative English speakers think they need in order to lower their anxiety as they learn a new language? (4) What can native English speakers do to lower nonnative speakers’ anxiety? (5) What can nonnative English speakers do to lower their anxiety with native English speakers? Even though many of the adult immigrant participants experienced ethnic prejudice, they developed strategies to overcome anxiety, frustration, and fear. The dialogues generated themes of acceptance, prejudice, power, motivation, belonging, and perseverance, all factors essential to consider when developing English language learning programs for adult immigrants.

Processability Theory (PT) is a second language acquisition (SLA) theory developed to explain developmental sequences in SLA as well as some other phenomena (Pienemann, 1998a).Processability has been a main concern in SLA research since 1990s. Following the agenda of Processability Theory and through analyzing the written performance of Iranian EFL learners’ writing performances, the present research studied the acquisition of “3 sg-s” and “cancel aux-second or cancel inversion” across five proficiency levels, from elementary to advanced, and compared it with the stage-like development model of morpho-syntactic structures proposed by Pienemann (1998a). The study followed a descriptive method of research, and the data was collected from 350 participants in five different proficiency levels from elementary, pre-intermediate, intermediate, upper-intermediate and advanced. The participants were asked to provide samples of their written performance on different tasks including an introduction task, a habitual action task, a story retelling task, a picture description task, and a composition and communication task. The data in this research was analyzed both qualitatively, in order to recognize and classify the type and order of the morpho-syntactic structures, and quantitatively, by calculating means. The results of Kruskal-Wallis test revealed that both “3 sg-s” and “cancel aux-second,” as two morpho-syntactic features, emerge very early in the language learners’ performance. Very similarly, the competence of the learner grows stronger in concern with these variables through the higher proficiency levels. These findings imply that PT is valid to a considerable extent for Iranian EFL learners, as well.

Nowadays the vocabulary learning plays an important role in language teaching especially in the context where English is taught as a foreign language. This is because lexical competence is now seen a heart of language learning and the ultimate goal of language teaching is to improve the language competence of the learners. Additionally, vocabulary has been recognized as an important factor for language learning because insufficient vocabulary knowledge leads the learners to encounter difficulties in second language learning. Learners can significantly improve their language competence by developing their ability to use of vocabulary learning strategies. However, the present study primarily aimed at investigating how KM/KM/R.K.M.Girls’ Vidyalaya, students deals with vocabulary problems. Data was gathered for this study through Interview, Questionnaire and pre-test, post-test. Interviewing teachers and students and written assignment given to students. Individual attention was paid on the 20 samples from the pre-test marks. The average marks of the selected sample at the level were 50%. However, when the post-test had been it was 80%. These research finding are significant important since this will help the teachers to further their teaching methods and find ways to help students avoid marking error in subject-verb agreement. The result of this finding is the identification of difficulties in vocabulary learning and the possibilities to rectify them. The difficulties find outed were: Knowing the meaning of the vocabulary, Memorizing the spelling and writing with the correct spelling, Motivation in learning, The student’s talent in language, The student’s interest in vocabulary learning. Some suggestions and recommendations have been made to address this problem. They include giving sample exercises and practices to students, giving some teaching techniques to the teachers to be implemented in the classroom. All these efforts are meant for remedies to solve the problem in learning vocabulary in writing.

Due to the rapid development of gaming technologies in recent years, there has been a surge of interest in the role that digital games can play in foreign and second language learning. Bringing together innovative research from an international team of contributors, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the use of digital games in computer-assisted language learning (CALL). The book firstly lays the theoretical foundations and outlines various rationales for using digital games, incorporating contemporary theories of second language acquisition. It also explores the development and impact of digital games designed specifically for language learning, giving due consideration to design principles, pedagogical requirements and student health. Chapters then draw on case studies from Europe and Japan to analyse in-game interaction, attitudes and participation in both institutional and out-of-classroom settings. Seamlessly combining theory with practical application, this book outlines recent developments in the field and the direction of future research, and is a valuable resource for instructors, researchers and practitioners who are designing games or looking to use them in their classrooms.

Between September and December 2023, Babylonia collected questions from parents regarding their children’s language development. This article aims to answer the following questions: What are some red flags for potential communication disorder? How can I foster strong communication skills in children with communication disorders? How can I differentiate between language difficulties and learning difficulties? What resources or therapies are there for children with language delays? What are signs of language delay or disorder? [Summary generated by Claude-3-Haiku-200k - we refer the reader to the full article in PDF format for a complete response] This article provides essential information to parents about communication disorders in children. It answers key questions, such as the revealing signs of potential disorders, the differentiation between language difficulties and learning disorders, and the available resources/therapies. Communication disorders can take various forms and affect up to one-quarter of children under 5 years old. They may manifest as language delays or articulation disorders and are often linked to risk factors such as prematurity, low birth weight, or genetic disorders. Known developmental milestones help identify early signs of difficulties, such as lack of reactivity or babbling before 12 months. Language delays, grammatical errors, reduced intelligibility, or limited social interactions in young children can also be warning signals. Differentiating between language difficulties and learning disorders relies on specific characteristics. Speech sound disorders, language delays, and developmental language disorder are distinct categories that may coexist with specific learning disorders like dyslexia or dyscalculia. Parents play a crucial role in supporting their child's communication development. Strategies like social object play, following interests, or narrating actions can enhance language skills in a positive and stimulating environment. Professional resources are also available for children with confirmed delays or disorders. In conclusion, this article provides parents with important guidelines to identify early signs of difficulties and implement appropriate support, in collaboration with qualified professionals.

Acknowledgements Introduction PART ONE - BACKGROUND Introduction 1. Second language acquisition research: an overview PART TWO - THE DESCRIPTION OF LEARNER LANGUAGE Introduction 2. Learner errors and error analysis 3. Developmental patterns: order and sequence in second language acquisition 4. Variability in learner language 5. Pragmatic aspects of learner language PART THREE - EXPLAINING SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: EXTERNAL FACTORS Introduction 6. Social factors and second language acquisition 7. Input and interaction and second language acquisition PART FOUR - EXPLAINING SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: INTERNAL FACTORS Introduction 8. Language transfer 9. Cognitive accounts of second language acquisition 10. Linguistic universals and second language acquisition PART FIVE - EXPLAINING INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION Introduction 11. Individual learner differences 12. Learning strategies PART SIX - CLASSROOM SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION Introduction 13. Classroom interaction and second language acquisition 14. Formal instruction and second language acquisition PART SEVEN - CONCLUSION Introduction 15. Data, theory, and applications in second language acquisition research Glossary Bibliography Author index Subject index

One of the goals of second language acquisition research is to contribute to the development of a theory that can answer intriguing issues related to the role of first language in development and the extent to which universal principles of linguistic organization (universal grammar) guide the development of second language learners’ mental grammars for the target language. This study homes in on contributing to this goal by investigating how speakers of Lattakian Syrian Arabic acquire English indefinite RRCs. Based on the well-known properties of restrictive relative clauses in English, the account that best fits the data of English is the traditional operator movement analysis, while for Lattakian Syrian Arabic a clitic left-dislocation account offers the best fit. In this study, learners of different proficiency levels (as measured by an independent proficiency test) completed a grammaticality judgement task, a guided gap-filling task and a translation task. Results show partial first language influence at early stages of learning and persistent influence in later stages of learning, but specifically on properties that involve uninterpretable features. The findings largely support the theoretical position that argues for fundamental differences in native speaker and L2 syntactic representations. The implications of these findings for theories of second language acquisition are considered.