Agree Disagreagree (7) (15)

Transcription

1 NISSLL Beginner Language Learner Survey: Summary for Italian Results are reported here for 18 respondents whose native language was English and whose secondary education was in the UK, and for a further 8 respondents whose native language was not English and/or whose secondary education was not in the UK. Grammar 1 Agree Disagreagree Neutral Agree Dis- Neutral 1 It is important to develop good grammar skills when you learn a foreign language (18) It is more important to be understood by the people you talk to in a foreign language than to have good grammar. (16) 3 Good grammar skills can develop naturally, just through trying to communicate, and without lots of effort on studying grammar (7) Having good grammar skills in a foreign language can make it easier and quicker for native speakers of the language to understand you. (15) (8) 5 Having good grammar skills doesn't matter if you are mainly going to use your foreign language with other language learners (and not with native speakers of the language) (15) Grammar 2 yes no yes no 6. When you are speaking in the language you have been learning, do you sometimes pause to think about grammar rules? (13) Summary of written responses indicating which aspects of grammar participants pause to think about when speaking (12 Group 1 and 4 Group 2 participants gave answers): Verb endings (including tense, conjugation ): 13 comments Noun gender: 4 comments 8. When you are writing in a foreign language, do you sometimes pause to think about grammar rules? (14)

2 9. Summary of written responses indicating which aspects of grammar participants pause to think about when writing (12 Group 1 and 5 Group 2 participants gave answers): Word order: 1 comments Noun gender: 2 comments Verb endings (including tense, conjugation ): 11 comments Adjective agreement: 1 comment Prepositions: 2 comments Agreement (nothing particular specified): 1 comment Singular vs. Plural: 1 comment Accents (on letters): 1 comment Grammar 4 10 When you are studying grammar of your new foreign language, how important do you find each of the following? /108 /48 making a conscious effort to use the rule in your speaking/writing memorising the grammar rule comparing the rule with rules in another foreign language that you have studied previously comparing the rule with rules in your native language memorising examples that illustrate the grammar rule looking out for examples of the rule in the writing or speech of native speakers Note: the scores show that the difference between one rank and the next are very small in several cases. Grammar 5 11 How useful did you find instruction about grammar on your language course? Agree Disagree Neutral Agree Disagree Neutral Grammar instruction helped me in my language learning (18) I understood all of the grammar terms used in the teaching (15) Examples, if disagree (only 2 comments provided): Need reminding what adverbs, articles, reflexives etc are Easier to learn by example than focus on grammar as rules 2

3 Grammar 6 13 How did you find the amount of grammar instruction on your course? Too little Just right Too much Too little Just right Too much The amount of grammar instruction on the course was (16) If you chose too little above, what would you take out of your language course in order to fit more grammar instruction in? A respondent suggested spending more time establishing grammar would be more effective than going straight into topics. Pronunciation Indicate whether you agree with each of the following statements about the Agree Disagreagree Neutral Agree Dis- Neutral importance of pronunciation in the language you have been learning. It is important to develop a good accent when you learn a foreign language (16) (8) It is more important to be understood by the people you talk to in a foreign language than to have a good accent. (13) (8) Good pronunciation can develop naturally, just through trying to communicate, and without lots of effort on studying pronunciation. (13) Having a good accent in a foreign language can make it easier and quicker for native speakers of the language to understand you. (18) (7) Having a good accent doesn't matter if you are mainly going to use your foreign language with other language learners (not with native speakers of the language) (12) Pronunciation 2 yes no yes no 16. When you are speaking in a foreign language, do you sometimes pause to think about pronunciation rule? (12) Summary of written responses indicating which aspects of pronunciation participants pause to think about when speaking (5 Group 1 and 2 Group 2 participants gave answers): The sound of c (vs. cc ): 3 comments Effect of accents on vowels: 1 comment Letters that have a different pronunciation to English: 1 Vowel sounds: 1 comment comment Combinations of letters: 1 comment ci vs. chi : 1 comment 3

4 Skills 18 the following aspects of language learning in an order of how important you think they are for successful language learning. Put the most important one at the top and the least important at the bottom: /108 /48 writing reading grammar vocabulary listening speaking Put the following aspects of language learning in an order depending on the time you spend on them in your language class. Put the one that most class time is spent on at the top and the one that least class time is spent on at the bottom: /108 /48 listening writing reading vocabulary speaking grammar Reflective language learning 20. Have you ever reflected on any aspect of your language learning? ( Reflecting on language learning means thinking about the way that you learn a language.) yes no yes no (12) 4

5 21. If you answered Yes above, please indicate how important each of the following types of self-reflection has been for your language learning: Evaluating my achievements in key language skills (e.g., grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, communication, reading, etc.) Reflecting upon how I learn languages best. Considering my individual learning needs (strengths, weaknesses, areas for improvement, etc.) Reflecting on the role of mistakes as a language learning tool. Understanding the process of language learning. Note: In (21iii) only 11/12 of Group 1 provided a response; the percentage is still calculated /12. Group 1 (n=12) Group 2 (n=5) Agree Disagreagree Neutral Agree Dis- Neutral (9) (11) (11) (9) (11) Cultural Context 22. Please select one option below, to indicate how important cultural context has been for you in the Group 1 language you are learning. (n=18) Knowing about the cultural context of the language has benefitted my language learning. (10) Knowing about the cultural context of the language is interesting but it has not benefitted my language learning. (7) Knowing about the cultural context of the language is not important to me in any way Group 2 (n=8) (8)

6 Motivation for studying this language: 23. What made you decide to start a new language in 2013? Choose all that apply. 1) I think it will enhance my job prospects. 2) I frequently travel to a country where this language is spoken. 3) I have family members/friends who speak this language and I want to use it with them. 4) I had to take this language to meet the requirements of my degree course. 5) I am hoping to travel to a country where this language is spoken. 6) I want to be able to read in this language. 7) I just felt curious about this language for no special reason. 8) Other Fig 1: Rates (%) of selection of each motivating factor, in response to Question 23. (Participants could select more than one option.) Group 1 Group 2 6