Interaction of contextual and individual variables in instructed early SLA

Jelena Mihaljevic Djigunovic

University of Zagreb, Croatia

Magdalena Szpotowicz
University of Warsaw, Poland

Early Language Learning in Europe

The present study: part of ELLiE*

multinational longitudinal project: Croatia, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom (N = 1,200) aim: What can realistically be achieved in state schools where relatively limited amounts of class time are available for FL learning? _________________________________________

*This research has been supported by a European Commission grant under the Lifelong Learning
Programme, Project n. 135632-LLP-2007-UK-KA1SCR. An additional British Council grant supported the Croatian team.

Early Language Learning in Europe

Country contexts: similarities



Croatia
Slavonic L1 mostly monolingual classes central curriculum ca.80 % - English two 45-min lessons per week

Poland
Slavonic L1 mostly monolingual classes central curriculum ca. 80 % - English two 45-min lessons per week

Early Language Learning in Europe

Country contexts: differences



Croatia
long tradition in FLL & early start compulsory from grade 1 since 2003 grades from the start of primary school massive out-of-school exposure (media, tourism)

Poland
short tradition in FLL & early start compulsory from grade 1 since 2008 no grades in lower primary not much exposure (dubbed TV)

Early Language Learning in Europe

Aims


the interplay of contextual variables and individual learner differences impact on L2 acquisition

Early Language Learning in Europe

Interplay of individual and contextual variables

Contextual variables

Wider social context

Language-learning milieu

The immediate language learning environment

National FL education policy

School setting

Significant others

Nature of instruction

Out-of-class exposure to English

Early Language Learning in Europe

Individual variables

Ability

Gender

Attitudes & motivation

Linguistic self-confidence

Early Language Learning in Europe

Sample

N = 350 first graders (age: 6/7 years) (F 170; M 180) 7 schools in Croatia 7 schools in Poland

Croatia

Poland

N=172
F 85 M 87

N=178
F 85 M 93

Early Language Learning in Europe

Methodology
 

mixed-method approach instruments

administered to whole sample administered to six focal learners per group

Early Language Learning in Europe

Measures
     

school setting instruction out-of-class exposure ability attitudes & motivation linguistic selfconfidence language achievement

     

observation oral interviews smiley questionnaires standard questionnaires listening tasks speaking tasks

Early Language Learning in Europe

Classroom instruction Example 1 (Use of L1 & L2)

S: Teacher, ta trebamo nacrtati? [what should we draw?] T: Eeee sad gledam [now I look] carefully. Ovdje su [Here are] two trees, na svakom [on each] tree trebate napraviti plodove [you need to make fruits]. Ovdje zna i [So here] apples, ovdje [here] pears. A iznad toga, lijepo ete ih obojiti [And above that you will colour them nicely], colour them and match them. Ovako. [Like this] ekaj, ekaj, ekaj. [Wait, wait, wait] Who is big? Tko je od njih [Who among them is] big? SS: Ovaj tu. Ovaj tu. [This one. This one.] Father. Father. T: Ok, who is strong? To ete sami odlu iti i spojiti. [You will decide for yourselves and connect.] Vidite ko je [See how..it is] small, pa povu ete crte do njega[then you draw lines to it] T: I dont know. T: Jeste dovr ili ovo? [Are you done with this?]

Early Language Learning in Europe

RESULTS

Early Language Learning in Europe

End-of-year language achievement: listening task

Minimum Maximum Mean SD Median Mode 0 17 13.670 2.511 14 13

Early Language Learning in Europe

Vocabulary acquisition (listening task)

High recognition
nose red, blue, green, yellow milk, yoghurt, chocolate mouth, legs trousers kitchen pencil, ruler, blackboard window, chair

Poor recognition
doing, writing, riding, eating

Early Language Learning in Europe

End-of-year language achievement: speaking task

Minimum Maximum Mean SD Median Mode 1 47 17.892 9.593 17 13

Early Language Learning in Europe

Vocabulary acquisition (speaking task)

High recall
colours (blue!) animals (cat, dog) fruit animals (hamster, mouse, parrot) animals (snake, crocodile) toys (teddy bear, doll)

Low recall
toys (kite, train, plane)

Early Language Learning in Europe

Interplay: type of settlement



Differences in motivation, linguistic self-confidence, ability and language achievement ANOVA:

linguistic self-confidence: ns ability: ns motivation:


city YLs < village & town YLs village & town YLs < city YLs

listening scores:


speaking scores: ns

Early Language Learning in Europe

Interplay: immediate teaching environment (key)

Village schools (43) (46) (73) (74) (75) (47) (71) (72) (41) (42) (44) (45) (76) (77)

Town schools

City schools

Early Language Learning in Europe

Interplay: immediate teaching environment



ANOVA:
linguistic self-confidence: ns Ability: ns Motivation:


(45) (city) < (76) (city), (75) (village), (72) (town), (74) (village), (71) (town), (73) (village) (46) (village) < (77) (city) (46) (village) < (77) (city)

Listening scores:


Speaking scores:


Early Language Learning in Europe

Group comparisons
Group (46) / lowest
achievement

Group (77) / highest

achievement

Unqualified T Local children

Generalist/English T Children from all over the city Specialized English classroom

No specialized classroom

Early Language Learning in Europe

Group comparison
Group (46) / lowest
achievement

Group (77) / highest

achievement

Too much L1 Whole-class Too little feedback Poor motivator Average classroom management skills

Balance of L1 & L2 In pairs & groups Appropriate feedback Very good motivator Very good classroom management skills

Early Language Learning in Europe

Grp

T perception of activities Ls enjoy most

TPR games, singing

Activities best liked by Ls

Singing, playing games, role-playing, counting

(46)

(77)

Games, competitions, acting out, drawing, singing

Learning new words, learning, games

Early Language Learning in Europe

Grp (46)

Materials used
Textbook Flashcards CD

Error correction
T ignores mistakes, even the obvious ones

(77)

Textbook Flashcards CD

T prompts self-correction

Early Language Learning in Europe

Comparison of 3 high & 3 low achievers



See handout

Early Language Learning in Europe

Correlations between ability, language achievement, linguistic self-confidence and motivation (grade 1) (Croatia/Poland)
Ability Listening Speaking Motivation Linguistic confidence

Ability

1.000

.182* .737** 1.000

.350* .684** .416** .799**

-.057 .353* -.211** .273**

.035 1.000** -.254 .737**

Listening

Speaking

1.000

-.376* .515**

.073 .684**

Motivation

1.000

-.109 .353*

Linguistic confidence

1.000

Early Language Learning in Europe

Correlations grade 2

Ability

Listening Speaking Motivation Linguistic confidence

Ability Listening Speaking Motivation Linguistic confidence

1.000

.257** 1.000

.051 .111 1.000

-.079 -.144 .072 1.000

.035 -.034 -.015

-.127 1.000

Early Language Learning in Europe

Grade 1

Grade 2

compreh

product

compreh

product

mot

Ling confd

mot

Ling confid

ability

ability

Early Language Learning in Europe

Conclusions


Instructed early SLA:

teaching context and individual learner differences seem to be relevant from the beginning of the early start interplay between contextual factors and individual learner differences is more revealing than separate variables interplay changes with length of learning

Early Language Learning in Europe

Implicatons
longitudinal approach key to understanding impact of interplay on SLA importance of triangulation include larger samples

Early Language Learning in Europe

Thank you for your attention!

Early Language Learning in Europe

Jelena Mihaljevic Djigunovic jmihalje@ffzg.hr Magdalena Szpotowicz m.szpotowicz@uw.edu.pl

Early Language Learning in Europe