Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Briggs (2014) Second Language Teaching and Learning - The Roles of Teachers Stu PDF
Briggs (2014) Second Language Teaching and Learning - The Roles of Teachers Stu PDF
DigitalCommons@USU
5-2014
Recommended Citation
Briggs, Martin, "Second Language Teaching and Learning: the Roles of Teachers, Students, and the
Classroom Environment" (2014). All Graduate Plan B and other Reports. 377.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/gradreports/377
by
Martin Briggs
of
Approved:
________________________________ ______________________________
Dr. Joshua J. Thoms Dr. Karin de Jonge-Kannan
Major Professor Committee Member
________________________________ ______________________________
Dr. Maria Luisa Spicer-Escalante Dr. Bradford J. Hall
Committee Member Department Head
Logan, Utah
2014
ii
ABSTRACT
by
This portfolio is a compilation of the concepts and practices that the author
teaching philosophy, which is based on the teacher’s roles as facilitator and the students’
claims that as teachers and students understand and carry out their respective roles,
In support of this teaching philosophy, three artifacts are included that discuss the
following: 1) The use of television commercials and other media from the target culture
Hispanic English language learners in Cache County, Utah, and 3) the speech act of
declining an invitation in the United States. These artifacts and teaching philosophy are
(142 pages)
iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am sincerely grateful to all the people who have helped me throughout the
process of writing this portfolio. First, I thank my committee members, Dr. Karin de
program at Utah State University, and who spent countless hours revising my portfolio
the world of technology use in the second language classroom. He has also sacrificed
hours of his time to give me priceless feedback and revisions of my portfolio, as well as
I would also like to thank my classmates and colleagues for their input and advice
in both teaching and research, and for their friendship and support throughout the
portfolio process. Lastly, I thank my wife, Megan, who first inspired me to pursue a
CONTENTS
ABSTRACT.......................................................................................................................iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS..................................................................................................iv
INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................1
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY...............................................................................................3
Apprenticeship of Observation................................................................................4
Professional Environment........................................................................................7
Personal Teaching Philosophy.................................................................................8
LANGUAGE ARTIFACT.................................................................................................33
LITERACY ARTIFACT...................................................................................................52
CULTURE ARTIFACT.....................................................................................................68
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................85
LOOKING FORWARD..................................................................................................113
REFERENCES................................................................................................................115
APPENDICES.................................................................................................................128
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
INTRODUCTION
This portfolio is a compilation of the concepts and ideals that I have adopted
while studying in the Master of Second Language Teaching (MSLT) program at Utah
State University. It centers around my personal teaching philosophy, which has evolved
over the past three semesters as I attended classes, read books and articles, and attempted
to apply the concepts I learned in my own Spanish and English as a second language
My teaching philosophy is based on three pillars, namely, the role of the teacher,
the role of the student, and the ideal classroom environment for language learning. The
with the tools necessary to communicate. Meanwhile, the students fulfill their role by
using the input they are given as they interact with others in the target language. By
promoting positive, respectful interaction between students and with the teacher, the
learning environment can be enhanced by incorporating content into the curriculum that
is “produced by members of a language and culture group for members of the same
language and culture group” (Shrum & Glisan, 2010, p. 85), via a number of
Also included in this portfolio are three artifacts that reflect some of the concepts
teacher. The first artifact focuses on teaching the Spanish language, particularly through
the use of electronic media that native Spanish speakers use for entertainment.
2
The second artifact is a proposed study design with the goal to improve the
literacy of local Hispanic English language learners (ELLs) in Cache Valley. It includes a
review of the research for assessing community language services such as ESL programs
police departments.
invitation may seem simple for a native speaker, research shows that it is a delicate
have studied that have been most influential to me. It is divided into three sections, each
with a particular focus. The first section covers some of the most influential works on
second language teaching, while the second section is devoted to teaching the particular
cultural concept of refusals. The third section highlights work that centers on the use of
throughout my time in the MSLT program has been a rewarding experience, and has
helped open my eyes to the endless amounts of accessible information for improving my
abilities to teach languages. I have also learned that my teaching philosophy will (and
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
4
Apprenticeship of Observation
schooled by my mother until 4th grade was unique, but (perhaps more thanks to her than
to myself) by the time I entered public school, I was one of the top students in the class.
taught four or five children, all in different grade levels, at the same time. She played an
important role in my being prepared for public school when I was enrolled in 4th grade.
Public school helped me grow academically even more, and I think it was during
junior high and high school that I grew the most. Several of my teachers had to practice
their behavior management with me on a regular basis. Many of those teachers helped me
develop a love of math, accounting, learning, and teaching. I was inspired to become a
teacher thanks to Mr. Ward, a new math teacher who was completing his student teaching
at the time. I loved how he was ‘cool’ and seemed to be more like us students than most
of the other teachers, and I enjoyed being in his class. I felt like someday I could be that
It was in high school that I took my first Spanish class. Like most students, I was
activities such as asking for classmates’ names, phone numbers, etc. Though the
instruction in those Spanish classes was grammar-based, I enjoyed class and learned to
talk about my likes and dislikes and to give and request information well enough to
that the teaching methods used in those classes would have a considerable impact on the
methodology that is common in most parts of the US today, and is usually characterized
by grammar drills, repetition, and few opportunities for students to communicate with
For my student teaching, I was sent to a high school in which I would be teaching
Spanish and ESL. The district language teaching methods in that area followed the Total
Physical Response (TPR) (Asher, 1969) and TPR Storytelling (Ray & Seely, 1998)
approaches, both of which were at the opposite end of the language teaching method
spectrum from the methodology through which I had been taught. I struggled a great deal
to try to adapt my teaching style to the way that most of the teachers around me were
teaching, since most of them taught with no grammar instruction at all, while I had
I was very grateful when my student teaching experience ended, for though I had
teaching a foreign language. Then, instead of pounding out conjugation drills and
dissecting the meaning and production of –ar, –er, and –ir verbs with my students, we
focused on communicating and completing specific tasks in Spanish. The grammar that
we learned was to facilitate communication, rather than the ultimate goal of instruction. I
have good reason to believe my students agree that their learning environment
accuracy (see, for example, Ballman, Liskin-Gasparro, & Mendell, 2001). I attribute this
success mostly to the teaching method that I have become familiar with while at Utah
by Lee and VanPatten (2003), which I will address in greater detail later.
Today, as a DLI teacher in Spanish and English, I am working to adapt the CLT
ignored. Rather, it is only taught when and to the depth it should be. I am still working on
adapting to the CLT method. However, as I near the end of my experience in the MSLT
program and begin my teaching career in DLI, I hope to be able to make use of any type
Professional Environment
from USU, I plan to continue teaching in DLI in public education. I also plan to teach
ESL and possibly Spanish, in adult education and university settings, both in the United
background of students in the Park City, Utah, where I currently teach. While many of
the native English-speaking students typically come from middle- and upper-class
Students also vary in their literacy level, both in English and in Spanish.
Another group of students that I plan to continue teaching in the future is adult
ESL students, both in university and community settings. This means that my relationship
with my students (and, when applicable, their parents) will vary considerably, including
the topics of interest that we discuss in class and the technological resources available to
Since the majority of this portfolio was completed prior to my being hired as a
DLI teacher, it is mostly geared toward teaching ESL to adults and adolescents in
international settings. However, the principles and concepts I discuss can also be applied
to teaching the Spanish language, both in the US and abroad, and to children, adolescents,
and adults. I discuss the application of these principles and concepts further in my
During the past three semesters in the MSLT program at Utah State University
(USU), my idea of what constitutes an effective language teacher has been transformed in
many ways. Though it will continue to evolve throughout my teaching career, in this
section of my portfolio I highlight what I believe to be some of the most important traits
of effective foreign language instruction. To do so, I reference various scholars who have
conducted research on the given subjects, as well as contribute examples from my own
teaching.
I begin by expanding on the role of the foreign language teacher, including the
importance of input that students can understand and process in their minds; the role of
grammar instruction; and other tenets of the CLT methodology. I then expand on the role
the target language, by which I mean using the language in a meaningful way to
accomplish a set of tasks and communicative goals. Third, I describe the ideal classroom
environment for language learning, including the importance of a low anxiety level that
comes through a positive relationship between the teacher and students. Lastly, I explain
some of the benefits of using authentic texts and technology to enhance motivation and
language acquisition.
First, regarding the role of the teacher in a second language classroom, I believe
that a teacher who is the center of attention at all times—leading each activity, calling on
students one-by-one to respond, and talking for nearly the whole class time (whether in
the students’ native language or the target language)—will feel burdened and
9
overwhelmed. Lee and VanPatten (2003) call this type of role, in which the teacher is
“the authority, the expert, the central figure in the classroom who transmits knowledge to
the students” the Atlas complex (p. 6). Early in my teaching career, in a high school
Spanish language classroom, I experienced the Atlas complex, and I believe my students
did not reach their full potential because I did not give them enough opportunities to use
assume the role of an architect (Lee & VanPatten, 2003) in my teaching. Just as an
architect leads a group of builders to construct a building, I believe a teacher should lead
his/her students toward a communicative goal by giving them the tools (Vygotsky, 1978)
(e.g., a certain grammar principle or a cultural norm for apologizing in the target culture)
to complete meaningful, real-life activities. This process allows students to learn and
grow in their language proficiency as they use the tools to communicate (rather than
The way in which a teacher can provide his/her students with tools is through
input, which can come in many forms, including writing, video, pictures, verbal
communication, and so on. As Lee and VanPatten (2003) explain, input, like petroleum,
can come in various forms and levels of quality. Often, the higher the quality of the
refined petroleum (such as high-octane gasoline), the better a vehicle will run. In the
same way, Krashen (1982, 1985) teaches that not just any input leads to language
acquisition, but rather, input at a slightly more advanced level than what the students can
counsel by slowing down and simplifying my speech, using gestures and other visual
aids, and by linking ideas to students’ background knowledge (see also Hatch, 1983). I
agree with Lee and VanPatten (2003), who claim that “features of language … can only
make their way into the learner’s mental representation of the language system if they
have been linked to some kind of real-world meaning” (p. 27). I also believe it is
important to use the target language as much as possible in the classroom, even for
beginner-level students (Lee & VanPatten, 2003). In fact, the American Council on the
Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL, 2012), suggests that the target language be
used at least 90% of class time, by both teacher and students. In my own classroom, I try
to limit teacher-talk time to less than 50% of the class, leaving the rest of the time for
students to use the language as they communicate with each other to complete task-based
activities.
Task-based activities (TBA) (e.g., Ballman et al., 2001; Ellis, 2003) play a key
communicative goal (Ballman et al., 2001) rather than simply mastering a specific
grammar skill. To further explain TBA, I use Lee’s (2000) definition of ‘task’:
(1) a classroom activity or exercise that has (a) an objective attainable only by the
interaction, and (c) a focus on meaning exchange; and (2) a language learning
One might notice Lee’s use of the words ‘interaction’, ‘participants’, ‘learners’,
and ‘perform’, implying that TBA are learner-centered rather than teacher-centered (e.g.,
Ballman, 1998). Relating back to the architect metaphor I used earlier, though the
architect (i.e., the teacher) directs the work, it is the group of builders (i.e., students) who
complete the construction of the building. As students focus on the task at hand (rather
than the ‘correct’ way to use a hammer), they become much more effective, and not only
accomplish the task but improve their construction (language) skills and abilities.
this task, students must (a) come up with their own criteria for their desired apartment,
(b) search through rental advertisements (either printed or electronic) for an apartment
that fits their needs, and (c) then communicate (both in written and oral conversation)
with the landlord (e.g., the teacher, a guest native speaker, or fellow students) to lease
their new home. While grammar is not the central focus of this activity, it is still taught,
but only the amount needed to complete the task. In this case, the teacher could explain
apartment vocabulary such as bedroom, kitchen, furnished, and utilities, and how to
conjugate verbs such as rent, pay, look, and move in the first and second person singular
forms. The teacher would not need to teach all of the various verb forms and conjugations
at this time. This same activity can also be adapted for ESL and EFL students.
2001; Lee & VanPatten, 2003). In other words, I believe effective language teachers
focus on helping students communicate with native speakers of the target language rather
12
than on saying and writing everything with no grammatical errors. Traditionally, there are
two types of second language teaching methods that are located on opposite ends of the
spectrum for teaching grammar (Ballman et al., 2001). On one end, there is the “grammar
for grammar’s sake” type, and on the other end the “no grammar instruction” type
(Ballman et al., 2001, p. 32). The CLT method, many aspects of which I incorporate in
my teaching philosophy, fits in the middle of the grammar spectrum in second language
teaching. I call this approach the ‘happy medium’ because it focuses not on the question
of whether grammar should be taught, but rather on the amount that should be taught, the
time at which it should be taught, and the method that should be used to do so
(VanPatten, 1988). Rather than teaching grammar explicitly through drills and
example above in which students are taught only the grammar necessary to successfully
program at USU, I had taught second languages using other methods located on both
ends of the spectrum of grammar instruction. But now, having taught first-year, college-
level Spanish language courses and an intensive English conversation course at USU, I
have seen the results of teaching with the CLT method. Students have become more
confident in their oral and written communication, and their overall communicative
linguistic, and other abilities essential for communication—has increased. Each class
period, I try to provide several opportunities for students to communicate with each other
in meaningful ways as they work together to accomplish the culminating TBA by the end
13
of the period. These activities are not focused on practicing and refining a given grammar
accomplish the task. I find that as my students work together to accomplish these tasks,
they can communicate with each other and get their point across, even though they
what I believe to be the role of the language teacher, in the following section I describe
While the task of providing input is a responsibility of the teacher, I also believe
that language learners have certain responsibilities as well, if they are to acquire the
language. One responsibility learners have is to attend to the input they receive. As input
“gets processed in [learners’] working memory” (Lee & VanPatten, 2003, p. 31), it
becomes intake. This intake, in turn, eventually becomes part of learners’ interlanguage
via occasions when learners are pushed to produce output (Swain & Lapkin, 1998;
Swain, 2005).
Output plays an integral role in second language acquisition (SLA), for the same
reason an athlete improves his/her abilities through practice and exercise, and a builder
improves his/her professional abilities through using the tools of the trade. Reverting
back to the architect metaphor, I believe that my students (i.e., the builders) can improve
very little by only receiving input. To improve their proficiency, they must use the
language (i.e., a symbolic tool) to interact with others in a meaningful way (Long, 1983;
Magnan, 2008; Swain & Lapkin, 1998), using the grammar to support communication
improvement. Just as a newly hired employee needs guidance and sometimes makes
mistakes as s/he learns the right skills, language learners also make mistakes and require
coaching and guidance as they work to develop their language proficiency. While today
my students might need some assistance to accomplish the communicative tasks set
before them, in the future they will be able to accomplish the task without assistance.
According to Vygotsky, there are three stages within regulation, namely, object-
through which only young children pass—and my students are teens and adults—for the
purposes of this teaching philosophy I describe only the latter two. When going through
the other-regulation stage, learners rely on ‘others’ who are more competent than them,
such as the teacher or a more proficient peer. Then, as the student learns and develops
his/her proficiency, s/he transitions into the self-regulation stage, or the stage at which
s/he no longer needs assistance to complete the task. Vygostky further describes the gap
at one end of which is a person’s actual level of development (i.e., his/her ability to
perform a given task with no assistance) and at the other end of which is s/he cannot
Vygotsky (1978) suggests that “[a] child’s mental development can be determined
only by clarifying its two levels: the actual development level and the zone of proximal
development” (p. 87), and I believe this concept applies to people of all ages. I have had
students come to me after scoring poorly on a chapter test, and then, as we review and I
15
offer a little assistance, are able to score much higher. In other words, some of the things
my students can do today only with assistance, they will be able to do in the future
independently. Now that I have explained my philosophy regarding the teacher’s and
learners’ respective roles in the second language classroom, I will discuss the ideal
classroom environment for SLA, one in which the teacher and the students interact in a
Classroom environment
To explain the impact that the classroom environment has on learners’ SLA, I
refer once more to the architect metaphor. There is always a reason for which the builders
are motivated to work hard every day. If the builders lack motivation, progress on the
building slows or stops altogether. I believe the same principle of motivation applies in
Dörnyei and Csizér (1998) provide a list of ten ‘commandments’ for motivating
students, three of which I believe greatly impact students’ ability to acquire the language.
The first commandment is to “set a personal example with your own behaviour” (p. 215).
I highly agree, since I have seen my students’ excitement toward learning the language
increase as I show enthusiasm toward teaching it. The second of Dörnyei and Csizér’s
215). Krashen (1982, 1985) also emphasizes that language is acquired as students feel a
low level of anxiety. The third commandment from Dörnyei and Csizér’s (1998) list that
I believe is important is to “develop a good relationship with the learners” (p. 216). By
(WTC) (MacIntyre, 2007; MacIntyre, Clément, Dörnyei, & Noels, 1998) increases.
16
significant consequences for the rate of learning and the ultimate level of success”
(Mitchell & Myles, 2004, p. 256), I strive to give my students as many opportunities as
survey, or performing a role-play. This can come through paired, group, or whole-class
activities, while avoiding those activities that single students out through calling on
someone to give an answer. As I provide students with opportunities to use the skills and
al. (2001) state that “student-initiated” grammar instruction, or “teachable moments,” are
“likely to make a lasting impression because [they fill] a student’s self-identified need”
(pp. 50–51). Feedback can also be focused on the teacher. Hattie (2009) writes:
When teachers seek, or at least are open to, feedback from students as to what
students know, what they understand, where they make errors, when they have
misconceptions, when they are not engaged, then teaching and learning can be
synchronized and powerful. Feedback to teachers helps make learning visible (p.
14).
from students to know what type of activities will maximize their students’ WTC. I once
asked students at the end of the semester which learning activities they felt had been most
17
effective. Their responses both amazed and surprised me, since their favorite activities
were ones that I had shied away from repeating too much, so as to avoid boredom.
Though I have since used the activities more often, the class could have been more
beneficial for my students had I sought feedback on a more regular basis regarding the
concepts that have proven helpful for me in to maintain student interest and thus avoid
One of the main ways I encourage meaningful interaction is through the use of
authentic texts—media that is made by native or fluent speakers for native or fluent
speakers of the same language (Rings, 1986). According to Blake (2008), “the Internet is
an ideal tool for allowing students to gain access to authentic L2 materials; it might be the
next best alternative to actually going abroad” (p. 4). Since authentic texts were made for
grammar, they can be a great resource for helping students acquire the language.
part of my lessons, which also exposes students to the target culture (Etienne &
Vanbaelen, 2006). Martínez-Gibson (1998) recommends that the teacher “[select] several
commercials” which “will give [students] enough variation to find common aspects of a
country and identify these as unique to a culture” (p. 130). Using commercials also
continues: “[Using several commercials] gives [students] the opportunity for creative and
critical thinking in their writing assignments” (p. 130). In addition, authentic texts are
18
useful for increasing student motivation, an integral part of WTC. For example, Otte
(2006) writes: “Students’ motivation to gain more exposure to [the L2] increased as a
result of the use of aural authentic texts in the classroom” (p. 133). While experimenting
with authentic texts, I have observed that my students’ motivation to gain more exposure
to the language is increased through the use of commercials and other authentic texts in
grammar. Through using authentic texts (e.g., The Three Little Pigs in an ESL class),
during communicative tasks and activities. … [Through] dialog with the teacher and each
& Glisan, 2010, pp. 216–217). Perhaps one of the most important reasons to use authentic
texts in the classroom is to expose students to the various cultures of native speakers of
the target language. This reason is especially pertinent to teachers who are non-native
speakers of the target language, as well as teachers who teach in an area where students
have fewer opportunities to interact with native speakers of the target language on a
regular basis. Thus, authentic texts can serve as an effective means for teaching the
While authentic texts can come in the form of print or electronic sources (audio or
language teaching. Blake (2008) explains that e-mail and chats offer students “the highest
level of interactivity because they permit one-on-one, personal exchanges” (p. 10). I have
students to communicate with key pals (i.e., pen pals, by e-mail communication) from
other countries who speak the target language. It has been interesting and rewarding to
see the types of exchanges that occur between the students and their native-speaker key
pals. One reason it has been rewarding is the higher motivation with which my students
have approached their writing assignments, since their audience consists of real people
who actually speak the L2 as a native language, rather than a teacher (or worse, a
computer program) whose feedback often tends to be limited to the grammatical mistakes
the students make. One more reason is that it potentially requires less work on the
teacher’s part to provide feedback, as the exchanges between students and native
speakers can occur on a wiki or blog, which the teacher need only check periodically.
can serve as yet another teaching and learning tool in foreign language education,
particularly by helping to lower student anxiety toward writing in the L2 (Foroutan &
Noordin, 2012). The process for developing and keeping a dialogue journal is simple. As
the name entails, these journals involve a dialogue between two people—the student and
a more proficient peer (i.e., the teacher or a student from a more advanced class). Since
the dialogue journal does not include any explicit corrective feedback, it provides a
context in which students can feel less intimidated and more motivated, since they can
discuss a virtually endless variety of topics. These topics can be chosen by the teacher
and included in a prompt, if desired. I have used dialogue journals in Spanish, EFL, and
ESL classrooms, and the results tend to be the same. Not only do I as the teacher get a
more representative sample of each student’s writing proficiency in the target language,
but I also get to know my students better as they tell me about their favorite hobbies, their
20
well as their interests, I become better equipped to provide individualized instruction for
Conclusion
learning, and the role of authentic materials and technology to facilitate language
acquisition. As a DLI teacher, my role is to give my students tools for acquiring the target
language, such as comprehensible input in the target language and only the amount of
especially important for young learners like my second-grade students, many of which
I must also help my students understand that their role is to use the target
limited when there is no output. In the Utah DLI program, students and teacher alike are
expected to use only the target language within the target language classroom. By doing
so, students have rapidly improved their Spanish proficiency, and many are able to
communicate very well in the content area—which, in the current Utah DLI curriculum
for second grade, includes mathematics, literacy in the target language, and other content
areas such as social studies and science (Utah Dual Language Immersion, 2014)—even
though some have only been in the DLI program for a few months.
classroom must have a respectful, relaxed atmosphere in which students are willing to
21
communicate in the target language and not be fearful of committing errors. By providing
target language, I can help my students build their proficiency in Spanish and ESL.
activities I include by engaging my students with authentic media and using technology
inside and outside of the classroom to connect my students with the target language and
culture. The language, literacy, and culture artifacts that follow this philosophy reflect not
only some of the work I have done as a student in the MSLT program but, more
the past three semesters, it has been my pleasure to observe several colleagues teach a
foreign language. In this section, I will discuss four of them. At the time of the
observations, three of these colleagues were graduate instructors (GIs) in the MSLT
program, and the other was a visiting Fulbright scholar. The bright scholar and one of the
GIs were each a native speaker (NS) of their target language (Arabic and English,
respectively), while the other two GIs where nonnative speakers (NNSs) of the target
Regarding the classes I observed, all of them were college-level foreign language
classes. The Arabic instructor taught two Arabic classes—a first-semester course and a
conversation class, and the two Spanish instructors each taught a first-semester Spanish
class. Through these observations, I have been able to compare the teaching methods of
As mentioned in the previous section, I believe both teacher and students have
language learning. The teacher, through comprehensible input in the target language
(TL)—in the form of verbal and nonverbal communication, as well as authentic texts—
provides students with enough explicit instruction to be able to accomplish the TBA at
hand. Meanwhile, the students’ role is to use the tools the teacher gives them, to
communicate and interact with others. By fulfilling their respective roles, teacher and
students can create a positive, respectful classroom atmosphere in which students are
24
willing to take risks and commit occasional errors in the TL. These things put together
First, I will discuss the role of the teacher in the various classes I observed. One of
communicative goal was to book a hotel in a Spanish-speaking country, each student was
assigned one of two roles—either a hotel receptionist or a traveler. Naturally, the goal of
the travelers was to reserve a room for a given number of days with a limited amount of
money, while the receptionists’ goal was to convince as many travelers as possible to stay
in their hotel. By preparing specific roles for each student ahead of time, the teacher
could then assume a background role and act as a participant and an observer in the
activity, rather than being the center of attention. Furthermore, the instructor had
provided students beforehand with only the amount of explicit grammar instruction
necessary to carry out their respective roles in the activity. Not only was the activity
student-centered, but it also had a communicative goal that required students to interact
with each other and negotiate meaning (Savignon, 1983, 1997) as they worked to
complete the TBA. Each of these aspects represents what I believe to be the correct role
of a FL teacher, and are basic tenets of the CLT method for language teaching.
Another tenet of CLT and the student-centered classroom that I noted was the
greater amount of student talk than teacher talk during the second half of the class.
Furthermore, when the teacher did speak, it was 100% in the target language (TL). This
25
practice of using the TL at all times is something that I still seek to improve in my own
classroom. Using only the TL greatly contributes to the students’ success in the
classroom, since the more comprehensible input they receive and process as intake (Lee
& VanPatten, 2003), the greater their acquisition of the language will be (Krashen, 1982).
While there was more student talk than teacher talk during the second half of
class, I was initially disappointed in their lack of participation, since several were
conversing with each other in their native language instead of participating in class.
However, when the teacher introduced the hotel reservation activity, most students
became more motivated and willing to communicate with each other in the target
language as they worked to complete the TBA. This contrast in student behavior provides
participate in class, and I believe the teacher could have done so through less teacher talk
Spanish class, incorporated activities into his lesson plan that encouraged student-talk
throughout the whole class period. By providing his students with several opportunities to
students’ WTC (MacIntyre, 2007) increased. This type of learning environment is what I
variety of learning activities in order to fit a variety of students’ interests and abilities
26
students in acquiring the TL. I agree with Swain (1985), that it is not only by receiving
comprehensible input (Krashen, 1982) that one acquires a new language, but also by
producing output, through interaction with others in the target language (Long, 1983,
1996). Furthermore, the interaction that occurs should focus on form rather than on
grammar (Ballman et al., 2001). Each of these requirements was met as the teachers in
both these classes included a variety of activities that required students to discuss
meaningful, interesting topics. For example, in the ESL class, students shared their
opinions of Halloween (a US holiday that had been celebrated the day before) in a brief
survey, comparing and contrasting the holiday with possibly similar holidays in their
respective cultures.
class was the use of authentic texts (i.e., media made by native or fluent speakers of the
target language for native or fluent speakers of the target language) as part of instruction
and learning activities. After my colleague elicited students’ reactions to Halloween, she
provided students with a handout of Halloween statistics and interesting facts, such as the
percentage of Americans who dress up for Halloween. This authentic text had been
27
created for the entertainment of native English speakers, but the instructor easily
incorporated it into her lesson as a means of encouraging discussion while also teaching
authentic text in their learning activities, it was the ESL instructor and an Arabic
enhance instruction and learning activities in their classrooms. For example, the Arabic
instructor not only used the typical PowerPoint presentation, but also made use of a
document camera, as well as the touch screen of a computer to better illustrate for
in a FL class not only increases student motivation, but also has the potential to teach
cultural aspects through digital video and other multimedia-based materials (Chen &
Oller, 2005; Etienne & Vanbaelen, 2006; Tschirner, 2001) that were less accessible prior
to the expansion of internet accessibility. Sadly, I did not see any such examples of
In summary, much of the teaching I observed during my time in the MSLT has
incorporating these into their classes, I believe they can more effectively help their
class that I taught at Utah State University in April, 2013. The class took place on a
Friday at 8:30 a.m., which is important to note early on given that many students
appeared to be tired from a week of school and did not appear to be completely awake
during the class. The communicative goal for this particular lesson was that students
would be able to tell about their favorite vacation (e.g., when it was, what they did, why
philosophy, and others that should be avoided or changed to better conform to my beliefs
on three primary components: 1) the role(s) of the teacher, 2) the role(s) of the students,
the importance of using authentic texts, particularly those that are technology-based, to
enhance communication and motivation to study the TL. It is against these principles that
I evaluate my teaching.
First, concerning the classroom environment, I believe the lower anxiety level of
and their willingness to communicate (MacIntyre, 2007) in the TL, which is particularly
evidenced by the students’ willingness to ask me questions when they did not understand.
The student desk arrangement was also conducive to learning. With 4 rows of students, I
organized students into two pairs of rows, which has proven successful for me by
facilitating fast and easy partner changes, in a type of ‘speed dating’ pattern whenever
30
students rotate. This arrangement also took the focus away from me as a teacher, making
the class atmosphere more student-centered (encouraged in the CLT method) rather than
al., 2001). Another advantage of this desk arrangement is that it made it easier for me to
notice when there was an odd number of students, and I could simply sit down across
Though the classroom arrangement was conducive to SLA, I notice that I made a
mistake during paired activities. Several activities were meant to be divided into two
parts (e.g., one student interviews his/her partner, then they switch roles), and I filled in
for a student who was absent. However, I stood up and left my partner by him/herself for
the second half of the activity, as I walked around the room to observe students and offer
help. Since a good foreign language classroom environment requires the teacher to
making him/herself available to all students to offer feedback, I could have avoided the
problem by explicitly planning beforehand for alternative grouping in case there was an
Next, I notice that several of my actions in the classroom resemble tenets of the
CLT method. First, as mentioned above, the group and paired activities were student-
centered and focused on communication rather than grammar. For example, to introduce
hobbies, sports, and activities, I devised a quick guessing game for pairs, in which one
student would describe his/her favorite sport or hobby (where s/he engages in the activity,
what equipment is required, etc. and his/her partner would try to guess what it was. This
taught only what I believed to be the grammar necessary to complete the next
communicative activity, which is also characteristic of CLT. Through visual aids such as
and examples, most students were able to then apply the concept in the activities that
followed. Most of the activities were TBA (Ballman et al., 2001; Ellis, 2003), in which
students had a communicative goal, such as asking someone questions to guess his/her
favorite sport or hobby, or interviewing a person about his/her worst date ever.
Though the activities were communicative, I notice a problem that detracts from
SLA, and that is the use of one’s native language in the classroom. The CLT method
advocates 100% use of the TL by both teacher and students (Ballman et al., 2001), but
many of my students, including my most proficient student, used English when they did
not completely understand the activity. I could have overcome this problem by setting a
better example for my students by never using a word of English, and by emphasizing the
many other resources students have to communicate, such as gestures and other non-
verbal communication. Though instruction might take longer to make sure all students
understand, I could spend less time talking about personal anecdotes to give students as
Lastly, regarding my use of authentic texts (e.g., Crossley et al., 2007), I believe
my lesson followed my teaching philosophy, at least to some degree. For example, in the
lesson I introduced the preterit tense in Spanish through a story that is internationally well
32
known. I had previously found a version of the children’s story The Three Little Pigs in
Spanish, and asked students to work in pairs to review a section of the story and write
some of the words that seemed new or peculiar to them (in this case, the ones that had an
accent mark, indicating the possibility of a word in the preterit tense). This process in
which students worked with the input fits the concept of noticing (Schmidt, 2001), in
which the input is “manipulated in particular ways to push learners to become dependent
on form and structure to get meaning” (Lee & VanPatten, 2003, p. 142). Students
received the activity well, as they were familiar with the context. If I could do the activity
again, another possible authentic text could be from an online news source such as
Univisión or CNN en español, while still finding an article with which students are
recording that matched what I claim to be my teaching philosophy, I also notice some
areas in which I can improve. The classroom environment was conducive to SLA, and
there were several traits of the CLT method to language teaching, as well as an example
better understand the common phrase ‘Easier said than done’. To articulate a teaching
philosophy is important, but applying the teaching philosophy is a process that takes time
and attention to detail. I hope that throughout my teaching career, I will regularly record
LANGUAGE ARTIFACT
This paper was written for Dr. Maria Luisa Spicer-Escalante in the Spanish 6200
course, Spanish Linguistics. I originally wrote this paper with my classmate Kyle Hatch,
but since then I have incorporated some changes as I prepared it for my portfolio. Since
acquiring the target language, and using authentic texts and technology, I chose to
include this paper as the language artifact in my portfolio. Its focus on using authentic
texts and technology in the FL classroom to enhance instruction of both linguistic and
cultural aspects, as well as increase students’ motivation and WTC (MacIntyre, 2007),
Spanish/English DLI. One major difference that I have noticed between university
students and elementary students is their attention span, particularly with respect to their
career—many elementary students have a much lower dedication, and thus have a
relatively short attention span. Nonetheless, the virtually limitless variety of technology-
delivered authentic texts makes can be adapted to maintain students interest regardless of
discussed in class. While the content of a university entry-level Spanish class is typically
35
focused purely on the Spanish language and its associated cultural aspects, the content of
a Spanish DLI class is based more heavily on other school subjects, such as mathematics,
science, or social studies. This difference is also minor when one considers the amount
technology-delivered authentic texts that can be used for educational purposes in any
content area.
That being stated, while the concepts and practices discussed in this paper are
the Spanish language because of its increased use throughout the world. Spanish is
currently the third most widely spoken language in the world, with more than 53 million
people of Hispanic origin (17% of the total population) in the US alone in 2012, ranking
the US as the country with the second-largest Hispanic population in the world (United
States Census Bureau, 2013a). Naturally, many people in the US are studying Spanish.
However, with this increase in teaching Spanish as an FL, it can be difficult for teachers
to create a classroom environment where students have opportunities to interact with the
During the initial process of writing this artifact, I was able to apply some of the
concepts mentioned in this paper, particularly the use of commercials and other authentic
so, I noticed an increase in students’ interest in Spanish and its associated cultural and
linguistic aspects. Other findings indicate that the use of various forms of authentic text,
including multimedia such as commercials and short video clips (e.g., Hispanic soap
operas) is an effective way to bring the Spanish language and its various cultures into the
36
classroom. I believe that these methods will increase student motivation, WTC, cultural
Background
spoken language in the world, by over 495 million native and nonnative speakers
(Fernández & Vitores, 2012) in at least 47 different countries (Ethnologue, 2013) across
four1 continents (Hualde, Olarrea, Escobar, & Travis, 2010). As the world’s economy
becomes increasingly globalized, it is not only beneficial but also necessary for students
and communication, learners of Spanish as a second language, particularly in the US, can
be exposed to many varieties of Spanish that differ both linguistically and culturally.
there are numerous linguistic, cultural, and other advantages to using authentic texts—as
mentioned earlier, materials produced by a culture group of native and/or fluent Spanish
speakers for native and/or fluent Spanish speakers of the same culture—in their various
written and digital forms to teach Spanish as an FL. The advantages of authentic texts
important to address an issue concerning what is considered the proper use of authentic
texts to teach foreign languages. While some claim that the authentic material must be
used in its original form, without any alterations or simplifications, others believe that
retention of the texts and concepts (O’Donnell, 2009). Crossley, Louwerse, McCarthy,
and McNamara (2007) point out that each type provides certain linguistic, cultural, and
motivational advantages in the second language classroom. For the purpose of this
artifact, I refer to authentic texts (in this case, multimedia-based materials) as their
original, unaltered form. The only exceptions to this rule are explicitly stated.
In the past, there have been many disadvantages to using authentic texts such as
video and music clips in the second language (L2) classroom such as: lack of selection,
low accessibility of authentic multimedia, and the amount of time needed to prepare the
material (Tschirner, 2001). With current technological innovations and increased access
to this technology in the classroom, the use of short multimedia segments can now be a
highly effective teaching tool, easily accessible to both students and teachers. There are
several linguistic, cultural, and affective advantages of using authentic texts in the
motivation and help them acquire a better understanding of the target language and
In this artifact, I refer to multimedia as any type of authentic text that is delivered
Earth. These types of multimedia can also be used as a bridge to introduce students to
other forms of literature in the L2 (Etienne & Vanbaelen, 2006). For example, Etienne
French language, after which they apply the approach to analyzing a French poem.
country, then assign student pairs to read a short newspaper article on the web about the
students to other forms of literature, along with their ability “to present the audio, visual
and cultural aspects of communication” (Skirble, 1977, p. 518), should drive teachers to
Linguistic Advantages
communicate with native Spanish speakers (Ballman et al., 2001), it is important to first
discuss the linguistic advantages of using authentic texts as part of Spanish lessons.
While the standard variety of Spanish (Hualde et al., 2010) (i.e., a variety with more
general and less colloquial vocabulary) is most commonly taught in the US, one must
also remember that there are other distinct varieties spoken around the world. These
education, religion, and countless other aspects, and can be divided into two categories—
Spain and Hispanic America—within each of which there are several varieties. For
example, in Spain, there is the castellano (Castillian) variety, as well as the Andalucian,
Canarian, and Sefardi varieties. In Hispanic America, typical varieties include the
Southern Cone, Paraguayan, porteño (of Uruguay and Buenos Aires, Argentina), and
Chilean varieties (Hualde et al., 2010). Each of these varieties across Spain and Hispanic
America exhibit different linguistic features that distinguish its speakers from those of
other varieties.
40
For example, the Castillian variety of central and northern Spain, with its
distinction between the /z/ and /ce/ phonemes (i.e., the units of sound that distinguish one
word from another word) and the regular /s/ phoneme, is distinguished from the other
Spanish varieties in the world largely because they employ ceceo, in which the /z/, /ce/,
and /s/ all have the same phoneme. Another example is the porteño variety of Argentina
and Uruguay, with its nonvoiced (i.e., the vocal cords do not vibrate) /y/ and /ll/ sounds,
which distinguishes it from many other varieties in which the /y/ and /ll/ are voiced (i.e.,
Through the use of authentic texts such as commercials, Spanish teachers can
display an accurate, authentic example of the various Spanish varieties throughout the
world. Many worldwide companies have produced slightly different commercials for the
same product, varying the words, phrases, and accents, depending on the region in which
the commercial is shown. Thus, teachers can use two very similar commercials that are
among other illustrations. Since authentic texts such as commercials offer students divers
opportunities to observe people using the language in a realistic way, these settings
provide a context to which students can relate and which teachers can use to give
teachers are able to choose and adapt them to fit a variety of lesson plans and objectives.
Given that multimedia dialogue is natural and unforced, teachers can focus student
attention on a particular linguistic feature of the language (e.g., a speech act or grammar
principle) so that students can see examples and correct modeling performed in a realistic
41
syntactic, and more (Chen, 2005; Etienne & Vanbaelen, 2006; Tschirner, 2001). For
s/he could use a commercial that utilizes vocabulary that is familiar to the students, but
descanso to descansar, or gota to gotear). S/He could then discuss with students how the
words were used in the commercials and apply it to how the students could use them.
Teachers have often used pictures and other visual aides to assist in the learning
process, but multimedia-based materials provide additional benefits as well. For example,
Tschirner (2001) writes: “Video has the added advantage of providing models and
examples on how to deal with the subject [being taught] linguistically” (p. 310). Video
can provide visual and aural examples of many kinds of linguistic subjects a teacher may
s/he could find a commercial in which the grammar is used in authentic communication.
If the pedagogical focus is on emotional states, s/he can search for short video clips in
which various emotions are easily apparent. In fact, not only can these materials be used
as supplemental lesson material, they should also be the focal point of the lesson
(Magnan, 2008).
It is well known in SLA that students can acquire a language more easily when
they are exposed to comprehensible input (Krashen, 1982). Authentic texts that are
input, since they provide numerous non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, gestures,
and background music. These cues promote comprehension of the material and lead to
42
Cultural Advantages
(Moreno-Fernández & Otero, 2008), the many different Spanish varieties are spread
throughout the world, each with its own cultural differences. Since language and culture
are inseparable (Agar, 1994), I believe it is essential for Spanish students to receive not
(1998) even argues that “language is communication, but not without an understanding of
its culture” (p. 115). As previously mentioned, there are many Spanish varieties
throughout the world, each coupled with unique cultural aspects. For example, there are
multiple ways to greet someone in Spanish (e.g., Hola, buenos días, ¿qué tal?, etc.)
depending on the context, location, and interlocutor. Without knowledge of the cultural
language learner could leave a first impression of being impolite when initially meeting a
native Spanish speaker. For aide in teaching cultural concepts, one can include
For many students learning Spanish, their first significant exposure to the
language occurs in the Spanish class. Many of them also come with various (accurate and
inaccurate) stereotypes of the culture of Spanish speakers, such as the idea that all
Spanish speakers like tacos and wear sombreros. Thus, “the foreign language classroom
43
is where students begin to acquire some awareness of people who not only speak
differently but also act, react, and live differently. This cultural knowledge leads to a
teaching culture in the L2 classroom, teachers encourage students to notice these cultural
differences, as well as give them more self-confidence as they monitor their speech in
Spanish. Also, due to the visual component of digital authentic texts, there is an increase
in motivation (Chen & Oller, 2005; Vassilikopoulou, Retalis, Nezi, & Boloudakis, 2011)
and subtle, unplanned learning that happens when students are presented target culture
through multimedia. It follows that students gain a better cultural awareness from
target culture while also giving context and other visual cues, which help students avoid
feeling overwhelmed by all of the new grammar and vocabulary. The visual component
of learning allows students to actively focus on the language while more passively
Vanbaelen, 2006). Students are quick to notice cultural differences and are often
reactions. Human actions such as gesture, body movements, expressions, and other
appropriate social functions are more quickly observed and understood through
Tschirner, 2001), since teachers are able to pause the video to address students’ questions
since interpretations, schemata and scripts are often grounded in a particular culture”
(Tschirner, 2001, p. 312). These pragmatic and idiomatic issues are often better noticed
To teach culture effectively, a teacher needs enough authentic texts to not only
maintain student interest but also to provide them with enough evidence to select the
common threads and identify them as being unique to a culture (Martinez-Gibson, 1998).
teachers can be prepared with the selection of materials that would be most effective for a
class or individual student. Though compiling this collection was once one of the
multimedia is much more easily stored and retrieved. It is also much more easily
presented today, as teachers can project images or video clips from YouTube and other
(Etienne & Vanbaelen, 2006). These materials are very adept at portraying, transmitting,
emphasizing, and promoting cultural values, since they often use these as methods of
selling products (Brennen, 1988; Lo, 1993). Thus, teachers who would like to focus on a
specific aspect of Hispanic culture can find commercials that emphasize a specific value
as clearly or subtly as they believe would be in the best interests of the students. Cultural
values can fall into the categories of ‘big C culture’ or ‘little c culture.’ LoCastro (2012)
Culture with a small c refers to aspects of everyday life, such as the food served at
holiday time and the elaborate ceremonies for coming of age in Hispanic and
Jewish communities. Culture with a big C includes art, music, literature, and
materials can be effective tools for helping students distinguish between the culture
typically displayed on television and the everyday-life type of culture that plays an
integral role in the lives of native speakers of Spanish (Etienne & Vanbaelen, 2006).
Motivational Advantages
In his affective filter hypothesis, Krashen (1982) mentions three factors that
foreign language such as Spanish, maintaining these three factors can be difficult because
when students do not understand what is being said, it can negatively affect their
classroom to positively influence these three factors because the purpose of most
to provide humor or any other emotional setting that a teacher believes will increase
Because today’s students are familiar with technology, seeing them in Spanish
and thus being able to utilize the visual cues from the multimedia can lower their anxiety.
Etienne and Vanbaelen (2006) state: “Equipping students with decoding tools and letting
students use them with texts that they will find engaging and nonthreatening is a priority.
TV commercials fit this profile” (p. 88). Not only TV commercials but also clips from
46
soap operas or movies can be engaging and comprehensible to students, since many of
them display a neutral form of Spanish (i.e., one not aligned with a specific region and
does not carry that region’s jargon). This neutral form focuses on using Spanish that
avoids the differences in varieties and focuses on using a form of the language that is
similar and more easily understood across the cultural, linguistic and regional variances
Before using video clips in the lesson, teachers should preview the media and
make sure they provide enough clues to help students understand the linguistic and
cultural aspects being studied. Since multimedia is dynamic and “not only [displays]
affect, (i.e., emotions, feelings, and reactions) more vividly than written texts can but, as
a result, can also help to motivate and engage language learners effectively as well as
cognitively” (Chen & Oller, 2005, p. 264). Much of this motivation is brought about by
the use of technology such as the Internet, which is becoming increasingly accessible to
materials, teachers can positively influence motivation since commercials, soap operas,
movies, and other authentic texts are “primarily made and marketed as entertainment,
[and thus] the address to the audience is primarily oriented around the production of
engage, interest and appeal to the viewer, in many cases specifically the youth (Skirble,
1977). As students focus on the particular commercial, the language will seem less
intimidating, even though students are likely receiving far more than they can understand
As teachers use authentic texts, they should look for items that would be of
interest to the students in their class, such as the activities in the background, the dress of
the people, cultural customs, among other characteristics. Although material presented in
the L2 may initially seem daunting, students will use the visual, aural, and other clues to
make sense of the material. “High-frequency language can often be found in material
laced with humour, surprise, and pathos; entertainment value, especially unexpected
surprises, can dramatically enhance memorability” (Chen & Oller, 2005, p. 267). When
we search for new, modern modes of technology-based authentic texts to share with the
students, “we are demonstrating an interest in their esthetic [sic] preferences, instead of
devaluing or rejecting them” (Etienne & Vanbaelen, 2006, p. 95). As students recognize
the effort that teachers put into making their learning experience enjoyable, meaningful,
environment of comprehensible input (Krashen, 1982) where they are also given
opportunities to communicate and thus create output. Tschirner (2001) argues that
“learners need to be part of a community of speakers and they have to be able to plunge
into and participate in the world of native speakers. The digital classroom [i.e., one that
uses the internet and other authentic texts] meets these requirements in a learner friendly
way and it marks an important step towards making language acquisition possible in the
classroom” (p. 305). By using authentic texts, teachers can provide students with more
meaningful, realistic opportunities to use the language, thereby helping learners ‘plunge’
with the language and culture. Through their audiovisual components, students are
bombarded with “visual clues that facilitate interpretation so that students do not have to
rely only on their knowledge of the foreign language to understand” (Etienne &
Vanbaelen, 2006, p. 89). In this way, commercials facilitate interaction with a member of
the target language and culture by offering context, which allows students to
subconsciously analyze mannerisms and other cultural nuances while also focusing on
the form and meaning of the language being studied. These benefits and others make
follows a discussion on how to implement their use in instruction and other class
activities.
linguistically focused, activities in the second language classroom, since they provide an
opportunity for students to discuss an artifact that becomes the focus, while the language
becomes a secondary focus. Martinez-Gibson (1998) found that the use of multimedia-
based materials was most beneficial in teaching students about the target culture, when it
was combined with pre- and post-viewing activities. For example, teachers can allow
students to discuss the target culture and the cultural differences that students are aware
of or have heard of before viewing the commercial or other authentic text. As a post-
viewing activity, teachers can encourage students to describe how their ideas have
changed through viewing the material, emphasizing differences students were not aware
of, or correcting any misconceptions. Although these are culturally focused activities,
49
they can be performed in the target language, thereby meshing culture and language
learning.
Research has shown that students’ basic goals in a language classroom are to gain the
ability to communicate (Ballman et al., 2001; Etienne & Vanbaelen, 2006). To reach
these goals, teachers must plan activities that address these goals directly and facilitate
communication. Teachers should then develop activities that provide learners with
opportunities to discover and reproduce the language, while using the multimedia-
delivered materials as tools to provide context and background information (Chen, 2005).
To engage students in the discovery phase, teachers can first choose authentic
texts in which the content, storyline, subject matter and entertainment value match
students’ interests, age level, and life experiences (Chen, 2005). Following these
suggestions will engage students and can lead to unplanned discussions on topics that
interest the students, which can result in valuable learning experiences for them. Video
clips can be chosen to provide students opportunities to see the language used in a
realistic, cultural context, which allows students to observe the language in an ‘authentic’
setting in which they are acquiring the same language abilities used by speakers of the
material, students can be paired to engage in a number of activities that allow them to
experiment and reproduce the language. The focus of the activities should be on
communication to meet students’ needs, goals, and expectations. Activities can focus on
certain differences in the language, such as colloquial expressions or idioms. Students can
50
(Etienne & Vanbaelen, 2006). For more advanced students, the activities could afford
more agency and allow students to ask questions about the video, comment on cultural
practices or differences, or discuss the product being sold in the case of a commercial
(Yang, 1995). This discussion can be a very important tool for teaching pragmatics such
students’ own commercials/soap operas. These activities could focus on a wide range of
classroom goals, cultural aspects, or linguistic elements that engage the students, while
Conclusion
advances through digitization of materials and better access through the Internet. As a
result, teachers can provide students with a wide range of opportunities to use the Spanish
opportunities to both increase student motivation toward acquiring Spanish, and to test
students’ linguistic proficiency and cultural understanding. This also allows students to
class, teachers can construct various activities to emphasize a certain skill students are
studying and developing. Teachers can flexibly tailor the material to expound on a
51
pragmatics, and other cultural practices. These linguistic and cultural differences can be
exposed through commercials and other media that provide a contextualized setting in
which these differences are manifested. Other benefits include increased student
motivation and greater exposure to language use in authentic settings. All of these
benefits are provided to the students through a medium whose main purpose is to
teachers can not only help students increase their linguistic abilities, but also help expose
them to the cultural richness of the various Spanish speaking cultures throughout the
world. In doing so, students will become more engaged and motivated to acquire and use
LITERACY ARTIFACT
This paper was written for Dr. Karin de Jonge-Kannan in the Linguistics 6010
course, Research in Second Language Learning. I originally wrote this paper with a
partner, Valarie Jackson, and later incorporated some changes as I prepared it for my
portfolio. I chose to include this paper in my portfolio because of the inspiration it has
given me to take a closer look at the lives of the many ELL immigrants, refugees, and
others residing in Cache County, Utah (CCU), several of whom I taught as an ESL intern
As we studied the literature on adult ESL programs and other language services
offered in CCU and elsewhere in the US, we noticed that there is currently a lack of
resources offered to help Hispanic ELLs become integrated into the community, both in
the workplace and in other important community resources (hospitals, banks, etc.). This
paper discusses the plan Valarie and I have made—patterned after Pawan and Thomalla’s
(2005) study conducted in Indiana—to assess the language services provided in CCU.
documents such as utility bills, and community cultural events that promote better
We expected to carry out this study in CCU, to expose the strengths and
weaknesses of the language services currently provided, and subsequently work with the
local community stakeholders to improve these services. Therefore, the following artifact
is focused on the Hispanic ELLs within the CCU. However, after writing this artifact and
County, Utah (SCU). This county is similar to CCU in that many immigrants work in
54
Park City, largely in the tourism industry. Of more particular interest to this artifact is
each county’s Hispanic population. In 2012, people of Hispanic origin made up 11.6% of
the total population of SCU (United States Census Bureau, 2013c) compared to 10.1% of
CCU (United Census Bureau, 2013b). This makes the study and its results applicable to
not only CCU but also SCU and other similar counties throughout the US. Furthermore,
these results will have implications for both Hispanic ELLs and ELLs of other native
languages. Lastly, the knowledge that I have gained from working on this artifact and that
which I will gain by carrying out this study will help me better understand my students
students and their parents regarding the struggles they face with learning English and
adjusting to the cultural aspects of the local area, I can relate to them better and give them
the individual attention and feedback they need. This improved understanding contributes
collectively, and can help me make my students’ (and their parents’) interaction with the
Background
and foreign language teaching, which create a unique atmosphere to focus research on
ELLs. Because of the current increased emphasis on becoming proficient in the Spanish
language, each of these changes improves general awareness and appreciation for
language and cultural diversity, both on the state level, and in individual counties,
particularly in CCU.
One change in particular that affects ELLs and the English language services
provided them in CCU is the legislation passed in 2008 that provides funding for DLI
programs throughout the state of Utah. DLI programs differ from mainstream US public
school programs in that students are ‘immersed’ in two languages—their native language
part of their instruction completely in the foreign language. There are typically two types
with limited to no proficiency in the L2”, while in two-way programs “at least one-third
of students native speakers of the L2. Two-way Immersion programs are sometimes
called two-way bilingual or Dual Language” (The Joint National Committee for
Languages & The National Council for Languages and International Studies, p. 2).
Backed by two governors and the state superintendent, and supported by parents
and teachers, the DLI program goals of implementing 100 DLI schools in the state of
Utah, with a total student enrollment of 30,000 (The Joint National Committee for
56
Languages & The National Council for Languages and International Studies, n.d.; Porter,
2012) will be met in 2014, a year earlier than projected. More particularly in CCU, both
of its school districts began implementing DLI programs during the 2013–2014 academic
school year. While the results of changing the education system to accommodate
languages other than English have yet to be researched, we can assume that a greater
awareness of ELLs will accompany these education changes, since a number of students
in two-way DLI programs come from families in which one or both parents are ELLs.
Many of these ELLs are immigrants from Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries.
In 2011, the state of Utah proposed a set of five immigration laws that has come
to be known as the Utah Solution. These laws include “provisions for tighter enforcement
([law] HB497), a guest worker plan (HB116), a migrant worker partnership with Mexico
employer sanctions (HB116)” (Romboy, 2011, para. 7). Although the laws do not provide
a pathway to citizenship, they do afford opportunities for legal and illegal immigrants to
live and work in Utah. It is also logical to expect local businesses to view the Utah
Solution as an open door to an expanding workforce, since CCU is home to factories and
farms with a history of employing ELLs (for example, JB. Because of these growing
opportunities for immigrants to find work, there are direct implications for research
With the rising number of ELLs in the county comes the important task of helping
each ELL student succeed academically. In the state of Utah as a whole, 26% of Hispanic
students dropped out of high school in 2010 (Williams, Ortiz, & Spicer-Escalante, 2012).
57
A major factor for Utah ranking fourth in the nation for Hispanic dropout rates is a
‘education’ (Valenzuela, 1999). The Latino/Latina Voices Project (Williams et al., 2012)
highlights a norm in Hispanic groups that learning includes not only education, but
acquiring English and the cultural norms of the native speaker population, as well
(Williams et al., 2012). By helping to satisfy this norm through offering adult ELLs, more
absence (Menard-Warwick, 2005), the community members of CCU can enable Hispanic
ELLs in the county, analyze current language services, and offer suggestions to increase
the quality and accessibility of current and future language services. Soliciting input from
ELLs, language service providers, and employers not only increases data validity, but
also increases the likelihood of community involvement in helping ELLs become more
In this study, the term language services is defined as any ESL course—be it in an
other means of helping ELLs become integrated into the community. Examples of
language services fit several formats: formal, multi-level ESL class offerings; workplace
trainings which focus on specific vocabulary or cultural expectations; skills classes taught
in English (e.g., driver’s education); and informal language partners within a community.
‘English Language Learner’ denotes Hispanic ELLs living or working in the geographic
location of Cache Valley, which is comprised of cities such as Logan, Smithfield, and
58
Providence, Utah (among other smaller cities in CCU). While CCU is home to other
ethnic groups of ELLs, this study is focused on the culture, language, and attitudes of
Hispanic ELLs.
Another term used frequently in this study is community. MacQueen et al. (2001),
describes community as “a group of people with diverse characteristics who are linked by
social ties, share common perspectives, and engage in joint action in geographical
locations or settings” (p. 1936). This can include groups of church members, co-workers,
neighbors, people who shop and interact at the same market, students and teachers, and
families. In other words, the term community in this study is used to describe groups of
For ELLs to succeed in CCU (and in any community), they must be given
opportunities to be English. As this artifact discusses the need to assess all the language
services offered to ELLs in CCU, it can uncover several potential opportunities in which
the business owners, educators, and other community members of CCU can help ELLs
Literature Review
environment that fosters language learning. For this reason, policy makers and language
service providers must consider learning context (i.e. where, with whom, and under what
conditions the students are taught English) when planning for ELLs, since ELLs in
community contexts, including workplace courses, have a unique set of needs and
expectations that cannot be ignored (Collentine & Freed, 2004). For example, Katz
59
(2000) studied a small Hispanic population working at a factory and found that in
workplace ESL classes, it is not just the English language that is being taught, but also a
culture that managers and employers want employees to adopt. If company objectives
and policies are not clearly communicated, conflicts may arise within the workplace.
Another unique aspect of the learning environment for many ELLs in CCU is the
higher level of stress and anxiety associated with acquiring English as a second language
in a community-based, adult education setting. One common example is that ELLs may
take time away from English class because of the stress of providing for families and the
perceived pressures to assimilate into a new society (Callahan, 2005; Lambert, 2009;
Menard-Warwick, 2005). Perhaps it is because of this anxiety that many Hispanic ELLs
(Anderson, 1991; Yasuko & Norton, 2003). Within the imagined community, a learner
(2001) elucidates how non-participation makes a strong statement of identity for the ELL
short, ELLs’ identity, stress level, and learning environment are all important factors to
Other factors to consider when assessing the language services offered in CCU
are the demographics of the local population. Spicer-Escalante (2012), who interviewed
sixteen Hispanic people living in CCU, and Ortiz (2012) both report the lifestyles, work
environments, and Spanish and English language use found within Hispanic communities
60
in CCU. They also allude to the growing number of Hispanic people in the area—
Within these workplaces and without, ELLs are often in direct contact with native
English speakers in a process called socialization. It is highly important that ELLs have
opportunities to socialize with native English speakers of the community (Bell, 2000),
since the process of socialization, both inside and outside of the work environment, is an
integral part of most immigrants’ English language learning experiences in the US (Li,
2000). To aid in this process, adult ESL education courses should teach not only
academic English, but also practical, social English abilities to help ELLs through the
socialization process. These valuable skills include nonverbal, interpersonal English and
multicultural communication (Duff, Wong, & Early, 2000). If the resources provided by
the community align with the needs of local ELLs, by providing them with the English
skills and abilities they need to become integrated in the community, both the community
and the ELLs can benefit. These benefits can include, for example, improved company
(i.e., the type of English used in schools and other education settings) but also social
English (used in everyday speech) to help them integrate into the local community. Bell
(2000) extends this idea, emphasizing that rather than focusing on American
texts in more complex ways. Further studies of ESL literacy instruction advocate for
part of language teaching is pragmatics training (e.g., advocating for oneself in the
or returning a damaged item to a store). All of this language training can also be
expanded into the community, since opportunities to interact in the community raise the
community-based ESL programs is to help ELLs become integrated into the community,
with the acquisition of English being a means of achieving this goal (Dytynyshyn, 2008).
Furthermore, the concept of communities of practice (Wenger, 2011) suggests that ELLs
become part of a community as they interact regularly with community members and
share common concerns with them. As a result, ELLs that interact with members of the
target population not only develop broader skill sets, but also form lasting bonds with
other members of the community, particularly native English speakers. These bonds can
have lasting effects on ELLs, not the least of which being increased English proficiency,
thus increasing ‘buy-in’ from ESL instructors and other ELLs (Powers, 2004).
In summary, ELLs are best equipped to learn English and become integrated into
the community when they are provided with various opportunities to learn and use
English, both academic and more practical, social English. As they are given
center, or elsewhere—and then to put the language into practice as active members of
their community, they can move through the socialization process and become a valuable
62
questions.
Research Questions
The following research questions will guide this study of language services for
1. How do adult Hispanic ELLs in CCU perceive the language services offered?
3. What services (banks, hospitals, grocery stores, etc.) are ELLs more likely to use,
and why?
4. What types of expected learner outcomes are held by language service providers?
Methodology
Participants
The study will use a tiered approach to analyze the attitudes of ELLs living in
CCU and the language services they are currently provided (see Figure 1). Beginning at
the first and broadest level, the study will focus on the collective community to identify
the language services offered and begin finding participants. This level will include
ELLs, language service providers, and policy makers. Members representing each of
these groups will be interviewed, though participation in the interviews and other
portions of the study is completely voluntary and all participants will remain anonymous.
ELL participants will be students at the local adult ESL center who are willing to
participate, as well as employees in some of the most prominent workplaces that employ
non-native English speakers. Language service providers will include those at the local
ESL center, public schools, workplaces that offer language classes, and other community
63
members that provide language services such as translation. Lastly, policy makers
represented in this study will include local government officials, school board members,
Data Collection
In the first stage of data collection, a strategic interest group made up of language
service providers, local policy makers, and some ELLs will gather to evaluate the
threats (SWOT) analysis model (Pawan & Thomalla, 2005). To perform a SWOT
discussion and investigation of the language services in the context of [the] community,”
and we will later “present findings in a way that [helps language service providers]
become quickly aware of all aspects of the findings” (Pawan & Thomalla, 2005, p. 686).
Participants will have opportunities to brainstorm the strengths and weaknesses of the
individual services and the collective opportunities and threats found throughout CCU.
The group will meet three times during the study period, with more meetings added if
necessary.
64
Nine of the most prominent institutions in CCU in which many Hispanic ELLs
work, study, or worship, have been identified as currently offering language services
and/or employing a large population of ELLs (see Table 2). These institutions are
written and oral formats, in both English and Spanish, with questions similar to those
used by Pawan and Thomalla (2005). Contact will be maintained with the respondents of
the study through informal interviews until we have finished collecting the data.
Data Analysis
The third stage of research will occur after the questionnaire is administered and
interviews have been completed, and will involve meeting with the stakeholders and
ELLs again. Data collected from ELLs will inform the brainstorming and listing of
SWOT throughout the second meeting. Participants will be encouraged to reassess the
SWOT analysis conducted in the first meeting by applying data collected from ELLs
about language services. In the final interest group gathering, participants will work to
develop short- and long-term goals for both the individual institutions and CCU with an
aim to improve the overall accessibility both of ESL classes throughout the CCU and
other language services necessary for immigrants residing in CCU to become integrated
language services provided to Hispanic ELLs in CCU is expected to indicate a need for
updated curriculum including technology. Depending on the results from the SWOT
analysis, these language classes could include not only ESL classes for the ELL
population, but also Spanish classes for native English speakers, particularly those who
Transportation may also be a factor as to whether or not some Hispanic ELLs take
advantage of the language services. Thus, it is anticipated that the local language services
and transportation services could align their schedules to increase ESL class attendance.
Likewise, we expect a clearer picture regarding the awareness and perceptions that ELLs
66
have concerning the language services provided, which will guide language service
providers as they help ELLs improve English language proficiency and encourage
reasons why some workplaces have stopped offering ESL classes for their employees.
These findings will be used to formulate a plan for improving the language services and
helping the ELL population take advantage of these services. As was the case with Pawan
and Thomalla (2005), local leaders, educators, employers, and other community members
will be able to set short- and long-term goals to implement the suggestions provided by
translating all important local documents (e.g., utility bills) into Spanish and other
languages spoken by local ELLs. Long-term goals might include developing agreements
among local businesses to combine efforts and resources to offer ESL classes. We will
also recommend community cultural events in which people from various backgrounds
can share their culture and, as a result, build a sense of multicultural appreciation among
community members.
in CCU, as well as the perceptions these ELLs have regarding the services, the
community of CCU will be able to increase overall English language proficiency of the
population, as well as break down the perceived barriers that have previously separated
As mentioned above, this study will focus on the Hispanic ELLs of CCU, rather
than on the general population of ELLs in the county, though future research could
include an in-depth language and culture study of ELLs living in CCU whose native
language is not Spanish. Some examples of future study participants include the growing
population of immigrants from the Marshall Islands and refugee populations from
Another limitation of this study is regarding the quality of the ESL classes offered
in CCU. While this study examines the language services offered in CCU from a broad
adhered to each of the ESL courses offered throughout CCU. As an ESL teacher in the
US and other countries, I have noticed a slight inconsistency between the methodology
that ESL teachers are encouraged to use (namely, CLT) and the methodology reflected in
course textbooks and other materials, which tend to display tenets of the ALM.
68
CULTURE ARTIFACT
I wrote this paper for my Culture Teaching and Learning (i.e., Linguistics 6900)
class with Dr. Karin de Jonge-Kannan. The process of writing this paper has been one of
through the literature on declining an invitation, I learned a great deal about my own
culture and about why I think, act, and talk the way I do. This has helped me step out of
my own way of thinking and analyze why people from other cultures might have treated
me the way they did, and why I have felt awkward or offended in certain cases. It has
also helped me be much more aware of the various factors that influence my international
students in the way they think, act, and talk, enabling me to be a more empathetic and
reflective teacher.
how to teach one of the most important speech acts to my ESL students, declining an
conclusions on the underlying reasons for these findings. I also include a sample lesson
While this artifact is focused mainly on teaching adult and adolescent ELLs, my
principles to a younger group of ELLs, since these students also face the challenge of
declining an invitation offered by someone of perceived higher, equal, and lower status.
For example, at school, a student may decline the invitation of his/her teacher (i.e.,
Later, during recess, the same student might be invited by a friend (i.e., perceived equal
status) to go to his/her house after school. Upon arriving home, the student might then be
asked by his/her younger sibling (perceived lower status) if s/he wants to play a video
game. Thus, I believe the principles discussed herein, as well as my accompanying lesson
plan, can be applied and adapted to ELLs of all age levels and linguistic ability.
concepts that are seldom discussed in many second language classes, particularly in
elementary education. Such concepts include the various ways in which an American
native English speaker might decline a person’s invitation, such as showing gratitude
Likewise, this artifact also addresses some of the cultural differences in declining
an invitation, discussing the way in which American native English speakers perform this
speech act compared to the way in which native speakers of other languages—Arabic,
Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Latin American Spanish, Persian, and Thai—do so. By
helping students gain a clearer understanding of these concepts and the cultural
differences exhibited in declining an invitation, teachers can help students avoid many of
Background
When ESL instructors in universities across the United States interact with
nonnative English language learners (ELLs) on a regular basis, it soon becomes apparent
that simply knowing the proper grammar and vocabulary of a language does not
Campbell & Wales, 1970; Canale, 1983) and is composed of several types of
to the target culture), which is a central focus of this paper. As we will see, it is important
Thus, with the goal of helping university ESL students in the US avoid becoming
‘fluent fools’ (Bennett, 1993), this paper discusses the pragmatically appropriate ways to
decline an invitation of an American English speaker (AE). The paper is divided into
lower social status. The teaching of this speech act is designed for adult ESL students of
of ELLs through explicit pragmatic instruction, and as part of this paper, I present a set of
lesson plans that demonstrate how to teach the speech act of declining the invitation of an
AE.
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Pragmatic competence
which people of the target culture interact with language. Indeed, pragmatics can be
defined as “the study of language from the point of view of users, especially of the
choices they make, the constraints they encounter in using language in social interaction
and the effects their use of language has on other participants in the act of
communication” (Crystal, 1985, p. 240). I believe learning a language involves not only
mere grammar and vocabulary, but also acquiring pragmatic competence in the second
language. Thomas (1983) explains this idea: “While grammatical error may reveal a
Pragmatic failure can be especially noticeable within the speech act of declining
invitation, in that “how one says ‘no’ is more important in many societies than the answer
itself…. The interlocutor must know when to use the appropriate form and its function,
the speech act and its social elements depending on each group and their cultural-
linguistic values” (p. 36). In other words, even if a person has acquired a native-like
fluency in a language, if s/he is not culturally sensitive enough, s/he will possibly
encounter awkward or embarrassing situations that can negatively affect the amount and
type of interaction s/he has with other native speakers. In turn, this reduced amount of
interaction can negatively affect a learner’s acquisition of the second language. For this
The word 'culture' has been defined in various ways, but I prefer, for the purposes
73
of this paper, Cornes’ (2004) definition, “the acquired learning of a group that gives its
members a sense of who they are, of belonging, of how they should behave, and of what
they should be doing; culture makes that group recognizably different from other groups”
(p. 103). In the following literature review, I explain some of the integral components
that make up US culture, since they play an important role in how AEs decline an
invitation. Based on a review of the literature, I argue that there is less of a distinction
between how one declines an invitation of someone of a perceived higher, equal, or lower
status in the US culture than there is in other cultures throughout the world.
Much research has been done regarding the speech act of declining an invitation.
Cross-cultural studies of this speech act have compared the American English language
with many other languages, including Arabic (Al-Kahtani, 2005), Chinese (Chang, 2009;
Chen, 2011), Japanese (Al-Kahtani, 2005; Beebe et al., 1990), Korean (Kwon, 2004),
Latin American Spanish (Félix-Brasdefer, 2003; Soler & Pitarch, 2010), Persian (Allami
& Naeimi, 2011; Sadeghi & Savojbolaghchilar, 2011), Thai (Wannaruk, 2008), and
several others. To study refusals, researchers have typically used discourse completion
tests (DCTs) (Beebe et al., 1990), which are “written questionnaires including a number
of brief situational descriptions, followed by a short dialog with an empty slot for the
speech act under study” (Kasper & Dahl, 1991, p. 221). In the empty slot, “subjects
provide the speech act under study to complete the dialog” (Kwon, 2004, p. 341). For an
with native speakers of other languages regarding the way in which they decline an
74
invitation. One of the most salient features that distinguish AEs from native speakers of
status levels. While in some cultures, a speaker uses different language forms when
less of a distinction, a result of the egalitarian society in which they live. In this regard,
[AEs] say all people have been ‘created equal.’ Most [AEs] believe that God
economic status. In secular terms this belief is translated into the assertion that all
foreign visitors to the United States are insulted by the way they are treated by
service personnel (such as waiters in restaurants, clerks in stores, taxi drivers, etc.)
While social classes do exist in the United States, the notion that all people are
society. Cornes (2004) explains the values of an egalitarian society: “Inequalities between
people should be minimized;” “we should treat each other as equals;” “harmony exists
between the powerful and the powerless if each accepts the skills and worth of the other;”
and “flatter organizational structures are seen as more progressive” (p. 116). The concept
75
similar across status levels, is the level of directness. Many international students might
feel somewhat offended at first by this level of directness, but there is an underlying
reason why AEs are so direct, and it is found in the “highly individualistic culture” in
which AEs live (Cornes, 2004, p. 111). In an individualistic society such as that of the
United States, “an individual has learned to act independently from other members of the
group or society to which he or she belongs” (Cornes, 2004, p. 111). As Bellah, Madsen,
Sullivan, Swindler, and Tipton phrase it, “[AEs] believe in the dignity, indeed the
messages directly and clearly” (Chang, 2009, p. 490), because to them, “anything other
than the most direct and open approach [is] dishonest and insincere” (Jason & Posner,
1995, p. 10). This is important to remember both when declining an invitation and when
encountering a declination offered by an AE. Jason and Posner (1995) claim: “[AEs] will
quickly lose confidence in and distrust anyone who hints at what is intended rather than
divided their explanations into three categories. As mentioned above, much work has
higher, equal, and lower status, since in many cultures social status plays a role in the
2003). Though in other cultures the response may vary if the interlocutor is of a higher
status (such as a professor, boss, or civic leader), of equal status (such as a friend,
response does not vary as much in American English. Nonetheless, in this article, AEs'
method of declining invitations will be discussed, first in a general sense, followed by the
more specific interactions that take place between interlocutors (in this case, inviters) of
In general
For AEs, politeness and clarity are key to declining an invitation, since they are
tied to the concept of ‘face’, which Brown and Levinson (1978) define as “the public
self-image that every member wants to claim for [oneself]” (p. 61), and divide face into
two aspects: 1) Positive face, which deals with “the desire to be liked, involved, and
included” (LoCastro, 2012, p. 137), and 2) negative face, which involves the desire “to
remain undisturbed, not imposed upon, in one’s actions” (LoCastro, 2012, pp. 137-138).
Within the speech act of refusals, positive face and negative face both play an
integral role. For example, the invitee wants the inviter to feel liked and appreciated
(positive face), and thus might begin the refusal by thanking him/her for the invitation.
The invitee might follow the expression of gratitude by apologizing and giving a reason
for which s/he declines the invitation, and perhaps provide an alternative (e.g., “I’m
sorry, I can’t go because I have a meeting at that time. I’d love to go next week, though”).
By providing a reason and an alternative, the invitee shows that s/he does not want to
disturb or impose upon the inviter’s actions, thus preserving his/her negative face. In
declining an invitation because “a speaker needs to strike a balance between clarity and
77
politeness in conveying his/her refusal message” (Chang, 2009, p. 478). Below I will
One typical attribute of AEs when declining an invitation is that AEs are quite
direct, often using a direct ‘no’ (Chang, 2009; Félix-Brasdefer, 2003), depending on the
social status of the listener (Félix-Brasdefer, 2003). They are generally quite clear in their
excuses, as well (Al-Kahtani, 2005), though some researchers declare AEs as less clear
declining. Chang (2009), who compares native Mandarin Chinese speakers with AEs,
finds AEs to be quite vague in their excuses (e.g., ‘We have plans for next Sunday’)
because of cultural differences “in the needs of privacy and the views of what excuses
seem to be persuasive,” and because “specific excuses such as a toothache often generate
relationship … regardless of the refuser’s status” (p. 486). This idea of privacy stems
Regarding the semantic order (i.e., the order of components such as gratitude,
excuse, and refusal) for declining an invitation made by an AE, most often, one expresses
gratitude and thanks the listener before declining the invitation (Félix-Brasdefer, 2003;
Brasdefer, 2003). One might also use an adjunct such as positive opinion (e.g., ‘That
Higher status
When AEs decline the invitation of someone of a perceived higher status, there
tends to be a semantic order for declining. In most DCTs, the situation in which an AE
must decline the invitation of someone of a higher status is when one’s boss invites one
to a party on short notice. According to the research, AEs most often begin by expressing
regret (e.g., ‘I’m sorry’) (Al-Kahtani, 2005; Sadeghi & Savojbolaghchilar, 2011) or a
positive feeling (e.g., ‘I’d love to’) (Wannaruk, 2008), followed by an explanation or an
excuse (e.g., ‘I already have plans’) (Al-Kahtani, 2005; Sadeghi & Savojbolaghchilar,
2011; Wannaruk, 2008), and sometimes appreciation (e.g., ‘I appreciate the invitation’).
They also tend to promise future acceptance (e.g., ‘next time I’d love to come’) (Sadeghi
As mentioned earlier, AEs are relatively direct, even when declining the invitation
2011). Though they rarely use the direct ‘no’ (Wannaruk, 2008), they often express
negative ability or willingness (e.g., ‘I can’t’ or ‘I’d rather not’), though perhaps less
Equal status
The level of directness with which AEs decline an invitation of a superior tends to
be even higher when declining an invitation extended by their perceived equals. Various
studies agree on the semantic order in which AEs decline an invitation to someone of
equal status, such as a friend or a coworker. For the DCT scenario in which one must
decline a friend’s invitation to have dinner at his/her house, AEs usually begin with a
positive feeling such as ‘I’d love to’ (Al-Kahtani, 2005; Beebe et al., 1990), then give an
79
excuse or explanation for why they decline the invitation (Al-Kahtani, 2005; Allami &
Naeimi, 2011; Sadeghi & Savojbolaghchilar, 2011; Wannaruk, 2008). A few, somewhat
unique, traits of AE refusals to people of equal status is the use of a direct ‘no’ (Allami &
Naeimi, 2011; Wannaruk, 2008), regret (Allami & Naeimi, 2011; Sadeghi &
Savojbolaghchilar, 2011), pause fillers (e.g., ‘Uh’) (Allami & Naeimi, 2011), and
Lower status
Finally, when declining the invitation of someone of perceived lower status, AEs
excuse (Al-Kahtani, 2005; Wannaruk, 2008), though some research indicates that excuses
are slightly less frequently used toward listeners of lower status than equal or higher
status (Allami & Naeimi, 2011). Other utterances include negative willingness (perhaps
with a direct ‘no’) (Wannaruk, 2008), gratitude, and a rather unique characteristic of
lower status refusals, postponement (e.g., ‘I’ll check my schedule and get back to you’)
(Al-Kahtani, 2005). Wannaruk (2008) gives an example from her study, describing how
AEs begin the speech act of declining an invitation: "[AEs] usually began their refusal
with ‘gratitude’ or ‘regret’ followed by ‘explanation’ (e.g., ‘Sorry, but I’m not prepared
enough to address the group. Maybe next time’, ‘Thanks, I’m honored, but I am really
too busy’)" (p. 323). As is evident from the aforementioned literature, ELLs should be
I agree with Soler and Pitarch (2010) and Archer (2010) that it is possible to teach
the speech act of declining an invitation and help learners improve their pragmatic
80
competence. Archer explains that to teach how to decline an invitation, the instructor
should teach both the language necessary to do so (as described above) and the
“nonverbal features of the speech act, such as the speaker’s tone of voice (e.g.,
questioning or hesitant), gestures (e.g., a shrug, nod, or head tilt), and facial expressions
(e.g., a slight frown or scrunched eyebrows)” (p. 183). She also recommends a discussion
Saito and Beecken (1997) suggest a three-step approach to teaching speech acts,
and I believe it can be adapted to declining an invitation. They suggest to first introduce
the typical use of the speech act, then “teach a variety of appropriate uses, and [third,
encourage] learners to make their own choices regarding appropriate use” (p. 373). In my
sample lesson plan (see Appendix 2), I demonstrate how to follow this three-step
approach.
First, I begin with a brief warm-up exercise, similar to the one Archer (2010)
Saturday at 7 a.m. Naturally, most students would decline the invitation, which is the goal
for this activity. I then walk around the room and invite a few students to the study
session, taking note of how they respond. After inviting a few students, we review as a
class the ways in which students declined the invitation. This serves as an introduction
(2010), on the importance of using certain words, phrases and body language that convey
politeness in AE culture. The presentation uses a fragile, yet repairable, object such as a
Legos figure, which represents a person’s relationship with an inviter. The object is
81
dropped from two to four feet in the air onto a sheet of paper labeled ‘direct refusal’.
Naturally, the object breaks on impact, which demonstrates that sometimes when a
person simply says ‘no’ when invited to an event, the inviter could feel embarrassed or
offended. I then describe ways to ‘soften’ the refusal, such as gratitude, positive
small sheet of felt. As I describe each softener, I stack it on top of ‘direct refusal’ and
other softeners. Then, after the explanation, I drop the Lego object again onto the pile,
and this time it should not break, representing a successful refusal of the invitation, in
which both people are as comfortable as possible. I can take this moment to explain that
with a person of higher status, one might usually need to use more softeners than a plain,
direct refusal. After the demonstration, I help students solidify the concept of declining
movies.
student pairs or small groups complete a refusal sequence activity (Archer, 2010). For
this activity, I distribute a few scenarios in which one must decline an invitation, along
such as gratitude (e.g., ‘thank you’ or ‘thanks’), pause-fillers (e.g., ‘um’ or ‘well’), or
future promises (e.g., ‘I’d love to next time’ or ‘After I finish _______ I can’). Student
pairs or small groups will then organize the color-coded phrases into an utterance to
decline the invitation. We conclude the activity with a short class discussion in which
students share the responses they provided, which shows that there are various ways to
82
decline an invitation appropriately. It also provides an opportunity for the teacher to offer
assign an activity in which student pairs or small groups design their own scenarios for
declining an invitation. To do so, I distribute two note cards per pair, and have students
write a scenario at the top of each notecard, similar to a DCT. Students then exchange
note cards with other pairs, and complete the conversation with a polite form of declining
three. Student 1 invites Student 2 to an event of some type related to students on campus,
such as a football game, a movie, or dinner. Student 3 observes the role-play and records
the refusal strategies employed by student 2 to decline the invitation. After the short role-
play, the group discusses what occurred, and may address me with any questions they
may have. They then rotate roles, and repeat the activity twice, each time with a different
Finally, for the cool-down phase of the lesson, I lead a whole-class discussion to
receive feedback from my students to check their comprehension and if they would like
to spend more time on the subject during the next class. By using this lesson plan, I
enable students to increase their pragmatic competence through paired, group and class
activities, and increase their motivation to learn and participate through authentic
Conclusion
There are many sources to which an instructor may turn for guidance regarding
refusals and how to teach them in various contexts, such as ESL (within a country in
I am left with a few questions that could be useful topics for future research.
For example, most of the studies of refusals that I have seen focus on university
students, age 18 to 24. I understand that this age group is much more easily accessible for
research, but I am curious as to the trends and possible differences in refusal strategies of
younger people, such as those in elementary education (like my current DLI students), or
older, such as business professionals. Another research question that I suggest is the
choice of refusal strategies depending on gender. Allami and Naeimi (2011) also point
out a need for research in this area. One study that has piqued my interest in this area is
Félix-Brasdefer (2003), where he reports that males tend to be more direct than females
refusals. Hollins (1996) explains: “The high value placed on individualism in the Euro-
American culture is not necessarily shared by African Americans” (p. 23). The United
States has a growing population of African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans,
and research in this area would be beneficial, particularly for institutions in which the
Finally, research on the implications for teaching refusals and other speech acts in
EFL and other settings is very important, as many educators (myself included) teach in
both ESL and EFL contexts. Allami and Naeimi (2011) mention one study that has been
done on this subject, but further research could provide guidance to educators by studying
the resources available to teachers and learners for developing pragmatic competence in
areas where English is not widely used. DLI is another subject area that requires further
competence in university students studying a foreign language, whether they are studying
English or any other language. While in American English there is typically a less
noticeable difference between perceived statuses of the person being invited and his/her
inviter, it is necessary to point out the slight differences in refusal strategies. Furthermore,
by learning the semantic order for declining an invitation offered by AEs, ELLs can
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
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As part of a major paper for my Linguistics 6900 class, Culture Teaching and
Learning, I searched for information regarding the speech act of declining an invitation. I
thoroughly enjoyed the search, mostly because it helped me step outside of myself and
view my culture from an objective point of view. During this process, I have also gained
a better understanding of the importance of teaching pragmatics (i.e., speech acts such as
refusals) as an integral part of the syllabus in a foreign language class. Since refusals are
one of the few speech acts in which one risks feeling awkward or embarrassed, whether
one is refusing or being refused, it is important that foreign language teachers study
refusals. By doing so, teachers can gain a better understanding of the culture associated
with the language they teach, including their own, which enables them to help their
students develop their pragmatic competence and avoid becoming ‘fluent fools’ (Bennett,
The following sources offer insight concerning not only declining an invitation,
but several other types of refusals, including refusals of suggestion, requests, and others.
They also give valuable information about more subtle characteristics of the American
English speaking culture, such as individualism and egalitarianism. Lastly, because of the
cross-cultural nature of many of the studies, they also provide valuable insight for
teachers of foreign languages other than ESL, such as Arabic, Japanese, Korean,
I begin with Kwon (2004), which has been influential both for me and for
researchers such as Allami and Naeimi (2011) (another reference in my culture artifact),
who used Kwon’s (2004) data in their own cross-cultural study on refusals. In this study,
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Kwon employs Beebe, Takahashi, and Uliss-Weltz’s (1990) discourse completion test
(DCT) to compare native Korean speakers and American native English speakers
participants read an incomplete dialogue between them and another person, and complete
the dialogue by filling in the blank with the dialogue response that they would give in
each scenario. One thing that distinguishes Kwon’s (2004) study from others that use the
DCT is the detailed explanation of what the DCT is, how it works, and its effectiveness in
comparison to other data collection instruments, such as phone conversations. While the
DCT does not typically employ oral communication as a sampling tool, one of its greatest
strengths is the ability to control the specific variable (e.g., a given speech act) being
tested.
each in dialogue form, that elicit a refusal. There are four types of refusals in the DCT:
Refusing 1) an offer (e.g., a boss offers you a promotion that would require you to move
to another area); 2) an invitation (e.g., a friend invites you to dinner); 3) a request (e.g., a
classmate asks to copy your notes before an exam); and 4) a suggestion (e.g., a friend
suggests you try a new diet). Each of these four types includes situations in which one
refuses a person of perceived 1) higher status (e.g., one’s boss), 2) equal status (e.g., a
colleague), and 3) lower status (e.g., a maid), though the DCT does not make the status
distinction explicit. Each dialogue includes a blank space in which participants must
write the response they would give in each case, following which a reply from the other
person indicates that the participant had made a refusal. The DCT is an effective means
for comparing speech acts because “it allows researchers to control the variables of the
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situation” (Kwon, 2004, p. 341), and it is a relatively fast way to collect data (Beebe et
al., 1990; Kwon, 2004), since participants need only fill in the blank after which the
researchers can review participants’ responses and classify them according to their own
set of criteria.
similar way, no matter the status level of the person whose invitation they are declining. I
believe this reflects the egalitarian society of the United States, compared to a more
hierarchical society of Korea. Kwon attributes this difference between the two groups of
participants to the Confucian ideology that reigns in Korea, and she references several
authors to explain that a vertical society is part of everyday life in Korea, and that there
Furthermore, Kwon’s results contrast with Beebe et al.’s (1990) study of ESL
refusals, which revealed considerable variation in the refusals of American native English
speakers toward people of higher, equal, and lower status. Interestingly enough, each of
the other sources included in this annotated bibliography side with Kwon’s results,
perhaps because of the changes that have occurred in the US since 1990 regarding the
study has a relatively large sample size (40 Koreans and 37 Americans).
Perhaps more important to note is the fact that all of her participants were
university students between 18 and 24 years old, which provides university teachers of
Korean and ESL with a representative sample of interactions with fellow university
students to use in class, since most university students are within this age group.
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However, the small demographic group is very specific, and cannot be generalizable to
the rest of the US or Korean population. This small demographic is common to most of
the refusal studies I have read, and can be attributed to the convenience of sampling the
students of the universities where researchers work. While research in speech acts,
culture artifact.
In another study that uses the DCT to study refusals, Chang (2009) investigates
the pragmatic transfer of native speakers of Mandarin speaking English, and includes
speaking American college students in the study. It is also worth noting that her total
sample size is 156 participants, significantly larger than most other studies on refusals.
In this study, Chang employs a DCT similar to Beebe et al.’s (1990) study, and
results indicate that American English speakers are more direct than Chinese speakers
when refusing. While she found several significant results related to refusals of requests,
offers, and suggestions, I focus mostly on refusals to invitations. For example, the
Chinese speakers in her study used the negative ability (e.g., ‘I can’t’) and negative
willingness (e.g., ‘I’d rather not’) more often than Americans when declining the
invitation of someone of higher status. Likewise, the Chinese participants also expressed
the wish formula (e.g., ‘I wish I could’) more than the Americans when declining
someone of higher status, “to soften the tension caused by the use of the direct refusal”
(p. 485). She also discusses differences in specificity when declining an invitation, as
Americans tended to be more vague in their reasons for declining the invitation of
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someone of a higher status. She relates the vagueness to the contrast between collectivism
and individualism.
individualism are also worth noting, as they directly relate to the way in which people
decline an invitation. According to Chang, collectivism focuses on the needs and interests
of the group as a whole, whereas individualism focuses on the needs and interests of each
individual. While the concept of ‘face’ (i.e., the importance placed on politeness and
honor towards a group, such as one’s family, business colleagues, etc.) plays a role in all
societies, its role is more apparent in collectivistic societies than in individualistic ones.
As a result, refusals in a collectivistic society also tend to be quite different than those
used in an individualistic society. The knowledge I have gained from this article
regarding collectivism and individualism has helped open my eyes to the underlying
reasons for which we decline invitations the way we do in the US. The study can also
serve as a valuable resource for anyone who currently interacts or will soon interact with
native Chinese speakers on a regular basis, such as students preparing to study abroad.
because of her clear explanation of the importance of including three data samples (i.e.,
American native English speakers, Chinese native Mandarin speakers, and Chinese native
Mandarin speakers using English) in one study. Ellis (1993), who was one of the first to
advocate three sets of data samples, explains: “Only [by studying all three data sets] is it
possible to determine [1] to what extent learner performance differs from native-speaker
performance and [2] whether the differences are traceable to transfer from the
[participants’ native language]” (p. 162). This ‘transfer’ of which Ellis writes is the effect
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(positive or negative) that a person’s native language has on his/her use of the new
One of the things that have been most beneficial from Chang’s (2009) study is
the detailed statistical data, such as z-scores and analyses to detect statistically significant
differences among the three groups. This has been of great help to me, particularly
because this analysis, like Kwon (2004), shows signs of the egalitarian, individualist
society of the US, in contrast with the more hierarchical, collectivist Chinese society. I
also believe her use of statistics sets a standard for future studies on refusals, since
statistical data has the potential to remove the subjectivity and bias that can naturally
arise when one is comparing his/her own language or culture with others.
A third study that has been useful to me in learning more about American refusals
is Félix-Brasdefer (2003), which also compares three data sets—in this case, Latin
English. Not only is this study significant because it is one of the first to compare Latin
American native Spanish speakers and American native English speakers with respect to
declining an invitation, but also because it compares refusal differences across genders.
In this study, the males were more direct than the females.
Félix-Brasdefer’s (2003) is the only study that I have seen that compares the two
genders. It is also worth noting that the average age of participants in each sample was
between 29 and 33 years old. This is significant because the results are more
representative of a somewhat older population than Kwon (2004) and other studies,
though the demographic is still quite narrow. However, one must also remember that his
sample size is extremely small (five males and five females per sample, for a total of 30
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participants), meaning the study is carried out from a qualitative rather than a quantitative
perspective.
The two main objectives of the study are to examine 1) the politeness strategies
(e.g., conveying a positive opinion, gratitude, etc.) used when declining the invitation of
someone of higher, equal, and lower status (an employee to a boss, a friend to a friend,
and a professor to a student, respectively); and 2) the degree of directness (i.e., direct
refusal, indirect refusal, say nothing at all, etc.) used when declining an invitation of
someone of each of the aforementioned status levels. Results indicate that the American
English speakers were more direct in their refusals than the native Spanish speakers and
the Americans learning Spanish, particularly toward someone of higher status, but also
toward people of equal and lower status. During the retrospective verbal reports, native
Spanish speaker participants indicated the importance of maintaining ‘face’ (i.e., not
causing someone to feel uncomfortable in any way) when declining the invitation of
someone of higher or lower status. These findings provide further support for the way to
deal with face in Latin American cultures. Findings also affect my future interactions
with international students from throughout the world, in that I must be sensitive to
“authentic videos, visits by [native speakers] to the [second language] classroom, role-
play models of [native speakers] performing speech acts, etc.” (p. 247) to teach speech
class.
One difference between Félix-Brasdefer’s (2003) study and the other studies
outlined in this annotated bibliography is the procedure for data collection. Instead of a
DCT, he employs “five simulated open-role play situations” (p. 230) with the help of two
research assistants—a Peruvian native Spanish speaker (for the Spanish role-play) and an
American native English speaker (for English). While one might use a DCT because of
the relative ease of collecting data, as well as the control the researcher can have over the
variables being studied, a valuable aspect of open role-play situations like those used in
this study is the limitless variety of possible responses. This type of data collection can
provide researchers with unexpected results, which can lead to greater insight for future
studies.
While Félix-Brasdefer (2003), Kwon (2004), and Chang’s (2009) studies each
Japanese, and Arabs. As do other researchers, Al-Kahtani studies refusals toward people
of perceived higher, equal, and lower status. While the sample sizes are small (10
participants per language, for a total of 30), and the exact ages of participants are not
supplied, a possible strength of this study is that not all participants are university
undergraduate students. For example, several participants are studying for their master’s
degree, others for their doctorate, one participant is a high school teacher, and another is a
physician. Another strength of Al-Kahtani’s study is that he lays a good foundation for
someone like me who has recently begun to study speech acts, by providing some of the
history of speech act theory, from the research of John Austin and John Searle, beginning
in 1962.
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Some of the most important pedagogical implications of this study include the
following: When refusing someone of higher status, the American participants first
expressed regret (e.g., ‘I’m sorry’) followed by an excuse (e.g., ‘I have a previous
commitment’). Likewise, when refusing an equal, they expressed positive opinion (e.g.,
‘I’d love to’) and then an excuse. Lastly, when refusing someone of lower status, they
Not only do his results include the order of refusal utterances used by each sample
group, but also the frequency of each semantic formula (i.e., the most commonly used
refusal utterances). When refusing someone of a higher status, Americans used mainly
two types of refusals, regret being the most common, followed by excuses. When
refusing an equal, they used excuses the most often, followed by positive agreement,
followed by pause fillers (e.g., ‘Um’) and negative willingness (e.g., ‘I can’t). And when
willingness, and gratitude (e.g., ‘Thanks for the invitation’). While I include here only the
American results, Al-Kahtani includes the same results for both Arabs and Japanese. All
of these results can greatly aide in planning lessons for teaching refusals for not just
invitations, but also requests, offers, and suggestions, as they provide examples that my
compares Americans and Thais in refusals. In this study, Wannaruk studies the pragmatic
transfer (i.e., the effect of skills used in one’s native language on his/her ability to
Study participants total 120, including 40 Americans and 80 native Thai speakers, 40 of
whom are studying EFL. The diverse backgrounds of the participants is also significant,
since students were between 22 and 40 years of age, and “all of them were graduate
countries” (p. 320), making the results of the study more representative of a larger
demographic group.
Like other studies, Wannaruk (2008) employs a DCT to study refusals. Her results
are important because they add to the data regarding the utterance order in which
Americans (and Thais) decline an invitation. For example, she finds that Americans
“usually began their refusals [to invitations] with ‘positive [opinion]’ followed by
‘explanation’” (p. 322), or ‘excuse’, as Al-Kahtani (2005) and others classify it. She also
finds that Thais express regret and negative ability with their explanation, similar to
Americans and Thais, in that Americans expressed it more than Thais toward people of
equal status.
The concept of face is also discussed in Wannaruk’s (2008) study, not only for
Thais—which agrees with other research on Asian cultures (e.g., Al-Kahtani, 2005;
Chang, 2009; Kwon, 2004)—but also for Americans. This contributes to the research on
societies like the US, face-threatening speech acts must be explicitly taught to help
language learners avoid giving or taking offense when someone declines their invitation
or vice versa.
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that she provides an example of a lesson plan to teach an ESL class the speech act of
declining an invitation. In this empirical study, Archer grounds her work in Beebe et al.
(1990) and combines her own research, contributing systematically to current research on
refusals. Though the lesson itself was designed for university ESL students in an
intensive English summer program, the lesson plan can easily be adapted to English as a
foreign language (EFL) contexts as well, since it includes visual aids that teachers can
easily develop on their own. Alternatively, they may watch Archer’s YouTube video.
several learning activities in which students combine critical thinking with practice, as
well as complete their own DCTs. The handouts Archer includes in the appendices make
implementing her proposed lesson plan relatively easy, especially since she mentions
possible adaptations for students with a basic through advanced level of proficiency. For
an example of how I would include some of Archer’s (2010) ideas in a lesson plan for
university ESL conversation class I currently teach, the reader may turn to my culture
artifact.
bibliography is useful for second language teachers who want to teach pragmatics in their
classroom. The studies give an overview of the effects of collectivistic and individualistic
ideology on the reasons for which some cultures express refusals and other face-
threatening acts differently depending on the perceived relative status of the person with
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whom they interact. They also provide valuable advice about how to include the teaching
of refusals and other speech acts in course syllabi. By gaining a better understanding of
one’s culture through these studies and others, second language teachers can become
showing gratitude, or numerous others. Students studying a second language can also
benefit through these studies by becoming more empathetic of people from different
cultures, as well as avoiding embarrassing or awkward situations that arise from cultural
speech acts in any language, it is important that the teaching of refusals become an
Of all the knowledge and skills I have gained through studying and teaching
during my time in the MSLT program, the greatest has been the concept of what I believe
learning the most. Some of them give a broad overview of a variety of concepts within
During my first semester in the MSLT program, I took a class on theories and
practices of second language teaching, in which the main text was Shrum and Glisan
(2010). For me, this book has offered a solid introduction to many different aspects of
second language teaching, including the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign
Languages (ACTFL) Standards and Guidelines, the historical trends in second language
language teaching.
While Shrum and Glisan (2010) include a wide variety of topics, the most
important to me have been the concepts of input, output, and student interaction in
language learning, as well as the integral role technology can play in the second language
classroom. Since each of these topics now forms part of my teaching philosophy, I will
explain Shrum and Glisan’s (2010) specific contributions. First, they distinguish between
1982), intake (e.g., Lee & VanPatten, 2003), and output (Swain, 1985) to acquire a
one’s interaction with others (e.g., Vygotsky, 1978, which I discuss more in depth
below). Another concept that Shrum and Glisan (2010) discuss is student motivation,
which plays “an important but complex role in language learning and performance” (p.
34).
Lastly, Shrum and Glisan (2010) expound on the use of technology to enhance
(CMC), in both asynchronous (e.g., e-mail and online chat), and synchronous (e.g., Skype
video calling) forms. Using CMC not only has the potential to increase student
motivation, but can also expand language learning and teaching beyond the walls of the
allowing them to communicate and interact with native speakers of the target language.
method that focuses on preparing students for real-life communication in the target
language. To accomplish this goal, teachers who implement CLT provide their students
with comprehensible input and utilize paired and group activities on a regular basis to
not only because of their thorough introduction to CLT, but also because they debunk
several myths of language teaching that many educators believe. For example, they
explain that teachers do not need to speak the target language perfectly, nor expect their
100
students to do so, since errors are a natural part of the learning process. They also push
This aspect of communication over coverage has been one of the greatest
influences of Ballman et al. (2001) on my teaching philosophy. They point out that one
must not question whether or not to teach grammar in the second language class, but
rather teach the grammar necessary to complete the task-based activity (TBA). Task-
activities in which students work to complete a specific task (e.g., converse with airport
personnel of the target language/culture regarding lost baggage). That is, teachers should
plan their lessons around communicative goals with supporting grammar goals as a
language teaching, Lee and VanPatten (2003) take second language teachers further
down the CLT path, diving deeper into the process of incorporating it into the second
language classroom. Lee and VanPatten point out some of the weaknesses of some
language classes for much of the 20th century and whose influence is still apparent in
Specifically, they mention what has come to be known as ‘the Atlas Complex’,
the role that many instructors (not only in second language teaching but in other
disciplines as well) assume in their class. An instructor who assumes this role carries
most of the weight of the teaching and learning experience on his/her shoulders, while
students, as a result, become passive learners. In this type of second language classroom
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atmosphere, the instructor controls all classroom utterances by dominating the discussion,
next point. The students are thus provided with few opportunities, if any, to use the
Furthermore, Lee and VanPatten (2003) caution teachers to examine their use of
drill-type activities in class. Although a communicative drill question might allow for
more than one correct answer, it does not necessarily provide a real exchange since “once
an answer is given, the learners simply move on to the next question” (p. 55). In contrast
to this style of teaching, Ballman et al. (2001) and Lee and VanPatten (2003) emphasize
comprehensible input on the teacher’s part. When input is comprehensible, it is easier for
learners to process into intake and ultimately use to produce output themselves as they
interact with each other in a communicative way during TBA. In short, Lee and
VanPatten (2003) provide second language teachers with a valuable resource for
While Ballman et al. (2001) and Lee and VanPatten (2003) advocate high levels of
student interaction in the second language classroom, Vygotsky (1978) provides teachers
psychologist widely known for his work in sociocultural theory, Vygostky is considred
with one’s environment (both objects and other people) to complete a task. The concept
of regulation is divided into three parts—object-, other-, and self-regulation. Since object-
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regulation applies mostly to young children, I limit my discussion to the latter two. As
‘other-regulation’ (e.g., a language teacher or highly proficient student peer helps a less-
proficient student to fill out an internship application for a foreign country online) until
they (the learners) reach a point of being able to complete the task on their own, via ‘self-
regulation’.
along his/her personal ZPD, which is the difference between one’s current developmental
level and the level at which one can perform with help (i.e., mediation) from a more able
peer or teacher. Throughout the entire learning and developmental process, a person is
continuously changing his/her identity, which is the sum total of a person’s culture,
including one’s beliefs and ideals, abilities, way of thinking, and so on.
SLA and second language teaching. Most importantly, it has helped me grasp the notion
that language is not learned in a vacuum, but through the use of authentic materials and
interaction with people of the target language and culture. While CLT emphasizes the use
of authentic material, some scholars, such as Magnan (2008) suggest that it does not take
An extension of sociocultural theory and how it fills the possible gap left by CLT
competence (i.e., the ability to not only speak but communicate in a given language) “is
realized only partially” in CLT methodology (p. 356), since it usually involves interaction
among a group of language learners from the same native language and culture, making
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the language learning experience less than authentic. She specifically mentions that the
tasks involved in teaching and learning culture in CLT are often dominated more by
“personal reaction” than “reflection” (p. 357), which generates egocentrism within
competence in language learners, Magnan (2008) suggests seven changes teachers can
make in their second language teaching curricula. First, she recommends making
“authentic cultural documents … the impetus for learning” (p. 366). As mentioned in my
teaching philosophy and my language artifact, authentic texts can promote increased
asynchronous and synchronous CMC. This can be as simple as pairing students with key
pals from the target culture. The third also promotes communities through utilizing
service opportunities with speakers of the target language, not just for practicing the
target language but also for making “cultural connections and confront[ing] identity
issues” (p. 368). This idea can also be applied through encouraging students to serve
regularly at a community resource center where they can interact face-to-face with
speakers of the target language. Magnan’s fourth idea is similar to the third, in that we
focus study abroad experiences “toward community building with members of the target
culture” (p. 369). Instead of isolating study abroad students from native speakers of the
students should be given as much ‘hands-on’ experience interacting with members of the
assessment. She encourages teachers to “enhance reflection on identity building” (p. 369)
by incorporating personal reflection and readings that examine identity shifts and
multilingualism and multiculturalism (i.e., reflecting more than one culture, such as the
case when a person immigrates to a new country). Heightened student awareness of the
concept of identity and multilingualism can provide a solid base for helping students
courses” (p. 370), such as a Spanish language course, a history course based on Latin
American history, and an anthropology course. By doing so, students can develop a more
complete understanding of both the linguistic and the cultural aspects of the target
manner than current testing provides” (p. 372), such as through student portfolios in
which students themselves can monitor their linguistic and pragmatic competence and
reflect on their identity development as they learn more about the target language and
culture. By applying these seven principles in the second language classroom, teachers
can go beyond the limitations of CLT and help students become effective language
in many ways, and helped me become a better language teacher. The principles they
advocate can be applied to any language and any environment, both in foreign language
(e.g., a Spanish class in the US) and second language teaching (e.g., a French class for
immigrants in Paris) contexts. When applied in either of these contexts, these principles
can help teachers not only improve student motivation to study and acquire the new
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language, but can also increase students' communicative and sociocultural competence,
Authentic Texts
Before entering the MSLT program, I believed that it was important to teach
students using authentic texts (i.e., texts produced by native or fluent speakers, for native
or fluent speakers). However, it was not until I took a class on linguistic analysis that I
realized that authentic texts include a variety of texts, such as poetry, short stories,
newspaper articles, music, job applications, television (TV) commercials, and more. As I
have studied in the MSLT program and applied what I have learned, my interest in
authentic texts continues to grow. This section of the annotated bibliography focuses on a
authentic texts and their numerous possible uses in the second language classroom,
To begin, there has been considerable debate over the years regarding the extent
to which authentic texts should be used in the second language classroom. Crossley et al.
(2007) provide an overview of this debate on whether to use an authentic text in its purest
form (i.e., without altering it all) or simplify the text in some way to make it more
comprehensible for students, particularly those at the beginning levels of language study.
The most popular rationale for utilizing only authentic texts is the idea that simplified
texts may provide a distorted example of the target language and culture and may
the text. Meanwhile, others contend that by using simplified texts, learners can be
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introduced to the second language as they were to their first language, through simplified,
comprehensible input.
In this exploratory study, Crossley et al. (2007) attempt to bridge the gap between
between sampled simplified and authentic reading texts” (p. 16). Their sample data
includes “105 texts … taken from seven beginning [ESL] textbooks” (p. 21), which they
analyze using a computational tool, thus minimizing the potential bias that exists towards
using authentic rather than simplified texts. In doing so, they provide a detailed,
objective overview of the cases of using simplified texts and authentic texts. This
overview has been the most influential for me with regards to my teaching philosophy
and language artifact. Their findings indicate, among other things, that authentic texts
lines and themes than simplified texts” (p. 25), though authentic texts demonstrate less
cohesion. In other words, the “helpful redundancy” (p. 26) that aids in vocabulary
acquisition and comprehension is more apparent in simplified texts than authentic texts.
However, while simplified texts display more high-frequency words than authentic texts,
O’Donnell (2009), who claims that “authentic texts can be modified so as to increase
In this study, O’Donnell measures the effect of textual elaboration (i.e., modifying an
authentic text by adding to, rather than simplifying, the text) on the ability of 197
literary passages. Each literary passage has two versions—a purely authentic, unchanged
one, and a textually elaborated one—thus making a total of six texts. Each participant
read two texts (i.e., two versions of one literary passage), then “were prompted to recall,
in English, what they had just read,” after which they “were asked to translate into
English 18 problematic words and phrases” that had appeared in the texts they read (p.
519).
answer to the question of whether to use authentic texts in their original or modified
form. In regards to accuracy rate in vocabulary recall, “the readers of the elaborated
versions outperformed the readers of the unmodified versions” (p. 524), though they did
not differ regarding text comprehension (i.e., understanding the text). Findings also
suggest that through elaboration, the need for marginal glosses decreases while the
learners read completely in the target language (TL) without the need of a dictionary or
other means of translation. While O’Donnell (2009) points out that there could be issues
related to gaining permission from authors to modify their work—which can prove to be
a difficult process indeed—I believe the use of elaborated texts can serve as a potential
With these ideas in mind of the pros and cons of using authentic texts in their
original form for second language teaching, I now turn to studies that advocate the use of
technology-delivered authentic texts such as TV commercials and other video. One such
acquisition (SLA), as well as the way in which technology-delivered authentic texts can
help language teachers and learners achieve the implied goals of those hypotheses.
The first hypothesis is that learning is situated, meaning the knowledge one
acquires should be learned in a similar environment to the one in which the knowledge
will be used. Tschirner (2001) explains that the use of digital video in the foreign
language (FL) classroom can expose learners to the environment in which they would use
the language to communicate with members of the target culture. Tschirner’s second
hypothesis is similar to the first, in that input from the target language—an indispensable
learners to not only receive input but also produce output to successfully acquire the
language. Tschirner’s (2001) third hypothesis agrees, and suggests the use of digital
video to provide authentic modeling for students to aid them in the transition process
Fourth, Tschirner (2001) emphasizes the need to teach culture and pragmatics
(i.e., speech acts such as an apologizing or giving advice) in the FL classroom. Authentic
texts such as TV commercials can be a valuable source to fulfill this hypothesis. The
countless video clips a teacher can provide his/her students as examples of culture and
pragmatics can also be utilized to help students focus on form (e.g., pronunciation),
according to Tschirner’s fifth hypothesis, and lexical differences (i.e., vocabulary words
and phrases), as stated in Tschirner’s sixth. I agree that authentic texts in video format
can be a powerful tool for providing students with real-life examples of the words,
help improve student motivation and lower their anxiety toward using and acquiring the
TL. Each of these hypotheses is well represented in my teaching philosophy and language
delivered materials into the FL classroom, Chen and Oller (2005) provide three criteria
for choosing exactly which of these materials to use. The first criterion follows
Tschirner’s (2001) first and second hypotheses, in that the language presented in the
video clip should be an effective model of high-frequency uses of the words and phrases
The second and third criteria agree with Tschirner’s (2001) seventh hypothesis
regarding student motivation and anxiety toward using the TL, in that the material (i.e.,
the content, story-line, and social interactions) presented in the video and other authentic
texts should be “appropriate to the interests, age-level, and life experience of the
learners” (Chen & Oller, 2005, p. 267). I have seen several examples of language
teachers using a video clip that is not suitable for their particular group of learners, such
as a children’s video displayed in an adult education class, which may leave the students
feeling less intelligent and inferior, thus possibly increasing their anxiety toward learning
Another contribution to FL teaching that Chen and Oller’s (2005) make is their
programs, and other types of authentic videos” (p. 264)—not only as supplementary
materials but as an integral part of foreign language instruction. Magnan (2008) also
111
agrees, since without an authentic environment in which to use the language being
studied, language learners cannot fully develop the cultural aspects necessary for
students in the target culture, the authenticity provided by SMPs and other technology-
delivered materials can provide a more authentic cultural experience than otherwise
Though the idea that authentic texts take on a more central focus of FL curricula
can be daunting for some FL teachers, Etienne and Vanbaelen (2006) provide a
step approach to literary analysis through TV commercials. In this study, Etienne and
with the sound muted, and allowing students to write down the first three words that
come to their minds. After these words are compiled and grouped on the board, student
pairs or groups should then use the words to write a possible script for the silent
commercial, before finally viewing the commercial with sound and reacting to the
similarities and differences between what was expected and the actual script. The second
stage, description, involves a detailed analysis of the commercial regarding the visual,
audio, technical, and linguistic components presented, with each group of students being
assigned to give a brief presentation on one of the components. Then in the third stage,
This three-stage process is then applied to a short literary text, during which
students complete similar steps to the ones they have recently completed during the
commercial analysis. Etienne and Vanbaelen (2006) point out that there is currently a gap
upper-levels, and that this type of TV commercial and literary analysis can help bridge
the gap. Their study also follows what Magnan (2008) and Chen and Oller (2005)
emphasize, which is the need to incorporate authentic texts as an integral part of the FL
curriculum. This type of analysis can be applied repetitively, with a different focus, TV
commercial, and literary text every time, thus maintaining a high student motivation
importance of using authentic texts in my class. Through them, I have become more
Spanish classes and have seen the increased student motivation and interest in the TL that
LOOKING FORWARD
Upon graduating from the MSLT program at USU, my original career goals were
learners, as well. Regardless of the long-term career I pursue, I also want to continue to
regular, short-term ESL teaching programs outside of the US, beginning in China. By
being immersed in the Chinese language and culture, as well as other languages and
cultures, I can develop not only my language proficiency but also my pragmatic
some effective textbooks and other teaching materials, as well as several that did not
appear very authentic and engaging, and thus were not conducive to SLA. Through my
ongoing experience in second language teaching, I want to help improve the overall
use of technology in the FL classroom, through study and contributing to the ESL and
foreign language teaching field, such as TESOL International Association and the Utah
114
associations and others has provided me with many resources to improve my teaching
abilities.
115
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APPENDICES
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Appendix A
Objective: Students will tell about their favorite vacation ever—when it was, what they
Materials: Print out of: 1) 3 cerditos 2) Firma aquí: 24 horas 3) Entrevista: Peor cita
Lesson Outline:
Principle of Activity Time
Instruction (min)
House keeping IDEA evaluations next week 1
Warm up TODOS: Simón dice (do for 1 min) 5
Grupos de 4, un voluntario de cada grupo: (Tóquense
el/la..)
Review Review Test 5
Instruction Introduce objective 1
Los pasatiempos
Receive Compañeros: Tu pasatiempo o deporte favorito (see 6.25 5
feedback ¡Adivina! for directions)
(opcional) TODOS: Repeat activity. Person who gets the 5
most people to guess their favorite sport/pastime wins.
Input Reading activity to introduce preterite: 5
http://www.pequelandia.org/cuentos/famosos/cerditos/
Compañeros: Read the 2nd paragraph of “3 Cerditos”,
underline words you don’t know, identify the main ideas and
characters (who, what, when, where)
Instruction Pretérito—yo and tú 1
Receive TODOS: Firma aquí 5
feedback Correct errors
Instruction Pretérito—usted/él/ella, nosotros y ustedes/ellos 1
Receive Compañeros: Entrevista: La peor cita de tu vida 5
feedback Correct errors
TBA Las mejores vacaciones de tu vida
Individuos: Piensen en las mejores vacaciones de su vida. 2
Escriban cuándo fueron, adónde fueron, qué hicieron y con
quién
Compañeros: Comparen sus vacaciones. Encuentren una cosa 5
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Appendix B
1. What types of services would you consider ‘language services’? ¿Qué tipos de
2. What language services are you aware of in Cache County? ¿Qué servicios de
3. Of these services, which ones have you used, and to what extent? De estos
4. What improvements could be made to better meet your English language goals?
5. Which services would you like to use, but cannot? ¿Qué servicios le gustaría
6. What inhibits you from using language services? ¿Qué le impide utilizar estos
servicios de idioma?
1. Based on the definition we provided, what language services do you offer to ELLs
in the county?
2. Does your institution charge money for language services? If so, how much
money?
6. What do you think could be done to improve use of language services by:
Appendix C
Sample discourse completion test (DCT) (Adapted from Kwon, 2004, pp. 360–362)
Please read the following 12 situations. After each situation you will be asked to write a
1. You are the president of a big printing company. A sales representative from a
printing machine company invites you to one of the most expensive restaurants,
Sales representative: We have met several times now, and I’m hoping you will
buy my company’s printing machine. Would you like to have dinner with me at
You:
2. You are an executive at a very large software company. One day the boss calls you
Boss: Next Sunday my partner and I are having a little party at my house. I know
it’s sudden … but I’m hoping all my executives will be there with their partners.
You:
Boss: Well, that’s too bad … I was hoping everyone would be there. …
3. A friend invites you to dinner, but you really don’t like this friend’s partner.
Friend: How about coming to my house Sunday night? We’re having a small
dinner party.
You:
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Appendix D
Lesson Outline:
Principle of Activity Time
Instruction (min)
Introduction/ Teacher demonstration: Invite several students to a non- 5
Warm up mandatory class meeting this Saturday at 7 am. Record
students’ refusals on board (Archer, 2010).
Introduce typical use of declining an invitation (Saito &
Beecken, 1997).
Instruction Teacher demonstration: Using “refusal softeners” to save face 5
when declining an invitation (Archer, 2010, p. 184).
Input Video clip: Display one or two short clips in which a AE 5
declines someone’s invitation. Students discuss how the person
refused and how the inviter reacted to the refusal.
Receive Pairs or small groups: Refusal sequence activity (Archer, 5–10
feedback 2010): Students use color-coded responses (representing
gratitude, pause-fillers, future promises, etc) to design a
conversation in which someone is invited but declines the
invitation.
Group/class discussion: Share conversations, teacher offers
feedback/advice.
Pairs: Design two DCTs: 5–10
1. Distribute 3X5 cards and have student pairs write a
scenario in which someone needs to apoligize (decline
an invitation, etc.) (Archer, 2010)
2. Then have them rotate cards and write how they would
respond.
Class discussion: Student pairs share their answers, teacher
offers feedback/advice. 5
TBA Role play: Groups of 3: Student 1 invites, student 2 declines, 2
student 3 observes and records refusal strategies that student 2
uses to decline.
Discuss: Student 3 shares what s/he noticed. 2
Rotate, repeat activity twice more (each student gets one 4
opportunity in each role.
Wrap up Group or whole-class discussion: What went well. What 5
questions do you still have? Should we dedícate more time
next class?