APPLE Award Winning Papers in AL & TESOL
Dani Scheffler
Published Dec 22, 2017
Abstract As technology continues to shape our interactions in both personal and educational contexts, the exploration of how computer-mediated communication (CMC) may impact the development of second language writing skills has received greater interest. While a growing body of research has investigated potential applications of this technology within second language (L2) classrooms, the voluntary writing… Read more→
Daniel Eskin
Published Dec 22, 2017
Abstract The way we ask for something, or request, is hardly the same across all contexts. The degree to which we show politeness in these instances is closely related to a number of contextual factors (Brown & Levinson, 1987), manifested in the linguistic features that we employ (Blum-Kulka, House & Kasper, 1989; Searle, 1975). However,… Read more→
Christopher Mueller
Published Dec 31, 2016
Abstract When it comes to modes of communication, sarcasm may be most commonly associated with the angst-ridden adolescent or rebellious teenager. While the use of sarcasm is certainly not exclusive to these communities, such a comparison may not be entirely without reason. Etymologically, the word ‘sarcasm’ is derived from the Greek sarkazein, meaning “to speak… Read more→
Soo Hyoung Joo
Published Dec 31, 2016
Abstract The research on the second language (L2) speaking assessment has been predominantly concerned with formal proficiency tests. However, with a growing interest in learning-oriented assessment (LOA), more researchers are interested in learner involvement in speaking assessment (Blanche & Merino, 1989; Luoma, 2004; Ocarson, 1989). Self- and peer-assessment of speaking, where learners evaluate the performance… Read more→
Katherine I. Kang
Published Dec 30, 2015
Abstract In both research and practice, interaction with teachers or native speakers (NSs) has often been believed to play a facilitative role in second language (L2) development. However, as many learners in the classroom interact most frequently with other learners, there is a need to understand how peer interaction may differ from other types of… Read more→
Amanda Meier
Published Dec 30, 2015
Abstract During my first semester of teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) I had five hundred students. I taught ten sections of Advanced English at the University of Science and Technology in Beijing, China. Each section had fifty students, whom I met with for one and a half hours once a week. The main… Read more→
Amanda Gardner, Denise Osborne
Published Jun 4, 2015
The APPLE Awards are presented to students in the programs in recognition of their superior academic achievement. This year’s award winners are: Revising Integrative Motivation: L2 Motivation Research and Learner Context (PDF on the right) Amanda Gardner The Production of Rhotic Sounds by Brazilian Speakers of English (Link) Denise Osborne
Sarah Creider
Published Jun 4, 2015
Abstract Unlike children learning to speak, adults come to the language-learning process with years of life experience. They may be beginners in a new language, but they are not beginners in their own lives. Yet, some of the most common types of teacher/student exchanges, especially those that follow a teacher-initiated question, may lead to situations… Read more→
Kathy Bluestone
Published Jun 4, 2015
Abstract In reaction to what they considered the prevailing bias of second language acquisition (SLA) research towards cognitive-oriented theories, Firth and Wagner (1997) called for a greater recognition of the social context and interactive nature of language use. Without negating the importance of cognitive dimensions of learning, the authors noted that “language is acquired and… Read more→
Elizabeth Reddington
Published Jun 4, 2015
Abstract Research has generally shown that without early exposure, non-native speakers cannot achieve a native-like accent in a foreign language (Gass & Selinker, 2001, p. 336). Differences in pronunciation, stress, rhythm, and intonation remain. Nevertheless, accent has been shown to affect how native speakers (NSs) evaluate non-native speakers (NNSs). This single speech characteristic has been… Read more→
Wai Man Adrienne Lew
Published Jun 4, 2015
Abstract The significance of input, namely meaning-bearing linguistic instances of the target language (TL) (VanPatten, 1996), in accounting for how learners create second language (L2) grammars has long been established (Gass, 1997). Krashen (1985), in his Input Hypothesis, even argues that the sheer provision of abundant comprehensible input would be “necessary and sufficient” for second… Read more→
Tara Tarpey
Published Jun 3, 2015
Abstract Although humor and linguistic play are common in authentic speech and ubiquitous in the communicative classroom, language play has received little serious attention in the field of second language acquisition. The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential effects of language play upon second language acquisition in both children and adult learners…. Read more→
Antonieta Turnbull
Published Jun 3, 2015
Abstract This study presents the analysis of a home-based interaction between two Spanish/English bilingual sisters. The purpose of the study is to investigate the functions codeswitching plays in this conversation and the role of these functions in the construction of their identity as elite bilinguals. In addition, this study aims to contribute to the body… Read more→
Heather Barikmo
Published Jun 3, 2015
Abstract Creolists tend to view the genesis of creole languages as more complicated than do other linguists.While most linguists define creoles as those languages which originate as pidgins and then acquire native speakers, creolists have long questioned the plausibility of this claim and debated alternate theories of genesis among themselves. Universalism (Bickerton, 1981; Bickerton, 1984),… Read more→
Antonieta Turnbull
Published Jun 3, 2015
Abstract This study presents the analysis of a workplace interaction between two nonnative English as a second language teachers and one native-English as a second language teacher. The aim of the study is to investigate how frames, alignment and footing are signaled in this work related conversation and to analyze the role of face saving… Read more→
Juri Matsubara
Published Jun 3, 2015
Abstract Although the field of second language acquisition (SLA) has largely advanced over the last few decades, the area of second language (L2) phonology has not been a focus of many studies. Major (1998) found that “of the nearly 200 articles published in Studies in SLA [from 1988 to 1998], only about a dozen focused… Read more→
Ayako Kawase
Published Jun 3, 2015
Abstract Before personal computers became popular, social scientists had discussed the potential effects of new forms of computer-mediated communication (CMC) on society. Hiltz and Turoff (1978) claimed that computerized conferencing would exert a dramatic psychological and sociological influence on various types of group communication in the future. They correctly predicted that computers and the Internet… Read more→
Grace Kong
Published Apr 23, 2015
Abstract Much research has been conducted on learning English as an additional language both in the United States and around the world. However, there have been fewer studies focusing on heritage language learners (HLLs) who have already acquired English as their native tongue and are learning their heritage language as an L2, or second language… Read more→
Rebecca Black
Published Apr 23, 2015
Abstract Imagine you have spent nearly all of the seventy years of your adult life being an organized and authoritative woman, raising three daughters, working as a clinical psychologist, maintaining many relationships and friendships. Now you’ve noticed more and more trouble remembering things, confusion about how to implement a plan or even what the right plan… Read more→