Browsing by Author "Li, Qiuchen"

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    Learning more than one language across the lifespan: A literature review
    (Second Languages and Intercultural Council (Alberta Teachers' Association), 2021-01) Ma, Yue; Chen, Yao; Guo, Jie; Lei, Tian; Li, Qiuchen; Dressler, Roswita
    This literature review is based on the final assignment of a graduate-level language and literacy theory and research course at the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, in Calgary, Alberta. The course is an introduction to the principles of language learning from cognitive, sociocultural and critical perspectives. For the final assignment, students choose a topic of interest and then write, revise and finalize a literature review. Five students in the course, along with the instructor, are the authors of this article. Each student focused on a particular topic in the field of multiple language learning. Here, they present their literature reviews, along with their understandings of the topic, making critical analyses and identifying gaps in the literature. During the course, they discussed their topics with each other and provided feedback on the written work. By the end of the course, they all were not only familiar with all five topics but also acquired the skills needed for writing and revising a literature review, as well as for providing peer- review feedback. Each topic focused on a factor of learning more than one language across the lifespan. The topics were as follows: • Students’ classroom language use in full and partial immersion programs • Assessing depth of vocabulary knowledge in listening comprehension • Language assessment strategies for bilingual children in the diagnostic process for autism spectrum disorders • Parental factors and involvement in children’s English learning in China • Factors that influence the second language socialization of international students The literature reviews that follow represent a cross-section and an overview of the research on language learning. The students explore their topics by presenting empirical studies, synthesizing the main findings, and discussing classroom implications and directions for future research. They then comment on their learning from the course and this assignment, which will be of great value to other teachers who are considering graduate studies, as well as to postsecondary instructors who are framing course formats and assignments.
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    Phonological Vocabulary Size and Depth in Chinese Listening Comprehension
    (2024-04-23) Li, Qiuchen; Cai, Wei; Dressler, Roswita; O'Brien, Mary; Koh, Kim; Zhang, Jie
    Numerous studies have examined the relationship among orthographic (written) vocabulary size, depth and listening comprehension. However, there is a notable gap in research regarding how phonological (aural) vocabulary size and depth are related to listening comprehension and how this relationship changes over time. This gap in research may be due to the lack of valid and reliable tests for measuring phonological vocabulary size and depth. To address this, two vocabulary tests were developed to measure phonological vocabulary size and depth and investigate their correlation with listening comprehension. The study further explored developmental trajectories of phonological vocabulary size and depth and their dynamic correlations with listening comprehension over a semester. Sixty-three Chinese learners at beginning, intermediate and advanced proficiency levels participated in the cross-sectional phase of the formal study. Participants completed the listening part of a Chinese proficiency test and two vocabulary tests specifically designed for the study and validated based on the Rasch model. Moreover, in the longitudinal phase of the formal study, nine additional participants finished these three tests and a subsequent interview four times during the semester. The results showed that there were significant positive correlations among phonological vocabulary size, depth and listening comprehension. However, it was observed that only vocabulary depth significantly contributed to listening comprehension accuracy. The study identified more varied patterns in the developmental trajectories of phonological vocabulary size compared with depth, including continuous decline, progress and off-and-on progress. The dynamic correlations between them and listening comprehension also revealed diverse patterns, including connected and competitive growers, and competition-support as well as support-competition shift. These patterns indicate the changing distribution of internal and external resources, such as time spent on learning Chinese, motivation, and interaction with teachers in class. The study not only provides two valid and reliable instruments for measuring Chinese learners’ phonological vocabulary size and depth but also enriches theoretical understanding of their roles in listening processes. Additionally, it sheds light on the developmental trajectories of phonological vocabulary size and depth, revealing not only progress but also attrition, and the evolving nature of their relationships with listening comprehension.
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    Recent Developments in Second Language Instruction: A Literature Review on Explicit Phonetic Instruction
    (Second Language and Intercultural Council (Alberta Teachers' Association), 2021-05) Li, Qiuchen; Ma, Yue; O'Brien, Mary
    Recent years have witnessed dramatic change in the area of second language teaching and a growing demand for effective language programs (Burns and Richards 2012). Second language teachers face many challenges, and their effectiveness is related to their knowledge base (Head and Taylor 1997). Although teachers often explicitly teach certain aspects of the second language (L2), such as grammar rules and vocabulary, they tend to provide only incidental instruction when teaching speaking and writing, both critical aspects of effective communication in the L2 (Hirvela 1999; Sturm 2019). Without explanations and directed attention, students develop their own hypotheses about how language works (Ellis 2015). This article attempts to connect classroom second language teachers and researchers in applied linguistics by directly responding to two questions posed by teachers in a public school district: • What is the role of explicit phonetic instruction in speech perception and production? • What is the effect of L2 collaborative writing? These questions both relate to instruction in language output, which is a critical aspect of language learning.