Browsing by Author "Ma, Yue"
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- ItemEmbargoFamilies with Emergent Bilinguals of English and Chinese: A Case Study of Family Language Policy in China(2023-04-28) Ma, Yue; Dressler, Roswita; Lenters, Kimberly; Chua, CatherineParents and grandparents in China are implementing family language policies (FLPs) to promote their children’s bilingualism, which needs a detailed study focusing on them. This study investigated the FLPs of families of young children who are non-native speakers of English living in China. Using a case study methodology (Merriam, 1998), I examined the FLPs of five Chinese families who are raising their children bilingually. This study described, compared, and contrasted the language ideologies, language management, and language practices among the families by using semi-structured interviews with parents and grandparents, parent-child audio recordings, weekly literacy activities, and children’s artefacts. The study draws from Spolsky’s (2004) language policy model as its conceptual framework. The findings revealed that almost all mothers believe that English and Chinese were equally important, while all fathers believed Mandarin was more important, and different beliefs about English were found among grandparents. Although most of the fathers had good English abilities, it was the mothers who conducted most of the English language management and practice at home, revealing a gendered division of labour in FLP. The study also found that grandparents played vital roles in children’s Mandarin language development. These families faced similar challenges and obstacles in raising a bilingual child in China: lack of English environment and time; occasional demotivation; financial burdens; and, misunderstanding from others. The findings from this study reveal the importance of participation by all family members in supporting each other in raising bilingual children, including the grandparents. Finally, contrary to some parents’ beliefs, the mothers’ English abilities and educational background should not be a constraint to English FLP and the children’s English development.
- ItemOpen AccessLearning 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, RoswitaThis 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.
- ItemOpen AccessRecent 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, MaryRecent 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.