Browsing results for Foreign language teaching
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on May 29, 2019.
Goddard, Cliff (2004). “Cultural scripts”: A new medium for ethnopragmatic instruction. In Michel Achard & Susanne Niemeier (Eds.), Cognitive Linguistics, second language acquisition, and foreign language teaching (pp. 143-163). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
DOI: 10.1515/9783110199857.143
Abstract:
The cultural scripts approach is a descriptive technique for capturing ethnopragmatic knowledge that has grown out of the cross-linguistic semantic work of Anna Wierzbicka and colleagues. This work has established a metalanguage of simple cross-translatable terms that can be used not only for lexical semantics, but also for describing communicative norms. The paper illustrates and explains the cultural scripts approach, and makes some suggestions about its pedagogical advantages and applications in the teaching of ethnopragmatics. These include greater precision and intelligibility, a reduced risk of ethnocentrism, and enhanced opportunity to demonstrate links between discourse practices and cultural values, as embodied in cultural key words, proverbs, etc.
Examples are drawn from studies of the cultural pragmatics of English and of Malay (Bahasa Melayu, the national language of Malaysia).
Rating:
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (E) free, (E) freedom, (E) menghormati, (E) sabar, (S) apologies, (S) freedom of action, (S) opinions, (S) personal autonomy, (S) respect for older people, (S) think first, (S) whimperatives, (T) English
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on May 19, 2019.
Goddard, Cliff, & Anna Wierzbicka (2007). Semantic primes and cultural scripts in language learning and intercultural communication. In Farzad Sharifian, & Gary B. Palmer (Eds.), Applied cultural linguistics: Implications for second language learning and intercultural communication (pp. 105-124). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
DOI: 10.1075/celcr.7.08god
Abstract:
This chapter illustrates a number of potential practical applications of the NSM approach: as a guide to core vocabulary in the early L2 syllabus, as a means of writing cultural scripts and interpreting cultural key words for language learners, and as the basis for a culture-neutral international auxiliary language. Illustrative material is drawn from English, Russian, and Korean.
Rating:
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (S) deference, (S) expressiveness, (S) personal autonomy
Published on September 26, 2018. Last updated on September 26, 2018.
Arnawa, Nengah (2007). Semantik universal dan pembelajaran bahasa: Studi kasus pada anak-anak usia 4-6 tahun [Universal semantics and language learning: A case study of children aged 4-6]. Widyadari, 4, 14-23. PDF (open access)
Language learning theory suggests that learning materials should be designed at a higher level than the linguistic competencies of learners. To implement this idea, a description of children’s language is needed. One instrument that can be used to describe children’s language is the Natural Semantic Metalanguage, which includes in its lexicon a set of universal meanings (semantic primes) that exist in spite of the variability of human cultures. These meanings are the first to be mastered by children acquiring their first language. Combining the semantic primes in accordance with the morphosyntactic rules of a language produces canonical sentences. Canonical sentences produced by children can be used as a basis for composing language learning materials.
This paper is about language acquisition and language learning. It does not contain any explications or scripts. No rating is provided.
Tags: (T) Indonesian
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on June 22, 2019.
Yoon, Kyung-Joo (2008). An alternative model for the development of pragmatic competence. 언어연구 [The Journal of Studies in Language], 24(1), 125-148.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18627/jslg.24.1.200805.125 / Open access
Abstract:
With the ever increasing acknowledgement of the significant role played by pragmatic competence in second language acquisition (SLA), there is a growing need for practical models of pragmatic instruction in the L2 classroom. The author critically reviews research on pragmatic competence in SLA and argues in favour of an integrative model inspired by work in the field of cross-cultural communication and ethnopragmatics.
The proposal, which is not restricted to particular L2 teaching settings, is to combine the NSM approach’s cultural scripts theory with J.M. Bennett’s Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity. A call is launched for empirical studies applying the alternative model to be undertaken. The author herself provides exemplification focusing on pragmatic instruction for Korean EFL learners. A number of cultural scripts are introduced to show the utility of the proposed model in the EFL classroom in Korea.
Rating:
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (E) freedom, (S) address practices, (S) interactions with older people, (S) personal autonomy, (S) requests
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on February 17, 2019.
Goddard, Cliff (2010). Cultural scripts: Applications to language teaching and intercultural communication. Studies in Pragmatics (Journal of the China Pragmatics Association) 3, 105-119.
Cultural scripts provide a powerful new technique for articulating cultural norms, values and practices using simple, cross-translatable phrasing. The technique is based on many decades of research into cross-cultural semantics by Anna Wierzbicka and colleagues in the Natural Semantic Metalanguage approach. This paper illustrates the cultural scripts approach with three examples of pragmatics of Anglo English: request strategies, personal remarks, and phatic complimenting in American English. It argues that the cultural scripts approach can be readily adapted for use in teaching intercultural pragmatics and intercultural communication, and shows with concrete examples (so-called pedagogical scripts) how this can be done.
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (S) compliments, (S) expressive positivity, (S) personal autonomy, (S) personal remarks, (S) pleasant interaction, (S) requests, (T) Chinese, (T) English
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on August 17, 2021.
Fernández, Susana S. (2016). Possible contributions of ethnopragmatics to second language learning and teaching. In Sten Vikner, Henrik Jørgensen & Elly van Gelderen (Eds.), Let us have articles betwixt us: Papers in historical and comparative linguistics in honour of Johanna L. Wood (pp. 185-206). Aarhus: Aarhus University.
Open access
Abstract:
The purpose of this paper is to explore the possible pedagogical application of the theory of Ethnopragmatics in the field of second and foreign language learning and teaching with the purpose of promoting intercultural communicative competence.
Ethnopragmatics can be seen as part of the broad paradigm of Cognitive Linguistics. Unlike other theories of pragmatics, its focus is on examining cultural aspects of language and communication from an insider’s perspective, without relying on universal concepts such as politeness, directness/indirectness, etc. that can be foreign to many cultures. Its main methodological tool is NSM, used in so-called explications but also in cultural scripts that reflect widely shared ways of thinking. The latter can be reformulated into pedagogical scripts that can be used in second language learning and teaching.
More information:
A more recent publication building on this one is:
Fernández, Susana S. (2016). Etnopragmatik og interkulturel competence: Didaktiske nytænkninger i fremmedsprogsundervisningen [Ethnopragmatics and intercultural competence: Didactic innovations in foreign language teaching]. Ny forskning i grammatik, 23, 38-54.
Rating:
Sound application of NSM principles carried out without prior training by an experienced NSM practitioner
Tags: (E) højskole
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on August 17, 2021.
Fernández, Susana S. (2016). Etnopragmatik og interkulturel competence: Didaktiske nytænkninger i fremmedsprogsundervisningen [Ethnopragmatics and intercultural competence: Didactic innovations in foreign language teaching]. Ny forskning i grammatik, 23, 38-54.
Open access
Abstract:
The purpose of this paper is to explore the possible pedagogical application of ethnopragmatics in the field of language learning and teaching with the purpose of promoting intercultural communicative competence. Ethnopragmatics examines cultural aspects of language and communication from an insider’s perspective. Its pedagogical potential lies in its consistent attempts to unravel the values, beliefs and norms that underpin the verbal behaviours of a cultural group and to do so without cultural bias.
More information:
Written in Danish. An earlier English version of this paper was published as:
Fernández, Susana S. (2016). Possible contributions of ethnopragmatics to second language learning and teaching. In Sten Vikner, Henrik Jørgensen, & Elly van Gelderen (Eds.), Let us have articles betwixt us: Papers in historical and comparative linguistics in honour of Johanna L. Wood (pp. 185-206). Aarhus: Aarhus University.
Rating:
Sound application of NSM principles carried out without prior training by an experienced NSM practitioner
Tags: (E) højskole, (E) hygge, (S) hygge, (S) personal autonomy, (S) requests
Published on August 22, 2018. Last updated on September 5, 2018.
Tully, Alex (2016). Applications of NSM and Minimal English in second language teaching. Master’s thesis, Australian National University.
This thesis proposes a new approach to second language teaching to adults aiming at developing their “strategic competence”, the ability to use paraphrase to communicate meaning when confronted with gaps in their vocabulary. The importance of this skill has been widely acknowledged, yet in comparison to other aspects of linguistic competence, very little has been published on practical ways to develop it. To do so, this thesis draws the link between the theoretical framework of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) and its expanded version Minimal English, and practical applications involving the use of paraphrase by both learners and teachers. It argues for explicit teaching of the vocabulary of Minimal English (and its equivalents based on other languages), including contrastive analysis of the “mini-grammar” encapsulated in each NSM prime, and illustrates how this can be done.
By doing this, this new approach wholeheartedly rejects methods such as Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), which are based on the view that a second language (L2) is “acquired” via an unconscious, implicit process similar to the learning of a first language (L1). The empirical studies underpinning CLT have only been replicated when typological similarities between L1 and L2 enable positive transfer of grammatical features. In contrast, the proposed methodology aims to be applicable to all learners, especially those facing large typological L1-L2 typological differences. In light of the large and growing numbers of speakers of Asian languages learning English, this thesis makes an innovative contribution to current language teaching by moving away from methodologies such as CLT, which have not proven themselves useful or popular outside Europe. Rather, this thesis outlines a theoretical framework that avoids assumptions about positive transfer, and is thus more suitable for the global nature of language teaching in the 21st century.
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (E) (causative constructions), (E) afraid, (E) chair, (E) crime, (E) promise, (E) unhappy
Published on March 25, 2018. Last updated on September 26, 2018.
Arnawa, Nengah (2017). The implementation of Natural Semantic Metalanguage and semantic field in language teaching: A case study. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 8(3), 507-515. DOI: 10.17507/jltr.0803.08
This study presents a model for teaching Balinese words by implementing Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) and semantic field theory. Data were collected before and after the development of the model with certain indicators: the speed in understanding word meaning, the skill in using words in natural sentence structure, and students’ learning creativity. Based on statistical analysis, it was established that the implementation of NSM and semantic field theory was very effective (significant) for the learning of Balinese words in students of grades 1, 2, and 3.
This paper is about language learning. It does not contain any explications or scripts. No rating is provided.
Published on June 23, 2017. Last updated on November 5, 2021.
Peeters, Bert (2017). Du bon usage des stéréotypes en cours de FLE: le cas de l’ethnolinguistique appliquée [Making good use of stereotypes in the French foreign language classroom: the case of applied ethnolinguistics]. Dire, 9, 43-60. http://epublications.unilim.fr/revues/dire/816.
Written in French.
The stereotypes envisaged in this paper serve as a starting point for a research protocol aimed at corroborating the reality, in French languaculture, of the cultural value of stance-taking. The protocol adopted here is part of a research paradigm called applied ethnolinguistics, elaborated for use with and by foreign language students whose linguistic competence is sufficiently advanced to enable them to use their language resources to discover, through essentially (but not uniquely) linguistic means, the cultural values typically associated with the languaculture they study. Since the posited values are hypothetical, corroboration will be required. A specific protocol (the one illustrated here) has been set aside for this purpose. The cultural value of stance-taking will be presented in the form of a pedagogical script expressed in minimal French, a descriptive tool based on the French version of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage. Precautions are taken to ensure that end-users of such scenarios are aware that they are dealing with generalizations (which are unavoidable as languacultures are never homogeneous).
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (S) freedom of speech, (S) opinions
Published on October 18, 2018. Last updated on August 15, 2021.
Sadow, Lauren (2018). Can cultural scripts be used for teaching interactional norms? Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 41(1), 91-116. DOI: 10.1075/aral.17030.sad
Although improving the teaching of invisible culture is a recognized need in the TESOL sector, no systematic approach has been developed yet for this purpose, in spite of scholarly calls for a more nuanced focus in classrooms and evidence that teachers are willing to apply such an approach. This paper attempts to bridge the gap between theory and pedagogical need by suggesting that the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) is a useful tool in ELT through which resources for teachers and learners can be developed. In particular, it discusses the results of a pilot study into using cultural scripts to teach cultural norms, demonstrating how they can be applied to classroom teaching situations, and discussing how materials can be developed from the theories.
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (S) disagreement, (S) doing what one wants, (S) saying what one wants
Published on September 5, 2018. Last updated on September 7, 2018.
Hoffrén, Tuomas (2018). Minä haluan tehdä näin. Minä ajattelen: tämä on hyvä – Natural Semantic Metalanguage suomenkielisessä S2 – kirjallisuudessa [I want to do this. I think: this is good – Natural Semantic Metalanguage in Finnish L2 literature]. Unpublished MA thesis, University of Tampere, Finland. PDF (open access)
Written in Finnish.
How present are NSM primes in Finnish L2-literature? The relevance of NSM for foreign language teaching – be it of Finnish as a second or a foreign language (S2) or of another language (L2) – is based on the assumption that the semantic primes are: 1) easy to learn, 2) common in language per se, and 3) efficient in situations in which the learner has no knowledge of a word or a concept they want to use in the target language. The research question addressed in the thesis is therefore whether these words are taught to learners already in the early stages of their learning.
The research material consists of one widely used S2-textbook: Hyvin menee! (‘It is going well!’) 1. The material is deemed sufficient in determining certain general rules or principles in the area, but the need for further research involving textbooks as well as other materials used in teaching is acknowledged.
The theoretical framework is provided by the NSM approach, on the one hand, and by Second Language Acquisition research (SLA), on the other. Two major areas of research, linguistics and pedagogy, are thus combined. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are used. Aspects that need to be acknowledged when using and studying NSM are presented qualitatively. A precise statistical (and therefore quantitative) analysis is based on these aspects.
The analysis shows that the observed 76 primes (an increased number due to differences between Finnish and English) are somewhat unevenly divided in the book. Some primes are very common, others are not present at all. The earlier chapters have fewer primes in them, but the number of primes, along with their distribution, increases notably as the book proceeds. Texts is where the highest number of primes is displayed, but primes are also largely present in the exercises.
The research sets the scene for the elaboration of a possible method of teaching that relies on semantic primes. It outlines a picture of the present situation, on which new research can be built.
No rating is provided.
Published on November 22, 2020. Last updated on August 15, 2021.
Sadow, Lauren (2019). An NSM-based cultural dictionary of Australian English: From theory to practice. PhD Thesis, Australian National University
DOI: https://doi.org/10.25911/5d514809475cb (Open Access)
This thesis is a ‘thesis by creative project’ consisting of a cultural dictionary of Australian English and an exegesis which details the theoretical basis and decisions made throughout the creative process of this project. The project aims to produce a resource for ESL teachers on teaching the invisible culture of Australian English to migrants, using the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) (e.g. Wierzbicka, 2006) as a theoretical and methodological basis. The resource takes the form of an encyclopaedic dictionary focussing on Australian values, attitudes, and interactional norms, in response to the need for education resources describing the cultural ethos embodied in Australian English (Sadow, 2014).
Best practice for teaching intercultural communicative competence and related skills is to use a method for teaching which encourages students to reflect on their experience and analyse it from an insider perspective (Tomlinson and Masuhara, 2013). This thesis takes the position and demonstrates that an NSM-based descriptive method can meet these practical requirements by providing a framework for describing both cultural semantics and cultural scripts. In response to teacher needs for a pedagogical tool, I created Standard Translatable English (STE)—a derivative of NSM specifically designed for language pedagogy.
The exegesis part of this project, therefore, reports on the development of STE and the process, rationale, and results of creating a cultural dictionary using STE as a descriptive method. I also discuss the theoretical grounding of teaching invisible culture, the best-practice requirements for creating teaching materials and dictionaries, my methods for conducting user needs research, and the results, and the ultimate design choices which have resulted in a finished product, including supplementary materials to ensure that teachers are well prepared to use an NSM-based approach in pedagogical contexts.
The main body of this project, however, is the cultural dictionary—The Australian Dictionary of Invisible Culture for Teachers—comprising approximately 300 entries which describe, in STE, essential aspects of the values, attitudes, interactional norms, cultural keywords, and culture-specific language of Anglo-Australian English. The cultural dictionary is formatted as an eBook to enhance accessibility and practicality for teachers in classroom contexts. Drawing on previous dictionaries and on lexicography, the entries include a range of lexicographical information such as examples, part-of-speech, and cross-referencing. This innovative cultural dictionary represents the first targeted work into the applications of NSM and NSM-derived frameworks. It is the first dictionary of invisible culture in Australian English in this framework, and the only current resource which is aimed at maximum translatability for the English language education context.
Rating:
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Published on June 19, 2020. Last updated on January 15, 2022.
Wong, Jock. (2020). Semantic challenges in understanding Global English: Hypothesis, theory, and proof in Singapore English. In Lauren Sadow, Bert Peeters, & Kerry Mullan (Eds.), Studies in ethnopragmatics, cultural semantics, and intercultural communication: Vol. 3. Minimal English (and beyond) (pp. 191-212). Singapore: Springer.
Abstract
Since the 1980s, the Singapore government has relentlessly, and with some level of success, promoted the use of English among Singaporeans. Many younger people now use English at home and as their dominant language and have no problem pursuing a basic university degree, locally or overseas, using English. However, while there is evidence to suggest that the ‘well-educated’ variety of Singapore English is mutually intelligible with other varieties of Standard English, numerous studies have shown that many Singaporeans speak a variety of English that is distinct from Standard English. Singapore English (or ‘Singlish’) is shaped by Singapore culture and exhibits linguistic elements of that culture. Given that many Singaporeans speak Singapore English on an everyday basis, one wonders how proficient they truly are in Standard English. Indeed, some ‘educated’ Singaporeans, including university students, understand words often used in the academic context (like hypothesis, theory, and proof) differently from native Standard (Anglo) English users. This raises two questions. Are Singapore university students semantically challenged in Standard English? If so, what can be done to address this problem? One objective of this study is to examine Singapore university students’ understanding of several words that are important in Standard English. A further objective is to use Minimal English (ME) to explain the meaning of four Standard English words used in academic writing, hypothesis, theory, prove, and proof, and to show that ME can be used as a language pedagogic tool.
Rating:
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Published on June 19, 2020. Last updated on August 17, 2021.
Fernández, Susana S. (2020). Using NSM and “Minimal” Language for intercultural learning. In Lauren Sadow, Bert Peeters, & Kerry Mullan (Eds.), Studies in ethnopragmatics, cultural semantics, and intercultural communication: Vol. 3. Minimal English (and beyond) (pp. 191-212). Singapore: Springer.
Abstract:
The purpose of this chapter is to discuss how the learning and teaching of intercultural competence can be substantially enhanced by the use of NSM and/or some form of “minimal” language (inspired by Goddard 2018a) Minimal English. The affordances of the NSM theory of intercultural semantics and pragmatics (e.g., Goddard 2006; Wierzbicka 1997) for intercultural learning are, at least, twofold. On the one hand, the theory brings into focus cultural keywords and cultural scripts, which are crucial to the understanding of how a particular group thinks about and performs communication and social relations. On the other hand, NSM offers a set of few, simple, and cross-translatable concepts that can prove useful in the context of the classroom, to talk about keywords and cultural scripts and to explain complex language-specific grammatical features. The acquisition of intercultural compe- tence, also called intercultural communicative competence (Byram 1997), is the main goal of foreign and second language courses today, where the focus is on helping the learner to become a competent intercultural speaker and user of the language. Intercultural competence is also the target of courses on intercultural communication (for instance, university courses for humanities or business stu- dents), which normally provide an introduction to culture and communication theories. Both foreign/second language courses and intercultural communication courses would profit from a systematic approach to grammar, to the semantics of cultural keywords, and to pragmatics, which does not rely on heavily culturally loaded (and potentially Anglocentric) complex concepts. In this chapter, I propose different ways in which NSM can be used in these contexts, both at a theoretical level and based on my own experiences with the implementation of NSM in the classroom.
Rating:
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Published on August 15, 2021. Last updated on August 15, 2021.
Peeters, Bert (2021). From Cultural to Pedagogical Scripts: Speaking Out in English, French, and Russian. In Goddard, Cliff (ed.). Minimal Languages in Action. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan pp 171-193
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-64077-4_7
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (S) epistemic reserve and openness, (S) expresividad, (S) expressing opinions (English), (S) expressing opinions (French), (S) expressing opinions (Russian), (S) iskrennost' искренность, (S) taking a stand, (S) vyrazitel’nost’
Published on August 15, 2021. Last updated on August 15, 2021.
Lee, Jeong-Ae (2021). Using Minimal Language to Help Foreign Learners Understand Korean Honorifics. In Goddard, Cliff (ed.). Minimal Languages in Action. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. pp 195-221
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-64077-4_8
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (E) contaymal, (E) panmal, (S) chomyen, (S) intimacy (Korean), (S) use of contaymal (Korean), (S) use of panmal (Korean), (S) vertical rank (Korean), (S) vertical rank consciousness (Korean)
Published on August 15, 2021. Last updated on August 15, 2021.
Sadow, Lauren (2021). Standard Translatable English: A Minimal English for Teaching and Learning Invisible Culture in Language Classrooms. In Goddard, Cliff (ed.). Minimal Languages in Action. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan pp 139-169
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-64077-4_6
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (S) jocular abuse, (S) softening disagreement with partial agreement
Published on August 15, 2021. Last updated on August 15, 2021.
Bullock, David (2021). Using Minimal English (Minimal Spanish, Etc.) for Non-circular Learners’ Dictionaries. In Goddard, Cliff (ed.). Minimal Languages in Action. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan pp 111-137
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-64077-4_5
Sound application of NSM principles carried out without prior training by an experienced NSM practitioner
Published on August 15, 2021. Last updated on August 15, 2021.
Fernández, Susana S. (2021). The Conceptual Semantics of ‘Latin America’: Popular Geopolitics and Spanish Language Teaching in Denmark. Journal of Postcolonial Linguistics, 5(2021), 31–54
(Open Access)
Abstract:
This article explores how the concept of ‘Latin America’ is constructed in connection with the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language in Denmark, and how it is received and understood by Spanish learners in the country. The paper explores the concept of Latin America from different perspectives: Danish learners, young Latin Americans and through a historical overview, in order to embrace its complexity. The hypothesis is that the conceptualization of ‘Latin America’ in the context of language teaching in Denmark does not do justice to the diversity and richness of the geographical area and its peoples.
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (E) América Latina, (E) Latinamerika
