24.584, Review: Applied Linguistics; Language Acquisition: Munoz (2012)

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LINGUIST List: Vol-24-584. Thu Jan 31 2013. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 24.584, Review: Applied Linguistics; Language Acquisition: Munoz (2012)

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Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2013 19:15:47
From: Jonathan Clenton [jclenton at lang.osaka-u.ac.jp]
Subject: Intensive Exposure Experiences in Second Language Learning

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Book announced at http://linguistlist.org/issues/23/23-4050.html

EDITOR: Carmen  Munoz
TITLE: Intensive Exposure Experiences in Second Language Learning
SERIES TITLE: Second Language Acquisition
PUBLISHER: Multilingual Matters
YEAR: 2012

REVIEWER: Jonathan Clenton, Osaka University

SUMMARY

This book investigates second language (L2) learning in different contexts
with intensive target language (TL) exposure: longer and shorter immersion;
intensive exposure; and intensive immersion in foreign language settings. It
brings together eleven studies that investigate a variety of different L2
learning intensive exposure contexts and represents a survey of the relative
strengths and weaknesses of each.

The book is organized into four parts according to intensive exposure context.
The first part (Chapter 1) investigates the extent to which concentrated
periods of intensive L2 study might be negative for learning and retention,
and addresses the complexities inherent in such an investigation. The second
part (Chapters 2-6) investigates a range of intensive programmes in Quebec and
discusses their relative benefits and weaknesses. Part Three (Chapters 7-8)
examines learner perceptions in relation to intensive TL exposure experiences.
Finally, Part Four (Chapters 9-11) investigates L2 speech gains as a result of
immersion in TL settings.

The first part examines whether intensive learning is effective. This first
chapter (‘Theoretical Underpinnings of Intensive Learning’, by Raquel Serrano)
introduces a variety of studies examining the question of whether or not
intensive learning is indeed effective. The studies presented raise the issue
of whether repeated practice aids memorization and discuss the nature of such
practices in terms of both cognitive psychology and second language
acquisition (SLA). For cognitive psychology, these studies include the
repeating of words within texts, cued computerized lists, spaced and massed
item repetition, word learning and mathematical problem solving, face
recognition, and the effects of advertising, and regarding SLA, the studies
discuss different L2 program types (e.g. in Canada and Spain). The majority of
the reported experiments suggest that for both cognitive psychology and SLA,
intensive repetition is effective (i.e. aids memorization) when the same items
are placed among intervening items or in widely spaced sessions. Successful
memorization for both cognitive psychology and SLA differ, it turns out, in
terms of time distribution for presentation.  For cognitive psychology,
learning is generally more effective when presented in distributed sequences
as opposed to concentrated massed presentations. For SLA, the author suggests
that the nature of distribution is less obvious and that research needs to
determine the preferred number of hours necessary for a study to qualify as
intensive. SLA also needs to determine the relative merits of concentrated and
spaced instruction. The author concludes that SLA should follow cognitive
psychology in order to more closely analyze the effect of time distribution.

The second part examines intensive programmes in Quebec and beyond, from
different and complementary angles, over five different studies. The first
study (Chapter 2: ‘Intensive L2 Instruction in Canada: Why not Immersion?’, by
Patsy. M. Lightbrown) discusses the relative success of immersion in Quebec,
where English immersion programmes are based on language teaching, whilst
French immersion was based on content-based instruction. Based on the success
of  English immersion, the French approach was changed to language
instruction. The discussion highlights the successful origins and strengths of
English immersion programmes which were originally based on French immersion
programmes from the 1970s. The second study (Chapter 3: ‘Closing the Gap:
Intensity and Proficiency’, by Laura Collins and Joanna White) suggests that
intensive instruction allows lower proficiency students to catch up to their
peers and that there are fewer individual differences within groups of
students after intensive instruction. The third study (Chapter 4: ‘When
Comprehensible Input is not Comprehensive Input: A Multi-dimensional Analysis
of Instructional Input in Intensive English as a Foreign Language’, by Laura
Collins, Joanna White, Pavel Tromfimovich, Walcir Cardoso and Marlise Horst)
examines the limitations of intensive instruction and suggests that even after
‘quality encounters with [specific] verb types’, output (of these specific
verb types) is rare. The study recommends further studies to observe
input-acquisition relationships. The fourth study (Chapter 5: ‘What Language
is Promoted in Intensive Language Programs? Analyzing Language Generated from
Oral Assessment Tasks’, by Joanna White and Carolyn E. Turner) examines
language output following intensive instruction oral assessments when compared
to ‘regular’ English as a Second Language (ESL) elementary school students.
The results from the study indicate that intensive instruction students (with
ten times more exposure to English) perform significantly better on oral
proficiency measures when compared to elementary school counterparts,
suggesting that extended practice over lengthy periods of time is a less
efficient route to L2 proficiency compared to intensive exposure. The fifth
and final study (Chapter 6: ‘Time and Amount of L2 Contact Inside and Outside
the School – Insights from the European Schools’, by Alex Housen) in the
section examines L2 teaching with European school curriculum and suggests that
L2 contact is a significant contributing factor to L2 proficiency. The study
indicates that European school education is comparable to other models of
bilingual education and that variation in L2 proficiency appears to depend on
factors including first language (L1) background, length of L2 education, and
contact duration.

The third part of the book analyses learner perception in relation to
intensive exposure experiences. The first of the two studies (Chapter 7: ‘The
Significance of Intensive Exposure as a Turning Point in Learner’s Histories’,
by Carmen Munoz) in this section reports on an experiment in which the
majority of responses to describing turning points in L2 learning were
ascribed to the intensive learning context. The second study (Chapter 8:
‘Change or Stability in Learners’ Perceptions as a result of Study Abroad’, by
Elsa Tragant) addresses an experiment which showed that respondents’ attitudes
towards the L2 improved with the length of intensive study abroad experience,
suggesting that intensity of experience is an indicator of student L2
development.

The fourth and final part of the book presents three studies which compare L2
learner gains in study abroad intensive experiences with L2 learner gains in
intensive experiences at home. The first of the studies (Chapter 9: ‘The
Impact of Study Abroad and Age on Second Language Accuracy Development’, by
Angels Llanes) examines the extent to which the two learning contexts, as well
as age (i.e. child or adult), influence L2 error production in writing or
speech. The results suggest that the study abroad experience is more
effective, in terms of accuracy, than the home context. The study also reports
that, overall, adults experience greater gains than children. In short, the
study implies that study abroad experiences, as well as age, are deciding
indicators of L2 improvement. The study also suggests that a more intensive
experience leads to greater improvement in the L2. The second study (Chapter
10: ‘Oral and Written Development in Formal Instruction and Study Abroad:
Differential Effects of Learning Context’, by Carmen Perez-Vidal, Maria
Juan-Garau, Joan C. Mora and Margalida Valls-Ferrer) compares study abroad
with foreign instruction contexts in terms of L2 progress in speech and
writing. The longitudinal study follows L2 learners over a period of 14
months, beginning with foreign instruction, and ending with study abroad (the
latter is considered to provide greater intensity). The results suggest that
the study abroad experience has a greater influence on written and oral
proficiency. Reportedly, the two study contexts appear to complement each
other in the sense that oral lexical complexity improves at home and written
lexical complexity improves in the study abroad context. The third and final
study (Chapter 11: ‘Differences in L2 Segmental Perception: The Effects of Age
and L2 Learning Experience’, by Romana Kopeckova) in this part evaluates the
role of child, teenage, and adult perception of TL phonetics and suggests that
three years of study abroad benefits all learners’ perceptual abilities and,
specifically, that child and teenage L2 learners improve their L2 speech.

EVALUATION 

This book is intended for a broad audience, including teachers, language
teacher educators, language education policymakers, applied linguists, L2
researchers, academics and postgraduate students (of L2 studies,
psycholinguistics and bilingualism). The volume collates eleven different
studies that deal with L2 learning in intensive contexts, all of which span
the theoretical (i.e. asking whether intensive instruction is effective or
not) and practical (i.e. considering the relative merits of language
instruction in intensive programmes) applications, the perceptions (i.e. when
and whether they change after intensive instruction), and the relative merits
of intensive exposure in the study abroad context in terms of age, and L2
skill (e.g. written, oral, phonetic). Despite the number of different
contributors, the book is clearly well-edited, accessible, and consistent in
its presentation. The authors appear to have achieved their goals with the
book.

Particularly, Part Two, which deals with the relative merits of different
intensive instruction contexts, is particularly strong because it critiques
different intensive instruction contexts which appear immediately replicable.
In broad terms, the particular strengths of the volume lie in comparisons
between different intensive programmes and discussions of their respective
merits for individual learners in terms of, for instance, age, length, and L1
background, or skills, such as pronunciation, writing, or speech. For applied
linguists, L2 researchers, academics and postgraduate students, the appeal of
the book lies in the detailed arguments of the complex issues associated with
intensive exposure experiences in L2 learning. In this latter respect, the
book appears to provide a useful resource for future empirical experimentation
(e.g. replications) with the potential to respond to the questions posed at
the end of each chapter.

The book raises several questions for future empirical research and I will be
interested to see whether future studies are able to narrow in on the focus of
the papers presented here. The sections reporting the relationships between
the quantity and quality of learner input and output are especially
interesting since they appear to offer immediate insights relating to the
relative success of intensive instruction.

The volume is very cohesive and, by and large, each chapter fits within the
broad aims of the book and its relevant part or sub-section. However, I had
some difficulty discerning the extent to which two chapters were specifically
related to the central aims of the book. The first of these, Chapter 6,
compares different learners’ experiences at European schools. The chapter
considers SLA and content based education together and, while this still might
be broadly relevant, I felt this consideration is at minor odds with other
chapters (which only consider SLA). Second, Chapter 11 considers learner
perception of L2 speech gains. Again, while this is still broadly relevant, I
think this chapter is less pertinent to the central arguments dealing with
intensive instruction. However, these are only minor weaknesses and should not
detract from the comprehensive analysis that this volume represents.


ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Jon Clenton teaches English and language acquisition at Osaka University's
Graduate School of Language and Culture, Japan. His current research focuses
on developmental work on vocabulary testing and the extent to which bilingual
models can tell us about the network metaphor and L2 proficiency.








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