Pig Sty Avenue

CHAPTER 1: Theory Here I examine literature underpinning the theory regarding the circumstances in which English L2 learners (or “new Scots”) find themselves having to be assessed in their English language ability in order to secure the status of citizen of the UK and Scotland, or person with indefinite leave to remain. This is necessary to give a framework to a complicated situation which crosses several disciplines, (Language Assessment, Educational Policy, Immigration Law and Policy, and Second Language Acquisition Theory). The theory helps to move the research from a narrative of “What happens to new Scots with regard to their emergent bilingualism?” to a more critical field of discourse, “Why does that happen?” and “What does it mean ?”   “Non-Native Speakers” v “emergent bilinguals”. This section looks at theory regarding L2 learners, that is people who are learning a language, (with specific reference to English learners in Scotland) which is not the same as L1 the...

I'm feeling relieved to have the outline of the assignment, (which now bears the snappy title: The Second Language Acquisition Theory Implications of Learners’ Views on Language Testing: A Libyan Case Study) worked out and approved by my tutor. There's a lot of work to do but a job started is half finished, and all that. I'll be a lot more relieved when the bugger's out of the way entirely. SLA is such a vast field, you could spend a lifetime studying it and never really get a handle on it.

"Language Learners - especially adults - bring a variety of beliefs to the classroom. According to Hosenfeld (1978), students form 'mini-theories' of L2 learning. There has been relatively little research into the nature of these theories and even less about how learners' beliefs affect language learning. " (Ellis, 477) Now we get down to it. The learners I have in mind ( a group of about 30, at CEF level B1-C1 approximately) have this weekend taken an IELTS test. I'll have them do part (at least) of the placement test I've designed. Then, I'll interview several of them, with a semi-structured interview to ascertain their attitudes to test taking in particular and to language learning in general. I'll also ask the whole group to complete a straightforward questionnaire on the same subject. What I'll then have is a whole load of cross-referable data regarding ability and attitude to tests and language learning from which I can draw infere...