Interaction of contextual and individual variables in instructed early SLA

1. Interaction of contextual and individual variables in instructed early SLA Jelena Mihaljevic Djigunovic University of Zagreb, Croatia Magdalena Szpotowicz University of Warsaw, Poland Early Language Learning in Europe

2. The present study: part of ELLiE* • multinational longitudinal project: Croatia, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom (N = 1,200) • aim: What can realistically be achieved in state schools where relatively limited amounts of class time are available for FL learning? _________________________________________ *This research has been supported by a European Commission grant under the Lifelong Learning Programme, Project n°. 135632-LLP-2007-UK-KA1SCR. An additional British Council grant supported the Croatian team. Early Language Learning in Europe

3. Croatia Slavonic L1 mostly monolingual classes central curriculum ca.80 % - English two 45-min lessons per week Poland Slavonic L1 mostly monolingual classes central curriculum ca. 80 % - English two 45-min lessons per week Country contexts: similarities Early Language Learning in Europe

4. Croatia long tradition in FLL & early start compulsory from grade 1 since 2003 grades from the start of primary school massive out-of-school exposure (media, tourism) Poland short tradition in FLL & early start compulsory from grade 1 since 2008 no grades in lower primary not much exposure (dubbed TV) Country contexts: differences Early Language Learning in Europe

5. Aims • the interplay of contextual variables and individual learner differences • impact on L2 acquisition Early Language Learning in Europe

6. Interplay of individual and contextual variables Early Language Learning in Europe

7. Early Language Learning in Europe

8. Sample N = 350 first graders (age: 6/7 years) (F – 170; M – 180) 7 schools in Croatia 7 schools in Poland Early Language Learning in Europe

9. Methodology • mixed-method approach • instruments • administered to whole sample • administered to six focal learners per group Early Language Learning in Europe

10. Measures • school setting • instruction • out-of-class exposure • ability • attitudes & motivation • linguistic self-confidence • language achievement • observation • oral interviews • smiley questionnaires • standard questionnaires • listening tasks • speaking tasks Early Language Learning in Europe

11. Classroom instruction – Example 1(Use of L1 & L2) S: Teacher, šta trebamo nacrtati? [what should we draw?] T: Eeee sad gledam [now I look] carefully. Ovdje su [Here are] two trees, na svakom [on each] treetrebate napraviti plodove [you need to make fruits]. Ovdje znači [So here] apples, ovdje [here] pears. A iznad toga, lijepo ćete ih obojiti [And above that you will colour them nicely], colour them and match them. Ovako. [Like this] Čekaj, čekaj, čekaj. [Wait, wait, wait] Who is big?Tko je od njih [Who among them is] big? SS: Ovaj tu. Ovaj tu.[This one. This one.] Father. Father. T: Ok, who is strong?To ćete sami odlučiti i spojiti.[You will decide for yourselves and connect.] Vidite ko je[See how..it is] small,pa povučete crte do njega…[then you draw lines to it] T: I don’t know. T: Jeste dovršili ovo?[Are you done with this?] Early Language Learning in Europe

12. RESULTS Early Language Learning in Europe

13. End-of-year language achievement: listening task Early Language Learning in Europe

14. Vocabulary acquisition(listening task) Early Language Learning in Europe

15. End-of-year language achievement: speaking task Early Language Learning in Europe

16. Vocabulary acquisition (speaking task) Early Language Learning in Europe

17. Interplay: type of settlement • Differences in motivation, linguistic self-confidence, ability and language achievement • ANOVA: • linguistic self-confidence: ns • ability: ns • motivation: • city YLs <village & town YLs • listening scores: • village & town YLs < city YLs • speaking scores: ns Early Language Learning in Europe

18. Interplay: immediate teaching environment (key) Early Language Learning in Europe

19. Interplay: immediate teaching environment • ANOVA: • linguistic self-confidence: ns • Ability: ns • Motivation: • (45) (city) <(76) (city), (75) (village), (72) (town), (74) (village), (71) (town), (73) (village) • Listening scores: • (46) (village)<(77) (city) • Speaking scores: • (46) (village)<(77) (city) Early Language Learning in Europe

20. Group comparisons Early Language Learning in Europe

21. Group comparison Early Language Learning in Europe

22. Early Language Learning in Europe

23. Early Language Learning in Europe

24. Comparison of 3 high & 3 low achievers • See handout Early Language Learning in Europe

25. Correlations between ability, language achievement, linguistic self-confidence and motivation (grade 1) (Croatia/Poland) Early Language Learning in Europe

26. Correlationsgrade 2 Early Language Learning in Europe

27. Grade 1 Grade 2 Early Language Learning in Europe

28. Conclusions • Instructed early SLA: • teaching context and individual learner differences seem to be relevant from the beginning of the early start • interplay between contextual factors and individual learner differences is more revealing than separate variables • interplay changes with length of learning Early Language Learning in Europe

29. Implicatons • longitudinal approach – key to understanding impact of interplay on SLA • importance of triangulation • include larger samples Early Language Learning in Europe

30. Thank you for your attention! Early Language Learning in Europe

31. Jelena Mihaljevic Djigunovic jmihalje@ffzg.hr Magdalena Szpotowicz m.szpotowicz@uw.edu.pl Early Language Learning in Europe