Selected resources I have enjoyed reading.
Tracey M. Derwing & Murray J. Munro
Pronunciation fundamentals: Evidence-based perspectives for L2 teaching and research (Language Learning & Language Teaching 42). Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2015. Pp. xiii + 208. ISBN: 978 90 272 1327 3
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 May 2017
I was inspired by these authors and their journey from teaching English as a second language to asylum seekers to designing studies on pronunciation training. Their recommendations as to how to incorporate this research into effective teaching methods are indeed valuable tools.
From a socio-political perspective, the authors touch on the controversial field of language analysis for the determination of the origin (LADO), which has been used in some countries, such as Australia, Canada, and even Germany, to test the validity of claims made by asylum seekers as to their country of origin. Whilst the research is clear that first-language transfer can be detected when a person speaks in English, linguists have raised serious questions as to how far this can be relied upon by decision-makers in asylum cases.
Martina Němcová
Interference of German on English: The Case of Austrian Learners. Masaryk University, 2019.
Whilst Nemcova’s case study involved primary school-age learners of English, much of the research she outlines and her observations provide a useful overview of language transfer for German speakers of English.
Resources published by the Liechtenstein Languages program
The communicative language approach and task-based language learning are methods that have been adopted and adapted in the German-speaking world.
Indeed, adaptations of these methods referred to as “Neues Lernen” came to prominence during the 2015 refugee crisis in Europe.
According to the explanation published on the website of the US Embassy of the Principality of Leichtenstein, Washington, D.C. (accessed in September 2023):
“In the midst of the refugee crisis four years ago, representatives of various religions met at the Berlin residence of H.S.H. Prince Stefan of Liechtenstein, the Ambassador of Liechtenstein to Germany at the time. During the meeting, participants discussed ways to improve the linguistic integration of refugees into European society. The final product of the meeting was the creation of a language course project named ‘Liechtenstein Languages’, also called LieLa for short. The LieLa project was developed in Liechtenstein by the “Neues Lernen” association, which has been producing innovative learning methods for decades.
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Since its inception in 2015, LieLa has helped to integrate over 10,000 migrants into German-speaking countries. The project’s goal is to make a positive contribution to society by aiding in the integration of refugees and migrants. LieLa language courses aim to support migrants by helping them to become both linguistically and socially oriented in German-speaking countries.
The LieLa program’s success can be attributed to its application of a learning method called “Neues Lernen”(New Learning) that emphasizes verbal communication skills. It also promotes a supportive learning environment that encourages participants to interact with their new surroundings. Course participants typically begin with a four-week-long foundational course in which they focus on learning new vocabulary and communicating on a basic level. They are then able to take additional courses such as “LieLa Alpha”, which teaches reading and writing skills, and “LieLa Plus”, which is designed for labor market integration.”