• “They Didn’t Know What to Do With Me”: Transitioning from the High School Arabic Classroom to College Foreign Language Study

    Author(s):
    SLS Working Papers (view group) , Lizz Huntley
    Date:
    2021
    Group(s):
    SLS Working Papers
    Subject(s):
    Second language acquisition, Applied linguistics, Language and languages
    Item Type:
    Online publication
    Tag(s):
    Foreign languages, Arabic
    Permanent URL:
    https://doi.org/10.17613/vrqb-6b37
    Abstract:
    Despite substantial efforts to develop foreign language learning pipelines, little is known about students’ experiences moving between levels of education. This is particularly true for less commonly taught languages, where pre-tertiary learning is considered crucial for graduating students at higher levels of proficiency. This qualitative case study examines how four L2 learners of Arabic transition from their high school classrooms to university programs. Adopting a grounded theory approach to analyze survey and focus group data, three key themes emerge: initial (dis)orientation in the tertiary setting, classroom (dis)harmony as students navigate new norms, and retrospective appreciation for their high school learning environments. The results illustrate that university programs seem to lack appropriate measures to accommodate pipeline learners. Likewise, high school programs are not doing enough to familiarize students with the learning opportunities ahead. The findings have implications for programs, teachers, and students on both sides of these periods of transition.
    Metadata:
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    Published as:
    Online publication     Show details
    Pub. URL:
    https://hcommons.org/groups/sls-working-papers/
    Publisher:
    SLS Working Papers
    Pub. Date:
    2021
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    1 year ago
    License:
    Attribution
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