The use of course grades as metrics in L2 research: A systematic review

Brown, Alan V.; Plonsky, Luke; Teimouri, Yasser

doi:10.1111/flan.12370

Cited by 31 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Finally, the negative effects of anxiety are almost the same in relation to both course grades and objective language tests. The use of course grades or language tests as measures of language proficiency has been a topic of debate among SLA researchers for quite some time: Some scholars advocate for the use of course grades over language tests, whereas others criticize this approach for its lack of systematicity, favoring more objective measures of language proficiency (for a review, see Brown, Plonsky, & Teimouri, 2018). Regardless of the theoretical and methodological issues underlying the use of course grades or language tests as measures of language proficiency, the results of this meta-analysis show a similar negative relationship between language anxiety and both language achievement measures.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Second Language Anxiety and Achievement

Teimouri

Goetze

Plonsky³

2019

Stud Second Lang Acquis

Self Cite

302

154

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Second language (L2) anxiety has been the object of constant empirical and theoretical attention for several decades. As a matter of both theoretical and practical interest, much of the research in this domain has examined the relationship between anxiety and L2 achievement. The present study meta-analyzes this body of research. Following a comprehensive search, a sample of 97 reports were identified, contributing a total of 105 independent samples (N = 19,933) from 23 countries. In the aggregate, the 216 effect sizes (i.e., correlations) reported in the primary studies yielded a mean of r = −.36 for the relationship between L2 anxiety and language achievement. Moderator analyses revealed effects sizes to vary across different types of language achievement measures, educational levels, target languages, and anxiety types. Overall, this study provides firm evidence for both the negative role of L2 anxiety in L2 learning and the moderating effects of a number of (non)linguistic variables. We discuss the findings in the context of theoretical and practical concerns, and we provide direction for future research.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Second Language Anxiety and Achievement

Teimouri

Goetze

Plonsky³

2019

Stud Second Lang Acquis

Self Cite

302

154

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“…Within L2MSS studies, Al-Hoorie (2018) noted that most studies on motivated behaviors are mostly observational, by examining the relationship (e.g., using correlation, regression, or structural equation modeling) between L2 learning experience scores and measures of performance. He pointed out that this approach is prone to confounds such as initial student ability and instructor leniency, which can translate into higher grades and student satisfaction but not necessarily greater learning (see Brown, Plonsky, & Teimouri, 2018, on the problems with using course grades as metrics in L2 research).…”

Section: Methodological Issues In the Quantitative Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Motivation to learn languages other than English: A critical research synthesis

Mendoza

Phung

2019

Foreign Language Annals

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The primary purpose of this investigation was to put forward critical research synthesis as a qualitative alternative to meta‐analysis in second language acquisition using as a case example studies published from 2005 to 2018 applying the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS) to learners of languages other than English (LOTEs). Since L2MSS research is methodologically diverse and meta‐analysis necessarily excludes literature that cannot be subjected to its parameters, a qualitative synthetic approach with the systematicity and transparency of meta‐analysis is warranted. This study synthesizes 30 L2MSS studies on LOTEs in three world regions—Europe, Inner Circle English‐speaking countries, and Asia—and examines substantive and methodological features of the literature, including (1) the diversity of languages and educational contexts, (2) common issues of interest and findings in each world region, and (3) the strengths and limitations of quantitative and qualitative L2MSS studies. Suggestions for improving the diversity and quality of research on motivation to learn LOTEs are offered.

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“…To pass a course, they should get the minimum grade of 10. The reason we selected course grades as measure of L2 achievement was that course grades have been reported to be more closely related to motivational and personality factors than standardized tests (Arens et al, 2015), and it is common to use them in L2 research (see Brown et al, 2018 for a review).…”

Section: L2 Achievementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…First, we relied on just final-term grades to measure students' L2 achievement. Although using course grades as a measure of L2 achievement is a very common practice in SLA research, it has been criticized for validity issues (see Brown et al, 2018 for a review). Therefore, using standardized tests of foreign language achievement can give us a more consistent measure of students' L2 achievement.…”

Section: Pedagogical Implications and Suggestions For Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Closer Look at Grit and Language Mindset as Predictors of Foreign Language Achievement

Khajavy

MacIntyre

Hariri

2020

Stud Second Lang Acquis

139

111

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Learning a second/foreign language (L2) is a long process and L2 learners certainly will encounter setbacks and discouragements during this process. However, their reactions to these failures might be different based on their perceptions of L2 learning ability and their subsequent effort put into L2 learning. Based on this, the present study aimed at exploring two underresearched constructs within the field of applied linguistics, namely grit (continuous effort and interest for long-term goals) and language mindset (individuals’ perceptions of their language learning ability). We had five main aims: to examine (a) the factor structure of grit, (b) the factor structure of language mindset, (c) whether there are gender differences in grit or language mindset, (d) the relationships between language mindset and grittiness, and (e) the roles of grit and language mindset as predictors of L2 achievement. To address these aims, a total number of 1,178 university students who were taking general English courses took part in our study and completed the questionnaires. Results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the two-factor structure for both grit and language mindset fit the data better than the single-factor structure. We also tested several structural equation models and found that a growth language mindset weakly, but positively, predicted one component of grit (perseverance of effort, or POE), but not the other (consistency of interest, or COI). A fixed language mindset did not predict POE, but did negatively predict COI. Finally, only growth language mindset was a weak, positive predictor of L2 achievement. At the end, theoretical and pedagogical implications regarding the role of grit and language mindset in L2 learning are presented.

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The use of course grades as metrics in L2 research: A systematic review

Cited by 31 publications

References 39 publications

Second Language Anxiety and Achievement

Second Language Anxiety and Achievement

Motivation to learn languages other than English: A critical research synthesis

A Closer Look at Grit and Language Mindset as Predictors of Foreign Language Achievement

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