ERIC Number: EJ789564
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2003
Pages: 9
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0015-718X
EISSN: N/A
Structure and Complexity of Oral Narratives in Advanced-Level Spanish: A Comparison of Three Learning Backgrounds
Rubio, Fernando
Foreign Language Annals, v36 n4 p546-554 Win 2003
This study compared the narratives of three groups of advanced speakers of Spanish with different learning backgrounds. The first group was made up of heritage speakers; the second group was composed of missionaries that had recently returned from a two-year sojourn in a Spanish-speaking country; and the third group comprised students who had learned Spanish in a regular classroom setting and who had no more than 4 months of experience abroad. The study compared the degrees of fluency and complexity of the past narrations that they produced during an OPI. The results demonstrated that there was a degree of correlation between type of learning background and narration characteristics. (Contains 5 tables.)
Descriptors: Spanish, Advanced Students, Language Proficiency, Oral Language, Second Language Learning, Personal Narratives, Comparative Analysis, Native Speakers, Interviews, Language Tests, Linguistic Input, Heritage Education, Religious Cultural Groups, Foreign Countries, College Students
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. 700 South Washington Street Suite 210, Alexandria, VA 22314. Tel: 703-894-2900; Fax: 703-894-2905; e-mail: headquarters@actfl.org; Web site: http://www.actfl.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A