Foreword to the Issue
The latest issue of JLLT comes with a collection of four articles focused on linguistics, teaching English, learning Finnish and German, and intercultural learning. This issue thus delves into various aspects of language education, a linguistic study into pragmatics, an empirical investigation into the inclusion of pragmatics into English textbooks in Hong Kong, the influence of the respective foreign language in a Finnish-German high school context, and the values teachers and students displayed in a Swedish-Japanese intercultural tandem setting. A perusal of the contributions in this issue anticipates a blend of tradition and innovation, making each article a compelling exploration that engages and informs.
The first article by Gerald Delahunty (Fort Collins (CO), USA) on "Words, Pictures, and Arguments” is about pragmatics and initiates our exploration into the nuanced intersection of visual rhetoric and argumentation. The discourse surrounding the viability of visual representation within arguments is characterized by opposing views. Advocates of linguistic exclusivity posit that only propositions can effectively contribute to arguments, dismissing the role of visual elements. In contrast, this article, informed by recent developments in Relevance Theory, establishes a comprehensive synthesis, affirming the capacity of visuals, particularly photographs, to represent propositions. The author contends that visuals extend beyond mere propositional representation, offering evidence that supports a spectrum of 'impressions', contributing to a discernible 'credal attitude' towards the associated document.
Liam D. Wilson’s (Hong Kong S.A.R.) article is at the crossroads of linguistics and foreign language teaching and directs our attention to the pragmatic dimension of language use, which is of notable importance in everyday life. Focused on speech acts within English Language Teaching (ELT) coursebooks used during Key Stage 3 in Hong Kong, the investigation scrutinizes the selection and frequency of specific speech acts. Notably, certain acts, such as advice, are found to be recurrent, overshadowing others like requests. The research provides important insights into the pragmatic and sociopragmatic aspects of language instruction, thereby enriching the field of second language pragmatics.
The study presented by Esa M. Penttinen (Helsinki, Finland) & Heiner Böttger (Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Germany) is at the crossroads of two languages and investigates the importance attributed by upper secondary school learners in Finland and Germany to cross-linguistic influence (CLI) in the context of German language learning. Employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, the study delineates the experiences of Finnish students learning German as a foreign language and German students acquiring German either as a native or second language. Noteworthy findings include the nuanced dynamics of positive and negative transfers, rooted in objective linguistic similarities and subjective assumptions, influencing the learning process. Additionally, the study underscores the interactive interplay of skills in different languages, emphasizing the unifying role of learning to learn in language acquisition.
The article by Christine Ericsdotter Nordgren & Jorunn Nilsson (Stockholm, Sweden) is at the intersection of two cultures, i.e. Japanese and Swedish. Their qualitative analysis explores the values of students and teachers engaged in an online Japanese-Swedish tandem exchange. The findings illuminate divergent emphases placed by students on personal peer-to-peer experiences and linguistic development, while teachers implicitly assume a high degree of autonomy. The research extends the scope of tandem exchange studies by incorporating Japanese and Swedish contexts, contributing to a more global understanding that transcends the prevailing European and American-centric discourse.
The present issue is rounded off by the review by Bernd Klewitz (Jena & Göttingen, Germany) of Inez De Florio’s book “From Assessment to Feedback. Applications in the Second / Foreign Language Classroom”, in which he provides a detailed analysis of this publication coupled with a critical evaluation.
In going through these articles, our readers are invited to explore new findings of visual rhetoric, pragmatics, language acquisition, and intercultural communication, each contributing to the ongoing evolution of scholarly understanding in their respective domains. Last but not least, I would like to wish everyone a very pleasant read.
Thomas Tinnefeld
JLLT
Editor