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Book: "A Verbal Odyssey. Learning Maltese as a foreign adult"
Abstract
Learning a foreign language is complex and unpredictable. Furthermore, speaking different languages is becoming increasingly important in today’s globalized world. However, it requires several strategies to gain the best possible result. Relevant challenges could be related to memory, personality, culture shock, communicating with native speakers and boring and traditional teaching methods. With Malta’s entry into the European Union (EU) in 2004, Maltese became one of EU’s official languages. Many foreign workers residing in Malta, continue to find employment in the iGaming industry, financial services, health care, pharmaceuticals, construction sector and culinary industry and are interested to learn Maltese for various reasons. The book “A Verbal Odyssey. Learning Maltese as a foreign adult” by Dr. Jacqueline Żammit explores the acquisition of Maltese verbs by thirty-five adult non-native learners from all walks of life and different parts of the world to better understand and improve the language learning process. In fact, the participants’ issues and learning techniques could easily be applied to any other foreign language acquisition. The book adopts chaos/complexity theory (C/CT) as a conceptual framework. C/CT is a field of science and mathematics. This book applies C/CT in a unique way by interpreting the process of learning Maltese as a foreign language from both cognitive and sociocultural perspectives since both of them affect a learner’s competence and performance. Consequently, it aims to explore the use of verbs by different non-native learners to understand what is going on in the learner’s mind while learning Maltese as a foreign language, the challenges of learning Maltese and to improve the current teaching and learning system in Maltese as a foreign language. This book addresses any foreign language learner as well as teachers, lecturers, and school administrators. For methodical reasons, the book is also interesting for linguistic researchers. Moreover, education policymakers can benefit from the findings, especially when it comes to understanding students’ and adult learners’ learning curves and language learning challenges. Despite being academic, this book is aesthetically appealing because each chapter starts with a funny comic strip and a quotation.Happy Reading! My book/ebook can be found at the German National Library (Deutsche National Bibliothek): https://portal.dnb.de/opac.htm;jsessionid=b... and it can be bought from many international bookshops such as the German publishers, GRIN: https://www.grin.com/document/1020349 or Amazon: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/dp/3346403491/ref=sr_1_1... or Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/.../a-verbal.../1139514627... or Google Books: https://www.google.de/.../A_Verbal.../Vl8tEAAAQBAJ... or Thalia: https://www.thalia.de/.../artikeldetails/ID151617601.html or Lehmanns media: https://www.lehmanns.de/.../56816446-9783346403483-a... or Weltbild: https://www.weltbild.ch/.../a-verbal-odyssey-learning... or Suchergebnisse - ImCoSys eBook-Shop: https://imcosys.e-bookshelf.ch/a-verbal-odyssey-learning... or book-ebooks.com: https://www.book-ebooks.com/products/search...... and this book will soon be available in Maltese bookshops.
... The butter y effect explains the disparities in the SLA of two learners who have a similar L1 but with dissimilar initial conditions (Larsen-Freeman, 1997, 2018). It further explains that there could be varied deviations over time in SLA among such learners and that a small, insigni cant change could lead to a drastic change over time (Larsen-Freeman, 1997Murphy, Macaro, Alba & Cipolla, 2015;Żammit, 2021). Furthermore, SLA can be signi cantly affected by other social elements, such as individual learners' cultural backgrounds. ...
Despite extensive research in second language acquisition (SLA), we are still a long way from understanding what exactly happens in the adult’s mind while learning a second language (L2). This study explores whether a learning pattern could be established over time in 35 adults learning Maltese as a second language (ML2), especially with respect to Maltese verbs. This research is driven by chaos/complexity theory. It focuses on the non-linear learning curve, the origins of the butterfly effect and fractal patterns of learning. It describes how learning is unpredictable, chaotic, dynamic and complex. A longitudinal research system and a mixed-method approach focussed on methodological triangulation were used in this research. Structured Timed Grammaticality Judgment Tests, verb conjugation tasks, reflected journals and interviews were used to investigate the learning curve over a period of 15 months. According to the results, all participants indicated a non-linear learning pattern and confirm the characteristics of Chaos/Complexity Theory.
Notwithstanding the considerable amount of research conducted in the field of second language acquisition (SLA) (a list of abbreviations is provided at the end of paper), our understanding of the cognitive processes that occur in the adult brain during the learning of a second language (L2) remains limited. This study investigates the potential development of a learning pattern in 35 adult learners of Maltese as a second language (ML2), specifically focusing on Maltese verbs. This research was inspired by the principles and concepts of Chaos/Complexity theory (C/CT). The subject matter revolves around the concept of a non-linear learning curve, the origins of the butterfly effect, and the presence of fractal patterns in the learning process. The study elucidates the unpredictable, chaotic, dynamic, and complicated nature of learning Maltese. This research employed a longitudinal research system and utilised a mixed-method approach with a specific focus on methodological triangulation. The study employed Timed Grammaticality Judgement Tests, verb conjugation tasks, reflective journals, and interviews to examine the progression of learning Maltese verbs at an intermediate level over a span of 15 months. Based on the findings, every participant reported a non-linear learning pattern and verified the characteristics of Chaos/Complexity theory.
Adult brains are more implicit, lack neuroplasticity and hence, are less capable of change and new learning than children, who have a sponge-like approach to acquiring knowledge and information, making learning a second language (L2) more challenging in adulthood. In the digital era, game and mobile-based learning are fundamental tools for assisting adults to acquire an L2. The EULALIA ( E nhancing U niversity L anguage courses with an A pp powered by game-based L earning and tangible user I nterfaces A ctivities) project aimed to enhance the learning methodologies of four university language courses for Erasmus students in Italy, Malta, Poland and Spain by developing innovative and effective learning tools based on mobile and game-based learning paradigms, and the use of tangible user interfaces. This study focuses on Malta by providing an in-depth view of the impact of game-based applications on enhancing international adult learning of Maltese as a second language (ML2). The findings are set to encourage international adult students in learning ML2 through the game-based application to aid in increasing cultural awareness and better communication with the locals. As part of the methodology, pre-surveys and post-surveys were used on a test group comprising of 28 pre-surveyed and nine post-surveyed ML2 adult learners who used the app, and a reference group of 24 pre-surveyed and 23 post-surveyed ML2 learners who did not. The results revealed that game-based learning improved cognitive function since the learners were more engaged in language activities, thereby promoting the ability to process and absorb a wider range of information.
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