Cognitive Style and First Language Background in Second Language Test Performance

Hansen-Strain, Lynne

doi:10.2307/3586505

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This positive association between GEFT and L2 performance has been found for students learning English as a second language, either in their home country (Alptekin & Atakan, 1990;Hansen, 1984) or in the United States (Chapelle & Roberts, 1986;Hansen-Strain, 1987;Jamieson, 1992), and for English-speaking students learning a second language at school or university (Abraham, 1983;Carter, 1988;Elliot, 1995aElliot, , 1995bGenesee & Hamayan, 1980;Hansen & Stansfield, 1981Naiman et al, 1978;Stansfield & Hansen, 1983;Tucker, Hamayan, & Genesee, 1976). Two studies have examined strategy use and FDI.…”

Section: Fdi and Linguistic Performancementioning

confidence: 92%

“…However, researchers generally have not found advantages of FD style. Rather, they have found measures of oral communicative competence either to be unrelated to cognitive style (Genesee & Hamayan, 1980;Hansen-Strain, 1987;Tucker et al, 1976) or to be positively related to field independence (Carter, 1988;Chapelle & Roberts, 1986;Hansen & Stansfield, 1981.…”

Section: Fdi and Linguistic Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The metaphor measure simply indexed the number of semantically distinct interpretations offered, independent of the skill with which the interpretations were expressed. In contrast, the oral production measures used in previous research typically have involved an interview subsequently rated by the researchers (Carter, 1988;Genesee & Hamayan, 1980;Hansen-Strain, 1987;Tucker et al, 1976). Other measures have been teacher rating of oral proficiency or grade assigned for the oral segment of a course (Hansen & Stansfield, 1981.…”

Section: Fdi and Linguistic Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Field Dependence as a Factor in Second Language Communicative Production

2000

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study investigates the hypothesis that a more field-dependent cognitive style may be adaptive for certain components of second language proficiency. Native English speakers (n = 28) or students of English as a second language (ESL; n = 29) completed measures of language proficiency (formal and communicative) and field dependence-independence (FDI). Native English speakers performed better than ESL students on language measures, but not on FDI measures. As predicted, measures of FDI correlated negatively with measures of communicative production in the ESL group: A more fielddependent style was associated with better performance on second language communicative measures. FDI scores were not related to native English speakers' language. Results support a bipolar cognitive-style conception of FDI. Theoretical models of the FDI construct are discussed.

show abstract

Section: Fdi and Linguistic Performancementioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Fdi and Linguistic Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Fdi and Linguistic Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Field Dependence as a Factor in Second Language Communicative Production

2000

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Roberts (1983), in a study conducted with adult ESL learners in an American university, discovered that FI predicted success for this group on traditional tests of an analytic nature. Likewise, Hansen-Strain (1984;1987) found a significant positive relationship between FI and scores on L2 tests, which was particularly noticeable in the case of the cloze test and dependent to a degree on the learner's cultural background and sex. Finally, both Chapelle and Roberts (1986) and Carter (1988) found support for the correlation of FI with L2 learning in the case of college students.…”

mentioning

confidence: 92%

Field dependence-independence and hemisphericity as variables in L2 achievement

Alptekin

Atakan

1990

Interlanguage studies bulletin (Utrecht)

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Following an extensive review of the literature, this study explores the relationship between L2 achievement and two learner characteristics -field dependence-independence and hemisphericity. Sixty-nine Turkish students of 11 to 12 years of age in an intensive EFL programme were administered the GEFT, the CLEM, and tests of L2 achievement. Significant positive correlations were observed between the GEFT scores and scores on L2 achievement tests. As expected, field independent learners performed better on the discretepoint and cloze tests. Hemisphericity, however, was not found to be related to L2 achievement. These results are evaluated critically and their implications for further research are discussed.One of the factors which accounts for differences in the manner students learn concerns the area of cognitive styles. Cognitive styles can be defined as the specific and relatively stable ways in which learners perceive and approach mental tasks. As such, they refer to an individual's preferred perceptual and intellectual mode. Hartnett (1980) classifies learners into two major categories with respect to the various dimensions of cognitive style that have been identified. The first group is said to be field independent, verbal, analytic, serialist, and sequential-successive. In contrast, the second group is described as field dependent, imaginal, relational, holist, and simultaneous-synthetic. Hartnett refers to the cognitive modes of the former group as 'analytical' and to those of the latter as 'holistic'.L2 learners are no exception to the above generalizations. Some prefer to use a more analytic approach to second language learning problems, while others prefer to tackle them in a predominantly holistic manner. However, learners' relatively stable preferences in this regard do not imply that there exist two distinct types of human beings. What is instead at issue here is a person's tendency to rely on a particular cognitive style more than the other. Otherwise, individuals are known to make use of varying degrees of analytic and

show abstract

“…Has the study been designed, conducted, and presented in such a way that it can be replicated without great difficulty, or are there small omissions? Some examples of good candidates for replication from recent issues of the TESOL Quarterly are Crookes and Rulon (1988), Dunkel (1988), August (1987), Hansen-Strain (1987), Light, Xu, and Mossop (1987), Brown andHilferty (1986), andBrock (1986). Diverse as these studies are in topic and length, they share the qualities of clarity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%