Issues in Applied Linguistics

This article analyzes data collected as part of an ethnography of three families of Israeli emissaries (shlichim) in order to explore the relationship between the individual, the schedules to which s/he adheres, and her/his affiliation with a particular collective. The paper examines the relationship between time, community, and self through a discourse analytic lens that draws on approaches to the study of cultural identity which look to tension as definitive of groups and their members. It is suggested that an examination of the tensions between the individual and the collective provides a fruitful means by which to investigate the meaning of time for society and self.

Despite growing evidence that males are less motivated than females to learn second languages, research in this area has yet to investigate gender differences in two of the most well-known elements of motivational theory: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Using data from a large-scale study by Kissau (2006), the researcher further explores the issue of male disinterest in second language studies by investigating gender differences in intrinsic and extrinsic motivation amongst adolescent students studying French in Canada. A total of 490 students studying French as a second language in Grade 9 completed a survey. The quantitative data from the surveys were then further explored in interviews with students andteachers.Resultssuggestthatone’smotivationalorientationisanimportantfactorin the decision to study French and that boys are perceived to be less intrinsically and more extrinsically motivated than their female peers. Due to the suggested benefits of an intrinsic orientation, suggestions for how to develop intrinsically motivated behaviors amongst boys in the second language classroom are discussed.

Using a quasi-experimental design, this study investigated the extent to which peda- gogical intervention facilitated the development of pragmatic competence of fifth-semester learners of Spanish as a foreign language when performing refusals. The design included 2 learner groups. Pragmatic development was observed during 1 semester. The learner data were compared to data from L1 English and L1 Spanish. The experimental group was exposed to explicit instruction on refusals. Posttest 1 results showed that the experimental group changed from a preference for direct to indirect refusals, whereas the control group did not. Higher frequency and a wider variety of indirect strategies were also observed. Posttest 2 results showed that most pragmatic features highlighted during the treatment were retained.