1. Prepared and Presented by :
Pedro Ximenes
Flinders University, 16 October 2014
Research Proposal (EdD):
“Student attitudes towards and uses
of multiple languages in Timor Leste“
2. Presentation outline :
1.Background and Rationale
2.Literature Review
3.Objective and research questions
Objectives
Research Questions
4.Research Design
3. I. Background (fact sheet about Timor-Leste)
Gained Independence in 2002
Area : 14,874 sq km (160 )
Population : 1,201,542 (160)
Age structure :
0-14 years: 42.4%
15-24 years: 19.8%
25-54 years: 29.3%
55-64 years: 4.8%
65 years and over: 3.6%
(CIA world factbook Timor-Leste, 2014)
Adult literacy rate : 58.3%
Languages : Tetum (official), Portuguese (official),
Indonesian, English (Working languages)
16 indigenous languages
(CIA world factbook Timor-Leste, 2014)
5. I.1 Background and rationale
Multilingual country
The use of 3 international languages (Portuguese,
Indonesia/Melayu, English )
16 Indigenous languages
Tetum as the Iingua franca and is spoken by almost 43% of
population (MoF Timor-Leste, 2010)
Language Policy also adopts multilingual approach (the
same approach is adopted in education sector)
Gap between policy planning and the grassroots language
practice. (Taylor-leech, 2011)
Poor education quality and language in education policy
6. 1.2.Rationale
Study in attitude toward language can provide indicators
of changing beliefs, preferences and desires and these
indicators are very important inputs to be considered in
the implementation of a language policy (Lewis, 1981)
Research in the area on language specifically language in
education context Timor-Leste is still scarce
The aim is to understand the attitudes of students toward
the multiple languages used in Timor-Leste’s education
system
7. 2. Literature Review
2.1. Attitude as a construct
An attitude is defined as disposition to approach an object, a person,
an institution or an event favorably or unfavorably (Sarnoff, 1970;
Baker, 1988)
Attitude toward a language is very important in the language learning
(Gardner, 1985, 2001; Ingram, 1989).
If students have positive attitude, they might be more motivated to
learn a language (Edwards, 1985; Lasagabaster, 2003)
speakers tend to have different attitudes to each of the languages in
their repertoire by favouring some more than others (Batibo, 2005)
"An individual's attitude is an evaluative reaction to some referent or
attitude object, inferred on the basis of the individual's beliefs or
opinions about the referent (Gardner,1985, p. 9)"
The dimensions of attitudes are grounded in the area of social
psychology, which have been identified by researchers as cognition,
affect, and behaviour (Rosenberg & Hovland, 1960; Garret, Coupland
& Williams, 2003)
8. 2.2. Studies in Attitudes toward language.
Dornyei and Csizér (2005) Large scale, longitudinal
survey in Hungary with 5 target languages (English,
German, French, Italian and Russian ).
Dornyei (2009) proposed a second language acquisition
motivational theory that he called ” Second language
(L2) Motivational self system” .
Lasagabaster and Huguet (2007) carried out a large-
scale survey using questionnaire on language attitudes
of pre-service teachers toward multilingual acquisition
in a number of bilingual contexts in Europe such as
Ireland, Malta, Wales, Fiesland
9. 3. Objective and Research Question
Objective
1. To investigate students’ attitudes toward the uses of multiple
languages in education.
2. To explore what factors might influence student attitudes toward the
uses of multiple languages in education.
3. To gain insights into students’ attitudes toward multiple language uses
that may inform the development of language policy in the future.
Research Question
1. What are the uses and preferences of students’ multiple languages
in their education?
2. What are students’ attitudes toward different languages in Timor-
Leste education?
3. What socio educational factors might influence students’ attitudes
toward the uses of different languages in education ?
10. 4.1 Research Design
Concurrent mixed methods design (Creswell, 2009)
QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE
Instrument:
Questionnaire
Target Sample :
Senior secondary
first year university student
Participant Number :
550
Sample selection Procedure :
Stratified random Sampling
Instrument :
Semi Structure Interview
Target sample :
Senior secondary
first year university student.
Participant Number:
12
Sample Selection Procedure :
Stratified Random Sampling
Data Analysis :
Descriptive Statistics
Inferential Statistics
Data Analysis :
Transcribing
Thematic Analysis
Mixed Method Data Analysis :
integrating and converging to expand and enrich
the result
Interpretation
11. 4.2. Questionnaire
•Age
•Gender
•Tye of school current
•Type of school (past)
•Parental occupation
•Student Localization
•Mother tongue
•Language background
Socio Demographic and Language background
•General Language attitude
•Instrumental
•Integrative
Attitude toward Multiple languages
•Language ability
Self Rated Language Proficiency
Youth Culture
13. “Those who know many
languages live as many
lives as the languages
they know.” (Czech
proverb)
Thank you
14. References :
Baker, C., (1992), Attitudes and language. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Batibo, H.M. 2005. Language decline and death in Africa: Causes, consequences and
challenges.
Dornyei, Z., & Csizér, K. (2006). Motivation, language attitudes and globalisation: A
Hungarian perspective (Vol. 18). Multilingual Matters.
Dörnyei, Z. (2009). The L2 motivational self system. In Z. Dörnyei, & E. Ushioda (Eds.),
Motivation, language identity and the L2 self (pp. 9-42). Clevedon, England:
Edwards, J., (1985), Language, Society and Identity. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Gardner, R.C. (1985). Social psychology and second language learning : The role of attitudes
and motivation. Bungay, Suffolk : Edward Arnold.
Ingram, D.E. (1989). Language-in-education planning. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics
10: 53-78.
Garret, P., Coupland, N. & Williams, A. 2003. Investigating language attitudes: social
meanings of dialect, ethnicity and performance. Cardiff: University of Wales Press.
Lasagabaster, D. & Huguet, A. (eds). (2007). Multilingualism in European countries.
Clevedon :Multilingual Matter.
Rosenberg, M.J., & Hovland, C.I. (1960). Cognitive, affective and behavioural components of
attitudes. In C.I. Hoveland & M.J. Rosenberg (Eds.), Attitude organization and change. New
Haven: Yale University Press.
Sarnoff, I. (1970) Social Attitudes and the Resolution of Motivational Conflict.
Harmondsworth: Penguin.
Editor's Notes
70,3 % live in rural area
Dropout rate in the rural areas is substantially higher then in urban areas.GER at primary level both rural and urban : around 105 %
Pre-secondary GER : rural 60,5 % <> urban 115,2 %.
Secondary GER : Rural 35.4 % <> urban 112.9%
Literacy rate : Rural 44.6 % <> Urban 80.9 %
Timor-Leste is Multilingual country
Most inhabitants of Timor-Leste speak two or more languages.
For many people, their first language is one of the regional languages, and their second is Tetun.
In addition to that most people also speak at least one of the foreign languages existing in Timor-Leste.
Although this can be considered as a potential resource to develop the country for the future however at the same time it poses a great challenge to the country educational system, specifically in regard to deciding the language in education policy.
Language Policy also adopts multilingual nature.
Tetum and Portuguese as the co-official language
English and Bahasa Indonesia (Melayu) as Working languages.
It is stipulated in the constitution
Gap between policy planning and the grassroots language practice. (Taylor-leech, 2011).
Post conflict country with very few resources in all sector
International donor driven policy
Driven by Political interest
Poor education quality
Literacy rate is still very low
High repetition and drop out rates
One in five children must repeat the first year of schooling
half of the students who enroll in primary school do not complete their studies.
Alienation and disengagement of student.
Low adult literacy rate in Portuguese..(impact on parent engagement with their children education).
Research in the area on language and language policy in Timor-Leste is still scarce
So far there hasn’t been any research that specifically explored the broad theme of attitude toward multilingual policy in Timor-Leste education.
especially with regard to student attitude.
The voice of students who are the participants in the language policy has never been considered
This research is therefore trying to understand the attitudes of students toward the multiple languages used in Timor-Leste’s education system and intends to contribute to future language planning in Timor-Leste ( it doesn’t actually take language policy as the main construct )
The dimensions of Attitude :
the cognitive element of attitude concerns perceptions, concepts, and beliefs regarding the attitude object;
affective component includes feeling toward the object of the attitude. It could take form in love or dislike of the language or anxiety over learning the language,
while behaviour concerns a predisposition or intention to behave in a certain way.
Socio-educational Model of Garner
Language learning, unlike any other subject, involves not only the cognitive ability of the target language but also developing skills, behaviours and a cultural framework of another community.
The socio-educational model of Gardner is seen as a model that can take into account various factors like learners’ cultural beliefs, attitudes toward the learning situation, integrativeness as well as motivation as part of the process.
Study by Dornyei and Csizer (2005)
covered 13,000 students, aged 13 and 14 years across Hungary in 1993, 1999 and 2004 by administering an attitude/motivation questionnaire, to gauge the changes in the population’s international orientation.
The result showed that young Hungarian language learners appraise foreign languages along five dimensions: integrativeness, instrumentality, attitudes toward the L2 speakers and community, the cultural interest of the L2 community, and the community’s vitality, with integrativeness as the key role in the second language learning motivation, followed by instrumentality and attitudes toward the L2 community.
These findings confirm motivational theory of Gardner (2001) that emphasised the importance of integrativeness motivation which he defined as the desire to learn an L2 of a valued community so that one can communicate with members of the community and sometimes even become like them (Gardner, 2001).
Second language (L2) Motivational self system”
which he claimed to be a refinement of integrativeness motivation of Gardner (2001
Consisting of three components : (1) Ideal L2 Self, (2) Ought-to L2 and (3) L2 Learning experience.
Lasagabaster and Huguet (2007) :
Objective
To investigate students’ attitudes toward the uses of multiple languages in education.
To explore what factors might influence student attitudes toward the uses of multiple languages in education.
To gain insights into students’ attitudes toward multiple language uses that may inform the development of language policy in the future.
This study will employ a “ concurrent mixed methods design” in which the quantitative and qualitative data are collected at the same time and then integrates the information in the interpretation of the overall results (Creswell, 2009).
Two different instruments will be used to expand and enrich the findings because it allows the use of both approaches in tandem so that the overall strength of a study is greater than either quantitative or qualitative research (Creswell & Plano Clarak, 2007).
As Creswell (2009) explained that in mixed methods design “ the researcher may embed one smaller form of data within another larger data collection in order to analyse different question” (Creswell, 2009)
Why use mixed method :
Because the research question that I have requires the use of both. Together (qualitative and quantitative provide better understanding of the research problem.
Quantitative data (based on questionnaire) yields specific numbers that can be statistically analysed, can produce result to assess the frequency and the magnitude of the trend , and can provide useful information if you need to describe trends about large number of people
Qualitative provide the actual word of the people , offer many perspective and provide more insight into a phenomena
The researcher has limited time for collecting data and must collect both types of data in one visit to the field.
The researcher feels that there is equal value for collecting and analysing both quantitative and qualitative data to understand the problem.
The researcher has skills in both quantitative and qualitative methods of research.
The researcher can manage extensive data collection and analysis activi- ties. In view of this, this design is best suited for team research or for the sole researcher who can collect limited quantitative and qualitative data.
Philosophical stance :
Pragmatism : (e.g., Patton, 1990; Rossman & Wilson, 1985; Tashakkori & Teddlie, 1998)
Pragmatism, on the other hand, rejects positivism, on grounds that no theory can satisfy its demands (objectivity, falsify-ability, the crucial experiment, etc.); and rejects anti-positivism, because virtually any theory would satisfy them. As such, the pragmatist pro- poses to reorient the assessment of theories around a third criterion: the theory’s capacity to solve human problems (Rorty, 1989; Stich, 1990) …
To a pragmatist, the mandate of science is not to find truth or reality, the existence of which are perpetually in dispute, but to facilitate human problem-solving.
maintains that researchers should be concerned with applications, with what works, and with solutions to problems
A pragmatic perspective draws on employing “what works,” using diverse approaches, giving primacy to the importance of the research problem and question, and valuing both objective and subjective knowledge (see Morgan, 2007)
Theoretical perspective : Socio-educational grounded in social psychology.
Language learning, unlike any other subject, involves not only the cognitive ability of the target language but also developing skills, behaviours and a cultural framework of another community .
Methodology : Concurrent mixed method
Methods :
The researcher will collect data through a questionnaire adapted from Baker (1992) that was also used in a series of research by Lasagabaster and Huguet (2007), and Gardner (1995) Attitude and motivation test battery (AMTB).
There are a total of 111 questions in the questionnaire divided into four (4) parts;
1. Socio demographics section comprised of 12 short questions and address the variables of age, gender, mother tongue, parental occupation, local of study (rural/urban), past and current school (private/public). These variables have been selected based on the literature and contextual knowledge of the researcher and therefore include gender, region and school type.
2. Self rated language proficiency that composed of 19 questions asking students to rate their language proficiency in four languages using a five point likert scale. These items, adapted from adapted from Baker (1992) and Lasagabaster and Huguet (2007), are used to yield students’ preference in the relation to the different languages.
3. Language background with 16 questions (five point likert scale) addressing the situation in which student might use certain language in their repertoire ranging from formal situation in school environment to non formal situation in everyday life. This section was adapted from Baker (1992) and Lasagabaster and Huguet (2007).
4. The main construct focussing on attitudes toward multiple language use with 64 questions (5 point likert scale) and addressing several sub constructs such as attitudes, integrativeness, and instrumentality (adapted from Baker (1998), Lasagabaster, D. & Huguet, A. (eds). (2007) and Gardner’s (1985b) attitude and motivational battery test (ATMB)).
Descriptive analysis :
- Frequency
Crosstabs
Inferential statistic :
Chi- square (for association between variavel)
Factor analysis (to analyze the questionnaire )
Non-parametric analysis
The final ethic approval has been granted
The Data collection is to start at the end of October.
