Papers by Lia Efstathiadi
The study examines the performance of non-bilingual young learners in a verbal task involving exe... more The study examines the performance of non-bilingual young learners in a verbal task involving executive attention. Τhe forty-eight participants were Greek monolingual students, attending Grade 6 in a partial immersion primary school that implements Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). They were divided into two groups according to degree of CLIL exposure, but all followed the same intensive EFL programme. The experimental group (CLIL+) had a four-year CLIL exposure while the control group (CLIL-) had a two-year CLIL experience. The study investigates whether apart from early bilingualism (Bialystok & Feng 2009) FL immersion can also yield cognitive gains in executive attention. The findings suggest that the experimental group was better able to allocate attention and control inhibition, compared to the other group.
Selected papers on theoretical and applied linguistics, Jul 24, 2019
The study examines the performance of non-bilingual young learners in a verbal task involving exe... more The study examines the performance of non-bilingual young learners in a verbal task involving executive attention. Τhe forty-eight participants were Greek monolingual students, attending Grade 6 in a partial immersion primary school that implements Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). They were divided into two groups according to degree of CLIL exposure, but all followed the same intensive EFL programme. The experimental group (CLIL+) had a four-year CLIL exposure while the control group (CLIL-) had a two-year CLIL experience. The study investigates whether apart from early bilingualism (Bialystok & Feng 2009) FL immersion can also yield cognitive gains in executive attention. The findings suggest that the experimental group was better able to allocate attention and control inhibition, compared to the other group.
Belgrade English Language and Literature Studies, 2019
This report concerns vocabulary development and its cognitive underpinning in 49 young Greek lear... more This report concerns vocabulary development and its cognitive underpinning in 49 young Greek learners (M = 7 years, 8 months), after two years of intensive exposure to L2 English. The data come from an experimental school for the teaching of English in Thessaloniki, implementing innovative teaching methodologies. Testing took place in Grade 2, when participants had received significant L2 exposure (approximately 300 hours). We measured L2 vocabulary (comprehension, production) and working memory (WM), the phonological store in particular, since this shares close links with early L2 vocabulary development (Gathercole & Alloway 2008). Due to the demanding nature of the L2 communicative classroom regarding attention resources, we also investigated the role of the central executive of WM in early FL vocabulary development.
The article reports the results of a longitudinal research that took place during 2010-12 in two ... more The article reports the results of a longitudinal research that took place during 2010-12 in two primary schools in Thessaloniki. It is part of a larger research which explored the cognitive impact of Early Foreign Language Learning (EFLL), in relation to Foreign Language (FL) Aptitude, Phonological Short-term Memory (PSTM) and Complex Working Memory (CWM). The findings suggest that EFLL has a boosting effect on children's cognitive skills, while the critical predictor of early FL vocabulary performance is the central executive of Working Memory.
The paper aims to explore the area of Epistemic Modality in Modern Greek, by means of a corpus-ba... more The paper aims to explore the area of Epistemic Modality in Modern Greek, by means of a corpus-based research. A comparative, quantitative study was performed between written corpora of non-native informants of various language backgrounds and Greek native speakers (the control group). A number of epistemic markers were investigated on the grounds of their high frequency, to detect the ways these are used in the expression of L2 speaker stance, as compared to the respective NS one. 1 Although the study concerns written corpora, the terms 'speaker-hearer' are used in a broader sense to include those of 'writer-addressee'. Also, the speaker bears the female identity throughout the paper.
The paper investigates the semantic area of Epistemic Modality in Modern Greek, by means of a cor... more The paper investigates the semantic area of Epistemic Modality in Modern Greek, by means of a corpus-based research. A comparative, quantitative study was performed between written corpora (informal letter-writing) of non-native informants with various language backgrounds and Greek native speakers. A number of epistemic markers were selected for further qualitative investigation on the grounds of their high frequency. The qualitative study revealed the ways epistemic markers (grammatical and lexical) are used in order to express the speaker's stance while they perform a number of discourse-pragmatic functions without violating the societal norms of politeness. The present study made use of the literature on Epistemic Modality, the face-management theory of politeness and the interpersonal metadiscoursal features known as hedges and boosters. Hence, the paper focuses on the following EM markers: a) the modal verbs μπορεί/bori (=may) and πρέπει/prepi (=must). An obvious exception was made for prepi which, although totally avoided by NS, was considered too prototypical a category to be left out of the study, b) the lexical verbs γνωρίζω/γnorizo (=I come to know), θεωρώ/θeoro (=I presume), νομίζω/nomizo (=I think), ξέρω/ksero (=I know), πιστεύω/pistevo (=I believe), c) the modal adverbs βέβαια/vevea (=surely), ίσως/isos (=perhaps), μάλλον/malon (=rather, more), σίγουρα/siγura (=certainly). Although the modal uses of θα, namely the epistemic θα (θα+Ε), θα followed by an imperfective past (θα+IMP) or a perfective non-past verb (θα+D, see Appendix 4) apparently violate the first condition, these will be investigated due to their direct association to EM, hedging and boosting respectively. The research hypotheses Despite the advanced level of their proficiency, the L2 informants are expected to: • epistemically modalise their utterances to a lesser degree than NS, • favour the use of lexical rather than grammatical exponents of EM, in order to be as transparent as possible to avoid miscomprehensions, • show a preference towards hedging. Although earlier studies (Hyland, 2000; Hyland & Milton, 1997; Low, 1996) report a general trend towards boosting this The use of epistemic markers in the discourse of L1 and L2 speakers of Modern Greek
The paper explores epistemic modality in Modern Greek, in the genre of informal letter writing. M... more The paper explores epistemic modality in Modern Greek, in the genre of informal letter writing. More specifically, it investigates the ways epistemic markers can be used to hedge or boost arguments while preserving people's face. Two major corpora were compiled, the experimental and the control, that consist of the letters of adult non-native and native speakers of Greek respectively. The study replicates a previous one (Efstathiadi 2010; Eυσταθιάδη 2011) to examine whether non-native speakers, whose L2 is still developing (B2 level), can express the epistemic sense, adhere to politeness norms and produce persuasive discourse.
(Edited Volume), 2017
This volume is a selection of 32 peer reviewed papers, first presented at the 22nd International ... more This volume is a selection of 32 peer reviewed papers, first presented at the 22nd International Symposium on Theoretical and Applied Linguistics (ISTAL 22, April 24-26/2015, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki). ISTAL 22 attracted more than 160 scholars from 14 countries in Europe, Asia and North America. The program included 104 talks, of which 6 were plenary addresses by invited speakers. There were also two
23rd International Symposium on Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, 2017
The research took place in two primary schools in Thessaloniki, from 2010-12. The mainstream scho... more The research took place in two primary schools in Thessaloniki, from 2010-12. The mainstream school introduces English as a foreign language from Grade 3, while the experimental one does so from Grade 1.To explain individual differences in the acquisition of L2 vocabulary English, the study explores whether the early introduction of L2 English affects positively the cognitive functioning of young Greek learners. The main cognitive variables investigated in the study are Foreign Language Aptitude (Alexiou, 2005), Phonological Short-term Memory and the central executive of Working Memory (Baddeley & Hitch, 1974). This has never before been attempted, as Early Foreign Language Learning research has primarily investigated the linguistic and affective outcome of this enterprise (García Lecumberri & Gallardo 2003; Mihaljevic Djigunovic & Krevelj 2009; Mihaljevic Djigunovic & Lopriore 2010; Muñoz 2006, 2010; Nikolov 2009). The thesis’ main hypothesis is that the learners’ early and intensi...
Belgrade English Language and Literature Studies, 2019
This report concerns vocabulary development and its cognitive underpinning in 49 young Greek lear... more This report concerns vocabulary development and its cognitive underpinning in 49 young Greek learners (M = 7 years, 8 months), after two years of intensive exposure to L2 English. The data come from an experimental school for the teaching of English in Thessaloniki, implementing innovative teaching methodologies. Testing took place in Grade 2, when participants had received significant L2 exposure (approximately 300 hours). We measured L2 vocabulary (comprehension, production) and working memory (WM), the phonological store in particular, since this shares close links with early L2 vocabulary development . Due to the demanding nature of the L2 communicative classroom regarding attention resources, we also investigated the role of the central executive of WM in early FL vocabulary development.
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Papers by Lia Efstathiadi