NISSLL Beginner Language Learner Survey, June 2014: Results for German
Group 1 = native language English, secondary education in UK; Group 2 = Native language not English and/or secondary education not in UK
1 It is important to develop good grammar skills when you learn a foreign language.
2 It is more important to be understood by the people you talk to in a foreign language than to have good grammar.
3 Good grammar skills can develop naturally, just through trying to communicate, and without lots of effort on studying grammar.
4 Having good grammar skills in a foreign language can make it easier and quicker for native speakers of the language to understand you.
5 Having good grammar skills doesn't matter if you are mainly going to use your foreign language with other language learners (and not with native speakers of the language).
Group 1 (n=18)
Agree Disagree
Neutral
Group 2 (n=12)
Agree Disagree
Neutral
100.00
(18)
77.78
(14)
44.44
(8)
88.89
(16)
0.00
11.11
(2)
27.78
(5)
5.56
(1)
0.00
11.11
(2)
27.78
(5)
5.56
(1)
91.67
(11)
100.00
(12)
41.67
(5)
91.67
(11)
8.33
(1)
0.00
25.00
(3)
0.00
0.00
0.00
33.33
(4)
8.33
(1)
27.78
(5)
66.67
(12)
5.56
(1)
25.00
(3)
58.33
(7)
16.67
(2)
Group 1 (n=18) yes no
Group 2 (n=12) yes no
6. When you are speaking in the language you have been learning, do you sometimes pause to think about grammar rules?
7. Summary of written responses indicating which aspects of grammar participants pause to think about when speaking (13 Group 1 and 6 Group 2 participants gave answers):
 Case (on adjectives/articles/pronouns): 9 comments
 Word order: 6 comments

Verb endings (including ‘tense’, ‘irregular verbs’): 4 comments


Noun gender: 2 comments
Formal or informal register: 1 comment
8. When you are writing in a foreign language, do you sometimes pause to think about grammar rules?
77.78
(14)
77.78
(14)
22.22
(4)
22.22
(4)
50.00
(6)
100.00
(12)
50.00
(6)
00.00

NISSLL Beginner Language Learner Survey, June 2014: Results for German
Group 1 = native language English, secondary education in UK; Group 2 = Native language not English and/or secondary education not in UK
9. Summary of written responses indicating which aspects of grammar participants pause to think about when writing (15 Group 1 and 6 Group 2 participants gave answers):
 Word order:13 comments

Verb endings (including ‘tense’, ‘irregular verbs’): 9 comments

Case (on adjectives/articles/pronouns): 7 comments
 Noun gender: 3 comments

Formal or informal register: 1 comment

Capitalization of nouns: 1 comment
10 When you are studying grammar of your new foreign language, how important do you find each of the following?
making a conscious effort to use the rule in your speaking/writing. memorising examples that illustrate the grammar rule. memorising the grammar rule. looking out for examples of the rule in the writing or speech of native speakers. comparing the rule with rules in another foreign language that you have studied previously.
Group 1 (n=18)
Rank Score
/108
1
2
78
76
3
4
5
73
65
61
Group 2 (n=12)
Rank Score
/72
1
4
55
46
3
5
2
6
48
43
49
42 comparing the rule with rules in your native language. 6
58
11 How useful did you find instruction about grammar on your language course?
Grammar instruction helped me in my language learning
I understood all of the grammar terms used in the teaching
Group 1 (n=18) Group 2 (n=12)
Agree Disagree Neutral Agree Disagree Neutral
77.78
(14)
0.00 22.22
(4)
91.67
(11)
0.00 0.00
61.11
(11)
11.11
(2)
27.78
(5)
58.33
(7)
0.00 33.33
(4)
12 Examples, if “disagree” (only 2 comments provided):

Relationship between modal verbs and subject/object in word order

Noun gender

NISSLL Beginner Language Learner Survey, June 2014: Results for German
Group 1 = native language English, secondary education in UK; Group 2 = Native language not English and/or secondary education not in UK
13 How did you find the amount of grammar instruction on your course?
The amount of grammar instruction on the course was
Group 1 (n=18) Group 2 (n=12)
Too little Just right Too much Too little Just right
5.56
(1)
88.89
(16)
5.56
(1)
8.33
(1)
83.33
(10)
Too much
8.33
(1)
14 If you chose ‘too little’ above, what would you take out of your language course in order to fit more grammar instruction in?

Teaching of obscure vocabulary

One comment was that more teaching is needed on accusative/dative, but a suggestion of what to exclude was not given.
15. Indicate whether you agree with each of the following statements about the importance of pronunciation in the language you have been learning.
It is important to develop a good accent when you learn a foreign language. .
It is more important to be understood by the people you talk to in a foreign language than to have a good accent.
Good pronunciation can develop naturally, just through trying to communicate, and without lots of effort on studying pronunciation.
Having a good accent in a foreign language can make it easier and quicker for native speakers of the language to understand you.
Having a good accent doesn't matter if you are mainly going to use your foreign language with other language learners (not with native speakers of the language).
Group 1 (n=18)
Agree Disagree
Neutral
Group 2 (n=12)
Agree Disagree
Neutral
83.33
(15)
88.89
(16)
72.22
(13)
94.44
(17)
16.67
(3)
5.56
(1)
11.11
(2)
11.11
(2)
5.56
(1)
38.89
(7)
11.11
(2)
0.00
16.67
(3)
0.00
44.44
(8)
75.00
(9)
100.00
(12)
58.33
(7)
91.67
(11)
41.67
(5)
8.33
(1)
0.00
25.00
(3)
0.00
41.67
(5)
16.67
(2)
0.00
16.67
(2)
8.33
(1)
16.67
(2)
Group 1 (n=17) Group 2 (n=12)
16. When you are speaking in a foreign language, do you sometimes pause to think about pronunciation rule? yes
64.7
(11) no
35.3
(6) yes
33.33
(4) no
66.67
17. Summary of written responses indicating which aspects of pronunciation participants pause to think about when speaking (13 Group 1 and 6
Group 2 participants gave answers):
 ei – 4 comments
 umlaut vowel changes – 2 comments
 sp (= English shp)
 st (=English sht)



 w (= English v)
English-German cognates
Irregular verb pronunciation v (= English f)
(8)

NISSLL Beginner Language Learner Survey, June 2014: Results for German
Group 1 = native language English, secondary education in UK; Group 2 = Native language not English and/or secondary education not in UK
18 Rank the following aspects of language learning in an order of how important you think they are for successful language learning. Put the most important one at the top and the least important at the bottom: writing reading grammar listening vocabulary speaking
Group 1 (n=17)
Rank
Score
/102
1
2
3
4
5
6
85.00
74.00
61.00
53.00
51.00
33.00
Group 2 (n=12)
Rank
Score
/72
1
2
3.5
5
3.5
6
44
27
56
48
44
33
19 Put the following aspects of language learning in an order depending on the time you spend on them in your language class. Put the one that most class time is spent on at the top and the one that least class time is spent on at the bottom: writing listening vocabulary speaking grammar reading
20. Have you ever reflected on any aspect of your language learning? (“Reflecting on language learning” means thinking about the way that you learn a language.)
Group 1 (n=17)
Rank
Score
/102
1
2
3
4
5
6
71.00
68.00
66.00
51.00
51.00
50.00
Group 1 (n=17) yes no
70.58
(12)
29.42
(5)
Group 2 (n=12)
Rank
Score
/72
1
2
3
4
5
6
38
35
53
44
42
40
Group 2 (n=12) yes no
75.00
(9)
25.00
(3)

NISSLL Beginner Language Learner Survey, June 2014: Results for German
Group 1 = native language English, secondary education in UK; Group 2 = Native language not English and/or secondary education not in UK
21. If you answered “Yes” above, please indicate how important each of the following types of self-reflection has been for your language learning:
Evaluating my achievements in key language skills (e.g., grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, communication, reading, etc.)
Reflecting upon how I learn languages best.
Considering my individual learning needs (strengths, weaknesses, areas for improvement, etc.)
Reflecting on the role of mistakes as a language learning tool.
Understanding the process of language learning.
Group 1 (n=12)
Agree DisNeutral Agree
Group 2 (n=9)
DisNeutral
91.67
(11)
83.33
(10)
83.33
(10)
50.00
(6) agree
8.33
(10)
16.67
(2)
8.33
(1)
8.33
(1)
0.00
0.00
8.33
(1)
33.33
(4)
88.89
(8)
77.78
(7)
88.89
(1)
66.67
(6) agree
11.11
(1)
0.00
0.00
22.22
(2)
0.00
22.22
(2)
11.11
(1)
11.11
(1)
83.33
(10)
0.00 16.67
(2)
66.67
(6)
22.22
(2)
11.11
(1)
Group 1
(n=17)
Group 2
(n=12)
22.
Please select one option below, to indicate how important cultural context has been for you in the language you are learning.
Knowing about the cultural context of the language has benefitted my language learning.
Knowing about the cultural context of the language is interesting but it has not benefitted my language learning.
Knowing about the cultural context of the language is not important to me in any way.
35.29
(6)
64.71
(11)
0.00
41.67
(5)
50.00
(6)
8.33
(1)

NISSLL Beginner Language Learner Survey, June 2014: Results for German
Group 1 = native language English, secondary education in UK; Group 2 = Native language not English and/or secondary education not in UK
23. What made you decide to start a new language in 2013? Choose all that apply.
1) I think it will enhance my job prospects.
2) I frequently travel to a country where this language is spoken.
3) I have family members/friends who speak this language and I want to use it with them.
4) I had to take this language to meet the requirements of my degree course.
5) I am hoping to travel to a country where this language is spoken.
6) I want to be able to read in this language.
7) I just felt curious about this language for no special reason.
8) Other
Fig 1: Rates (%) of selection of each motivating factor, in response to Question 23. (Participants could select more than one option.)
100.00
90.00
80.00
70.00
60.00
50.00
40.00
30.00
20.00
10.00
0.00
Group 1
Group 2