Lluís Ballester Brage

Attitudes and motivation in English language learning amongst multilingual university students in the Balearic Islands: the effect of the L1 and other influential variables

ABSTRACT Attitudes and motivation seem decisive in successful language learning (Dörnyei, Csizér, and Németh 2006. Motivation, Language Attitudes and Globalisation: A Hungarian Perspective. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.). Research in Spanish multilingual contexts analysing the influence of the L1 on attitudes and motivation to learn foreign languages (FL) reveals mixed results. In the Basque country attitudes towards the FL were more positive amongst students with the majority language (Spanish) as their L1 than Basque speakers (Lasagabaster 2005. ‘Attitudes towards Basque, Spanish and English: An Analysis of the Most Influential Variables.’ Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 26 (4): 296–316.). However, Loredo Gutiérrez et al. (2007. ‘Language Use and Language Attitudes in Galicia.’ In Multilingualism in European Bilingual Contexts: Language Use and Attitudes, edited by David Lasagabaster, and Angel Huguet, 40–65. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.) in Galicia and Madariaga, Huguet, and Janés (2016. ‘Language Attitudes in Catalan Multilingual Classrooms: Educational Implications.’ Language and Intercultural Communication 16 (2): 216–34.) in Catalonia did not find significant differences among majority and minority language speakers. A later study (Lasagabaster 2016. ‘The Relationship between Motivation, Gender, L1 and Possible Selves in English-Medium Instruction.’ International Journal of Multilingualism 13 (3): 1–18.) targeting motivation in the Basque country determined that the L1 was not influential. This study analyses the effect that the L1 exerts on students’ attitudes and motivation to learn English in the bilingual region of the Balearic Islands. Data from L1 Spanish/Catalan university students (n = 1,021) was collected through a questionnaire. Statistical differences were found with Spanish L1 students displaying slightly more positive attitudes and motivation to learn English than Catalan L1 speakers, yet the effect size was small. This paper concludes that, in the Balearic Islands there are other factors determining attitudes and motivation such as linguistic self-confidence, cultural interest, international posture and instrumentality.

Evaluación de la percepción de impacto del programa CaixaproInfancia en Mallorca

The CPI program is an initiative of the Obra Social “la Caixa” offering social and educational support by a social familiar and inter-dimensional work in response to child poverty. This paper presents a qualitative research that seeks to know the impact of the CaixaProinfancia program (CPI) in Mallorca from the interest groups perspective. Mallorca present one of highest poverty level in Spain, it is the autonomous community with the highest percentage of international migration and suffers a historic deficit of public services provision, mainly social. This paper collect the perception of families participating in the program, professionals involved and that of those key agents of the territory involved in the program. The program has generated positive changes especially in minors and to a smaller extent in families. Families recognized to acquire parenting skills that improve the domestic relations, to have more personal time and to feel supported both by the work of professionals in the programme and by other families approach. We can perceive some improvements in school, behavior, social relations and autonomy and motivation for studies in minors. The network has also developed along with services evolution, which boosted clear impact improvement. Mainly due to a community context development that has given meaning to the various carried actions. Altogether, the perceived program results are satisfactory and the success in the implementation of the various actions of the CPI program in Mallorca, allows access to new development program stages giving special prominence to community work.

Hermenéutica del discurso fragmentario en Walter Benjamin

Este articulo propone una lectura hermeneutica del discurso fragmentario de uno de los autores de referencia de la teoria critica. Se desarrolla el analisis a partir de la teoria de la traduccion incompleta de Benjamin. Su estilo de escritura y sus tesis en constante proceso de revision, se pueden entender como precursoras del deconstruccionismo. Esta posicion especial de Benjamin no es fruto del azar, sino que es el producto de una determinada manera de entender la construccion de la teoria critica.