Welcome to the tenth edition of the Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal. This year we are celebrating ten years of our publication and I would like to thank all the authors who have contributed with research, theoretical and pedagogical articles in the fields of ELT and Applied Linguistics during this time. I also want to thank all my colleagues in the editorial advisory board for evaluating the articles with rigour, commitment and dedication and the journal assistants for helping make our publication a reality every year. The Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal is a publication of the Masters Program in Applied Linguistics to TEFL and it has been financially supported by the School of Sciences and Education of our University since 1998. As an institutional publication we believe the CALJ contributes to the construction and transformation of our academic community, helping to find ways to theorize and understand our practice as teachers and researchers and to reflect together about issues that require solutions in our field. It also contributes to building connections and stimulating the academic discussions carried out within our community.As a project, the annual publication of CALJ has taught us many lessons. We have learned about the responsibilities and challenges of editing a specialized journal, the need to make it a space that includes diversity of topics, voices and perspectives in the field, the importance of having national and international peer evaluators and multiple contributions from authors in the Americas. We have fulfilled institutional objectives and expectations that have led to the construction of an institutional identity for the participation of students and colleagues in our academic community.The articles presented in this year’s issue deal with three different perspectives on the practice of writing in EFL. Blogging as a way to foster EFL writing describes the process through which a group of students in an initial teacher education program engaged in reflective practice in a virtual space provided to promote and develop digital literacy competences and language learning through the exploration of topics of personal and academic interest to the participants. Cross-linguistic influence in the writing of an Italian learner of EFL analyzes the nature of first language influence on the written production of an Italian learner of EFL and From preschool to university provides a study of the biographical narratives of EFL preservice teachers to describe how they have develop their writing in EFL.The article titled Grammatical sensitivity: A correlational study on brain dominance and EFL training provides a report on how two groups of Chilean university students measure on brain dominance and grammatical sensitivity and their performance after a training on grammatical sensitivity. Gender and language learner identities provides readers with an interesting study on how gendered discourses are at stake in the classroom and how these discourses are related to their learner identities of a group of Colombian preschoolers.Young English language learners making thinking and language visible analyzes how teachers can help children acquire a second language using their first language and focuses on language processing in bilingual children, by providing an understanding of both the interplay between language and cognition and the role of the environment.Finally, the article Psycho-linguistic and socio-cultural approaches to language learning presents a discussion of the ontological positions where psycholinguistic and sociocultural approaches originate, the methods they use and some relevant work carried out from each perspective and criticisms generated. The author advocates collaborative projects, nurtured from both perspectives. We hope the topics and perspectives addressed in the articles published here contribute to your reflection and generate questions for further inquiry in your professional practice. We invite you to celebrate ten years of publication of the CALJ.
ARTICLES
Research Papers
Blogging: A Way to Foster EFL Writing
Luz Mary Quintero
Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Bogota, Colombia
Crosslinguistic Influence in the Writing of an Italian Learner of English as a Foreign Language
Marcela Chapetón
Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Bogotá
From Pre-School to University: Student Teachers’ Characterize Their EFL Writing Development
Jhon Jairo Viáfara
Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia. Tunja, Colombia
Grammatical Sensitivity: A Correlational-Explanatory Study on Brain Dominance And EFL Training To Improve Gains
Muriel Oyarce Piraud
Universidad Católica del Maule, Chile
“I said it” “I’m first”: Gender and Language Learner Identities
Harold Castañeda Peña
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
Young English Language Learners Making Thinking and Language Visible
Angela K. Salmon, Ed.D
Florida International University, USA
Theoretical Discussion Papers
Psycho-linguistic and socio-cultural approaches to language learning:
A never ending debate
Mónica Stella Cárdenas Claros
University of Melbourne, Australia
Details... Editorial and Scientific Committees EditorAmparo Clavijo Olarte Ph.D
Alberto Abouchaar Ph.D
Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics
Universidad Nacional de Colombia
Bogotá, Colombia
Esperanza Torres Mesa M.A.
Lecturer, School of Languages and Communication
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Patrick Smith Ph.D
Associate Professor, Department of Education
The University of Texas at Brownsville
Texas, USA
Carlos Rico Troncoso M.A.
Associate Professor, School of Languages and Communication
Luz Marlen Duran A.B.D
Full Professor, Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas
Gene Diaz Ph.D
Associate Professor
Creative Arts in Learning
University of New Orleans, USA
Anne Marie de Mejia PhD
Associate Professor, CIFE Universidad del los Andes
Luz Dary Arias Soto M.A.
Associate Professor. Modern Language Department
Universidad Pedagógica Nacional
Francisco Moreno M.A.
Full Professor Department of Modern languages
Universidad Tecnológica del Choco
Quibdo, Colombia
Nicolas Hine PhD
Assistant Professor, School of Computing
University of Dundee
Scotland, UK
Clelia Pineda Báez PhD
Associate Professor, College of Education
Universidad de la Sabana
Esperanza Vera MSc.
Associate Professor, Modern Languages Department
Adriana González Moncada Ph.D
Associate Professor and Director School of Languages
Universidad de Antioquia
Medellin, Colombia
Gloria Vélez Rendón Ph.D
Associate Professor of Spanish and Foreign Language Education
Purdue University, Calumet
USA
Margaret Gillian Moss Ph.D
Full Professor, Master Program in Education
Universidad del Norte
Barranquilla, Colombia
Yined Tello Rueda Ph.D
Associate Professor, Department of Languages
Universidad del Tolima
Ibague, Colombia
Maribel Ramírez Galindo M.A.
Lecturer, Master Program in Applied Linguistics
Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas
Carmen Martínez Roldán Ph.D
Assistant Professor, Department of Curriculum of Instruction
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona, USA
Alvaro Quintero Polo M.A.
Assistant Professor, Department of Basic Education with emphasis in English
Iliana Reyes Ph.D
Assistant Professor, Department of languages Reading and Culture
University of Arizona
Claudia Lucia Ordoñez Ed.D
Associate Professor, Foreign Languages Department
Harold Castañeda Ph.D
Claudia Torres Jaramillo M.A.
Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Linguistics to TEFL
Melba Libia Cárdenas M.A.
Director Foreign Languages Department
Details... CALJ 2008 Agradecimientos La editora de la revista de la Maestría en Lingüística Aplicada a la enseñanza del Inglés de la Facultad de Ciencias y Educación, Dra. Amparo Clavijo Olarte, invita al lanzamiento del No. 10 de la revista Colombian Applied Linguistics que se llevará a cabo en el Auditorio Germán Arciniegas Biblioteca Nacional (Calle 24 No. 5-60), el Jueves, 6 de noviembre de 2008, en el horario 3pm. - 6pm. En caso de requerir más información o tener dudas acerca del evento, por favor, no dude en comunicarse con nosotros a los teléfonos 323-84-00 ext: 6363/6362, o vía electrónica a los correos: maestria@udistrital.edu.co, caljournal@yahoo.com
Asi mismo, queremos aprovechar este espacio para agradecer a los autores y evaluadores por su contribución a la publicación de este número y los invita a celebrar los diez años de la publicación.
Details... Deadline - First Call FIRST CALL FOR PAPERS FOR THE 2010 ISSUE
The Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal, CALJ, is an annual publication of the College of Sciences and Education, Master’s Program in Applied Linguistics of Universidad Distrital in Bogotá, Colombia for professionals of education interested in research and teaching issues in the field of Applied Linguistics for the Teaching of English. This journal is mainly concerned with disseminating completed and ongoing research relevant to the field of language education.
CALJ is indexed in the MLA International Bibliography and in the Educational Research Abstracts on line (ERA).
The call for papers for our 2010 issue is for all of you who might be interested in publishing an article that has resulted from a culminated research project, a pedagogical innovation, or theoretical review. The guidelines for writers can be consulted in the web page of the journal: http://calj.udistrital.edu.co
Deadline for submission: November 14th, 2009
Please send your article to:
caljournal@yahoo.com or maestria@udistrital.edu.co
For further information please contact CALJ, Editors
Maestría en Lingüística Aplicada
Universidad Distrital
Avenida Ciudad de Quito N° 64-81 Oficina 704
Tel: (571) 3238400 Ext. 6363
aclavijoolarte@yahoo.com Details... Download NFSP! Thirteen Round Table Program THE MASTER PROGRAM IN APPLIED LINGUISTICS TO TEFL IS PLEASED TO PRESENT ITS THIRTEENTH ROUND TABLE ON APPLIED LINGUISTICS ISSUES.THE EVENT WILL FOCUS ON RESEARCH AND CURRENT ISSUES IN APPLIED LINGUISTICS AND LANGUAGE TEACHING.The main purpose of the Round Table is to present third semester students' thesis in progress from the Master'sProgram in Applied Linguistics, Universidad Distrital FJC. It is also an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students from different universities in Colombia to share their research experiences with the academic community.The following aspects have been included in the two-day agenda:
