Podcasting Oral Presentations

This presentation tells how podcasts can be used to enhance the learning experience of English as a Second Language (ESL) students registered in a content-based language immersion program. The students were placed in groups of four and asked to prepare an oral presentation. The topics of the presentations included Financial Aid, College Courses and Course Schedules and Academic Policies. Each presentation was podcasted to give students an opportunity for self-evaluation and feedback.

Reading That Matters : A Literature Review on Meaningful Reading Experiences in the EFL Classroom

This thesis is a literature review on literature reading in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and the English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom, of mainly upper secondary schools. The underlying objective for this work is that meaningful reading experiences can have a positive impact on a developing young individual on his or her way into adulthood. The aim of this thesis is to explore what theories and methods are used when trying to create prerequisites for meaningful reading experiences, and how these experiences actually are realized. Qualitative methods are mainly used, except for a small section of the methodology of finding the sources, which is quantitative in nature. Since very little previous research has been done in the field, the six sources used in this review are internationally spread over five continents. They are mainly analyzed from a theoretical background of reader response and critical literacy perspectives. The main findings show that a number of theoretical approaches and methodologies can be useful in creating meaningful reading experiences. What may have proven most effective was addressing actual problems in the students’ everyday lives through applied critical literacy.

A auto-avaliação em um contexto de ensino-aprendizagem de línguas em tandem via chat

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Substituição na produção de /ɵ/ e /ð/ por falantes do português: uma análise não linear

Trata o presente estudo da produção das fricativas interdentais da língua inglesa por falantes do português brasileiro (PB), aprendizes de Inglês como língua estrangeira, (English as a Foreign Language – EFL) nos Cursos Livres de Línguas Estrangeiras mantidos pela Universidade Federal do Pará. O objetivo deste estudo é investigar as possibilidades de ocorrência de substituições para as fricativas interdentais surda e sua contraparte sonora em posições de onset e coda silábica, os resultados são analisados com base na Fonologia de Geometria de Traços (Clements e Hume, 1995). A coleta de dados foi realizada junto a um grupo de vinte e dois alunos, sendo 12 alunos do terceiro nível e 10 alunos do sétimo nível. Pretende-se fazer a representação detalhada do processo de substituição que falantes do português brasileiro (PB), aprendizes de inglês como segunda língua (ESL), realizam especificamente para os segmentos fricativos interdentais da língua inglesa em suas versões surda e sonora /Ɵ/ e /ð/, no processo de aquisição da fonologia desta língua. Diferentes tipos de segmentos foram encontrados em nossa pesquisa como resultado das substituições, quais sejam: [t],[tʃ],[d],[f] e [s] para a fricativa interdental surda /Ɵ/ e [t],[d],[s],[f],[v] e [tʃ] para a fricativa interdental sonora /ð/. Os tipos predominantes de processos observados foram: (a) Fortição, (b) Posteriorização (c) Sonorização (d) Palatalização (e) Labialização (f) Epêntese e (g) Ressilabificação. Todos resultando de um processo anterior chamado Nativização.

The secrets of publishing your article in Journal of Geophysical Research (Oceans)

[EN] The editorial and review processes along the road to publication are described in general terms. The construction of a well-prepared article and the manner in which authors may maximise the chances of success at each stage of the process towards final publication are explored. The most common errors and ways of avoiding them are outlined. Typical problems facing an author writing in English as a second language, including the need for grammatical precision and appropriate style, are discussed. Additionally, the meaning of plagiarism, self-plagiarism and duplicate publication is explored. Critical steps in manuscript preparation and response to reviews are examined. Finally, the relation between writing and reviewing is outlined, and it is shown how becoming a good reviewer helps in becoming a successful author

The effect of music therapy services on classroom behaviours of newly arrived refugee students in Australia

This pilot study examined the effects of a short-term music therapy program on the classroom behaviours of newly arrived refugee students who were attending an intensive 'English as a Second Language' secondary school. A cross-over design with two five-week intervention periods was employed with group music therapy sessions conducted one or two times per week. Data from the Behaviour Assessment Scale for Children were used to evaluate a range of positive and negative school behaviours. A significant decrease in externalising behaviours was found with particular reference to hyperactivity and aggression. No significant differences were found in other behaviours. Explanations and implications of these findings are discussed.

Towards a pedagogical stylistics

Since the 1950s, pedagogical stylistics has been intrinsically linked with the teaching of written texts (and especially literary texts) to speakers of English as a second language. This is despite the fact that for decades many teachers have also structured their lessons in L1 classrooms to focus upon the linguistic features of literary texts as a means of enhancing their students’ understanding of literature and language. Recognizing that instructors in both L1 and L2 settings were often employing related pedagogical techniques without realizing that their colleagues in the other context were facing similar challenges, the PEDSIG group of the Poetics and Linguistics Association (PALA) has sought to add a theoretical dimension to research undertaken into practice in the stylistics classroom. Its goals, then, were: to establish a working definition of pedagogical stylistics; to identify the theoretical and pedagogical underpinnings of the discipline shared by L1 and L2 practitioners; to point if possible towards any emerging consensus on good practice. The group determined that the principal aim of stylistics in the classroom is to make students aware of language use within chosen texts, and that what characterizes pedagogical stylistics is classroom activities that are interactive between the text and the (student) reader. Preliminary findings, from a pilot study involving a poem by Langston Hughes, suggest that the process of improving students’ linguistic sensibilities must include greater emphasis upon the text as action: i.e. upon the mental processing which is such a proactive part of reading and interpretation; and how all of these elements – pragmatic and cognitive as well as linguistic – function within quite specific social and cultural contexts.

An investigation of the effects of mothers' participation in adult literacy classes on interactive literacy activities (ILAs) at home

The National Center for Family Literacy (2003a) and the National Even Start Association (2005) have stated that the single most effective and influential factor in increasing student academic achievement is parental involvement. The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine how participation in adult literacy courses influences parent-child interaction in various educationally related activities known as Interactive Literacy Activities (ILAs). This study investigated ILAs from the mothers? perspective, and examines the changes that occur in parental involvement or ILAs when immigrant parents of a limited educational background participate in an adult education program. The principal method of data collection was key informant interviews (Gall, Borg, & Gall, 1996). Other methods of data collection included observations of parent-child interactions and field observations. Data analysis methods included Memo-ing (Miles & Huberman, 1994), within case analysis and cross-case analysis. ^ Findings demonstrate that changes occurred in the parent-child relationship when mothers of a limited educational background participated in an adult literacy course. When participating in ILAs or English literacy activities related to second language acquisition (including reading and speaking for comprehension and pronunciation), the children of these mothers took on the role of the adult. Participation in literacy activities was often initiated by the child and the children were frequently concerned with their mother's literacy acquisition. Mothers reported that their children were more confident, worked harder on school related activities and were more open to communication. ^ It can be concluded from this study that, in the case of these immigrant families, a mother's participation in adult literacy classes is influential in the relationship between mother and child. These children participated in ILAs for the benefit of their mothers and initiated literacy activities more frequently. The children responded better to their parents during literacy activities because there was a positive change in the relationship between mother and child. The relationship between mother and child appeared to be strengthened by greater trust, a sense of pride and more communication. ^

An analysis of Haitian parents' perceptions of their children with disabilities

Parental involvement is an integral part of the educational system in the U.S. Yet, parents from non-mainstream racial/ethnic backgrounds have not fully grasped the nature of parental involvement expectations in the educational process and how these expectations may impact student achievement. The purpose of this study was to identify Haitian parents’ perceptions of their children with disabilities and the education these children were receiving. Several authors have conducted studies on parents of children with disabilities to better gain an understanding of the level of their involvement with their children’s education, their perceptions of the children, and their views on the school system (Harry, 1992a, 1992b). In this study, Haitian parents of children with disabilities were interviewed using an interview protocol. Through these interviews, this study explored 10 Haitian parents’ perceptions of their child with a disability, the education the child was receiving, their interaction with the school system, and how the disability had affected their relationship with their child and their involvement with the school. Findings of the present study revealed that these Haitian parents seldom disagreed with school personnel and did not seem to fully grasp the different methods available to address their concerns as parents of children with disabilities nor the role they were expected to play in the process. The majority did not have basic literacy skills in Creole or English. The parents in this study were overwhelmed by school written communication. Additionally, this study discovered that parents’ perceptions were guided by two core concepts: coping mechanisms and locus of control. Parents with an internal locus of control, who tended to be more educated, focused inward to find solutions to problems encountered. Those with an external locus of control relied on outside influences to resolve their problems. Parental involvement was strongly influenced by their values, beliefs, customs, and conceptual knowledge about disability; all closely aligned with culture and acculturation. Overall, these parents’ perceptions greatly influenced their thoughts and behaviors when they realized that their children with disabilities might fall short of their immigrant dreams of success they held for these children.

Bringing ESL Students to Literacy and Social Integration: Barriers and Strategies

In this paper, the author explores the barriers that students of English as a Second Language (ESL) face in coming fully literate in English and fully integrated into American society. The barriers cited include inadequate training of reading specialists to work with ESL students, turf wars between reading specialists and ESL teachers, inadequate preparation of students for high school and higher education, as well as a lack of academic research on developing reading skills in ESL students. Strategies for overcoming these barriers include improvement in teacher training, understanding of the student population and students’ first language (L1), and promoting success in literacy.

The effects of student -centered and traditional models of teaching on reading skills

A pre-test, post-test, quasi-experimental design was used to examine the effects of student-centered and traditional models of reading instruction on outcomes of literal comprehension and critical thinking skills. The sample for this study consisted of 101 adult students enrolled in a high-level developmental reading course at a large, urban community college in the Southeastern United States. The experimental group consisted of 48 students, and the control group consisted of 53 students. Students in the experimental group were limited in the time spent reading a course text of basic skills, with instructors using supplemental materials such as poems, news articles, and novels. Discussions, the reading-writing connection, and student choice in material selection were also part of the student-centered curriculum. Students in the control group relied heavily on a course text and vocabulary text for reading material, with great focus placed on basic skills. Activities consisted primarily of multiple-choice questioning and quizzes. The instrument used to collect pre-test data was Descriptive Tests of Language Skills in Reading Comprehension; post-test data were taken from the Florida College Basic Skills Exit Test. A MANCOVA was used as the statistical method to determine if either model of instruction led to significantly higher gains in literal comprehension skills or critical thinking skills. A paired samples t-test was also used to compare pre-test and post-test means. The results of the MANCOVA indicated no significant difference between instructional models on scores of literal comprehension and critical thinking. Neither was there any significant difference in scores between subgroups of age (under 25 and 25 and older) and language background (native English speaker and second-language learner). The results of the t-test indicated, however, that students taught under both instructional models made significant gains in on both literal comprehension and critical thinking skills from pre-test to post-test.

Receptive Vocabulary of CLIL and Non-CLIL Primary and Secondary School Learners

CLIL instruction has been reported to be beneficial for foreign language vocabulary learning since CLIL students show higher vocabulary profiles than students of their same age in traditional EFL contexts. However, to our knowledge, the receptive vocabulary knowledge of CLIL and non-CLIL learners at the end of primary and secondary education has not been examined yet. Hence, this study aims at comparing the receptive vocabulary size 79 CLIL primary learners with the receptive vocabulary knowledge of 331 non-CLIL learners at the end of primary and secondary school. Sex-based differences were also analysed. The 2k Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) was used for the purposes of the study. Results revealed that learners’ receptive vocabulary sizes lie within the most frequent 1000 words, non-CLIL secondary school students throw better results than primary students but the differences between the secondary group and the CLIL group are not statistically significant. As for sex-based differences, we found no significant differences among the groups. These findings led us to believe that the CLIL approach offers a benefit for vocabulary acquisition since CLIL learners have been exposed to the foreign language for a shorter period of time and the results are quite similar to their non-CLIL secondary school partners.

Comparison of Authentic and Simplified Texts : A case study of Wuthering Heights

The aim of this essay is to explore in what way Graded Readers are different from authentic texts against the background of English as a Second Language (ESL) and the use of authentic and simplified text in ESL teaching. The material used for this purpose is the authentic text of Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë and two upper-intermediate Graded Readers from two different publishers. The study uses the software readability-score and manual analysis to examine the texts with regards to lexical choice, language structure and story. The study showed that the Graded Readers are simplified in all aspects studied. Moreover, the Graded Readers differ from each other as well, most notably in the style of the text due to sentence structure and story simplification. This could imply that different authors of Graded Readers adopt different styles when simplifying text and that the grading levels are not comparable between different publishers.

Extramural engelska : En tillgång i engelskundervisningen?

Under de senaste tio åren har den digitala teknikens omfattning ökat och är idag en källa där barn och unga möter engelska i princip varje dag. Många elever använder dagligen engelska i tal och skrift för olika mottagare och syften genom bland annat datorspel och sociala nätverk. Syftet med denna litteraturstudie är således att granska extramural engelska och vad det kan tillföra engelskundervisningen i skolan. Med extramural engelska menas all den engelska en elev kommer i kontakt med utanför skolan. Studien är begränsad till att omfatta elever i årskurs 4-9, eftersom forskningsfältet är begränsat i de lägre årskurserna 4-6 behövdes även årskurs 7-9 inkluderas. Materialet består av vetenskapliga publikationer och samlades in genom fyra söktjänster som behandlar vetenskaplig litteratur. Resultatet visar att extramural engelska har en påverkan på elevernas olika språkliga förmågor. Det finns även vissa kopplingar mellan elevernas extramurala engelska och deras resultat på nationella prov och betyg i ämnet.  Kopplingen mellan elevernas extramurala engelska och deras olika språkliga förmågor är betydligt starkare än kopplingen mellan extramural engelska och elevernas betyg i ämnet engelska. Ett flertal av de studier vi analyserat är överens om att elever som ägnar mer tid åt extramural engelska generellt har ett bättre betyg, men att det inte går att dra någon generell slutsats att det endast är extramural engelska som påverkar betyget. Vad gäller elevernas olika språkliga förmågor påverkar extramural engelska främst elevernas vokabulär men även läs- och hörförståelse samt muntlig och skriftlig förmåga.

CROSS-LINGUISTIC TRANSFER OF SPELLING SKILLS IN SPANISH-SPEAKING ADULT ESL LEARNERS

Spelling is an important literacy skill, and learning to spell is an important component of learning to write. Learners with strong spelling skills also exhibit greater reading, vocabulary, and orthographic knowledge than those with poor spelling skills (Ehri & Rosenthal, 2007; Ehri & Wilce, 1987; Rankin, Bruning, Timme, & Katkanant, 1993). English, being a deep orthography, has inconsistent sound-to-letter correspondences (Seymour, 2005; Ziegler & Goswami, 2005). This poses a great challenge for learners in gaining spelling fluency and accuracy. The purpose of the present study is to examine cross-linguistic transfer of English vowel spellings in Spanish-speaking adult ESL learners. The research participants were 129 Spanish-speaking adult ESL learners and 104 native English-speaking GED students enrolled in a community college located in the South Atlantic region of the United States. The adult ESL participants were in classes at three different levels of English proficiency: advanced, intermediate, and beginning. An experimental English spelling test was administered to both the native English-speaking and ESL participants. In addition, the adult ESL participants took the standardized spelling tests to rank their spelling skills in both English and Spanish. The data were analyzed using robust regression and Poisson regression procedures, Mann-Whitney test, and descriptive statistics. The study found that both Spanish spelling skills and English proficiency are strong predictors of English spelling skills. Spanish spelling is also a strong predictor of level of L1-influenced transfer. More proficient Spanish spellers made significantly fewer L1-influenced spelling errors than less proficient Spanish spellers. L1-influenced transfer of spelling knowledge from Spanish to English likely occurred in three vowel targets (/ɑɪ/ spelled as ae, ai, or ay, /ɑʊ/ spelled as au, and /eɪ/ spelled as e). The ESL participants and the native English-speaking participants produced highly similar error patterns of English vowel spellings when the errors did not indicate L1-influenced transfer, which implies that the two groups might follow similar trajectories of developing English spelling skills. The findings may help guide future researchers or practitioners to modify and develop instructional spelling intervention to meet the needs of adult ESL learners and help them gain English spelling competence.