The Effects of Proper Implementation of Bilingual Programs in Elementary Schools in the United States

Americans’ support of bilingual education has been closely linked with the immigration sentiments of the times. Current anti-immigrant feelings on bilingualism have intensified its negative connotation and effectiveness in English language acquisition. Improper implementation of bilingual programs has also fueled this misconception. This literature will challenge these misconceptions.

Effects of Contingent Maternal Imitation vs. Contingent Motherese Speech on Infant Canonical Babbling

Maternal vocal stimulation plays a vital role in infants’ language acquisition. Contingent maternal imitation and contingent motherese speech were used in an alternating sequence as reinforcers to a 12 month-old infant’s canonical babbling. Both vocal contingencies function as reinforcers; however, motherese speech produced the highest frequency of canonical babbling.

A study of indicators discriminating between the recipients and non -recipients of the International Baccalaureate Diploma

This study examined relationships among variables in the Pre-International Baccalaureate (Pre-IB) Program admissions criteria and the Pre-IB Program course grades to discriminate between recipient and non recipient groups of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma award. The study involved a multiracial sample of 142 IB Diploma graduates between the years 1992 and 1996 from one IB magnet school. The IB school is located within an urban high school of a predominantly Black student enrollment. A discriminant function analysis found that the highest correlations between predictors and the discriminant function were 9th- and 10th-grade mathematics and 10th-grade science course grades. Ninth-grade course grades of science, 9th-grade and 10th-grade course grades of English, foreign language, and social studies, and 7th-grade Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) Reading Comprehension scores were also highly correlated to the discriminant function. The ITBS Battery and subscores of Vocabulary, Total Language, Total Work-Study, and Total Mathematics subscores in seventh grade and a grade point average from language arts, social studies, science, and mathematics in seventh grade were not highly correlated to the discriminant function. Recommendations were presented in the areas of curriculum and instruction, guidance services, student mentoring, and decision-making processes which would parallel the IB examination procedure and thereby enhance the alignment of the IB Program enabling more students to become recipients of the IB Diploma award. ^

The effects of jigsaw cooperative learning on motivation to learn English at Chung -Hwa Institute of Technology, Taiwan

The Ministry of Education (MOE) of the Republic of China in Taiwan considers English to be one of the keys to raising Taiwan's international competitiveness and requires students attending institutes of technology to receive instruction in English as a foreign language (EFL). This study focused on impacts of the use of cooperative learning as a teaching method on EFL learners. The setting was the English classes of Chung-Hwa Institute of Technology (CHIT). The subjects were 77 students from two classes, majoring in Business Administration. ^ The purpose of this study was to determine the differential effects (i.e., achievement in learning English, motivation orientation and intensity, and attitude concerning English language and culture) on students between the traditional Chinese teaching method and the Jigsaw cooperative learning method at CHIT. ^ The research design for the study was quasi-experimental and descriptive. This study utilized three survey instruments and final exam grades to investigate the effect of Jigsaw on the EFL students' competency in English, and on their attitudes about, and level of motivation toward learning English. The independent variable was the instructional method: one class utilized the Jigsaw approach to cooperative learning while the other utilized the traditional Chinese approach. The dependent variables were academic performance, motivation orientation toward English, motivation intensity toward learning English, and attitude toward learning of English and English culture as determined by final exam and questionnaire scores. The questionnaires and exam were administrated at the beginning and end of the semester. ^ Data analysis indicated that students learning cooperatively had higher final course grades and made more integrative statements on the measure of orientation toward learning English than students who learned using the traditional Chinese methods. Participants who learned using cooperative strategies had more positive attitudes about learning English connected with their desire to associate with English speakers and had more positive attitudes about the learning mechanism they experienced than those instructed though traditional Chinese learning strategies. There were no differences between the groups on the measure of motivation intensity. Recommendations were made to improve the use of the Jigsaw method of cooperative learning through both pedagogical and policy modifications. ^