For many students, listening to academic lectures is one of the hardest listening skills (Lebauer, 1988). There are various possible reasons for this: the jargon and specialised words of the field that are used; also the language that is used is often at a more formal level; the lecture situation which is unidirectional with the listener having little role to play, and no control of the oral message; the expectations that the listener is assumed to have in listening to lectures which depends on many factors such as attitude, motivation, linguistic knowledge and world experience. Trying to find an answer to where difficulties lie is the purpose of this study, with the focus on the type of problems that post-graduate non-native students of English might have had during their study in a native English academic environment. Chapter one presents the purpose and significance of study, and deals with a few problems in the history of the teaching of listening in Vietnam. Chapter two looks at the different developments in understanding the listening processes in general and listening to lectures in particular. Chapter three studies difficulties that non-native speakers of English may face in lecture listening. Chapter four mentions some of the recommendations that the study implies.

Research studies demonstrate that L2 learners participate more equally when using synchronous computer mediated communication (CMC). However, most of these studies have involved adult students only, in college or university settings. Few have explored the use of synchronous CMC with elementary school learners. Thus, this case study explored the participation of Grade 8 native speakers and English language learners as they interacted in the online environment. It examined the number of turns taken by each participant, the discourse functions used, as well as participants’ perceptions of communicating online. This was accomplished through collection of chat transcripts, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. It was found that native speakers tended to take more turns in online discussions. Also, responses and questions were the discourse functions that were used most by participants in this research. Finally, the students viewed this mode of communication favourably, and believed that it aided their communication with one another.

Research studies demonstrate that L2 learners participate more equally when using synchronous computer mediated communication (CMC). However, most of these studies have involved adult students only, in college or university settings. Few have explored the use of synchronous CMC with elementary school learners. Thus, this case study explored the participation of Grade 8 native speakers and English language learners as they interacted in the online environment. It examined the number of turns taken by each participant, the discourse functions used, as well as participants’ perceptions of communicating online. This was accomplished through collection of chat transcripts, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. It was found that native speakers tended to take more turns in online discussions. Also, responses and questions were the discourse functions that were used most by participants in this research. Finally, the students viewed this mode of communication favourably, and believed that it aided their communication with one another.

Located in social semiotics (Hodge & Kress, 1988), theories of identity (Goffman, 1959; Holland, Lachicotte, Skinner, & Cain, 1998), and third space (Gutierrez, Baquedano, & Turner, 1997; Rowe & Leander, 2005), this dissertation presents the findings from a year long, field-based qualitative study with a high school class of nine Spanish for Native Speakers (SNS) students and their teacher. The study used an arts-infused multimodal curriculum exploring Spanish language texts and cultures from around the world. The following questions guided this study: (a) What factors were considered as the teacher and the researcher co-planned this arts-infused multimodal curriculum, and how did the consideration of those factors shape the curriculum?, (b) How did students enrolled in this SNS class negotiate meaning and identity as they worked within this class?, and (c) What discourses around students’ meaning making practices and identities emerged within their visual texts over time and across texts? Data sources included interviews, observations, student-generated visual texts, photographs from class sessions, student journals, and audio and videotapes of portions of class discussions and activities. Visual texts were coded for elements of visual design and apparent discourses with which the text-maker identifies (Albers, 2007b; Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006). Five themes emerged from the data: 1) The teacher participant and researcher co-created the curriculum using critical-care pedagogy; 2) Actual participation in and creation of visual and multimodal texts shaped the classroom community; (3) Negotiation and meaning making occurred through the flexible use of sign systems; 4) Participants worked through understandings of self; and 5) Personally relevant discourses emerged within individual and group texts. The study suggested that heritage language courses like this one can teach more than language. Such courses deserve attention as havens where students’ complex meaning making of themselves, their worlds, and their places in them are freely explored.

The primary purpose of the study is to investigate whether learners' L1 or L2 plays a more influential role in their L3 acquisition. This study also seeks to discover the factors attributed to the influence, such as language typological distance and learning strategies. A total of 33 subjects are Taiwanese college students who have Chinese L1 and English L2 learn French as their L3. The survey asks the participants to finish a French test, which has 30 questions. Half of the questions have sentences with parallel structures in English and French, whereas the other half of questions have sentences with nonparallel structures. Quantitative results indicate that learners have significantly higher performance over the sentences where English and French do not have parallel structures. It draws a conclusion that English, as learners' L2, affects learners' L3 acquisition more because English and French are typologically closer. The learners also tend to apply the learning strategies that they use to acquire the second language to learn their third language. / text

The role of culture as a phenomenon guided this qualitative study, which examined the influence of diverse Hispanic cultures on the attitudes and perceptions towards college writing courses of female Hispanic students who are non-native speakers of English. With the increasing number of Hispanic immigrants coming to the U.S., the minority student population at our nation's colleges and universities has also risen. Community colleges have become the means through which many of these Hispanic immigrants obtain a college education. The eight women who participated in this study self-identified as Hispanic. All were first generation college students who had been born outside of the United States. Three were born in Puerto Rico, two were born in Cuba, and the remaining three came from Uruguay, Colombia, and Mexico, respectively. The eight participants were students at a Florida community college, and all had already completed at least one college writing course. The data were collected through the use of individual interviews (Patton, 1987) and responses to journal prompts (Owens, 2007). The journal prompts and interview questions were designed to elicit the participants' descriptions of their experiences in their college writing courses and their attitudes towards their college writing coursework. These eight women provided insight into how their culture as Hispanic females affects their learning experiences in college writing courses. This study was based on three exploratory questions: * What are the cultural influences that shape the experiences of female Hispanic ESL learners in college writing courses? * How do these cultural influences affect student learning, specifically those skills involving thinking, conducting research, and using correct grammar, format, and citation? * Have these cultural influences produced a learning experience that is transformative? If so, how? The data were analyzed using qualitative analysis software. The findings were triangulated through this analysis of the responses, by having the participants check the transcripts for accuracy, and through the use of a researcher reflective journal (Creswell, 1998). Five emergent themes were extracted from the data: 1. The frustrations and struggles ESL students experience in their college writing courses; 2. The desire to succeed in school and in their prospective careers; 3. The influence of teachers on their academic experiences; 4. The importance family for emotional support; and 5. The necessity of cultural assimilation without compromising one's own cultural identity. From these themes, descriptive statements (Creswell, 2007) were developed that suggest answers to the exploratory questions. These descriptive statements are: * Female Hispanic ESL learners are influenced by several elements of their culture, specifically in their relationships with their families and their instructors. * Female Hispanic ESL learners consider English language acquisition an integral element of cultural assimilation. * Female Hispanic ESL learners see the transformative aspect of their English writing courses as requiring them to change on both a personal and a societal level. These descriptive statements formed the basis for a discussion of implications in both teaching and curriculum development, and recommendations for future research. These recommendations include promoting awareness of the cultural and institutional barriers that are the result of a lack of personal connections between students and teachers, such as the limited availability of tutors and other learning center staff; the limited availability of instructors whose native language is the same as that of the ESL student; family and child care responsibilities; problems related to full- or part-time employment; transportation issues; and the lack of college writing courses designed specifically for non-native speakers.

Αντικείμενο της παρούσας εργασίας αποτέλεσε ο σχεδιασμός του γλωσσικού μαθήματος για τους μη φυσικούς ομιλητές της ελληνικής γλώσσας που φοιτούν στο δημοτικό σχολείο με βάση τον αντίστοιχο σχεδιασμό του γλωσσικού μαθήματος που εκπονήθηκε στο πλαίσιο του Προγράμματος Εκπαίδευσης Μουσουλμανοπαίδων. Αρχικά εντοπίστηκαν και καταγράφηκαν οι κειμενικοί και γραμματικοί στόχοι των σχολικών εγχειριδίων της Γ και Δ τάξης του δημοτικού σχολείου που εκπονήθηκαν στο πλαίσιο του Π.Ε.Μ. Στη συνέχεια έγινε εφαρμογή αυτού του γλωσσικού σχεδιασμού στα σχολικά εγχειρίδια της Γ και Δ τάξης που διδάσκονται σε όλα τα δημοτικά σχολεία της ελληνικής επικράτειας. Η έρευνα εντάσσεται στο πλαίσιο του ευρύτερου επιστημονικού ενδιαφέροντος για τη διδασκαλία της ελληνικής γλώσσας ως ξένης. Πρωταρχικός της στόχος ήταν να αναζητήσει σε ποιο βαθμό ο σχεδιασμός του γλωσσικού μαθήματος μέσα από τα σχολικά εγχειρίδια του Π.Ι. είναι κατάλληλος και για τους αλλόγλωσσους μαθητές του ελληνικού σχολείου. Βασικό κριτήριο για αυτή την εφαρμογή υπήρξε ο γλωσσικός σχεδιασμός του Π.Ε.Μ. Συγκεκριμένα ερευνήθηκαν οι κειμενικοί και οι γραμματικοί στόχοι (φωνολογία, μορφολογία, σύνταξη) των σχολικών εγχειριδίων της Γ και Δ τάξης του δημοτικού σχολείου. Η ανάλυση της έρευνας έδειξε πως ένα μεγάλο μέρος των κειμενικών και γραμματικών στόχων των σχολικών εγχειριδίων είναι πολύ απαιτητικοί για τους αλλόγλωσσους μαθητές αυτών των τάξεων. Μερικοί από αυτούς τους στόχους μπορούν ενδεχομένως να εφαρμοστούν μερικώς και άλλοι υπό κάποιες προϋποθέσεις. Η ύπαρξη του ενός και μοναδικού σχολικού εγχειριδίου στο ελληνικό σχολείο, διαμορφωμένου μάλιστα με βάση ένα σχεδιασμό για μαθητές φυσικούς ομιλητές της ελληνικής γλώσσας, αποτελεί ένα από τα μεγαλύτερα εμπόδια για την υιοθέτηση και εφαρμογή προσαρμοσμένου με τις εκάστοτε ανάγκες διδακτικού υλικού. Η υιοθέτηση του πολλαπλού-εναλλακτικού βιβλίου που θα καλύπτει τις ιδιαίτερες ανάγκες των μαθητών και θα επιτρέπει την αυτενέργεια των εκπαιδευτικών θεωρείται απαραίτητη. / -

Die Bedeutsamkeit einer Sprache kann sowohl anhand ihres Gebrauchs als auch anhand der Bedürfnisse einer Gesellschaft gemessen werden. Wenn wir die arabische Sprache in der pakistanischen Gesellschaft betrachten, ist dies anhand mehrerer Aspekte feststellbar. Basierend auf der Bevölkerungsmehrheit ist der Islam ist die offizielle Religion Pakistans und entsprechend beruht auf ihm auch die Verfassung. Die arabische Sprache hingegen stellt das wichtigste Mittel dar, um den Islam und seine Lehren zu verstehen. Dadurch stellt sie einen wichtigen Teil des pakistanischen Bildungswesens und des alltäglichen Lebens dar. Beobachten kann man dies beispielsweise bei Geburten, Bestattungen oder Hochzeiten, wo sich zur vollständigen Umsetzung des jeweiligen Ereignisses bzw. Ritus arabischer Floskeln bedient werden. Es ist bekannt, dass der arabische Gebetsruf, der ʾAḏān, das Erste ist, das einem Neugeborenen ins Ohr geflüstert wird. Alsdann wird dem Kind ein arabischer Name gegeben und sobald es anfängt zu sprechen, versucht die Familie ihm Worte wie Allāh, Muḥammad und Rasūl beizubringen. Auf dem Gebiet der Bildung wird einem muslimischen Kind üblicherweise das arabische Alphabet gelehrt, bis es in die Schule eintritt. Danach lernt es, wie man den Koran rezitiert, um sich bestimmte Verse einzuprägen und zu beten. Die Kombination all dieser Bräuche erzeugt eine starke Verbindung zwischen Muslimen und der arabischen Sprache. Die Briten erreichten den indischen Subkontinent anfänglich als Unternehmer und nicht als Herrscher. Allmählich begannen sie allerdings, sich in lokale politische Angelegenheiten einzumischen, bis sie schließlich die gesamte Region übernahmen. Anschließend veränderten sie die religionspolitische, soziale und bildungstechnische Landschaft der Muslime auf dem Subkontinent. Hinsichtlich der Bildungspolitik war es somit Macaulay (1800-1859), der die Muslime in ihrem Heimatland, in dem sie bereits 1000 Jahre gelebt hatten, zu Bürgern zweiter Klasse machte. Auf Basis dieser Politik wurde das traditionelle islamische Bildungswesen für ungültig erklärt und Kenntnisse der englischen Sprache wurden zur Voraussetzung zur Erlangung eines Berufs. Als Folge dessen wehrten sich einige Muslime hart gegen dieses neue Bildungssystem. Andere blieben gleichgültig gegenüber der Politik, während einige wiederum überzeugt waren, dass es zu den notwendigen Erfordernissen der damaligen Zeit gehöre, die englische Sprache zu lernen. Aufgrund ihrer Gespaltenheit, können wir zwei Gruppen entwerfen: Die Gegner des Bildungssystems (darunter die traditionellen muslimischen Gelehrten) sowie die Befürworter (Sir Sayyid Aḥmad Khan [1817-1898] und seine Anhänger). Sir Sayyid Aḥmad Khan reformierte die muslimische Gesellschaft und gründete neue Schulen und Universitäten, wie z.B. das Muḥammadan College (1875 AD), das Aligarh College, und die Scientific Society of Aligarh, um auf die neuen Wissenschaften aufmerksam und machen und diese zu vermitteln. Dahingegen eröffneten die ʿUlamāʾ eine Reihe neuer Medresen, weil sie dachten, dass ein Wiederaufleben der islamischen Wissenschaften und der arabischen Sprache der Schlüssel zum Erfolg der Muslime sei. Als Erwiderung auf diese Gruppen entstand schließlich auch eine dritte Gruppe, die die Reformgesellschaft Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama (1898) begründete und der Ansicht war, dass beide Ansätze zur Prosperität der Muslime beitragen würden. Seitdem Beginn dieser Debatte bis in unsere heutige Zeit hat sich das muslimische Bildungssystem in zwei Gruppen geteilt: Religiöse und nichtreligiöse Ausbildung. Diese Unterteilung basiert freilich auf der Idee des Säkularismus, wonach religiöse und wissenschaftliche Lehre zwei gänzlich verschiedene Bereiche sind, die einander ausschließen. Die britischen Herrscher etablierten neue Richtlinien im Bildungswesen, um die Muslime von ihren religiösen, erzieherischen, ethischen und kulturellen Werten abzubringen und auf sie das britische Verständnis von „Zivilisation“ zu projizieren. Die muslimischen religiösen Institute hingegen beruhten auf religiösen Wissenschaften, wie der Lehre von Qurʾān und Sunna, die mittels der arabischen Sprache gelehrt wurden. Abgesehen von der Einleitung sowie dem Schlusswort unterteilt sich diese Untersuchung in fünf Kapitel. Der erste Teil untersucht die Schritte und Phasen, die die arabische Sprache durchlaufen hat. Dabei widmet es sich der Geschichte der arabischen Sprache auf dem indischen Subkontinent von ihren Anfängen bis zur Teilung der Region in Indien und Pakistan 1947. Es wird außerdem erläutert, welchen Einfluss die Sprache auf Gesellschaft und Kultur hatte und wie es um ihren offiziellen Status während der verschiedenen Herrschaftsepochen bestellt war. Das zweite Kapitel unterteilt sich in zwei Bereiche. Zuerst wird eine kurze Einführung zum Land Pakistan und seiner Kultur sowie verschiedenen Sprachen gegeben. Danach wird das Bildungssystem erklärt, wie es aufgeteilt ist und welche Rolle die arabische Sprache und Literatur darin einnimmt. Das dritte Kapitel untersucht die Geschichte und Aufbau der Medresen in der Region vor und nach der Teilung des Landes. Begonnen wird dieses Thema anhand der ersten Medrese bis schließlich die modernen religiösen Institute, Stiftungen und Gremien Pakistans genauer betrachtet werden. Auch der schulinterne Lebensstil, die Gebäudeausstattung, Finanzen und Leistungsangebote an die Gesellschaft werden hier unter Augenschein genommen. Der vierte Bereich prüft intensiv den kompletten Curriculum fünf religiöser Schulgremien. Die folgenden Gremien werden hierbei vorgestellt und ihre Lehrmethodologien erläutert: • Wifaq al-Madaris al-Arabiyya Pakistan • Tanzeem-ul-Madaris Ahl-e-Sunnat • Wifaq al-Madaris al-Salafiyya • Rabta-tul-Madaris al-Islamiyyah • Wifaq al-Madaris al-Shia Pakistan Das fünfte Kapitel analysiert alle fünf Gremien statistisch und es wird ein vollständiger Überblick zu Büchern, Lehrthemen und anderen Unterrichtsmaterialien gegeben. Die Ergebnisse, z.B. zum Anteil gleicher und verschiedener Bücher sowie Themen, werden in Form von Tabellen und Diagrammen dargestellt. Am Ende wird die Schlussfolgerung sämtliche Punkte und Fragen dieser Forschungsarbeit noch einmal ausführlich zusammenfassen.

My work is focused on adoption of foreign language and language skills of Czech football players in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The basis of my research is a complex of ten dialogues with contemporary or former football players, who helped to analyse their language skills. Information I gained give us a full survey about German language during their staying - it shows their original knowledge, requirements of their clubs, possibilities of option to learn and their consequences and the reached language level. As well it was shown, that the situations can occur, which can make the adoption of the language easier or harder. Getting of language skills proved to be very individualistic phenomenon. The linguistic education of football players is complicated by the fact, that commonly used German language is different from the language used on the football pitch. Four dialogues in German language allowed me the detailed language analysis.

[pt] De maneira geral, nas gramáticas tradicionais de Língua Portuguesa, as conjunções / locuções conjuntivas concessivas são expostas em uma lista sem qualquer observação sobre suas condições de uso e seus aspectos semânticos, como se pudessem ser utilizadas de forma aleatória. Isso dificulta o ensino de Português, principalmente como segunda língua. Como há construções intrínsecas aos usuários nativos da língua, essas precisam ser mais bem detalhadas para que o falante não nativo consiga atingir um nível relevante de competência linguística. Para isso, baseando-nos na perspectiva funcionalista da linguagem, que entende que as escolhas gramaticais dependem do contexto em que estão inseridos os enunciados, este trabalho tem o objetivo de verificar as estruturas morfossintáticas em que ocorrem as orações concessivas e de observar os diferentes sentidos secundários que cada conjunção ou locução conjuntiva concessiva pode trazer ao enunciado. Com isso, faremos um estudo que tentará facilitar o ensino das conjunções / locuções conjuntivas concessivas, visando à aprendizagem dos falantes não nativos de português. / [en] In an ordinary way, in Portuguese traditional grammars, the concessive conjunctions are exposed on a list without any observation about their conditions of use and their semantic aspects, as if they could be used in an interchangeable manner. This makes difficult the teaching of Portuguese, especially as second language. There are constructions that are intrinsic to the native speakers of the language, so they need to be well detailed so that the non-native speaker achieve a relevant level of linguistic competence. For this propose, we based ourselves on the functionalist perspective of language, which understands that the grammatical choices depend on the context where the phrases are placed. Our goal is to verify the morphosyntatic structures where the concessive sentences appear and to observe the different secondary senses that each concessive conjunction can have in a sentence. Then, we will do a work that will facilitate the teaching of concessive conjunctions, aiming the learning of non-native speakers of Portuguese.