The purpose of this research study was to explore the possibilities of using children's and adolescent literature with lower-level students of Spanish. The study investigated second-semester students' perceptions of their experiences reading children's and adolescent literature in Spanish and the relevance of reading this literature on their acquisition of Spanish and their understanding and appreciation of Latino culture. Seventy-eight students enrolled in three second-semester Spanish courses in a large Southwestern university read two children's books in Spanish as part of the course curriculum; sixty-eight of these students agreed to participate in the research study. Quantitative data concerning students' periodic self-ratings of their communicative abilities in Spanish were collected via questionnaires. Qualitative data concerning students' perceptions of their experiences reading the children's books were collected through journal entries, surveys, focus-group interviews, and compositions. Students indicated that their communicative skills in Spanish increased throughout the course of the semester. Students in Classes #1 and #2 believed that their reading abilities in Spanish increased from novice-mid to novice-high. Students in Class #3, however, concluded that their reading abilities in Spanish increased from novice-mid to the intermediate-low. Students affirmed that reading the children's books helped them see Spanish vocabulary and grammar in context and reinforced the vocabulary items and grammatical features of Spanish they previously learned in the course textbook. Many students indicated that reading and discussing the children's books contributed to the development of their reading ability as well as other communicative abilities in Spanish. Students' opinions varied concerning the extent to which curricular engagements supported or impeded their comprehension of the children's books. Additionally, students asserted that the children's books contributed to their understanding and appreciation of Latino culture and that the books supported the development of their intercultural competence. A number of research and pedagogical implications of the study are included along with avenues for further research.

In the theoretical and epistemological frameworks of Vygotsky’s cognitive theory and French intellectuals’ written legacy (Cixous, Deleuze, Derrida, Foucault, Kristeva, and Lyotard), the research explores philosophical, psychological, and educational migrations of a second language (L2) learner among cultures and languages in her comprehension and further nativization of an L2 through her comprehension and nativization of the culture of the language. The role of Canadian culture in Canada’s second/additional language education (SLE) is the research focus. In this research, the concept of Canadian culture is interpreted narrowly as literature, music, arts, and history of its people, and broadly as creations of its people. The dissertation consists of 3 parts: Pre-Theory, Theory, and Post-Theory. The Pre-Theory part is built according to the conventional thesis design: introduction, theoretical framework, literature review, research question, methodology, credibility, and significance. Narrative inquiry (Connelly & Clandinin, 2006) as the initial methodology of the research unfolds in innovative ways as literary-philosophical essays in the Theory part, and later as a music-poetry work in the Post-Theory part. The Theory part is a conceptual philosophy-arts piece of writing that develops based on the principle “writing as a method of knowing”. The Post-Theory part is the researcher’s music-poetry work “I-Migrations: Psychedelic Story” that is a practical epitome of her research theory. Based on her own way of learning English, first, as a foreign language (FL) in Russia, and then as an L2 in Canada, the researcher theoretically substantiates her postulate of the underestimated role of Canadian culture, in terms of literature, music, arts, and history in Canada’s SLE and proposes to make Canadian culture an integral part of Canada’s SLE curricula. This research fulfils the gaps in the literature on an older L2 learner’s experience across a lifetime and the inclusion of arts and culture alongside of language learning in SLE. Keywords: second language, second language culture, writing, second language writing, second language education

The influence of affective factors on learning has been studied by researchers in a range of disciplines, including within SLA research, where tests measuring anxiety specific to second language writing have been developed (Cheng, 2004). Recent studies on instructor perceptions show increasing numbers of second language learners (SLL) enrolled in mainstream university courses with instructors providing varying types of feedback to these learners. The current study investigates how the writing anxiety of second language learners in a mainstream context may relate to writing performance and how feedback anxiety resulting from one written assignment may be connected to writing performance on a subsequent assignment. Using modified writing anxiety survey instruments, 16 SLLs enrolled in two mainstream university English composition courses (taught by two instructors) completed two surveys, an informal interview, and an online questionnaire about feedback on two writing assignments prepared for their course; feedback and a grade from one assignment and a grade from a second assignment were also collected. Mainstream instructors were found to balance feedback provided to learners between content and organization feedback and grammatical feedback, similar to findings on feedback practices for second language instructors (Evans et al., 2010). Statistical analyses between survey results and grades revealed negative (non-statistically significant) correlations between anxiety scores (from surveys) and grades. Participants expressed 16 different emotions in response to feedback through qualitative data collection methods (open-ended survey questions, interviews, and online questionnaire); hope, acceptance, and anxiety were the three most commonly emotions reported. The number and complexity of emotional responses reported indicate that anxiety is only one of numerous responses to feedback and research on the effects of affective factors on learning may benefit from investigations of other emotions, including pleasant or positive emotions. Two data collection methods converged in reporting that nearly all participants made use of feedback through one or more forms of follow up action. Continued research into the complex emotions inspired by writing feedback may provide a deeper understanding of how SLLs may moderate their own emotional responses and provide instructors insight into additional factors that may affect learners’ writing performance. / Graduate / 0290 / amalec@uvic.ca

The goal of this paper was to investigate if code-switching is a beneficial language strategy pertaining to pupils’ oral language development. Moreover, the purpose was to examine what teachers need to consider when they use the pupils’ first language in the classroom. Previous studies are in conflict of whether or not code-switching is a useful language strategy and also of how it should be used in the language classroom. This synthesis attempted to answer if code-switching support oral language development in the second language (L2) classroom in secondary school in Sweden and what needs to be considered when using code-switching in an educational context. The results suggested that low-proficiency learners benefit from first language (L1) usage, whereas high-proficiency students seem to both prefer and benefit more from an English-only classroom. Findings also propose that maximum exposure of the target language (TL) is to be preferred, as long as it is not too difficult for pupils to comprehend. Together, these findings suggest that teachers’ and pupils’ usage of code-switching can be a beneficial language strategy, but that it is crucial for teachers to know their pupils’ language level and when to use code-switching.

<p> At the turn of the 21st century, researchers quickly recognized the lack of online professional development (OPD) research in English language teaching (ELT) and started asking for more inquiry into the effectiveness of online professional learning. This study adds quantitative data analysis to the body of research regarding OPD and strengthens the claim that proper use of OPD in the ELT community mirrors traditional face-to-face professional development effectiveness in classroom instruction and teacher confidence. This study examines ELT educators' perceived effectiveness of professional development, identifies their preference between online and face-to-face professional development, and explores the possible differences that exist in perceived effectiveness and preferred professional development modality choice. A variety of statistical tests will be used to answer the research questions including exploratory factor analysis using a polychoric correlation matrix, logistic regression, independent-sample t-test, and two- and four-way analysis of variance. Although this study includes both online and face-to-face professional development data, the main focus was on the effectiveness and use of OPD.</p><p> The results of this study enhance Desimone's (2009) core competence framework and Bandura's (1977) self-efficacy theory by: (a) reaffirming past research that professional development does positively influence classroom instruction and teaching confidence; (b) claiming that geographic location is the best predictor of professional development modality preference while age still has its place as a viable predictor, but is just not as strong; and (c) upholding the findings that there are no statistically significant differences when perceived effectiveness is compared to OPD and face-to-face professional development models.</p><p> With the continuing reach of the World Wide Web and the growing number of people wanting to learn English, OPD has become a necessary training tool for the ELT professional. This study strengthens the literature addressing the similarities between online and face-to-face professional development, reinforces the belief that OPD improves classroom instruction and teacher confidence, and supports national and international policies that call for the use of OPD in English language teacher education.</p>

Relatively little is known about the reading acquisition process in a non-dominant language in multilingual children. This study examined reading difficulties in a nondominant language, English, among 91 Grade three children whose dominant spoken language was Kannada, a South Indian language. Three sets of research questions were addressed: a) the associations between single word reading in the non-dominant language and decoding skills, phonological skills, language proficiency levels and working memory, b) the associations of phonological processing across language systems (the non-dominant reading language and the dominant spoken language) and with single word reading, and c) the relative effectiveness of a fifteen hour phonological skills intervention when compared with a language exposure intervention on reading outcomes. The results extended the findings from the monolingual literature of close links between single word reading, decoding and phonological skills. The role of language proficiency was especially evident at higher levels of reading attainment, replicating models of reading developed on anglo-centric samples. Lower single word reading skills were also found to be associated with lower working memory again extending associations found in the early stages of reading development of monolingual children. The literacy culture in India and its impact on specific reading comprehension strategies and the labelling of reading difficulty are discussed. It is in the study of the mixed phonological domain that limitations of monolingual frameworks begin to show. The mixed language phonological domain was found to be characterised by close associations across language systems and sharing of underlying phonological abilities. Factor analysis of six phoneme level tasks found a two-factor phonological structure which have been labelled as explicit, whole word manipulation ability and implicit, partial manipulation ability. The implications of these findings for a model of the mixed language phonological domain, and for interventions and early screening are discussed. In the intervention study, positive training effects were found with the Phonological Intervention on the skills triad of single word reading, phonological skills and decoding skill. The unique role of the dominant language phonology on phonological, decoding strategies and implications for planning phonological interventions in a non-dominant language are discussed. The Language Exposure condition failed to show any intervention specific impact on the outcome variables. The possibility of the language exposure intervention being most suitable after decoding skills are firmly in place is discussed.

<p> The demographic composition of the American classroom reflects the diversity of society as a whole. The cultural, language, and ethnic diversity of students is often celebrated, but it also presents challenges for educators responsible for providing instruction for the students. The purpose of this study is to explore the ways in which some educators have prepared to address language diversity and the strategies and techniques they have used to create equitable learning environments for English Language Learners (ELLs). </p><p> A comparative case study was conducted to gain insight into the characteristics of an equitable environment for ELLs and the practices school principals, English as a Second Language (ESOL) teachers, and regular education teachers use to foster and create equitable learning environment. Data were collected through individual interviews and document reviews of the School Improvement Plan (SIP) and the Title I plan of each school site. Analysis of data resulted in four premises. Characteristics of equitable environments for ELLs create a sense of belonging for students and their families and increase engagement. Equitable environments offer professional respect and support for teachers and include respect for student and family learning opportunities. Outcomes for ELL student improve when deliberate strategies to provide access to resources and the curriculum are in place. Ultimately, equitable environments empower ELL students, their families, and educators to fully participate in the teaching and learning process and support the improvement of outcomes for all students. </p>

<p>This applied dissertation was designed to explore and provide a better understanding of students of international background enrolled in an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) at a 4-year public American college in Southeast Florida. This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological design for data collection and analysis. The interview protocol was reviewed and verified by a panel of experts. The data collection took place in the fall of 2014; the researcher utilized an open-ended interview protocol with purposeful sampling of nine international students. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded. The participants checked the transcripts for accuracy of the recorded data. An analysis of the data revealed common themes of the international students? educational experience in American institutions of higher education. The interviews of the participants allowed the researcher to better understand the international student?s lived experiences. The qualitative research created an awareness of the social and academic experiences of international students at an American college. The researcher concluded that the types of experiences are varied among the participants from the three different world regions, yet there was a high consistency of the themes: learning and studying, perception of faculty, expedited learning, online learning, language and communication issues, and a lack of social interaction with native students. There are ramifications for educators for strategic instructional practice and school leadership to seek and enhance student engagement and intercultural competencies. It will become necessary to increase cultural competencies through diversity initiatives both within the curriculum and throughout institutions by better understanding students? perceptions and including those from various backgrounds, cultures, genders, and religions. To conclude, recommendations for future research are provided.

<p> Elementary Spanish language immersion programs have become more popular in the educational field in the United States to support the academic achievement of minority students. The final goal of immersion programs is to develop proficiency in the home language and dominant language, identified as first language (L1) and second language (L2), to impact the understanding of academic concepts. </p><p> This study explores teachers&rsquo; perspectives of U.S.-born ELL Hispanic students&rsquo; academic achievement and educational growth in a Spanish language immersion program. Ultimately, the study aimed to identify processes that educational leaders could incorporate into instructional models to improve as many Hispanic students&rsquo; experiences and outcomes as possible. Research questions explored include: 1) What are teachers&rsquo; perspectives of U.S.-born ELL Hispanic students&rsquo; academic achievements in a Spanish language immersion program? 2) What are the trends, such as social, behavioral, and cultural, that teachers perceive about the academic growth of U.S.-born ELL Hispanic students in a Spanish language immersion program? and 3) What do teachers perceive to be the processes that educators can incorporate in the Spanish language immersion program to improve the academic achievement of U.S.-born ELL Hispanic students? </p><p> A semi-structured interview and focus groups were used to approach the participating teachers (n=10) from one elementary school, identified as the pseudonym a Midwestern Spanish Language Immersion Program (MSLIP), that provides 80% of instruction in Spanish and about 20% in English for ELLs. Data analyzed for this study included secondary sources composed of information such as standardized test scores, behavior incident reports, attendance, age, parents&rsquo; ethnicity and school background, and years of schooling at MSLIP. </p><p> Major findings from this study showed that teachers at MSLIP perceive that U.S.-born ELL Hispanic students benefit from learning academics in their home language as students had better comprehension of content. However, MSLIP teachers recognized that having a 50/50 bilingual immersion model would facilitate a balanced program to succeed academically in the United States. Recommendations for further research includes among others: developing strategies to overcome the educational trends to perform in the subject content in both languages, English and Spanish; and research how the &ldquo;deficit perspective&rdquo; is affecting the teachers&rsquo; practices in urban settings since this is a distractor for teachers improving their professional practices.</p>

<p> This thesis presents findings from a yearlong study of a classroom of adult immigrants studying English as a Second Language (ESL) in the U.S., who collaboratively created and performed plays based on their life experiences. This research is rooted in poststructuralist theories of identity in second language learning (e.g., Norton, 2000; 2013), a view of language pedagogy as a form of liberation (Freire, 1970), and the notion that theater can be used by non-actors to critically engage with issues of relevance to the community (Boal, 1979). The teacher-researcher of the class used ethnographic investigation informed by autoethnography and action research to examine: 1) how students perceived theater as affecting their language development, and 2) how individual students&rsquo; identity development was affected by participation in the class. Data included interviews, field notes, audiovisual recordings, artifacts, and journal entries. Relevant literature in the fields of immigration, second language acquisition, and drama in language teaching is reviewed and discussed. The process of engaging students in playwriting and performing is detailed in the findings section along with a discussion of the nature of theater in the second language classroom. The data analysis exhibits that creating a play had many positive effects on students&rsquo; affective dimensions, second language development, classroom dynamics, and investment in the course, as well as some negative effects including anxiety amongst students at the prospect of performing in English and instances of interpersonal tensions. Classroom implications of the study include the recommendation that teachers frame theater explicitly in a positive light and make expectations of students clear from the beginning of the course.</p>