The main purpose of this study was to develop a reliable and valid Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) Anxiety Scale based on a sound theoretical model of CFL Anxiety. Furthermore, the study attempted to discuss the influence of background variables on CFL Anxiety and the relationships between CFL Anxiety and other learning variables such as motivation, self-perceived language achievement, etc.. A total of 428 students studying Chinese in two U.S. universities participated in the study. Based on the results of item analysis, the researcher retained 16 items in the final CFL Anxiety Scale. EFA performed on responses to the 16 items from the 245 participants at the southwestern university yielded three factors: CFL Speaking Anxiety, Listening Anxiety, and Reading & Writing Anxiety. These results provided evidence for the construct validity of the CFL Anxiety Scale. Correlation analyses between the 16- item CFL Anxiety Scale and other related measures showed that the CFL Anxiety Scale had high convergent, discriminant, and criterion-related validity. The internal consistency reliabilities of the final 16-item CFL Anxiety Scale and its three subscales (i.e., Speaking, Listening, and Reading & Writing Anxiety scales) performed on responses from the 428 participants yielded Cronbach’s Alphas of .898, .837, .802, .and 875. ANOVA and MAVOVA analyses revealed that heritage-learning status and proficiency level had significant effects on CFL Anxiety, CFL Speaking Anxiety, Listening Anxiety, and Reading & Writing Anxiety. Heritage learners with Chinese language background were significantly less anxious than heritage learners without Chinese language background and non-heritage learners. Advanced learners experienced significantly lower levels of CFL Anxiety than elementary and intermediate learners. In addition, seven variables: age, perception of difficulty of Chinese, motivation in learning Chinese, self-perceived language learning abilities, self-perceived achievement in the Chinese class, self-expectations in the Chinese class, and perception of importance of Chinese were found to be significantly correlated with CFL Anxiety, and altogether explained 33.2%, 20.5%, 14.8%, and 33.1% of variances in CFL Anxiety, Speaking Anxiety, Listening Anxiety, and Reading & Writing Anxiety respectively. / text

Recent work has shown the importance of identity in language learning and how the desire to belong to an imagined community drives individuals to invest in their learning (Norton, 2000). This work has documented that a mismatch between students' imagined community and the community envisioned by the teacher can have negative outcomes on students' learning trajectories. Other research has explored how institutional policies and their linked educational practices reflect differences in the imagined communities each institution sees their students potentially joining in the future (Kanno, 2003) and how reading materials and the discourses reflected in them can affect learners' visions of themselves(Pavlenko, 2003). However few studies have tried to document how an `imagined community' might be collectively constructed for others through a complex interaction of social and cultural structures, circulating discourses, institutional discourses, educational practices, group dynamics and personal histories that produce visions of potential identities (I) and their respective imagined communities (IC's) in which newcomers get socialized. There is a gap in current research on how `imagined communities' and `identities' for second language learners get constructed, circulated and made available to learners within institutional contexts.Through this qualitative study involving questionnaires and autobiographical research I studied the construction of imagined communities in an English language major in Mexico. I explored how professional identities and their related imagined communities are collectively constructed and made available to students in order to understand how institutions, programs administrators and faculty members could enhance the spread of successful professional identities and inspire/stimulate L2 speakers in their educational and professional trajectories.

This dissertation examines the effects of semantic and phonetic radicals on Chinese character decoding by high-intermediate level Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) learners. The results of the main study (discussed in Chapter #5) suggest that the CFL learners tested have a well-developed semantic pathway to recognition; however, their phonological pathway is not yet a reliable means of character identification. Semantic radicals that correctly pertain to character meaning facilitated reaction time in semantic categorization tasks (Experiment #1), while radicals that had no immediately interpretable relation to character meaning had a strong inhibitory effect. The relativeaccuracy of phonetic radicals (for predicting the whole-character's pronunciation) did not measurably improve homonym recognition (Experiment #2). Subjects were then tested to determine their default processing modes in Chinese character reading. In a lexical decision task (Experiment #3) wherein semantic radicals or phonological components were blurred to delay recognition, surprisingly, the subjects were significantly slower in identifying pseudo-characters when the phonological component was blurred, indicating that, despite having unreliable phonological pathways to character recognition, the subjects were still utilizing that strategy first. These results were mirrored in a sentence reading task (Experiment #4) wherein a single character had either a blurred semantic radical or phonological component. This tendency to use the less developed pathway is explained as a default means of attempting character recognition as a result of subjects gleaning orthographic information from the densely packed phonological component and as a result of L1 (English) interference predisposing subjects to phonological decoding strategies.Such a study on CFL learner reading processes is an important step towards ameliorating CFL teaching methodologies. For this reason, the author contrasts the data on CFL learners with data taken from similar experiments with native Chinese speakers (in Chapter #6) in order to demonstrate concrete differences in character reading processes which should affect teaching practices between the two groups. The authorconcludes the dissertation by making targeted recommendations for CFL pedagogical practices based upon the results of the study on the effect of character-internal features on reading patterns by non-native readers of Chinese (Chapter #8).

This thesis will generate new insight into the study of classroom language anxiety and its method of analysis in current SLA discourse. Drawing heavily from Horcoff, Horcoff and Cope’s seminal paper “Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety” (1986), the conceptualization of analysis proposed and its accompanying instrument of analysis, the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), will be reevaluated. The conceptualization of anxiety presented by Horwitz et al. defines foreign language (FL) anxiety as being unique to the FL learning classroom and being distinct in its emphasis on the self-perceptions and beliefs associated with this setting. Furthermore, the learners who experience anxiety are argued to be identifiable through their degree of anxiety and share similar characteristics. This conceptualization has been well received in SLA and has been widely employed in much of the FL learning research in the past two decades. Due to identity theory advancements in SLA however, this conceptualization of FL anxiety deserves to be reexamined. Employing poststructuralist identity theories (see Norton, 2000; Blackledge & Pavlenko, 2001; Block, 2007), FL learning anxiety will be reconceptualized to consider the dynamic nature of the learner’s unique identity and views of other languages. A paradigm will be proposed, linking FL anxiety, identity and language belief together in a mutually constitutive relationship. A qualitative meta-analysis (Schmenk, 2002) will be conducted, examining current FL anxiety research in an effort to determine the assumptions, both implicit and explicit, made concerning notions of FL learning anxiety and identity. Implications of the proposed paradigm for the learner and instructor will finally be presented in an effort to introduce a discussion of the benefits of reconceptualizing FL learning.

<p>With the Internet, foreign language learners can interact more easily with native speakers from other countries than in previous generations. For learners to develop the ability to function in foreign environments, it is vital to understand their experiences in postsecondary online foreign language classes. If educators and educational theorists are not cognizant of the possible effects caused by using or not using technological tools, severe limitations will happen to relevant, cognitive connections. Because of the current lack of understanding, learners are at a sociological, cultural, cognitive, and psychological disadvantage. The purpose of this qualitative study using a classic grounded theory method was to discover a theory that described patterns of behaviors by 15 adult learners who took at least one post-secondary, online foreign language class from schools in the United States. This study revealed the concerns that learners had regarding their experiences and how they dealt with those issues. When learners struggled, they became frustrated thereby causing an imbalance that prevented them from accomplishing their desired objectives. Offsetting the affective filter, the theory developed in this study, is about (a) comprehending the causes for and consequences of learners' frustration and their elevated affective filters and (b) discovering various elements that helped learners restore balance and acquire the necessary knowledge. By taking online foreign language classes, learners stepped outside their comfort zones thus setting into motion an imbalance that needed to be offset. Because offsetting the affective filter has important ramifications with respect to cognition, more research is necessary to develop tools to help learners reduce their anxiety in online classes. By expanding the field of study to other online and hybrid subject areas, researchers could develop of a broader, formal grounded theory. Such research might lead to the redesigning of online classes to be more andragogic and more transformative while addressing the cognitive and affective needs of the learners. A redesigning of a course might be advanced due to the need for (a) increased synchronous interaction between course members, (b) increased humor to lower learners' anxiety levels, and (c) learning styles to be addressed via all four learning modalities. </p>

<p> This quantitative method, quasi-experimental design study examined the possible effect of foreign language study in Tennessee middle schools on mathematics achievement. The population was 1,708 historical student test scores of a single cohort spanning 6^th through 8^th Grades from the same schools within a large urban public school district. NCLB demographics included race, gender, socio-economic status, and ELL status. The quasi-experimental design followed methods described by Shadish, Cook, &amp; Campbell, including independent control and treatment groups, pre-test/post-test, stratification, and matching. The instrument was the mathematics portion of the revised (2008-2009) Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) standardized tests. The TCAP was revised with increased critical thinking skills according to the Webb taxonomy and normalized to national standards. The study indicated that the foreign language treatment group performed significantly better than the control group, <i>t</i>_2&ndash;samp (&infin;) = 4.87, <i>a</i> &lt; .05, on their 8^th Grade TCAP mathematics test. The problem was that foreign language programs had been reduced or eliminated under NCLB-related academic and financial pressures. Political and educational leadership lacked evidence linking foreign language study to mathematics achievement in middle schools. This study was situated within an intuitionist mathematics philosophy, brain-based research, and social cognitive learning theory. Implications included an age-appropriate curriculum development model, curricular integration, support for foreign language study in middle schools, and the possible detrimental effects of cancelling foreign language programs.</p>

A few reasons taken together have led to the undertaking of this study: an urgent need to examine classroom teaching in the drastically growing teaching-Chinese-as-a-second/foreign-language (TCSL/TCFL) industry; a personal interest in probing a cross-cultural Chinese teacher’s treatment of communication in teaching; and the implications from theories of teacher beliefs and practice. Thus, this study investigated how a TCFL teacher posits her teaching beliefs and practice in light of her communicative habits when facing a variety of tensions (e.g., those from culture, ideology, educational tradition, curricular prescription, and pedagogical trend). This qualitative case study was triangulated with multiple data sources: interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis, with an experienced teacher in Canada who has taught in both China and Canada. The findings of the study supported the literature on teacher beliefs and practice, and on the implementation of communicative language teaching (CLT). The majority of this teacher’s practices were based on the premise that they corresponded to the actualization of her beliefs. Meanwhile, there existed a few minor gaps between her educational beliefs and practices. This teacher demonstrated adaptability in tailoring her teaching to be most suitable in meeting her educational needs and beliefs. This study first provides insights to TCFL classroom teaching and program development in North America with CLT implementation in this area. In addition, the results of the study have implications for the evolving process of teachers’ belief systems and patterns of practice and future research into this field. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2008-06-25 17:02:58.559

<p> The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and describe the opinions of experts and practitioners in the field of two-way immersion (TWI) programs on key factors and determine pedagogical strategies that support the successful transition of TWI students from elementary to middle and high school. This study used the normative Delphi technique, where the researcher synthesized the knowledge and experience of a panel of experts and practitioners in dual language programs to identify and describe key factors and determine pedagogical strategies that support the successful transition of TWI students from elementary to middle and high school. The Delphi process involved 3 rounds, and the researcher analyzed and summarized responses from each of the rounds. The expert panelists, consisting of 7 researchers/authors, 3 principals, and 6 teachers, all researching, working, or teaching in the field of dual language education for 5 years or more, identified many key factors and pedagogical and other strategies that support the successful transition of TWI students from elementary to middle and high school. Nonpedagogical factors seemed more important than pedagogical ones. Identified as most important were teacher qualification, curriculum and program planning, communication, and administrative support. The experts also came to a consensus that engaged teachers with high language proficiency are crucial for this transition. Recommendations related to pedagogical strategies were assigned to Vygotsky's sociocultural pedagogy and Jim Cummins's transformative pedagogy. The findings of this study may provide administrators, principals, and teachers as well as parents, community, and board members guidelines and suggestions when implementing, enhancing, or improving dual language programs for students. Additionally, the insights from experts and practitioners on key factors and strategies for dual language programs allow for the development of training programs for current administrators, principals, teachers, and other staff involved with dual language programs. </p>

<p> The purpose of this quantitative descriptive dissertation study was to examine teacher perceptions of instructional issues and delivery and working environments of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) programs. Data were collected from ESP teachers at 12 universities in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam through an online survey. This study was significant since the results might benefit the design, development, and evaluation of ESP curriculums to reduce significant problems and enhance ESP teaching quality. Also, the exploration of teacher perceptions can help school administrators work around the limitations of their contextual conditions and impose a higher level of impact on transformation and development of ESP programs.</p><p> The collected data were analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The questionnaire included 32 items that were rated on a four-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). Descriptive statistics including means and standard deviations were used to answer Research Question 1. Independent samples t-tests and ANOVAs were used for research question 2 to determine how the groups were different from one another. The results pointed out aspects of ESP programs that were perceived similarly and differently by groups of respondents based on the gender, age, educational backgrounds, and ESP teaching experience.</p>

<p> Research on age and second language acquisition (L2A) is vast, but inconclusive. Such research has mainly been motivated by the Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH), which postulates that language acquisition becomes extremely difficult after the onset of puberty. Also, there is a lack of research on age and third/additional language (L3/Ln) learning. To fill this gap, this dissertation examines differences in morphosyntactic knowledge between early and late learners of English as a L3/Ln. In this study, `early' and `late' learners are those participants first exposed to English as a medium of instruction (MOI) in 1st and 11th grades, respectively. Participants' morphosyntactic knowledge was assessed based on two tasks: (a) a Grammaticality Judgment Task (GJT) and (b) an editing task, which required participants to correct morphosyntactic errors. Three hundred and thirty five undergraduate and graduate students from two universities in Pakistan voluntarily participated in the research. </p><p> Results of the group comparisons showed no statistically significant differences between early and late learners on the GJT; however, on the editing task, a modest but significant difference was observed between the two groups, with late learners scoring higher. This finding contradicts the predictions of the CPH. </p><p> On individual morphosyntactic features in the GJT, a significant difference was observed between the two groups on past tense and third person singular. The effect sizes supported an edge for late learners. In contrast to the GJT, on the editing task all morphosyntactic features (a total of eight features) except adverb suffix, present progressive, and past tense showed a small but significant difference, again favoring late learners. In terms of task difficulty, both groups attained higher scores on the GJT and lower scores on the editing task. Also, a strong and statistically significant correlation was found between scores for grammatical and ungrammatical stimuli on the GJT, but a very weak and statistically non-significant correlation between the grammatical and ungrammatical halves of the GJT and the editing task. </p><p> Results showed that early L3/Ln learners did not have an edge over late L3/Ln learners in their morphosyntactic proficiency in this English as an additional language context. This dissertation explored L3/Ln learning by predominantly Urdu and Punjabi bilingual speakers, a previously unexplored population. The two measures used provided complementary perspectives on grammatical knowledge. Future research should also examine early and late proficiency differences using a more ecologically valid measure (e.g., a writing task). </p>