In three experiments, I tested the effects of the conditioned reinforcement for reading (R+Reading) on reading comprehension with 5th graders. In Experiment 1, I conducted a series of statistical analyses with data from 18 participants for one year. I administered 4 pre/post measurements for reading repertoires which included: 1) state-wide assessments, 2) district-wide assessments, 3) 20 min observational probes, and 4) preference probes. I utilized the standardized testing measurements to establish grade-level reading repertoires, while the additional two probes measured the reinforcement value of reading. Observational data were recorded in 10s whole-intervals; participants who were observed to read for 96 of the 120 intervals (80%) were considered to have R+Reading. The results demonstrated that R+Reading is significantly correlated with reading assessment outcomes. In Experiment 2, I implemented a two-year cross-sectional design with 33 participants, where I expanded the previous research to include probe trials for conditioned seeing (CS) and derivational responding (DR). Results of Experiment 2 indicated that increases in standardized testing scores were significantly correlated with R+Reading, and that CS and DR were prerequisite repertoires for the acquisition of R+Reading. In Experiment 3, I tested the effects of the peer-yoked contingency procedure on the reinforcement value of reading and assessed if increases in the reinforcement value of reading functioned to increase reading comprehension. Results indicated that increases in the reinforcement value of reading also was related to increases in reading comprehension.

Thesis (M.A. (English Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2012 / Reading achievement in South Africa is generally cited as one of the lowest in the world. Whereas general reading challenges and lower reading proficiencies have been adequately expressed in the literature, very little is said about the information-processing strategies between learners who juggle between two distal language systems. In order to fill in this void, this study sought to investigate strategies used in processing-processing strategies among 7th graders when reading both English and Sepedi texts in rural Limpopo and to examine the anaphoric interpretation in Sepedi and English texts, to assess the application of inferencing reading strategies in Sepedi and English text, to determine the role of working memory (recall) in processing texts, to examine the differential comprehension levels in two Sepedi dialect; and also to ascertain recall achievement relationship between these languages. Based on data deduced from self-developed equivalent tests for recall, inference and anaphoric resolution among a research population of 150 (n=150) seventh graders from three geographically dispersed schools in Limpopo Province, both descriptive statistics and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to analyse central tendencies, measures of dispersion, and mean differences. The results of the study show a relatively low reading achievement in both languages, with the majority of the participants scoring below 50%. However, there was a differential performance, with statistically significant differences in favour of the Sepedi text. These results thus challenge the commonly held assumption that readers developed higher proficiency in English than they did in African languages (see Pretorius and Mampuru, 2007; Pretorius and Currin, 2010). Moreover, the results showed no statistically significant differences between the schools and Sepedi dialects used in the communities around the schools. In the end, implications for threshold hypothesis and suggestions for bi-literate development, emphasising reading achievement in the home language are offered for adaptations in comparable contexts.

本研究通過對深圳大學初級漢語水平留學生的晤談以及測試，發現初級水平階段的漢語學生在聆聽過程中常出現以下困難： 1. 未能準確辨識出語音。 2. 雖然能夠識別單個辭彙或者短語，但是無法獲取整個句子的含義。 3. 未能及時進入聆聽狀態，以至於錯過了錄音的開始部分。 4. 遇到障礙往往會卡在困難之處，導致錯過了後續的錄音內容。 5. 無法概括出語段大意。 由於語言知識的不足，留學生在聆聽過程中往往受挫。從認知負荷理論的角度看，無論是語音、辭彙、語法結構，乃至於句子的深層含義和文本大意，不同的層面都對工作記憶施加了負荷。降低認知負荷的有效方法便是激活學生的圖式，對所聽材料進行預測、補充以及選擇性加工，使工作記憶留存更多資源處理不熟悉的任務。適當的聆聽策略可以幫助學生激活長時記憶中的圖式，跳躍障礙，提升理解。 基於此，本研究以深圳大學初級漢語班的外國學生為研究對象，以其中一班（共13 名學生）為實驗組，另一個班（共11 名學生）為控制組，進行准實驗研究。考慮到學生已初步具備預估、猜想的意識，且大部分聆聽困難可透過此方法得以解決，所以在實驗過程中，實驗組學生將接受“猜一猜”的聽力策略教學法。此聽力策略的實施階段包括聆聽以前和聆聽過程。控制組學生接受教師原有的教學方法，即聆聽前教師講解生詞，學生流覽問題，而後聽錄音做練習。 准實驗研究結果顯示，實驗組學生“詞義推斷”一項成效明顯，而“句子深層含義”以及“概括大意”兩項雖然有所改善，但和控制組相比，差異仍未達到顯著水平。“猜一猜”的聆聽策略能在一定程度上幫助學生激活長時記憶中的圖式，在聆聽前根據話題、背景知識等預估錄音大意，在聆聽過程中，利用上下文來跳躍障礙，達成順暢理解。圖式的激活降低了學習者工作記憶的負荷，為工作記憶釋放了大量空間。 從學生調查問卷的結果看，聽力策略“猜一猜”得到了師生的普遍認同，具有教學意義。 最後，本研究對聆聽教學以及未來研究提出了一些建議，以期有更深入的探討。 / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

中國語文教育除重視培養學生的語言能力外，也須兼顧中華文化及品德情意的傳授，然而學生普遍未能掌握文章的深層文意，更遑論能掌握中國傳統文化中一些重要觀念，培養出良好的品德情意。 本研究以中二級學生為研究對象，從認知層面優化詠物單元的教學活動，以提升學生理解詠物作品的能力。研究配合單元教學進行，為時4個循環週，約30課節。在教學過程中，筆者會透過不同的教學內容幫助學生建立與君子有關的文化圖式 ; 篇章講授方面，筆者會引導學生理解篇章的深層文意，尤其是讓學生明白作者如何以類比手法達至詠物抒情的目的。在教學的前、中、後期，學生須完成3份測卷及填寫2份問卷以作評估，另有三位來自不同能力組別 (高能力、一般能力及低能力) 的學生會獲邀接受訪談。 本研究探究的問題有二 : 第一，幫助學生建立文化圖式能否提升學生閱讀詠物作品深層文意的理解能力 ; 第二，幫助學生建立文化圖式對不同能力的學生會否有不同的成效。研究結果顯示，學生在接受文化圖式輸入後，閱讀詠物作品深層文意的理解能力有所提升，其中以低能力學生獲益最大。 In addition to emphasis on students’ language ability, teaching of Chinese culture, morality and affection are also taken into account when we talk about the content of Chinese language education. However, students generally cannot grasp the deep meaning of the text, let alone master a number of important concepts in traditional Chinese culture, as well as cultivate good moral characters. Secondary two students are chosen to participate in this research, learning object-describing text in cognitive approach for enhancing object-describing text reading ability. Pre-experimental method is used in this research, the students participated are 9 boys and 28 girls. This research is carried out with the unit teaching within 4 cycles, about 30 lessons. In the teaching process, students were taught through different teaching contents to help students establish schema about gentlemen (junzi). On the other hand, students were guided to understand the deep meaning of the text in particular to understand how the author expresses his own feeling by analogy. All students were asked to finish 3 tests and 2 questionnaires in total at different stage of the research, and another 3 students from different ability groups (high ability, general ability and low ability) were invited to interview. This research explores two issues: First, can the students’ object-describing text reading ability be enhanced after establishing cultural schema? Second, do students of different ability will have different results after establishing cultural schema? The result reveals that students’ object-describing text reading ability has been enhanced after establishing cultural schema, and the low-ability students benefit most. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

The purpose of this study was to explore the classroom learning research to enhance the proficiency of fifth grade students to read expository articles and self-efficacy studies. Students through the teaching of reading text, Mind Mapping, Hypertext to enhancing the ability and self-efficacy of the fifth grade primary school students in expository comprehension. The fifth grade students included 55 boys and 77 girls, a total of 128 students. The study was designed by learning study .The research carried out in three weeks, Through Mind - Mapping and Hypertext strategy to improve students reading abilities of expository articles and use interview survey progress of students abilities. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

In the domain of second language reading instruction, the teaching of inferencing to young L2 students seems to be a less explored area. The present study aims to investigate the extent to which the explicit instruction approach could enhance my ESL students' inferencing skills in English reading comprehension. It explores the relevance of teaching inferencing to my students, how they drew inferences in English before intervention and how they benefited from the intervention. I used an action research approach to study the effectiveness of my teaching of inferencing to my Primary Six ESL students in Hong Kong over a one-year period. I conducted this project following a two-cycle action research pattern within a seven-step framework. I implemented the project in three phases: Pre-intervention Phase, Intervention Phase One and Intervention Phase Two. Pre-intervention Phase involved baseline studies and think-aloud studies, whilst the intervention phases involved two cycles of teaching and a post-intervention think-aloud study. I used the data from the Pre-intervention Phase for designing the teaching content of the intervention phases. Data sources of this project included the students’ think-aloud protocols, the students’ work, lesson recordings, entries in my reflective journal, and my colleagues’ lesson observation feedback. I focused on the growth of the students’ learning and the effectiveness of the explicit instruction approach when analyzing the data. Findings from the Pre-intervention Phase suggested that the participants needed improvements in L2 inferencing and they were particularly weaker in the awareness of textual cohesion and coherence in informational texts. This had the immediate pedagogical implications that for initiating a reading programme in my school context, I should consider placing inferencing at a higher position; I should adopt different text types when teaching inferencing; and I should design and adopt higher-order thinking tasks more frequently when teaching reading to my students. Findings from Intervention Phase One and Two showed the students’ gradual growth in their inferencing abilities and their understanding of this reading skill. They became more confident in producing inferences while reading in English and showed an understanding of the importance of this skill to reading. Results from the post-intervention think-aloud study showed an increase in terms of the participants’ production of inferencing instances, the variety of inferencing applied by them, and their sense of textual cohesion and coherence. I estimated that the use of the explicit instruction approach had benefited the participants in general despite the fact that their internalization of inferencing was not evident. This study is significant in that it examines how inferencing could be explicitly taught to young ESL students to enhance their English reading competence. It also contributes to the theoretical understanding of inferencing in the teaching and learning of reading in L2. Based on the findings of this action research project, I derived and proposed a set of pedagogical principles for ESL inferencing instructions, pointing to the importance of explicitness in lessons, clarity of lesson outline, using students’ responses, text choice, and curriculum planning. I suggest that front-line L2 teachers make inferencing and other reading skills an important component in their language programmes. Future researchers should explore further on the use of the explicit instruction approach to teach other reading skills to young L2 learners and a wider range of materials to teach inferencing should be used. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Education

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published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics