The purpose of this study is to explore a potentially more practical approach to direct writing assessment using computer algorithms. Traditional rubric rating (RR) is a common yet highly resource-intensive evaluation practice when performed reliably. This study compared the traditional rubric model of ESL writing assessment and many-facet Rasch modeling (MFRM) to comparative judgment (CJ), the new approach, which shows promising results in terms of reliability and validity. We employed two groups of raters”novice and experienced”and used essays that had been previously double-rated, analyzed with MFRM, and selected with fit statistics. We compared the results of the novice and experienced groups against the initial ratings using raw scores, MFRM, and a modern form of CJ”randomly distributed comparative judgment (RDCJ). Results showed that the CJ approach, though not appropriate for all contexts, can be valid and as reliable as RR while requiring less time to generate procedures, train and norm raters, and rate the essays. Additionally, the CJ approach is more easily transferable to novel assessment tasks while still providing context-specific scores. Results from this study will not only inform future studies but can help guide ESL programs to determine which rating model best suits their specific needs.

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No description available.

No description available.

This study uses a predominantly quantitative approach to explore the effect of different error correction feedback mechanisms on students’ English as a Second Language writing (narrative and descriptive) amongst high school students in Botswana. A longitudinal, quasi-experimental design is used, with a control group that received no correction feedback while the experimental groups received direct, coded and uncoded feedback. Three hypotheses define the study in terms of fluency, correction success and accuracy development over time. No significant increases in fluency were found between the pretests and posttests. Correction success achieved by the three treatment groups when rewriting texts reflected the explicitness of the feedback, with the direct group highest, followed by the coded and uncoded groups. Findings were mixed on the important issue of accuracy development, although they strongly suggest that for spelling, any type of feedback is significantly better than none and that coded feedback is better than direct feedback despite the latter being more explicit. Students from all the treatment groups expressed similarly positive opinions on correction feedback. / Applied Language / M.A. (Spec. in Applied Linguistics)

This study aimed to explore the knowledge, perceptions and skills of Foundation Phase English Second Language educators as determinants for developing a support programme for educators to improve their phonological awareness teaching skills. Phonological awareness skills are the most important precursor to reading skills, meaning that there is a strong correlation between phonological awareness and reading ability. However, research indicates that many educators do not have the necessary knowledge or skills to teach phonological awareness effectively. All Foundation Phase learners are compelled to have English as a First Additional Language from Grade 1 in order to prepare them for when English becomes the LoLT from Grade 4. It is therefore critical that all the language skills (including phonological awareness skills) necessary for learning are well established in the Foundation Phase. This qualitative study utilised a multiple case study with five ESL Foundation Phase (FP) educators in two rural schools in the Hartbeespoort area in the North West Province. These schools were quintile 1 government schools and all educators were employed by the Department of Basic Education. Data were collected in two phases. The first phase involved collecting data on educator knowledge, perceptions and teaching skills of phonological awareness, using open questionnaires, individual interviews, classroom observations and document analysis. Based on the findings of phase 1 a support programme was compiled to enhance the effective teaching and assessment of phonological awareness in ESL Foundation Phase classrooms. The second phase involved conducting a training workshop for the educators on phonological awareness and the support programme, to enable them to implement it in their classrooms after training. During implementation data were gathered via classroom observations and a focus group interview was conducted afterwards to determine the value of the support programme. The findings of this study revealed that, as a result of various factors, but especially because of FP educators’ own limited proficiency in English and inadequate training with regard to phonological awareness, they did not have sufficient knowledge and teaching skills to purposefully develop learners’ phonological awareness. After receiving focused and comprehensive training and follow-up in-service support, the FP educators seemed to gain an in depth understanding of phonological awareness, as well as improved skills in the teaching thereof. These findings were addressed in recommendations for the DBE and schools, emphasizing that pre-service, as well as in-service, educators need accurate training and constructive in-service support with regard to phonological awareness. This is essential in order to ensure that all learners learning English as a second language in the Foundation Phase, have developed sufficient phonological awareness skills to enable optimal learning in English as LoLT from Grade 4.

This study aimed to explore the knowledge, perceptions and skills of Foundation Phase English Second Language educators as determinants for developing a support programme for educators to improve their phonological awareness teaching skills. Phonological awareness skills are the most important precursor to reading skills, meaning that there is a strong correlation between phonological awareness and reading ability. However, research indicates that many educators do not have the necessary knowledge or skills to teach phonological awareness effectively. All Foundation Phase learners are compelled to have English as a First Additional Language from Grade 1 in order to prepare them for when English becomes the LoLT from Grade 4. It is therefore critical that all the language skills (including phonological awareness skills) necessary for learning are well established in the Foundation Phase. This qualitative study utilised a multiple case study with five ESL Foundation Phase (FP) educators in two rural schools in the Hartbeespoort area in the North West Province. These schools were quintile 1 government schools and all educators were employed by the Department of Basic Education. Data were collected in two phases. The first phase involved collecting data on educator knowledge, perceptions and teaching skills of phonological awareness, using open questionnaires, individual interviews, classroom observations and document analysis. Based on the findings of phase 1 a support programme was compiled to enhance the effective teaching and assessment of phonological awareness in ESL Foundation Phase classrooms. The second phase involved conducting a training workshop for the educators on phonological awareness and the support programme, to enable them to implement it in their classrooms after training. During implementation data were gathered via classroom observations and a focus group interview was conducted afterwards to determine the value of the support programme. The findings of this study revealed that, as a result of various factors, but especially because of FP educators’ own limited proficiency in English and inadequate training with regard to phonological awareness, they did not have sufficient knowledge and teaching skills to purposefully develop learners’ phonological awareness. After receiving focused and comprehensive training and follow-up in-service support, the FP educators seemed to gain an in depth understanding of phonological awareness, as well as improved skills in the teaching thereof. These findings were addressed in recommendations for the DBE and schools, emphasizing that pre-service, as well as in-service, educators need accurate training and constructive in-service support with regard to phonological awareness. This is essential in order to ensure that all learners learning English as a second language in the Foundation Phase, have developed sufficient phonological awareness skills to enable optimal learning in English as LoLT from Grade 4.

This research seeks to discover what happens to students’ English language skills while studying in English-medium classes in UAE universities, and to look at how this compares with what instructors and students think happens to students’ English proficiency during the four years of study. This is explored through a retrospective panel study using a test/retest method to investigate score gains on the IELTS exam after four years of undergraduate study. Student and teacher beliefs about how English-medium instruction (EMI) affects language proficiency, the need for language support after admission, and the selection and delivery of course materials are discussed in conjunction with the research findings, leading to recommendations for institutions whose primary goal in using EMI is to increase proficiency. This research continues the exploratory research of Elder and O’Loughlin (2003) and O’Loughlin and Arkoudis (2009) regarding score gains in IELTS after a course of study, but this study is situated in a society where the language of instruction is not the language of communication for the students outside the university and at home. The research findings indicate that there is a statistically significant score gain in all four of the English-language skill areas that are tested by the IELTS exam after four years of EMI for the participants in this study. The most gain occurred in the area of speaking, followed by reading, writing and then listening. Results from questionnaires and interviews indicate that students and teachers have different perceptions regarding language ability and the problems associated with the use of English for instruction. Students generally do not feel that studying in English causes problems for them, and they rate their ability in listening, reading, writing and speaking as good to excellent. On the other hand, teachers do not feel their students’ language ability meets expectations for students studying in an English-medium environment and think that their students are especially weak in the areas of writing and listening. Teachers feel that they must make adaptations to course content and assessment criteria due to students’ language ability. The research indicates that institutions whose goal it is to increase language proficiency through EMI need to have clear instructional goals in place for language development along with support systems for teachers and learners throughout the entire educational experience and not just in pre-academic support programs.

The concept of learner autonomy (LA) in second/foreign language education has been the central focus for many researchers (Benson, 2007, 2011, 2013; Holec, 1981; Gu & Nguyen, 2013; Little, 2007, 2009 and others) and has become a part of mainstream practice of language education in some educational contexts; however, there is still a high interest in researching language learner autonomy and ways to foster it. Partially, this renewed interest is due to advances in technology and pedagogy such as self-access centers, distance learning, blended learning and Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) in general and changes in educational policies (Benson 2011, 2013). Modern language learners are exposed to various choices in their language education such as numerous learning modes and a variety of language learning resources. However, this change means that learners must be capable of making informed decisions about their language education and taking some control over it in order to become successful and maximize their learning experience. There are examples of autonomous learning programs which place autonomy at the center, worldwide. Recently, the Center of English as a Second Language (CESL) at the University of Arizona (UA) created and implemented a new educational practice, Program for Intentional Learning (PIL). The goal of this program is to foster LA as well as equip CESL students with knowledge, skills, tools, and resources to be successful in both language learning and their future American college education. PIL is a hybrid program in terms of combining different approaches to fostering LA: resource-based, technology-based, curriculum-based, learner-based, and teacher-based (Benson, 2011).Responding to Benson's (2011) and Nguyen's (2012) call for more rigor in research on LA and educational interventions to promote LA, this dissertation follows the guidelines proposed by Nguyen (2012): a) having a clear operationalized definition of LA, (b) implementing both quantitative and qualitative research methods, and (c) piloting and validating tools. This dissertation examines the effectiveness of the PIL program in terms of its capacity to foster LA and to help CESL students to become more successful in learning English. The evaluation of the program was conducted as a multiple-case study of four participants with a mixed-method research design. The present study draws upon a main survey which measures a degree of LA as pre- and post-test, interviews with case study participants and their instructors, learning diary, and action plan comparison. Even though the comparison of pre- and post-survey scores revealed that only two case study participants had a significant change towards greater LA, all four participants reported changes in their learning behaviors. These changes point to a higher degree of LA, and all participants shared a positive overall evaluation of the PIL workshops. The study suggests that this type of educational intervention to promote LA can be effective, especially in developing metacognitive knowledge and skills, increasing participants' motivation and changing their attitude towards language learning and their teachers.

Decades of research have shed light on the nature of reading in our first language. There is substantial research about how we recognize words, the ways in which we process sentences, and the linguistic and non-linguistic factors which may affect those processes (e.g. Besner & Humphreys, 2009). This has led to more effective pedagogical techniques and methodologies in the teaching of L1 reading (Kamil et al., 2011). With the ever-increasing number of L2 English speakers in U.S. schools and universities, research in more recent has begun to investigate reading in L2. However, this field of inquiry is not nearly as robust as that of L1 reading. Much remains to be explored in terms of how L2 readers process words, sentences, and comprehend what they read (Grabe, 2012). The studies in this dissertation add to the growing body of literature detailing the processes of L2 reading and improvement in L2 reading skills. The first two studies will focus on a topic that has sparked lively discussion in the field over the last 10 years or so: the online processing of L2 morphologically complex words in visual word recognition. Article 3 discusses the effects of a pedagogical intervention and the ways in which it may influence the development of second language reading. Broadly, the studies in this dissertation will address the following research questions: (1) how do L2 readers process morphologically complex words? (2) Is there a connection between their knowledge of written morphology and their ability to use it during word recognition? (3) What is the role of L2 proficiency in these processes? (4) How does extensive reading influence the development of L2 reading skills? Many studies of L2 word processing have been conducted using offline methods. Accordingly, the studies in this dissertation seek to supplement what we know about L2 morphological processing and reading skills with the use of psycholinguistic tasks, namely, traditional masked priming, masked intervenor priming, and timed reading. Secondly, this collection of studies is among the few to explore the relationship between online processing and offline morphological awareness, thereby bridging the two fields of study. Thirdly, unlike most studies of online processing, the data from this dissertation will be discussed in terms of its implications for the teaching of L2 morphologically complex words and L2 reading skills. Thus, this dissertation may be of interest to those working in L2 psycholinguistics of word recognition and sentence processing as well as ESL practitioners.