There are many pieces of flight deck research on general use of written English language technical information and problem solving using technical documentation. Contributory causes of aircraft accidents have been due to misunderstandings of crew alerts and procedural divergence by English as-a-second language flight crewmembers (ESL). Research was conducted to understand impact of written English language technical information on ESL flight crewmembers’ performance. Two types of systems were evaluated, technical documentation and crew alerting systems that contain technical information, with respect to their impact on ESL flight crewmember performance. Preliminary analysis results indicated written English language technical information can be confusing, difficult to read and interpret, and leads to misunderstandings by ESL flight crewmembers during aircraft nonnormal conditions. English as-a-second language flight crewmembers indicated they often experience problems executing written English language technical procedures after outset of crew alerts. Conversely, experimental trials revealed ESL flight crewmembers did not experience many cognitive performance issues with use of crew alerting systems and technical information designed with an English language emphasis. English as-a second language flight crewmembers’ English language proficiency, background knowledge, and use of use of metacognitive strategies to read and comprehend written English language on crew alerting and information systems, indicated they utilized written English technical information with ease. Particularly, ESL flight crewmembers’ workload was low, they had fast response times to system faults, and they experienced minimal procedural deviations. On the contrary, when ESL flight crewmembers utilized written English language technical procedures translated into their native language during non-normal conditions, they experienced several cognitive performance challenges. English as-a second language flight crewmembers’ background knowledge of written English language technical information translated into their native language, use of metacognitive strategies to read and comprehend written English language translated into their native language, indicated they experienced difficulties with reading and comprehending translated technical information on information systems. Particularly, ESL flight crewmembers were challenged cognitively when they responded to crew alerts through execution of decision-making processes. They indicated translation of written English language technical information into their native language was a pre-cursor to procedural deviation, long response times to system issues, as well as high workload during experimental trials. It is recommended that further research focus on design and use of written English language technical documentation by ESL flight crewmembers during non-normal conditions. It is also recommended that if deemed practical by the aviation industry, further research should focus on design, integration, and utilization of technical documentation in a language(s) other than English, and measurement of ESL flight crewmembers performance on the flight deck.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of DVDs in enhancing student vocabulary development in second-language contexts. To this end the study sought students’ perceptions of DVD subtitles and their level of vocabulary knowledge. It also examined the extent to which watching a DVD with or without intralingual subtitles can improve students’ vocabulary recognition and recall. The literature review included a discussion on the variables operant in second-language acquisition; the use of visual media on vocabulary learning; and the effects of subtitling practices as a didactic tool for vocabulary recall and recognition. The study adopted a mixed-method approach and data were collected through a survey and openended questionnaire; a Vocabulary Levels Test; a Vocabulary Knowledge Scale Test; and vocabulary intervention activities. The findings indicate that DVDs can enhance students’ vocabulary in second-language teaching and learning contexts. More importantly the study confirms audio-visual images create greater sensory input that is, “words associated with actual objects or imagery techniques, are learned more easily than those without” (Chun and Plass, 1996:183). / English Studies / M.A. (TESOL)

The present study investigated whether the teaching of L2 vocabulary with still cartoon pictures and animated cartoon pictures would result in a significant difference in second language learners' receptive and productive knowledge of the target words. Also, the effect of test type (receptive vs. productive) on participants' retention of the target words was examined. Finally, the study tried to find out whether the semantic category of vocabulary words influences the rate of successful vocabulary retention across picture types. For the purpose, a group of 17 ESL students from a Midwestern University participated in both treatments with still and animated pictures, followed by vocabulary tests. The results showed that over 80% of the target words were successfully retrieved on the receptive knowledge tests vs. only about 40% successful retrieval on the productive knowledge tests. Yet, the results did not reveal significant differences in vocabulary gain due to picture type as both treatments showed similar success rate of retention of the target words, especially in view of receptive knowledge. Also, neither of the two types of pictures was effective in facilitating productive knowledge of the target words. In addition, the study found that some semantic categories of vocabulary words may be easier to recall than others.

This thesis is a qualitative text analysis of worksheets used in conjunction with watching films in English language studies in Swedish middle schools. The assignments used in the thesis were partly collected from partner schools in the teacher program and partly collected from a website which is a database of teacher submitted lesson plans. The results of the thesis include a presentation and discussion of different worksheets used by teachers, using a structure based on one used for critical discourse analysis instruction with students. The evidence suggests that two factors gave an increase in explicitly named aspects of critical literacy in film studies: firstly, that the assignment be situated in a program of study within the Swedish curriculum which shares many of the goals of critical literacy studies and secondly that the choice of film is one that challenges students to reconsider their experiences in light of the film. This study also raises the concern that the questioning methods used to implement critical literacy studies are being used to increase student talk for the purposes of grading oral proficiency without interactive discussions.

The purpose of this literature review is to compare some critical reading comprehension classroom practices globally, with particular focus on the teaching of reading comprehension in Sweden, where student well being and equity are issues of importance. Critical literacy used is a term that encompasses many aspects of power related issues in language. The Swedish curriculum is explicit in naming these issues of student identity and democratic agency which it shares with critical pedagogical practices. The result of the review is a presentation and discussion of the different studies, using a structure based on one used for critical discourse analysis instruction with students. The evidence suggests that higher level comprehension is a skill that takes time to train and should be done explicitly by pointing out the aspects of language which convey meaning. Learning to search the text for evidence of the underlying meaning gave verystrong effect sizes on standardized tests for reading comprehension. The reading comprehension results of minority/ESL students on standardized tests improved when space was made to discuss very different experiences within the same culture in language classrooms.

The purpose of this essay is to find out how upper secondary English teachers should work in order to reach the weaker students. I am interested in what has been written about mixed-ability classes, the challenges they present and most of all how teachers of English need to work in such classes to reach all students, especially the weaker ones. I have also interviewed three upper secondary teachers about how they work to reach the weaker students in their classes. My findings are that, according to the teachers interviewed, the best way to deal with the problem is to bring back ability grouping. The literature I read mostly had negative views on this method and stressed the importance of differentiation and motivation instead. Both the literature and the teachers claimed that a good atmosphere, clear instructions, structure and setting routines were the most important factors when working with mixed ability classes.

From the 1960s to the present, the Swedish school has undergone quite a few major reforms, including three new national curricula. The aim of this literature review is to investigate what previous research says about curriculum reform regarding second language teaching and learning in general, and English as a second language in particular. Through analysis of the chosen seven sources, there is some evidence that curriculum reform has affected second language learning and teaching. Especially when it comes to the implementation of curriculum, a subject syllabus plays an essential role in the process of transmitting knowledge, and the dynamic of the classroom is changing, which entails that both teachers’ role and students’ roles are shifting. The teacher is not the only source of knowledge any more, and students do not just sit in the classroom and listen to the teacher. Students’ influence is highlighted both in the curriculum and in the classroom. Communicative competence has become the focus of the teaching and learning of a second language.

Playing video games is an activity that takes up an increasing amount of children’s and adolescent’s spare time. While some previous studies have highlighted the negative aspects of video games, little research has been carried out on the linguistic learning opportunities that video games present. This study primarily investigates if Swedish second language learners of English can increase their vocabulary proficiency in English with the use of video games. In order to answer the research questions, two quantitative data elicitation methods are used: a questionnaire which aims to gather attitudinal and behavioral data, and a Vocabulary Levels Test which elicits data about the participants’ receptive vocabulary proficiency. The participants consist of 25 students at an upper secondary school in Stockholm. The results show that participants who played video games scored higher on the Vocabulary Levels Test, indicating a higher receptive vocabulary proficiency. Furthermore, the results show that participants who played moderate to frequent amounts of time performed better in the Vocabulary Levels Test than infrequent players. The results also show that video games emphasizing co-operation and communication are preferable to use for vocabulary acquisition. Additionally, the study discusses if video games could be integrated into the Swedish upper secondary school system.

INTRODUCTION. The Central Institute for the Deaf published Auditory Tests W-1 (CID W-1) spondaic wordlist was developed in the USA in 1947 and 1952. Certain American-English words contained in the wordlist are unfamiliar to many South Africans, even English first language (EFL) speakers, but particularly those who use English as a second language (ESL). Familiarity with spondaic words is one of the most important qualities of the test items used to determine Speech Recognition Threshold (SRT). OBJECTIVES. The aim of this study was to compare the SRT results obtained with the English South African Spondaic (SAS) wordlist developed by Durrant (2006) and the English CID W-1 spondaic wordlist when measuring the SRT of adult ESL speakers in South Africa. Method. Audiometric Pure Tone Average (PTA) and SRT measurements were obtained for 101 (197 ears) ESL participants with normal hearing or a minimal hearing loss <26 dBHL (mean age 33.3). PTA/SRT correlations were compared when using the SAS wordlist (groups one and two), as well as either the ‘less familiar’ CID W-1 (group one) or ‘more familiar’ CID W-1 (group two), in a mixed matched group design. RESULTS. A Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant and positive correlation for all three wordlists. The Pearson correlation analysis revealed a strong PTA/SRT correlation when using the South African Spondaic (SAS) wordlist (right ear: 0.65; left ear 0.58) and the ‘more familiar’ words from the CID W-1 wordlist (right ear: 0.63; left ear: 0.56). The use of the ‘less familiar’ words from the CID W-1 wordlist revealed weak correlations (right ear: 0.30; left ear: 0.32). Paired sample T-tests indicated a statistically significantly stronger PTA/SRT correlation when the SAS wordlist was used, rather than either of the CID W-1 wordlists, at a 95% level of confidence. CONCLUSIONS. The use of the SAS wordlist yields a stronger PTA/SRT correlation than the use of the CID W-1 wordlist, when performing SRT testing as part of the speech audiometry battery on South African ESL speakers with normal hearing, or minimal hearing loss <26 dBHL. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / MA / Unrestricted

A recent (2016) PISA survey has shown that, among Swedish youth, one in five students do not reach a basic level of reading literacy, a result mirrored that of a similar study from 2009, which suggests that Swedish schools and teachers have failed to address this issue successfully over a longer period of time. This raised the question of why this is and what possible measures could be taken to improve the situation. This study aimed to explore the topic of reading literacy in the ESL classroom. In particular it aimed to specifically research how teachers at a local school in southern Sweden individualise reading activities by assessing existing levels of reading literacy. This was achieved through semi-structured interviews with experienced teachers currently employed at the school who were asked whether or not they assess previous knowledge or skills and, if so, how. When challenged with a negative result, that is, no explicit strategies were discovered, the study took the form of a hermeneutic process in which new questions continuously arose and were explored regarding the subject of reading literacy. The guiding documents for Swedish upper secondary school were studied in order to clarify their approach toreading literacy and the assessment thereof. The conclusion of the study initially discusses the way in which the hermeneutic process has changed and challenged our perception of the topic of assessing reading literacy. Lastly, areas of improvement, and suggestions for future research on the subject, are discussed.