<p> This research examined the effectiveness of the use of two different type of electronic dictionary: monolingual and bilingual dictionaries in the reading comprehension, production, and vocabulary acquisition by Chinese international students. A total of 141 Chinese international students with different English levels were involved in the study, and 139 of them finally completed the experiment. Sixty eight ofthem were assigned to use a monolingual dictionary during the test while the rest to use a bilingual dictionary. The exact same exam which was called verbal reasoning, measured in three times, contained 25 questions that examined participants' ability to analyze vocabulary and evaluate information from written material. Thirteen of the participants were interviewed twice about their perceptions of vocabulary acquisition, their view about using electronic dictionaries in reading comprehension. In spite of that most researchers tend to believe that the use the monolingual electronic dictionary would lead better outcomes and promote incidental vocabulary acquisition, the result of the experiment showed there was no significant difference among Chinese international students who used the monolingual or bilingual dictionary in verbal reasoning exams.</p>

<p> This study employed pragmatic parallel mixed methods to determine the impact of TPD on early childhood teachers' pedagogical methodology and English acquisition by young children in South Korea. The data included observations from the TPD sessions and classrooms, interviews and lesson plans, as well as the pre- and post- test scores of the 42 participant children. The findings have provided valuable insights into (1) how the HIA TPD program could serve as a means of effective TPD, positive impact on the growth of teachers' English instructional practice, and young children's English learning, and (2) the benefits for children in the treatment group that was generally greater than the control group in the areas of VA, LS, and PA skills. Implications for further research on TPD and other supports for the integrated early childhood English education were discussed.</p>

<p> Ample data exists indicating that immigrant-origin students are underperforming in education at all levels. In particular, immigrant-origin students are disproportionally the least prepared for higher education. As a result, a majority of these students begin their academic careers at community colleges where they enroll in remedial courses at rates far higher than those for other student populations. Such is the common pathway for immigrant-origin students entering an Urban Public University system (UPU). Research tells us that students who enter college academically underprepared and who struggle in introductory courses are more likely to drop out or withdraw, thus lowering their chances of earning a degree. This dissertation examines the intermediate variables associated with retention and academic achievement during a critical juncture in the college experience: remedial English.</p><p> This case study will focus on the institutional context in which the student experience takes place juxtaposed with the student perspective of remedial English. Thus, the overarching research question is: How do English remediation policies and practices (with regard to admissions, placement, testing and remediation classroom experiences) at a large public institution shape the student experience and how does the experience contribute to academic achievement?</p><p> In hopes of capturing a comprehensive understanding of the intermediate factor of remedial English, I designed my research with the entirety of the UPU system in mind. To gain the greatest insights into how enrollment in remedial English can influence the academic achievement of immigrant students at UPU, I asked the following research questions: Q1. What are the perceptions of faculty and administrators about remedial English policies and practices and their role in structuring the experiences, opportunities and impediments for immigrant-origin students in community college? Q2. What are students' perceptions of remedial English policies and practices and their role in structuring experiences, opportunities and impediments in community college? Q3. How do faculty, administrators, and students perspectives converge and diverge regarding the experiences, opportunities and impediments for immigrant-origin students in remedial English? By increasing our focus on immigrant-origin students in developmental writing courses, we may contribute positively to student retention and academic achievement overall. Additionally, this study may serve a national purpose by providing critical insights to advance the "completion agenda" endorsed by the federal government as well as numerous private foundations and advocacy groups that share the goal of drastically improving college graduation rates particularly in community colleges by 2020.</p>

<p> The current qualitative study focuses on how teachers perceive the Response to Intervention (RtI) framework for English learners, specifically assessments and the instructional decision-making process. RtI serves as a framework to help &ldquo;close the gap&rdquo; and create a more equitable environment for struggling English learners (Florida Department of Education, 2008). The current study explored elementary school general education teachers&rsquo; perceptions and understanding of the RtI process for English learners. Eight elementary general education teachers participated in two interview sessions each to address what general education teachers know about the RtI process for English learners, how teachers report their interpretation of policies and procedures with respect to instruction and assessment of English learners, how teachers feel about their understanding of RtI, and how teachers feel about their understanding of instruction and assessment for English learners.</p><p> Teacher participants shared their knowledge of the importance of progress monitoring and data collection during the RtI process. Participants reported that progress monitoring and data collection were used to inform instructional decisions for English learners. Participants also provided insight into a shift in teacher accountability related to data collection and progress monitoring. </p><p> Teacher participants addressed elements of the RtI process: three tiers of RtI, evidence-based interventions, data and data collection, and progress monitoring. Based on teacher responses, teachers monitor student progress, but find some elements of progress monitoring unclear. Participants expressed concern about measuring student progress and the means used to demonstrate growth and to compare struggling students to the performance of peers in the same grade level.</p><p> The RtI framework includes targeted interventions for struggling students, and participants perceive that RtI helps to identify students with disabilities earlier. Participants reported benefits and drawbacks related to RtI. The participants specifically focused on the collaborative problem solving team as a beneficial support system for teachers navigating the RtI process.</p><p> Teachers reported perceptions on language acquisition and learning disabilities, adjustment time for English learners, assessments for English learners, parental involvement and experiences, instruction for English learners, and professional development and support for the instruction of English learners.</p>

<p> Adult Hispanic ESL students in rural San Luis, Arizona, face a challenging situation. Since San Luis lies on the southwestern tip of Arizona and borders with Mexico, Spanish is the predominant language. English, on the other hand, is mostly heard in classrooms. This can be a predicament for adult Hispanics who need to be proficient in English in order to excel at college or university. What can be done to assist these students? The literature states that one becomes a better reader by reading extensively (Krashen, 1999; Grabe, 2009). How does one get ESL students to read extensively if they are stymied by their limited vocabulary? A solution is graded readers. These are books written specifically for second/foreign language learners and consist of seven to eight levels. According to the literature, as individuals read through the different levels, their vocabulary and reading comprehension will increase (Nation and Wang, 1999; The Extensive Reading Foundation, 2011). Eventually, they will be able to comprehend text written specifically for native English speakers (Waring, 1997). </p><p> A mixed-methods study was conducted to assess the effect that graded readers vis-&aacute;-vis Scaffolded Silent Reading (ScSR) had on adult Hispanic ESL students at a community college on the U.S.-Mexico border. The areas examined were vocabulary growth, reading comprehension, and reading attitude. The findings were promising and showed some growth in vocabulary and reading comprehension for both the treatment and control groups. Furthermore, participants of the treatment group had a positive attitude towards reading graded readers through Scaffolded Silent Reading. </p><p> There is the need for further studies of a longer duration with adult Hispanic ESL students who live on or near the U.S.-Mexico border. The findings could build on this preliminary study. Furthermore, they contribute to the literature on extensive reading in general and graded readers through Scaffolded Silent Reading, specifically. .</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Literacy, Culture, and Language Education, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Jul 14, 2010). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-12, Section: A, page: 4650. Adviser: Larry Mikulecky.

<p> Latino English learners (ELs), among the largest student population in the United States K-12 school system, continue to lag behind their English-proficient peers. They also tend to attend segregated schools, have less-qualified teachers, and lack access to rigorous curriculum, including the arts. Museum education departments have increasingly sought to fill the gap in arts education for underserved populations. This mixed methods study explored the degree to which teaching artists (TAs) from a large metropolitan museum are effectively addressing the art education needs of Latino ELs. The dissertation study occured in two phases. Phase 1 included quantitative analysis of observations of the TAs using the numeric components and ancedotal evidence of the Observation Protocol for Academic Literacies. Phase 2 consisted of semi-structured interviews with the participants. Findings of the study indicate that while TAs can improve instruction in terms of providing materials of students&rsquo; native langauge and providing opportunities to transfer skills between their primary and the target language, they nevertheless use numerous strategies for effective English language instruction. This can inform museum education departments on effective teaching practices of ELs, an area of study that has almost no scholarship.</p><p>