This study was an examination of the effect that three levels of topic choice (no choice, limited choice, and complete choice) would have on students' Task Interest and Task Self-efficacy (Study 1, 78 participants), and on three aspects of students' oral output: Accuracy, Complexity, and Fluency (Study 2, 42 participants in 21 pairs). Also examined were the effects that three types of tasks (descriptive, narrative, and decision-making) exerted on these five variables. Data were collected using a questionnaire for Study 1 and recording the participants' conversations for Study 2. Data were collected in nine consecutive treatments to examine the main effects of choice and task, and the interaction effects of choice and task, using two-way repeated-measures ANOVAs. For Study 1, limited choice promoted Task Interest for the descriptive and narrative tasks, and Task Self-efficacy for the narrative and decision-making tasks to a statistically significant degree. In addition, the descriptive task had the highest Task Interest for the no choice and complete choice treatments and had the highest Task Self-efficacy for the no choice of topic treatment. The findings generally indicated that the participants were more interested in the task when there was choice, and that this led to higher levels of Task Interest and Task Self-efficacy. The Study 2 results indicated that Complexity was significantly higher when choice was introduced for the descriptive and narrative tasks. Accuracy and Fluency were not influenced to a statistically significant degree by choice, but they were positively influenced nonetheless. Attentional resources may have been freed up when choice was introduced and the participants may have been more willing to take risks, both possibly causing the significantly higher levels of complexity for choice. Suggestions for further research include a closer examination of the process students use when choosing a topic and examining ways for a more efficient method of introducing choice into the task-based language teaching syllabus. / CITE/Language Arts

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Adelaide, Centre for European Studies and General Linguistics, 2001? / Bibliography: leaves 211-227.

The increasing number of English language learners (ELL) in Florida's public schools has brought challenges to educational leaders as they work to provide educational opportunity to these children. In 1990, several community and activist groups filed a lawsuit against the Florida Department of Education to pressure it to provide adequate English language programs in all public schools. The lawsuit resulted in Floridas META Consent Decree (MCD), a legal accord by which Florida agreed to provide adequate teacher training and educational programs, thereby improving access to equal opportunity for ELLs. ELLs are also called limited English proficient (LEP) students in other states. This term was changed in Florida because the LEP label brought with it a negative connotation as it referred to proficiency within the learning of English as a limitation rather than as an asset. The study presents a comprehensive review of the MCD and its eleven main components. Through document and content analysis, the study intended to ix determine whether Florida's 67 public school districts comply with the decree and whether policies are in place to implement the court authorized processes. The study begins with an introduction, which includes historical data and Florida demographics that relate to the issue of second language learners. A review of the literature incorporates legal cases and pertinent educational policies that have preceded the decree. / The review also examined the major political and educational barriers that English language learners (ELL) encounter in Florida, as well as the research that suggests what programs and practices are required for successful second language learning. From the impact of antiimmigrant sentiments and English-only movements, to the League of United Latin-American Citizens (LULAC) v.FL Board of Education (1990) class action lawsuit, the study investigated the status of ELL programs in the state of Florida and the debates that surrounds them.The study intended to inform fellow educational leaders of these topics so that our work on behalf of K-12 ELLs can be more effective. Recognizing and preparing for the impact that the increasing numbers of ELLs will continue to have in Florida is an integral part of becoming a well-rounded educational leader and facilitates providing the services these students require, deserve, and to which they are entitled. The study also informs policymakers and practitioners of the pending needs and provides a roadmap to improving second language learning programs and practices in Florida. / by Maria de L. Rodriguez. / Vita / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Master of Arts / Department of Modern Languages / Douglas K. Benson / El siguiente trabajo tiene como objetivo investigar la influencia de la teoría de los esquemata durante el proceso de comprensión lectora en una clase de español como segunda lengua para principiantes. A la vez se investigan otras técnicas que facilitan la adquisición de una segunda lengua, entre ellas: el input comprensible, la circunlocución, el trabajo en grupo y la predicción. Para saber cómo son presentadas las lecturas a los estudiantes en las clases de español, fueron utilizados los libros Dos Mundos y Arriba. Cada texto fue analizado tomando en cuenta las actividades propuestas antes y después de leerlo. Como resultado del análisis se puede concluir que los libros no cuentan con las actividades necesarias para activar o crear los conocimientos previos en los estudiantes, provocando que el estudiante no logre el éxito esperado con respecto a la comprensión de lectura y que su nivel de ansiedad sea elevado. Por lo expuesto anteriormente, se propone un plan de clase que combina lecturas literarias y culturales de Costa Rica. Cada una de estas cuenta con actividades de pre-lectura, lectura y post-lectura, las cuales van a ayudar al estudiante durante el proceso de lectura.

This study's primary purpose was to investigate Korean ESL students' perceptions about reading in English and about themselves as readers of English texts, and to examine how those perceptions influence their reading processing strategies. The secondary purpose was to discover how the cultural background of a text affects Korean ESL students' reading strategies and reading comprehension. Differences between intermediate and advanced readers were analyzed. The study followed a qualitative case study methodology, targeting five Korean ESL students in a university-affiliated language program. Five data sources were employed: interviews, questionnaires, think-aloud protocols, follow-up discussions, and a researcher's journal. Major findings were that (1) intermediate as well as advanced readers possessed the notion that second language reading, like first language, is an active process of comprehension; (2) subjects' perceptions about reading in English affected their interactions with English texts; (3) subjects employed a variety of reading strategies to enhance their comprehension; (4) both advanced and intermediate readers focused on meaning construction, but intermediate readers also indicated a strong concern with vocabulary, which became an obstacle to their reading comprehension; (5) participants perceived that it was easier to comprehend a culturally familiar text than a culturally unfamiliar one; and (6) regardless of proficiency, participants generally did not consider themselves good ESL readers, as they still have difficulty interacting with English texts. However, an analysis of their reading strategies demonstrated that all should be viewed as proficient ESL readers; they understood what they read, clarified their misunderstandings, and employed reading strategies appropriate to the given task. Implications of this study for teaching and for materials selection and design are provided.

The present study investigated cultural bias in the WISC-R and problems that arise from translating the WISC-R from one language to another. Four Verbal subtests--Information, Similarity, Vocabulary, and Comprehension--were split in half by their odd and even items. The even items were translated into Bengali, a language spoken in India. The subtests were then administered as a group, pencil and paper test to 80 East Indian children, whose age ranged from 13 to 16 years. The obtained data was compared to that of an American sample of 51 students. Split half Reliabilities, T tests, Mixed Design ANOVAs, P-values and Chi-Squares were used to analyze the data. Results suggest that both groups performed better on the odd items, overall. Translation does affect the difficulty level of items. Further, some items were identified as biased, positively and negatively, against each of the two sample groups.

The current research study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the basic language skills component (BLSC) in the ELT pre-service programme at a College of Education in Kuwait by eliciting the participants’ views regarding its quality and using the results as a basis for suggesting amendments and improvements. The BLSC comprises three courses, Writing, Reading and Conversation, which must be taken by new student teachers in the first semester of enrolment in order to improve their language proficiency. In view of the exploratory nature of this study and its context-specificity, the naturalistic orientation of interpretive and social constructivism as an epistemological stance were selected. The research design employed a sequential mixed methods case study using an adapted version of Bellon and Handler’s (1982) evaluation model. The participants in the study were three lecturers teaching the BLSC courses and 55 students in their first year at the English Department. The data, both quantitative and qualitative, were collected through course evaluation questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, diaries, and relevant written documents. Data were analysed quantitatively using SPSS descriptive statistics and qualitatively using exploratory content analysis. The findings revealed that the BLSC has some major shortcomings that need to be addressed. Shortcomings related to the physical environment of the college site include old buildings, a limited number of classrooms, shortages in learning and teaching resources and facilities, and insufficient library resources. With regard to the goals and objectives of the BLSC, the findings showed some critical issues and the need for a certain degree of revision. Moreover, the findings reveal students’ dissatisfaction with some aspects of the content and materials of the BLSC, including boring and non-challenging topics, and outdated textbooks. Teaching methods were found to be traditionally oriented, applying a teacher-centred approach. The findings show that students were extremely critical of the traditional assessment philosophy used by their teachers, which depends on a final exam that tests rote-learned materials. The study concludes by making suggestions that will have implications for the improvement and development of the given programme in particular, as well as educational practice in general. In addition, the study proposes a model for evaluation which can be applied and modified depending on the specifications of any given context.

This study will attempt to develop a Listening Skills Curriculum in the areas of auditory discrimination, auditory sequencing ability, and grammatic completion for the purpose of improving auditory comprehension. These three skills are components of auditory comprehension. Auditory discrimination and auditory sequencing ability have been chosen as two skills to develop in this program because past research indicates that improvement in these skills does correlate with improvement in auditory comprehension. Grammatic completion is a modified form of auditory closure in which the student completes the sentence with the grammatically preferred inflectional ending. It is expected that exercises in this skill will result in an improvement of the students’ understanding of standard spoken English.

This ethnographic, single-case study was conducted over a two-year period. It documents the changes that occurred in the life of a forty-two year old female as she gained reading and writing skills in a literacy tutorial. This documentation was based on numerous personal journals that she dictated and wrote. / Although her income level or economic status did not change significantly during the period of the study, her individual reading scores rose from lower elementary to post-secondary level. In addition, according to her, what changed in her life was her self-concept with respect to reading and writing, and her insight into the historical value of what she had learned outside of any educational setting. This change or growth process was paralleled to the Kubler-Ross model (1975), and was compared to the Belenky, et al. model (1986). / A ten-step program and process model for the Personal Reflexive Journal was developed and is included in this study for use with adult literacy students who are learning to express themselves through writing. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-01, Section: A, page: 0052. / Major Professor: Sydney R. Grant. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.

Thesis advisor: Susan Michalczyk / Children's series books have historically been frowned upon by educators and librarians alike. Due to this, thousands of the books have been disregarded as the equivalent of ‘trashy' literature for children, and have thus been excluded from the classroom. How has this scorn gained credence? Are series legitimate reading material for children? This paper explores the history and the beneficial uses of children's series books in the classroom. Series books aid in the teaching of reading and provide a forum for children to gain literary confidence. They also assist in the learning of other languages and are instrumental in reading intervention situations. Specifically, this paper considers the literary aspects, practical applications, and criticism directed at the Nancy Drew and Harry Potter series. Examined closely, series prove to be highly educational and indispensable to the formation of lifelong readers. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2004. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: English. / Discipline: College Honors Program.