ABSTRACT This quantitative study investigated potential effects of providing explicit phonological instruction on international students' spelling knowledge, orthographic processing skills, and reading speed and comprehension. In addition, the study compared Arab participants to their non-Arab peers in four particular aspects: gains, interaction, performance and differences between the two groups before and after the treatment. The phonological instruction consisted of five groups of the English sounds, six groups of blends, five phonetic skills, and two decoding skills. The phonological instruction was carried out during the reading class time and delivered for a month. A total of 53 ESL international students participated in the study. Analyses employed three different grouping criteria: one whole group (n = 53), two main groups: Arab (n = 38) and non-Arab (n = 15), and three main groups: foundation (only Arab n = 4), beginner (Arab n = 27 + non-Arab n = 8) and low intermediate (Arab n = 7 + non-Arab n = 7). All participants took pretests in spelling, pseudowords (nonsense words), and reading speed and comprehension, went through the phonological instruction treatment, and took posttests in the same skills. The spelling and pseudoword pre and posttests were identical across all participants in all proficiency levels. However, reading speed and comprehension pre and posttests were identical in each proficiency level but different across all proficiency levels. Due to an unexpected change in the study design, all participants were exposed to the phonological instruction treatment and there was no control group. Consequently, the study could not provide a direct evidence for the impact of the phonological instruction treatment on the target skills. Nevertheless, in the first aspect where the study analyzed gain scores of participants in the target skills, findings from this study revealed that all participants (n = 53) scored in the posttests significantly higher than the pretests in both spelling and pseudoword. However, when separating participants into two groups: Arab and non-Arab, findings showed that the Arab group increased significantly in both spelling and pseudoword whereas the non-Arab group increased significantly only in spelling but not in pseudoword. Further, while each group of Arab and non-Arab participants in the beginner level did not significantly increase in reading speed, each group of Arab and non-Arab students in the low intermediate level significantly increased in the posttest. Moreover, each group of Arab and non-Arab participants in both beginner and low intermediate levels did not significantly increase in the comprehension posttests. In the second aspect, the study examined differences in performance between the two groups of participants in the target skills. Findings showed that differences found in the way the two groups changed over time in the gain scores of all target skills were not statistically significant. In the third aspect, the study compared Arab to non-Arab participants based on their gain scores in the target skills. In spelling, findings showed that none of the two groups outperformed the other because both groups significantly increased in spelling. In pseudoword however, findings suggested that Arab participants outperformed their non-Arab peers because only Arab students significantly increased in their pseudoword gains scores. In reading speed, because none of the two groups in the beginner level significantly increased in their gain scores, findings suggested that none of two groups outperformed the other. Similarly, findings suggested that none of the two groups in the low intermediate level outperformed each other because both groups significantly increased in reading speed. The Arab and non-Arab groups in both the beginner and the low intermediate levels did not significantly increase in the comprehension gain scores, therefore, findings suggested that none of the groups in either proficiency level outperformed the other. In the fourth aspect, the study analyzed differences in the pre-existing knowledge between Arab and non-Arab groups in the target skills according to their mean scores in the pretests. Findings suggested that while spelling background knowledge of the non-Arab group is substantially significantly richer than the spelling background knowledge of the Arab group, the two groups did not significantly differ in their background knowledge in English orthographic conventions. Furthermore, findings exhibited that non-Arab participants in the beginner level were reading with a significantly higher rate in the pretest than their Arab counterparts. On the other hand, findings revealed that there were no significant differences between low intermediate Arab and non-Arab groups in their reading speed prior to the phonological instruction. In comprehension, findings showed that the non-Arab group in both beginner and low intermediate levels scored significantly higher than their Arab peers in the pretest. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2015. / November 6, 2015. / Comprehension, ESL, Phonological Awareness, Pseudoword, Reading speed, Spelling / Includes bibliographical references. / Rebecca Galeano, Professor Directing Dissertation; Michael Uzendoski, University Representative; Elizabeth Jakubowski, Committee Member; Diana Rice, Committee Member; Phyllis Underwood, Committee Member.

It is beneficial for Chinese English-learners to improve their communicative competence through being taught in a communicative-based class (especially with the use of task-based language teaching, Nuevo, 2006). However, previous studies revealed that Chinese teachers have had difficulties in engaging students in communicative-based classes (Chen, 2003; Chowdhury & Ha, 2008; Chung & Huang, 2009). Therefore, although communicative-based classes aim to have students engage with using the target language within the class setting, students in China seem resistant — they are not active in communicating with each other or even the teacher (Chen, 2003). The purpose of this Dissertation study was to examine whether teachers’ use of scaffolding strategies and autonomy supports might help engage students as well as improve their communicative competence in communicative-based classes. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among teachers’ use of scaffolding strategies and autonomy supports, the satisfaction of students’ psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and students’ self-determined motivation, self-regulation, class participation, and their English learning outcomes by assessing a path-analytic model. Before conducting the path-analytic model, I validated the survey items used to measure teachers’ use of scaffolding strategies, teachers’ autonomy supports, students’ psychological needs, students’ self-determined motivation, and students’ self-regulation through an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Participants involved in the EFA were similar to participants who were involved in this dissertation research (CFA and path analysis): freshmen and sophomores who were taking communicative-based classes (Communicative English for Chinese Learners) at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. The EFA-surveys were translated into Chinese and back-translated into English, then distributed face-to-face during the month of June 2017, the end of the second semester in the 2016-2017 school year. Items were adjusted based on results of the EFA, and were subsequently used in a CFA and path-analytic analysis. Surveys were again distributed at the end of the first semester in the 2017-2018 school year for CFA and path analysis. CFA results confirmed the factor structures proposed by EFA. Path analyes showed that the initial hypothesized model did not fit the data well, and thus, the model was modified and a final model was selected and discussed. The final model revealed that only teachers’ use of scaffolding strategies predicted students’ satisfaction of their psycholgocial needs to promote intrinsic motivation, while students’ satisfaction of psychological needs mediated the relationship between teachers’ use of scaffolding strategies and students’ self-determined motivation, as assumed by the self-determination theory. In addition, students’ self-determination (including their satisfaction of psychological needs and motivational regulation) was positively related to their self-regulaion, class participation, course score, and expectation of the amount of knowledge they had learned, both directly and indirectly. Finally, students’ self-regulation negatively predicted students’ course score — which is contradictory with previous studies — while class participation was positively associated with both students’ scores (as assumed by previous studies) and expectation of the amount of knowledge they had learned. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2018. / June 15, 2018. / Communicative language teaching, English as a foreign language in China, Self-determination theory, Self-regulation, Students' autonomy, Students' English learning outcomes / Includes bibliographical references. / Jeannine E. Turner, Professor Directing Dissertation; Gretchen Sunderman, University Representative; Alysia Roehrig, Committee Member; Yanyun Yang, Committee Member.

Information gained through various sources and methods have been used to reveal the perceived deficiencies of needs through both target situation analysis (TSA) and present situation analysis (PSA). The identified needs were then prioritized according to their immediacy to learners, with the underlying causes ofthe language competence discrepancies further explored and interpreted. Possible solutions were then suggested for future implementation ofthe vocational English curriculum in the senior secondary vocational education context. The research findings of the current study have indicated that learners in general have low language learning motivation and inadequate language competences; there exist language competence discrepancies regarding learners' learning needs, teachers' teaching needs, and learning resources and facilities provided at school; there are positive relationship between learners' motivation and language competences; and many factors contribute to the current language competence deficiencies, among which motivational factors figure more prominently. The results of the study can be of value to educators and researchers involved in developing and redesigning language curriculums at various levels, in particular to teachers, curriculum developers as well as to researchers in vocational education. / This study provides a detailed description and interpretation ofthe needs analysis (NA) of learners' English language competences carried out at senior secondary vocational schools in mainland China since understanding learners' language learning needs and their motivation to participate in language learning are essential in curriculum development. The study draws on both quantitative and qualitative mixed-method NA practices of using multiple sources and multiple methods in the data collection. The complete data include: (l) around 700 participants at three vocational schools in the particular city studied; (2) about 20 hours of recorded and unrecorded data of classroom observation at three vocational schools, a series of interviews with six teachers and 23 students at three vocational schools, as well as interviews with two inspectors, six graduate vocational school students, and a joint venture general manager; and (3) document analysis of the new National Vocational English Syllabus (NVES) issued by the Ministry of Education, along with textbooks currently in use at vocational senior secondary schools. / Zhao, Wen. / Advisers: David Coniam; Chi Chung Lam. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-03, Section: A, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 335-366). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

by Huang Xiao-hua. / Thesis (M.Ph.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1984 / Bibliography: leaves 152-157

by Yu Fei. / Bibliography: leaves 161-164 / Thesis (M.Ph.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1986

by Hou Qi'an. / Includes bibliographical references / Thesis (M.Ph.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1986

by Chen Jianping. / Thesis (M.Ph.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1986 / Bibliography: leaves 130-140.

by Guo Sujuan. / Bibliography: leaves 145-151 / Thesis (M.Ph.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1986

by Guo Dan-qing. / Includes bibliographical references / Thesis (M.Ph.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1986

by Yeung See-shing. / Thesis (M.A.Ed.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1989. / Bibliography: leaves 149-171.