Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oklahoma State University, 2004. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 279-285).

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The aim with this study was to explore how English as a second language can be taught in order to reach all type of students and levels. The study was carried out in a third grade class in a specific school from Sweden that works towards inclusive education and language development. The result is based on the analysis of seven observations of English lessons, two interviews and an inquiry that the students answered. Policy documents and previous research were also analyzed. Variation of the language input was a fundamental issue of all of the research results for language learning. Student activity by language use like the pupils were active by using the language: dramatizing, singing, doing rhymes, repeating, dancing, listening, guessing, reading, writing… was observed during the study. The results showed that this way of teaching leads to an activation of all students interests and motivation. Feedback and a positive environment where the student feels welcome to speak in the second language accompanied with positive response from the teacher affects the student self-confidence, which is crucial in young language learners. In conclusion, the findings of the study showed that a positive and active teaching where the students are showered with the language is the key for a level appropriate and inclusive education.

In today’s schools students enter classrooms with different experiences and knowledge level. In order to promote the development and learning of all pupils, teaching should be adapted to each pupil’s circumstances and needs. According to the Swedish school curriculum (Lgr 11) and the Education Act (2010:800) there is an emphasis to have all students reach the same academic goals and standards. However past research indicates that individual adaption tailored for the individual needs of students in English teaching is considered somewhat average. Based on Vinterek’s (2006) individualization types the aim of this study has been to examine whether and if so, in what way teachers individualize English teaching based on the varying circumstances and needs of pupils. This study also aims to identify what factors teachers’ claim affect their work with individual adaption in teaching, based on Lundgren’s (1972) and Stensmo’s (2008) frame factor theory. Based on a qualitative method with both observations and interviews, two questions have been answered: 1. In what way do three teachers work with individualize English teaching, based on the varying circumstances and needs of each pupil? 2. What factors do teachers consider affects their work with individualization in English teaching? From the outcomes of the observations and interviews the results show that the teachers do work with an individual based education tailored for the individual needs of the pupil’s. The result from this study also shows that the teachers face several difficulties with individualization in English teaching. All of the teachers claim that time and the size of the class are factors that most affect the teaching process with individualization in the classroom.

Citation analysis, which provides insights into the influence of particular scholarly work in a field of study, can also show epistemological "turns" through patterns of citations over time. This study explored the impact of postmethod epistemology on the shared knowledge of the English-as-a-second-language (L2) education community over a 26-year period. The approach consisted of tabulating and analyzing citations in 125 articles from two major journals, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Quarterly (TESOL Qrtrly) and English Language Teaching Journal (ELT). The time period covered was 1994, when the term postmethod was introduced in TESOL Qrtrly, through 2019. Attention went to the following questions for each journal and for both journals together: (i) who is the most influential of the three major postmethod authors, B. Kumaravadivelu, Richard Allwright, or Hans Stern? (ii) what was the most cited postmethod publication? and (iii) have there been patterns over time for citations of postmethod authors and publications and for the use of the term postmethod? Of the three postmethod authors, Kumaravadivelu was the most cited in the two journals combined. For TESOL Qrtrly, Kumaravadivelu was the most cited, and Stern was second. For ELT, Kumaravadivelu and Allwright had an equal number of citations, and both surpassed Stern. Of the 23 postmethod publications by these scholars, the most highly cited in both journals was Kumaravadivelu's 1994 article "The Postmethod Condition." It was the most cited in TESOL Quarterly, followed by Stern's 1983 book Fundamental Concepts of Language Teaching. In ELT, Allwright and Bailey's 1991 book, Focus on the Language Classroom, was the most cited followed by Allwright's 2003 article, "Exploratory Practice: Rethinking Practitioner Research," published in Language Teaching Research. Trend analyses for citations in TESOL Quarterly and ELT showed curvilinear patterns with a peak in postmethod citations in the two journals in the mid-2000s. In regard to the term postmethod, patterns suggested that it did not become mainstream in the two journals that were studied. This inquiry, which was focused on two major journals in L2 English education, provided some details about the impact of postmethod epistemology in a period that some scholars have called the "postmethod era." Through citation analysis, the study helps to situate postmethod epistemology historically.

ABSTRACT This research is a Qualitative Case Study which investigates the electronic literacy practices of one English teacher and two Grade 10 English classes in a Muslim High school outside of Johannesburg. This study seeks to find out what the forms of electronic literacy used in the classroom are and for what purposes these are used. It is also aimed at investigating how the students in the English classroom engage with these forms of electronic literacies and whether or not gender plays a role in their engagement. This study draws on work in New Literacy Studies, particularly theories of literacy as social practice, Multiliteracies and multimodality as well as current research in the field of electronic literacy. Although there have been numerous studies in the fields of electronic literacy and digital literacy in developed contexts like the United Kingdom and Australia, there is a paucity of research in South Africa in the field and particularly in the area of electronic literacy in the English classroom. The main sources of data were: classroom observations from which field notes were created and group interviews with the students as well as an interview with the English teacher. The findings of this study reveal that being electronically literate in the English classroom means having access to sophisticated forms of technology not only inside the classroom but also outside as well as having a certain degree of fluency around computer use. The forms of electronic literacy used by the English teacher and the purposes for which they were used demonstrate his pedagogy in English and the social forces that shape the production of this pedagogy. The research shows an expansion of the teacher’s role in the English classroom as he is no longer only ‘a mediator of learning’ but a mediator of technology. The status of the text has also changed as the ‘disappearance’ of print-based texts from the classroom was noted with the foregrounding of visual texts and hypertexts. It was found that the students on the whole were engaged with the technology used in the classroom and expressed a preference for its integration into their lessons as opposed to the traditional ‘reading and writing’ practices. Additionally, students’ engagement did not vary according to gender.

Thesis (M.Ed.) -- University of the North, 1992 / Refer to the document

<p>The aim of this study is to investigate the notion of pupil influence in English teaching at level 1 and 2 at High-School level. The study focuses on how the students and teachers experience the possibility of influence in their English classes. Empirical data has been collected through questionnaires from two classes at year 1 and two classes at year 2 in English. The study also includes interviews from four teachers and four students. The study is both qualitative and quantitative. The results show that the majority of the students consider their possibility of influence in their English- learning to be very high in all schools to a great extent, even though the results showed that their influence in their teaching was not very extensive.</p><p>The way the students mostly influenced their teaching was when discussing the planning of their courses and through regularly made evaluations of their courses.</p><p>The teachers´ view on the pupil-influence was mostly linked to personal views and opinions of the matter as well as the referred information in the national curriculum for teachers. Overall the results show that the students´ and the teachers´ view on the influence seems to coincide very well.</p><p>The differences in year 1 and 2 at high-school in this investigation can mostly be seen by the fact that year 2 increasingly can influence their curriculum of their courses and that they also can influence how examinations are to be carried out in a more extensive way than the students in year 1.</p><p>The hypothesis of this essay, that pupil-influence should increase with age and level at</p><p>high-school proved to be a partly correct assumption, mainly because the majority of the students expressed that this was partly true. Nevertheless, both the teachers and the interviewed students claimed that influence increases with age, so maybe it is hard to make a clear conclusion out of these results.</p>

The randomly sampled subjects in this study are elementary school English teachers from Kaohsiung city, Kaohsiung and Ping-Tung counties. The study was designated into a questionnaire survey with the aim to investigate elementary school English teachers¡¦ attitudes and consideration factors toward the integrative use of games and their English-teaching practices. 302 subjects were randomly selected, data were analyzed through several statistical measures, such as item analysis, factor analysis, reliability analysis, descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, stepwise multiple regression. It is hoped to promote more active, motivating and inspiring teaching in English instruction. According to the analyses of the questionnaire, several major findings are as follows¡G 1. Most elementary school English teachers agreed that integrative use of games in the English-teaching did not necessarily promote their students¡¦ learning achievement. 2. Elementary school English teachers used games in English class at least once per week. 3. The least used teaching aid for Elementary school English teachers was building blocks. 4. Elementary school English teachers used to attend the workshops that were sponsored by the schools and publishers were more likely using games in their English-teaching; while those who attended workshops sponsored by University¡¦s English departments less likely used games in their teaching. 5. English teacher, English teaching experience in the elementary school is over 16 years, teaching over 21 English instructional sessions per week, Elementary school English teachers joined the institutions that held the workshops on games by ¡§elementary schools¡¨, spent much time using games in their English teaching. 6. English teachers¡¦ attitudes and consideration factors toward the integrative use of games showed little correlation with their actual practices in English-teaching. Finally, based upon the above findings, the researcher provided several suggestions for teachers, elementary schools and future researchers who might be interested in this topic.

The aim of this study is to investigate the notion of pupil influence in English teaching at level 1 and 2 at High-School level. The study focuses on how the students and teachers experience the possibility of influence in their English classes. Empirical data has been collected through questionnaires from two classes at year 1 and two classes at year 2 in English. The study also includes interviews from four teachers and four students. The study is both qualitative and quantitative. The results show that the majority of the students consider their possibility of influence in their English- learning to be very high in all schools to a great extent, even though the results showed that their influence in their teaching was not very extensive. The way the students mostly influenced their teaching was when discussing the planning of their courses and through regularly made evaluations of their courses. The teachers´ view on the pupil-influence was mostly linked to personal views and opinions of the matter as well as the referred information in the national curriculum for teachers. Overall the results show that the students´ and the teachers´ view on the influence seems to coincide very well. The differences in year 1 and 2 at high-school in this investigation can mostly be seen by the fact that year 2 increasingly can influence their curriculum of their courses and that they also can influence how examinations are to be carried out in a more extensive way than the students in year 1. The hypothesis of this essay, that pupil-influence should increase with age and level at high-school proved to be a partly correct assumption, mainly because the majority of the students expressed that this was partly true. Nevertheless, both the teachers and the interviewed students claimed that influence increases with age, so maybe it is hard to make a clear conclusion out of these results.