京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(人間・環境学) / 甲第19082号 / 人博第735号 / 新制||人||176(附属図書館) / 26||人博||735(吉田南総合図書館) / 32033 / 京都大学大学院人間・環境学研究科共生人間学専攻 / (主査)教授 田地野 彰, 教授 西山 教行, 准教授 中森 誉之 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Human and Environmental Studies / Kyoto University / DGAM

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(人間･環境学) / 甲第20722号 / 人博第831号 / 新制||人||199(附属図書館) / 29||人博||831(吉田南総合図書館) / 京都大学大学院人間・環境学研究科共生人間学専攻 / (主査)教授 田地野 彰, 教授 桂山 康司, 准教授 金丸 敏幸, 教授 植松 茂男 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Human and Environmental Studies / Kyoto University / DGAM

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

No description available.

The goal of this study was to improve English language proficiency of undergraduate second-language learners (SLLs) through the use of literacy-based assistive technology (AT). Both current literature and the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) model suggest that literacy-based AT, while traditionally designed to assist students with learning disabilities, can benefit learners studying in a second language. This study adapted the Times Series Concurrent Differential (TSCD) research methodology to test the efficacy of AT for second language learners. TSCD involves the collection of a series of participant performance measurements both with and without the aid of AT. The difference between the two sets of measurements represents the impact of the AT. Fifty-four participants (32 SLL, 22 non-SLL) enrolled in a cross-section of Cape Breton University's Shannon School of Business courses participated. The adapted TSCD model was applied through a series of structured reading exercises that alternated use of AT with traditional reading over a full academic term. The reading assignments were drawn from course material and accounted for a small percentage of the class mark. In non-intervention exercises, participants read and reviewed assignments directly from printed course material. In intervention exercises, participants read and reviewed digital copies of the required material with the aid of PDF Equalizer. A secure Moodle site facilitated digital material access, performance measurement, and data management. A multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) determined a significant effect (9%) of the use of screen-reading software on academic performance of SLLs and a positive but insignificant effect (3%) of the use of screen-reading assistive technology on academic performance of non-SLLs. In addition, more SLL participants reported that the use of screen-reading software improved their reading (84%), listening (75%), and writing (56%) skills as compared to their non-SLL counterparts (36%, 41%, and 27% respectively). The majority of SLLs also reported that the use of the screen-reader had a positive effect on their academic performance (84%), improved their study skills (84%), and increased their confidence (78%) in their English language skills.

A língua inglesa hoje permite acesso a práticas internacionais por ser a língua mais utilizada em interações entre falantes de diferentes línguas maternas, em inúmeros contextos. Essa disseminação do inglês globalmente fez surgir novas formas de se enxergar o status língua, entre elas, a abordagem do inglês como língua franca (ILF). Visto que a maioria das interações em inglês hoje acontecerem entre falantes não nativos, o ILF busca a descentralização do falante nativo e a aceitação das variedades linguísticas. Entre os diversos contextos em que o inglês é difundido, pode-se dizer que a academia é um dos principais. Este trabalho tem como objetivo verificar qual o posicionamento de revistas científicas internacionais da área de Linguística Aplicada acerca das diretrizes para autores, sob a ótica do ILF. Para isso, fizemos um levantamento dos periódicos internacionais de Linguística Aplicada mais bem avaliados em um ranking nacional (Qualis Capes) e internacional (SCImago), reunindo assim um corpus de 36 periódicos. A pesquisa foi dividida em duas etapas. Primeiramente, foram identificadas e analisadas as diretrizes para autores no que diz respeito às normas linguísticas relacionadas ao padrão nativo e aceitação das variedades. Foram encontradas três normas relacionadas a exigências linguísticas: língua de publicação, ortografia e revisão externa. Os resultados demonstram que a língua de publicação mais usada é o inglês, sendo exigência em 44% dos periódicos; que as principais variedades ortográficas aceitas são a americana e britânica; e que 58% das revistas solicitam que os autores tenham seus textos revisados por uma terceira pessoa, sendo que, dessas, aproximadamente a metade dirigem as normas apenas a autores falantes não nativos. A segunda etapa da pesquisa consistiu em comparar as diretrizes encontradas com os 139 textos sobre ILF nelas publicados entre os anos de 2011 e 2015. Foi feita uma análise do conteúdo dos textos, onde buscou-se identificar os posicionamentos dos autores. Os resultados da comparação indicaram que 71% dos textos são a favor da abordagem do ILF, mas que a maioria precisou seguir alguma norma que contradiz o defendido no ILF para ser publicado. Assim, os resultados gerais desta pesquisa demonstram que, apesar de a área de Linguística Aplicada estar orientada para uma abordagem do inglês que visa à diversidade linguística, são encontradas discrepâncias e inconsistências nas práticas das revistas da própria área, responsáveis por veicular essas ideias. / The English language today grants access to international practices, since it is the most used language in interactions between speakers of different languages in several contexts. The global spread of English has created new ways of understanding its status, such as the English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) approach. Since most interactions in English happen between nonnative speakers of English, ELF aims at native speaker decentralization and acceptance of linguistic varieties. Academia is one of the main contexts in which English is widely used. The objective of this study is to assess the stance of Applied Linguistics international journals regarding author guidelines, from the perspective of ELF. To do so, we surveyed the best-ranked international journals in Applied linguistics both at domestic (Qualis Capes) and international (SCImago) rankings, which resulted in a corpus of 36 journals. This study was conducted in two parts. First, author guidelines related to linguistic norms concerning native standards and acceptance of varieties were identified and analyzed. Three guidelines related to linguistic requirements were found: language of publication, spelling, and third-party review. The results showed that the most used language of publication is English, a requirement in 44% of the journals; that American and British spelling varieties are mostly the ones accepted; and that 58% of the journals ask authors to have their manuscripts checked by a third-party reviewer, from which approximately 50% direct these guidelines only to nonnative authors. The second part of the study consisted in comparing the guidelines found with 139 texts about ELF published by the same journals between 2011 and 2015. The content of the texts was analyzed aiming at identifying their authors’ point of views. The results of this comparison indicated that 71% of the texts are in line with the ELF approach, but most of them had to follow some guidelines which contradict those defended by ELF in order to be published. Hence, the general results of this study showed that, although the area of Applied Linguistics is oriented towards an approach that aims at linguistic diversity in English, discrepancies and inconsistencies are found in the practices of the journals of this same area, journals which are responsible for broadcasting these ideas.

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of the essay writing process of first year undergraduates at Chancellor College (University of Malawi) and to a lesser extent those of the lecturers responsible for teaching academic skills. A mixed methods design, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques, was employed in order to obtain richer data for deeper understanding of the students’ writing process. Two hundred students from the humanities and social science faculties responded to a self-completion questionnaire towards the end of semester one. Based on the students’ responses, an open-ended questionnaire was administered to four full time English for Academic Purposes (EAP) instructors. Findings from this study indicate that most students find it very challenging to obtain sufficient and relevant source text information, paraphrase or summarise information, and use an appropriate academic writing style. As solutions to these challenges, the students suggested the need for timely essay writing instruction, availability of resources for essay writing, increased amount of time spent on essay writing instruction, and discipline specific instruction in essay writing. EAP instructors identified lack of teaching and learning materials, large EAP classes, and students’ negative attitude towards the EAP course, as some of the challenges they encounter when teaching the course. The EAP instructors proposed an increase in the number of staff members, making students aware of the significance of the EAP course at an early stage, and the availability of up to date resources, as some of the ways in which the teaching of the course can be improved. Overall, the findings seem to suggest that difficulties that students encounter during the writing process and teaching challenges that EAP instructors face, have great impact on students’ perception of academic writing as well as their approach to writing tasks. The findings also suggest a lack of dialogue between the students and their lecturers. This is evident in students’ unawareness of the nature of the writing demands of their lecturers and disciplines; students’ desire to have timely essay writing instruction; and the lecturers’ concerns about students’ negative attitude towards the EAP course.

The main purpose of this study was to examine the effects of strategy training in small group work on the reading comprehension of academic texts in English by Thai English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. The strategy-training used was the Reciprocal Teaching Procedure (RTF) which focused on the four reading comprehension strategies: predicting, clarifying, questioning and summarizing. The research study was an experimental one using a single group design. The participants were thirty-four first year students enrolled in the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program at a tertiary institution in the northeastern part of Thailand. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used. The pre-, post- and follow-up reading tests were employed for quantitative analysis. The students' performances were analyzed for statistically significant differences immediately at the end of the ten-week training and in the follow-up test eight weeks after the training. Qualitative data were collected from students' pre-, post- and follow-up questionnaires, checklists and journals, teacher's checklists and journal, and independent observer's checklists and field notes.

Considering the current demands of our global world, there is a need for educating students equipped with diverse and complex qualities. In order to educate well-equipped students and sustain quality education, teachers and teacher educators have to be keeping themselves up-to-date and develop themselves professionally. The primary aim of this study is to explore English instructors&rsquo / understanding of professional development through the use of phenomenological research methodology. The data sources were instructors and administrators working at Faculty Academic English Program at Bilkent University. The data collection method was semi-structured, face-to-face interviews. The findings of the study indicated that participants see professional development as a means of individual development, as a means of institutional development and as a source of developing community and environment. The study also revealed that the instructors preferred informal modes of professional development activities to formal ones. Participants of the study overall reflected their agreement on the positive contribution of course design on their professional development, autonomy and self-growth.

Despite claims that the use of corpus tools can have a major impact in language classrooms (e.g., Conrad, 2000, 2004; Davies, 2004; O'Keefe, McCarthy, & Carter, 2007; Sinclair, 2004b; Tsui, 2004), many language teachers express apparent apathy or even resistance towards adding corpus tools to their repertoire (Cortes, 2013b). This study examines from a teacher cognition perspective (Borg, 2006) how three EAP (English for Academic Purposes) writing teachers identified their most pressing needs and considered possible ways that corpus tools might address those needs. After having an individualized corpus working session, each teacher put into practice one or more corpus tools to address self-identified needs in their writing classes. The teachers reflected on the process across a series of interviews and in a stimulated recall session, which were analyzed using qualitative research methods. Each teacher discussed the degree to which the lesson met her objectives, and considered how she might use such corpus tools in the future, as one component in the development of her teaching beliefs, knowledge base, and practices. Through thematic analysis of the interviews and the individualized corpus working sessions, themes emerged that tell the story of these three teachers as they moved through this process, relating to the issues of time, student engagement, material analysis, selection and design, issues related to corpus tools, language, institutional factors, and collaboration. A new area of specialization on the pedagogical uses of corpus tools is discussed, based on the results of the three cases. Implications for researchers, material designers, corpus tools specialists, teacher educators, administrators and teachers are considered.