A university is an academic place with students from a variety of cultures. Non-native English speaking (NNS) graduate students are a group representing diverse cultural backgrounds. However, these students' challenges in linguistic and socio-cultural adjustment impact their effective learning and academic success. Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) is an important ability that they need to consider. It assesses attitude, skills, knowledge, adaptability, flexibility, and communication ability with culturally different people. Researchers in Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) have suggested that instructional designers should understand diverse learners' abilities and cultural characteristics and apply them in their Instructional Design (ID) strategies. However, the existing ID models do not specifically include ICC as a consideration in the design process. Furthermore, there has been a lack of research on culturally diverse or minority students. Considering NNS graduate students' characteristics, cultural diversity, and need to develop ICC, the researcher reviewed three social theories of learning: social learning theory, sociocultural and cultural-historical activity theory, and situated learning theory. Socially engaged learning, a synthesized framework, was recommended for NNS graduate students along with effective ID strategies. This research investigated perceptions on ICC and ID strategies for socially engaged learning in a sample of 208 NNS graduate students. Quantitative methods were used to assess students' ICC level and perceptions of effective instructional strategies in four categories: (1) students' gradual engagement and active participation, (2) learning in rich cultural context, (3) self-regulation and learning ownership, and (4) integration of communication technologies. Results showed that NNS graduate students were diverse in background characteristics, academic disciplines, cultural origins, and previous experiences; they perceived a moderately high level of ICC; and they generally had positive views on ID strategies for socially engaged learning. This research can help instructional designers and instructors in higher education to better understand the needs of NNS graduate students and to prepare them to study more effectively and have more valuable intercultural experiences. / Ph. D.

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本研究探究了香港某所國際學校中漢語作為第二語言學習者的中文交際意願。研究對象主要是香港某英基國際學校的170名漢語學習者；主要採用定量的研究方法，通過研究者的課堂觀課和學生的“自我報告”（Self-report）來搜集數據，通過五個量表（背景變量量表、心理變量量表和課堂內外漢語交際意願量表）來實現研究；研究的內容包括學生們課堂內、外漢語交際意願的總體水平以及可能存在的差異，並總結前人研究發現，在新的研究背景下對一些可能存在影響關係的背景變量（年齡、性別、漢語水平、學習漢語的社會支持、母語、性格、對待學習漢語的態度）和心理變量（學習漢語時的焦慮、動機、自我覺察的交際能力）進行數據分析并驗證假設，通過SPSS19.0來付諸實現；最終就如何提高學生的課堂內、外漢語交際意願提出教學建議。 本次研究的主要研究發現有：（1）該國際學校漢語學習者的總體漢語交際意願水平偏低，介於“較低交際意願”和“中度交際意願”之間，而且課內漢語交際意願略高於課外漢語交際意願。（2）總體來看，男生和女生之間不存在漢語交際意願上的顯著差異，但在課內，女生比男生更容易不懂就問、更關注語言知識的細節；男生比女生更願意作為發言代表來公開表達自己觀點；在課外，男生比女生更願意在校園裡與陌生人說漢語，更願意和朋友們或者陌生人上網用漢語交流。（3）預科項目（DP）和中學項目（MYP）的學生群體間不存在漢語交際意願的顯著差異。但在課堂上，DP學生比MYP的學生更願意進行公開性的漢語表達，更願意深入探討相關問題，更願意進行一些總結概括能力較強的發言。（4）DP年級學生的漢語水平和交際意願呈顯著正相關，即漢語水平高越高，課內、課外和總體的漢語交際意願越高,漢語水平越低，課內、課外和總體的漢語交際意願越低。（5）在用漢語進行“主動性發言”上的意願，漢語水平高的群體明顯高於漢語水平低的群體，說明高水平漢語學習者更願意掌握交際的主動權。（6）學習漢語社會支持較多的群體表現出明顯更高的漢語交際意願，呈顯著正相關。（7）以廣東話作為母語的學生比以英語作為母語的學生具有更高的漢語交際意願，這種差異性在課堂外比課堂內體現得更為明顯。（8）性格較外向的學生比性格較內向的學生具有更高的課內漢語交際意願。（9）喜歡學漢語的學生比不喜歡學漢語的學生具有更高的課內、課外和總體漢語交際意願。（10）總體來看，學生學習漢語的動機和自我覺察的漢語交際能力都偏高，且兩者與課內、課外和總體漢語交際意願均呈十分顯著正相關，其中動機與課外方面相關性略大，而自我覺察的交際能力與課內方面相關性略大。學生的總體焦慮水平偏低，與課內、課外和總體交際意願均呈十分顯著負相關，與課內方面相關性略大課外方面。無論是課內還是課外漢語交際意願，“自我覺察的交際能力”對漢語交際意願來說是預測性最強的心理變量。 This research investigated Chinese as second language (CSL) learner’s willingness to communicate (WTC) both inside and outside classroom in one of international schools, Hong Kong. The research objects are 170 Chinese Language B learners from an English School Foundation (ESF) international school. The main methodology adopted here was quantitative method. Classroom observations by researcher and self-reports by students were firstly done to collect background data, and then five scales were employed to do the main investigation, including a WTC Inside–the-classroom Scales (WTCIS), a WTC Outside-the-classroom Scale (WTCOS), a Language Anxiety Scale (LAS), a Motivation Scale (MS) and a Self-perceived Communicative Competence Scale (SCCS). The research objectives were to explore the general situation of CSL learners’ WTC, and the specific characteristics as well as possible differences of their WTC inside and outside the classroom; then to further examine the possible affecting variables from both background and psychological perspectives including gender, age, Chinese language proficiency, mother tongue, social support, personality and attitudes towards learning Chinese, which were regarded as background variables, and language anxiety, motivation and self-perceived communicative competence, which were regarded as psychological variables. After that, data was processed and analyzed by SPSS 19.0 for hypothesis verification. Finally, pedagogical implications on how to improve CSL learners’ WTC both inside and outside classroom were generalized from the study. 　　The major findings showed that: (1) the general WTC of CSL learners from this school were slightly on the low side, between the Lower and Middle level, and the WTC inside the classroom was comparatively higher than outside of classroom. (2) On overall WTC, there was no significant difference between male and female students. But inside the classroom, girls were more likely to ask questions and pay more attention on language details than boys, while boy were more active to be the presenters and voice out in public. Outside the classroom, boys were more willing to communicate with strangers or chat online with friends in Chinese. (3) No significant WTC difference was found between Diploma Program (DP) and Middle Years Program (MYP), but DP CSL learners showed more willingness to make public speech, to be more of an inquirer in problems, and to do more generalization in speaking. (4) Among DP group, significant positive correlation was found between language proficiency and WTC, suggesting that the more proficient CSL learners showed higher WTC, and vice versa. (5) The more proficient group were more willing to speak Chinese voluntarily than the less proficient ones, implying that the more competent language learners are more likely to the take the initiative in communication. (6) CSL learners with more social supports to learn Chinese showed higher WTC, and a significant positive correlation was found here. (7) Students with Cantonese as mother tongue had higher WTC than their English as mothertougue counterparts, and this difference was more obviously outside of classroom. (8) Extroverted students showed significantly higher WTC inside of the classroom than the introverted. (9) Students who liked learning Chinese demonstrated higher WTC than those who didn’t. (10) Students’ motivation to learn Chinese and their SPCC were both on the high side, and both correlated positively on WTC, with motivation correlated more closely on outside WTC while SPCC more on inside WTC. Students showed slight lower anxiety level in speaking Chinese. Anxiety had significant negative correlation with WTC, and it mattered more inside than outside of classroom. No matter for WTC inside or outside, SPCC was the most predictive variable among the three. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

The present study examined a hypothesized relationship between the following variables: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation as described by Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985), integrative and instrumental orientation (Gardner & Lambert, 1972), attitudes toward pronunciation, and accent in English-speaking late learners of Japanese. Data collection occurred in two steps: First, English-speaking participants completed three questionnaires designed to measure their motivation and attitudes toward pronunciation; they then provided speech samples in Japanese. Native speakers of Japanese then rated these speech samples holistically on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 indicating a strong foreign accent, and 5 indicating a native accent. Scores on the questionnaires were then correlated with the accent ratings. None of the English-speaking participants were judged as native or near-native speakers of Japanese. However, results demonstrated a significant positive correlation between ratings of accent and two variables: Intrinsic Motivation Toward Accomplishment and attitudes toward pronunciation. The statistical analysis also revealed a positive correlation between integrative and instrumental orientation and extrinsic motivation, suggesting a relationship between measures of orientation and extrinsic motivation as well. These results highlight the importance of including Self-Determination Theory in the area of second/foreign language acquisition research, as well as clarifying the role of motivation and attitudes toward pronunciation in the present context of late learners of Japanese.

Foreign language immersion programs, wherein the regular school curriculum is taught through the foreign language, have become increasingly widespread in recent years. Although there have been a plethora of studies reporting on second language immersion programs involving school-age programs, there is a dearth of information describing such programs for preschoolers. The purpose of this study was to observe and describe an immersion program for three-year-olds, particularly with respect to specific features of early stages of the language acquisition process. The primary area of interest was to determine the existence of and features of a silent period for these children. Secondary goals included analyzing the kinds of speech that emerged in the early stages of language acquisition, to whom it was directed, and the circumstances under which it was produced; discovering when and how the children manifest bilingual awareness; and ascertaining what strategies were used by them for comprehension. Using a qualitative case study approach, eight monolingual three-year-olds attending a Spanish-language immersion school were observed using participant observation methodology for a total of 98.35 hours between September 6, 1994 and March 17, 1995. Classroom observation was supplemented by questionnaires completed by the children's parents, and by interviews of parents. The data generated revealed that although there is wide variation in the amount of speech produced by the children and when it was produced, there was no silent period for most children. These results are inconsistent with the literature which generally assumes that such a period exists. The study also revealed that although language mixing occurred, it appeared to be a function of language dominance and did not reflect mixing in the input. Children used a variety of strategies to make sense of the Spanish surrounding them, the most important of which was attending to context clues. Finally, all the children manifested bilingual awareness at the same time they began to produce Spanish utterances.

The effect of grammar instruction on second language acquisition continues to be a source of debate in SLA research. Previous studies have shown that input-based instruction such as Processing Instruction (PI) is more effective than traditional grammar instruction (TI) for the acquisition of grammatical structures such as object pronouns in Spanish, the Spanish preterite, the simple present vs. the present progressive in English, and the ser/estar contrast in Spanish (VanPatten and Cadierno, 1993; Cadierno, 1995; Buck, 2000; Cheng, 2004). This quasi-experimental, classroom-based study examines the effects of output-based instruction (OB) and PI on the acquisition of the perfective/imperfective aspectual distinction in French, shown to be difficult to master by English-speaking learners due to its linguistic and pragmatic complexity. Specifically, the research design investigates whether OB instruction and PI have significant effects on the learners' performance involving the interpretation and production of the passé composé and the imparfait in narration. Two second semester university level French classes at the University of Texas at Austin were randomly assigned to one of the two groups: an output-based instruction group (n=18) and a processing instruction group (n=17). A distinct instructional treatment was developed for both groups, and a pretest/posttest procedure was used to assess the effect of instruction. The two posttests were administered one day and one month after instruction. All tests except the pretest included a written interpretation task, a controlled written production task, and a written composition. The findings show that both the OB and the PI groups improved their performance significantly on the assessment tasks and that there was no statistical difference between the groups on any of the tasks. These results differ from those of previous PI research and suggest that either type of instruction, output-based or processing, may have had a significant impact on the learners' developing system. The type of output-based instruction used in this study differs from TI in that it does not include a mechanical component. The results of the present study are consistent with Farley (2004b) in showing that approaches to grammar instruction that are meaning-oriented may bring about significant effects on SLA. / text

This study examined the features of the classroom discourse in eight Algebra I classes from two urban high schools with diverse student populations. In particular, by using the discursive analysis perspective, the type of communication between teachers and students was examined. The study investigated to what extent teachers' patterns of discourse change as a result of the number of ELLs present or their particular teaching experiences and ESOL endorsement. Furthermore, the impact of teachers' cultural and linguistic backgrounds upon ELLs' mathematics experiences was explored, particularly the teachers' patterns of discourse and adjustments to their teacher talk, or modifications of instructions that contributed to ELLs' engagement in the mathematics classroom. Data analysis from various sources (observations, video-recordings, frequency counts, interviews, the teachers' self-evaluations, and the researcher's and the ELLs' evaluations) indicated that to some extent all teachers changed their patterns of discourse simply due to the presence of ELLs, regardless of the total number in the class. Teachers with more teaching experience and with ESOL training had a smaller number of ELLs in their classes, whereas in both schools the novice teachers were assigned to teach classes with the highest number of ELLs. The novice teachers frequently used almost the same strategies as their more experienced colleagues did. Yet the qualitative analysis of the type of modifications to their speech they made, the type of questions they asked, and the provision of information of higher cognitive demand according to Bloom's Taxonomy indicated that even though all teachers needed improvement in using these strategies, the more experienced teachers with ESOL training applied those strategies to a fuller extent. They more often used slower and simpler speech and different questioning techniques sensitive to the ELLs' level of English language acquisition (i.e., pre-production, early-production, and speech emergence) and provided the students with content specific, enriched information. However, they still did not ask enough questions that could provide the ELLs with opportunities to justify and explain their opinions, and rarely led the discussions to a point which could move the ELLs to the highest level of the subject-specific literacy - intermediate speech and fluency in mathematics in English.

A recent phenomenon widely noted among international volunteer agencies and church mission boards is an increase in the number of older adults offering service in foreign countries. To be effective, these people often need to learn a new language. However, much evidence has shown that older adults have a more difficult time than their younger adult counterparts in acquiring a second language.The case studies in this ethnography describe the language learning experiences of 26 adult students of Spanish during their first trimester at a language school in Central America. Most were planning some type of missionary service in Latin American countries after graduation. There were nine younger learners (20-39 years of age), eight middle-aged learners (40-49) years), and nine older learners (50-65 years). The research centered on these students' language learning self-image and expectations for success. The purpose was to learn more about what happens to adults, especially older learners, as they attempt to acquire a second language in a school located in a naturalistic setting and where classes are comprised of learners of mixed ages. Factors relevant to success and failure were investigated in the hope that language acquisition could be facilitated for these people.The researcher functioned as a participant-observer, taking a full load of classes and also conducting bi-weekly tape-recorded private interviews with the other 25 learners. Other data were obtained from language-learning journals and from observations of the students in their classrooms, community activities, and local homes. The teachers also shared what they had observed over the years about the characteristics of successful adult learners. A mail questionnaire was completed by 47 alumni of the school.The findings illuminated problems some learners have in balancing needs for immersion into the new culture and fellowship with same-culture classmates, finding good conversation partners in the community, obtaining useful types and amounts of error correction from native speakers, learning to shed ethnocentrism, and coping with differences between learning and teaching styles in the classroom. Specific suggestions are offered for adults wishing to obtain the most from their language school investment. / Department of English

The increasing multicultural and multilingual population of the UK has set new challenges for the education system. This study focuses on a particular aspect of this, namely pupils in schools in the city of Leicester who use English as an additional language (EAL). It compares their lexical understanding with that of their monolingual English-speaking peers, when both sets of pupils appeared to have attained the same surface proficiency in reading. This work also investigates teachers' awareness of any lexical comprehension gap that might exist for their EAL pupils. These key issues could not be studied in isolation, so this research was set in a sociocultural framework. This drew together social and cultural strands to give a situational understanding of the target pupils in city schools. It encompassed their teachers' observations and perceptions through a series of thirty interviews undertaken with these practitioners. This was complemented by interviews with ten key management personnel from the Language Support Service undertaken to investigate the objectives of the Service, and how successfully these were implemented in schools. The empirical research of this study was a Vocabulary Test undertaken with one hundred primary school pupils to test the key hypothesis that EAL pupils' lexical understanding was not as comprehensive as that of their L1 peers. Fifty of the pupils used English as an additional language, forming the EAL group of this study, and these were matched with fifty monolingual English-speaking pupils, the L1 group. The results of the Vocabulary Test substantiated this hypothesis for the target lexemes included in the test, and they also substantiated the additional hypothesis that mainstream teachers did not always fully recognise lexical misunderstandings that their EAL pupils might have. The research was classroom-based, and incorporated some principles of action research. A key factor in the action research paradigm has been disseminating the finding to schools and to teachers to effect changes in classroom practice by increasing awareness of lexical difficulties that EAL pupils might have. For this study, the dissemination has taken the form of Vocabulary Workshops for school staff, and these are ongoing at the present time. The workshops are designed to help teachers enhance EAL pupils' understanding of lexis in English and their learning through English.

This thesis investigates L2 acquisition of intransitive verb constructions in Japanese and English. Within the Generative framework, the Unaccusative Hypothesis has been proposed, which divides intransitive verbs into two syntactically distinct classes: unergatives and unaccusatives (Burzio 1986). The sole argument of unergative verbs is an Agent generated in subject position, whereas that of unaccusative verbs is a Theme or Patient base-generated in object position. While the unaccusative/unergative distinction at the level of Deep (D)-Structure holds universally, as derived by a universal principle called the Uniformity of Theta Assignment Hypothesis (UTAH, Baker 1988), languages differ as to where the underlying object of unaccusatives may be positioned at the level of Surface (S)-structure. In the case of English, it surfaces in the subject position where it receives Nominative Case. In the case of Japanese, on the other hand, it has been argued that the argument of unaccusative verbs remains in its base-generated object position and that Nominative Case is assigned within the Verb Phrase. / Experimental studies are conducted to examine learners' knowledge of unaccusativity at the two levels, i.e. D-Structure and S-Structure. It is hypothesized that learners will show sensitivity to unaccusativity at D-Structure, but that they may not acquire the correct representation of unaccusativity in the L2 at S-Structure, at least in an earlier stage. The first two studies present the L2 acquisition of English by Japanese speakers. The next two studies are concerned with the L2 acquisition of Japanese by English speakers. Overall, results of the four studies confirm the hypotheses, and L2 learners appear to have problems where the L1 manifests a different representation from the L2. Nevertheless, it is observed that L2 learners behavior is not random even when difficulty arises, in that the L2 learners are often consistent with one class of verbs, but not with the other. Thus, it is suggested that the L2 acquisition of intransitive verb constructions is constrained by universal principles, such as the Unaccusative Hypothesis and the UTAH.