Increasingly, government and educational institutions are turning to study abroad programs as one of the primary means of providing students with important cross-cultural and linguistic skills. However, because of constraints on time and financial resources most students participate in short term programs lasting approximately two months. Additionally, research regarding students’ linguistic and cultural growth in study abroad shows that some students gain far more from their participation than others. The purpose of this study was to examine the cultural and linguistic learning that takes place in short-term programs and discover some of the factors that predict students’ growth while abroad. This study examined the relationship between important factors such as students’ level of cultural sensitivity, students’ relationship with their host family, motivation to learn the language, the amount of time students’ spent interacting with native speakers, as well as students’ oral language skills during a seven-week study abroad program. Surveys were used to measure each of the variables except for students’ oral language skills. To measure changes in oral skills, the researcher created an innovative instrument in which native speakers rated clips of student speech in the target language from before and after their time abroad. As found in previous research, students varied greatly in the amount of progress made in oral language skills and cultural sensitivity while abroad. However, students generally demonstrated small, but significant improvements in their oral language skills, despite the brief nature of their program. Further, the instrument created to measure growth in oral language skills showed high reliability. Interestingly, students’ level of cultural sensitivity prior to going abroad predicted changes in oral language skills. These results provide support for students’ participation in short-term study abroad programs since students generally experience noticeable improvements in language skills. They also suggest that students who are more culturally sensitive may have an advantage in language learning during study abroad programs. These results could be helpful for administrators in determining who may benefit most from such programs and may suggest that helping students gain cultural sensitivity could also aid students’ language learning. / text

This study focused on the relationship between reading comprehension and academic achievement of grade 10 learners in the learning area Language and attempted to address the following primary research question: What is the relationship between the reading comprehension of grade 10 learners in their first and second language and their academic achievement in the learning area Language ? The researcher also addressed the following secondary questions: Is them a significant difference between Afrikaans and Sesotho-speaking learners regarding their achievements in reading comprehension (first and second language) and the learning area Language (first and second language)? Is there a significant difference between male and female learners regarding their achievements in reading comprehension (first and second language) and the learning area Language (first and second language) ? A total of seventy-seven (77) grade 10 learners for whom English is a second language were included in this study. The learners' reading comprehension abilities in the first language (Afrikaans and Sesotho) and the second language (English) were tested and correlated with their achievements in the learning area Language (first and second language). The reading comprehension and language achievements of Afrikaans and Sesotho-speaking learners respectively and male and female learners were compared. Resulting from the findings of this study, the following conclusions were made: A significant relationship exists between the reading comprehension of grade 10 learners in their first and second language and their academic achievement in the learning area Language. There is a significant difference between Afrikaans and Sesotho-speaking learners regarding their achievements in reading comprehension (first and second language) and the learning area Language (first and second language). There is a significant difference between male and female learners regarding their achievements in reading comprehension (first and second language) and the learning area Language (first and second language). / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

The present thesis tries to approach the issue of foreign language acquisition and foreign language didactics approaches. The main theme of the work is socio-cultural competence in teaching Czech for foreigners. It also states the issue in a broader context. Following is a detailed analysis of that term and its definition in a social frame of reference levels for Czech A1. The main part comprises of individually assessed five selected textbooks of Czech for foreigners. The analysis is carried out based on own criteria which have been determined in accordance with the required components of the socio-cultural competencies according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and J. Průcha methodologies. In the final part of the thesis is made mutual comparison of books with regard to the extent of helping to deepen and develop the student's knowledge in terms of socio-cultural competence. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

Listening with comprehension, one of the basic language skills, is an essential part of teaching Czech as a foreign language. Even though this skill is very important, it is usually not given sufficient attention. This master thesis examines how listening is processed in selected popular textbooks which are, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Language, designed for basic users on level A1 and A2. Based on a critical analysis of textbooks, the output this thesis is the design of several types of listening tasks created with the support of theoretical knowledge based on the literature processed in the introductory part of the thesis. At the same time, it seeks to fill in the gaps in existing listening tasks which are presented in current teaching materials.

Language education permeates all nursery school activities. Theoretical part of this thesis is devoted into three parts: developing the language skills of preschool children, speech and language development in preschool children at home and in the nursery school, the proper development of speech at all language levels. I deal with the processing of language education in the current curriculum for preschool education, language competence, which should preschool child handle before attending primary school. I clarify the terminology, language education and the development of pre-reading skills, I give reasons for the importance of education before a child learns to read. I emphasize to familiarizing children with the book, the correct speech pattern of nursery school teachers. At the end of my work I deal with speech and learning disability dyslexia. In the practical part of my thesis I demonstrate created project of the development of language education which permeates controlled and free activities in a nursery school. In the project I want to show you how I have practically developed language and pre-reading skills of children before attending primary school.

Ce travail a pour principal objet d’étude la dynamique sociale développée dans le cadre des activités d’apprentissage des langues en ligne en contexte institutionnel. En s’appuyant sur les propositions faites par la théorie de l’activité, cette thèse présente une analyse de la finalité, du cadre instrumental et du cadre social de l’activité d’apprentissage des langues en ligne en contexte institutionnel et de leur évolution dans le système de l’activité.Cette recherche fournit également une méthode d’analyse permettant d’évaluer l’impact de différents types de tâches et d’environnements virtuels d’apprentissage sur l’intensité de la dynamique sociale développée au sein des groupes d’apprenants d’une langue en ligne en contexte institutionnel. La méthode d’analyse utilisée s’appuie aussi bien sur l’analyse quantitative des traces écrites des communications/productions des apprenants que sur l’analyse du contenu de ces traces.Nous montrons qu’il est possible de développer une dynamique sociale de communauté virtuelle au sein de groupes d’apprenants d’une langue en ligne en contexte institutionnel. Le développement d’une telle dynamique est favorisé par la mise en œuvre de tâches d’apprentissage des langues et d’environnements virtuels d’apprentissage permettant l’action sociale authentique dans des cadres sociaux qui dépassent le cadre formel de l’institution éducative. / Drawing on the proposals made by the activity theory, in this study, we considered learning as a conscious act directed toward a goal. This goal can be achieved through the use of appropriate artifacts and the participation of the individual within a social community. In this perspective, we studied the purpose, the instrumental framework and the social framework of online language learning activities in institutional context and their evolutions in the activity system.We showed that the evolution of the purpose of the act of language learning (development of language competence) inevitably involves the evolution of educational artifacts (language learning tasks), that of technical artifacts (virtual learning environments), as well as the nature of the social dynamics of the learning activity.We particularly focused on social dynamics developed in online language learning activities in the institutional context. In this perspective, we conducted a field study to analyze the intensity of the social dynamics developed through three learning activities involving three different combinations of tasks and virtual environments. The results of the field study confirmed the theoretical foundation of our thesis. Indeed, the types of tasks and virtual learning environments that we presented in the theoretical part as consistent with learning through authentic social action proved to promote significantly more intense social dynamics in the specific context of our field study.

This thesis's aim is to unite the worldschooling information available, show different educational models in various countries where it would be the easiest to execute for Czech families, suggest an advancement and an example of such education. Further on detect its benefits and weaknesses. The main contribution of the thesis lays in the comparison of the obvious benefits such as unworldliness, overview, or extensive progression in the field of language or geography as well as the negatives of such upbringing such as uprooting, instability or social isolation. Later on the latent advantages and disadvantages shall arise from the research part which will be focused on interviews with families already practising worldschooling. To meet the goals, specialized literature will be used, prevailingly a foreign one, most of all however using naratives. KEY WORDS socialization, worldschooling, language skills, travel, pedocentrism, alternative education, unschooling, Illich, homeschooling

Submitted by Silvana Teresinha Dornelles Studzinski (sstudzinski) on 2015-10-21T11:56:06Z No. of bitstreams: 1 KELI RODRIGUES RABELLO_.pdf: 4906797 bytes, checksum: f7e8e3191a238a960a142467264ec2ce (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-10-21T11:56:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 KELI RODRIGUES RABELLO_.pdf: 4906797 bytes, checksum: f7e8e3191a238a960a142467264ec2ce (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-06-17 / OBEDUC/CAPES - Observatório da Educação / A necessidade do contínuo desenvolvimento de metodologias de ensino de língua materna capazes de transformar as práticas de linguagem dos alunos e de promover as relações interdisciplinares de conhecimento, de acordo com o que preconizam os documentos oficiais como os PCNs e o OCEM, constituem, de forma geral, o contexto social no qual se originam as motivações para o desenvolvimento desta pesquisa. Sendo assim, o foco central da ação investigativa desta pesquisa está no processo de didatização de um gênero de texto (cuja prática social fomenta a interdisciplinaridade) que se dá, nesta pesquisa, por meio de um dispositivo de ensino chamado de Projetos Didáticos de Gênero (doravante, PDG) que viabiliza o ensino de língua através de gêneros de texto, desenvolvendo as capacidades de linguagem dos alunos. Já a demanda pela interdisciplinaridade conduz ao estudo do gênero de texto ‘artigo midiático de divulgação científica’ (doravante, artigo MDC). Assim, este trabalho apresenta a aplicação de um PDG com enfoque no gênero artigo MDC com vistas a desenvolver as capacidades de linguagem dos alunos e a propiciar a aprendizagem interdisciplinar. Os principais aportes teóricos que sustentam as ações desta pesquisa situam-se nos estudos do Interacionismo sociodiscursivo (ISD), de Bronckart (2009; 2012; 2013), além dos estudos sobre as capacidades de linguagem, realizados por Dolz e Schneuwly (2011) e Cristóvão e Stutz (2011; 2013), sobre as Sequências Didáticas, também de Dolz e Schneuwly (2011); sobre os Projetos de Letramento, de Kleiman (1995; 1999; 2000; 2007; 2008) e sobre a divulgação cientifica e midiática de Charaudeau (2008; 2009; 2010). O processo metodológico pelo qual se realiza esta investigação consiste na pesquisa-ação e compõe-se de ações que vão desde o planejamento do PDG e sua aplicação em sala de aula à elaboração da ferramenta de análise de dados. A elaboração do PDG resultou em um projeto interdisciplinar chamado de ‘Jovens cientistas’ aplicado a uma turma de 2º ano do ensino médio da rede pública estadual do município de Sapucaia do Sul-RS e contou com a colaboração da professora de Biologia, a fim de estabelecer a interdisciplinaridade. A análise dos dados obtidos indica que a didatização de um gênero como os artigos MDC, por meio de um dispositivo de ensino de língua como o PDG, pode de fato desenvolver as capacidades de linguagem dos alunos e contribuir para a construção do aprendizado interdisciplinar em sala de aula. / The need for the continued development of teaching methods of mother tongue able to transform students' language practices and promote interdisciplinary relations of knowledge, according to advocating official documents as the PCNs and OCEM, are so Overall, the social context in which originate the motivations for developing this research. Thus, the central focus of the investigative action of this research is on didactization process of a text genre (whose social practice fosters interdisciplinary) that occurs in this research using a teaching device called Genre Didactical Projects (henceforth GDP) that enables the language of instruction through text genres, developing the students' language skills. However, demand for interdisciplinarity leads to text genre study ‘Media Articles of Science Communication'. This work presents the application of a GDP focusing on gender Article MDC in order to develop students' language skills and to foster interdisciplinary learning. The main theoretical contributions that sustain the actions of this research are located in Socio-Discursive Interacionism studies (SDI) of Bronckart (2009; 2012; 2013), in addition to studies on language skills, conducted by Dolz and Schneuwly (2011) and Cristóvão; Stutz (2011; 2013), on Teaching sequences, also Dolz and Schneuwly (2011); on literacy projects, Kleiman (1995; 1999; 2000; 2007; 2008) and the scientific and media disclosure from Charaudeau (2008; 2009; 2010). The methodological process by which it accomplishes this research consists in action research and consists of actions ranging from planning the GDP and its application in the classroom to the development of data analysis tool. The preparation of the GDP resulted in an interdisciplinary project called 'Young scientists' applied to a class of 2nd year of high school in a public school in the city of Sapucaia do Sul and with the collaboration of a Biology teacher in order to establish interdisciplinary.The data analysis indicates that the didactization of a genre as the Media Articles of Science Communication, through a language teaching device as the PDG, can indeed develop students' language skills and contribute to the construction of interdisciplinary learning in the classroom of class.

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