University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of English

This aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which writing skills offered in the one-year intensive English course and in the 75 hour course of Speaking and Writing Skills, prepare students for academic writing in the subjects which are offered through the medium of English. The study focused on first year Economics and Management.

<p>This study has been prompted by the negative remarks that lecturers make concerning the academic performance of students and the number of years they spend at the Eastern Cape Technikon before completing their diplomas. The aim of this study was to identify the kinds of strategies that English Second Language (ESL) students use to cope with English language writing tasks.</p> <p><br /> Academic writing requires a conscious effort and much practice in composing, developing, and analyzing ideas. Black students at tertiary institutions in South Africa face additional difficulty, especially when they have to deal with writing in English which is an unfamiliar language to them. This presents them with social and cognitive challenges related to second language acquisition. Since the black students do not often consider the social contexts in which L2 academic writing takes place, models of L1 writing instruction and research on composing processes are often found wanting in their L2 writing pedagogy. In this study, I argue that language proficiency and competence is the cornerstone of the ability to write in the L2 in a fundamental way. L2 writing instructors should take into account both strategy development and language skill development when working with black students. This is critical in South Africa considering the apartheid legacy and the deprived social conditions under which black students often live and acquire their education. Therefore, using critical discourse analysis and aspects of systemic functional linguistics, this study explores errors in written cohesion and coherence in relation to L2 writing strategies used by black students at the Eastern Cape Technikon. The study focuses on errors in the form of cohesive devices of referring expressions using topic development used by students. The aim was to explore the strategies used by black students to write coherent academic texts. Further, the study intends to scrutinize the grammatical devices of reference, through analyzing the forms of cohesive devices and theme development. A focus on the writing process as a pedagogical tool enables me to explore the relationship between the quality of students‟ academic writing and coping strategies used, and come up with a model of L2 writing (coping) strategies for academic writing at the Eastern Cape Technikon. I investigate the L2 writing process adopted by competent and non-competent black students in the process of producing coherent academic texts by comparing strategies that the two groups of students adopt.</p>

"August 2003" / Bibliography: p. [1-29] / xii, 210, [166] p. : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / This study examines engagement in English as a foreign language (EFL) literacy practices as opportunities for making meanings with texts and for learning English as a foreign language. The study also proposes practical implications for EFL instruction. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, School of Humanities, Discipline of Linguistics, 2004

The thesis The Picture of Polish and Poland in the Language Textbooks for Czech reconstructs the image of Poland and Polish in the textbooks, grammar and other language books, which are addressed to Czech recipients. The thesis is divided into a theoretical and a practical part. The theoretical part consists of three main sections, which are based on the secondary literature, the first focuses on the the linguistic picture of the world, the second deals with the stereotypes and the prototypes and the third aims at the didactics of foreign languages in the Czech and Polish background. The purpose of the practical part is, based on an analysis of selected topics, to create a coherent picture of Polish and Poland. The topics include, for example, the roles of a man and woman in the Polish family, the characteristics of the Poles, spending time, cuisine and eating, names and surnames, description of historical events etc.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:06:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JuliannyLDC_DISSERT_.pdf: 3161479 bytes, checksum: 74734718af7055c2b73e8785f664e4d3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-06-27 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico / You can see nowadays a more constant questioning about the validity and effectiveness of the practices of teaching reading currently introduced in elementary school. The intelligibilities generated from many voices, and built on the border between many consciences, it can contribute to understand and to some extent, alleviate skewed or outdated understandings about the teaching of reading and its goals in the school environment. By understanding the dynamics of these practices, which always need to be modified because of new social demands, we recognize the validity of working with the prospect of reading in its historical, social and dialogic dimension (Bakhtin, 1981, 2003). The Portuguese language textbook (LDP), in turn, being one of the fundamental bases of reading in school, makes a justified and necessary active production of knowledge about the theoretical and methodological conceptions that underlie the work with reading and on how that work is effectively routed. Our aim in this essay is precisely analyze reading activities in four Portuguese textbooks (Teacher s Manuals) for the 6th grade of elementary school, focusing on the proposed activities from a specific discursive genre, in this case, the comic strip. Through this research, we retrieve and list the goals that guide the development of reading activities in the LDP, and then verify a compliance or not of these objectives in directing the activities. Finally, we describe how the reading practices that involve the strip in the textbook can legitimize or reject the reading as an area of construction and circulation of meanings between socio-historically located subjects. We take account of studies on the nature and constitution of language (BAKHTIN, 1981, 2003, 2010; BAKHTIN/ VOLOSHINOV, 2006; SOUZA, 2002; GERALDI, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2006; ROJO, 2008a, 2008b, among others), as well especific studies about the activities in Portuguese textbooks (MARCUSCHI, 2010; BELMIRO, 2006; MENDON?A, 2006, among others) / ? poss?vel perceber na contemporaneidade uma problematiza??o cada vez mais constante quanto ? validade e efic?cia das pr?ticas de ensino da leitura instauradas, atualmente, no Ensino B?sico. As inteligibilidades geradas a partir de tantas vozes, e constru?das na fronteira entre muitas consci?ncias, contribuem para que se possa compreender e, de certa forma, amenizar compreens?es distorcidas ou j? ultrapassadas sobre o ensino da leitura e seus objetivos no ambiente escolar. Ao compreender o dinamismo dessas pr?ticas, que necessitam sempre ser modificadas em raz?o de novas demandas sociais, reconhecemos a validade de trabalhar com a perspectiva de leitura em sua dimens?o hist?rica, social e dial?gica (BAKHTIN, 1981, 2003). O livro did?tico de l?ngua portuguesa (LDP), por sua vez, sendo uma das bases fundamentais da leitura na escola, torna justificada e necess?ria uma ativa produ??o de conhecimentos sobre as concep??es te?rico-metodol?gicas que embasam o trabalho com a leitura e ainda sobre a forma como esse trabalho ? efetivamente encaminhado. Nesta disserta??o, nosso objetivo ?, justamente, analisar atividades de leitura em quatro livros did?ticos de L?ngua Portuguesa (Manuais do Professor), destinados ao 6? ano do Ensino Fundamental, tendo como recorte as atividades propostas a partir de um g?nero discursivo espec?fico, neste caso, a tira c?mica. Por meio desta pesquisa, procuramos recuperar e elencar os objetivos que norteiam a elabora??o das atividades de leitura nos LDP e, em seguida, verificar o cumprimento, ou n?o, desses objetivos no encaminhamento das atividades. Por fim, buscamos descrever como as pr?ticas de leitura que envolvem a tirinha no livro did?tico podem legitimar ou preterir a leitura como espa?o de constru??o e circula??o de sentidos entre sujeitos situados s?cio-historicamente. Para que pud?ssemos delinear melhor nosso objeto de pesquisa, optamos pela pesquisa documental de natureza qualitativa e levamos em considera??o estudos espec?ficos sobre a natureza e a constitui??o da linguagem (BAKHTIN, 1981, 2003, 2010; BAKHTIN/ VOLOSHINOV, 2006; SOUZA, 2002; GERALDI, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2006; ROJO, 2008a, 2008b, entre outros), como tamb?m estudos sobre as atividades de leitura no livro did?tico de l?ngua portuguesa (MARCUSCHI, 2010; BELMIRO, 2006; MENDON?A, 2006, entre outros)

Nesse estudo, abordamos o livro didático de Português como um acontecimento, devido à importância de seu caráter singular como evento concreto, o que significaanalisá-lo na perspectiva do movimento dialógico. A partir da abordagem enunciativo-discursiva, este trabalho coloca em destaque o tratamento dado ao gênero debate nos livros didáticos de Português do ensino médio (LDP-EM), aprovados no Programa Nacional do Livro Didático (PNLD/2015).Com base na teoria dialógica do discurso, especialmente nos conceitos de interação verbal, enunciado concreto, gêneros do discurso e entonação expressiva, discutimos como o debate é proposto neste nível de ensino e comoasatividades práticas interferem no processo de desenvolvimento da oralidade do aluno para que ele assuma uma postura reflexiva. As perguntas de pesquisaque nortearam esta tese foram: (i) Como os documentos oficiais orientam as atividades dos livros didáticos de português do ensino médio?;(ii) Como o gênero debate foi apresentado nesses manuais?; (iii) Como se dá ou não o trabalho efetivo para tomada de posição dos sujeitos no processo da atividade argumentativa no ensino médio? A seleção do corpus deveu-se a dois critérios: (1) obras aprovadas no PNLD 2015, programa em nível nacional de avaliação de livros didáticos, cujos avaliadores são pesquisadores de instituições públicas - em sua maioria - de nível superior; (2) coleções mais distribuídas para as escolas públicas brasileiraspelo fundo nacional de desenvolvimento da educação (FNDE). A análise tomou como base quatro coleções, que perfazem 71% do total entregue em todo território nacional,paradiscutir as atividades que mobilizam o gênero debate, com os objetivos de: (i) estabelecer os diálogos que essas atividades constituem com documentos oficiais; (ii) identificar as propostas de debate apresentadas no LDP-EM, evidenciando o que é priorizado nesse ensino; (iii) investigar se os sujeitos são chamados a se posicionar criticamente, desenvolvendo seu ponto de vista e assumindo sua voz em situação de debate. Os resultados apontaram, prioritariamente, dois aspectos: (a)algumas coleções valorizama situação de ensino formal do gênero debate; (b) outras tomam esse conhecimento como pressuposto para propor situações de uso concreto do debate, apresentando, como norte a temática a ser desenvolvida. As práticas de oralidade do LDP-EM revelaram que há um diálogo tênue tanto com o Edital de Convocação do PNLD 2015, quanto com as Orientações Curriculares para o Ensino Médio- OCEM (BRASIL, 2006), corroborando as indicações apresentadas oficialmente. A maneira formal como algumas atividades são apresentadas e os temas nem sempre polêmicos propostos, no entanto, apontam para um apagamento da voz discente e indicam a necessidade de uma reflexão sobre o papel docente na condução do trabalho efetivo. Na arena de vozes entre os documentos oficiais (OCEM, Edital de Convocaçãoe Guia de livros didáticos do PNLD 2015 ensino médio português) e as quatro coleções analisadas,o livro didático de português torna-se umacontecimento singular e único. E nele o gênero debate se concretiza como um diálogo nem sempre aberto, algumas vezes pronto à reelaboração. / In this study, we examine Portuguese language textbooks as an event, due to the importance of their singular character as concrete events, which means to analyze them from the perspective of a dialogical movement. Following the discursive-enunciative approach, this work emphasizes the way the genre debate is proposed in Portuguese language textbooks for High School (LDP-EM) approved by the National Program of Textbooks (PNLD/2015). Based on the dialogical theory of discourse, especially the concepts of verbal interaction, concrete utterance, speech genres and expressive intonation, we discuss how the genre debate is proposed in this teaching level and the way practical activities influence pupils process of orality development so that they assume a reflexive posture. Our research questions were: (i) How do official documents direct activities for Portuguese language textbooks for High School? (ii) How is the genre debate presented in these manuals? (iii) How does effective work happens or not regarding subjects taking a position in the process of argumentative activities in High School? Data selection followed two criteria: (1) works had to be approved by PNLD 2015, a national level program for evaluation of textbooks whose evaluators are mostly Public Universities researchers; and (2) collections had to be the most used by Brazilian public schools by the National Fund for Education Development (FNDE). We analyzed four collections, which means 71 % of the total distributed in the national territory, in order to discuss the activities that mobilize the genre debate, aiming at: (i) to identify the dialogues these activities may have with official documents; (ii) to identify the proposals for the genre debate presented in LDP-EM, showing up what is given priority in this teaching; (iii) to investigate whether subjects are called to assume a questioning position, developing their point of view and assuming their voice in debate situations. The results pointed essentially to two aspects: (a) some collections value the situation of formal teaching of the genre debate; (b) others take this knowledge as given for proposing situations of concrete use of the genre debate, focusing on themes to be developed. LDP-EM orality practices showed that there is a tenuous dialogue both with PNLD 2015 Call Notice and with the Curricular Guidelines for High School - OCEM (BRAZIL, 2006), corroborating the indications presented officially. The formal way some activities are presented and the themes not always controversial proposed, however, point to silencing pupils voice and indicate the necessity of a reflection on the role of teachers in the development of the effective work. In the voices arena among official documents (OCEM, Call Noticeand Guide of Textbooks - PNLD 2015 Portuguese Language for High School) and the four collections analyzed, Portuguese language textbooks become a singular and only event. And in it the genre debate develops as a not always open dialogue, and sometimes ready to be re-elaborated.

No description available.

This thesis focuses on connotative meaning routinely ignored or difficult to locate in the available ESL textbooks and dictionaries. This perceived absence led to the following study: a review of ESL textbooks, a review of standard monolingual English and learner dictionaries, and a survey of ESL instructors.

Educational textbooks have the power to influence pupils’ perception of the world. In the subject of English, this specifically concerns learning about cultures in different parts of the world where English is used. The purpose of this study is to identify the characteristics of cultural representation in two English Language Teaching (ELT) textbooks with the aim to make the hidden curriculum visible and to raise awareness among publishing houses and teachers. Using a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) based on Fairclough’s (2001) three-dimensional model in combination with Barthes’ (1977) Visual Semiotics methodology, we investigated which regions and countries were presented and how their cultures were constructed through texts and images. These findings were further compared to the cultural values and content of the Swedish curriculum, the genre of textbooks, and existing hegemonic discourses in society. In the analysis, Kachru’s (1986) Circles of World Englishes, Machin and Mayr’s (2012) toolkit for CDA, McKay’s (2010) interpretation of Anderson’s (1983) imagined communities, and Said’s (2003) concept of Orientalism were applied. Our findings show that the inner circle dominates and is depicted as superior in contrast to the outer and expanding circles. Although the textbooks include a variation of different cultures which is in line with the curriculum, representation of the outer and expanding circles is often stereotypical and underdeveloped which reinforces hegemonic discourses instead of acting to restructure them. This corresponds to previous studies in the genre, and hence, educators must work to ensure that the hidden curriculum in ELT textbooks is continuously made visible and challenged.