Since the early 1980s, attitudes toward literature in English language teaching (ELT) have undergone two major changes. First, after a long period in which literature was essentially excluded from ELT, it began to be seen in a more favourable light. Second, literature began to be viewed more as a tool in ELT, rather than as the end towards which ELT students should be led. These changes in attitude have led to a surge of interest in literature in ELT, particularly in the context of Communicative language teaching (CLT). This study examines, in several ways, the nature and the extent of this renewed interest in literature. The study explores the evolution of these changes, and puts them in perspective by creating various classifications for current types of approaches to literature in ELT and CLT. It also investigates the degree to which interest in literature in ELT has moved from research and scholarship to actual practice among teachers. In addition, it attempts to extend literature's applications in CLT by experimenting with the use of literature in a domain of CLT generally regarded as unsuited to literature-based teaching: English for Specific Purposes (ESP). The study also offers a series of proposals through which further integration of literature and CLT can take place.

While translation in L2 learning/teaching has been viewed negatively since the 1950s in North America, in the late 1980s a re-evaluation of translation has begun (Duff, 1989). The purpose of this research is to explore text-level translation from the learner’s perspective, as this kind of research, at present, remains quite scarce (Krings, 1987). This study focuses on text-level translation as a useful component of second language (L2) learning/teaching. Adult L2 learners’ translation processes and performance are examined and contrasted with the same group’s Li and L2 writing performance. Twenty-two Japanese ESL students studying at a Canadian college performed three tasks individually (translation from Li into L2, Li writing, L2 writing), thinking aloud. Their writing samples were evaluated, and think-aloud protocols were analyzed, supplemented by interviews and text analyses. The data were analyzed with attention given to four recent cognitive theories of language learning: Cummins’ theories (1986) of cross-linguistic interdependence of cognitive academic skills; Schmidt’s “conscious attention” (1990); Swain’s “i+1 output” hypothesis (1985); and McLaughlin’s “restructuring” (1 990b). Findings: 1) The correlations of the quality of translation, Li writing, and L2 writing of L2 learners (whose Li writing skills are still developing) were not significant. 2) The learners’ conscious attention to language use was high in the translation task, but unexpectedly low in the L2 writing. Their language use was more sophisticated in the translation than in the L2 writing. 3) Some students preferred translation tasks to L2 writing tasks, expressing their views which were consistent with the “i+1 output” hypothesis. 4) Contrary to general expectation about student translations, the students did not translate word for word; they often restructured Li/L2 correspondences, and examples of “restructuring” were not limited to the word level. General conclusions: Cross-linguistic interdependence among translation, Li writing, and L2 writing was not confirmed clearly. However, there was evidence that translation processes prompted conscious attention, “i+1 output”, and restructuring, which some consider to be necessary for second language learning. Thus translation in L2 learning deserves a closer look as it provides potential opportunities for learners to learn a second language. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

Current foreign language pedagogy encourages a communicative approach to language learning. Instead of the reading and writing focus of the past, this communicative approach requires instruction in all skills, which include reading, writing, listening, speaking and having knowledge of associated cultures. A random sample of Florida foreign language teachers was surveyed to establish whether or not the goals and actual instructional practices were aligned. Respondents were asked to identify how much of a typical class period is dedicated to each of the five skills and how much of a typical unit test is dedicated to the same five skills. The findings showed that only the instruction and assessment of writing were aligned. Instruction and assessment of the other skills were unequal. A comparison of the means revealed that listening was actually instructed much more than assessed. The other means were similar, including writing. Reading was found to be the only skill that was assessed more than instructed. The variables examined in this study included the level of fluency, level of education, amount of experience of the teacher, available resources, amount of the target language used in the classroom, as well as demographic information. The interaction of the level of education and experience of the teacher was significant. Teacher gender was also significant, although the disparate gender groups made it difficult to compare means. The other variables revealed no statistical significance. Slightly less than half of the respondents stated that they do not believe that they include enough oral assessment as a part of instruction. They reported a lack of time, student resistance, class size, and unreliable technology as reasons for not including what they perceived to be enough oral assessment

published_or_final_version / Language Studies / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigated the comprehension and production of articles, quantifiers, binding relations and passive constructions as later developing constructions (LDCs) by 27 Grade (Gr) 1 monolingual Afrikaans-speaking learners with Afrikaans as language of learning and teaching (LOLT), 31 bilingual isiXhosa-speaking learners with English as LOLT and 31 monolingual isiXhosa-speaking learners with isiXhosa as LOLT in three non-fee-paying schools, each in a different low socio-economic status area, in the Stellenbosch area of the Western Cape Province in South Africa. The overarching aim of this study was to determine which LDCs these learners are capable of comprehending and producing at the start of Gr 1 and what progress they make in terms of these LDCs during their Gr 1 year. The English and isiXhosa LOLT groups were then compared on how they fared on the LDCs in their respective LOLTs in order to ascertain whether the English language proficiency of the English group is at such a level at the start of Gr 1 that they can, without disadvantage, undergo schooling successfully in English. Data were collected on articles, binding relations, quantifiers and passive constructions by using the informal language assessment instrument, the Receptive and Expressive Activities for Language Therapy (Southwood & Van Dulm 2012a), which makes use of picture selection- and pointing tasks for assessment of comprehension and sentence completion, picture description- and question answering tasks for assessment of production. The results showed that for the Afrikaans and English groups all four LDCs are indeed later developing and are only mastered after the end of Gr 1. For the isiXhosa group, quantifiers and passive production are mastered by the end of Gr 1. In terms of the language-in-education and teaching policy, the results show that the time allocated to listening to and producing language in Gr 1 is sufficient for children whose first language is also their LOLT, whereas it is not sufficient in the case of English additional language learners. The latter group made significant progress in all LDCs assessed, but still performed worse than their isiXhosa-speaking peers, for whom there was a match between first language and LOLT. The implication of the results are that (i) the Foundation Phase school curriculum should be refined so as to consider the needs of all Gr 1 learners, as learners enter Gr 1 with different language skills and different levels of preparation for the tasks which lie before them, (ii) teachers should be assisted to foster the development of language skills in additional language learners, and (iii) the institution of a universal Gr R year, which is free to those who cannot afford school fees, should be considered a necessity. Without ensuring that all children enter Gr 1 with an adequate language foundation on which literacy development can build, historical inequalities still present in South Africa will likely be perpetuated rather than systematically removed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die begrip en produksie van lidwoorde, kwantifiseerders, bindingsverhoudings en passiefkonstruksies as later-ontwikkelende konstruksies (LOKs) deur Graad 1 (Gr 1)-leerders. Die deelnemers was 27 eentalige Afrikaanssprekendes met Afrikaans as taal van leer en onderrig (TLO), 31 tweetalige isiXhosa-sprekendes met Engels as TLO en 31 eentalige isiXhosa-sprekendes met isiXhosa as TLO, in drie nie-skoolfondsbetalende skole, elk in 'n ander area met lae sosio-ekonomiese status in die Stellenbosch-omgewing in die Wes-Kaap Provinsie van Suid-Afrika. Die oorkoepelende doel van hierdie studie was om te bepaal watter LOKs hierdie leerders in staat is om te verstaan en te produseer aan die begin van Gr 1 en watter vordering hulle in terme van hierdie LOKs maak tydens hul Gr 1-jaar. Die Engelse en isiXhosa TLO-groepe is vergelyk in terme van hoe hulle gevaar het op die LOKs in hul onderskeie TLOs, ten einde vas te stel of die Engels-taalvaardighede van die Engelse TLO-groep op so 'n vlak aan die begin van Gr 1 is dat hulle sonder benadeling hul skoolopleiding suksesvol in Engels kan ontvang. Data is ingesamel oor lidwoorde, bindingsverhoudings, kwantifiseerders en passiefkonstruksies met die informele taalassesseringsinstrument, die Reseptiewe en Ekspressiewe Aktiwiteite vir Later-ontwikkelende Taalvaardighede (Southwood & Van Dulm 2012a), wat gebruik maak van prentseleksietake vir die assessering van taalbegrip en van sinsvoltooiings-, prentbeskrywings- en vraagbeantwoordingstake vir die assessering van taalproduksie. Die resultate het aangetoon dat al vier LOKs wel later ontwikkelend is vir die Afrikaanse en Engelse TLO-groepe en slegs bemeester word ná die einde van Gr 1. Vir die isiXhosa-groep is kwantifiseerders en passiefproduksie teen die einde van Gr 1 bemeester. Gegee die taal-in-onderwys- en onderrigbeleid toon die resultate dat die tyd wat toegeken is aan die ontwikkeling van luister- en taalproduksievaardighede in Gr 1 voldoende is vir kinders wie se eerste taal ook hul TLO is, terwyl dit onvoldoende is in die geval van Engels Addisionele Taalleerders. Laasgenoemde groep het beduidende vordering gemaak oor hul Gr 1-jaar in alle LOKs, maar het steeds swakker gevaar as hul isiXhosa-sprekende eweknieë wie se eerste taal en TLO ooreenstem. Die implikasies van die resultate is (i) dat die grondslagfase-skoolkurrikulum verfyn behoort te word met inagname van alle Gr 1-leerders se taalbehoeftes, omdat leerders Gr 1 betree met verskillende taalvaardigheidsvlakke asook verskillende vlakke van voorbereiding vir die take wat voorlê in Gr 1, (ii) dat onderwysers gehelp moet word om die ontwikkeling van taalvaardighede vir Addisionele Taal-leerders te bevorder, en (iii) dat die instelling van 'n universele Gr R-jaar, gratis vir diegene wat nie skoolfonds kan bekostig nie, as noodsaaklik beskou behoort te word. As daar nie verseker word dat alle kinders Gr 1 betree met ‘n voldoende taalbasis waarop geletterdheidsontwikkeling kan bou nie, sal historiese ongelykhede, steeds teenwoordig in Suid-Afrika, waarskynlik eerder voortgesit as stelselmatig verwyder word.

by Huang Xiao-hua. / Thesis (M.Ph.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1984 / Bibliography: leaves 152-157

Wan, Chun Ho. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-92). / Abstract also in Chinese; appendix C-G in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.1 / 摘要 --- p.2 / Acknowledges --- p.3 / Table of Contents --- p.4 / List of Tables --- p.6 / List of Figures --- p.7 / Chapter Chapter 1: --- Introduction --- p.8 / Chapter 1.1 --- Computer-aided Language Learning (CALL) Review --- p.8 / Chapter 1.2 --- Research Challenges --- p.12 / Chapter 1.3 --- Research Considerations --- p.14 / Chapter 1.4 --- Our Research --- p.17 / Chapter Chapter 2: --- Achievement Accumulation --- p.19 / Chapter 2.1 --- Achievement Motivation --- p.19 / Chapter 2.2 --- Considerations for Language Learning --- p.23 / Chapter 2.3 --- Achievement Accumulation (AA) approach --- p.25 / Chapter 2.4 --- Achievement Retention --- p.30 / Chapter 2.5 --- Research Questions --- p.33 / Chapter Chapter 3: --- Vocabulary Building --- p.35 / Chapter 3.1 --- Vocabulary Building --- p.35 / Chapter 3.2 --- Research Design --- p.40 / Chapter 3.3 --- Research Evaluation --- p.51 / Chapter 3.4 --- Preliminary Study --- p.54 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Vocabulary Accumulation --- p.55 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Individual Learning --- p.55 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Retention of Words --- p.56 / Chapter 3.4.4 --- Delay in Revision --- p.57 / Chapter 3.4.5 --- Number of Revisions --- p.58 / Chapter 3.4.6 --- Learning Efficiency --- p.58 / Chapter 3.4.7 --- Achievement Motivation --- p.59 / Chapter 3.4.8 --- Use of Dictionary --- p.60 / Chapter 3.4.9 --- Revision Reminder --- p.60 / Chapter 3.4.10 --- User Survey --- p.61 / Chapter 3.4.11 --- Case Study --- p.62 / Chapter 3.5 --- Discussion --- p.62 / Chapter 3.6 --- Summary --- p.63 / Chapter Chapter 4: --- Results and Discussions --- p.65 / Chapter 4.1 --- Comparative Experiment --- p.65 / Chapter 4.2 --- Quantitative Results --- p.68 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Vocabulary Accumulation --- p.68 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Revision Gain --- p.71 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Learning Time Spent and Attempt Made --- p.72 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Retention of Words --- p.73 / Chapter 4.2.5 --- Delay in Revision --- p.73 / Chapter 4.2.6 --- Number of Revisions --- p.74 / Chapter 4.2.7 --- Word Recognition Time --- p.75 / Chapter 4.2.8 --- Achievement Motivation --- p.76 / Chapter 4.2.9 --- Revision Reminder --- p.77 / Chapter 4.3 --- Qualitative Results --- p.78 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Pre-Questionnaire Results --- p.78 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Post-Questionnaire Results --- p.79 / Chapter 4.4 --- Discussion --- p.81 / Chapter Chapter 5: --- Conclusion --- p.84 / Bibliography / Appendix A: Questionnaire in Preliminary Study / Appendix B: Questionnaire Results in Preliminary Study / Appendix C: Pre-Questionnaire in Comparative Study / Appendix D: Post-Questionnaire in Comparative Study / Appendix E: Pre-Questionnaire Results in Comparative Study / Appendix F: Post-Questionnaire Results in Comparative Study / Appendix G: Newspaper Cutting