This study investigates the differences in receptive language of kindergarten children who are taught by different language systems. This study compares the effectiveness of the three most widely adopted oral language systems in the state of Texas. The systems used were (A) Alpha Time, (B) Beginning Readiness Kit; Beginning to Read, Write, and Listen Kits I and II, and (c) McMillan Series R, Bank Street, Threshold K. S. Analysis of variance techniques were used to analyze statistically pretest and posttest scores derived from the sample. The .05 level of significance was used throughout the statistical analyses for rejection or retention of the null hypotheses. Preliminary analysis of data determined no systematic bias for teacher variability or for within group variability. Hypotheses 1, 2, 3, and 5 were tested using a 2 x 3 analysis of covariance. The pretest was used as the covariant in this analysis. No statistically significant differences in the classroom mean scores were determined between teaching methods, teaching methods with only girls as subjects, teaching methods with only boys as subjects, and boys and girls. Hypothesis 4, concerning the pretest differences between boys and girls, was tested using a t-test for independent samples. No statistically significant differences were found. From the findings several conclusions can be drawn. The receptive language of kindergarten children can be expected to improve when taught by any of the three selected oral language systems. Boys do not need different oral language experiences from girls; therefore the sex of the children need not be a major consideration when an oral language system is selected. Other factors which need not be major considerations in the selection of an oral language system are the race and socioeconomic level of the children.

Objetivando tecer uma análise do processo ensino-aprendizagem de Língua Portuguesa em escolas do município de Japeri, abordando a premissa de que a variedade formal, embora difundida pela escola, não se efetivava nos textos escritos, cujo contrato de comunicação a exigisse, aventamos a hipótese de que a contradição entre ensino e aplicabilidade da norma era propiciada pelo emprego de estratégias da oralidade e pela falta de ensino normativo baseado nas variedades da língua. Buscamos comprovar nossa hipótese, analisando 136 dissertações de alunos do Ensino Médio, levantando as pistas lingüísticas denotadoras do fenômeno. Os resultados são apresentados nesta dissertação / This work aims to make an analysis of the learning and teaching process of Portuguese the public schools of Japeri, It will take account the premise that, however, standard variety of language have been taught in the schools, it was not present in the writing texts, in which their communication contract asked for it, we defend the hypothesis that the contradiction between teaching and applicability of the grammatical rules was occasioned by the use of oral strategies and the lack of standard teaching based on the varieties of the language. We want to prove our hypothesis by the analysis of 136 students essays in the secondary school level, in which we will look for linguistics signs that indicate this process. The results will be presented in this work

Objetivando tecer uma análise do processo ensino-aprendizagem de Língua Portuguesa em escolas do município de Japeri, abordando a premissa de que a variedade formal, embora difundida pela escola, não se efetivava nos textos escritos, cujo contrato de comunicação a exigisse, aventamos a hipótese de que a contradição entre ensino e aplicabilidade da norma era propiciada pelo emprego de estratégias da oralidade e pela falta de ensino normativo baseado nas variedades da língua. Buscamos comprovar nossa hipótese, analisando 136 dissertações de alunos do Ensino Médio, levantando as pistas lingüísticas denotadoras do fenômeno. Os resultados são apresentados nesta dissertação / This work aims to make an analysis of the learning and teaching process of Portuguese the public schools of Japeri, It will take account the premise that, however, standard variety of language have been taught in the schools, it was not present in the writing texts, in which their communication contract asked for it, we defend the hypothesis that the contradiction between teaching and applicability of the grammatical rules was occasioned by the use of oral strategies and the lack of standard teaching based on the varieties of the language. We want to prove our hypothesis by the analysis of 136 students essays in the secondary school level, in which we will look for linguistics signs that indicate this process. The results will be presented in this work

O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar a problemática da fala do aluno em aula de Inglês como Língua Estrangeira, por meio das opiniões de alunos e professores. O principal aspecto analisado foi o processo motivacional dos alunos para falar inglês em aula. As respostas foram divididas em oito categorias: o professor, as atividades, os outros alunos, o material didático, a própria personalidade do aluno, a avaliação, o ambiente de aula, a falta de conhecimento da língua estrangeira e outros fatores. No entanto, as razões por que o aluno estuda inglês, as opiniões sobre a distribuição da fala em aula entre alunos e professores e as possibilidades de intervenções que estes utilizam de maneira consciente para estimular os alunos a falar em inglês durante a aula também foram analisadas. Para tanto, foram desenvolvidos e aplicados questionários em 125 alunos, jovens e adultos, que estudavam em Cursos Livres em um Centro de Idiomas da cidade de São Paulo. Ao mesmo tempo, 4 professores da mesma instituição também responderam questionários similares, desenvolvidos de maneira específica para esta pesquisa. Os resultados principais foram a grande diversidade de possibilidades para o processo motivacional do aluno e a importância atribuída ao professor como um estímulo para eles falarem em aula. Conseqüentemente, é necessário que o professor conheça seus alunos (interesses, objetivos, gostos, experiências) por meio de uma comunicação significativa em sala de aula, de modo a compreender o seu processo motivacional. Além de conhecer os alunos, os professores de Inglês devem utilizar estratégias específicas com o objetivo de incentivá-los a falar em aula. A maioria dos professores estudados afirmou utilizar o estímulo direto por meio de questões e debates e a conscientização do aluno sobre o processo de ensino-aprendizagem como estratégias de estímulo à fala. Quanto aos obstáculos para falar em aula, a personalidade do aluno foi o fator mais citado, devido à timidez e ao medo de errar. Além disso, todos concordaram com a idéia de que os alunos devem falar uma quantidade de tempo ligeiramente superior à dos professores durante a aula. Por fim, foi observada na população pesquisada uma clara predominância da motivação instrumental. / This dissertation analyses the students speech in English as a Foreign Language classes, according to the opinions of students and teachers. The main analyzed aspect was the students motivational process to speak English during the class. The answers were divided in eight categories: the teacher, the class activities, the other students, the course material, the students own personality, the assessment, the class environment, the lack of knowledge about the foreign language and other factors. However, the English students learning goals, the opinions about class speech distribution among teachers and students and the strategies intentionally used by teachers to encourage their pupils to speak English during the class were also studied. For that, self-report questionnaires were developed and applied to 125 young adult and adult students in eligible EFL programs in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Also, 4 teachers from the same institution answered similar questionnaires, specifically developed for this study. The main results were the huge diversity in the students motivational process and the importance attributed to the teacher as an encouragement for them to speak during the class. Consequently, it is necessary for teachers to know their students (interests, goals, likes and dislikes, experiences) through meaningful interaction in the classroom in order to understand their motivational process. Besides knowing their students, the teachers used specific strategies to encourage them to speak during the class. Most teachers surveyed said they used direct stimulation through questions and class discussions and tried to make students aware of their learning process as strategies for speech encouragement. The students shyness and fear of making mistakes were regarded as the most frequent obstacles to speak during the EFL class. Besides that, everybody agreed that the students should speak a little more than the teachers in the class. Finally, the instrumental motivation was predominant among the studied population.

A presente pesquisa situa-se na Ãrea da EducaÃÃo Infantil e buscou conhecer as prÃticas e as concepÃÃes de professoras de creche em relaÃÃo ao desenvolvimento da linguagem oral das crianÃas. Assim, procuramos apreender as compreensÃes das professoras sobre o desenvolvimento da linguagem oral das crianÃas com as quais trabalham; conhecer o papel que as professoras atribuem a si mesmas, no desenvolvimento da linguagem oral das crianÃas; identificar as prÃticas realizadas nos diversos momentos da rotina pela professora que interferem no desenvolvimento da oralidade das crianÃas; analisar a qualidade dessas prÃticas. Respaldamos este trabalho nos estudos de Piaget (1983; 1986; 2009), Vigotski (1998; 2007; 2008) e Wallon (1995; 2007; 2008) sobre a importÃncia do surgimento da linguagem oral e o papel desta no desenvolvimento integral e nas interaÃÃes dos sujeitos; assim como nas discussÃes propostas por Bondioli e Mantovani (1998), Cruz (2011), Kishimoto (2011), Malaguzzi (1999), Oliveira-Formosinho (2011), acerca da formaÃÃo e da profissionalidade docente nesta etapa da educaÃÃo. A pesquisa de campo foi de abordagem qualitativa do tipo estudo de caso, realizada em uma creche municipal de Fortaleza que atende crianÃas de um a trÃs anos de idade. Utilizamos como instrumentos investigativos: a aplicaÃÃo de questionÃrio e realizaÃÃo de entrevista com as trÃs professoras e a observaÃÃo das suas prÃticas pedagÃgicas, durante trÃs meses. Adotamos como estratÃgias de registros o diÃrio de campo, fotografias, gravaÃÃo de voz e vÃdeo com a intenÃÃo de capturar as interaÃÃes das docentes com as crianÃas e das crianÃas entre si. Nessa pesquisa, constatamos que as docentes compreendem a importÃncia do seu papel no desenvolvimento da linguagem oral das crianÃas, porÃm, apenas uma delas garante um trabalho de qualidade com essa linguagem em suas prÃticas com as crianÃas. Identificamos que as docentes nÃo percebem que o desenvolvimento dessa linguagem acontece em todos os momentos da rotina, mesmo os que tÃm maior Ãnfase em aÃÃes de cuidado (alimentaÃÃo e higiene). Duas das professoras nÃo favorecem o desenvolvimento da linguagem oral das crianÃas, em suas turmas, ocorrem precÃrias interaÃÃes verbais entre docente e crianÃas. Este estudo destaca ainda que a temÃtica sobre o desenvolvimento da linguagem oral das crianÃas necessita de um olhar mais atento nas formaÃÃes (inicial e continuada) de professores, que devem ainda dar maior visibilidade Ãs especificidades do trabalho docente com as crianÃas de zero a trÃs anos de idade, que vivem, cotidianamente, uma parcela significativa de tempo em instituiÃÃes de EducaÃÃo Infantil.

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the preliminary validity of a newly developed dynamic assessment of narrative language in Mandarin Chinese. Two studies are reported in this thesis. Study 1 included 31 second grade participants and Study 2 included 43 first grade participants. All participants were enrolled in a Chinese immersion program in an elementary school in Utah. A dynamic assessment of narrative language was administered to each participant in Mandarin Chinese. A teacher rating was also included in Study 1. Results indicated that the dynamic assessment investigated in this thesis demonstrated some similar characteristics with other valid dynamic assessments of narrative language. As hypothesized, participants in Study 1 made gains from pretest to posttest after the teaching phase. Gain score from pretest to posttest and static teacher rating did not significantly correlate with modifiability rating. Modifiability rating and posttest score were significantly correlated in both studies. There is also no significant group difference between the participants in Study 1 and Study 2 on modifiability rating. These results are promising. However, more research will need to be conducted to further examine the dynamic assessment due to the limitations of the current studies.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a combined narrative and expository language intervention on third graders' oral language. The participants included 96 third-grade students from two schools in the Mountain West region of the United States. In a quasi-experimental design, all third-grade students in one school (n = 46) were assigned to a treatment condition and all third-grade students in another school in the same school district (n = 50) were assigned to a control condition. Both treatment and control groups received large group oral narrative language intervention led by classroom teachers. The treatment group received additional large group expository language intervention led by the investigators. At posttest, students' narrative retells were analyzed for story grammar and language complexity. Primary and generalized expository outcomes were also analyzed for text structure and language complexity at posttest. Performances of the treatment and control groups were compared using ANCOVA across all measures. The results indicated that the control group and the treatment group did not have statistically significantly different narrative outcomes. However, the treatment group did make statistically significant improvements in expository text structure and some features of expository language complexity across both the primary and generalized expository measures when compared to the control group. This early efficacy study demonstrated the effects of a combined narrative and expository language intervention on expository language of third-grade students over and above narrative language intervention alone. It is possible that a dual focus on narrative and expository oral language instruction will not only impact students' oral language, but also reading comprehension and writing. Future research with a stronger experimental design should investigate the effect of narrative and expository oral language instruction on such distal outcomes.

No description available.

The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of a multi-tiered oral narrative language intervention on kindergarteners’ oral and written narrative and oral expository skills. The participants included 686 kindergarten students from four school districts in the upper Midwest. They were randomly assigned at the classroom level to a treatment or control condition. The treatment group received large group (tier-1) oral narrative language instruction led by classroom teachers and followed the Story Champs procedures. Students whose oral narrative retell skills did not improve after one month of large group instruction were placed in small groups and received more intense oral narrative language instruction in addition to Tier 1 instruction. Tier 2 instruction followed the Story Champs small groups producers and was administered by speech-language pathologists. At posttest, students’ narrative retell, personal story generation, narrative writing, and expository retell scores were analyzed. The treatment and control groups were compared across all measures. The Tier 2 treatment group was also compared across all measures to matched samples of at-risk, average, and advanced students in the control group. The results indicate that the treatment group made significant improvements across all measures when compared to the control group. Tier 2 students consistently performed similarly to or significantly outperformed their at-risk, average, and advanced peers across all measures with the exception of expository retell. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a multi-tiered oral narrative language intervention in improving the narrative and expository language skills of kindergarten students. Future research is needed to determine the effects of implementing an explicit expository oral language intervention on kindergarten students’ language skills.

The purposes of this study were 1) to ascertain the effectiveness of puppets with instructional media in oral language development of culturally disadvantaged first-grade children, and 2) to derive the implications of this effect for instructors, teachers, and volunteers working in programs for the culturally disadvantaged child.