published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts

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Recent studies in language education have advocated the integration of language and content learning, assuming that classroom discourse will display appropriate formfunction relations. But Swain (1988) reveals that even good content teaching may result in classroom discourse where form-function relations are neither appropriate nor transparent, and calls for intentional teacher planning of classroom activities. Thus major areas for research are intentional planning for integration and functional discourse analysis. Approaches to the form-function analysis of discourse include register (Halliday 1985), genre (Martin 1992) and knowledge structures (Mohan 1990). All three provide a theoretical basis for functional discourse analysis and intentional planning. In this qualitative, eight-month study of Chinese as a foreign language and culture class for beginning elementary anglophone students, the teachers designed student tasks around knowledge structures, using graphic representations to mediate between language and content. Data included lesson plans, informal interviews, field notes, and discourse data from student interactions and written work. The discourse was analyzed lexicogrammatically with a view to form-function relations, particularly the formal realizations of knowledge structures. Major questions were: how were foreign language teaching and cultural learning intentionally organized around knowledge structures at the level of both curriculum design and classroom implementation? What systematic formfunction relations appeared in the discourse data. How are knowledge structures formally realized in the interactions and written work of young foreign language learners? The results throw light on the possibilities of systematic form-function relations in the classroom, the integration of language and content learning, and on further directions for intentional planning.

Provincial and federal government surveys and commissions have consistently reported that English literacy training for adults with no or limited English is urgently needed and that access to training is limited. The effectiveness of existing literacy training programs and instructional strategies at the adult level has not been well researched. However, at the classroom level literacy training can be easily compromised by instructional strategies that limit the concept of full-literacy by focusing ESL literacy instruction on survival, functional and skill-building reading experiences. English and second language reading research suggests that student self-selection of reading materials and a high exposure to text are effective means of increasing vocabulary knowledge and reading proficiency. This study examined the effect of an Extensive Reading program on reading proficiency and vocabulary knowledge for 2 classes (N=33) of adult low intermediate ESL learners enrolled in a 15 week English language training program at a large Canadian community college. This quasi-experimental treatment group participated in a reading program supplemental to their regular classroom reading instruction. Subjects met weekly with the researcher and self-selected reading material from a collection of graded readers. Data on the frequency of the students' reading, their preferences in reading topics and materials and self-evaluations of their first and second language reading abilities were tallied for subjects in both groups. No statistical significant differences were found for the treatment in the analysis of assessments of reading and vocabulary. However, the experimental group posted higher gains in the group mean score on reading proficiency than the control group. Analysis of the Reading Behavior Survey suggests subjects in both groups were low frequency readers (less than 5 hours of reading time in English per week) who generally evaluated themselves fair to good readers in L2 but good to excellent readers in LI. The inconclusive results for the effect of the treatment on reading proficiency and vocabulary acquisition implies the need for future studies on the effectiveness of extensive reading programs on literacy training in ESL programs where literacy in English is a concern for students and educators.

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The phonological comparisons between English and CJK vowels and consonants were provided for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean (CJK) singers with an effective means to sing English songs with proper diction. The phonological approach – describing the specific position of articulators – is a useful pedagogical tool for CJK singers. However, if voice teachers, whether they have taught CJK students or not, could share their strategies, it might help future CJK students and their voice teachers as well. Through the survey, which was conducted between April 2013 to May 2013 with members of the Great Lakes Region of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), the following research question was conducted: “What are the perceptions of voice teachers regarding English pronunciation difficulties among native Chinese, Japanese, and Korean students?” This is a convenience sample, but there is no significant difference from the other NATS regions among teachers. I do not believe that I would have received different results from other regions of voice teachers. In order to find solutions, not only should teachers be able to perceive the difficulties, but they also should be able to suggest training methods based on phonological analysis. I compared these two sources of strategies among speech pathologists and voice teachers. The survey results showed that the voice teachers in the Great Lake Region of NATS have considerable perceptions regarding the difficulties of the CJK students. Their teaching strategies focus on demonstrating the correct placement and shape of the articulators in various ways. With these strategies, if they add more specific exercises, which are found in the appendices of this dissertation, it would save time and enable CJK singers to have better enunciation. / School of Music

This study is concerned with teacher decision-making in the English as a Second Language classroom. Specifically, the study examines the impact of teacher beliefs and perceptions, context factors and second language theory on planning and implementation decisions for the ESL instructional context. Nine ESL teachers in three post-secondary institutions participated in this qualitative study. Data were gathered through classroom observations, postlesson conferences and interviews. These data were examined in terms of what instructional decisions teachers made and the factors that influenced these decisions from the individual teacher's perspective. Second, the data were analysed for internal consistency between stated beliefs and instructional decisions and external consistency between decisions and second language theory. In examining the role of the teacher in the ESL instructional context, this thesis contributes to both research and teaching theory in English as a Second Language. First, while regular classroom research has indicated that the role of the teacher and the ecology of the classroom are central to understanding the instructional context, ESL classroom studies have primarily focused on the learner, the learning process and language learning outcomes in this context. This thesis addresses this gap in the research by investigating the teacher's role in the ESL instructional setting and the factors that impact on teacher decisionmaking. Second, ESL classroom researchers have observed that theoretical ideas are implemented in various ways in the formal setting. While researchers have speculated on the reasons for teachers' eclectic use of theory in practice, there has been little exploratory research conducted to investigate this phenomenon. The findings from this present study indicate that teachers' instructional decisions are centrally influenced by both individually held beliefs about second language learning and teaching as well as experiential knowledge of the ESL classroom. These findings not only contribute to our understanding of the ESL instructional context from the teacher's perspective, but are also significant for the development of instructional theory.

This inquiry is a phenomenological exploration of the development of two student teachers undergoing their practicum experience in my secondary classroom. It examines the changes in identity that the student teachers underwent and how those changes came about. The goals motivating this inquiry were (1) to understand the process through which the transition from student teacher to teacher occurred, and (2) to understand what influence the people surrounding the student teachers, such as the cooperating teacher and the supervisor, had on the process. The analysis closely follows Wenger's (1998) work in Communities of Practice and Schon's (1983, 1987) work in Reflective Practice. The data consists of audio-taped de-briefing sessions attended by the student teachers and the cooperating teacher, the cooperating teacher's Reflective Log, and a student teacher's journal. The inquiry supports the idea that the practicum experience in and of itself is important in the dramatic change in identity that student teachers experience. Also important is the "close accompaniment" of student teachers by the cooperating teacher in order to enact the reflective dialogue by which student teachers learn to become teachers.

The objectives of this qualitative multiple case study are as follows: (a) identify the professional beliefs or representations of two student teachers before, during and after their last practicum in FSL (French as a second language) or in French immersion at a High School; and (b) study the evolution of these beliefs or representations during the student teaching period. / The investigation was conducted by means of semi-structured interviews: of two student teachers; of two associate teachers; of one university supervisor; and of the student teaching coordinator. Other data, taken from the portfolio of the two student teachers, were also analysed. The classroom actions of the two student teachers were observed on a daily basis (three teaching periods during seven weeks), alternating between the two student teachers. The data yielded by this observation were also examined. / The following conclusions were drawn: (a) the student teachers constructed a number of professional beliefs which were then reflected in their classroom practice; (b) social interactions with individuals and groups, personal experiences, former high school experiences, the training program and early field experiences were the basis of these student teachers' professional beliefs or representations; (c) some of the student teachers' beliefs or representations evolved as a result of their awareness of problems which were resolved through discussions and reflexive practice; (d) analysis revealed an inconsistency between certain beliefs or representations and their actualization. These findings were particularly significant in FSL and immersion classes where the two student teachers were in favour of a lot of interaction in view of promoting communicative competence. Yet, observation revealed a rather traditional teacher-centered approach oblivious of the learning process. The results of the research suggest that the evolution of the student teachers' beliefs or representations was impeded due to the lack of a more concerted, coordinated, rigorous support-oriented training program involving both the university and the associate school. / This study suggests a shared individual and collective responsibility of schools, universities and governments for improving the student teaching structure in view of more cohesiveness between all partners involved; a better articulation between theory and practice in the teacher training program; and efficient development of supervised reflexive practice.