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In recent years, KSL (Korean as a second language) education has developed together with the rising status of Korea in the international community. In the context of KSL, the number of foreign students has increased dramatically by virtue of Korea??s growing status. Most learn the Korean language for academic purposes and successful reading is an important key to success in their academic setting. The purpose of this study is to examine the types of reading strategies employed by intermediate KSL learners when reading Korean texts. The study also attempted to examine similarities and differences in the use of reading strategies according to the variables of gender, nationality, text genre, and reading proficiency and to investigate the results of data analysis by multiple research methods, namely, reading strategies questionnaires/follow up interviews, think aloud protocols, and diary studies. The results of the study indicated that the participants employed all of the defined reading strategies. In particular, participants concentrated on dealing with cognitive strategies and support strategies. Furthermore, most participants employed ??focusing word?? strategy frequently owing to the effect of orthographic similarity. In addition, some participants used multiple reading strategies simultaneously rather than a particular single strategy to cope with a breakdown in comprehension. This study found no meaningful overall differences in strategy use according to the variables of gender, nationality, and text genre. However, skilful readers employed every reading strategy actively compared with less skilful readers with regard to the variable of proficiency. There were some discrepancies of results among multiple research methods. These differences are due to the characteristics of each research method. This finding suggested that in fact the multiple research methods serve to complement each other. Implications are discussed in relation to the significance of multiple research methods as well as the construction of KSL reading strategy training programs.

Research into how learners acquire second language has established that there are developmental stages but has not established the nature of variation within these stages. On the basis of a longitudinal study of the speech of six learners acquiring English as a Second Language (ESL), this thesis investigates the proposals which have been made about variation in stages within the paradigm established by the Multidimensional Model (MDM). Of particular interest is the variational option hypothesis in Processability Theory (PT), the theoretical framework of this thesis. The findings indicate that these variational options and the variational features are not satisfactory in three main respects. They are based on a theoretical construct which makes problematic assumptions about the learner’s knowledge of the second language, they do not reliably predict variation and they exclude important aspects of variation. This thesis proposes a new approach termed ‘developmental style’ which suggests that learner orientation at each stage can be defined in terms of a learner’s lexical or grammatical orientation. The findings demonstrate support for the developmental hypothesis and show that learners are consistent in their particular developmental style at the different stages investigated. The results indicate that learners vary in terms of their general grammatical development at any stage. This study also finds that language background, gender and task are variables which need to be controlled (informally) in order to demonstrate developmental styles. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of two teaching strategies, memorization and improvisation, on ESL (English as a second language) students’ oral proficiency and how they perceived the strategies and the activities used in the classroom. Participants were 16-year-old nursing students in a Taiwan medical college. They had learned English for at least three and a half years before joining the study, but most of their previous learning was focused on reading and writing. They were divided into three groups, experiencing a memorization strategy, an improvisation strategy, and a strategy combining memorization and improvisation respectively. Data were collected from their oral pre-test and post-test, perception questionnaire, perception interview, college-wide satisfaction survey and in-class observation. Data were analysed in both quantitative and qualitative ways. The results showed that each of the strategies had significant positive effects on students’ oral acquisition, but the improvisation group performed significantly better than the memorization group, and the memorization group did better than the combination group. However, the satisfaction and perception surveys showed that participants preferred the combination strategy to the improvisation strategy, and the improvisation strategy was preferred to the memorization strategy. The finding also showed that participants’ initial oral language levels made no difference on the rate of oral improvement. The high-level and intermediate students demonstrated no difference in their preference for the two strategies, but the low-level students showed significant preference for the memorization strategy. In terms of the teaching activities, participants preferred task-based activities to discussion activities, and activities involving multiple people were preferred to monologues such as storytelling and news reports. Nevertheless, preference made no difference on participants’ oral improvement. Based upon the insight gained from this study, pedagogical implications and for teaching oral language were developed and suggestions for future research have been recommended.

There is awareness and concern in Japan that the process of teaching and learning English as a foreign language in the school system does not produce students who can communicate in the target language. This is especially true of communication in the spoken mode. Attempts have been made to move towards more communicative language teaching, despite constraints such as large class size, compulsory use of structurally-organized textbooks, and grammar-based university entrance examinations. However, such attempts do not seem to have been particularly successful. The purpose of this study is to suggest modifications to the teaching of English in upper secondary schools in Japan which could enable students to develop their communicative competence and also to consider implications for the assessment of spoken communication. Chapter I describes the scope and background of the study. Chapter II looks at the teaching of English in upper secondary schools in Japan, discussing aspects such as the place of English in the total school curriculum and constraints on the introduction of spoken communicative activities. Chapter III discusses the theory and practice of the Communicative Approach to Language Teaching in the English teaching context in Japan. Chapter IV offers suggestions for incorporating spoken communication in English lessons at upper secondary school level. In Chapter V, the problem of assessing oral communicative performance is considered in practical terms. The final chapter highlights major constraints and points to recent developments which may give an impetus to a move towards more communicative teaching of English as a foreign language in Japanese schools. It is intended that this Study Report will provide guidelines for the feasible introduction of spoken communicative activities in large classes at upper secondary level and that it will offer practical suggestions for assessing students' performance in such activities.

Stress and intonation play important roles in the production and perception of the English language. They are always very difficult for second language learners to acquire. Yet, a review of literature reveals that these important suprasegmental features have not received due attention from second language researchers or teachers. In Vietnam in particular, there is no research to date which studies the stress and intonation errors in the performance of Vietnamese learners of English. This study uses the procedures of Error Analysis to investigate the problem. Chapter one and two give a review of relevant literature and a description of the methodology of the study. In chapter three, the students' stress and intonation errors are described and classified, and the possible sources of those errors are discussed. Finally, chapter four shows implications and makes suggestions for the improvement of teaching and learning English stress and intonation.

The demands imposed on teachers who are L2 speakers of English, in the Teaching of English as a Second Language (TESL) have had far-reaching consequences. In these situations, the consequences are compounded when the teacher is a L3 speaker of English teaching English to students who are predominantly L2/L3 speakers. Such consequences were explicitly stated in a number of reports, reviews and observations (Elley, 1979; Chamberlain, 1987; Laws and Horsley, 1988; The Ministerial Taskforce, 1989) and others. Issues relating to quality of education and quality of English teaching were frequently addressed and questioned. The author's experience as a teacher of English, Head of the English Department at Titikaveka College and English Adviser for secondary schools led to a growing concern and need to delve into these problems at both the primary and secondary levels. In the absence of research in this important area, the author sought to conduct investigation in four schools. The author was further motivated to conduct research as a result of a number of recent changes within the education system. Major concerns were firstly, the introduction of the Grade 6 National Examination in 1991; secondly, the change-over from the South Pacific English Option paper to a full New Zealand English paper in the New Zealand School Certificate (NZSC) Examination in 1989; and finally, the introduction of the New Zealand Bursary Examination in 1992. The question foremost in the author's mind was how adequately were the schools equipped to implement such changes given an array of major constraints. In this study, it is hypothesised that, most of the problems related to TESL in the Cook Islands stem primarily, and mainly from the poor quality of teachers in the classroom. This does not deny the existence of problems which emanate from other factors which impact on TESL, such as the language policy and curriculum, the adequacy or inadequacy of teaching resources, and whether indeed they are appropriate and the kinds of teaching methods which prevail. These are all acknowledged as contributing factors. The argument presented in this study, is that, while these are contributing factors, they are considered not as important as the teacher factor. The thrust of this thesis recognises the teacher as the most important classroom resource, the "key" factor which ultimately determines the quality and indeed the success or failure of an education system. This is true in the particular context of the Cook islands where teaching-learning resources, by its broadest definition, are very limited. In terms of the quality of the teacher's resourcefulness, this in turn is determined by his/her level of education and the kind of training received. Underlying the thesis presented is the contention that if the teacher is well-educated and highly-trained, then teaching and learning for the child make the possibility of attaining Level IV, the highest stage in Beeby's paradigm more likely. That is, teaching which stresses meaning and understanding, problem solving and creativity and the catering of individual differences (Beeby 1966: 72). Needless to say, the converse is more likely to happen, where and when teachers have had very limited education, inadequate and inappropriate training. In accordance with the purpose as outlined in Chapter 1, this study comprises 6 chapters and a conclusion. Chapter 1 discusses the nature of the problem from a number of interrelated dimensions, which have to varying degrees impacted on the teaching of ESL in the Cook Islands. The chapter concludes by stressing the purpose and relevance of the study in terms of educational, economic and social significance. Chapter 2 reviews and discusses, from a historical perspective, the literature as it relates firstly to the teaching of English in the Pacific but more specifically the teaching of English in the Cook Islands. The chapter then discusses the theoretical development and research in the teaching and learning of ESL in an attempt to arrive at a theoretical framework. Chapter 3 presents the research instruments and procedures used to gather and analyse the data. In the main, office sources, classroom observations, questionnaires and interviews formed the basis for eliciting data. Chapter 4 draws together the major findings of the study. The limited size of the sample placed some restrictions on the analysis of results derived from this study. Nevertheless, the analysis identified some significant trends upon which conclusions can be drawn. The last two chapters, Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 deal with the interpretative aspects of the study with the intention of arriving at valid recommendations to the problems identified. In summary, the study found that the teacher in the Cook Islands context is the key factor in the process of teaching and learning of ESL. When the teacher is well-educated and adequately trained, then the possibility of quality teaching and meaningful learning becomes a reality for the student.

This case study was explored to determine effective error-correction/feedback methods for two ESL Korean children's writing (recounting task) in terms of accuracy, fluency and attitudes. Three different error-correction methods - written comments focusing on meaning by researcher (Case1), direct and global error-correction focusing on form by researcher (Case2) and self-directed error-correction using check lists by subjects (Case 3) - were applied over a period of 7 months. Thirty pieces of recount writing per subject were collected (10 pieces per case) and analysed by structured criteria of fluency and accuracy. Through participant observation, the subjects' changing attitudes were recorded in notes and video tapes. The results of the analysis showed that for Subject B, who was 7 years old and a more advanced writer of English than Subject A, self-directed error-correction using check lists (Case 3) was the most effective method in relation to both fluency and accuracy as well as attitude. Yet, for Subject A who was 5 years old and an early beginner in her writing, Case 1 seemed to be more effective in terms of fluency and attitude and Case 3 was likely to be more effective in terms of accuracy. In discussion, the method of error correction / feedback, the issue of ownership in children's writing including errorcorrection and the necessity of process writing were highlighted in the light of the whole context of the case study.

This study attempts to explore and to understand the use of computers in English language classrooms, in a Malaysian context. This qualitative study aims to investigate and understand the use of computers in English language classes in a secondary Smart School in Malaysia by examining the teaching situations and the types of activities carried out in the classroom. In order to understand the factors related to computer use, teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards the use of computers in English lessons were investigated. Using the perspectives from social constructivism, this study examines, this study also looks into classroom interactions to examine the English language learning opportunities for students. A combination of procedures was used for data collection. The data were collected using classroom observations, interviews, field-notes, document, learning diaries and classroom interaction transcripts. The data were analyzed using multiple analyses. This study use thematic analysis as one of the analysis method to examine the interviews, and observations field notes. This study shows that computers in the classroom can be beneficial as tools for facilitating learning English. This study also suggests that in order for the integration of computers in education to be a success the education system needs to be changed or to be adjusted. This study helps to explain the complexity of using computers in the teaching of English as a Second Language in order to fulfil the objectives of the English syllabus and the English curriculum in a Malaysian secondary school. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1229801 / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, School of Humanities, 2006

Thesis (M. A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.