The study reported in this thesis is a single-shot case study, which aims to provide a detailed description ofthe reading comprehension strategies used by fifteen student teachers ofEnglish from Indonesian- and Javanese-speaking backgrounds in the last year of their four-year Strata-One study at a university In Yogyakarta, Indonesia. These readers were above average among their peers in that their average indexes of grades in Reading and Speaking classes were 3.22 and 3,34 respectively, while the average indexes ofthe peer group were 271 and 2.63, respectively, out ofa scale of 0 to 400. In addition, while students in this university may complete their study by course work or by research, these readers were all enrolled as research students. As studying comprehension strategies involves complex issues, a multi-method approach is required, not only for breadth of coverage, but also to allow for a check on the validity of individual methods. To achieve the goal of the study, thinka1oud tasks, retellings, a reading comprehensIon test, indepth interviews and observations were employed to explore the strategies used. An analysis of the recorded data indicates that these readers used thirty strategies classified under five clusters: infomiation gathering, information processing, text interpretation, comprehension monitoring, and comprehension utilisation. In general, readers started gathering information by silent reading, interpreted the text by an inference or a paraphrase, and ended the task by making selfreflections relevant to the text. Most readers managed to identify problems when they occurred, and monitored their comprehension when they doubted their interpretation, as could be seen from their rereading the text or vocalising its pail(s). When direct interpretation was difficult, readers associated the text with prior knowledge or interrelated parts of the text, The readers in this study share characteristics of both poor and good native readers, in the sense that there was evidence ofgood strategy use butthe readers did not manage to maintain it consistently. As a result, even the successful readers were not able to maximise their potential. The implication is that in order to develop students into independent readers, strategy instruction should be part of and appropriately embedded in, the reading instruction. There is a need not merely to teach strategies as such, but rather to teach flexibility in strategy use. While there was sufficient evidence that thinkaloud tasks and their complementary methods worked to achieve the goals ofthe present study, similar studies with different cohorts are suggested for crosschecks.

Researchers' and educators' recognition of the positive/negative effects of tests on teaching and learning activities goes back at least four decades. However, this phenomenon, referred to as “washback” in the applied linguistic literature, has been examined empirically by only a few studies in the field of language testing. Even fewer have based their investigation into washback on an a priori theory outlining the scope and design of the study. This study examines washback as a phenomenon relating those factors that directly affect the test to those areas most likely to be affected by the test. The goals of the study are: (i) to investigate the existence and nature of the washback phenomenon, (ii) to identify the areas directly/indirectly affected by washback, and (iii) to examine the role of test context, construct, task, and status in promoting beneficial washback. Theoretically, this study conceptualizes washback based on the current theory of validity proposed by Messick (1989, 1996). It is defined as a phenomenon related to the consequential aspect of the test's construct validity and thus achievable, to a large extent, through the test's design and administration. Given this assumption, a conceptual and methodological framework is proposed that identifies “needs”, “means”, and “consequences” as the major focus areas in the study of washback. While the model recognizes tests of language abilities as instrumental in bringing about washback effects, it highlights an analysis of the needs and objectives of the learners (and of the educational system) and their relationship with the areas influenced by washback as the starting point for any study of washback. Areas most likely to be affected by the test as well as major variables that can potentially promote or hinder the occurrence of washback, are also delineated by the model. This theoretical framework is examined empirically in this study through a long-term multi-phase investigation conducted in different educational contexts (EFL/ESL), at different levels of proficiency (advanced/intermediate), with different tasks (oral/written) and different groups of subjects. The stages in the experimental part of the study correspond to the different phases of the theoretical framework underlying the investigation. The approach to data collection is both quantitative and qualitative. The results of the study indicate that positive washback can in fact occur if test constructs and tasks are informed by the needs of both the learners and the educational context for which they are intended. The extent, directness, and depth of washback, however, are found to vary in different areas likely to be influenced by washback. The areas most influenced by washback are found to be those related to immediate classroom contexts: (i) teachers' choice of materials, (ii) teaching activities, (iii) learners' strategies, and (iv) learning outcomes. The study also reveals that non-test-related forces and factors operative in a given educational system might prevent or delay beneficial washback from happening. Based on the theoretical assumption underlying the definition of washback adopted in this study, such consequences which cannot be traced back to the construct of the test are outside the limits of a washback study. / Graduate

No description available.

Class of 2006 Abstract / Objectives: To develop a glossary of words useful to pharmacists when counseling patients in Spanish and assess the usefulness of this glossary. Methods: This was a descriptive study using a questionnaire to assess the usefulness of a Spanish glossary developed to aid in counseling Spanish speaking patients. Pharmacy students from the College of Pharmacy were targeted to provide a formative evaluation by filling out a survey to evaluate the Spanish glossary. A mean usefulness score was calculated to determine if the Spanish glossary was useful. The data was divided into two groups based on the participants’ knowledge of the Spanish language to see if there was a difference between the groups. In addition, categorical descriptive data was analyzed. Results: The groups were very similar. There was no difference in how the groups rated the glossary. Over all, both groups liked rated the glossary highly. Most people had no suggestions for adding any vocabulary, and few changes were suggested. Conclusions: A Spanish glossary organized into sections on a single sheet of paper was found to be favorably rated in its usefulness by people with varying levels of Spanish knowledge.

The effect of constituent division of reading texts on ESL students was examined to note possible benefits to reading comprehension. An experimental group in each of three ESL proficiency levels was tested on a reading passage divided at the ends of lines at major constituent boundaries. Within each level, the experimental group was compared to a control group in three areas: reading time, test time, and test results. Results of the study do not support the theory that constituent division of reading texts could be beneficial to ESL students. The differences in reading time, test time, and test results of the experimental group and the control group in each level were insignificant.

No description available.

published_or_final_version / English Studies and Comparative Literature / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts

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

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