No description available.

This diploma theses introduces case studies of bilingual children attending Czech School Without Borders, London (CSWBL) that focuses on their education in this supplementary school. The theoretical part determines the term bilingualism. The aim is to describe aspects of bilingualism in students of CSWBL and specifics of their education with consideration of their frequent mistakes. In one chapter we describe institutions providing education to bilingual children worldwide. Another chapter outlines curriculum of "Czech schools without borders", curriculum of CSWBL and worksheets used for classwork in CSWBL. We are aware that textbooks for bilingual speaker do not yet exist. Empiric part focuses on creation of educational materials for Reception and Year 1 classes, both based on curriculum of CSWBL. This material is used during the lessons and evaluated. We describe in total six Saturday lessons, which took place at school year 2015/16. The lessons were based on those materials we created. Whilst creating the education materials we got inspired by Czech language textbooks, Czech for foreigners textbooks, CSWBL archive and internet sources. Key words bilingvism, methodology, biculturalism, mothar tongue

This mixed methods study aimed to provide some validity evidence for the use of the ESL sociopragmatics test developed by Roever, Elder and Fraser (2014) for formative purposes. The test developers recommend further validation of the tool, originally developed for the Australian context. In this study, the test items were used to reveal areas of weakness in sociopragmatic knowledge in a group of learners of an academically oriented English Intensive Program in Canada. Analysis of the test scores revealed a lack of knowledge of norms of appropriateness and politeness in English, which was further targeted with an instructional unit informed by the items of the test. Two weeks after the instructional unit was delivered, the participants were asked to complete a follow-up questionnaire. The questionnaire results provided insight into the participants’ perceptions of usefulness of the instructional unit. The learners found explicit instruction on ESL sociopragmatics useful for their language learning experience as well as day-to-day interactions in English. Particularly, they claimed to feel more confident communicating in English after receiving explicit instruction on ESL sociopragmatics. They were able to use information from the lesson in situations such as talking to their language instructors, communicating with university personnel, and participating in service encounter interactions. Therefore, the test proved to have potential for developing instructional materials in an academic context. Based on the findings of the study, suggestions on incorporating sociopragmatic competence into the institution’s EAP curriculum were made.

Using transcribed data from six Spanish-English bilingual children (1;8 to 3;3) from the Perez corpus in the CHILDES database, this thesis examines Parental Discourse Strategies (PDS) used to influence child language use in a minority language context (Spanish in the United States). PDS (Lanza, 1992; 1997) are situated within a language socialization framework (Ochs & Schieffelin, 2011) and can be viewed as part of the emerging field of family language policy (King & Fogle, 2013; Schwartz, 2010). This study looked at the overall language use, including the frequency and complexity, of English, Spanish, and mixed utterances by each parent and child in the corpus. The presence and rate of use of the PDS was calculated, as well as their successfulness in encouraging the children to use the minority language, as measured by the language of response to each PDS found. These strategies have been placed on a monolingual to bilingual continuum (Lanza, 1992) based on their expected success in influencing a child to use the language preferred by their parent. Results from a descriptive quantitative analysis of the data at the group and individual levels generally support the Parental Discourse Hypothesis, that is, the claim that certain strategies are more effective than others. Interestingly, it was found that the more successful strategies were used less frequently by the parents, while the less successful ones were more common. This apparent contradiction can be explained by conflicting pressure on parents to promote minority language use while also keeping fluid communication and preserving family harmony. This is discussed and further supported by some qualitative observations of child responses within discourse samples, highlighting children’s role as agents capable of negotiating their own linguistic socialization.

A mini dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Education(Educational psychology) in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education, University of Zululand, 2007. / In KwaZulu-Natal and the wider South Africa, many learners are challenged in reading, writing and spelling. Aims This study aimed at evaluating bilingualism as a method of instruction, or means to improve the academic performance of second language learners, i.e. isiZulu speaking learners in KwaZulu-Natal classrooms. Methodology The research took the form of a field experiment and was limited to one school only, namely, the "Green School". The research paradigm took the form of a Pre-Test Post-Test: Before and After Randomised Control Group. This study is quantitative in nature and sampling is systematic by character. Sampling was executed by the method of random selection, where subjects from the Green School were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. Learners from Grades 4, 5, 6 and 7 were the participants in this research. The total number of participants in the study was N = 64, with 32 subjects being assigned to the control and the other 32 being assigned to the experimental group randomly. The subjects N - 64 were African learners whose home language was (i) isiZulu and (ii) Indian or Coloured learners whose home language was English. Both these groups were presented with vocabulary and comprehension pre-tests. The items listed on the vocabulary and comprehension subtests of the SSAIS-R were utilized to test the learners' knowledge and understanding of words. The SSAIS-R was utilized because it has been proved to be valid and reliable. Scoring was conducted as per requirements for scoring in the SSAIS-R on the vocabulary and comprehension subtests respectively. The experimental group was the subjected to one month of bilingual teaching, instructed by an isiZulu speaking teacher aide, who was proficient in and willing to teach bilingually in the experimental classroom. The control group was subjected to "English only" instruction. After one month the tester presented the learners with the same test material and posttest scores were obtained. VI n Data was then summarized and calculated using the factorial design and a table on the final analysis of variance was obtained. Results The results obtained, demonstrated that all F ratios were significant @ the 0.05 level for the Green School. It also verified that bilingualism as a method of instruction had improved the academic performance of second language learners viz. isiZulu learners in the Green School. Conclusion This has implications for reviewing and evaluating teaching and learning using bilingual instruction in South African classrooms. Recommendations It is recommended that bilingual instruction be introduced in the senior primary phase in schools. Since this study proved significant in the senior primary phase, it is recommended that a similar type of study be conducted in the junior primary phase in schools. A further suggestion is that in-service training be provided for all educators in bilingual modes of instruction, thus enhancing academic performance in second language learners. It should be compulsory for all student teachers to be trained in bilingual methods of instruction in teacher training tertiary institutions. This study can also be utilized to develop strategies for teaching in rural and peri -urban areas.

Controversy surrounds the idea that bilingualism leads to enhanced executive function (EF) and brain volume changes, potentially leading to delays in cognitive decline and dementia onset. The purpose of this research was to explore these claims in a sample of elderly monolinguals and bilinguals. This study explored gray matter volume (GMV) in 214 monolinguals and bilinguals (Mage = 71.21, SD = 7.53) who were cognitively normal (CN) or diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia. Neuropsychological performance was also examined between CN and MCI monolinguals and bilinguals (N = 153) across two visits. Scores from the Digit Span Backwards, Stroop interference, Trail Making Test A minus Trail Making Test B, and category fluency average scores were used. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain regions associated with memory, language, and EF were selected. Additionally, the study examined how a Bilingualism Index (BI) and the age of acquisition of English could predict GMV and EF in Spanish/English bilinguals whose native language was Spanish. Lastly, the initial age of cognitive decline across language groups was compared. Results suggested higher GMV in language and EF regions in bilinguals, but differences were not found in memory regions. Furthermore, neuropsychological performance over time did not vary across language groups; however, bilinguals exhibited reduced Stroop interference as well as lower scores on Digit Span Backwards and category fluency. The age of acquisition of English did not predict GMV or EF scores, while the BI predicted category fluency, with lower scores associated with a higher degree of balanced bilingualism. Overall, the influence of bilingualism appears to be reflected in increased GMV in specific language and EF regions relative to neuropsychological performance. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

博士(学術) / 甲第636号 / 186 p. / Hitotsubashi University(一橋大学)

No description available.

Department of English / PhD (English) / The study sought to investigate the role played by learners’ mother tongue, in the teaching and learning of English in secondary schools in Zimbabwe. Two secondary schools in Masvingo District were used as a case study. The study was informed by bilingualism, models of bilingualism and related theories such as Second Language Acquisition (SLA) and Communication Strategies. The selected communication strategy that was focused on is code-switching. This communication strategy reveals the important role that the learners’ L1 can play in learning English. The study, therefore, sought to gain insights into the beliefs of secondary school teachers and learners of English about the use of code-switching in the teaching and learning of English. The study also sought to investigate the ESL teachers’ perceptions on the relationship between code-switching and emerging varieties of English called New Englishes, as well as the teachers’ perceptions on the teaching of such local varieties of English. The inquiry adopted a qualitative research paradigm and focused on two purposively sampled secondary schools comprising one rural day, and one urban boarding school that also enrols day learners. It was the researcher’s belief that these schools would offer useful insights about the role of the learners’ L1 in the teaching and learning of English. The study employed three data collection tools, namely observation, interviews and focus group discussions. Ten Form One and ten Form Three English lessons were observed per school, to give a total of twenty lessons. The four ESL teachers whose lessons were observed at the two schools were interviewed. The researcher also held focus group discussions with a sample of a group of ten Form One and ten Form Three English learners per school. Thus, four focus group discussions were held. Data were analysed and presented qualitatively through identification of emerging themes, and through descriptions, narratives, direct quotes, and tables. Results show that the ESL teachers and learners who participated in the study code-switched from English to the learners’ L1 as a communication strategy and teaching and learning tool, mainly to foster understanding among learners and between the learners and their teachers, and for other communicative and social functions. Results also indicate that there was more code-switching at School B (rural day secondary school) than at School A (urban boarding secondary school), although the teachers’ and learners’ code-switching functions at the two secondary schools were by and large similar. It also emerged that the frequencies of the teachers code v switching differed from teacher to teacher, with Teacher A (urban boarding secondary school) code-switching moderately and Teacher B (urban boarding secondary school) code-switching minimally, while Teacher C and Teacher D (rural day secondary school) code-switched frequently. With regard to the learners, the study revealed that Class A learners (urban boarding secondary school) code-switched moderately during formal classroom exchanges with their teacher, but code-switched a lot among themselves. Class B learners (urban boarding secondary school), Class C and Class D learners (rural day secondary school), code-switched minimally during formal classroom exchanges with their teachers. However, as was the case with Class A learners, they code-switched a lot among themselves. The teachers were largely tolerant of their learners’ code-switching although they showed awareness of the possible negative effects of learners’ code-switching in the learning of ESL. As for the learners, the majority expressed an appreciation of their teachers’ code-switching but there were also negative sentiments against the teachers’ code-switching. The inquiry also revealed that there was unanimous agreement among the four teachers that there is a relationship between code-switching and New Englishes. In addition, two of the teachers expressed the view that there is nothing wrong with teaching the local variety of English in the schools, while the other two said they preferred the teaching of ‘standard’ English. In light of the findings, the study recommends that language policy planners revisit the English-only policy in the school and consider adopting the endonormative rather than the exo-normative model of English for the education system. The study also recommends that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should hold workshops to sensitise teachers on how code-switching may best be employed as a teaching and learning tool. Furthermore, the study recommends that ESL teachers be guided by the Postmethod pedagogy, a sense of plausibility as well as the notion of relativism in their decisions on code-switching. In addition, the inquiry recommends that the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council be sensitive to aspects of the local variety of English rather than set exo-normative models. Finally, the study recommends that further research be done on code-switching in school types which were not included in the sample for the present study.

Bilingual language control refers to how bilinguals are able to speak exclusively in one language without the unintended language intruding. Two prominent verbal theories of bilingual language control have been proposed by researchers: the inhibitory control model (ICM) and the lexical selection mechanism model (LSM). The ICM posits that domain-general inhibition is employed in order to suppress the unintended language’s activation. The LSM posits that inhibition is not used; rather a lexical selection mechanism targets only the intended language’s words. In order to better test the theories’ hypotheses, I developed computational models to estimate participants’ reaction times when naming in blocks of semantically related pictures and in blocks of semantically unrelated pictures. For these tasks, the ICM model predicts that semantic interference will be abolished when bilinguals switch languages, while the LSM model does not. In Experiment One, English-Spanish bilinguals named pictures that were either semantically related to the previous four trials, or semantically unrelated to the previous four trials. Research indicated that language switching did not abolish priming effects, supporting the ICM. These results contradict conclusions found in previous literature. To reconcile this, another experiment was conducted. It was similar to Experiment One, except filler trials separated semantically related trials. Results showed that each time a semantically related neighbor was presented, naming latency increased by ~10ms regardless of language switching or number of filler items. It suggests that the existing literature mistook incremental learning effects as priming effects, and it demonstrates a need to incorporate theories of incremental learning into theories of bilingual language control.