This dissertation aimed to achieve two goals. First, it investigated the effectiveness of a Web-Based Reading Instruction Program to teach reading strategies to college-level ESL students. In particular, this study examined how such a program may help ESL students learn and practice reading strategies, and develop the academic reading skills, as well as the necessary skills to interpret literary works they are exposed to in their freshman composition courses, in order to improve their overall reading comprehension, strategy use, and reading efficiency. Second, it explored the potentials and limitations of using a web-based program for teaching reading strategies. The subjects of this study were 22 ESL adult university learners enrolled in a freshman composition course at the University of Arizona. The results of the Nelson-Denny Standardized Reading Test and the Reading Comprehension Tasks used to measure students overall reading comprehension or reading proficiency show significant differences before and after instruction. Significant differences were also found between pre- and post-treatment measures of the scores on the Reading Strategy Inventory indicating that as reading comprehension improved, strategy use was also affected in that students perceived themselves as using strategies more frequently following strategy instruction. Significant differences were found in the cognitive, memory, and affective areas of reading strategies. Qualitative analysis of the students' responses on the Reading Comprehension Tasks in terms of patterns of strategy use revealed that students used cognitive, compensation, memory, metacognitive, and textual strategies more frequently after strategy instruction. Responses on these tasks after instruction also demonstrated a greater understanding of the texts and textual features. These results render strong support for the relationship between reading comprehension and strategy use. As reading comprehension improves, students use more strategies, more effectively, and more frequently. Results of the Nelson Denny Standardized Reading Test, Reading Comprehension Tasks, and Reading Strategy inventory, indicate that computer-assisted strategy training in general and task specific strategies has positive effects on the reading comprehension of ESL learners. Finally, the students' responses to a post-survey questionnaire were generally positive, indicating the beneficial effects of computer-assisted strategy training in the area of reading.

The objective of this research paper was to examine how, through the prism of student migration patterns, the domination of the English language is extended and entrenched. Using the example of Chinese students in South Africa, the paper explored some of the reasons that underpin South Africa's growing appeal as an international study destination. The research specifically focused on the period between 2002 and 2004 which witnessed Chinese students arriving in unprecedented numbers to pursue higher education in a post-apartheid South Africa.

<p>This research used diary studies and interviews with five Japanese learners of English to investigate the different affective, cognitive and social factors that affected their learning of English in Cape Town between 2004 and 2005. The findings of this study corroborate arguments put forward by Gardner that factors such as learning goals, learning strategy, attitude, motivation, anxiety, self-confidence and cultural beliefs about communication affect the acquisition of a second language and correlate with one another.</p>

The purpose of the study was to describe a family literacy program attempting to teach adult English language learners (ELL) the knowledge and skills that would allow them to support their children's learning at home. The methodology employed was a multi-case study. Fourteen adult participants were interviewed to gather information regarding the factors that influenced the adult participant's ability to support their child's learning prior to participation in the family literacy program. The study focused on the knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired in the literacy program and used to support their child's learning at home and the curriculum and instruction that the participants used to influence their child's learning. The methodology used to gather information included adult English language learner interviews, field observations, and contact analysis of lesson plans. The following conclusions were derived based on analysis of the data: 1. In the family literacy program that was studied, the only prior factor that appeared to influence the parent's ability to support their child's learning was the education level of the participant. 2. Pronunciation, conversation, listening, grammar and writing are are essential skills that ELL parents use to support their child's learning. Attitudes were directly affected by the participants' ability to master the English language in order to be able to guide their children through the U.S. educational system. 3. The curriculum supported the learning; however the instruction was vital to modeling the procedures for learning that the participants used to support their children's success in school. 4. Regardless of other factors such as marital status, occupation, and other variations in family background, all participants based their ability to support their child's learning on their own ability to master the English language.

No description available.

In this thesis the author presents a Web-based French language educational software system, French e-Flash Card (FFC), programmed using Intensional Markup Language (IML). The FFC site is, in some ways, a typical logic-based web application, which consists of a knowledge base of French grammar rules, a logic engine and a web based user interface. The FFC site is both interactive and dynamic, and incorporates Artificial Intelligence for French grammar. These special features, which distinguish FFC from most conventional language educational applications, are made possible by the intensional programming tool, IML, which allows rule-based markup in an intensional logic. The IML source files define whole families of pages indexed by parameters which specify, for instance, the particular subject matter, the degree of difficulty, and even the vocabulary choices and agreement constraints used to generate sample French sentences. This thesis describes the French e-Flash Card site, provides an overview of IML and defines a design approach for intensional programming which should enable web authors to find practical and systematic ways to program using intensional tools.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to investigate foreign language anxiety and beliefs about language learning of university students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) in mainland China. In addition, the relationship between foreign language anxiety and students7 beliefs about language learning was studied. A total of 175 first and second year university students participated in the study. A set of questionnaires consisting of the Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory (Honvitz, 1987), Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (Honvitz, 1983) and a background questionnaire were translated into Chinese and administered to the subjects. Several similarities and differences were observed between the Chinese subjects7 responses to the BALLI and those of American foreign language students (Honvitz, 1988), Taiwanese EFL students (Yang, 1992), Korean EFL students (Truitt, 1995), American students of French (Kern, 1995), American students of Japanese (Oh, 1996), and Turkish-speaking students of English (Kunt, 1997). The Chinese subjects in this study reported higher levels of foreign language anxiety than the subjects in previous studies. Two BALLI factors were found to be significantly correlated with foreign language anxiety: "the difficulty about language learning" (r = .544 p< .01) and "beliefs about foreign language aptitude" (r = -.255 p< .01), suggesting that Chinese EFL students who believe English is not a very difficult language and perceive themselves as having higher language aptitude in language learning tend to have lower levels of language anxiety. This study contributes to the understanding of EFL students7 beliefs about language learning, and the frustrations and difficulties they experience in foreign language classrooms.

D.Litt. et Phil. / This study argues that the Critical Language Awareness Perspective adds an essential dimension to language learning and teaching. It further holds that this dimension brings to consciousness both the learners’ and teachers’ critical awareness of language use. It is this awareness that exposes the non-neutrality of language as a medium of communication. The CLA perspective engages both language learners and teachers in questioning and responding to the common-sense assumptions that are linguistically mediated. It also helps them to critically use language to achieve their own objectives. Three of these could be to use language in order to progress well with their studies, find employment and to change their societal psychic and thinking for the betterment of the general public. In this way the CLA perspective assists in developing responsible citizenry. This study therefore examines whether the Critical Language Awareness Perspective is part of the English Second Language programme in grade eleven ESL classes in the Goldfields area. It begins by examining the literature that indicates that the CLA perspective is a significant component of the any language teaching and learning practice. It then examines the empirical data in order to confirm that the CLA perspective does not form part of ESL teaching and learning practice in the context under investigation. It finally suggests possible solutions that could be adopted to facilitate the incorporation of CLA in the ESL class.

The purpose of this study is to discover if there exists a difference between the perceived roles and functions of intensive English program (IEP) directors and what they actually are. The study is a partial replication of Matthies (1983). A total of 46 subjects participated in a nation-wide survey which asked the respondents to rate the importance of functions and skills in good job performance and in self-assessment of ability. The findings indicated that IEP directors rate the activities associated with administration higher in importance than teaching skills, yet rate themselves better at teaching overall. Additionally, the respondents have more and higher degrees in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics than previously seen by Matthies (1983).