The purposes of this study were to 1) explore student attitudes toward the English-only environment in an intensive English program, and 2) find factors that either promote or inhibit students' desire to use English in their communication with compatriots in school. Qualitative research methods employed were a) a student questionnaire (with a total of 158 participants), b) semi-structured interviews with students (total 6 participants), and c) four student focus groups (with a total of 62 participants). The study was conducted at the English Language Center (ELC) at Brigham Young University. The participants were students of four native language groups (Spanish, Korean, Portuguese, Chinese) and varied levels of proficiency. The findings indicate that the majority of the students acknowledged the helpfulness of the English-only environment at the ELC, but recognized some factors that prevented them from speaking only English in the school building. These factors were grouped into five categories: sociocultural, linguistic, individual, psychological, and institutional. The sociocultural factors included peer pressure, fear of negative evaluation by compatriots, cultural communication patterns, maintaining friendship with compatriots, and need for cultural bonding. The linguistic factors included low language proficiency, difficulty in understanding teachers' assignments, translating habits, and linguistic differences between English and students' L1. The category of the individual factors consisted of the intensity of motivation and personality type. Lack of confidence, stress from speaking English, and fear of having a different personality when speaking English were categorized as psychological factors. Finally, the institutional category included physical factors (number of students of the same L1 in school/class, distance from the university campus), teacher factors (teachers' ability to motivate students, other teachers' characteristics [being sensitive to students' cultures, understanding students' individual circumstances, the ability to establish a rapport with students]), and curricular and administrative factors (poor enforcement of the English-only rule, weaknesses of speaking classes, lack of activities that promote interaction with students from other countries). This study provides a deep understanding of the reasons why many students speak their native language once they leave the English classroom. Based on these findings, recommendations regarding the development and modification of curricula in order to improve the language-learning environment at English institutions are offered to classroom teachers and program administrators.

This study investigated the social networks developed by language learners and their relationship with perceived changes in the learners' fluency in the context of an intensive English as a second language (ESL) program. Using data from the Study Abroad Social Interaction Questionnaire (SASIQ) to determine SN development and native speaker ratings to determine perceived fluency, a simple linear regression to test the relationship between social network variables and fluency gain, as well as a hierarchical regression measuring (a) the combined effect of variables previously found to be significant in fluency gain, and (b) the additional joint effect of the remaining social network variables. We found that participants were successful in developing complex social networks, and that their oral fluency did increase significantly in connection with their social networks. Density (the average number of people listed in a social group) was the most important factor when only social network variables were considered. In the hierarchical regression, initial proficiency level and the percentage of native English speakers in the network were the most significant of the established variables in the first step, and overall size and density were the most important of the added social network variables in the second step.

Academic vocabulary is an important determiner of academic success for both native and non-native speakers of English (Corson, 1997; Gardner, 2013; Hsueh-chao & Nation, 2000). In an attempt to address this need, Coxhead (2000) developed the Academic Word List (AWL)—a list of words common across a range of academic disciplines; however, Gardner & Davies (2014) identified potential limitations in the AWL and have more recently produced their own list of core academic vocabulary—the Academic Vocabulary List (AVL). This study compares the occurrences of the AWL and AVL word families in an intensive English program (IEP) corpus of 50 texts to determine which list has the best overall coverage, frequency, and range in the corpus. While the results show a strong presence of both lists in the IEP corpus, the AVL outperforms the AWL in every measure analyzed in the study. Suggestions for instruction and future research regarding these lists are provided.

This study focuses on how applying MCII, a wish-fulfillment and goal-setting method researched by Gabriele Oettingen, benefits the quantity and quality of English language learners' (ELLs) social networks while participating in a study abroad program in the United States. This is done by instructing participants in the use of MCII, giving them weekly reminders on that instruction and the goals they set, and by measuring change from beginning to end. Analyzing the social networks of 36 English language learners at an intensive English program (IEP) after 14 weeks of instruction shows that the ELLs displayed growth in the number of ways they met new people and in the depth of their relationships. This study also shows although learners who used MCII largely perceived it positively and noted using it in their lives, there was no significant difference between that group and those who did not use MCII in terms of proficiency development.

The present mixed methods study looks at the impact of a specific self-regulatory framework (WOOP) developed within the domain of mental contrasting with implementation intentions (MCII), and its effects on the self-reported self-regulation of learners in an intensive English program in the United States over the course of one 14-week semester. The research, which includes a total of 187 participants, compares self-reported self-regulation between students who used the framework and those who did not, and the impact the tool has on the different proficiency levels involved in the study. Furthermore, following a sequential explanatory design, the study aims to examine the participants' impressions on the value of this self-regulatory strategy. The quantitative data show that, despite the lack of significant difference between groups, there are meaningful differences across levels of proficiency. Individual interviews with select participants also reveal a general acknowledgement of the value of goal setting and planning in language learning, whether via MCII or not. In summary, MCII and a focus on self-regulation instruction appear to be beneficial in the bigger scheme of ESL learning and teaching.

Intensive English Programs (IEPs) play an important role in helping speakers of other languages gain necessary language, cultural, and educational skills to succeed in an English-speaking environment (Hamrick, 2012; Toner, 2017). Previous research has investigated factors that influenced student choice of IEPs located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. (Williams, 1994) and in California (Jones, 2013). This study identified factors that influenced ESL students who chose to further their English language education at IEPs located in the western United States. Particular influences that were probed included program, location, student services, and marketing factors. Moreover, this study examined the previously uninvestigated relationship between factors that influence student choice and the size of the program in which students enroll. A Qualtrics survey was used to gather data and was modeled on the questionnaires of previous studies investigating IEP students' choice of program (Jones, 2013; Williams, 1994). Results indicated that with regard to program factors, participants highly valued IEPs that provided an intense learning experience, were well respected, and had excellent teachers. Location factors of greatest importance were the safety of the school and community, and the good reputation of the city where the program is located. Students perceived that the most important student services that programs offered were academic or personal counseling, immigration services, and out of class activities. The marketing factors that were rated highest in importance were the program's website, referrals from former students, and the ability to communicate online with the school. A surprising finding was that social media appeared to be of minimal to moderate importance in influencing students' decisions, but of the platforms investigated, Facebook was identified as the most influential. Implications of these findings are then discussed for program directors of IEPs seeking to attract new students as well as maintain and grow their respective programs.

The present study looks at how utilizing mental contrasting with implementation intentions (MCII), a form of self-regulation, impacts the social networks of English language learners’ in a study abroad (SA) setting. Over 100 English language learners (ELLs) form the treatment and control groups for this study. This research compares the social network measures between students who used MCII and those who did not over the course of one 14-week semester in an intensive English program in the United States. It also examines students' perception of this self-regulation strategy. Additionally, the impact of MCII on students who are in their first semester of the program versus returning students is compared. The quantitative data show that the most meaningful differences between the control and treatment groups are in terms of social network size and intensity, with MCII students having more and closer social relationships with English speakers by the end of the semester. When comparing new and returning students who used MCII, new students show meaningful and significant gains in thesize, intensity, and density of their social networks. A survey of students’ perceptions toward MCII reveal that over 67% of participants agreed that this strategy was beneficial, which they expound on in entries to writing prompts given throughout the semester. In summary, MCII appears to be beneficial in helping ELLs in their social network development on SA, especially those who are first-semester students.

No description available.

With the new curriculum at the English Language Center (ELC) at Brigham Young University (BYU) including a program focused specifically on preparing students to succeed in academic institutions wherein the language of instruction is English, a need for a systematic approach to vocabulary instruction was identified. Specifically, the Academic Program focuses on the Academic Word List (AWL) in order to provide a broad base of words that can best prepare students for the academic world. This project followed the ADDIE model (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate) to craft a systematic approach to developing vocabulary learning activities. An analysis of existing gaps in the Academic Program's vocabulary learning objectives, along with an examination of teachers' attitudes and understanding, was conducted. A similar need was also proposed as existing in many Intensive English Programs (IEPs) around the world. This was followed by research into effective principles of L2 vocabulary learning, through which four principles were distilled. These principles are: the use of a variety of strategies, multiple exposures to target words, practice that includes production, and the need for flexibility and practicality in the vocabulary activities. These four principles became the guiding principles in the development of a system for creating effective vocabulary learning activities. This system and many suggested activities comprise a guide, or set of specifications, that can be used by teachers at IEPs, with a specific eye to the ELC to effectively, and with little extra effort, create and utilize their own effective vocabulary learning activities.

abstract: The purpose of this study is to explore how internationalization is formed and operationalized in the Intensive English Programs (IEPs) at three Michigan higher education institutions. Drawing from Latour’s (2005) actor-network theory, this study examined the human and non-human actors involved in constructions of internationalization, which was defined as relational processes (programs and policies) that define and deliver international, intercultural, or global elements into the purpose, function and delivery of postsecondary education (Altbach, 2007; Knight, 2003). As an entry point into the study, I focused on the director of the programs and their mission statements, a written articulation of beliefs, as suggested by Childress (2007; 2009). To explore these potential networks, I utilized Comparative Case Study (Bartlett and Vavrus, 2016), which allowed for more unbounded cases; Actor-Network Theory (Latour, 1999; Latour, 2005) which allowed for agency among non-human actors that also coexist, transform, translate or modify meaning; and relational network analysis methods (Herz et al. 2014; Heath et al. 2009; Clarke 2005), which helped to explore and make sense of complex relational data. This was in the effort to construct an understanding of the “processual, built activities, performed by the actants out of which they are composed” (Crawford, 2004, p. 1). I mapped actors within each site who were performing their local and contingent processes of internationalization. The results indicate the formation of complex and far reaching webs of actors and activities that accomplish a form of internationalization that is highly localized. While each program under investigation responded to similar pressures, such as funding shortfalls via student enrollment declines, the responses and networks that were created from these constraints were wildly different. Indeed, the study found these programs engaged in international activities that enrolled various external actors, from campus departments to local community groups. In engaging in relational connections that moved beyond their primary instructional purpose, English language instruction and cultural acclimatization, the IEPs in this study were able to 1) contribute to the internationalization of university departmental curricula, 2) serve their communities in dynamic and impactful ways and 3) develop their own sense of internationalization in a university setting. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Learning, Literacies and Technologies 2020