Reading instruction in China and that in the United States are so different that they are not compatible. In fact, they seem to go in opposite directions. This study examined some of the differences between Chinese EFL reading instruction and American ESL reading instruction through analyzing selected tape-recordings of reading classes from China and the United States, and comparing Chinese EFL reading textbooks with American ESL reading textbooks. This study was intended to answer the following questions. 1. Is a bottom-up method of reading really taught in China while a top-down method is taught in the United States? 2. Compared with the ESL reading textbooks used in the United States, do the Chinese EFL reading textbooks have a larger proportion of exercises dealing with vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation and fewer items in reading skills? 3. Compared with the American ESL subjects, what are the strengths and weaknesses of the Chinese EFL subjects in reading comprehension in terms of recognizing main ideas, understanding direct statements and drawing inferences?

No description available.

Prompted by increasing demand in South Africa for the development of a focused but flexible English Second Language (ESL) curriculum at university level, this thesis contends that substantial theoretical under-pinning is needed for decisions on ESL course materials. Once the theoretical constructs are determined, a model based on a systematic approach to course design is proposed. It maximizes the individualization of experiential learning, despite the large numbers of students who take these courses, through a multi-form course structure offering four streams of study at three levels of difficulty. Entry is possible at the start of the year and at mid-year. The empirical research which forms the basis of the study is an analysis of the 1985 student group at the University of South Africa (UNISA). Several methods are used, including post-course questionnaires, diagnostic assignments and a detailed language and stylistic error count linked with a clause analysis of a sample of assignments and examination scripts. The model curriculum meets the contextually basic science requirements of a university course, within the parameters of response needed in regard to the ESL student profile determined by the needs and role analysis completed in Chapter 2. Model aims and terminal learning objectives are presented in Chapter 3 as the foundation on which the rest of the thesis is constructed, and include comprehension, applied composition, oral and aural skills, use of reference works, methods of thinking, and occupationally relevant specialist language. In Chapters 4 and 5, in-depth analyses of appropriate course content and methods emphasize the use of Afrocentric English literature in contemporary settings with appropriate readability levels, language in use in specified contexts, development of vocabulary, remedying incorrect usage, comprehension skills, composition skills, development of cognitive processes, oral and listening skills, and the purpose and place of grammar. The final chapters outline approaches to criterion-referenced assessment and evaluation, and suggest appropriate set works and criteria for their selection. The course materials aim at improving English communicative performance. The underlying principles used in developing this course design and its associated materials can be valuably extrapolated and applied at universities and other tertiary institutions. / English Studies / D. Litt et Phil. (English)

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study is to apply contemporary theories about language and language learning in a South African and Western Cape context in order to address the specific needs of isiXhosa second language learners in local government. This study explores the use of communication tasks for vocational language teaching. It aims at providing a sound theoretical foundation of second language learning principles that support a task-based approach to language teaching for specific purposes. The perspectives of a broad range of theories that view the learner as autonomous and a social individual are regarded. Second language learning is assumed to rely on some degree of access to Universal Grammar and an innate ability to acquire language. It is argued that controlled and purposeful learner-learner interaction provides the learner with the most opportunities to negotiate meaning and to develop effective communication. The role of instruction in second language acquisition is explored. A greater interface between second language acquisition theory and pedagogy is motivated and classroom research is regarded to form a platform for more open dialogue between the two fields. The study addresses practical issues regarding learner participation, error treatment, learning strategies and culture studies. A discussion of task types, examples of tasks and criteria for task development has the potential to inform and guide second language teachers and programme developers. In order to motivate the use of tasks in second language teaching for specific purposes, theoretical perspectives of the instructional task are reviewed and the properties of communication tasks and referential communication tasks are described. Learning tasks which focus on form and provide learning strategies and cross-cultural awareness are assumed to playa supportive role in the taskbased syllabus. Finally, a task-design that addresses the needs of the municipal worker is presented and provides a framework for developing task-based second language teaching programmes for local government workers. A range of target tasks are described and analyzed according to the principles and properties of communication tasks and possible move-structures and language structures are listed for consideration for learning tasks. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om huidige teorieë omtrent taal en taalleer in "n Suid-Afrikaanse en Wes-Kaapse konteks toe te pas ten einde die spesifieke behoeftes van leerders van isiXhosa tweede taal in plaaslike regeringsinstansies aan te spreek. Die studie ondersoek die gebruik van kommunikasie-take in beroepsgerigte taalonderrig. Dit stel ten doel die daarstelling van "n deeglike fondasie van beginsels van tweedetaalverwerwing wat "n taakgebasseerde benadering tot taalonderrig vir spesifieke doelstellings steun. Die perspektiewe van "n wye verskeidenheid van teorieë wat die leerder as outonoom en as "n sosiale individu beskou word in ag geneem. Tweedetaalverwerwing word beskou as afhanklik van "n mate van toegang tot Universele Grammatika en "n aangebore vermoeë om taal aan te leer. Daar word geredeneer dat beheerde en doelgerigte leerderleerder interaksie die meeste geleenthede bied vir onderhandeling van betekenis en die ontwikkeling van effektiewe kommunikasie-vaardighede. Die rol van onderrig in tweedetaalverwerwing word ondersoek. "n Hegter interaksie tussen tweedetaalverwerwingsteorie en onderrig word gemotiveer en klaskamer-navorsing word beskou as "n platform vir meer vrye-dialoog tussen die twee velde. Die studie spreek praktiese kwessies aan, soos leerder-deelname, hantering van foute, leerstrategieë en kultuurstudies. "n Bespreking van taaktipes, voorbeelde van take en kriteria vir taakontwikkeling kan moontlik van praktiese waarde wees vir tweedetaalonderwysers en programontwikkelaars. Ten einde die gebruik van take in tweedetaalonderrig vir spesifieke doeleindes te motiveer, word die teoretiese perspektiewe ten opsigte van die instruksionele taak hersien en die eienskappe van kommunikasie-take en verwysingskommunikasie-take beskryf. Leertake wat op vorm fokus en wat leerstrategieë en kruiskulturele bewustheid voorsien, word beskou as ondersteunend in 'n taakgebaseerde sillabus. Ten laaste word 'n taakontwerp voorgestel wat die behoeftes van die munisipale werker aanspreek en wat 'n raamwerk voorsien vir die ontwikkeling van taakgebaseerde onderrigprogramme vir plaaslike regeringswerkers. 'n Reeks teikentake word beskryf en geanaliseer volgens die beginsels en eienskappe van kommunikasie-take en moontlike struktuur-skuiwe en taalstrukture word gelys om vir leertake oorweeg te word.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The central aim of the study is to present a proposal of how academic literacy development across the curriculum in secondary school can be facilitated through the use of content subject texts in isiXhosa. This is demonstrated by making use of History texts, which can be incorporated in the isiXhosa Home Language (HL) subject for teaching the writing skills of academic texts. The Genre-based approach to literacy development, which has been employed with great success, especially in Australia, over the past thirty years, is assumed in presenting an analysis of the variety of genres exemplified by the History texts. The analyses of genres will be demonstrated by three texts selected from the grade 11 History textbook and the grade 11 assessment question paper, translated into isiXhosa, respectively. For example, genres such as chronological texts in which historical recounts are grouped into and non-chronological genres in which the factorial and consequential explanation genres are grouped under. The schematic structure of the selected genres is identified and related to the language system represented by the systemic functional linguistics. The study makes use of the method of text analysis and written discourse analysis within the genre framework underpinned by systemic functional linguistic for the data collection. The findings demonstrate that that the effective development of knowledge of language in the Home Language class through the use of texts from content subjects can play a crucial role in advancing academic writing skills, for both the Home language and History. Furthermore; the availability of resources in isiXhosa, teachers training and support on the implementation of genre-based approach underpinned by the systemic functional linguistics can enhance the understanding of genres across the curriculum and will in that effect, promote the use of African languages for academic purposes. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die sentrale doelwit van die studie is om ‘n voorstel aan te bied van hoe akademiese geletterdheid in die sekondêre skool gefasiliteer kan word deur die gebruik van inhoudsvaktekste in isiXhosa oor die kurrikulum. Hierdie doelwit word gedemonstreer deur die gebruik van Geskiedenistekste wat geïntegreer kan word in die isiXhosa huistaalvak vir die onderrig van skryfvaardighede van akademiese tekste. Die genre-gebaseerde benadering, wat met groot sukses in veral Australië gebruik is die afgelope dertig jaar, word aanvaar vir die aanbieding van analises van ‘n verskeidenheid genres soos vertoon deur geskiedenistekste. Die analises van genres word geïllustreer deur drie tekste wat geselekteer is uit die Graad 11 Geskiedenisteksboek en ook die Graad 11 assesseringsvraestel, vertaal in isiXhosa, respektiewelik. Byvoorbeeld, genres soos chronologiese tekste, waarin historiese herroepings (‘recounts’) gegroepeer word, en nie-chronologiese genres, waaronder die faktoriale en gevolg-verduidelikings-genres gegroepeer is. Die skematiese strukture van die geselekteerde genres word geïdentifiseer en in verband gebring met die taalsisteem soos gerepresenteer in sistemiese funksionele linguistiek. Die studie maak gebruik van die metode van teksanalise en geskrewe diskoersanalise binne die genre-raamwerk wat onderlê word deur sistemiese funksionele linguïstiek vir dataversameling. Die bevindings demonstreer dat die doeltreffende ontwikkeling van kennis van taal in die Huistaalvak en klasse deur die gebruik van inhoudsvak tekste ‘n belangrike rol kan speel in die bevordering van akademiese skryfvaardighede, in sowel die Huistaalvak as Geskiedenis. Voorts, kan die beskikbaarheid van leermateriaalbronne in isiXhosa, onderwysersopleiding en ondersteuning in die implementering van die genre-gebaseerde benadering waaraan die sistemiese funksionele linguistiek onderliggend is, die begrip van leerders van genres oor die kurrikulum heen verhoog, en dus die gebruik van die Afrikatale vir akademiese doeleindes verhoog. / isiXHOSA ABSTRACT: Injongo ephambili yesi sifundo kukuzisa ingcebiso kuphuhliso lolwimi ukuze lube kumgangatho wamaziko emfundo ephezulu, nophuhliso kwiKharityhulum ngokusebenzisa imibhalo kwizifundo ezingundoqo “content-subjects”. Oku kuza kuboniswa ngokusebenzisa okubhaliweyo kwimbali (history text), okunokuthi kufundiswe kwigumbi lokufundisa lesiXhosa njengolwimi lweenkobe, ukufundisa izakhono zokubhalwa kokubhaliweyo ukuze kube kumgangatho wamaziko aphezulu ezemfundo ukuya kumaziko emfundo enomsila. Indlela yokufundisa ekuphuhliseni ukufunda nokubhala esekelwe kokubhaliweyo ebizwa ngokuba “yiGenre- based approach” neye yasetyenziswa ngempumelelo enkulu, ingakumbi kumazwe afana ne-Ostreliya, kwiminyaka engamashumi amathathu eyadlulayo, ibonwa njengeyona isebenzayo ekuhlalutyeni iindidi ezahlukeneyo zokubhaliweyo ezibonakaliswa yimibhalo yezembali. Ukuphicothwa kwale mibhalo kuza kubonakaliswa ngemibhalo echongiweyo kwincwadi yebanga lethoba (ibakala leshumi elinanye) kwakunye namaphepha ovavanyo eli bakala nathe aguqulelwa esiXhoseni. Umzekelo: okubhaliweyo okubonakalisa indlela yokubhala apho kudweliswa iziganeko, izehlo eziyinyani nezo zifuna ingcaciso ephuhlisa isiphumo okanye isiganeko esithile, njalo njalo. Ubume bokubhaliweyo buza kuphichothwa ngokwendlela ulwimi olume ngayo ngohlobo olukhuthazwa yi“systemic functional linguistics”. Esi sifundo sisebenzisa olo hlobo lokuphicotha okubhaliweyo noluquka ukuphicothwa kokubhaliweyo okukhuthazwa yigenre, ingakumbi ekuqokeleleni idatha. Iziphumo ziphawula ukuba ukuphuhlisa ulwazi olusulungekileyo ngolwimi lweenkobe, lusetyenziswe ingakumbi kwiklasi yolwimi lwenkobe, kunganegalelo elikhulu ekuphuhliseni ukufundiswa kwezakhona zokubhala, nezokuhlalutya okubhaliweyo kwezifundo ezingundoqo “content subjects”. Obu budlelane phakathi kwezifundo zolwimi nezo zingundoqo zinganegalelo elikhulu ekuphuhliseni izakhono zokubhala ezikwizinga eliphezulu. Ngapha koko, ukufumaneka kwale mithombo ngesiXhosa, uqeqesho lwabafundisi- ntsapho nokubaxhasa ekufundiseni ngale ndlela ekhuthazwa yi-“genre ne-systemic functional linguistics” kunganefuthe elihle kwizifundo jikelele, nakuphuhliso kusetyenziso lweeLwimi zesiNtu njengeelwimi zokufunda nokufundisa kumaziko emfundo enomsila.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The writing of this thesis has been an attempt to respond to the problem of students who do not seem to be able to express themselves succinctly and clearly in English. Madadeni College of Education enrols students who have passed grade twelve, at least most of them have passed English. Their passing English at grade twelve presupposes that they can use English freely during the teaching and learning situation, for all courses are studied and presented through the medium of English. On realising this serious handicap the researcher decided to come up with something that can probably help contribute in shaping good prospective English teachers who will in turn teach many generations to come. There was decided on co-operative learning as the possible technique that can be used in higher education with the view to influencing students to use English practically. It needs to be stressed that co-operative learning is a learning technique or strategy (not a teaching method) that is used to make participants use English practically. The central problem of this thesis therefore is that students fail to express themselves clearly in English. This means the sample of sixty student participants who were drawn from the primary section of teacher training got involved in practical co-operative learning activities in order to practice English in small manageable co-operative learning groups. Co-operative learning is a special type of group work where each participant is given a specific function or task to do. Chapter 1 of this thesis explores the problem of the research and is followed by the hypothesis. The purpose of the research is spelt out that it is to examine and diagnose how co-operative learning can be used as an instrument for improving students' English-speaking skills through active and participatory learning. The research methodology, which uses a descriptive approach becomes part of this thesis. It outlines the activities that are part of this research. Student participants became involved in practical co-operative learning for three weeks. After these activities had been completed, a questionnaire was developed and constructed. The purpose of the study was to examine and diagnose how co-operative learning can be used as an instrument for improving students' English-speaking skills through active and participating learning. Student respondents or participants were respondents. Chapter 2 deals with a critical review of the literature which was completed mainly to identify possible solutions and effective ways to educate the next generations about the problem. Chapter 3 focuses on the research and the research methodology where a research design, which spells out the population sample, research procedures and the design of the questionnaire are central. Chapter 4 deals with the presentation, analysis, and interpretation of the results. As a penultimate chapter, the researcher is able to evaluate (from student participants' responses) the success or the shortfalls of the research. Chapter 5 focuses on the synthesis of findings, conclusions, recommendations and the conclusion of this research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die skryf van hierdie tesis was 'n poging om die probleem aan te spreek van studente wat dit moeilik vind om hulle duidelik en bondig in Engels uit te druk. Die meeste studente wat met die vereiste graad 12-kwalifikasie tot Madadeni Onderwyskollege toegelaat word, het ook in graad 12 in Engels geslaag. Dit veronderstel dat hulle tydens die onderrig-en-Ieerproses Engels met gemak behoort te kan gebruik, maar dit is ongelukkig nie so nie. Alle kursusse by genoemde kollege word deur medium Engels aangebied. Hierdie ernstige leemte ten opsigte van Engels waarmee die studente te kampe het, het die navorser gemotiveer om 'n bydrae te maak tot die ontwikkeling van goeie Engelse onderwysers wat vir vele toekomstige geslagte waardevolle onderrig kan gee. Daar is besluit om kooperatiewe leer in die navorsing te gebruik as In moontlike tegniek wat in hoër onderwys aangewend kan word ten einde studente aan te moedig om Engels te gebruik. Daar word beklemtoon dat kooperatiewe leer 'n leertegniek of -strategie is (nie 'n leermetode nie) wat gebruik word om deelnemers te motiveer om Engels in die praktyk te gebruik. Die kernprobleem waarmee hierdie tesis te make het, is dat studente hulle nie duidelik in Engels kan uitdruk nie. Die steekprroef van 60 studente wat vanuit die primêre afdeling van onderwyseropleiding getrek is, het betrokke geraak by praktiese kooperatiewe leer-aktiwitete, om sodoende in klein, beheerbare kooperatiewe groepe Engels te praat. Kooperatiewe leer is 'n spesiale soort groepwerk waar elke deelnemer 'n spesifieke funksie vervul, of 'n besondere taak het om uit te voer. Hoofstuk 1 van hierdie tesis ondersoek die navorsingsprobleem. Die hipotese volg daarop. Die doel van navorsing word uiteengesit, naamlik om te ondersoek en te diagnoseer hoe koëperatiewe leer aangewend kan word om studente se taalvaardigheid in Engels te verbeter deur aktiewe en deelnemende leer. Die navorsingsmetodologie, wat 'n beskrywende benadering volg, is deel van hierdie tesis, en dit skets die aktiwiteite wat deel uitmaak van hierdie navorsing. Deelnemende studente was vir drie weke lank betrokke by praktiese koëperatiewe leer. Daarna is 'n vraelys geïmplementeer. Die doel van die studie was die ondersoek en diagnose van hoe koëperatiewe leer as instrument gebruik kan word om studente se "engels-sprekende" vermoëns deur aktiewe en deelnemende leer te bevorder. Hoofstuk 2 is 'n kritiese oorsig van die literatuurstudie, wat hoofsaaklik gerig is op moontlik oplossings en effektiewe maniere om nuwe studente aan die probleem bloot te stel. Hoofstuk 3 belig die navorsing en die navorsingsmetodologie. 'n Navorsingsontwerp wat die steekproef, navorsingsprosedures en die vraelysontwerp uiteensit, staan sentraal. Hoofstuk 4 behandel die aanbieding, ontleding en interpretasie van die resultate. Uit die deelnemende studente se reaksie poog die navorser om die suksesse en tekortkominge van die probleemgebied te bepaal. Hoofstuk 5 sluit die tesis af met 'n sintese van die bevindinge, afleidings en aanbevelings van die navorsing.

published_or_final_version / Curriculum Studies / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

toc / English Studies and Comparative Literature / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences