This thesis investigates the effect on having a physical robot present to take the role of a teacher or exercise partner in a language learning exercise. In order to investigate this, an application was developed enabling a vocabulary exercise to take place in three different situations. In one situation a non-embodied voice would be the teacher, in the second situation an animated face on the screen in front of you would be the teacher, and in the final situation the teacher was move into the physical world by a robotic head with a 3D face mask. Initially one study on a vocabulary exercise with 15 participants was conducted. In order to gather more valuable data, the exercise was redesigned and conducted with another 11 participants.  The results from the user studies are interpreted to point towards a higher task motivation when working with a robotic head. / Denna uppsats undersöker påverkan av att ha en fysiks robot närvarande för att inta rollen som lärare eller övningskamrat i språkinlärning. För att undersöka detta utvecklades en applikation som möjliggjorde genomförandet av en övning av glosor framför en dator i tre olika situationer. I en situation var en icke förkroppsligad röst ledare för övningen, i en annan situation var ett animerat ansikte på skärmen ledare för övningen, och i det sista fallet var övningsledaren förflyttad till fysisk form genom ett robothuvud med en 3D-ansiktsmask. Inledningsvis gjordes en användarstudie med en vokabulärövning med 15 deltagare. För att samla mer data för diskussion strukturerades övningen om och genomfördes med 11 nya deltagare. Resultaten från användarstudierna tolkas som att man kan se en ökad motivation för uppgiften när man arbetar med robothuvudet.

Learning a language can induce anxiety among students. In addition, students can feel anxious when it comes to being tested on their language skills. Studies of goal attainment among health patients, students, and others have shown that self regulation through the model of Mental Contrasting with Implementation Intentions (MCII) can help participants reach their goals. In the current study, we sought to determine whether MCII could help learners better cope with anxiety when being orally examined in a second language. Specifically, we examined whether practicing MCII would lead to reductions in language test taking anxiety over time. We compared the levels of test anxiety in students before and after a six-week period where one group was taught MCII and another was not. MCII participants were instructed on MCII in weekly sessions and encouraged to apply it in testing and other situations in their daily lives. Both the MCII group and the control group were given speaking tests at the beginning and end of the six weeks, and anxiety levels were tested at each of these speaking tests. Anxiety was measured using two methods: a self-assessment, the Foreign Language Anxiety Scale, and a physiological measure of anxiety, saliva cortisol level. All students were interviewed by a trained speaking rater, and their cortisol levels were tested before and after the testing experiences at the beginning and end of the study period. We compared anxiety levels for the treatment (MCII) and control groups. Results showed that cortisol levels among treatment and control groups did not have a significant difference. However, the experiment group that had received MCII treatment reported lower levels of anxiety than the control. This suggests that MCII can lower the level of test anxiety perceived by students.

This essay presents research on the usage of pedagogical translanguaging in the teaching of English in lower primary schools in Sweden (grades F-3). The focus of the study is to research if and how pedagogical translanguaging is used in English teaching. The data was collected using a qualitative method. Through classroom observations, findings showed that the use of pedagogical translanguaging was recurrent in all six observations. The most common method of pedagogical translanguaging was the use of the first language to enhance pupils’ understanding and code-switching. This paper might help teachers that are struggling to uphold the old paradigm of target language only in foreign language learning but also opens up for a multilingual approach in other subjects.

Denna studie undersöker diskurser kring kultur och språkinlärning i Läroplanen för grundskolan, förskolan och fritidshemmet (Lgr11) i alla delar som rör grundskolans senare år och i alla ämnen utom språkämnen. Studiens bakgrund fokuserar på diskurser om ämnet Svenska som andraspråk (sva) och använder teorier om kritisk diskursanalys, kulturella erbjudanden från Torpsten (2008) för att fokusera diskursanalysen som används för att analysera materialet (Lgr11). Resultatet visar att Lgr11 har motsägelsefulla diskurser rörande kultur, och att den är öppen för tolkning, detta speglar Torpstens analys av tidigare kursplaner. Vikten av språkutveckling i alla ämnen är, med några undantag, en tydlig diskurs genom hela Lgr11. / The aim of this study is to find discourses about culture and language learning in the Swedish Curriculum for the compulsory school, preschool class and school-age educare (abbreviated Lgr11) in all parts that is aimed for the later ages of compulsory school except the curricula for language courses. The background of the study focuses on discourses about the subject Swedish as a second language (abbreviated sva) and uses critical discourse theory and theory about cultural possibilities from Torpsten (2008) to focus the discourse analysis used to analyze the material (Lgr11). The results show that the discourses about views on culture in Lgr11 are contradictory and open for interpretation, which reflects the findings in earlier curricula from Torpsten. The need for teaching language in all subjects is, with some exceptions, a clear discourse throughout the whole of Lgr11.

Film has worked as a tool in schools a long time. But what ways can film facilitate learning in an upper-secondary classroom, regarding the aspects of global English and culture? This research synthesis will attempt to answer the question on how film can facilitate learning by investigating the different perspectives in the learning process, such as the cultural and global perspective whilst focusing on the perception of using film from students and teachers. The curriculum for upper-secondary school is highly influenced by the diversity in society, which aligns well with the cultural perspectives of using film in the English classroom. Opening up the classroom for visual literacy, socio-cultural theory, investigating the film theory and the characters of motion-picture. Studies implicating that film is a good learning resource have taken into perspective that film can be divided into a numerous number of tasks, helping students with vocabulary, understanding of the surrounding world and interacting with global Englishes. By presenting different ways of working with film, students’ knowledge and understanding in the English language increase. But it all comes down on how it is used. This would open up for discussion but also an understanding of motion-picture history and technology.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Master of Education (Early Childhood Education) in the Department of Foundations of Education at the University of Zululand, 2016 / The increase in the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) has caused a remarkable transformation in the field of education in the 21st century. This transformation has led to the restructuring of school curricula to incorporate ICT in order to equip teachers with the necessary tools to enhance achievement. The ability to read and write at the foundation level of education embraces the most fundamental skills learners obtain. To develop these skills, new methods and forms of teaching should always be considered. This is why the introduction of ICT innovation makes major demands on teachers’ professional skills. ICT plays a very crucial role in the expansion of language skills as it has become an indispensible way of learning and a valuable area of research for both teachers and learners. This paper explores the experiences of foundation phase teachers in integrating ICT into language learning and teaching focusing on Grade 3 teachers in six primary schools in UThungulu Education District. The following research questions were answered: What are teachers’ experiences in incorporating ICT into language learning? What are teachers’ attitudes towards the use of ICT? What is the level of teachers’ resistance to the use of ICT? What is the level of appropriate use of ICT for curriculum delivery in language learning and teaching? The study adopted a purposive sampling technique and a qualitative research method in which the researcher conducted focus group interviews and class lessons were also observed. The target population was primary school teachers from government and privately owned schools in the UThungulu district. Data were analysed using the descriptive analysis technique. The study revealed that only 1.2% of the schools investigated were well resourced in the field of ICT facilities. It was also observed that teachers who claimed to have ICT skills only have basic computer skills. The study also discovered that teachers in the UThungulu Education District are not familiar with any English language online learning resources and software. Schools lack proper funding to integrate ICT and teachers are rarely trained on proper integration skills. The study suggests ways that will lead to effective integration of ICT into language learning and teaching in UThungulu District schools: Policy makers should partner with teachers in drafting the English language curriculum so as to incorporate ICT; stakeholders in the education sector should provide and monitor funds allocated to schools in order to see to the successful integration of ICT in education; frequent ICT integration accredited trainings should be organised for teachers and ICT integration should be incorporated into the teacher education curriculum from the very first year.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Rania Hassan Talafhah , for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Curriculum and Instruction, presented on 4 May 2017, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING: JORDANIAN EFL LEARNERS’ PRACTICES AND EXPERIENCES MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Christina C. McIntyre The purpose of this mixed-methods sequential explanatory study was to identify the EFL learners’ practices and understand their experiences with SNSs (social networking sites) as a tool for English language learning. The study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, quantitative results were obtained from a survey of 144 undergraduate Jordanian EFL learners in the English and Translation Departments at Yarmouk University in Jordan. In the second phase, richer information and a deeper insight was gained through a qualitative case study. In the quantitative phase of the study, the research questions focused on the actual practices and strategies of EFL students on SNSs. In the qualitative phase, 12 participants were purposefully selected and interviewed in order to explain further the statistical results of the first phase, develop a rich descriptive picture of their lived experiences using social networking to improve their English language learning, and identify the factors and barriers that influence their practices. This study was guided by the following research questions: 1. To what extent do Jordanian EFL learners use Facebook as a tool for language learning? 2. What language learning practices do Jordanian EFL learners engage in on Facebook? 3. How do these Facebook practices affect their language learning experiences? The results revealed that most participants felt comfortable using Facebook in English language learning. However, less than half of them used Facebook on a regular basis to learn English. In addition, they tended to read and observe discussions in English rather than participate in them or produce language output. The results also revealed that learners’ practices or behaviors in the SNS environment changed depending on certain factors, such as the context, audience, sense of belonging, self – confidence, and the learners’ needs and interests. The results of the study brought to light some implications in the context of formal and informal language learning. The study might raise learner, teacher, and educator awareness about SNSs as a tool for language learning, particularly for countries with limited resources. The results also showed the need for a theoretical and pedagogical framework for the teaching and learning process that identifies the best practices and ways to avoid any harm in a SNS environment. Integrating SNSs in language teaching and learning is a topic that requires further study. Using SNSs inside and outside the classroom to practice different language skills is an important topic for future research.

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This study intends to further investigate the fitness for robot assisted learning in language cafés. Through conducting dialogues with two learners of swedish, moderated by the robot Furhat and later interviewing the participants, the aim is to identify what areas work well and what needs to improve upon with robot assisted learning in general, and Furhat in particular. This study identifies several areas of improvements, and make some possible suggestions for solutions. / Denna studie avser att undersöka lämpligheten i robotassisterad inlärning på språkcaféer. Genom dialog med två SFI-studenter, modererat av roboten Furhat följt av en intervju med de båda deltagarna, är målet att identifiera vilka områden som fungerar bra idag, och vilka som behöver förbättras inom robotassisterad inlärning som område, och konkret med Furhat. Denna studie identifierar flera områden för förbättringar, och ger förslag på åtgärder.

The curriculum at the English Language Center (ELC) at Brigham Young University (BYU) currently has two programs: Foundations and Academic. In order for students to progress from Foundations to the Academic Program, they must pass their Level Achievement Tests (LATs), which are administered as final exams. Each semester there are students who do not pass their LATs. The question then is what should happen to these students? Should they be asked to leave the ELC, should they have to repeat the same level until they pass, or should they be promoted without passing their LATs? This project presents an alternative solution to this situation through a curriculum specifically designed for these students. Outlined in this document are the analysis, design, development, and results of implementing that curriculum. The main elements of the course consist of 3 main classes: Reading, Listening/Speaking, Writing/Grammar, and an individualized Language Learning Plan (LLP) that allows the curriculum to be tailored to meet the individual student needs. These LLPs are an integral part of the curriculum and both the problems and benefits associated with them are set out in this paper. The course is woven together using a themed textbook series, which recycles vocabulary and helps to ensure that the students experience an integrated system despite having 3 separate classes. Budgeting is always a consideration for any school, and methods to increase the cost effectiveness of the curriculum are also discussed at various points of the document. Finally, the outcomes and value of the program to the different stakeholders and lessons learned are outlined in order to provide a summary of the overall usefulness and effectiveness of the General Academic Prep (GAP) curriculum.