This thesis adapts cooperative learning methods for the College English teaching context in China. Its focus is on investigating the effects of cooperative learning on students' English language proficiency, learning motivation and social skills, in comparison with traditional whole-class instruction, by employing a pre-test-post-test control group quasi-experimental design. The first chapter clarifies the context for the research, which includes an introduction about the importance of English language teaching in China, a description of the widely used traditional approach, as well as its negative consequences. Observations are made regarding the characteristics of College English teaching and recent nationwide College English reform, which have spurred a transformation of the traditional approach at the tertiary level, with a focus on enhancing students' listening and speaking abilities in English. This is followed by a brief overview of cooperative learning, as well as its potential to contribute to College English teaching. The overall aim of the research and the specific research questions addressed are presented at the end of this chapter. The second chapter consists of a review of the literature regarding the history of cooperative learning, the fundamental theoretical underpinnings of cooperative learning, major cooperative learning methods, basic elements of cooperative learning, and its positive outcomes. This chapter also elaborates on key issues in implementing cooperative learning in the classroom and the cultural appropriateness of cooperative learning in China. In accordance with the specific context for this research, this chapter addresses the relevant connections of cooperative learning to second and foreign language teaching, tertiary education, and large-class instruction. An extensive review is also included regarding recent studies on using cooperative learning in second and foreign language teaching around the world as well as in China. The review locates a gap in the existing studies; the effectiveness of cooperative learning in teaching English as a foreign language to tertiary learners in China, which constitutes the focus of this thesis. The third chapter starts with some key concepts essential for quantitative methodology used in this research. It is followed by an introduction of participants and the general research procedure, which includes a pilot study and a main study employing a pre-test-post-test control group quasi-experimental design. Details of the intervention procedure are provided, focusing on different teaching methods used in the cooperative learning classroom and the traditional classroom. This chapter also provides details of the three measures used in this research: the College English Test, the Language Learning Orientations Scale, and the Social Skills Scale for Chinese College English Learners. At the end of the chapter there is an explanation of specific techniques and principles for data analysis. In chapter four, results are presented based on analysis of the data from the three measures. In general, the results focus on seven aspects: mean scores, standard deviations of pre- and post-test scores for each group, effect sizes of Cohen's d from pre- to post-test for each group, alpha values of paired-samples t-tests for each group, alpha values of interaction effect between group and time from ANOVAs, alpha values of post-test difference between groups from one way ANCOVAs, and means plots for each of testing areas. The findings provide evidence in favour of cooperative learning in some areas, for instance, in teaching speaking, listening and reading, in generating intrinsic motivation, and in incorporating students' equal participation and individual accountability into learning. The final chapter includes a discussion of the findings on the three measures in relation to the findings of previous research. It goes on to discuss implications for the practice of English language teaching, with a focus on the challenges of using cooperative learning in Chinese tertiary institutions. These challenges mainly include designing appropriate cooperative learning tasks, extra workload involved in preparing and implementing cooperative learning lessons, limited teaching hours and a large curriculum to cover, as well as students' use of the first language in teamwork. The chapter ends with a discussion about the major contributions and limitations of the current study, as well as recommendations for future research.

This dissertation examines the language proficiency of school-aged deaf pupils from a bilingual perspective. The first aim of the study is to investigate the Swedish L2 skills of the pupils. This includes testing the validity of the Processability Theory on deaf learners of Swedish as an L2. The second aim is to investigate whether there is a correlation between proficiency in Swedish and Swedish Sign Language (SSL) as suggested in earlier research on deaf bilingualism. This study is cross-sectional and contains data from 38 pupils (grades 5 and 10) from a school for deaf and hearing-impaired pupils in Sweden. The data consists of retellings of a cartoon in written Swedish and of free stories in SSL. For the first part of the study, the Swedish data has been analyzed according to Processability Theory (PT).  For the second part of the study, narrative structure in both the Swedish and SSL data has been analyzed. As a theoretical framework, Labov’s narrative model is applied. The results show that there is an implicational order in the informants’ development of Swedish following the predicted grammatical learning order described by PT. The results therefore suggest that PT is a valid theory also for deaf learners of L2 Swedish. The conclusions regarding SSL proficiency suggest that more research about sign language as such is needed to get a deeper understanding of SSL proficiency. The results show that one narrative component of Labov’s model - Evaluation - is an important component in SSL proficiency. The results from the comparative analysis show that there is a positive statistical correlation between some Swedish and SSL variables used in this study, suggesting that skills in Swedish correlate with skills in SSL. This means that a well-developed sign language is important for the deaf to learn any written language as a second language.

Research conducted in South Africa indicates that many South African students who register for undergraduate study each year are under-prepared for university education and that many of these English Second Language students also have low levels of reading ability. This has an adverse effect on their chances of academic success. These students very often become part of the "revolving door syndrome". In order to meet the reading needs of students in the 21" century, educators are pressed to develop effective instructional means for teaching strategic reading at tertiary level. In order to help students acquire the strategic reading abilities deemed necessary for a successful academic experience, the Department of English at Potchefstroom University implemented a content-based strategic reading module. This module was offered to students via Varsite (technology-enhanced aspect of the module); a learning content management system developed at Potchefstroom University. This system provides an integrated environment for developing, managing and delivering learning content. The purpose of this study was to: discuss the structure and format of the content-based strategic reading module as developed and implemented for delivery within a distributed learning environment; determine what the reading comprehension and reading strategy use profile of first-year students at Potchefstroom University looks like; determine whether the students in the experimental group, who completed the strategic reading component of the English for Professional Purposes course in a technology-enhanced environment, attained statistically as well as practically significantly higher mean scores on their end-of-semester English, Communication Studies, and TOEFL reading comprehension tests, than did the students in the control group, who were not exposed to the technology-enhanced environment; determine whether the students in the experimental group differed statistically as well as practically significantly from the students in the control group in terms of their reading strategy use; determine the scope of the reading problem among the first-year students participating in this study; identify the strengths and weaknesses in the reading assessment profiles of one efficient and one inefficient student; make recommendations in terms of the reading support needed by these students; identify the factors that can affect first-year English Second Language (ESL) students' acceptance and use of the technology-enhanced component of a strategic reading module offered via mixed mode delivery; determine which factors can be considered as statistically significant predictors of technology acceptance and use by first-year ESL students; and discuss the implications of the above-mentioned results for the designing of technology-enhanced courses as well as the support that should be given to ESL learners who must use the technology. In this study a combined qualitative and quantitative research method was used. A Dominant-Less Dominant design was used. The qualitative research approach was consistent with naturalistic case study methodology. For the quantitative research component a quasi-experimental non-randomised pre-test post-test control group design was used. The participants in this study included the entire population of one hundred and thirty-one students taking the English for Professional Purposes module. The students included speakers of Afrikaans and Setswana. These students majored in Communication Studies and Psychology. Ten paper-and-pencil instruments were used in this study. In addition to the paper-and- pencil instruments, various qualitative data collection methods were also used, namely semi-structured interviews, e-mail messages, informal conversations and the researcher's field notes. The data were analysed by means of descriptive (i.e., means, standard deviations) as well as multivariate statistics (i.e., Pearson product moment correlations; t-tests; factor analyses; and stepwise multiple regression). The results of the study can be summarised as follows: The strategic reading module of the English for Professional Purposes course was designed for mixed mode delivery. The structure and format of the strategic reading module consisted of an interactive study guide, contact sessions, and Varsite (i.e., a learning content management system). The results indicated that the students who received strategic reading instruction in the technology-enhanced environment received both statistically and practically significantly higher marks on three reading comprehension measures than did the students in the control group. This was true for successful students, as well as for those considered to be at-risk. The post-test results indicated that the students in the experimental group used certain strategies statistically (p<0.05), as well as practically significantly (small to large effect sizes), more often than the students in the control group. An analysis of the reading assessment profiles of the students participating in this study indicated that they experienced problems across all aspects of the reading components assessed (vocabulary, fluency, and reading comprehension and reading strategies). An analysis of the successful student's reading assessment profile indicated that his/her profile was far flatter than that of the at-risk student; the successful student had far fewer ups and downs in his/her profile than the at-risk student (i.e., the majority of the successful student's mean reading assessment scores were scattered around or above the norm/guidelines for first-year students). The results of an exploratory factor analysis indicated that computer self-efficacy, ease of use, enjoyment, outcome expectations, usefulness, and quality of resources were major factors affecting ESL students' acceptance and use of the technology-enhanced component of a strategic reading module. In addition, the results of the multiple regression analysis indicated that approximately 71% of the total variance of Varsite acceptance and use was explained by computer self-efficacy, ease of use, enjoyment, and outcome expectations. Usefulness and the quality of the resources also contributed to the total variance, but the contribution was not statistically significant. / Thesis (Ph.D. (English))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

With the number of Asian immigrants continually increasing in New Zealand society, Asian immigrant businesses have been appearing more rapidly in New Zealand, particularly in Auckland. The primary purpose of this study is to enquire into why a certain Asian immigrant group become business people after migrating to Auckland, New Zealand. In addition, it investigates the level of their business activity and the level of happiness with their new life in New Zealand. This study examines the growing phenomenon of Asian immigrants, and the entrepreneurship rate of ethnic groups through existing statistics. The study focuses on Korean immigrants. Twenty self-employed Koreans who are running a business in Auckland participated in the study. They were invited to talk about why they became self-employed business people and related matters about their business activity. The study found that Korean immigrants chose self-employment as a means of getting a job. They gave up seeking mainstream employment opportunities due to the language barrier and their inability to cope with a new society and new system. Other fundamental factors in their decision to become entrepreneurs were that firstly, they were willing to invest a considerable amount of their own money and secondly, they preferred to participate in the workforce rather than to depend on the New Zealand welfare system. Based on the information acquired through the research, the study reported that the recently increased numbers of Asian businesses are partly attributable to New Zealand business immigration policy which introduced a new business category – Long Term Business Visa (LTBV). The findings from this research pointed to commitment that immigrant businesses contribute to the New Zealand economy and New Zealand society as taxpayers and potential employers.

Language proficiency in the language of learning and teaching (LOLT) is essential for academic success. In South Africa and elsewhere, many secondary school learners lack the required academic proficiency in English, the language of learning and teaching. The English language proficiency of Xitsonga speaking Grade 7 learners was evaluated in order to suggest ways in which these learners could be helped to maximise academic success. The author investigated theories of first and second language acquisition by means of a literature study and presented an overview of language policy in South African schooling before and after 1994. A sample of Grade 7 Xitsonga speaking learners was selected from three secondary schools in the Tshwane metropolitan area, Gauteng Province. Language proficiency levels were determined by means of the Human Sciences Research Council's Standardised English Reading and Writing Proficiency Tests. These tests were also translated into Xitsonga and administered to the learners. The tests were administered a month apart in each of the schools. The tests revealed that: * there is a significant correlation between the learner's performance in the reading and writing performance test for both languages * the learners' reading and oral skills in both languages correlate * irrespective of the level of language proficiency, most learners performed poorly in their reading skills, such as, recognising inferences related to tone, punctuation, different types of discourse as well as the prevailing atmosphere. The greatest weaknesses were in learners': * failure to understand instructions, which meant that their responses to task demands were inadequate * inappropriate use of tone register and spelling errors * incorrect use of punctuation and verb tenses. The analysis of the learner's performance in both English and Xitsonga showed that these learners were generally not capable of handling the requirements of the Grade 7 curriculum. It was recommended that the learners be guided to make optimal use of existing facilities, such as, libraries. This could enhance the learners' language development. Using learners' L1 as a medium of instruction for cognitively demanding texts and intensive in-service and pre-service training for language teachers are also recommended. / Educational Foundations / D.Ed. (Comparative Education)

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / South Africa's Language-in-Education Policy is one of additive multilingualism, but in reality this policy is not adhered to, in that most black children are being educated through the medium of English from Grade 4. This type of instruction affects the development of academic language proficiency in their primary language, as these children are not engaging in cognitively demanding tasks in their primary or first language. The Woodcock Muñoz Language Survey (WMLS) is a test to assess academic language proficiency in Additive Bilingual Education, and is extensively used in the United States of America (USA) for this purpose. It is important to note that the proposed study is a sub-study of a larger study, in which the original WMLS (American-English version) was adapted into English and Xhosa, to be used in South Africa to assess additive bilingual programmes. For this sub-study, the researcher was interested in examining the overall equivalence of the adapted English version of the WMLS. Owing to insufficient tests evaluating academic language proficiency in the South African context, the significance, as well as the overall aim, of the study is to ensure that the issues of group difference and item bias have been assessed to ensure that the adapted English version of the WMLS is suitable to be used across English first-language and Xhosa first-language speakers. Because this is a sub-study, the researcher (of the sub-study) has conducted an exploratory quantitative study with the use of Secondary Data. The researcher has used the framework of equivalence as a theoretical framework in order to examine the research question. Given the use of existing data, the procedures of the collection of the data by the researcher of the larger study have been outlined in the Methodology section of the present study. The sample consisted of 198 English and 197 Xhosa first-language speakers. / South Africa

Using static forms of assessment with learners who have an additional language (AL) as the language of learning and assessment (LoLTA), especially those that have been identified and labelled low achievers, could do more harm than good. Many people neglect to take account of the complexity involved in learning a second language and often wonder why learners who have an AL as the LoLTA take so long to acquire it at the level of cognitive academic language proficiency. This study investigated the use of dynamic assessment (DA) as a method of assessing learners who have an AL as the LoLTA in mainstream education, focusing on Lagos, Nigeria, in the empirical research. The study looked at ways in which DA could contribute to a solution for the assessment of AL learners, specifically how DA influenced the assessment and performance of AL learners. The study, in addition, sought to establish how static assessment and DA affect the attitude of AL learners towards assessment and their own performance. Finally, the study explored avenues through which DA could be used without it becoming an undue advantage for AL learners. The research was a qualitative study within the interpretive paradigm that sought to understand the subjective experiences of AL learners with assessment. Within a multiple case study, it resembled action research. Eight participants from two schools in UBE 8 (Grade 8) took part in the study, which involved observation of the participants during continuous assessment (CA) cycles, with debriefing and language-related mediation of assessment skills thereafter, in the subjects Business Studies (BS) and Integrated Science (IS). The data collection covered four phases: three CA cycles and the examination of the first school term. Subsequent to Phase I, mediational assessment papers, a glossary and spelling list were used. The findings suggest that DA had a positive influence on the AL participants’ performance and affect during assessment, although to varying degrees. Individual learning potential and context appeared to play a crucial part. Once the participants’ individual challenges were apparent, mediation could be directed at providing appropriate strategies to bridge the gaps. Due to the severity of the AL challenge, some participants seemed to require focused learning support in the AL, as well as mediated assessment sustained over a longer period. DA seemed to effectively provide guidance and feedback to the participants and improved their attitude towards assessment as well as the emotions experienced during assessment. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

Walden University College of Education This is to certify that the doctoral study by Joye Elfreda Henry has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Gloria Jacobs, Committee Chairperson, Education Faculty Dr. Jerita Whaley, Committee Member, Education Faculty Dr. Mark Earley, University Reviewer, Education Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2018

As part of BYU's Distance Learning Project to teach English for gospel purposes, a committee created a survey to assess the English needs of LDS non-native English speakers in native-language units in the United States. This thesis uses several sections of the survey to correlate proficiency, callings in the Church, and demographic information. In addition to survey data, this thesis uses qualitative information from focus groups, and interviews to illustrate the statistical findings. The theory underlying this research is that learning precedes involvement in a community. Although learning in the LDS Church community is multi-faceted, this study examines the learning of English tasks and involvement in the Church community, defined as callings.The results indicate that male leader (high councilors) callings correlate with church tasks, and that female vice-leader callings correlate with survival English and church tasks. Demographic information, although relevant, does not alter the correlations. The qualitative findings supports these findings, whereas the trend indicates that bilingual leaders are preferred to monolingual non-English language leaders.

Educators are attempting to eliminate the disproportionate representation of culturally and linguistically diverse students in special education through initiatives such as Response to Intervention (RtI). Prior to the implementation of such initiatives, existing research relevant to this population must be critically reviewed and expanded. A synthesis of the available literature can provide significant insight into the type of data necessary to make informed decisions involving English language learners (ELL) at Tier I of an RtI model. In forming the theoretical foundation for this research, cognitive deficits associated with language-based disabilities and principles of cognitive load theory were examined. The study is an investigation of the following research question: Is the effectiveness of the bilingual English as a Second Language (ESL) model significantly altered under certain conditions? The research question was addressed through testing moderator effects using hierarchical linear regression. Initial English proficiency and initial Spanish proficiency were examined as moderating variables of the relationship between ESL model type and Kindergarten academic achievement. Academic achievement was defined as student learning growth on the Florida Assessment for Reading Instruction (FAIR) and student outcome scores on the Comprehensive English Language Learning Assessment (CELLA) Listening/Speaking and Reading constructs. Results supported: a) the relationship between initial English proficiency and FAIR growth, CELLA Listening/Speaking, and CELLA Reading, b) the relationship between initial Spanish proficiency and FAIR growth and CELLA Listening/Speaking, c) the relationship between type of ESL model and FAIR growth, CELLA Listening/Speaking, and CELLA iii Reading, d) the additional effect of the interaction of initial Spanish language proficiency with ESL model type to alter FAIR learning growth over time, and e) the additional effect of the interaction of initial English language proficiency with ESL model type to alter CELLA Listening/Speaking scores. Overall, this research supports the hypothesis that initial language proficiency can significantly alter the effectiveness of a bilingual ESL model. Recommendations for future research in this area include longitudinal studies using a similar hierarchical regression design with moderators in order to contextualize positive student outcomes.