The present study examines the nature of bilingual lexical access using category fluency across five language combinations using 109 healthy speakers of Hindi-English, Kannada-English, Mandarin-English, Spanish-English, and Turkish-English. Participants completed a category fluency task in each of their languages in three main categories (animals, clothing, food), each with two subcategories, as well as a language use questionnaire assessing their proficiency in each of their languages. Multivariate analyses of variance revealed that the average number of correct items named in the category fluency task across the three main categories varied across the different groups for English items only. A series of repeated-measures analyses of covariance revealed that the exposure component that had been extracted from the language use questionnaire using a principal component analysis significantly affected the average number of items named across the three main categories. When the effect of exposure was controlled, the effect of language combination was no longer significant. A regression analysis showed that the relative amount of exposure participants had to each of their languages predicted participants’ relative performance in each language. Additional multivariate analyses of variance found significant differences in the number of correct items named in each main category and subcategory in both English and participants’ other language based on language combination. Overall, these results demonstrate the effects of particular language combinations on bilingual lexical access and provide important insights into the role of proficiency on access.

The beauty of mathematics can arguably be found in the way in which all concepts are interrelated and interwoven to create a massive web of knowledge and in the ways this can be applied to all aspects of life and technology. Given this inextricable interrelationship amongst several mathematical topics, many students encounter issues in learning mathematics due to gaps in their understanding of previously taught material. As a result, mathematics education in the K-12 setting has emphasized the need for interventions in order to help students grasp the progressively complex concepts that are required by our current society and education system as they advance throughout their academic career. This literature review researches effective and non-effective indicators of future mathematics proficiency as an initial step towards identifying the most beneficial cognitive and non-cognitive areas of focus, and consequently early interventions, in order to support student learning especially for underperforming students. Specifically, this research synthesizes research about three essential questions: (1) What skills, conceptual understandings, or student traits can serve as possible predictors of future mathematics proficiency? (2) Which of these identified skills, conceptual understandings, or student traits are stronger predictors of future mathematics proficiency? and (3) What is the degree of accuracy of these predictors? The research was conducted through the review of articles retrieved from diverse research studies. The literature revealed that the single most effective indicator of future mathematical proficiency is knowledge of fractions, specifically, conceptual understanding of and operations with fractions as well as fluidity with rational operations. Other less effective indicators included early knowledge of whole number division, functional numeracy, students’ attitudes and dispositions towards mathematics, gender, early mathematics achievement/ability, and literacy/linguistic ability. Other skills, conceptual understandings and student traits investigated in the relevant research included whole number arithmetic knowledge, number system knowledge, verbal & non-verbal IQ, working memory, and family education & income. These indicators did not exhibit a significant correlation to future mathematics performance and thus were classified as non-effective.

Early diagnosis of HIV in infants is critical because it can remarkably impact an infant’s survival. DNA PCR is the standard test for diagnosis of HIV-1 in infants and young children less than 18 months of age. For settings that lack the adequate infrastructure for processing whole blood and cold-chain transportation, the collection of dried blood spots (DBS) has facilitated the detection of HIV-1 in infants as early as 4-6 weeks after birth. Molecular testing using DBS provides an accurate method for the identification of HIV-1 but quality testing depends greatly on adequate quality assurance. A voluntary, cost-free external quality assurance program established by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Global AIDS Program was implemented to monitor the performance of laboratories conducting HIV EID from DBS in an effort to provide the critically needed external quality assurance measures in resource-constrained settings. Known HIV- positive and negative DBS specimens to be used as internal controls and ten blinded DBS specimens are shipped internationally tri-annually with a 30 day testing result turnaround. Peer comparison is provided after each testing time point. Advances by resource-constrained countries to conduct EID have resulted in more children being tested, which resulted in enrollment and participation expanding significantly to include greater than 104 laboratories from 36 countries. Mean test scores have improved with each testing but false negative results are twice as likely as false positive discordant outcomes.

The present study had three purposes. The first was to examine the score reliability of instruments purported to be appropriate in the assessment of students with limited English proficiency (LEP). The second was to investigate the criterion-related validity of the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT) with a sample of lowperforming, Hispanic students. The third purpose was to explore the contribution of language proficiency in the dominant language (L1) and the language proficiency in the subordinate language (L2) in the prediction of reading achievement in L1. Participants included first and third grade students of Hispanic origin who scored below the median for their district on a state-approved, district-administered measure of literacy in first grade. Satisfactory internal consistency estimates were achieved with a sample of LEP students (n=24) on the UNIT, the Woodcock-Muñoz Language Survey (WMLS) in English and in Spanish, and the Batería Woodcock-Muñoz: Pruebas de Approvechamiento-Revisada (Batería-R APR). For first grade students, scores from the UNIT demonstrated satisfactory concurrent validity with those from the Woodcock Johnson III: Tests of Achievement (WJ-III ACH) for a sample of Hispanic, non-LEP students (n=89). However, the concurrent validity of the UNIT was not upheld for a sample of Hispanic, LEP students administered the Batería-R APR (n=56). Regarding predictive validity, results from simple linear regression analyses suggested that performance on the UNIT in first grade accounted for a negligible portion of the variance on the Texas high-stakes reading test in third grade for a group of LEP students (n=51) as well as for a group of non-LEP students (n=77). Language proficiency in L1 emerged as a positive predictor of reading achievement in L1. However, language proficiency in L2 was not shown to be a statistically significant, independent contributor to this relationship with reading achievement on the Batería-R APR (n=79), WJ-III ACH (n=14), TAKS Spanish (n=54), or TAKS English (n=12). Findings are discussed with respect to the restriction of range due to selection criterion and sample size, the use of the Abbreviated battery of the UNIT in the prediction of reading achievement, and the contribution of language proficiency in L2 for low performing, LEP students in the third grade.

It has been shown in experiments that a method of teaching where students are encouraged to create their own solution methods to mathematical problems (creative mathematically founded reasoning, CMR) results in better learning and proficiency than one where students are provided with solution methods for them to practice by repetition (algorithmic reasoning, AR). The present study investigated whether students in an AR practice condition pay less attention to information relevant for mathematical problem solving than students in a CMR condition. To test this, attentional behavior during practice was measured using eye-tracking equipment. These measurements were then associated with task proficiency in a follow-up test one week after the practice session. The findings support the theory and confirm previous studies in that CMR leads to better task performance in the follow-up test. The findings also suggest that students within the CMR condition whom focus less on extraneous information perform better. / Experiment har visat att en undervisningsmetod i vilken elever uppmuntras att själva komma på lösningsmetoder till matematiska problem (creative mathematically founded reasoning, CMR) resulterar i bättre inlärning och färdighet än en metod i vilken eleverna ges en färdig en lösningsmetod att öva på genom repetition (algorithmic reasoning, AR). Denna studie undersöker om elever under en AR-träningsbetingelse ägnar mindre uppmärksamhet åt information som är relevant för matematisk problemlösning än vad elever under en CMR-träningsbetingelse gör. För att testa detta mättes elevernas uppmärksamhetsbeteende under träning med hjälp av ögonrörelsekamera. Måtten ställdes sedan i relation till uppgiftsfärdighet i ett uppföljningstest en vecka efter träningssessionen. Resultaten stödjer teorin och bekräftar tidigare studier som visat att CMR leder till bättre prestation i uppföljningstestet. Resultaten tyder även på att de elever under CMR-betingelsen som fokuserar minst på ovidkommande information presterar bättre.

The purpose of this study was first to describe the impact of the relationship between adolescent newcomers in South Winnipeg secondary schools and their teachers. Additional sub-questions examined teacher valuation of newcomer’s cultural background and solicited advice for both EAL newcomers and educators. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews with recent EAL adult graduates that arrived in Manitoba between the ages of 13-17, with the intent of discovering common themes from their experiences. Results revealed the importance of EAL newcomers having a caring, patient teacher with a sense of humour that has a sincere interest in who they are and in their cultural heritage. They also clearly show the need for schools to look for more effective and authentic ways to connect newcomers with their Canadian peers. This report concludes with recommendations for teachers and administrators to consider when developing teacher PD and programming for newcomer adolescent EAL students. / October 2015

Thesis (M.A.)--Rowan University, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

The primary aim of this study is to investigate the contributions of the CEFR linking process, as stipulated by the Manual for Relating Examinations to the Common European F ramework of Reference for Languages: learning, teaching, assessment (Council of Europe, 2003), to the validation argument of a university level English language proficiency examination. It also aims to explore the impact of the linking process on the pre-determined or desired level of the examination under study. This study uses both qualitative and quantitative methods to address the above areas and is comprised of three phases. Phase 1 explores every stage of the CEFR linking process as they are being carried out through field notes, interviews, questionnaires and statistics in order to investigate how well the Manual suggestions capture aspects of validity and guide users in this respect. In Phase 2, the study focuses on an overall investigation of the process through a questionnaire after all stages of linking, viz. familiarisation, specification, standardisation and empirical validation, have been conducted. Finally, Phase 3 examines the Manual itself and its suggestions with respect to validation through a critical analysis of the Manual, a questionnaire and interviews. The study showed that the CEFR linking process helps users focus on particularly the context, cognitive and scoring aspects of validity at all stages, but mostly at the standardisation stage of the process. Provided that data are accumulated systematically at different stages, at the end of the linking process, those undertaking a linking study can put forward a complete validation argument for the examination in question. However, the Manual fails to provide a model that guides users in this respect. The iii process also highlights areas to be considered, should the users set out to design or modify an existing examination to measure at the set desired standards.

Magister Educationis - MEd / In South Africa's educational system, many learners' academic literacy is substantially affected by the multi-language background and its inconsiderate language policies. From time to time, South African Education board have formulated, amended and re- implemented language policies to guide the use of language in learning and teaching in schools, in order to enhance the notion of academic bi literacy. However in different areas, some of these language policies had their successes and failures. Amongst the educational language policy for each university in South Africa, the University of the Western Cape (UWC) began its language policy implementation in 2003. Despite the aim and objective of this policy over a decade ago, students are still struggling to effectively learn in the language of instruction. And the fact remains that problem of students' language proficiency leads to poor academic literacy and performance during their undergraduate study period. In this study, I seek to investigate the effective translanguaging strategies of some undergraduate bilingual students at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). It will focus on how the two closely intertwined sociolinguistic aspects: translanguaging and bilingualism impact on students' academic collaboration. The theoretical framework will draw on Weiner's attribution theory of motivation (1974, 1986). The conceptual framework that will be used will cover: language proficiency, additive and subtractive bilingualism, translanguaging and learning strategies. The main aim of this proposed project is to examine how effective translanguaging is as coping learning strategies by some bilingual students at University of the Western Cape (UWC). I propose the following research objectives: (i) to determine the forms of challenge(s) faced by bilingual students learning in a less proficient language at UWC (ii.) to investigate and analyze the translanguaging strategies that might assist bilingual students cope with learning in a less proficient language at UWC (iii.) to examine the patterns of use of translanguaging strategies on academic collaboration of bilingual students’ at UWC (iv.) to find out areas in which the practice of translanguaging strategies differs to the stipulations of the UWC language policy. I plan to use a qualitative method to achieve my research objectives. I adopted interpretive/ constructive approach in my study. The research techniques that I use includes: questionnaires, interviews, observations and document analysis. A semi structured questionnaire is given to thirty (30) first year bilingual undergraduates from three (3) tutorials groups in the Faculty of Education. The interviews were face to face and semi-structured. The interviews conducted with each of the 12 students are intended to know their linguistic background and how it plays a role during their first year of undergraduate study. Two out of the three groups are randomly selected and closely observed. The classroom observation helps me to identify the types of translanguaging strategies used by bilingual students and also see the various patterns in which the translanguaging strategies are used during their academic collaboration. The three documents use for analysis are the UWC language policy (2003) and two different academic tasks of my participants. All ethics for my study was strictly adhere to. I categorize my findings according to the research questions and the four questions serve as main themes during data analysis. The data findings of my study indicate that during the first term, most first year bilingual student had difficulty in the use of English medium of instruction. Some of the language related challenges include English academic writing, inadequate vocabulary in English and accent and pronunciation of other bilingual speakers in English. This shows that there is the need for the struggling bilingual students to adopt learning strategies. Translanguaging strategies were minimally used during in class activities. This suggests that bilingual students did not see the justification to adopt translanguaging in the classroom. However, it was used outside of the tutorial space and other academic collaboration amongst students for various purposes. My research shows that majority of the first year bilingual undergraduate students’ benefit from the use of translanguaging as coping learning strategies. Data findings also reveal that the first year bilingual undergraduate students are more motivated to add to their translanguaging strategies, other metacognitive learning strategies that they consider as helpful and related to their specific language challenges. The conclusion of my thesis is that as much as the adoption of translanguaging strategies is a useful language support for bilingual students, there are contributory factors that can make its use a success or failure in educational context. The most pertinent of these factors are translanguaging space and the complement of translanguaging in schools' language policy. I recommend that translanguaging using speaking skills of bilingual students should be put to use during teaching and learning in a recognized learning space.

No abstract available / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Afrikaans / unrestricted