No description available.

Second language (L2) decoding – the sub-lexical process of mapping the graphemes of an alphabetic writing system onto the phonemes they represent – is argued to underpin various aspects of L2 learning, particularly vocabulary acquisition. Recently, second language acquisition research has shown increased interest in decoding, consistently finding evidence for L1-to-L2 transfer effects on learners’ processing mechanisms and outcomes. Correspondingly, studies conducted in Modern Foreign Language (MFL) classrooms in English secondary schools – an under-researched context – have found that beginner learners of French tend to (a) pronounce L2 words according to English decoding conventions and (b) make poor progress in this aspect of L2 learning. Recent official guidance for MFL teachers has addressed this problem by advocating an explicit focus on decoding, but there is a lack of convincing evidence (both in the MFL context and more widely) that explicit L2 decoding instruction can be effective. The current study therefore trialled two programmes of French decoding instruction for beginner MFL learners, delivered in ten- to fifteen-minute segments over around thirty lessons. Three intact secondary school classes followed a phonics-based approach; three classes from another school followed a programme in which learners were encouraged to derive the pronunciations of French graphemes from ‘source words’ in a memorized poem; and six classes in two other schools received no explicit decoding instruction. Participants (N=186) completed pre- and post-tests of French decoding; a sub-sample (N=15) also completed task-based self-report interviews. The two intervention groups made significantly more progress than the comparison group in terms of the number of graphemes pronounced ‘acceptably’, although the magnitude of the difference between the groups was small. Compared to the comparison group, the two intervention groups also appeared to show different and more extensive patterns of change in their realizations of individual graphemes, even where their pronunciations were still not ‘acceptable’. Finally, self-report data generally revealed little change in participants’ strategic reasoning, either in the intervention or comparison group. Together, these findings suggest that explicit instruction can improve beginner learners’ proficiency in decoding L2 French, but that their progress may follow a longer and more complex trajectory than simply moving directly from ‘incorrect’ to ‘correct’ forms. Further research is required to assess the effects (if any) of a given improvement in decoding proficiency on other language-learning outcomes; and to design and evaluate alternative programmes of instruction.

No description available.

This mixed method study investigated the development of E.S.L. writers' skills in revision when scaffolded by peer reviewers, with Lev Vygotsky's social-interactionist theory as the framework. Repeated-measures ANCOVA analyzed scores of four essay projects (first drafts and revisions) evaluated by blind holistic readings with a pretest score as covariant. Participants came from existing sections at a state university in the South in which the instruction was the same. The experimental group wrote revisions based on peer feedback; the control group received instructor feedback. Qualitative data came from semi-structured interviews with participants. Neither group showed significant improvement (at .05) in revising. Interviews revealed participants’ perception that they had improved and also their preference for instructor feedback.

<p> <b>Purpose.</b> The purpose of this study was to understand and, using an assets lens, systematically describe the essence of the experiences of long-term English learners when acquiring proficiency in English. </p><p> <b>Methodology.</b> A phenomenological design was used to explore the experiences of long-term English learners when acquiring proficiency in English. The researcher interviewed a purposeful sampling of 5 adults who identified themselves to be long-term English learners as students. Patton&rsquo;s (2002) steps in phenomenological analysis including epoche, phenomenological reduction, bracketing, textural portrayal, and structural synthesis were used to analyze the data. Lincoln and Guba&rsquo;s (1985) process for validity and reliability were utilized to establish alternative constructs of credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. Findings. Fifteen formulated meanings were constructed from the significant statements, and 5 themes emerged. The 5 themes were explained and supported with the significant statements from the interviews. Finally, the essence of the experiences of long-term English learners when acquiring proficiency in English was described. </p><p> <b>Conclusions.</b> The results of the study support the key themes associated with critical developmental assets that impacted the acquisition of English of LTELs. The key themes included family communication preferences and challenges, parental involvement in helping youth succeed in school, experiencing high expectations, developing achievement motivation, and engaging in learning. The findings of this phenomenological study offer districts support to implement programs that empower parents how to become effective advocates in their children&rsquo;s education. </p><p> <b>Recommendations.</b> This study was conducted with adults who identified themselves as LTELs. Further phenomenological research could be conducted to research the types and levels of parental involvement and the effects parental involvement has on the assets of achievement motivation and learning engagement. Additionally, a study could identify if Hispanic parents view their parental responsibilities and participation in the schooling of their children differently from mainstream America. Finally, future research could survey the developmental assets of ELs in middle school. As students become reclassified in middle school, research would identify the combination of assets in those students reclassified as compared with students who did not meet reclassification criteria within the same year.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / This study traces the decline of classical languages in secondary and higher education. It investigates the factors that contributed to the rise and fall of modern foreign languages in the curriculum of American schools. Particular attention is focused upon two time periods, 1870-1915, and circa 1960-1972. Specifically, the study examines the rationale advanced for the inclusion of modern foreign languages into the regular program of studies; the impact of economic, professional, and social forces upon the decline of the classical languages; the confrontation and conflict between the modern foreign languages and the classical languages; and the parallels between the situation faced by the classical languages during the period 1870-1915, and the one confronting the modern languages today. Characteristics of American education during the, colonial period are traced, and the impact of classical education in the colonies is delineated. Methods, texts, teacher preparation and community influence are discussed. In addition, language curricula from the end of the colonial era to 1870 and factors contributing to assaults upon the classical languages are outlined. The confrontation between the proponents of the classics and the modern foreign languages is treated in greater detail, and the appearance of modern foreign languages during 1870-1895 is traced. The crisis confronting classical education during the 1895-1905 period is studied in depth; the decline of Latin and the essential demise of Greek and innovations in classical education are considered. Factors impeding and contributing to the rise of modern foreign languages are analyzed. General socio-cultural influence affecting the status of classical education are examined. Finally, the similarity between the situation confronting classical languages or an earlier period and that faced by modern languages today are discussed with particular attention directed to the parallels between the two periods and implications for the future place or languages in the curriculum.

Since the end of the Second World War, numerous British veterans of that conflict have made the decision to publish a memoir of their military experiences on the front-line. This thesis investigates the contribution of these sources to the historical record of warfare between 1939 and 1945. Contending that these documents reveal something unique and important about the ways in which former combatants participated in and interpreted battle, the thesis focuses on two core research questions. First, it explores what these narratives reveal about the experience and representation of combat, examining the interplay of the authors with the natural environments in which they operated, the machines with which they fought, the enemy they tried to kill, and the comrades with whom they served. Second, it inquires into the intention and function of these texts, assessing why and how they were created. In order to address these questions, this thesis draws on a wide pool of veteran memoirs, written by former front-line personnel from the RAF, Royal Navy and Army, and published since 1950. It also draws, where appropriate, on unpublished sources such as those to be found in the Archive of British Publishing and Printing at the University of Reading. Through these lines of inquiry, the thesis identifies the ways in which veterans lived, remembered, understood, and communicated their experiences of combat during the Second World War, and argues for the merit of the military memoir as a historical source.

Tese de mestrado. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 2010

Galen of Pergamum is principally famous for his works on anatomy, medicine and moral philosophy. He is also noted for his acerbic temperament, his affirmations of his own brilliance and his denigration of the education, morals and lifestyle of his medical opponents and of anyone who viewed differently the things that he held dear. On his arrival in Rome he used a variety of techniques reminiscent of those used by the sophists in order to establish his place amongst the social and intellectual elite both as a physician and as a philosopher. At this and later points in his career his rhetoric emphasised the quality of his Greek education which included a thorough grounding in mathematics. He also appealed to his philosophic lifestyle and to his social connections in Rome in order to differentiate himself from the general run of doctors and to promote his own agenda. In this dissertation I examine his writings with the object of testing the validity of Galen’s claims in these areas and, in the process, to come to a deeper understanding the social and intellectual environments that formed him and with which he interacted. Special attention is given to his literary and rhetorical education and his knowledge of the exact sciences. One consequence of studying his training in rhetoric was the reconstruction of a rhetorical template which, though of a kind possibly mentioned in passing by Quintilian, is not to be found in any of the extant manuals on rhetoric. In the matter of the exact sciences particular consideration is given to his knowledge of geometry and the construction of sundials, as his views on these subjects form the foundation to his approach to philosophical and medical knowledge. Thus a substantial section is devoted to the manner in which Galen could have gained his certainty in these matters. ¶ Galen's rhetoric also makes much of his family's social status and his personal relationship to the royal court. These matters are examined in relationship to our present knowledge of Greek society and the familia Caesaris at the time. A consequence of this latter enquiry was some insights into the work habits of Marcus Aurelius. ¶ Galen not only wished to be known as Rome's leading physician and anatomist but also as one who practised the philosophic lifestyle. The background to Galen's decision in this last matter is assessed together with an examination of passages that while suggesting that much of his language and sentiment was a reflection of Platonic values also show that his commitment to a life of asceticism was real. ¶ What also emerges in this study is that there was considerable tension between the world in which he wished to live and the world as it was. This shows especially in his aggressive rejection of the salutatio and other Roman social conventions, his frustration at the early reception of his medical theories and teaching, and his desire to sustain the educated koine Greek of his homeland against the social pressures which were attempting to restrict educated Greek to the dialect and vocabulary of ancient Attica.

Thesis (D.Min.)--Liberty Theological Seminary and Graduate School, 2007.