Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2005. / "August, 2005." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 321-327). Online version available on the World Wide Web. Library also has microfilm. Ann Arbor, Mich. : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [2005]. 1 microfilm reel ; 35 mm.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--New York University, School of Education, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 113-125). Also available on the Internet.

The aim of this study was to investigate how the target language is used in the foreign language classroom and how different teachers combine the target language and the first language in their teaching. The study was conducted in three different Swedish schools at different levels: one at the intermediate level; one at the secondary level; and two at the upper secondary level. The teachers were observed during class and interviewed. In addition to this, the students answered a questionnaire about their own and their teacher's use of the target language. The results showed that the teachers used the target language as the most common language in their teaching, although the first language was also used. The intermediate teacher used the first language when she did not have enough language herself, when she explained grammar or went through important information. The secondary teacher used the first language when she explained grammar as well as the upper secondary teacher, who also used the first language when she had important information. The results showed that the teacher's choice of language in the classroom had an impact on the students since more teacher target language use encouraged more student target language use in the classroom, and that it is important to start the lesson in the target language to encourage more target language use by the students. Both the teachers and the students thought that the target language was important during language teaching.

The aim of this paper is to investigate the amount of feedback given in language-focused exchanges and communicative exchanges. I also investigated if recasting is the feedback method most frequently used in communicative activities. Errors are natural parts of learning and cannot be avoided. However, corrective feedback is very important because fossilization can occur if students are not aware of their errors. Several different types of corrective feedback can be used to correct the students’ speech, but the most subtle one is recasts. Studies show that recasting is the method most common in communicative exchanges in the classroom. I have observed three different classes, at different levels of the Swedish school system, and also interviewed the teachers. It was shown that feedback was more frequently provided during the language-focused exchanges. It was also shown that two of the teachers were very reluctant to provide their students corrective feedback during communicative activities. All three teachers agreed that recasting is the best method to use for correcting the students’ speech because it does not interrupt the communication and does not inhibit the students. Communicating with students about feedback is something that I believe could help and facilitate some of the issues about giving corrective feedback. I believe that clarification requests and other types of feedback could be used more frequently without damaging the students’ self-confidence if there is a dialogue between the teacher and the students.

Detta examensarbete går ut på att utveckla en webbplats som riktar sig till svenskar som vill lära sig arabiska. Syftet med webbplatsen är att minska tröskeln till att lära sig arabiska. En stor del av arbetet har bestått i att ta del av litteratur om språkinlärning, språkutbildning och datorstödd språkinlärning, samt att studera andra webbplatser. Den webbplats jag har skapat bygger till stor del på en MySQL-databas. Webbplatsen är skapad med PHP, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery och AJAX. Det finns ett gränssnitt där administratörer kan lägga in nya ord och meningar. Orden och meningarna i databasen har lagrats med morfemen åtskilda så långt det är möjligt. En fördel är att det underlättar visualiseringar, utbyggnad av nya funktioner och att det går snabbare för administratörer att lägga in nya ord och meningar. Några av de funktioner som finns på webbplatsen är: Varje ord i ordlistan visas med sina viktigaste böjningsformer. För varje ord kan man se hur det är uppbyggt i bokstäver. För varje ord kan man se vilka meningar det ingår i, för varje mening kan man klicka på valfritt ord för att få mer information om ordet. Varje mening visas både med sin översättning och en ordagrann översättning. Användare kan spara valfria ord och förhöras på dem. För att värdera webbplatsen har jag bland annat genomfört en användarundersökning. Resultatet visar att webbplatsen som helhet är bra och att det finns ett behov av den, samtidigt som utseendet och användarvänligheten kan förbättras. / The aim of this project is to develop a website for swedes that want to learn Arabic. The purpose of the website is to facilitate the learning of Arabic. A large part of the project has been dedicated to study second language acquisition, language education and computer-aided language learning as well as to study other websites. The website I have created is based on a MySQL database. The website is built with PHP, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery and AJAX. Apart from the website there is an interface for administrators where they can add words and sentences to the website. The words and sentences in the database are stored so that morphemes are separated as far as possible. An advantage with that solution is that it facilitates visualizations, creation of new functions and that administrators can add new words and sentences with less effort. Some of the functions that the website offers are: Each word in the wordlist are represented with its most common inflections. Each word can be broken up into letters. For each word you can click to find sentences where the word is included, for each sentence you can click on a word to find more information about it. Each sentence are represented with both a translation and a word by word translation. Users can save words and be tested on them. To value the website a survey has been done. The survey shows that the website in general is good and that there is a need for it, while the look and the navigation needs to be improved.

Through this study I have provided an understanding of what French immersion was like for children who left the program. I have considered an important aspect of the French immersion program that has been neglected in the research literature. My main research question was: What were the experiences of French immersion students who withdrew from their program during the elementary years? Subsequent questions included: How did they deal with repeated failure? How did they cope with the frustration? How did these failures and frustrations change after they left the French immersion program? How do they make sense of their experiences?<p>In this study, I listened to students voices to gain insights that lead to an understanding of how they make sense of what school was like for them during their years in French immersion. Using narrative inquiry, I focused on the lived, storied experiences of students who have not succeeded in a French immersion program. By listening to the students storied conversations, I have developed a deeper understanding of failed immersion experiences than that which is currently provided in the literature.<p>The six students in this study were aware of their lack of progress in the French immersion program and were unable to become active participants in the classroom community. The inability to become engaged further marginalized them as learners and led to the development of school stories about them. These school stories soon became designated identities with which the children had to cope. <p>By honoring the experiences of the students and including their voices, I have outlined information to aid educators to make decisions for more appropriate programming choices. This information demonstrates the need for timely intervention for some students to improve their school experience. Parents, teachers, and policy makers can then make decisions with the added knowledge provided by the students stories.

This study examined the acquisition of Hebrew noun plurals in early immersion and bilingual education by focusing on performance, as well as morpho-syntactic and semantic errors in inflecting nouns. A total of 196 students from Senior Kindergarten (n = 86) and grades 1 (n = 58) and 2 (n = 53) were administered measures of inflectional morphology in Hebrew. Results indicated that children applied high frequency, salient, simple to apply inflectional patterns involving male-female nouns, as well as the basic way of noting plurality. Two major obstacles in the pluralisation of Hebrew nouns were suffix regularity and stem transparency. Error analysis revealed three categories of responses: rule-based, analogy-based and non-strategic errors. The principal conclusion was that errors notwithstanding, young children learning Hebrew as a foreign language are moving toward an understanding of plural formation. The development of morpho-syntactic structures gradually develops over time and with exposure to Hebrew instruction.

This study examined the acquisition of Hebrew noun plurals in early immersion and bilingual education by focusing on performance, as well as morpho-syntactic and semantic errors in inflecting nouns. A total of 196 students from Senior Kindergarten (n = 86) and grades 1 (n = 58) and 2 (n = 53) were administered measures of inflectional morphology in Hebrew. Results indicated that children applied high frequency, salient, simple to apply inflectional patterns involving male-female nouns, as well as the basic way of noting plurality. Two major obstacles in the pluralisation of Hebrew nouns were suffix regularity and stem transparency. Error analysis revealed three categories of responses: rule-based, analogy-based and non-strategic errors. The principal conclusion was that errors notwithstanding, young children learning Hebrew as a foreign language are moving toward an understanding of plural formation. The development of morpho-syntactic structures gradually develops over time and with exposure to Hebrew instruction.

Abstract This study examines the Comenius exchange project between Da Vinci, Kattegattgymnasiet in Sweden and Liceo Scientifico F. Vercelli in Asti, Italy from both a qualitative and a quantitative angle. This exchange project was working with immersion. The purpose of this essay is to investigate to what extent second language learning is achieved in an immersion project. The essay aims to answer the following thesis questions:   What are the learning outcomes of this exchange project, focused on immersion? What are the advantages, and disadvantages of an exchange project, focused on immersion?   To undertake this study, I travelled to Asti and distributed a quantitative questionnaire to the students in this project. Qualitative interviews were conducted with the two main teachers and the students, as well. The data was then processed and analyzed, along with my theoretical framework: second language acquisition theory and immersion.   The results show that the Swedish students were better at speaking; the Italian teacher focused more on grammar, that the objectives sometimes were unclear and that language development occurred. The study also provides the data that tells us that there might be challenges with your colleagues and that it is time-consuming.   For further research I suggest a focus on why language development features in a project like this. It would also be interesting to analyze a project like this by observations of the linguistic content of the lessons and the specific differences between Italy and Sweden.   Key words: Immersion, Second language acquisition, input, exchange project, language instruction

This qualitative study aims to investigate some secondary school teacers' attitudes to and experiences of motivation in their second language classrooms. Through qualitative interviews with five teachers some different perspectives on motivation and its function in second language acquisition have come to light. First, motivation is seen as something important and some teachers tend to distinguish between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Those who do so tend to value intrinsic motivation more highly. Secondly, teachers believe they can affect students' levels of motivation. Some factors which are experienced as important in that respect are clarity in instructions and the purpose of exercises, variation and setting a standard that is neither too high nor too low. Thirdly, teachers claim that the possibilities of communicating and enjoying culture in English offered by modern technology have increased students' motivation to learn English as well as their competency in English. Finally, grades appear to have a motivating effect in these teachers' experience and their value does not appear to be questioned. This last point is particularly interesting in relation to the higher value placed on intrinsic motivation.