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No description available.

The study has two main aims. The first is theoretical and the second methodological. Theoretically, the study seeks to investigate the nature and extent of variation in interlanguage with the aim of identifying and assessing the extent to which factors such as discourse mode (e.g. narrative vs descriptive) and linguistic context are likely to result in variable interlanguage performance. Methodologically, the study seeks to highlight the problems of eliciting valid interlanguage data using the concept of planning as is currently formulated by Ochs (1979) and Ellis (1987). Although interlanguage performance may be shown to be variable it still remains important to assess how widespread variation is in interlanguage, because variation is likely to shed much more light on interlanguage development and use, if it is demonstrated that it is neither restricted to specific structural areas nor typical of learners at particular stages of interlanguage development. With this in mind this study investigates the performance of second language learners at three different levels of proficiency in two linguistic areas - spatial and directional prepositions and the 3rd person singular. Variation in interlanguage has been attributed to a large number of factors some of which are enumerated below - discourse mode, varying planning conditions, topic, setting, interlocutor, linguistic context etc.

The goal of the research was to discover which type of input and instruction best facilitates the acquisition of syntax in adult learners. An artificial miniature language was used to model real second language to control precisely the type of input, conditions of exposure and instruction accompanying that input. Performance of learners under four input conditions was compared and analogies were drawn between these conditions and those experienced by adult second language learners (L2 learners). 'Instructed' learners Z): like formally instructed L2 learners were systematically taught the rules of the language. 'Exposure' learners saw example sentences and were asked to search for rules, the conditions of their input analogous to that of 'naturalistic' L2 learners who receive no formal instruction but who make conscious efforts to search for rules. 'Memorisation' learners received the same input as that presented to the exposure learners but were asked to memorise the sentencesT. hey were seena s analogoust o naturalistic L2 learners who do not search for the rules and the conditions of input were modelled on those claimed to induce implicit learning. 'Cued' learners received input which contained cross-sentential cues to underlying phrasal structure. They were modelled on naturalistic learners whose input contains such cues and who make efforts to search for rules. Performance was compared on both grammaticality judgement and free production tasks. No overall superiority in performance was observed for any of the input conditions. An interaction between input type and rule complexity was evident in which the amount of information received regarding the rules related positively to performance on. the less salient, more complex rules. It was proposed that the findings could be explained in terms of a 'noticing' hypothesis, in which noticing of features is considered a pre-requisite for acquisition. Theories of second and artificial language learning which have stipulated that complex rules can only be learned implicitly were not supported.

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This thesis is concerned with the training of Italian secondary school teachers of English as a Foreign Language. It identifies the training needs and requirements of these teachers and subsequently analyses in-service training courses offered both in Italy and the UK. The, aim is to see if these courses meet the requirements and expectations of Italian trainees and, if not, to develop recommendations on how these courses could be improved. The starting point of this research is the increased recognition of the effectiveness of the non-native speaking teacher. While in the past native English speakers were perceived as the 'ideal'. teachers of the language, it has recently been recognised that non-native English speaking teachers have an equal chance of becoming successful teachers. However, there has been very little research focusing on the requirements of non-native English speaker trainees and similarly there has been minimal feedback on what works and does not work in teacher education programmes. This thesis aims to contribute to the ongoing teacher related research in order to gain a deeper understanding of the specific training requirements of Italian teachers of E.F.L., so that their full potential may be realised. The thesis illustrates in detail the Italian school system, the Modem Foreign Language undergraduate curricula and the recruitment system for teachers in Italy, three elements which play a crucial role in determining the in-service training needs of Italian teachers of E.F.L. The thesis also provides a detailed description of the Italian State Special Project for Foreign Languages (P.S.L.S.), a national training project aimed at in-service teachers of Foreign Languages. The thesis analyses data coming from surveys aimed at Italian teachers of English. One survey devised by the author was carried out among teachers attending training events at the British Council in Milan. A second survey analysed was based on data provided by the I.R.R.S.A.E. (Regional Institute for Research and In-service Training) Lombardy, resulting from a questionnaire completed by a large number of lower and higher secondary school teachers of English working in the region. The results of the analysis of these surveys provide important information about the requirements of these teachers and identify where these needs have not been satisfied in the training courses they have attended in the past. The thesis subsequently examines the training courses currently available to Italian teachers of E.F.L., both in Italy and the UK. Data coming from a survey conducted among P.S.L.S. trainers supply information about the general structure and content of these courses. The thesis also analyses material obtained from UK institutions and illustrates, and comments on, the variety of programmes of study currently available to Italian teachers of English. Suggestions are put forward on how both P.S.L.S. and UK based courses could be improved in an effort to overcome trainees' difficulties and meet their requirements and needs. The thesis concludes with recommendations for further work which include those areas where the analysis of teachers' requirements would benefit from expansion and where the evaluation proccss of existing training courses could be refined.

<p> The goal of this study was to examine how educational expectation, academic self-efficacy of Math and English, parental expectation, and parental involvement affect ELL students' educational attainment. Given the large and growing percentage of the ELL population in U.S. schools, the status of ELL students' educational attainment is cause for concern. Research on educational attainment for this specific population is scarce; let alone the investigation of predictors of ELL students' educational attainment. </p><p> This study used a nationally representative sample from Educational Longitudinal Study: 2002/2006. Path analysis and structural equation modeling were used to test four models depicting the relation between educational expectation, academic self-efficacy of Math and English, parental expectation, parental involvement and ELL students' high school completion and postsecondary institution enrollment. The results showed that all four models fit the data very well. Statistically significant direct effects were found from students' educational expectation at time 2 to high school graduation and also postsecondary institution enrollment. Statistically significant indirect effects were found from students' educational expectation at time 1 to high school graduation and also postsecondary institution enrollment. Both the measurement and structural models of Model 3 and Model 4 fit the data well. Statistically significant direct effects were found from parental expectation and parental involvement at time 1 to high school graduation and postsecondary institution enrollment. Comparison analysis was conducted between Asian-language speakers and Spanish speakers. Model 1&amp; 2 fit Asian-language speakers well but not for Spanish speakers. Model 3 and 4 fit both Spanish speakers and Asian-language speakers, but the models explained more variances in the outcome variables for Spanish speakers. The findings of this study had implications for educational policies targeting ELL students. Limitations and future research recommendations were discussed. </p>

<p>Since economic reform started in China in 1978, the educational objectives for English language teaching have undergone many changes. In secondary school, reading and writing abilities have become increasingly important, not only in assisting students to study and work in English language contexts, but also in setting up the foundation for further English learning at university level. Thus, new materials have been devised and new teaching methods have been used. However, in practice, the English reading skills of many learners do not seem to have improved and learners have difficulty in achieving the syllabus goals set for reading. This study investigated the factors which influence the development of reading skills by learners in one Grade 10 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) class in Taiyuan, a city in China.</p>

Writing from sources is a common academic task for L2 students in higher education. It is a task that requires the orchestration of numerous skills such as reading source texts, incorporating information from the source texts within the written text, and reading the rhetorical context to interpret the task. Being such a complex activity, it has received relatively little attention. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the complexity of a writing-from-sources task within an L2 environment. Using an ethnographic design, I examined the writing of four Chinese (L1) students with varying levels of English (L2) proficiency completing an argumentative writing-from-sources essay task for a required writing class. The task spanned two and a half weeks and required the participants to cite five sources within a 1500-word essay. Over the course of writing, I interviewed each participant several times about their writing process, observed the participants during class, and collected all notes, drafts, and reading materials. The results revealed the complexity of the writing-from-sources task. Constructing a suitable cognitive representation of the task was one key to success and there were a number of personal and contextual factors that influenced the creation of the participants’ task representations, factors such as individual background experiences, the writing process, and information from and interactions with the teacher and other people within the writing context. These factors varied in the strength of their influence from the beginning to the end of the essay assignment, and I present a tentative theory of task representation to explain the points at which these influencing factors had the greatest impact within the writing process. Low L2 proficiency constrained the writing performance of some of the participants. This resulted in one participant avoiding elements of the writing task requirements in order to earn passing marks and two other participants producing plagiarized texts and receiving failing marks on the assignment. The two participants who plagiarized showed no ill intentions and, consequently, felt receiving zero marks for their writing efforts was unjust. / New Zealand Tertiary Education Commission

Writing from sources is a common academic task for L2 students in higher education. It is a task that requires the orchestration of numerous skills such as reading source texts, incorporating information from the source texts within the written text, and reading the rhetorical context to interpret the task. Being such a complex activity, it has received relatively little attention. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the complexity of a writing-from-sources task within an L2 environment. Using an ethnographic design, I examined the writing of four Chinese (L1) students with varying levels of English (L2) proficiency completing an argumentative writing-from-sources essay task for a required writing class. The task spanned two and a half weeks and required the participants to cite five sources within a 1500-word essay. Over the course of writing, I interviewed each participant several times about their writing process, observed the participants during class, and collected all notes, drafts, and reading materials. The results revealed the complexity of the writing-from-sources task. Constructing a suitable cognitive representation of the task was one key to success and there were a number of personal and contextual factors that influenced the creation of the participants’ task representations, factors such as individual background experiences, the writing process, and information from and interactions with the teacher and other people within the writing context. These factors varied in the strength of their influence from the beginning to the end of the essay assignment, and I present a tentative theory of task representation to explain the points at which these influencing factors had the greatest impact within the writing process. Low L2 proficiency constrained the writing performance of some of the participants. This resulted in one participant avoiding elements of the writing task requirements in order to earn passing marks and two other participants producing plagiarized texts and receiving failing marks on the assignment. The two participants who plagiarized showed no ill intentions and, consequently, felt receiving zero marks for their writing efforts was unjust. / New Zealand Tertiary Education Commission