Digital Commons Network^™

Building And Sustaining Undergraduate English Internship Programs During And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Allegra W. Smith, Jordan N. Canzonetta, Kate Fedewa, Kate Birdsall

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Experiential learning opportunities (Kolb, 1984; Simons et al., 2012), such as internships, provide valuable real-world learning experiences for undergraduate students. Internships are especially important for students majoring or specialising in writing, who can gain valuable workplace experience and build portfolio pieces from working for a company or organisation. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting social distancing measures forced internship experiences to shift to remote and hybrid opportunities. In this article, four faculty from three universities in the United States detail the ways that they pivoted their undergraduate writing internship programs to adapt to public health requirements and changing student needs between …

Redesigning A Sustainable English Capstone Course Through A Virtual Student-Faculty Partnership, Kellie Keeling, Zoë Phalen, Michael J. Rifenburg

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

This collaborative essay between undergraduate students and a faculty member illustrates the importance of partnerships between students and faculty when redesigning courses. We ground this partnering in Students as Partner (SaP) praxis. SaP reinvigorates the faculty and student relationship as one in which both students and faculty serve as active agents in curriculum development, redesign, and assessment. In this essay, we introduce our partnership, locally ground our partnership, and highlight how we redesigned a sustainable English Department capstone course to include a cumulative, integrative assignment. Our partnership was not designed to lead to a quantifiable direct output (i.e., a publication …

"A Big Influence On My Teaching Career And My Life": A Longitudinal Study Of Learning To Teach English Pronunciation, Michael S. Burri, Amanda Ann Baker

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Inquiry into learning to teach pronunciation is a growing area within the second language teacher education research paradigm. To what extent this learning process extends into instructors' early years of teaching pronunciation has yet to be explored. This article is a response to this need by exploring the 3.5-year trajectory of five teachers learning to teach English pronunciation. The study was conducted in two phases. In Phase 1, pre- and post-course questionnaires, weekly observations of the lectures, focus groups interviews, final post-course interviews, and the participants' final assessment task were triangulated to examine the development of participants' cognitions during a …

Remote Interpreting Services Are Essential For People With Limited English — During Covid-19 And Beyond, Judy Mullan

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: Part B

According to 2016 Census data, 3.5% of Australians have limited English proficiency. When they’re receiving health care, it’s essential these Australians have access to interpreters. Research has shown professional interpreters facilitate effective communication between the patient and clinician, boost the quality of care, and improve the patient’s health outcomes. With COVID-19, we’ve seen a shift towards interpreting services being delivered remotely. These remote services are important for vulnerable groups during the pandemic. They should also pave the way for improved care for people with limited English in the future.

Conducting Qualitative Longitudinal Research On Learning To Teach English Pronunciation: Challenges, Pitfalls…Coffee, And Bubbles!, Michael S. Burri

Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities - Papers

Inquiries into the impact of second language teacher education on the development of teachers' practices, beliefs, and knowledge have increased substantially in the last few years. However, most studies tend to investigate the process of second language teacher learning over a relatively short period of time, and only limited literature addresses methodological considerations in longitudinal research, making the design of this type of study potentially challenging for researchers. The aim of this paper is to first describe an ongoing project which explores the process of teachers learning to teach English pronunciation over a period of six years. Following an overview …

Establishing A Framework For Learning To Teach English Pronunciation In An Australian Tesol Program, Michael S. Burri, Amanda Ann Baker, Honglin Chen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A substantial number of studies have been conducted in various second language teacher education settings. Yet, evidence about the effectiveness of teacher preparation continues to be debated and research findings about the efficacy of preparing language teachers are still somewhat inconclusive. As a further complication, even though pronunciation has regained some of its prominence in second language teaching, only minimal understanding exists about the preparation of pronunciation instructors in teacher education. The aim of this paper is to address this gap and to advance our understanding of teacher learning by first combining the findings from four research-based articles on learning …

Review: Antonio Gramsci Edited By / A Cura Di Mark Mcnally, Francesca Antonini

International Gramsci Journal

A Classic for Today: Gramsci’s Political Thought (on McNally’s Edited Volume)

Abstract

The article reviews the volume edited by MarkMcNally Antonio Gramsci, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan 2015.

Playing With Grammar: A Pedagogical Heuristic For Orientating To The Language Content Of The Australian Curriculum: English, Beryl Exley, Lisa K. Kervin, Jessica Mantei

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In this article we introduce a heuristic for orientating to the language content of the Australian Curriculum: English. Our pedagogical heuristic, called 'Playing with Grammar', moves through three separate but interwoven stages: (i) an introduction to the learning experience, (ii) a focus on learning, and (iii) an application of new knowledge where students read and/or write with grammar in mind. We draw on aspects of Bernstein's sociological theories to consider the implications of keeping the content of the Language, Literature and Literacy strands together or apart. We also theorise different pedagogical approaches where teachers or learners control the sequence and …

Policy Into Practice: Using Practice Theory To Implement An English Language Policy, Alisa J. Percy, Leonie G. Watson, Catriona A. Taylor

Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) - Papers

National studies concerned with the assurance of students' language communication within higher education courses have identified several principles for leveraging change, which include an institutional wide strategy, the articulation of clear language communication outcomes at the course and subject level, the identification of subjects within courses from first year to the capstone that have a particular focus on teaching and assessing communication skills, the incorporation of English language and literacy into assessment criteria, and collaboration between discipline staff and academic language and learning staff (Arkoudis, 2012, 2014). These principles have been incorporated into an English Language Policy at one university; …

The Acquisition Of Spanish Pronunciation By Welsh Learners: Transfer From A Regional Variety Of English Into Spanish, Alfredo Herrero De Haro

Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers (Archive)

Language teachers agree that the phonetic/phonological distance between a learner’s L1 and L2 is of vital importance in mastering the sounds of the L2; however, no attention is given to the phonetic/phonological distance between the regional variety of the speaker’s L1 and the L2. After comparing linguistic peculiarities of English, and of Welsh English in particular, with Castilian Spanish, the author proceeds to study the interlanguage of advanced students of Spanish from Wales. This helps to explain positive and negative transfer from this variety of English into Spanish and assists in producing a catalogue of the interferences to be corrected. …

Navigating The World Of Advertising Through Integrating English And Health (Ps), Chloe Gordon

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract of paper presented at the AATE & ALEA Joint National Conference, 3-6 July 2015, Canberra, Australia

The Effect Of Personality Traits On Subject Choice And Performance In High School: Evidence From An English Cohort, Silvia Mendolia, Ian Walker

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

This paper investigates the relationship between personality traits in adolescence and performance in high school using a large and recent cohort study. In particular, we investigate the impact of locus of control, self-esteem, and work ethics at age 15, on test scores at age 16, and on subject choices and subsequent performance at age 17-18. In particular, individuals with external locus of control or with low levels of self-esteem seem less likely to have good performance in test scores at age 16 and to pursue further studies at 17-18, especially in mathematics or science. We use matching methods to control …

Phonological Reduction In Maternal Speech In Northern Australian English: Change Over Time, Heather Buchan, Caroline Jones

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Segmental variation in maternal speech to children changes over time. This study investigated variation in non-citation speech processes in a longitudinal, 26-hour corpus of maternal northern Australian English. Recordings were naturalistic parent-child interactions when children (N=4) were 1;6, 2;0 and 2;6. The mothers' speech was phonetically transcribed and analysed. Based on previous sociophonetic research showing proportional changes in speech variants in maternal speech as children get older, it was predicted that deletion of word-initial /h/ and word-final /v/, processes common in non-citation speech, would increase over time. Instead results showed a non-linear change in deletion within a stable set of …

Investigation Of Chinese University Students' Attributions Of English Language Learning, Jinjin Lu, Stuart Woodcock, Han Jiang

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Despite the importance of developing students' learning autonomy in Chinese schools similar to Western cultured schools, many concerns are raised regarding the influence and effectiveness that learner autonomy has on students' academic achievements. The aim of this study was to identify the attribution patterns of Chinese university students for success and failure toward students who learnt through autonomy learning (student-centered approaches) compared with students who learnt through teacher-centered approaches. Within this study, mixed research methods were adopted, and students used a reflective method to distinguish whether they were taught English through a traditional or student-centered method. The findings of the …

The Impact Of Pre-School On Adolescents' Outcomes: Evidence From A Recent English Cohort, Patricia Apps, Silvia Mendolia, Ian Walker

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

This paper investigates the relationship between attendance at pre-school school and children's outcomes into early adulthood. In particular, we are interested in: child cognitive development at ages 11, 14 and 16; intentions towards tertiary education; economic activity in early adulthood; a group of non-cognitive outcomes such as risky health behaviour; and personality traits. Using matching methods to control for a very rich set of child and family characteristics, we find evidence that pre-school childcare moderately improves results in cognitive tests at age 11 and 14, and 16. Positive effects are especially noticeable for girls and children from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. …

Exploring The Application Of Computer-Assisted English Learning In A Chinese Mainland Context: Based On Students' Attitudes And Behaviours, Jinjin Lu, Paul Throssell, Han Jiang

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) has played an important role in language curriculums for Chinese schools and university over two decades; however, few researchers rare focused on this applicable tool from students' views. Based on theories of human agency, it is essential to know people' attitudes and acceptance of the information technology (Rogers, 1983). Hence, this paper explores university students' attitudes on the widespread teaching and learning approaches utilising computer-assisted language learning in the subject university in mainland China. Data was collected by using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Current computer-related behaviours were investigated by using a questionnaire; while their attitudes …

Would 'The Making Of The English Working Class' Get Made Today?, Rowan Cahill

Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers (Archive)

It is fifty years since leftist publisher Victor Gollancz published The Making of the English Working Class by English historian Edward Palmer Thompson (1924–1993). During 2013, this event has been, and is being, commemorated globally in political and scholarly conferences and journals. My dilapidated copy is the Penguin revised edition (1968), purchased in 1970. Still in print, and with more than a million copies sold worldwide, Thompson’s hugely influential doorstop book is regarded as a pivotal exploration of social history, as much an historical classic as it is a literary classic. The book runs to some 900 pages and over …

Influences On Students' Attainment And Progress In Key Stage 3: Academic Outcomes In English, Maths And Science In Year 9, Pam Sammons, Kathy Sylva, Edward Melhuish, Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Brenda Taggart, Katalin Toth, Diana Draghici, Rebecca Smees

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education Project (EPPSE) has investigated the academic and social-behavioural development of approximately 3,000 children from the age of 3+ years since 1997. This Research Brief focuses on the relationships between a range of individual student, family, home, pre-, primary and secondary school characteristics and students' academic attainment in English, maths and science in Year 9 at secondary school (age 14). It compares the latest findings with those found for students' attainment at younger ages. It also highlights the influences of secondary school on students' attainment in the core curriculum areas and studies their academic …

Knowledge About Language In The Australian Curriculum: English, Beverly Derewianka

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Somewhat surprisingly, an explicit knowledge about language has been often absent from English curricula. The new Australian Curriculum: English (ACARA, 2012) has taken a fairly radical step in placing knowledge about language at the core of classroom practice, thereby raising the issue of an appropriate model of language to inform the Language Strand of the Curriculum. This paper will outline the rationale behind the Language Strand, and will then make explicit its underlying model of language. The paper thus provides a context for the ensuing articles in this Special Focus Issue of AJLL, which take up various concerns in relation …

Self-Reported Practices, Attitudes And Levels Of Training Of Practitioners In The English Nhs Stop Smoking Services, Mairtin S. Mcdermott, Robert West, Leonie S. Brose, Andy Mcewen

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The primary aim of the current study is to investigate the self-reported practices, attitudes and levels of training of stop smoking practitioners (SSPs) working at the English National Health Service's (NHS) Stop Smoking Services (SSSs). A secondary aim was to investigate differences between 'Specialist' and 'Community' SSPs. An online survey was conducted with 484 SSPs. Most (94%) SSPs offered one-to-one appointments to smokers, only 43% always used the abrupt quit model and 30% reported ever recommending particular medication to clients. SSPs reported an average of 3.7 days training when starting work and 26% reported never observing an experienced practitioner before …

Translating Evidence-Based Guidelines Into Practice: A Survey Of Practices Of Commissioners And Managers Of The English Stop Smoking Services, Mairtin S. Mcdermott, Heather Thomson, Robert West, Jennifer A. M Kenyon, Andy Mcewen

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Background: The English National Health Service's (NHS) Stop Smoking Services (SSSs) constitute one of the most highly developed behavioural support programmes in the world. However, there is significant variation in success rates across the approximately 150 services, some of which may be due to variation in practice. This study aimed to assess these differences in practice.

Methods: Two online surveys were administered. All commissioners (people who purchase services for the NHS) and managers (those who run the services) of NHS SSSs in England were invited to participate. Items included details of current practices and services provided, what informed the …

The Future Of Geography In English Universities, Noel Castree

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Geography in England is one of many university subjects that will be significantly restructured - with almost immediate effect - because of powerful external drivers altering research and teaching. In this commentary I want to speculate on the likely changes ahead, and to consider how university-based geographers in England might respond to them. Given the considerable international influence that geographers in England exert within the wider subject, this commentary ought to interest those working in other countries. Notwithstanding the perils of futurology, I consider some possible scenarios in the midst of a formative moment for higher education in the UK's …

Pre-School Experience And Key Stage 2 Performance In English And Mathematics, Edward Melhuish, Louise Quinn, Kathy Sylva, Pam Sammons, Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Brenda Taggart

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This report considers children's educational attainment in English and mathematics at the end of primary school (age 11). Children's educational attainment in English and mathematics was derived from their national Key Stage 2 assessments. The analyses have considered the child's level of Key Stage 2 attainment in terms of the effects of child, family, home environment and preschool experience variables as well as the child's ability at the start of primary school.

Vygotsky And Linguistic Relativity: The Case Of Chinese And English Reading, John F. Ehrich

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper argues the case of linguistic relativity through a Vygotskyan socio-cultural perspective. A major tenet of Vygotskyan socio-cultural theory is that sign systems (e.g., language) are psychological tools, which after a period of internalization, result in a transformation of inner processing. The logical extension of Vygotskyan socio-cultural theory is that the internalization of different sign systems, such as Chinese logographic characters or English alphabetic script, should invariably result in the development of distinct types of inner processing. This argument is essentially one of linguistic relativity, or the idea that the nature of language itself can impact on cognitive processing. …

Lessons Of The Local: Primary English And The Relay Of Curriculum Knowledge, Pauline T. Jones

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This paper reflects upon the implementation of the current NSW English primary Syllabus (Board of Studies, NSW, 1998); in particular those aspects to do with oral interaction. It demonstrates how official curriculum is read varyingly in classroom settings with the result that learners are positioned differently in respect of the communicative resources necessary for schooling success. Such readings are shaped by teachers’ beliefs about language and learning and features of the local context including its ‘distance’from the site of syllabus development. It is argued that closer attention to syllabus implementation in local settings and to relationships between local and official …

Working With Global English: The Experience Of English Language Teachers In A University Language College, Peter Kell, Gillian Vogl

Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers (Archive)

Through in-depth interviews and focus groups with English Language teachers employed at a university bridging college, this paper explores the challenges that teachers face in preparing international students for university life in Australia. Findings from this research suggest that the narrow business focused objectives of the English Language market undermine more holistic approaches to teaching English. A more holistic approach is required to respond to the social and cultural needs of students while they are studying in Australia. Nevertheless, this research suggests that regardless of the instrumental and reductionist neo liberal philosophy which informs these programs, meaningful intercultural dialogue, critical …

The Challenges And Dilemmas Of The Global Business Of Teaching English In South East Asia, Peter M. Kell

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper is a discussion of the nature and character of the markets in English Language and the way in which English language and teaching is characterised by a series of markets in which there is strong and vibrant competition between a diversity of providers attempting to secure a share of growing international market in programs, products, methodologies, teacher training, teacher recruitment and placement. This paper explores aspects of the nature of this competition with particular reference to South East Asia and highlights the dilemmas and challenges that emerge from the development of a multileveled and trans-national market in English …