Education Commons^™

Exploring The Intersection Of Creative Practice Development And Second Language Acquisition In Adult Artists Professionally Connected To Seattle, Megan E. Deangelo

Master's Theses

Artists’ voices are disproportionately being excluded from international discourse because current English language education does not adequately serve this population of learners. This study was conducted as a catalyst for inquiry into the most effective ways artists acquire English so as to inform the development of curricula and programs to address their language learning needs. This study’s theoretical framework is created by Long’s (1981) interaction hypothesis and Skehan’s (1996) theory of task-based learning. The author proposes that artists’ English language learning experiences would be more fruitful if they were patterned after the interactions to which they are accustomed in their …

Culturally Relevant Esl Pedagogy For California Community College Teacher Educators, Jeff Moran

Master's Projects and Capstones

Demographics in the US are changing rapidly. The current white majority will fall below 50% of the total population by 2060. This shift has already occurred in California, where Latino/as are the largest single ethnic group in the state. California community college student populations reflect this reality, as at least 65% are students of color and 25% are immigrants to the US. California community college ESL instructors are often involved in teaching immigrants and non-native English speakers of color. In contrast to the student body, California community college teacher demographics remain overwhelmingly homogenous, as over 82% of full and part-time …

Content-Based Instruction And Corpus Linguistics Curriculum For Early Advanced Efl Saudi Students, Ahmed Alattar

Master's Projects and Capstones

For many years now EFL teaching and learning in Saudi Arabia has suffered from a lack of authentic life-related and meaningful materials. Most of the EFL books available, therefore, pay more attention to form and less attention to meaning. This has resulted in many Saudi EFL students having difficulty improving their L2 proficiency. For this reason, I developed a curriculum that incorporates content-based instruction and corpus linguistics. The curriculum is divided into six units. The units focus on the five basic language skills: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. Each unit focuses on different content and includes examples form several corpus …

Developing Efl Reading Fluency In Upper Elementary Schools In China, Jianxian Yang

Master's Projects and Capstones

This project aims to help EFL educators and EFL teachers realize the importance of developing EFL students’ reading fluency, and more importantly, to provide specific curriculum for upper elementary school EFL students to improve their reading fluency. The most important intervention being used in this curriculum is extensive reading which appears in every class. Besides extensive reading, using rapid word recognition, repeated reading, paced reading, cloze reading, echo reading and choral reading are also discussed in this project. Teachers are suggested to rotate the interventions during the whole semester and they can adapt the materials and the curriculum in this …

Healthy And Livable Pittsburg Initiative: Master Of Public Health Culminating Experience, Jasmine L. Bernal

Master's Projects and Capstones

Contra Costa Health Services Department of Community Wellness and Prevention sole purpose is to improve the environmental, social and economic conditions that contribute to poor health, and support a quality of life that promotes the health and well being of all residents within the county, with major attention to those underserved. The Healthy and Livable Pittsburg Initiative tries to address those issues within the city of Pittsburg. The project aims to engage certain members of the community within Pittsburg to be involved in the future community action plan, which will improve the lives of every resident in Pittsburg. The first …

Prevention Of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Through Information And Education At The California Department Of Public Health, Vaisali M. Patel

Master's Projects and Capstones

Immunizations are one of the most important developments in the twentieth century towards the prevention of infectious diseases. Vaccinations against communicable diseases have helped reduce morbidity and mortality all over the world. Despite having numerous vaccines that protect individuals from serious and deadly diseases, vaccination rates in the United States remain at an all-time low. The Information and Education section of the Immunization Branch within the Division of Communicable Disease Control at the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) focuses on working with local health departments, primary care providers, immunization coalitions, and other statewide organizations to increase the rates of …

Improving English Skills Through Video: A Conversation-Based Curriculum For Chinese Efl Adult Learners, Xiaojie Wang

Master's Projects and Capstones

In 1980, China opened its door to the outside world and eventually learning English became a tool for the drive for modernization in the country. For the past thirty years, learning English has been a goal of many. However, the overwhelming majority of Chinese students with limited vocabulary are apt to display low confidence when engaged in conversations in English. Specifically, they may fail to apply correct grammar knowledge and syntax during their communication. The purpose of this field was to create video teaching resources, based on U.S. media like television shows, to be used in EFL classes in China …

Increasing Parent Involvement For Esl Parents, Cristina N. Holmes

Master's Projects and Capstones

Parents of ESL students are often misguided and misunderstood. As educators, it is important to understand theory and applying teaching frameworks to various cutural backgrounds. This handbook addresses some of the needs of ESL parents, focusing on the parent involvement framework, and applies to the daily lives of parents. By focusing on the school, family, and community, this paper explains why it is important for ESL parents to be involved in their child's education and how they can become more involved on the path to academic success.

Collaborative And Genre-Based Writing In The L2 Writing Classroom, Misty R. Lassiter

Master's Projects and Capstones

In the field of second language writing, L2 students should be empowered to express their personal voice in writing. Often, students are encouraged to adopt an academic voice, which discourages personal voice and often ignores prior knowledge. This field project intends to use collaborative writing and genre theory as a means of helping L2 writers strengthen their linguistic identity and empower them in the academy and beyond.

Pronunciation Lesson Plans For Korean Efl University Instructors, Jeongtong (Justin) Choi

Master's Projects and Capstones

This project helps to create lesson plans for instructors who teach Korean ESL/EFL students in English pronunciation part.

Strategies For Esl Students In Community Colleges To Develop Their Public Speaking Skills, Cheryl I. Watkins

Master's Projects and Capstones

The purpose of this project was to identify strategies for ESL students in community colleges to develop their public speaking skills. Effective oral communication skills are commonly needed by employees in the workplace at all different levels. The project focused on three key areas: 1) ways to reduce the fear and anxiety associated with public speaking; 2) the role of small groups in planning and presenting oral presentations; and 3) the use of feedback and self-help strategies to improve public speaking skills. The project presented a handbook of strategies in each of these areas for students to use as a …

Creating Theatre-Based Curriculum For Use In The Esl/Efl Language Classroom: A Model, Alexandra Williams-Fleck

Master's Projects and Capstones

Many countries require the study of the English language as part of the standard curriculum in K-12 schools. Unfortunately, many students lack the interest and motivation to learn, despite English’s potential to open future academic and professional doors. This is particularly true for students living in countries where English is not a nationally spoken language. They receive no language support from their surrounding environment, which affects their rate of language acquisition. Coupled with a prevalence of out-of-context materials and non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs) who may be unable to impart the non-verbal and cultural implications of the language, students are at …

Critical Media Literacy: A Curriculum For Middle School English Teachers, Jennifer J. Hale

Master's Projects and Capstones

This project provides an introductory, critical media literacy curriculum for middle school English teachers, which is designed to build upon students’ academic language proficiency and critical-thinking skills through media-based content. The targeted proficiency level ranges from high-intermediate English language learners to native English speakers.

The curriculum focuses on developing the critical-thinking skills needed to analyze complex media messages. This process helps students to discover how media is socially constructed and how it aims to convey particular messages for particular purposes. The teacher’s goal is to facilitate students’ understanding of media in order for them to become more conscientious of their …

Teaching Health Literacy In Conjunction With Esl, Dora Lee

Master's Projects and Capstones

In the United States, many English as a Second Language (ESL) speakers who have limited English proficiency also have low levels of health literacy. The purpose of this project is to create a curriculum that ESL teachers can implement to improve the English language proficiency and the health literacy skills of adult ESL speakers with limited English proficiency residing in the United States. The curriculum is designed for teachers who work with ESL speakers who may be having trouble obtaining, processing, communicating, or managing health information due to language barriers.

Empowering Female English Language Learners To Pursue Computer Science Fields: A Practical 4-Hour Workshop For Beginning Teachers In High School, Osaro Althouse

Master's Projects and Capstones

Female English language learners (FELLs) are not taken under consideration when trying to attract new student populations to computer science fields. Frequently, females are studied cohesively without regard to their individual distinctions and challenges. This unique population has to overcome traditional gender perceptions and linguistic confronts when considering the field of computer science. This paper provides a practical four-hour workshop for novice teachers in high school that are eager to empower female English language learners (FELLs) that demonstrate potential or are interested in entering computer science fields. An overview of research within the last ten years is exhibited, which includes …

English Language Learning Through Visual Arts Practices: A Curriculum For Conflict-Affected Youth In Secondary Education, Jenny Lemper

Master's Projects and Capstones

This field project summarizes recent research in conflict and education, and presents an English language learner curriculum designed to address the current gap in quality education for conflict-affected youth. The curriculum contains six modules and develops English language literacy through student visual arts projects using text and images. The purpose of the curriculum is to familiarize students to the various confidence-building and coping mechanisms available in creative expression and to develop valuable visual and verbal language related life skills, therefore equipping students with tools to support successful futures.

The “What E.L.S.E.” Resource Guide For E.S.L. Students, Marc A. Santamaria

Master's Projects and Capstones

This field project is a resource guide for ESL students who want to study English on their own. This resource guide is ideal for motivated students who are at least high intermediate to advanced English students. This guide helps students create learning strategies that help them learn efficiently. There are three main sections of the resource guide: 1) vocabulary; 2) reading; and 3) writing. These three main sections provide students with exercises that also teach them how to further their English studies after finishing the resource guide.

Reducing Obesity And Obesity-Related Diseases In Richmond, California: Understanding The Importance Of Partnerships In Community-Based Health Education, Arlette Hernandez

Master's Projects and Capstones

In the United States obesity has become a major public health issue. Over the past two decades, the prevalence of obesity has doubled in adults and children. In the city of Richmond, California, adults and children are experiencing the highest rates of obesity and obesity-related diseases in comparison to other residents of West Contra Costa County. In an effort to reduce the rates of obesity in Richmond, two non-profit organizations have partnered up to provide innovative community-based health education to combat obesity and type II diabetes.

This paper will explore and summarize the 300-hour fieldwork the author experienced and completed …

Learning Together: A Case Study Of A Cooperative School’S Approach To Education, Ariana M. Ali

Master's Theses

This thesis is based on an in-depth case study of one cooperative pre-preschool and preschool in San Francisco. Qualitative research methods, such as observation and one-on-one interviews, were used to study the structure, culture, and community at the school. Cooperative schools have not been well researched or documented in academic literature and this study hoped to shed some light on this model of school organization. The parent-initiated and community-oriented nature of cooperative schools make them stand out as unique among the large, bureaucratically-run schools and daycares typically found in the United States. The results of this study highlighted four themes …

Using Enviromnetal Science Education To Empower Urban Youth To Overcome Environmental Injustices And Become Engaged Eco-Citizens, Jack J. Kearns

Master's Projects and Capstones

Science education, especially the discipline of environmental science, carries the unique opportunity to engage and empower urban youth of diverse backgrounds. Environmental science education helps establish a connection between youth and the natural world and helps youth engage in community-based stewardship activities while fostering ecological citizenry. When educators adopt innovative pedagogical approaches, students are better positioned to participate and develop a sustained interest in science. Field-based education transforms science learning and improves youth’s sense of place, self-confidence, and motivation. National and local case-studies of field-based learning programs demonstrate the powerful and transformative impact of using the Environment as a Integrated …

Leadership And Communication As Opportunities For Growth: Refining Discipline With Cross Cultural Relationships Beyond The Classroom, Sabrina D. Sanchez

Master's Projects and Capstones

Overt disciplinary tactics disproportionately affect scholars of color. This field project aims to shed light on discipline policies across a variety of learning environments and provide scholars of color with the opportunity to self-advocate. I utilize a culturally relevant pedagogy in my framework component to stress the need for reciprocal relationships based on dignity and mutual respect. I provide effective alternative strategies, framed by culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) and Gregory and Mosely’s theory of culturally relevant discipline (CRD), for addressing misconduct that emphasize stronger communication and greater leadership opportunities. My project consists of three parts: a modified communications policy in …

An Investigation Of The Private Efl Sector In South Korea: Meeting Students’ And Parents’ Goals And Expectations, Stephen Ostermiller

Master's Theses

In South Korea, there is an abundance of expatriate educators working in the large, private English education industry. Many of these educators work for private language institutes known as hagwons, where they teach English as a foreign language (EFL) to preschool and primary school students. However, due to language barriers and other circumstances, these workers rarely communicate with the parents of their students. Couple this with a lack of knowledge about the history and current state of EFL education in Korea, and many of these educators are left unaware of the goals and expectations that these parents have for their …

Teaching English As A Second Language Through Rap Music: A Curriculum For Secondary School Students, Beth Segal

Master's Theses

This project provides a sample of the curriculum, Rapping English, which uses rap/hip-hop style music to teach ELLs vocabulary, grammar, discourse and prosody. The rationale for using musical instruction is based on Gardner’s (2006) multiple intelligence theory and Bloom’s (1978) learning domains. This curriculum instructs students through musical intelligence and the affective domain which are often neglected in traditional instruction. Furthermore, this project explores how musical curriculum can be used to lower the affective filter (Krashen, 1981) and provide emotionally appealing and memory stimulating instruction in line with the findings of current neuropsychology, specifically the work of R. Caine and …

Teaching Reading As An Integrated Skill: An Evaluation Of Two Popular Esl Textbooks, Ingrid Mcvanner

Master's Theses

As the population of non-native English speakers rises in the United States, so too does the need for effective English language instruction, and with that, effective instructional materials. With a growing population of adult English language learners with below basic prose literacy, the need for effective adult English language literacy instruction is also evident. Because people do not use one skill at a time, this project evaluates the reading materials in two adult English language integrated skills textbooks from major publishers of ESL materials in order to provide insight into the preparation of effective integrated skills textbooks designed for adult …

Inside Jokes: English Language Humor From The Outside, Mieka D. Strawhorn

Master's Theses

Humor is a complex and dynamic mode of communication that serves a number of important social functions. While humor is found in all cultures, English language learners (ELLs) in the United States must learn to navigate American humor with all of its inherent cultural, social and linguistic particularities. The ability to appreciate, comprehend and produce humor is a critical and necessary skillset for full fluency in English. Research has been done on the subject of incorporating humor into the language classroom and the benefits of doing so are myriad (Bell, 2005; 2009). However, very little research has been done on …

"Preventive Leadership Program" At The Salesian University: An Exploratory Case Study, Alejandro Rodriguez

Doctoral Dissertations

Leadership is a key factor in the quality of personal life, organizational culture, and social projection of each member in any organization. Bringing out the best of each person involved in any decision is a must for a Preventive Leader. This kind of leadership opens the possibility to develop, adapt, change and modify the theoretical construct of the definition of a leader from the Preventive horizon, the practical implications of Preventive Leadership development, and the learning and practice of Preventive leadership in a contextualized environment, creating interactions and interdependencies in a net-like pattern of relationships situated in one specific context: …

Teachers Adapting Common Core Informational-Text Writing Instruction For Students With Mild To Moderate Disabilities, Diana Hawley

Doctoral Dissertations

With the adoption of the Common Core State Standards, students must now become skilled at using different types of writing to help them critique text and process information. They also are required to write informational text. Informational-text writing is challenging for students with mild to moderate disabilities, including students with language-learning disabilities, who often struggle with aspects of language necessary for learning to read and write. These students show striking challenges with productivity, grammatical and spelling accuracy, and sentence complexity, with differences in performance by genre (Koutsoftas & Gray, 2012; Scott & Windsor, 2000; Troia, Lin, Cohen, & Monroe, 2011). …

The Effects Of The Read 180 Program On Oral Reading Fluency, Linguistic Comprehension, And Reading Comprehension With Secondary Special Education Students, David Lyon Teja

Doctoral Dissertations

There is great concern about secondary special education students reading achievement in decoding, listening comprehension, and reading comprehension. The READ 180 Program is an evidence and scientific based reading program that includes direct instruction, computer aided instruction, and reading materials that are high interest and implement the common core. The purpose of this study was to see the differences in oral reading fluency, linguistic comprehension, and reading comprehension in a pretest posttest model over a fourteen-week testing period. Ten ninth grade secondary students who were reading below the 25th percentile were instructed with the READ 180 Program with fidelity (90 …

On The Job Teacher Training For Native English-Speaking Teachers In South Korean Intensive English Kindergartens, Elizabeth Christensen

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine how native English-speaking teachers from Western countries adapt to teaching Korean kindergarten students within South Korea while adapting to both teaching and working within South Korea. To collect data for the study, eight native English-speaking teachers were interviewed about their training and teaching experiences in South Korea. Results show that many native English-speaking teachers desire better communication from their supervisors during new teacher training programs. The participants especially wanted to have a clearer understanding of their supervisor’s expectations for them. In the interviews, many of the native English-speaking teachers expressed a wish …

Constructive Feedback In L2 Writing With Chinese High School Students In Taiwan, Chiawei Diane Yang

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the lack of motivation in L2 writing of Chinese high school students in Taiwan. The subject of this study was to examine how age, culture, and the education system in Taiwan influenced students’ motivation in learning English writing. It provided insight about how academic environments influence students’ motivation in learning English, how teachers’ feedback shapes students’ learning attitudes, and effective ways to increase students’ motivation and self-esteem. The study utilized Krashen’s (1981) affective filter hypothesis and Dornyei’s (1994) three levels of motivation theory. Ten Taiwanese students participated in this study. All of …