At Home With American Literature,
2010
Brigham Young University
At Home With American Literature, Shauna Robertson
The Utah English Journal
In 1822, the American actor, poet, and playwright John Howard Payne wrote a song called “Home! Sweet Home!” It became an instant hit, and its refrain, “[b]e it ever so humble, there's no place like home,” has become etched in our cultural memory. The author L. Frank Baum echoed this sentiment with a twist at the end of his novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Most people are familiar with Dorothy’s chant as she clicks the heels of her ruby slippers together in the 1939 film, but Baum’s literary version is even more powerful. "No matter how dreary and gray …
Terrific Biographies For Teens: Do They Exist?,
2010
Brigham Young University
Terrific Biographies For Teens: Do They Exist?, Amanda Mackay
The Utah English Journal
About the time I began my career as a junior high English teacher, I started reading a lot of biographies. I felt empowered as I read real stories of real people overcoming real obstacles. Recalling my first experience with this genre, I couldn’t help wondering why I didn’t read more of them when I was younger. I realized that I’d rarely seen my students choosing to read biographies either. As a teacher, I became curious about my students’ experiences with biographies. Had my students even read biographies? If so, what did they think of the genre? What would make them …
L2 Anxiety In Spanish-Speaking Adult Esl Populations: Possible Causes And Cultural Influences,
2010
University of Central Florida
L2 Anxiety In Spanish-Speaking Adult Esl Populations: Possible Causes And Cultural Influences, Scott Freiberger
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Anxiety has been identified as a plausible factor affecting second language (L2) acquisition. However, more research is needed on how anxiety may influence Spanish-speaking adult English as a Second Language (ESL) populations. Determining precisely what causes anxiety in Spanish-speaking adult ESL populations should be of interest not only to L2 researchers but also to ESL instructors who may have adult Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) in their classes. This study researched L2 anxiety in Spanish-speaking adult ESL learners. Specifically, it considered possible causes and cultural influences of L2 anxiety in 10 Spanish-speaking adult ESL students at a university English language …
Correct Me If I Am Wrong: Investigating The Preferences In Error Correction Among Adult English Language Learners,
2010
University of Central Florida
Correct Me If I Am Wrong: Investigating The Preferences In Error Correction Among Adult English Language Learners, Hillary Smith
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to investigate the existence the educational backgrounds of adult English Language Learners and their preferences in error correction. Fifty participants completed surveys of their educational and demographic backgrounds and beliefs about error correction, and then ranked video clips of different types of error correction in terms of perceived usefulness. The survey examined the affective impact of oral error correction and students' preferences regarding which errors merited correction and when and how these errors should be corrected. Participants with differing educational backgrounds expressed similar beliefs concerning the error correction and similar perceptions of the affective …
The Role Of Motivation In The Learning Of English As A Second Language,
2010
Universiti Malaya
The Role Of Motivation In The Learning Of English As A Second Language, Nadzrah Ahmad Bustami
Student Works (2010-2019)
Motivation is important in language learning. This present study aims to investigate learners’ motivation in the learning of English as a second language at university level and the factors that affect their motivation. The study particularly focuses on six motivation components: integrative motivation, instrumental motivation, effort, valence, expectancy and ability. The present study also aims to explore the differences in motivation level between female and male participants. 189 students participated in this quantitative study. The survey method used was the administration of the Motivation Scale (Wen, 1996 and modified by Shaaban and Ghaith, 2000). The results of this study revealed …
Cosmopolitanism, Globalization And The Field Of Adolescent Literacy,
2010
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Cosmopolitanism, Globalization And The Field Of Adolescent Literacy, Helen Harper, Thomas W. Bean, Judith Dunkerly
Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications
In this article we discuss the current nature and circumstances of cosmopolitanism and what it means to the field of adolescent literacy. Drawing on contemporary scholarship, cosmopolitanism is understood as: 1) the local experience or condition of globalization, what has been called ‘internal globalization,’ and, 2) as a disposition or sensibility that ensures productive and peaceful relations in light of globalization or any circumstance that creates dynamic and culturally diverse contexts. From a critical review of the key documents in the field, we argue that for many adolescents their lives and literacies now, and especially in the future, will be …
An Interview With Gary Soto,
2010
Brigham Young University
An Interview With Gary Soto, Mary Rice
The Utah English Journal
Gary Soto is a Mexican-American author and poet from the San Joaquin Valley of California. Soto’s poems are mostly about his daily life and experiences. He was the guest author for the 2009 Utah Council of Teachers of English conference. In the following interview Soto discusses his poetry and himself as a poet.
Helping Students Find That Comfortable Place Within Themselves,
2010
Brigham Young University
Helping Students Find That Comfortable Place Within Themselves, Denee Tyler
The Utah English Journal
Just like all English/Language Arts teachers, every August is a new beginning for me. I know I will see room after room of new faces, and my challenge will be to create a class atmosphere where each student will feel accepted, valued, and safe—all while encouraging my students to take risks and grow. It can be a very daunting task, but it is always rewarding. I’ve found that focusing on narrative writing—particularly memoir—during those first few weeks together is the key to building the classroom community I am looking for.
Revisiting Revision: Redefining The Writing Process,
2010
Brigham Young University
Revisiting Revision: Redefining The Writing Process, Kevin Lemley
The Utah English Journal
If you were to ask one of your students to tell you where to fit revision into the writing process, they would probably tell you it was one of the last steps. “The writing process begins with pre-writing, then drafting, then revising, and last of all proofreading,” they might respond. As teachers, we generally teach some form of this writing process. The problem with this instruction is that students often perceive the writing process as an unflinching standard, a one-way road with a dead end—no U-turns allowed. Revision becomes nothing more than a stop sign, a landmark that must be …
Risks And Rewards: Lessons From Bike Riding And The Central Utah Writing Project,
2010
Brigham Young University
Risks And Rewards: Lessons From Bike Riding And The Central Utah Writing Project, Sarita Rich
The Utah English Journal
Fifteen years after learning to ride a bike, I began my career as an English teacher. I’ve since learned that teaching, like bike riding, involves learning through risk-taking. None of the risks I’ve taken as a teacher to implement new curriculum ideas or classroom management practices have been wasted opportunities. Each attempt at risk-taking has led me to discover what works and what doesn’t. The greatest benefits of risk-taking come only after teachers are willing to try something new.
Learning And Teaching With Graphic Novels,
2010
Brigham Young University
Learning And Teaching With Graphic Novels, Rob Kirkham
The Utah English Journal
Comic books have faced harsh criticism from the general masses and the academic community since their early beginnings in the late 19th century. However, using visual media such as cartoons, comics, and graphic novels in the classroom provides educators with a number of valuable teaching aids for today’s students. Yet, sadly, these resources remain largely untapped.
The Nine-Month Hypothesis: An English Teacher's First Year,
2010
Brigham Young University
The Nine-Month Hypothesis: An English Teacher's First Year, Haylee Frohlich
The Utah English Journal
I never felt any affinity with scientists until I became a teacher, and in my opinion there is an uncanny resemblance between our two professions. As any junior high student can tell you, there are essential steps in the scientific process, namely: a problem or question which warrants a solution, a prediction or hypothesis of the solution, careful observation of the results, and a conclusion based upon those steps. In my first year of teaching I learned a real world application of the term “hypothesis.” I realized that teachers are the scientific method personified. We hypothesize. We experiment. We deduce. …
Finally Taking The Plunge: Literature Circles,
2010
Brigham Young University
Finally Taking The Plunge: Literature Circles, Carli Gadd
The Utah English Journal
Ever know something is a good idea, but still not do it? It’s like eating well. I know it pays off, but all I think of driving home are my three favorite people: Wendy, Arby, and McDonald. That’s what literature circles were for me, the carrot stick for lunch instead of the fast, easier option. But how could I make that carrot more appealing? My initial research convinced me to experiment with literature circles, and I was aware that literature circles are employed effectively at the elementary level, but I was concerned how teenagers would receive the practice. I resolved …
Problem Parents In Young Adult Literature: Really A Problem?,
2010
Brigham Young University
Problem Parents In Young Adult Literature: Really A Problem?, Sierra Robinson
The Utah English Journal
The parental role in adolescent literature has been examined recently in ways that some people are calling “The Parent Problem in Adolescent Literature,” suggesting these trends do not accurately depict the average parent-teenager relationship. Yet some readers and scholars passionately defend their rights to read about dysfunctional family situations as well. Ultimately, I argue the dysfunctional, or “bad” parent has a place in adolescent literature and can be used, by teachers especially, as a positive convention that empowers young readers to rise above circumstance in constructive ways.
Future Stars,
2010
Brigham Young University
Writing Is Dangerous Business,
2010
Brigham Young University
Writing Is Dangerous Business, Richard Kempa
The Utah English Journal
No abstract provided.
Full Issue,
2010
Brigham Young University
What Is Really Happening When I Teach? : A Self-Study In A Secondary English Classroom,
2010
University of Northern Iowa
What Is Really Happening When I Teach? : A Self-Study In A Secondary English Classroom, Margaret Christensen Mnayer
Graduate Research Papers
As an educator in an urban school, determined to provide my students with the most effective teaching, I engaged in a self-study to examine my practices and evaluate effectiveness based on current research. I used Schulte's (2002) framework to build my self-study. Her indicators of a quality self-study are: 1) thorough descriptions of the context, data collection, and analysis, 2) thoughtful problemization of researcher and her practice, 3) indications for how study changed researcher's practice, and, 4) a description of how the new insights gained might contribute to knowledge base for other teachers.
A Handbook For Developing And Implementing A High School At-Risk Reading Program,
2010
Central Washington University
A Handbook For Developing And Implementing A High School At-Risk Reading Program, Tamara A. Deford
All Graduate Projects
This project is intended to serve as a guide and resource for the development of a reading intervention program for at-risk secondary students. The project consisted of the following three foci: 1) an initial review of the literature in the areas of adolescent literacy, the Washington State Three-Tier Reading Model, the reading intervention program Literacy First, and school environmental and cultural traits that foster success among adolescent students-specifically struggling adolescent readers, 2) a discussion of Othello High School's process of the selection of a secondary reading intervention program, and 3) a resource handbook, which included methods and processes that supported …
Methods For Encouraging Economic Diversity In Academically Rigorous Courses,
2010
Central Washington University
Methods For Encouraging Economic Diversity In Academically Rigorous Courses, Karen Patricia Kraabel
All Graduate Projects
In International Baccalaureate (IB) classes at Thomas Jefferson High School, the economic status of students in honors classes does not reflect that of the school as a whole. The author sought ways to bring more students from impoverished backgrounds into rigorous courses. In this school, there is a strong coincidence between etlmic minority status and socioeconomic status. The author believed that in addressing the economic issue the ethnicity issue would also be addressed. This is a practical issue as well as a pedagogical one, because the school's scores on state-wide standardized tests are lower for economically disadvantaged students than for …
