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Late Starts Leading To Native-Like Pronunciation In Second Language Acquisition, Antonio Losavio
Late Starts Leading To Native-Like Pronunciation In Second Language Acquisition, Antonio Losavio
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
This study sought to investigate the self-perceived factors that led adult language learners, who acquired L2 after the critical period, to acquire native like pronunciation in their second language. Given the impact of accent and pronunciation on perceptions of a speaker's status, intelligence and/or competence, there exists a need for thoughtful and comprehensive research into why adult second language learners reach different outcomes in pronunciation attainment. A qualitative phenomenological design was employed to recruit adults who began learning English as an L2 after 12 years old but attained a native-like English accent. Participants recorded vocal samples that were presented with …
Exploring English As A Foreign Language (Efl) Saudi Arabian Teachers' Perceptions Vis-A-Vis The English Education Context In Primary And Secondary Schools, Mona Abdullah A. Al Mogeerah
Exploring English As A Foreign Language (Efl) Saudi Arabian Teachers' Perceptions Vis-A-Vis The English Education Context In Primary And Secondary Schools, Mona Abdullah A. Al Mogeerah
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The education system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is given a great deal of attention by the government as it is keen to provide an educational system that caters to teacher and student needs. Because English has the potential to provide access to resources that may facilitate advancement in science and technology, it is difficult to deny or underestimate the importance of the English language in Saudi Arabia. Despite the history of EFL teaching and resources allocated to the teaching of English in Arabia, the quality of Saudi students' English language skills has raised many concerns. Saudi students currently …
The Impact Of Competency Based Education On Educational Equity, Ndifor Manjong
The Impact Of Competency Based Education On Educational Equity, Ndifor Manjong
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
For centuries, minority groups, students from low socio-economic background, and girls in public schools especially K-12 educational institutions in the United States have experienced prejudice, injustice, and bigotry. Unfortunately, the conventional approach of education, based on a one-size-fits-all approach, has failed to deal with these obstacles. In the past decades, however, there has been an increasing demand for the adoption of the Competency-Based system of education, a personalized learning approach that focuses on the acquisition of concrete skills rather than abstract knowledge. In a Competency-Based model, students advance based on the demonstration of mastery of knowledge and skills other than …
Micro-Credentialing Of English Learner Teaching Skills (Melts) Preparation: Teacher Candidates' Use Of Read-Alouds To Support Reading Comprehension For English Learners, Shayla Roberts
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Over the past decade, the population of students learning English as a second language in the United States has grown astronomically. Presently, the number of English learners (ELs) across the country has reached 4.8 million and is projected to rise in the coming years. Because of this steadily increasing metric, the demand for effective reading instruction as a critical component of overall academic achievement and learning success is crucial. As such, there is a great need for schools to address the language, literacy, and academic needs of ELs in mainstream classrooms. To address this concern, major responsibilities fall on teachers …
The Element Of Cognates And Its Impact On Second Language Learners, Azimeh Kazemian
The Element Of Cognates And Its Impact On Second Language Learners, Azimeh Kazemian
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
There are different factors associated with learning a second language such as English. Among the factors including motivation and socioeconomic is the element of cognates that may impact second language acquisition. Through exploring multiple studies, this secondary research paper aims to examine the impact of cognates on language acquisition among different participants with different language backgrounds. Through different research methodologies, the findings of each published study revealed that students whose mother tongues do share cognates with their second language have an advantage over speakers of languages that do not share cognates with a second language such as English. On the …
Methodology Of Augmented Reality Chinese Language Articulatory Pronunciation Practice: Game And Study Design, Daria Sinyagovskaya
Methodology Of Augmented Reality Chinese Language Articulatory Pronunciation Practice: Game And Study Design, Daria Sinyagovskaya
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Learning a language can be hard. Learning a language that contains tones to convey meaning is even harder. This dissertation presents a novel methodology for creating a language practice using augmented reality that has never been used before. The design of a new app in AR and non-AR versions can evaluate the same practice methodology. This methodology was applied to new software and was examined in regard to the importance of this software. Although the study results are inconclusive, progress has been made in answering research questions on the effectiveness of AR versus non-AR and the reliability of peer assessment. …
The Impact Of A Growth Mindset Intervention On Growth Mindset, Self-Efficacy, & Learning Behaviors Of Adult Esol Learners At A Technical College, Wei-Chun Stiskin
The Impact Of A Growth Mindset Intervention On Growth Mindset, Self-Efficacy, & Learning Behaviors Of Adult Esol Learners At A Technical College, Wei-Chun Stiskin
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The purpose of this mixed study was to determine the impact of a growth mindset intervention on adult ESOL learners' growth mindset, self-efficacy, and learning behaviors at a technical college. This study adopted paired samples t test to analyze quantitative component part of the study, including pre and post Growth Mindset Surveys and Self-Efficacy Surveys. For the qualitative component of the study, participants' interview responses were recorded and analyzed to explore their perspectives on the quantitative part of the study. Quantitatively, the findings of the study showed that there was no significant difference between growth mindset intervention and adult ESOL …
The Effect Of Audiovisual And Written Interactivity On Teacher-Candidates' Application Of Instructional Support Practices For English Learners In An Online Tesol Course, Sophie Cuocci
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
With the increased number of English learners in the United States, teacher candidates need to be prepared to address their needs in their future classrooms. Teacher preparation programs around the nation are continuously exploring solutions to better develop teacher candidates' skills. Simultaneously, the rise in popularity of online education has pushed universities to identify and integrate technology tools which best promote students' learning. This study, connecting both challenges, aims to identify which type of interactivity promoted by technology, in an undergraduate online teaching English for speakers of other languages (TESOL) course, most benefits pre-service teachers in their ability to apply …
Emergency Remote Teaching (Ert) Forced By The Covid-19 Pandemic: Efl Teachers' Practices And Perspectives Two Years Later, Eman Barri
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
When the Covid-19 pandemic first hit the world in March 2020, all aspects of life were drastically disrupted, and the education sector underwent radical changes. An almost overnight shift from traditional classrooms to delivering instruction online became an enforced necessity rather than an option to continue education during the pandemic, which required teachers around the world to adapt to the new reality on very short notice. Because little research has been undertaken to understand language teaching practices globally during the pandemic from the teachers' perspectives, shedding light on how English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers responded to the emergency …
A Mixed-Methods, Grounded Theory Study Of Online Meaning-Making During The Pandemic, Kaitlyn Montcrieff
A Mixed-Methods, Grounded Theory Study Of Online Meaning-Making During The Pandemic, Kaitlyn Montcrieff
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
To be human is to seek to understand the known and unknown world. The Covid-19 pandemic offers researchers the opportunity to examine online meaning-making on a more ubiquitous magnitude than ever experienced in history, without positioning the digital world as less authentic, or distinct, from the physical. Using mixed-methods grounded theory, this study posed the research question: (RQ) How do high school parents use an online community to (re)conceptualize aspects of contemporary society? The NRC Emotion Intensity lexicon (Mohammed, 2018) was used to score online forum posts from 2018-2021 using eight emotions to quantitatively represent changes over time. The qualitative …
Dual Language Teachers' Beliefs And Practices Regarding Effective Second Language Instruction: A Qualitative Study, Deddy Amrand
Dual Language Teachers' Beliefs And Practices Regarding Effective Second Language Instruction: A Qualitative Study, Deddy Amrand
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The present study examined dual language (DL) teachers' beliefs and practices regarding effective second language instruction. DL teachers are expected to integrate language teaching and content instruction. However, balancing the two areas of instruction has been proved challenging. It has also been reported that bilingual educators lack pedagogical skills and hold incorrect beliefs about second language acquisition. Five DL educators participated in the study. Data about the teacher's beliefs were collected using semi-structured interviews, and data about their classroom practices were gathered from their teaching journals. Second semi-structured interviews were conducted to reveal the factors influencing the enactment of stated …
A Causal Comparative Examination Of The Effects Of Tiered Interventions Within The Mtss Framework In One Intermediate Grade, Hope Strange
A Causal Comparative Examination Of The Effects Of Tiered Interventions Within The Mtss Framework In One Intermediate Grade, Hope Strange
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
This post hoc quantitative research used a causal-comparative design to explore the relationship between tiered interventions as part of an MTSS intervention and student achievement. Data from the Florida Standards Assessment for English Language Arts (FSA ELA) and mathematics (FSA Mathematics) from 2018 and 2019 formed the basis of the study; student demographic data also identified each student's highest level of reading, mathematics, and behavior interventions during the 2018-2019 school year. Students who received interventions were coded into a separate higher tier. Percentile change was calculated and analyzed using an ANOVA to determine how percentile change differed by intervention tier. …
An Examination Of Secondary English Language Arts And Social Studies Teachers' Perceptions And Implementation Of Effective Literacy Instruction Practices In Their Content Area Classrooms: A Correlation Study, Melissa Mitchell
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
According to national assessments of student performance, struggling readers in secondary grades continue to struggle, specifically in the areas of vocabulary development and reading comprehension. As a result, the identified students struggle with content area learning. It is important to examine content area teachers' perspectives and instructional needs about the role of reading/literacy in their content area. This study uses a correlational research design, consisting primarily of collection and analysis of inventory data, collected from 74 secondary English Language Arts (ELA) and Social Studies teachers in grades 6-12. The use of correlational design was selected to examine possible relationships between …
Corrective Feedback In L2 Pronunciation: The Learner Lens, Elif Saribas
Corrective Feedback In L2 Pronunciation: The Learner Lens, Elif Saribas
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
This study investigated learner perceptions of correction in L2 (second language) pronunciation. Research indicates that L2 learners have a strong preference toward corrective feedback provided by the teacher and also favor peer feedback (Kaivanpanah et al., 2012). In addition, external feedback is shown to contribute to the development of internal feedback, or self-correction (Huang & Jia, 2016). Learners were also found to carry positive opinions towards explicit error correction, with culture and proficiency level influencing those opinions (Yang, 2016). The current study used a qualitative approach to investigate learner perceptions toward correction in L2 pronunciation and examine real-life correction instances …
Conceptual Factors In Black And Hispanic Proficient Students' In English Language Arts (Ela), Christina Aldrich
Conceptual Factors In Black And Hispanic Proficient Students' In English Language Arts (Ela), Christina Aldrich
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
This study investigated the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) English Language Arts (ELA) scores of proficient third-grade students and explored trends in achievement or decline on the FSA in fourth grade. Further, this study explored the relationship of school environment to academic outcomes of Black and Hispanic fourth-grade public school students in terms of FSA ELA scores from third to fourth grade. This study used multiple statistical analyses on pre-existing de-identified data to explore learning gains by race/ethnicity. By focusing on and studying only one school district, this study provides conclusive results connecting learning gains and ethnicity in specific instances, but …
Examining The Effects Of Implementation Of I-Ready To Fidelity On Reading And Its Effects On Free Or Reduced Lunch Students In Seven Middle Schools, Ryan Martin
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The purpose of this study was to contribute to the literature and to policy and practice in the educational field on how individual student diagnostic scores was affected in the area of reading. This study specifically examined full or partial fidelity of implementation of the iReady reading instructional and computerized program was applied in seven middle schools in a school district in Central Florida for all students in intensive reading courses. Additionally, this study contributed to how individual student diagnostic scores was affected in the area of reading for students on free or reduced lunch. Data were analyzed from the …
Stance And Engagement In Scientific Research Articles, Caoyuan Ma
Stance And Engagement In Scientific Research Articles, Caoyuan Ma
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Stance and engagement are important rhetorical resources for writers to construct interaction with readers and ideas by marking epistemic evaluation and bringing readers into the texts. Building on previous research that suggests notable differences in the use of stance and engagement in academic discourse, this comparative study investigates the use of stance and engagement in scientific research articles. By comparing two corpora that contain 144 research articles in total across 16 scientific disciplines, this study examines if the numbers of stance and engagement differ between manuscripts (unpublished research papers) that are produced by nonnative writers and those that are published …
A Quasi-Experimental Study Of The Relationship Between Teaching Intensive Reading Using Novels And Student Skills In English Language Arts, Sarah Brevoort
A Quasi-Experimental Study Of The Relationship Between Teaching Intensive Reading Using Novels And Student Skills In English Language Arts, Sarah Brevoort
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Many research-based reading interventions exist, but little literature examines teaching secondary reading using entire novels as an intervention. This quasi-experimental study examined the relationship between whether entire novels were included in secondary intensive reading and students' English language arts skills. Data were collected through an online survey of eight reading teachers from one Florida school district. Data collected by the survey were teacher qualifications, inclusion of entire novels in reading curriculum, and implementation of research-based teaching strategies. Survey data, Florida Standards Assessment of English Language Arts (FSA ELA) student scores, student demographics and reading placement data were analyzed to answer …
"Do You Hear What I Say?" A Phenomenological Exploration Of International Students' Oral Communication Experiences With Pechakucha Oral Presentations In A Us English For Academic Purposes Program., Van Thi Hong Le
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
With the importance of oral communication skills and digital literacy skills for 21st-century learners (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2006), there is an increasing tendency to incorporate technology in language learning and teaching. In this trend, PechaKucha Presentation (PKP), a unique, fast-paced format of giving presentations, has recently been advocated for its benefits in developing learners' oral communication skill in various contexts (Angelina, 2019; Coskun, 2017; Mabuan, 2017). This paper presented a study that explored seven international students' speaking and listening experiences with PKP activities while completing the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program prior to their undergraduate programs in …
Engaging Elementary Preservice Teachers In Reflection For, In, And On Practice During An Approximation Of Practice In Teachlivetm Using Sentence Frames For English Language Learners, Courtney Lopas
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The purpose of this study was to explore how a teacher educator (myself) and preservice teachers engaged in joint reflection-for-action, reflection-in-action, and reflection-on-action during an approximation of practice in a TeachLivETM setting using sentence frames to support English Language Learners' (ELLs') writing. Four elementary education preservice teachers participated in this study based on set inclusion criteria. This action research study included video-recorded approximations of practice, the sentence frames preservice teachers submitted in the skill seven module, reflective journaling, and analytic memoing. Instructional sequence analysis through transcription, holistic coding, message units, action units, interaction units, instructional sequences, and phase units were …
Examining The Lived Experiences Of Secondary Teachers Using Visuals And Leveled Texts With English Learners At Various Levels Of Language Acquisition, Jasmine Taylor
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological Dissertation in Practice was to understand teachers' experience with the creation and use of visuals and leveled texts, written at various English proficiency levels, with English learners (ELs) in English II classrooms at a large high school in Central Florida. The need to examine teachers' experience with these scaffolds arose from the disparity between academic achievement rates of ELs and non-ELs as measured by the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA). This complex problem can be addressed from a multitude of perspectives, and this Dissertation in Practice sought to examine specific practical scaffolds that mainstream English …
Tenth Graders' Response To Dystopian Literature: An Exploratory Ethnography, Tevin Williams
Tenth Graders' Response To Dystopian Literature: An Exploratory Ethnography, Tevin Williams
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Dystopian literature allows for there to be an avenue, or safety net as I would call it, for people to be able to discuss topics of a harsh nature. Students or young adults today are becoming increasingly more apolitical upon completion of high school. This is due in part to the lack of information or knowledge given to them prior to entering, "the real world." The gravity of situations occurring in today's world during the time of this paper such as the how similar living with COVID-19 is to a dystopian society, or the Black Lives Matter movement, it is …
An Investigation Of Factors Predicting Academic Writing Difficulties Among First-Year Doctoral Students, Iman Ibrahim Khudhair
An Investigation Of Factors Predicting Academic Writing Difficulties Among First-Year Doctoral Students, Iman Ibrahim Khudhair
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
This exploratory study investigated the variables that predict academic writing difficulties (AWDs) among first-year doctoral students, international and domestic, at a large, publicly funded research university in Southeastern United States. Data were collected through an online survey. The final sample size contained 111 first - year students, domestic and international from various doctoral programs. The first analysis examined factors predicting first-year doctoral students' self-assessed writing difficulties, using Multiple Linear Regression. Five factors were statistically significant predictors of AWDs: Asian race, Colleges of Business, Engineering, and Science, and the age between fifty-five to sixty-four. The remaining factors associated with age, Race, …
The Position Of An Instructional Literacy Coach: A Case Study Of The Perceptions Of High School Administrators, Classroom Teachers, And Coaches In One Florida School District, Rachel Miracolo
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The purpose of this quantitative case study was to examine the position of an instructional literacy coach as perceived by high school administrators, teachers, and coaches in one Florida school district and to determine if any perceptual variance existed among those groups. A problem existed with understanding how the instructional literacy coach position manifested in different school contexts and how that manifestation impacted workplace dynamics. Given the dynamic nature of instructional coaching, this study further explored the level of congruence or incongruence between key faculty groups in order to better understand perceptions of coaching as a professional learning tool. The …
The Relationship Between Student Self-Efficacy And Close Reading In A Ninth Grade Ela Classroom, Karishma Assudani
The Relationship Between Student Self-Efficacy And Close Reading In A Ninth Grade Ela Classroom, Karishma Assudani
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
This qualitative exploratory study aims to investigate the relationship between student self-efficacy and close reading strategies implemented in the researcher's classroom. The purpose of this qualitative study is to determine whether close reading strategies are informing 9th self-grader's efficacy in a 9th grade ELA (English Language Arts) classroom, and to determine the relationship between close reading and student self-efficacy in a classroom with CRM's (curriculum resource materials). Students' self-efficacy levels were determined on Robert Stavin's exploratory research; an altered exploratory survey was provided to determine results. This thesis explores the following research questions (RQ): (RQ1) How do students' responses of …
An Analysis Of Teacher Decision-Making In Grading 10th Grade Student Writing In English Language Arts, Guy Swenson
An Analysis Of Teacher Decision-Making In Grading 10th Grade Student Writing In English Language Arts, Guy Swenson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
This qualitative study was conducted to investigate teacher decision-making while grading samples of 10th grade student writing in English language arts. Extensive research spanning 100 years has shown that inter-rater agreement of student work is weak at best (Ashbaugh, 1921; Brimi, 2011; Starch & Elliot, 1912). A cognitive laboratory interview method was chosen to focus on real-time teacher decision-making due to a discrepancy between teacher beliefs and teacher practices (Phipps & Borg, 2009). Qualitative data were gathered from 21 cognitive laboratory interviews in which the participants graded two samples of student writing while verbalizing their thoughts. The grading data revealed …
Narrowing English Leaner (El) Achievement Gaps: A Multilevel Analysis Of An El-Infused Teacher Preparation Model, Nirmal Ghimire
Narrowing English Leaner (El) Achievement Gaps: A Multilevel Analysis Of An El-Infused Teacher Preparation Model, Nirmal Ghimire
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
This non-experimental correlational study assessed the effectiveness of a model of teacher preparation that infuses a focus on teaching English learners, the One-Plus model, by examining pre-service teachers' (PST) effectiveness in narrowing English learner achievement gaps during their final student teaching experience. The study spanned five semesters of internship data, exploring how each semester's PST effectiveness changed over time. This study utilized teacher work sample data that interns collected and submitted to the institutional effectiveness division of the college, with an n of 20,809 K-12 students who attended the 768 One-Plus PSTs' classes during their semester-long internship. The results showed …
Educators' Storybook Reading Practices, Attitudes Toward Adopting Dialogic Reading, And Child Language Status In An Inclusive Early Learning Environment, Ruth Gorlin
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The purpose of this descriptive study is to characterize the natural context of routine storybook reading in an inclusive early learning environment by looking at educator variables and child language status. Early childhood researchers and scholars have well documented the importance of oral language development in young children for future reading and academic success. Evidence-based research literature advocates engaging young children in high quality interactive reading experiences, such as Dialogic Reading (Whitehurst, 2005), as effective means to facilitate young children's oral language development and emergent literacy acquisition. By understanding the features of natural story-time routines, researchers, speech-language pathologists, and early …
First-Year Doctoral Students' Academic Writing Development: The Native- And Nonnative-Speaking Perspectives, Ying Xiong
First-Year Doctoral Students' Academic Writing Development: The Native- And Nonnative-Speaking Perspectives, Ying Xiong
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Academic writing is central to doctoral growth. The purpose of this study was to better understand the similarities and differences between first-year native- and nonnative-speaking doctoral students in terms of academic writing and writer development. Data were collected for two semesters, including observational notes, transcribed audio diaries and interviews, and writing samples from three first-year doctoral students from an applied field of social science. Ethnographic data analysis described how text production and composing processes changed over the first year in relation to social and cultural factors. The first year of the doctoral program was critical to their growth as writers …