Digital Commons Network^™

Mutually Beneficial Service Learning: Language Teacher Candidates In A Local Community Center, Susan A. Hildebrandt

Dimensions

This article reports on a project designed to provide mutually beneficial solutions to challenges faced by world language teacher candidates, their preparation program, and a local community center. The project provided opportunities for teacher candidates enrolled in a world language (WL) teacher education course to complete clinical experiences through a service learning experience at the center. Teaching Spanish to children from low-income families provided candidates valuable classroom experiences with younger learners. This article explores benefits and challenges of WL teacher candidates teaching Spanish in a local community center.

Uniting The Corps: Uniting The Core

Dimensions

SCOLT Dimensions Volume 49

Project-Based Learning For English Learners: Promises And Challenges, Gisela O’ Brien, Ph.D., Magaly Lavadenz, Ph.D., Elvira G. Armas, Ed.D.

Practitioner Journal Articles

In this article the authors explore project-based learning (PBL) as an avenue for meeting the needs of English learners against the backdrop of both the 2010 California Common Core State Standards and the 2012 English Language Development Standards. They begin with a definition and brief history of PBL. The authors then propose and expanded version of PBL that considers the unique linguistic needs of ELs and conclude with two promising examples from two California school districts.

The Logogenesis Of Writing To Learn: A Systemic Functional Perspective., Perry Klein, Len Unsworth

Education Publications

Writing to learn has become an important practice in science education. How is scientific knowledge constructed during writing? To investigate this question, we examined the process through which four university students constructed written explanations of either projectile motion or buoyancy. The analysis, informed by systemic functional linguistics, focused on the mapping of semantic elements to grammatical choices, and the way in which this mapping unfolded throughout the course of each text. The texts began largely congruently; grammar mapped closely to experience. Gradually, each text shifted toward greater use of grammatical metaphor. Nominalization allowed propositions and sequences of events to serve …

Equitable Written Assessments For English Language Learners: How Scaffolding Helps, Marcelle A. Siegel, Deepika Menon, Somnath Sinha, Nattida Promyod, Cathy Wissehr, Kristy L. Halvorson

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This study investigated the effects of the use of scaffolds in written classroom assessments through the voices of both native English speakers and English language learners from two middle schools. Students responded to assessment tasks in writing, by speaking aloud using think aloud protocols, and by reflecting in a post-assessment interview. The classroom assessment tasks were designed to engage students in scientific sense making and multifaceted language use, as recommended by the Next Generation Science Standards. Data analyses showed that both groups benefited from the use of scaffolds. The findings revealed specific ways that modifications were supportive in helping students …

A Practice-Oriented Definition Of Post-Process Second Language Writing Theory, Amir Kalan

English Faculty Publications

ENGLISH:

This article is a synthesis of the scholarly literature on the post-process approach to teaching second language (L2) writing, particularly college and university composition in English as an additional language. This synthesis aims to offer a definition of post-process L2 writing that can readily lend itself to practice and be more accessible to practitioners. All the publications that had either substantially or marginally discussed post-process theory since 1990 were systematically reviewed in order to answer the following question: What is a definition of post-process L2 writing theory that can readily lend itself to pedagogy and actual practice for helping …

Reading Poetry In Standardized Efl Test Preparation To Increase Meaningful Literacy Engagement, Amir Kalan

English Faculty Publications

This article reports the process of an action research project on the impact of reading poetry on student literacy engagement in an EFL standardized test preparation course. This research project was conducted in a class of eight female Iranian adult professionals preparing for the First Certificate of English (FCE) examination, provided by Cambridge English Language Assessment. Standardized tests are believed to narrow the curriculum, to reduce emphasis on complex thinking, and to have “washback” effect on the quality of teaching. In this project, in order to improve the quality of the students’ literacy engagement two particular measures were taken. In …

Teaching Writing To East Asian Esl Adolescents : Case Studies Of Esl And Ela Teachers, Ae Lee Lee

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study aims to identify practices of teaching writing that are most helpful for East Asian ESL adolescents. Although prior research has examined practices of ESL writing instruction for adolescent students in general or for East Asian ESL students at the college level, to date no empirical research has been conducted on writing pedagogy specifically for East Asian students at the secondary level. This study aims to bridge that research gap.

Toward An Early Start For Head Start Children : Evidence From An Academic-Enriched Literacy Initiative, Haiyan Zhang

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The purpose of this study was to address the question of whether it is developmentally appropriate to expose preschool children to a comprehensive instructional program designed to facilitate the acquisition of early literacy skills. The primary means of addressing this question was to assess the development of emergent literacy skills in four-year-old children enrolled in a literacy-enriched Head Start program for a period of one year, as compared with those of four-year-old children who entered at age three and enrolled in the program for two years. Related questions of special interests are to what extent the three and four-year-old children …

When Every Teacher Is A Language Teacher : A Case Study Of High School Math And Science Instructors' Use Of Multimodal Accommodations With Els, Karen Marie Gregory

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This case study investigated the multimodal accommodations that content teachers make in order to dually support linguistic and conceptual development for English language learning students. Data from digitally recorded classroom observations, teacher interviews, student work, and questionnaires were collected from the participating math and science teachers. The data were analyzed from the theoretical framework of an ecological -semiotic perspective of language teaching and learning (van Lier, 2004), and is theoretically tied to communication accommodation theory and multimodal communication theory as well.

Bilingual Narrative Assessment: Evaluation Of The Kindergarten Language Benchmark Assessment In Native Spanish-Speaking Children, Rebecca Hunt

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Kindergarten Language Benchmark Assessment (KLBA) (Preschern & Konikoff, 2013) in identifying at risk narrative abilities in English Language Learners (ELLs) whose primary language is Spanish, as well as in monolingual English speakers. In addition, the study compared the effectiveness of the KLBA scoring system with the established measure of high point analysis for Spanish ELLs, and examined the performance of English monolinguals on the same assessment. The KLBA was administered in September, and again in January. The children's narratives were scored using the KLBA measure, transcribed, and …

Exploring And Evaluating The Pedagogical Usefulness Of Online Public Language Corpora: A Guide For Esl/Efl Teachers, Karlyn Koughan-Thornburg

All Master's Theses

In recent years, ESL and EFL teachers have experimented with using language corpora as pedagogical tools. Corpora have proved useful for providing examples of authentic language use that help deepen both students' and teachers' understanding of contemporary English. Due to the increasing number of available online corpora, teachers who wish to use corpora as pedagogical tools may find the choices overwhelming. This study compared three online corpora of Contemporary American English in terms of their usability for certain types of searches. The corpora chosen for this study were the Google Books Ngram Corpus, the Michigan Corpus of Academic Spoken English …

We The People: Elementary Pre-Service Teachers And Constitutional Readability, Lori T. Meier, Karin Keith, Edward J. Dwyer

ETSU Faculty Works

In light of increasing mandates to incorporate close reading of primary source historical documents at the elementary level, this study explored the reading difficulty level of the US Constitution with preservice elementary teachers using a traditional cloze assessment procedure. While best practice pedagogy of social studies has long included thoughtful reading of primary sources, new language arts guidelines situate the analysis of primary documents within formulaic quantifiable frameworks, often problematic to the pre-service teacher. With implications for reading and social studies, this paper explores several relevant issues to both pre-service teachers and the elementary classrooms they will teach in.

Meeting The Communities Standard Through Language Exchange Via Video-Based Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication And Effects On Motivation Of First-Year Spanish Language Learners, Emily Andrews

Theses and Dissertations

Current research supports a link between the foreign language Communities standard, learner motivation, and the use of computer-mediated communication in the language classroom. The Communities standard, although it is the least addressed in classrooms, calls for learners to interact with the target language community. Research into motivation has found that learners react positively to the use of communication technologies in the classroom and the opportunity to use the target language for authentic communication with native speakers. However, few studies have been done to assess how connecting with target language community members through online video-based conversation affects learner motivation. This study …

Reader's Theater For Deaf Students: A Tool For Developing Literacy Skills, Caroline Suggs

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

Reader's theater is a method used in classrooms to encourage the development of literacy skills. Research has shown that the use of reader's theater in a classroom is linked to increased fluency, increased comprehension of text, and positive attitudes towards reading. Because research also shows that Deaf people are often delayed regarding literacy in English, a unit employing this method serves to bridge the gap between expected and actual levels of English literacy among deaf students. Intended for use with Deaf middle school students who sign, this unit of reader's theater is a plausible option in a bilingual approach since …

The Best Practices For Teaching Writing To Postsecondary Students With Acquired Brain Injuries, Julianne Candio Sekel

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Because the writing abilities of postsecondary students with acquired brain injuries (ABI) are often determined by the student’s age when the injury was acquired, the severity of the injury, the amount of time that has passed since the injury, and the quality of the student’s writing education before the injury, it is impossible to generalize the best strategies to assist students with ABI in writing. However, through a review of existing literature on teaching writing to students with ABI, the relationship between oral and written discourse, expressive writing, educational intervention, and assistive technologies, this study presents a list of recommendations …

The Transformative Potential Of Boundary Spanners: A Narrative Inquiry Into Preservice Teacher Education And Professional Development In An Nclb-Impacted Context, David Whitenack, Patricia Swanson

Faculty Publications

This narrative inquiry uses pedagogic discourse theory and organization theory to frame pre-service teacher education and in-service professional development initiatives in a school district facing tensions related to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Implications for similar future initiatives are considered.

Global Learning Outcomes Of A Domestic Foreign Language Immersion Program, Kathleen Ann Godfrey

Dissertations and Theses

There is a critical need for college students to receive an education that fosters global learning in preparation for life in an increasingly interdependent and interconnected world. Universities recognize this need and endeavor to provide a range of programs that target global knowledge and skills, and meet the needs of traditional and non-traditional students. Domestic foreign language immersion programs can contribute to student global learning and development by providing students with an opportunity to participate in a rich global learning experience in the U.S. While some researchers have investigated impacts of domestic foreign language immersion on language proficiency, few studies …

Etymology + Animation = Etymation : The History Of Spelling Via Animations, Gladys Aponte

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Etymation is a series of 4-7 minute long animated cartoons. The seven cartoons provide a child-friendly overview of the history of American English spelling. Each cartoon explains one reason American English spelling often seems so irrational. The Etymation cartoons and accompanying activities are designed to supplement an investigative spelling curriculum. The rationale discusses the importance of such an investigative spelling curriculum, and outlines how Etymation is aligned to the Common Core State Standards.

Instructional Survey Instrument: Key Indicators Of Best Practices For Teachers Of English Learners In Grades 3-5, María Guadalupe Peña-Madison

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the history of instruction for non-native English speakers in the United States and the evaluation, or lack thereof, of instructional practices. The survey instrument and accompanying User's Guide are designed for use in the upper elementary (third through fifth grade) school setting. The Survey Instrument presents twenty-six key indicators of effective instruction for English learners, structured around the commonly used Workshop Model lesson sequence of lesson opening, student work period, and lesson closing. The User's Guide provides classroom ready suggestions for implementation of each of the indicators as well as web-based video samples demonstrating the application of …

Scholarship And Teaching On Languages For Specific Purposes, Lourdes Sánchez-López

Books

A collection of select peer-reviewed scholarly articles developed from concepts and positions presented and generated at the First International Symposium on Languages for Specific Purposes (ISLSP, 2012) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (US).

Medical Spanish For U.S. Medical Students: A Pilot Case Study, Lauren Davidson, Sheri Spaine Long

Dimensions

In an effort to expand the teaching of medical Spanish to medical students, a one-week pilot course was developed and implemented at The University of Alabama School of Medicine (UASOM) in January 2010. Objectives included offering a refresher course in Spanish for medical students before third-year clerkships and providing a model for medical schools interested in developing medical Spanish courses. The pilot course included the teaching of Spanish language and related cultural information to students at varying levels of Spanish proficiency by an experienced Spanish for Specific Purposes (SSP) instructor. Students completed an evaluation to suggest future directions for the …

Using Dictogloss To Advance Proficiency And Accuracy In Teaching Arabic, Ghassan Husseinali

Dimensions

This study investigates the effectiveness of using dictogloss in making students notice and reproduce key vocabulary and highlighted structural features in a college intermediate level Arabic L2 class. Dictogloss is a technique used in second language classes to make students pay attention to the relationship between form and meaning. Students listened to a short text containing the target form(s) read aloud by the instructor. Students were asked to work in small groups/pairs to reconstruct the original text. Data for this study were obtained from individual student notes, group-generated text reconstructions, and post-dictogloss reflections. The results of this classroom-based investigation show …

A Snapshot Of Their Beliefs And Practices: Perspectives Of Mississippi And Alabama Spanish Teachers, Kelly Moser, Jennifer Weir, Krista Chambless

Dimensions

As a result of the ACTFL/NCATE Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers (2002) much progress has been made with regard to identifying what teachers should know and be able to do. A survey of secondary Spanish teachers in the 20 largest school districts in Alabama and Mississippi investigated teacher beliefs about their teacher preparation, proficiency, and practices within and beyond the classroom context. Results of the survey indicate a disparity between teacher beliefs and classroom practice. The results as well as implications for teacher education programs and professional development are discussed.

World Language Learning: Setting The Global Standard

Dimensions

SCOLT Dimensions Volume 48

The Academic Experiences Of Native Spanish Speakers In The Traditional Spanish Classroom, Lealane Sanders, David Alley

Dimensions

This study examines the academic experiences of heritage Spanish-speakers who were placed in a traditional Spanish class for non-Spanish speakers at the secondary level. Each of the participants in the study demonstrated advanced-levels of oral proficiency in Spanish yet each was placed in a beginning-level Spanish class. An ethnographic case study method was used to explore the effect of this inappropriate placement on the students’ linguistic abilities and academic identities. This study addresses an all-toocommon practice that fails to advance heritage language students’ knowledge of their native language. The needs of these students differ from those of non-native speakers, and …

From Orality To Literacy: A Curricular Model For Intensive Second-Year Collegiate Language Instruction, Per Urlaub, Jan Uelzmann

Dimensions

This article documents a curriculum reform of the second-year German program at the Department of Germanic Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. This curricular reform had two goals: (1) compressing two semesters of intermediate-level language instruction into a single semester; (2) incorporating a strategy-based approach to literary reading in the second language. The article will first compare the previous curriculum and then introduce a conceptual framework for the reform process. This framework is based on three distinct pedagogical principles that the article will outline. Further, the article will describe the planning and implementation stages of the reform and …

Encouraging Tas To Embrace Communicative Language Teaching: An Investigation Of Pre-Service Training Practices, Paula Garrett-Rucks, Kerri Mccoy

Dimensions

This article begins by synthesizing research findings concerning the increasingly important role graduate student teaching assistants (TAs) play in fostering undergraduate learners’ oral proficiency. Despite this important role, our review of TA training practices in the literature found a lack of research on the preparation TAs receive prior to beginning their foreign language instruction. Accordingly, the present study examines incoming TAs’ perceptions of their command of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) techniques presented at an interdepartmental, pre-service orientation at a large Midwestern research university. Using a qualitative approach, we investigated the unique ways in which this orientation influenced novice and experienced …

Online Translator Usage In Foreign Language Writing, Errol M. O’Neill

Dimensions

With the increasing availability of technology, one issue that has arisen in foreign language education is the use of online translation (OT) sites that claim to convert text from one language to another but are generally prohibited for classwork due to ethical and pedagogical concerns. In a study to explore the effects of OT usage, teacher raters were able to determine, to a statistically significant level, on which compositions OT was used; there were, however, a number of cases for which OT use went undetected and some instances it was incorrectly suspected. This article discusses the results of the study …

Staying In The Target Language While Teaching Middle School And High School, William Worden

Dimensions

This article advocates the use of the target language at all times in the classroom at all levels of language instruction. While addressed specifically to middle school and high school teachers, the article suggests an approach to language instruction that can be implemented for students of all ages. After recounting how the author’s experience teaching high school students convinced him to teach exclusively in Spanish, the article then addresses possible objections to the instructional method, presents topics to cover when teaching Day 1 of Level 1 of a language, and discusses ways to help students thrive in an all-target-language classroom.