Reading and Language Commons^™

Essay Writing Instructional Lexicon And Semantic Confusion, Amir Kalan

English Faculty Publications

“Introduction,” “body,” and “conclusion” are the most accessible words in the instructional lexicon for ESL writing teachers when they want to describe the structure of a typical five-paragraph persuasive or argumentative essay or its shorter variations for standardized tests such as TOEFL and IELTS. They are frequently employed to refer to the three tiers of the hamburger essay in textbooks, on classroom boards, and in YouTube tutorials.

Not surprisingly, English learners also might give you the same words if asked what the main components of an essay are. Like ESL teachers, students usually use the same terms or their equivalents …

Performing Literacy: How Women Read The World In The Late Eighteenth-Century British Novel, Amy Hodges

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the intersection of sensibility, Social identity, and literacy practices among representations of women readers in four late eighteenth-century British novels. Through an analysis of the authors' use of identity constructs which shaped and were shaped by reading practices, this study documents the rise of Social identity formation as mutually constitutive with the history of reading. The first chapter reveals how Charlotte Lennox's The Female Quixote uses Arabella's follies as education for readers about the corresponding processes of reading their society and reading novels. The second chapter argues that Frances Burney's Evelina considers women's ability to read others …

Science Fiction And Fantasy: The Cosmic Players, Kristin Laughtin-Dunker

Library Presentations, Posters, and Audiovisual Materials

This presentation gives an overview of science fiction and fantasy, including its origins, the prominent writers in each era, and its many subgenres and variations.

Language For Specific Purposes (Lsp) Web-Based Assessment And The Speaking Performances Of Two Ability Groups, Malinee Phaiboonnugulkij, Kanchana Prapphal

PASAA

This study examines the validity and reliability of an Internetintegrated test to assess language for specific purposes (LSP) speaking abilities of the students in the English for Tourism course at a Thai university, and explores whether this test can identify differences in the students' abilities in three task types in the context of tourism in Thailand. The sample group was comprised of 120 third-year university students. A two-way ANOVA was conducted to explore the differences in the performances of the two ability groups in attempting the three test-task types. Content analysis was employed to investigate the similarities and differences in …

The Use Of Multilevel Writing Tasks In An Efl Classroom, Apiwan Nuangpolmak

PASAA

The diversity in language learners not only includes demographic factors such as age, gender and educational background, but also includes psychological aspects; namely interest, need, and motivation. However, it is often the learners' mixed language proficiency which causes major problems in the classroom. The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the design and implementation of a series of multilevel writing tasks, created to address the issues of mixed-ability groups, by offering choices for learners to work on the task levels appropriate to their proficiency. The findings from the analysis of the learners' texts suggested that intask supporting features …

Measuring Grammatical Complexity In Test-Based Spoken Discourse, Kornwipa Poonpon

PASAA

Grammatical complexity is one of the important criteria to judge whether or not a language learner is proficient· in a particular language. However, grammatical complexity in spoken language is still under-investigated, mainly due to its unreliable operationalization in previous studies. This article discusses this challenge and its effect and argues for an alternative practice to select grammatical complexity measures for test-based spoken discourse. The article starts with a review ofliterature on grammar in spoken discourse and role of grammatical complexity in test-based spoken discourse. Then selections of grammatical complexity measures in previous studies are discussed. This leads to an argument …

Learner Corpus Linguistics In The Efl Classroom, Peter Crosthwaite

PASAA

Learner corpora, or searchable collections of the written or spoken production of language learners, have become increasingly vital in the field of applied linguistics. As advances in computational linguistics and natural language processing have allowed for the automatic or semi-automatic parsing, tagging and coding of large chunks of learner-produced text, there is increasing interest in the analysis of large-scale corpora of many millions of words, collected from a broad range of linguistic tasks, language backgrounds, and learner proficiencies.

Using Positive Psychology Exercises In The Esl Classroom To Improve Student Well-Being, Ian T. Mcdonald

PASAA

One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings.'

English Unlimited, John Viano

PASAA

Tilbury, A., Hendra, L. A., Rea, D., & Clementson, T. (2011). English Unlimited (Upper Intermediate). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

English As An International Language: Perspectives From Instructors In A Mainstream English Class, Wutthiphong Laoriandee

PASAA

English as an international language (EIL) has mainly been addressed by non-native world Englishes scholars to non-native English students. Studies on explicit instruction of EIL that emphasizes plurality of the language and culture, and communicative strategies toward different speakers have rarely been conducted in mainstream classes where the majority of the students are native speakers. This preliminary study, inspired by Smith's ( 1983) idea that EIL concepts be taught to everyone, including native speakers, investigates perceptions of instructors at Purdue University, who are mainly English native speakers and teach a course on speech communication (COM 114) to mainly native-speaker students. …

Teacher Into Counselor: Are You Ready For The Transformation?, Pattama Sappapan

PASAA

Teachers have a number of roles to play in the teaching and learning process. However, our role as counselors or advisers in helping facilitate learner independence in a self access learning center may have not been fully realized nor practiced by many teachers. The aims of this paper are to discuss the teacher's role as a counselor in a self-access learning center and encourage teachers to contribute more to the development of learner autonomy. First, the key concepts of autonomy, the role of selfassessment, and self access learning center are discussed. Next, the teachers' role as a counselor is proposed, …

Implementing Blended Learning With Graduate Students Using The Moodle Platform, Prateep Kiratibodee

PASAA

A few years ago, I heard about blended learning and Moodle from a colleague. He talked about its benefits and how the online courses have helped him and his students in their teaching and learning. This talk sparked the idea of using Moodle to help my students learn better. However, with my regular hectic schedule, I kept making excuses to postpone doing what I thought could be beneficial for my students.

Classroom Management Techniques, Walaipun Puengpipattrakul

PASAA

Scrivener, J. (2012). Classroom Management Techniques. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Reviving The Surrealist Revolt: A Retracing Of Surrealism’S History And A Reimagining Of Its Future In Translation, Kyle Young

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Although Surrealist writing has literary merit, Surrealist texts were written as revolutionary tracts meant to undermine the social order. Yet the politically radical aspects of the movement are no longer taken very seriously. At least one contributing factor to the current impotence of Surrealism is the approach taken in the translation of Surrealist texts. Many translators have presented Surrealist texts as they would traditionally present any literary document. However, Walter Benjamin’s writings on translation, in particular his essay “The Task of the Translator,” provide a novel conception of translation, one which can produce linguistically radical texts. I will argue that …

A "Responsibility To Speak Out": Perspectives On Writing From Black African-Born Male Youth With Limited Or Disrupted Formal Education, Bryan Ripley Crandall

Reading and Language Arts - Dissertations

This ethnographic case study uses life history and qualitative methodologies to offer biographical profiles that highlight perspectives on writing of eight Black African- born male youth with limited and disrupted formal education enrolled at a secondary school in northeastern United States. Participants from Liberia, Sudan, and Somalia relocated to the U. S. through refugee services between 2003 and 2006. At the time of the study, they were enrolled in mainstream English classrooms with American-born peers. Students with interrupted and limited formal education (SIFEs) like these young men are a growing yet understudied demographic in urban schools (DeCapua & Marshall, 2010; …

Media Convergence Of Newspapers: A Content Analysis Of The Houston Chronicle's Print- And Web-Based Content, Amanda Sullivan

Masters Theses

The channels of news media have changed. The traditional route of receiving news via a newspaper has evolved into a more digital path, leaving many to question the future of the print publication. This study evaluates the print- and Web-based content of the Houston Chronicle. The researcher adds to the field of research on news media by analyzing the online and print content of the publication, creating a new way to categorize and evaluate the subject matter by placing it into four categories: repetition, adaptation, representation, and unique. The researcher seeks to answer three research questions, discovering how each medium …

Can Esl Teachers Teach Reading Metacognitive Strategies?, Adil Bentahar

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Metacognitive knowledge has been linked to use of metacognitive strategies and effectiveness in reading (e.g., Flavell, 1979). In the present research, I evaluated whether teaching three metacognitive strategies (planning, monitoring, and evaluating) would (a) improve English as a Second Language (ESL) students’ metacognitive knowledge, which in turn would (b) improve their comprehension. Eight non-English speaking students completed the Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategy Inventory (MARSI) (Mokhtari & Reichard, 2002) and a reading test at the beginning of a reading-writing course and again at the end of the course. The results revealed an increase from pretest to posttest in all three …

Unbreakable Glass Slippers: Hegemony In Ella Enchanted, Tori Shereen Mirsadjadi

Scripps Senior Theses

The way Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted simultaneously conforms to its late-20^th-century American standards and rebels against its Cinderella origins is analyzed in this thesis. As an analysis of a piece of literature written for children, the thesis works to defend the notion that playful literature produces a serious dialogue with its readers, and that young female readers are a particularly apropos group for the dialogue about hegemony that Ella Enchanted allows.

Early Literacy Matters, Lisa Van Thiel, Institute For Community Inclusion, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Early Literacy Matters (ELM) is a partnership between the University of Massachusetts Boston, Lynn Public Schools, and the Gregg Neighborhood House. Our goal is to create 8 preschool centers of excellence impacting 300 children per year identified as “at risk for academic failure.” ELM has transformed 17 classrooms that serve children speaking over 41 languages. 75% of ELM children speak a first language other than English or have limited English proficiency, and 16% receive special education services. ELM offers research-based curricula, professional development, and community/family involvement with intentional instruction proven to enrich children’s learning experiences. We offer professional development combined …

Orientalism And Three British Dames: De-Essentialization Of The Other In The Work Of Gertrude Bell, Freya Stark, And E.S. Drower, Lynn Sawyer

Masters Theses

Although postcolonial criticism has run its course for thirty years, a fresh look at Edward Said's Orientalism offers insight into how Orientalism functions in the writings of three British dames. Gertrude Bell in The Desert and the Sown, Freya Stark in The Southern Gates of Arabia, and E.S. Drower in The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran, however, challenge Said's theory. Their writing raises questions about how gender alters the discourse about the Other, and whether Said essentializes the Occident. Bell, Stark, and Drower serve as case studies in which to analyze the politically and rhetorically complex interactions between the West …

The Impact Of Teacher Attitudes And Perceptions Of Direct Instruction On Student Achievement In Reading, Sharon Collum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2004), 37% of America's fourth graders are not reading at grade level. This statistic has remained unchanged for over a decade (NCES, 2004). Findings from multiple studies indicate more research on successfully implementing reading interventions is needed (Begeny & Silber, 2006; Begeny, Krouse, Ross, & Mitchell, 2009). Barnyak and Paquette (2010) suggested that although teachers learn new methods, they return to the strategies they are most comfortable using. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine if teacher attitudes and perceptions of direct instruction impacted student achievement in reading. Elementary …

Undergraduate Students' Self-Reported Use Of Mathematics Textbooks, Aaron Weinberg, Emilie Wiesner, Bret Benesh, Timothy Boester

Mathematics Faculty Publications

Textbooks play an important role in undergraduate mathematics courses and have the potential to impact student learning. However, there have been few studies that describe students' textbook use in detail. In this study, 1156 undergraduate students in introductory mathematics classes were surveyed, and asked to describe how they used their textbook. The results indicate that students tend to use examples, instead of the expository text, to build their mathematical understanding, which instructors may view as problematic. This way of using the textbook may be the result of the textbook structure itself, as well as students' beliefs about reading and the …

Ivy Leaves, Volume 86, Ivy Leaves Editorial Staff

Ivy Leaves

The 2012 edition of the Anderson University journal of art and literature, Ivy Leaves.

The names of the known editors for this issue of Ivy Leaves were Anna Davis, Brianne Holmes, Emmy Wheatley, Cara Dillon, Drew Welborn, Jesica Hooper, Robert Causey, Rachel Spoon, Mandie Wines, Jenni Elledge, Naomi Nakazato, Emily Weiland, Laura Jones, Jivan Davé, Teresa Jones, and Tim Speaker. Photography by Jivan Davé and Rachel Spoon.

More Than Just Nonsense Verse?: The Language Of Dr. Seuss And Children's Literacy, Nicole Hewes

Senior Scholar Papers

In this Senior Scholars project I wanted to demonstrate that Dr. Seuss books are much more than just nonsense verse. For the first part of my project, I familiarized myself with all of his texts and scrutinized his use of language in a textual analysis. By scrutinizing Geisel’s use of language and wordplay, I hoped to isolate some characteristics that make a Seuss book different from other types of stories and texts. The second part of my project was an empirical study that tested what influence reading a real Seuss text versus a fake Seuss text has on students’ performance …

A Special Dvd Homework Project To Assist At-Risk Students With Reading Practice, Mary Kathleen Kronemeyer

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project was designed to give students and their family's additional support in language arts through a technologically facilitated means to review the skills and strategies that are covered in one theme of the first grade Houghton Mifflin Reading Program. This project provides this additional instruction via a DVD which models ways for the students to practice spelling, practice sight words, reinforce the grammar shills of nouns and verbs and review definitions of vocabulary words.

Learning Through Literature Versus Scripted Lessons, Leticia Aviles-Parsons

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project was to create a guide for planning literature lessons connected to the state mandated curriculum, including today's standards for a fifth grade class and the recently adapted Common Core Standards in Language Arts. This project explains the reading comprehension problems that students in elementary school are facing, especially English learners.

The Shape Of Catharine Sedgwick's Career, Melissa J. Homestead

Department of English: Faculty Publications

Catharine Maria Sedgwick published her first novel in 1822 and her last in 1857. Her productivity slackened in the 1850S, as aging weakened her eyesight and arthritis made it difficult to write clearly. However, from 1822 through the 1840s, she published multiple works of prose fiction (tales, sketches, novellas, or novels) nearly every year. Despite this extraordinary record of productivity, Sedgwick regularly appears in literary history as the author of a single work, Hope Leslie (I827), her historical novel about relations between the Puritans and the native inhabitants of New England. A few other women authors before and contemporary with …

Phonetics And Phonology Of Chicahuaxtla Triqui Tones, Kosuke Matsukawa

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Chicahuaxtla Triqui (Otomanguean, Mexico) is one of the rare tone languages with five contrastive level tones and its underlying tone system is even more complicated than its surface five-level tone system. The complexity of its underlying tone system has developed through the historical tone shifts from Proto-Triqui. The surface tone system of Chicahuaxtla Triqui is also unusually complicated and its complexity led to the insufficient analysis of the previous studies (e.g. Longacre 1952, 1957, 1959; Good 1978). To understand the tone system and tonal phonology of Chicahuaxtla Triqui, we must know their diachronic development from Proto-Triqui because historical tone shifts, …

Ancient Iconic Texts And Scholarly Expertise, James W. Watts

Religion - All Scholarship

This essay probes the origins of iconic textuality in the ancient Near East, informed by post-colonial perspectives on iconic texts. The surviving art and texts from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia exhibit at least four forms of iconic textuality: monumental inscriptions, portraits of scribes, displays and manipulations of ritual texts, and beliefs in heavenly texts. The spread of literacy did not displace the social prestige of scribal expertise that was established in antiquity. The every-growing number and complexity of texts accounts for the continuing cultural authority of scholarly expertise. The tension between expert and non-specialist uses of texts, however, explains scholarship’s …

Bibliography Of Central European Women's Holocaust Life Writing In English, Louise O. Vasvári

CLCWeb Library

No abstract provided.