Education Commons^™

The Impact Of Spanish Heritage Language Programs On Spanish Language Learners’ Self-Efficacy., Dietger De Maessener

Research and Development Supported by El Centro

This research study explores the experiences of Spanish heritage learners (SHL) in Spanish language classes. SHL are sometimes referred to as native speakers, quasi-native speakers, or home-background speakers and have a family-based connection to the Spanish language (Hancock, 2002). Given this broad definition of SHL, their experiences with the heritage language are wide-ranging. While levels of fluency and skill vary substantially, language ideologies, attitudes, stigma, and sociolinguistic factors can equally determine the linguistic market value of one’s Spanish skills (Bourdieu, 1977). Given the high level of complexity and the wide range of influential and continuously dynamic factors, especially situated within …

Music And Words: Connecting The Love Of Music With Language, Eileen P. Kennedy, Raymond Torres- Santos

Publications and Research

Children from different cultures have a natural affinity for rhymes, rhythm and music. Imagine if students were able, from the beginning of their education and experiences with academic writing and literacy, to access their unconscious and original selves from which to create their writing. The study of music can help to access this aware, inventive side that can enhance anyone’s writing. As an early childhood writing teacher and a composition teacher, we draw on our experiences with young children with words and music. We examine the relationship between music and words in an effort to bring the primitive drive of …

Ii International Colloquium On Languages, Cultures, Identity, In School And Society, International Colloquium

Proceedings of the International Colloquium on Languages, Cultures, Identity in School and Society

The influx of immigrants in countries worldwide, coupled with the challenges associated to the schooling of their children in host countries' schools, makes it more necessary than ever to broaden our knowledge of the linguistic, ethnic, and cultural realities derived from this phenomenon. This is the rationale for the present Colloquium, which revolves around the following topics:

• Individual, school, and societal bilingualism/multilingualism-related issues
• Multi/Transculturalism-related issues in families, schools, and society
• Impact of bi/multilingualism on individuals' and societies' language, culture, and identity
• Impact of multi/transculturalism on individuals' and societies' language, culture, and identity
• Language ideologies, policies, and practices
• Promotion, maintenance, and …

Maximizing Student Achievements: Mastering Aviation English, Stacey Mcintire, Juan Merkt, Jacqueline Luedtke, Timothy B. Holt, Jordan Brown

Publications

Flight training delays and corresponding increased costs appear to be widespread among universities with aviation programs. Students in these programs have to juggle demanding academics and flight training. Additionally, international students, for whom English is not their primary language, have the added disadvantage of learning complex aviation concepts in English. In order to maximize retention in collegiate flight programs, an experimental aviation English course has been designed to help frontload aviation vocabulary and take a proactive approach to teaching language skills that are essential in flight training.

Communication Intervention For Individuals With Down Syndrome: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Nicole Neil, Emily A. Jones

Education Publications

A systematic review was conducted to identify effective intervention strategies for communication in individuals with Down syndrome. We updated and extended previous reviews by examining: (1) participant characteristics; (2) study characteristics; (3) characteristics of effective interventions (e.g., strategies and intensity); (4) whether interventions are tailored to the Down syndrome behavior phenotype; and (5) the effectiveness (i.e., percentage non-overlapping data and Cohen’s d) of interventions. Thirty-seven studies met inclusion criteria. The majority of studies used behaviour analytic strategies and produced moderate gains in communication targets. Few interventions were tailored to the needs of the Down syndrome behaviour phenotype. The results …

Informational Texts And Vocabulary For Young Children, Gwen R. Marra

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Informational texts are encouraged in the primary grade classroom. Why are they important? How can they be used effectively?

Effects Of Parent Child Interaction And Language Stimulation On Children's Language Development, Rachel E. Timm, Helen Raikes

UCARE Research Products

Research Questions:

• Does parent positive regard relate to a child’s receptive language development?

• Does language stimulation relate to a child’s receptive language development?

• Does parent bookreading behavior (reading fluency, reading intonation/animation, comfort level, and child involvement) relate to a child’s receptive language development?

Measures:

• Preschool Language Scale-5 (PLS-5)
• Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-4 (PPVT-4)
• HOME Language and Literacy Scale
• Video Codes from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care

Results:

• Positive regard was not significantly related to the PLS-5 or the PPVT-4.
• The HOME Language and Literacy Scale was a significant predictor of the PPVT-4 and was related to the PLS-5 …

Listen Up: Reflections On The Cdi And Hse Speech And Language Services In Tallaght West: Chit Chat, Noirin Hayes, Judy Irwin

Reports

No abstract provided.

Listen Up: Reflections On The Cdi And Hse Speech And Language Services In Tallaght West: Early Intervention, Speech And Language, Noirin Hayes, Judy Irwin

Reports

The early intervention approach described in this report, which was developed by CDI and evaluated by Dr. Noirin Hayes and Judy Irwin, engages both parents and teachers in a meaningful partnership via a three-pronged approach, whereby the therapist works with the child and the parent/carer and the Early Years practitioner or teacher.We have long recognised in other domains, such as health promotion and youth crime prevention, that no single agency or discipline can fully resolve difficulties and this learning has been integrated here to inform an innovative and effective model that brings added value, minimises stigma and employs an early …

Challenges For Global Learners: A Qualitative Study Of The Concerns And Difficulties Of International Students, Chetanath Gautam, Charles L. Lowery, Chance Mays, Dayan Durant

Student Publications

The authors in this study seek to inform academia about international students’ experiences and challenges while attending universities in Small Town USA. Despite their eagerness to study in the United States (U.S.), international students are faced with setbacks that many universities fail to recognize or realize. The researchers conducted in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of students using questions based on information from the literature and an initial survey. The themes that emerged from the data analysis were language, jobs/finances, transportation, assimilation, religious interactions, and identity. Findings emphasize the imperative to understand the challenges these students face as they continue …

Internationalising The Curriculum For Hospitality And Tourism Students Through Language Integration, Angela Feeney, Brian Murphy

Internationalization, Globalization and Exchange in Higher Education

This paper seeks to explore the internationalisation of the curriculum, firstly in its broadest sense, secondly within the context of a TU4D and finally through the presentation and review of a practice-based research project carried out among students of Hospitality and Tourism Studies in the Institute of Technology Tallaght. The project was driven by two related but separate motivations which are mirrored by the background of the contributors outlined below. On the one hand we have the linguist’s motivation which stems from a desire to make students at IT Tallaght not only more competent in their spoken language skills but …

Enhancing Student Learning By Narrowing The Gap Between Feedback Giving And Feedback Receiving, Eileen Goold Dr

Conference Papers

Feedback is one of the most powerful influences on learning and achievement. However the mere provision of feedback to students does not necessarily lead to improved learning. Feedback is ineffective if it does not close the gap between learning goals and students’ performance. Often students do not have clear goals and they do not know what learning activities will improve their learning performance. Consequently the opportunity to learn from the feedback is lost. Learning is a social process and while young people have increasingly strong social needs they struggle with academic language. This study investigates the influence of lecturers’ feedback …

Feedback On Second Language Pronunciation: A Case Study Of Eap Teachers' Beliefs And Practices, Amanda Ann Baker, Michael Burri

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In the modern English language classroom, teachers are often faced with the challenging task of supporting students to achieve comprehensible pronunciation, but many teachers limit or neglect giving students feedback on their pronunciation for a variety of reasons. This paper examines the case of five experienced English for Academic Purposes (EAP) instructors who strive to provide feedback on specific features of pronunciation that negatively affect students' comprehensibility. Results derived from semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and stimulated recall interviews reveal that the teachers use similar approaches to select and provide feedback on problematic features of pronunciation. Naturally, these approaches sometimes differed …

Exploring Engagement In Tasks In The Language Classroom, Jenefer Philp, Susan Duchesne

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This article explores how learners engage in tasks in the context of language classrooms. We describe engagement as a multidimensional construct that includes cognitive, behavioral, social, and emotional dimensions of engagement among second and foreign language learners in the classroom. We discuss key concepts and indicators of engagement in current research on task-based interaction and outline some of the issues in researching engagement in this context.

Playing With Grammar: A Pedagogical Heuristic For Orientating To The Language Content Of The Australian Curriculum: English, Beryl Exley, Lisa K. Kervin, Jessica Mantei

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In this article we introduce a heuristic for orientating to the language content of the Australian Curriculum: English. Our pedagogical heuristic, called 'Playing with Grammar', moves through three separate but interwoven stages: (i) an introduction to the learning experience, (ii) a focus on learning, and (iii) an application of new knowledge where students read and/or write with grammar in mind. We draw on aspects of Bernstein's sociological theories to consider the implications of keeping the content of the Language, Literature and Literacy strands together or apart. We also theorise different pedagogical approaches where teachers or learners control the sequence and …

The Struggle For Legitimacy: Language Provision In Two 'Residual' Comprehensive High Schools In Australia, Stephen Black, Jan Wright, Kenneth E. Cruickshank

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Despite the contemporary policy rhetoric of global citizenry and the importance of languages and intercultural capabilities, language learning in Australian schools struggles for recognition and support. The curriculum marginalisation of languages, however, is uneven, affecting some school sectors more than others. In this article, we examine the provision of languages in two government comprehensive high schools, both low socio-economic status, located in urban areas in New South Wales, Australia's largest state. They are termed 'residual' high schools because they cater for the students remaining in the local schools while others attend either private or selective government high schools. We provide …

Predicting Second Grade Listening Comprehension Using Prekindergarten Measures, Crystle N. Alonzo, Gloria Yeomans-Maldonado, Kimberly A. Murphy, Beau Bevens, Language And Reading Research Consortium (Larrc)

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine prekindergarten predictors of listening comprehension in second grade. Methods: Within a large, 5-year longitudinal study, children progressing from prekindergarten to second grade were administered a comprehensive set of prekindergarten measures of foundational language skills (vocabulary and grammar), higher-level language skills (inferencing, comprehension monitoring, and text structure knowledge), listening comprehension, working memory, and nonverbal processing, as well as second grade measures of listening comprehension. Results: A prekindergarten measure of listening comprehension-the Test of Narrative Language-and a prekindergarten measure of foundational language skills and working memory-the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-4 Recalling …