Education Commons^™

Linguistically Responsive Practices Of Science Secondary School Teachers In Rwanda: A Qualitative Case Study, Clemence Mukabalisa Mbabazi

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This qualitative case study examined how science teachers in Rwandan secondary schools linguistically support their students. The study was conducted virtually on Zoom through two rounds of interviews with three science teachers at a secondary school in the East of Rwanda. The primary research question examined the strategies used by these teachers to linguistically support their students. Through individual interviews with the science teachers, the participants were able to share their perspectives and experiences on students' multilingual abilities, the use of English as an instructional language, especially after the transition from French, and the relationship between students' language proficiency and …

"We Are The Stories" : Narrative Competence And Cognitive Mapping As A Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy In The Education Of Emergent Bilinguals, Sepideh Yasrebi

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Much has been said about the drawbacks of “teaching to the test” in K-12 public education in the U.S. When it comes to English as a New Language (ENL), however, few studies have explored the ways in which ENL literacy and education is framed and conceptualized in the New York State Next Generation Learning Standards (NGLS), which, in turn, decisively shape ENL curriculum and instruction at schools. Considering the issues of deficits perspectives, context and pragmatics in Second Language Acquisition, mechanical approaches to writing, and narrative and agency, this study intends to reframe narrative writing around students’ lived experiences. In …

Factors That Impact Efl Acquisition In Cape Verde, William Patrick Rezende Moreno

Master’s Theses and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that impact English as a foreign language acquisition in Cape Verde. While in Cape Verde students are taught English as a foreign language (EFL from now on) for many years, upon graduation many of them are unable to have basic conversations in English. As a result, many students in Cape Verde lose the opportunity to get a better job inside and outside Cape Verde or potential scholarships to study in an English-speaking country. This study intended to explore the students’ and teachers’ attitudes towards EFL in Cape Verde. The main …

Cape Verdean Students’ Perceptions Of Their English Language Preparation For Higher Education In The Us, Fàbio Wilson Teixeira Varela

Master’s Theses and Projects

Students from distinct parts of the world are learning English as a foreign language with multiple goals including job opportunities, education and so on. More importantly, many of them study English with the goal of pursuing their higher education in a foreign country, and the US is one of the main destinations. Studies have revealed that one of the problems international students face in their academic life has to do with language, specifically academic language. In this study, the researcher examined the retrospective perceptions of Cape Verdean students pursuing their studies at US universities towards their language instruction in Cape …

Building Community Among International Students Through Purposeful Selection Of Fictional Literature, Michael Robert

Theses and Dissertations

Purposefully selecting text is a longstanding challenge for teachers of multinational, adult learners enrolled at language schools. International students come from diverse cultural backgrounds, have been educated in different academic systems, are of different ages, and have separate interests; therefore, it is difficult for teachers to effectively select text to meet this disparate student group’s needs. The purpose of this action research investigation was to identify an effective strategy to select reading material that fosters student engagement through a shared reading interest.

This action research investigation used exploratory qualitative methods in a constructivist grounded theory approach. I conducted semi-structured interviews …

Exploring Teachers’ Use Of The Inquiry-Based Framework In Teaching English Language In The International Baccalaureate Programme: A Case Of A Private Primary School, In Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania., Shazma Mehboob Jaffer

Theses & Dissertations

Inquiry-based learning is a lauded approach in the teaching of English language. However, studies based on some IB PYP Schools indicate that teachers still face challenges in the teaching of English, using the inquiry approach, whereas learners face difficulties in reading, writing and problem solving. This case study, therefore, explored how English teachers used the inquiry-based framework in the teaching of English language at the IB PYP School, in Tanzania. Six teachers from Grade one to six along with the former PYP Coordinator participated in this study. The data collection methods used included interviews, observations and document analysis. Data from …

An Evaluation Of A Phonemic Awareness Program For Middle School Students And Its Impact On Academic Achievement, Valdis Sigrun Rice

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

With general instruction, most students’ reading skills develop overtime. For some, additional intervention in certain areas is necessary to acquire expected reading ability. One of five components of reading as identified by the National Reading Panel (NRP; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [NICHD], 2000) included phonemic awareness (PA). Recognized as necessary to develop more complex skills, interventions for students’ PA abilities is thought by some to increase overall reading performance (Kilpatrick, 2013; 2015). One school district developed and implemented a new class program with the goal of increasing middle school students’ overall academic outcomes through targeted intervention …

The Effects Of A Self-Regulated Writing Intervention On English Learners' Academic Writing Skills, Diana Akhmedjanova

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The goals of this dissertation were (1) to help English learners (ELs) improve their persuasive writing and self-regulated learning (SRL) skills and (2) to examine the effectiveness of the self-regulated writing intervention in an authentic setting. ELs are well-represented across university and college campuses in the U. S. While most of them thrive academically and receive their undergraduate and graduate degrees, a majority of ELs experience difficulties with academic writing. Therefore, there is a need to develop and examine evidence-based practices to promote the development of academic writing skills of ELs. One promising line of research involves adding instruction in …

Effects Of The Helping Early Literacy With Practice Strategies (Helps) Program On Reading Fluency With English Language Learners, Heeyeon Chung

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the HELPS Program on the reading fluency skills of English Learners (ELs) using a multiple-baseline single case design methodology. Participants in this study included five ELs attending a public elementary school in northern New York State. Students were identified for participation through a review of available records indicating below-average reading fluency skills and/or teacher recommendations based on reading fluency performance in the classroom. Visual analysis and Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) were used to evaluate Words Correct Per Minute (WCPM) scores from the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills …

Effect Of Exposure To L2 Socio-Cultural Background On The L1-Based Conceptual System Of Korean Learners Of English, Hyeyeon Kim

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study explores the conceptual system of adult Korean learners of English with three different levels of exposure to a second language (L2) cultural background. Assuming that different exposure to an L2 socio-cultural backgrounds plays a significant role in modifying a learner’s conceptual system that operates both an L1 as well as an L2 channel, this study examines the influence of L2 cultural background knowledge on (previously developed) L1-based conceptual knowledge of lexical items in production. The cross-cultural difference of lexical-conceptual knowledge is characterized by the lexical items (pairs of L1-L2 lexical items) existing in both in their first language …

Local Government Programs For The Learning Of English Among Adult Spanish-Speaking Immigrants, Charlotte E. Mcgee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Spanish is the second-largest speaking language in the United States, and while many government agencies have developed programs to help immigrants learn English, little is known about how program participants perceive the programs in terms of utility in transitioning to life in America or the usefulness of skills learned. Using Blalock's racial power-threat theory as the foundation, the purpose of this general qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of one such program in a mid-Atlantic city specifically oriented toward Spanish speaking immigrants. Data were collected from 15 adults, Spanish speaking program facilitators and a review of publicly available documentation …

Transformative Technology For English Language Learners, Lashonda K. Gardenhire

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Across the United States, communities are becoming more linguistically and culturally diverse. Throughout previous times of change, schools have been the bedrock of transforming society and it’s workers. However, if education in the United States is ever going to level the playing field between the affluent and the poor, white students and minority students, native-born and foreign-born, it will not be enough for English Language Learners to simply learn to read and write in English. Educators must reflect on how to adapt their teaching practices for a plethora of student needs. Subsequently, the focus of this paper will specifically be …

Amae And Japanese Learners Of English : Their Strategies To Deal With Problems In Understanding In Conversations With Native And Non-Native Speakers, Emiko Kamiya

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The purpose of the study is to investigate how amae may affect Japanese learners of English when they are exposed to intercultural communication, so that educators can take advantage of the study’s findings to improve English education in Japan. Amae is a concept that a Japanese psychiatrist Takeo Doi introduced as a key to understanding the psychology of Japanese people. It is roughly translated as “dependence” but actually refers to a psychological disposition that is observed in specific patterns of behavior. Although the concept is frequently mentioned in studies of Japanese culture and society, not much is known about how …

Modality As A Reflection Of Pragmatic Competence : Exploring Modification Of Ells' Pragmatic Knowledge Based On The Use Of Modality In The Context Of Peer Feedback, Liya Zalaltdinova

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The aim of the study is to identify characteristic features of modality use as demonstrated by intermediate and advanced English Language Learners (ELLs), to examine the change, if any, in the characteristic set of features of modality use by advanced as compared to intermediate ELLs, and finally to explore the factors triggering identified modality use as demonstrated by advanced ELLs while they provide evaluation and suggestions in the context of peer feedback. This cross-sectional, developmental, mixed-method study of sequential-explanatory design relied on a new theoretical framework to guide research on pragmatic competence – one for all language codes –, a …

Treating The Writing Trauma : Managing Anxiety And Promoting Transfer Among Adult Learners With Workplace Writing Pedagogies, Jamie Ann Frankenfield

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Jamie Frankenfield: Treating the Writing Trauma: Managing anxiety and Promoting Transfer

Ways Of Thanking In American-English, Chinese-Mandarin, South Korean, And Thai : An Intercultural And Cross-Linguistic Approach, Pilaiporn Phetcherdchin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Language can define people by the way they use it. This thesis investigates how four different languages – American-English, Chinese-Mandarin, South Korean, and Thai – use thanking expressions to one another. The content of this thesis is mainly collected from survey data and movie scripts. This study identifies how American-English, Chinese-Mandarin, South Korean, and Thai use formal and informal thanking expressions in various situations, e.g. people in different social status, and polite endings in thanking expressions. The author also focuses on cultural similarities and differences among the four languages in order to express thank to one another, e.g. Western and …

Language Socialization Of Mainland Chinese Adolescents In U.S. Science Classrooms, Fang Yu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Secondary schools in the United States are enrolling an increasing number of Mainland Chinese students, and this cohort of students is often seen as a “model minority” that can achieve academic success without much if any, extra support. However, many Chinese students encounter difficulties not only in learning English but in learning other content areas raising questions as to what they experience as the affordances and constraints to their learning.

The Importance Of Using Information Communication Technology For Learning And Teaching The English Language In Kurdistan Of Iraq, Nabaz Noori Kareem

English (TESOL) Master Theses

Kurdistan as a region in north of Iraq has undergone significant changes regarding its educational system, and using ICTs (information communication technologies) for teaching and learning English has been given a great role in the system. There are many researchers who wrote about the benefits and the challenges of using ICTs. As the term ICT includes many kinds of devices and applications, students and teachers in Kurdistan are using various types of ICTs inside or outside of the schools. Students and teachers use ICTs for teaching and learning the skills of the English language such as reading, writing, speaking, and …

Revolutionizing Reading: Discovering The Power Of A Reading Workshop Model In The High School English Classroom, Kaitlyn De Wild

Master of Education Program Theses

This action research study investigated the effects of a Reading Workshop model in a high school English classroom in a private school in the Midwest. The participants were sixty-six juniors in a general education classroom. Students in the study took a pre-survey at the beginning of the year and a post-survey at the end of February to determine any changes in independent reading habits. Throughout the course of the study, students had choice in independent reading, which they kept track of and reflected on. In addition to analyzing these reflections, the researcher also interviewed eight of the students on their …

Taking It To Heart : A Case Study Of Supporting English Language Learners Through Culturally Responsive Teaching, Collaboration, And Esol-Focused Leadership, Gretchen Oliver Oliver

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

A continued increase in the number of English language learners (ELLs) in U.S. schools has made educators consider the ways they approach teaching and learning for these students. Culturally responsive teaching is one way many educators have attempted to meet ELLs’ unique needs, valuing the cultural and linguistic diversity that they bring to school with them. Moreover, through collaboration and ESOL-focused leadership, educators are able to take a system-approach to teaching and learning for these students, and in doing so, they are able to provide ELLs with meaningful and authentic learning experiences that will allow them to be inclusive members …

La Necesidad De Bilingual Education En Los Estados Unidos: Its Benefits For Students, Immigrants, And The American Mindset, With A Practical Focus On Knox County Schools, Jacob W. Wilson

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Towards A Constructivist Grammar Curriculum For The United States, Tyler Crafts Jennings

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The author argues that educators must forge an alternative method to teaching grammar: the explicit, constructivist teaching of grammar within the meaningful context of a writing curriculum.

Use Of C-Map As A Cognitive Tool In Collaborative And Individual Concept Mapping For Enhancing Ell Students' Reading Comprehension, Enaz Yousef Rasheed Mahmoud

Theses and Dissertations

Among those who teach English to English Language Learners (ELL), reading comprehension is considered an essential language skill critical for knowledge acquisition and information exchange. However, in various parts of the world, including Jordan, reading comprehension has been reported as a difficult area for ELL students to master.

The purpose of this study was to investigate in-depth the impact of the use of the reading software C-map as a cognitive tool in collaborative and individual concept mapping to promote reading comprehension among ELL readers. The independent variable of this study was concept mapping, which functioned on three levels: collaborative, individual, …

Actividades Utilizadas Por Docentes Practicantes De La Universidad De La Salle Para Promover El Desarrollo De Competencias De Lectura Y Escritura En Lengua Inglesa, Diana Catalina Mora Pacheco, Eddy Yamile Rojas Castillo

Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras

El presente proyecto, se fundamentó en la descripción de las actividades utilizadas en la práctica docente para promover el desarrollo de competencias de lectura y escritura en la enseñanza de inglés. El objetivo principal fue determinar las actividades que durante el ejercicio de la práctica docente se implementan efectivamente para promover el desarrollo de competencias de lectura y escritura en la enseñanza de lengua inglesa a los niños entre seis y ocho años de nivel básico uno de la Fundación ASE sede Laureano Gómez. Además, se describieron y analizaron las actividades halladas en función del desarrollo de las competencias anteriormente …

The Impact Of Criteria-Referenced Formative Assessment On Fifth Grade Students' Theater Arts And English Language Arts Achievement, Fei Chen

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of criteria-referenced formative assessment (CRFA) on elementary students' achievement in theater arts and the transfer effect of the treatment on English language arts (ELA) achievement. The role of gender and task type in moderating the treatment-achievement relationship was also explored. The analytical sample included 520 fifth-grade students from thirteen classes who participated in the Arts Achieve project. Selection bias in treatment assignment was adjusted with propensity score analysis (Rosenbaum & Rubin, 1983) for the purposes of obtaining asymptotically unbiased estimates of treatment effects.

The Effect Of A Dual Coding Elucidation Technique On Idiom Comprehension In Esl And Efl Learners, Denis Samburskiy

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study relied on the assumption that literal meaning of some idiomatic expressions (i.e., their conceptual motivation) could have a positive effect on the comprehension of their correct figurative sense. To test this hypothesis, a Dual Coding elucidation technique, in which important elements of correct figurative meaning were mapped onto literal ones, was designed to facilitate the comprehension of 15 highly imageable idioms. This technique was administered in the form of an online questionnaire to Russian- and Korean-speaking EFL and ESL learners. The facilitative effect of this technique was assessed taking into account several relevant variables: the learners’ levels of …

Adult Learners Of English Interacting With Native Speaker Teachers And Non-Native Speaker Teachers : Exploring Differences In Students' Language Use, Melody Hallenbeck Nadeau

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This mixed-methods study examined the lived experience of adult English Language Learners (ELLs) in classrooms led by native speaking teachers, compared with their experience in classrooms led by non-native teachers. The socio-cognitive approach to language and emergent common ground framed the development of the English classroom as a Community of Practice, in which students produced varying levels of complex, formulaic, metaphorically dense speech.

Synergic Concepts Between English And Vietnamese, Ngoc Thi Bich Tran

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

One of the most common mistakes that foreign/second language learners make is inappropriate word choice, which results from the lack of knowledge of the conceptual content contained in a word. I have experienced this difficulty myself as a foreign learner of English for more than ten years; and as an English teacher for about three years in Vietnam, I understand that grasping the conceptual content of English words is quite challenging for Vietnamese learners. It has long been a tradition that the teacher gives the translation of an English word to the student, and the student consequently just puts a …

Discursive Leadership And Conceptual Fluency In Non-Native English Speakers' Online Task-Based Dialogues, Umit Boz

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Much research has examined how different patterns of social interaction shape language learners' interactional roles (e.g., collaborative, dominant, passive) in peer-to-peer conversations. However, little or no research has investigated the co-construction of such roles in multiparty, online task-based dialogues within the framework of discursive leadership. For the purpose of this study, discursive leadership is defined as the ability of the interlocutors to (a) shape the discourse via topic introductions and subsequent topic mentions and (b) manage the process of the task through the use of a series of task-oriented speech acts such as directives and assertions. Using a multi-method approach …

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.