Education Commons^™

Referendums Education In The United States: Reform Or Assimilation?, Francisco Ramos

Education Faculty Works

The antibilingüe movement that is spreading across the United States has become one of the most controversial in the debate on the education of linguistic minorities issues. Ron Unz, the California millionaire who has managed to eliminate bilingual programs in California and Arizona and trying to do the same today in Colorado and Massachusetts, is a clear example of assimilationist movement, which argues that immigrants should give up their languages and vernacular cultures to integrate into American society. This article summarizes the history of bilingualism in the United States, focusing on decisions that have affected the education of minority students, …

Language Policy In Central Asia, Baktygul M. Ismailova

Master's Capstone Projects

This study addresses language policy and language planning in the five Central Asian republics, former constituents of the Soviet Union. Language issues became crucial after the breakdown of the Soviet system, which completely changed the linguistic environment in the region. The study discusses two main issues related to the language planning in central Asia. The first section of the project describes the history of the region before 1917, when lifestyle patterns divided Central Asian residents into two groups, nomads (Kyrgyz, Kazak and Turkmen) and sedentary peoples (Tajik and Uzbek).

After a brief discussion of schooling practices in pre-Soviet Central Asia, …

The Process Of The Assessment Of Writing Performance : The Rater's Perspective, Tom Lumley

Dr Tom Lumley

This study investigates the process of rating texts written by adult ESL learners. Four experienced raters provided think-aloud protocols describing the rating process for a set of 24 texts. The think-aloud data allowed analysis of the sequence of rating, raters' interpretations of the scoring categories, and difficulties raters faced. The study reveals the complexity of the rating process, whereby raters struggle to resolve a tension between the wordings (or rules) of the rating scale and their complex, initial, intuitive impression of the text. Rating requires training to provide reliable measurement. The study also demonstrates that caution is needed in interpreting …

Woordeboeke Gee Leerproses Woema, Michele Van Der Merwe

Michele Van Der Merwe

No abstract provided.

Towards More User-Friendly Education For Speakers Of Aboriginal English, Ian G. Malcolm, Yvonne Haig, Patricia Konsignberg, Judith Rochecouste, Glenys Collard, Alison Hill, Rosemary Cahill

Research outputs pre 2011

The project reported on here set out, on a basis of cooperation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal investigators working in university, educational system and classroom contexts, to lead to understandings which would enable a more accessible ("userfriendly") education to be provided for students in primary and secondary schools who are speakers of Aboriginal English.

Specifically, in the context of schools of the Education Department of Western Australia, the project sought to:

1. extend knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal English and its areas of contrast with standard Australian English;

2. provide clarification in the following under-researched areas of Aboriginal English:

a) semantic …

Linguistic And Cultural Norms In Language Testing : A Case Study, Annie Brown, Tom Lumley

Dr Tom Lumley

Users of English in Asia may not have the same need to aspire to a ' standard' form of English. It may be more appropriate for them to develop a communicative competence employing the sociolinguistic and cultural norms of the region. Taking such an approach in the development of tests of English proficiency involves rethinking basic assumptions. This paper considers these issues in the context of a test of English proficiency developed for use with English teachers in Indonesia

Black English, Karen Tibbitts Filimoehala

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Black English has recently entered the media spotlight with the passing of the Ebonics resolution by the Oakland School Board on Dec. 18, 1996. In this resolution, the school board unanimously voted to recognize Black English or "Ebonics" (a term which combines the words "ebony" and "phonetics")(LeLand & Joseph, 1997, p. 78) as the primary language of many of its students, and to teach students in their primary language in order to maintain the "legitimacy and richness" of the language, and to help students master standard English. Needless to say, the resolution was met with highly charged arguments - some …

Where Are The Women? A Report Into Issues Related To Women's Access To Workplace Literacy Programs, Marion Milton

Research outputs pre 2011

This study sought to investigate the provision of workplace literacy courses available for women in female dominated industries, and women's access to and participation in those courses. Further, it was intended to interview women who had dropped out or not accessed available courses.

Prior to discussing the study, it seems appropriate to locate it within the current economic, social and political climate of the Australian workplace, with a particular focus on the increasing demand for literacy skills.

Specific-Purpose Language Performance Tests : Task And Interaction, Tom Lumley, Annie Brown

Dr Tom Lumley

Oral performance tests designed to assess candidates' ability to function in a particular professional role typically involve role plays which simulate aspects of professional interaction between a candidate, in his/her professional role, and an interlocutor, in the role of client or consumer of the professional services. This paper reports on an investigation into the role which expert professional informants can play in providing post hoc content validation of tasks used in this kind of occupation-specific test, focusing on both the content of the tasks and the behaviour of the interlocutors. The study draws on data from the oral interaction component …

Language Programme (Setswana): Theoretical Framework, Chabaesele Oaitse

Master's Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Nonstandard Dialects And Writing Instruction In Adult Literacy Settings: Issues And Implications, Sherry Russell

Master's Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Language And Communication Enhancement For Two-Way Education : Report, Ian G. Malcolm

Research outputs pre 2011

Indigenous Australians command many languages including autochthonous (Indigenous) and contact languages (creoles and Aboriginal English). This project is concerned with the majority who speak English, especially those who speak English as a first language, in an Aboriginal English variety. The project was developed by Edith Cowan University in cooperation with the Education Department of Western Australia as a response to an increasing demand from teachers of Indigenous students for help in providing for their needs as speakers of Aboriginal English. It was funded from the DEBT National Priority (Reserve) Fund to enable the University to develop course modules in Aboriginal …

The Ultra Project (The Universities Language Teaching Research Agreement) : A Joint Investigation By Edith Cowan University, Western Australia And The Guangzhou Foreign Language University, The People's Republic Of China, Into The Use Of Intensive And Immersion Approaches To Language Teaching And Learning At University Level, Alistair L. Mcgregor, Ian G. Malcolm

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

'N Evaluering Van Die Verklarende Handwoordeboek Van Die Afrikaanse Taal As Standaard Verklarende Woordeboek, Michele Van Der Merwe

Michele Van Der Merwe

Critical evaluation of the Verklarende Handwoordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal. Argues that the treatment of multilexical items in the HAT is not satisfactory at present. Offers suggestions to remedy the situation.

The Effects Of Culture On Language Learning And Ways Of Communication: The Japanese Case, Yuri Kumagai

Master's Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Multicultural Education : A Book Of Readings, Gary Partington (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

The problem of obtaining texts with material relevant to the core course in Aboriginal and Multicultural Education in the W.A. College led me to suggest a book of readings selected by those teaching the course. Obviously this was a trap for the unwary, for the diversity of recommendations that I received meant that unless the book was to be of mammoth proportions, some lecturers were bound to be disappointed. This was compounded by difficulties in tracking down authors to obtain their permission in time to publish.

Even so, it is anticipated that the collection of readings finally assembled will contribute …

Functional Language In Vietnam And Australia : Some Differences In The Use Of Functional Language Between Vietnamese And Australian Speakers, Eleanor A. Ensor

Research outputs pre 2011

The linguistic problems encountered in such areas as phonology and syntax by Vietnamese learning English are already dealt with in several publications. This paper however, explores a further avenue of common problems which are socio-linguistic in nature, relating to the settlement process of Vietnamese into Australian society...

Sources Of Security And Community In The Efl Class In Mexico: Student Teaching Paper, Cynthia Jeanne Flamm

MA TESOL Collection

No abstract provided.

Increasing Cultural Awareness Through Effective Classroom Dynamics, Maria Cristina Enriquez Y Arcaraz

MA TESOL Collection

No abstract provided.

A Supplementary Reference Guide For Non-Native English Speakers On The Communicative And Cultural Aspects In The Esl Miscellany, Joanne Ching Chao

MA TESOL Collection

This is a supplementary guide designed especially for non-native ESL users to be used in conjunction with The ESL Miscellany. It covers two parts of the book, the Communicative Aspect and the Cultural Aspect. In the Communicative Aspect this guide includes the definitions of all the idioms under the different categories, such as food, music, colors, and religion which appear in The ESL Miscellany. In the Cultural Aspect, six areas have been explained and defined. These are “Famous Americans”, “heroes”, “Historical Sites”, “Dates and Holidays”, “Famous Quotations”, and “Proverbs”.

Latin American Legends And Exercises For Beginning And Intermediate High School Students Of Spanish, Jeanne Joyce Jensen

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is a collection of Latin American legends for beginning and intermediate high school students of Spanish. It begins with an introduction including why I chose this subject. Following the introduction, the legends begin. There are ten legends from various Latin American countries and time periods. Before each legend is a short explanation in English about the country and how the story relates to it. Finally, there are sample exercises to be used in the classroom with the legends.

Language Conflict: A Case Study Of National Language Selection In Iran, Kenneth Pransky

MA TESOL Collection

Iran is a complex nation composed of many nationalities and languages. Through the centuries, it has been plagued by interethnic conflicts, and rapid modernization in this century has exacerbated longstanding differences, especially between the dominant, Farsi speaking group and Iran's numerous non-Farsi speaking minorities. No issue has symbolized Iran's interethnic conflicts in this century more than language problems.

Iran's history of language conflict is treated as a case study through which to explore more universal dynamics of language conflict. Emphasis is laid on the historical development of ethnic attitudes, the function of language as a symbol of ethnicity, the necessity …

Friday Night At The Mayaguez Mall: A Rationale With Examples On The Use Of Drama In The Notional-Functional Classroom, Stephen Newman

MA TESOL Collection

Three recent intensive courses teaching EFL in Puerto Rico and ESL in Brattleboro provided the author with practical experience using drama activities in connection with the application of notional-functional syllabuses. These experiences are described and the choice of a "functional" approach is justified. Functions are explained and an overview of drama is given. Seven practical drama activities for a variety of language levels and situations are presented. A discussion of the pedagogical aspects of practicing functions through drama follows, wherein such considerations as the role of the teacher, the development of the student, lesson planning, giving directions and aims are …

The Language Of 5 1/2-Year-Old Children From Homes Where Macedonian, Vietnamese And An Aboriginal Tribal Language Are Used As The Language Of The Home, A. L. Mcgregor

Research outputs pre 2011

Throughout the world migration patterns and changing attitudes towards education and other cultures have led over the past three or four decades to a remarkable growth in the learning of second or foreign languages. Within this area the learning of English by speakers of other languages takes up the largest numbers and is to be found in every part of the globe.

Nevertheless to date comparatively little is known of processes and patterns in second language development. Evidence on phonological and semantic development is exceedingly skimpy. Hernandez (in Ervin-Tripp 1970), Malmberg (1945), Wode (1976) and Ervin-Tripp (1974) have examined the …

The Development Of English As A Second Language In Aboriginal And Migrant Children : A Pilot Study, A. L. Mcgregor

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Features Of Serbo-Croatian For Language Teachers, Eric G. Vaszolyi

Research outputs pre 2011

Teachers of migrant children experience a great many difficulties in trying to understand and resolve their pupils' language problems. One basic problem is all too familiar: the teacher speaks English and the migrant child does not understand it or only understands it to some, rather limited, extent. Another problem area: the pupil picks up some English in the classroom, on the playground and out in the street but speaks it with a peculiar accent and peppers it with phonemic, grammatical and semantic errors. The child's deviations from the generally accepted patterns of English (i.e. the prevalent variety of English spoken …

Our Multicultural Future And The School, John Sherwood (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

It is only in the last four or five years that an observable effort has been made to extend the growing awareness within the community that Australia's population is clearly multicultural in composition. Despite this, most of the political, economic and social structures and organisations in the community do not adequately reflect or cater for the variety of people of different ethnic origins and identities.

While this increasing awareness in individuals is encouraging, it has been evident that the focus of discussions, conferences and gatherings to date, in Western Australia at least, has been rather narrow. Some have concentrated on …

A Report On One Year's Experience As The Advisor To The Board Of Directors Of Binational Center In Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, Elliott S. Glazer

MA TESOL Collection

It is my intent, in writing this, my Independent Professional Project, to present to the reader through an assortment of facts, ideas, experiences and evaluations an overview of the history, components and present status of binational centers and of the INSTITUTO BENJAMIN FRANKLIN DE YUCATAN, A.C. ; a rather in-depth discussion of the work of the Advisor to the Board of Directors ( the equivalent of Executive or Administrative Director in most other centers ) during the 1974-75 academic year, including his duties, goals and frustrations (often caused by problems of communication, culture and/or politics), and his relationship with the …