Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

The Effects Of Explicit And Systematic Phonemic Awareness Instruction On Reading For English Language Learners, Annette Freeman

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to find effective phonological instruction for improving reading comprehension and oral language proficiency of ELLs. In addition, this study was conducted to inform school administrators without ESL certification about best practices in ELL education so they could make informed, school-wide decisions for better serving ELLs before entry into secondary schools.

The sample included first and second-grade students identified as ELLs in two Northwest Arkansas elementary schools. The two schools were selected based on their similar student demographics of grade configuration, ethnicity, and poverty rate. All students selected for the study were identified as ELLs …

Perceptions Of Educator Preparation In The Field Of English Language Learners, Vivian R. Fry

Selected Honors Theses

This study investigated how well pre-service teachers felt prepared to teach English Language Learners in the areas of second language (L2) acquisition and culture. 62 preservice teachers responded to a survey sent out to education majors at Southeastern University. Majority of the participants in the study indicated that they had less than adequate knowledge in the area of L2 acquisition and were less than adequately prepared to educate ELLs in the area of L2 acquisition. The participants indicated that they wanted professional development opportunities that focused on pedagogy for the specific stages of L2 acquisition. Regarding culture, a little more …

The Disconnect Between General Classroom Teaching Techniques And English Language Learner Needs, Marliese Belt

Honors College Theses

This project will seek to identify gaps in pre-service teacher education as it relates to appropriate instructional strategies for English Language Learners (ELLs). First, public and private liberal arts schools of higher education in Kentucky will be analyzed for relevant programs and courses addressing the needs of ELLs and research-driven instructional techniques used to educate them. It will be determined that many of the schools offer undergraduate or graduate level endorsements and certificate programs, but only one, Murray State University, offers an undergraduate degree-bearing program. Next, ELLs, their characteristics, and unique needs will be defined to ensure that all stakeholders …

Translanguaging In The Writing Of Emergent Multilinguals, Lydiah Kananu Kiramba

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

This article discusses the findings of an empirical study that investigated the writing practices in a multilingual, rural, fourth-grade classroom in Kenya. The study was undergirded by Bakhtin’s heteroglossia. Analysis of texts indicated that these emergent multilinguals used multiple semiotic resources to maximize the chances of meeting the communicative goals through translanguaging. However, the translanguaging process in writing was a tension-filled process in terms of language separation and correctness. The emergent multilingual writer went through tensions in the process of finding a balance between authorial intentions and the authoritarian single voicedness required by the school and the national curriculum. The …

The Effect Of A Self-Regulated Vocabulary Intervention On Word Knowledge, Reading Comprehension, And Self-Regulated Learning For Elementary English Language Learners, Qizhen Deng

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

English language learners (ELLs) represent an increasing population in U.S. public schools. Research reports from the past two decades suggest a persistent reading underachievement for ELLs. Academic vocabulary knowledge, due to its frequent use in academic texts, contributes significantly to ELL children’s English language development, reading comprehension, and general academic achievement. However, a gap of vocabulary knowledge exists between ELLs and their mainstream peers. One potential approach to address this issue is to help ELLs become mastery independent and proactive word learners. This study examined the effect of a researcher-led self-regulated vocabulary intervention on word knowledge, reading comprehension, and self-regulated …

An Instructional Framework To Support Content And Language Learning For Ells: B-D-A, Vicky Giouroukakis Ph.D.

Faculty Works: EDU (1995-2023)

The before, during, and after (B-D-A) reading framework is a research-based instructional model that incorporates strategies and activities throughout the reading process to help students interact and learn with text by providing varying degrees of guidance on several levels. The instructional activities and strategies incorporated into lessons before, during, and after reading are essential to active and purposeful learning (Vacca, Vacca, & Mraz, 2014). B-D-A can thus be of special benefit to English language learners (ELLs) who need additional linguistic support as they try to anticipate, comprehend, and apply their textual understanding. Before-reading activities help the teacher activate students’ knowledge, …

Integrated English As A New Language: Challenges And Solutions, Maria Dove Ed.D., Andrea Honigsfeld Ed.D.

Faculty Works: EDU (1995-2023)

There is much concern among ESOL, grade level, and content area teachers since the changes to the New York State Commissioner’s Regulations Part 154, which govern programs for PK–12 English language learners (ELLs), have taken effect. The revised regulations have established integrated services in English as a new language (ENL), in which much of the instruction for ELLs takes place in general education classes. Educators throughout the state are filled with apprehension about this shift in practice. There are many misgivings among teachers about several issues: configuring classes for co-teaching, the changing roles and responsibilities of ESOL teachers, having to …

The Taiwanese-American Perspective On Discrimination In English Language Teaching, Kuan Cheng Song

Master's Theses

This is a qualitative study examining the perspectives of five Taiwanese-American English teachers on their experiences of discrimination in the English language-teaching field of Taiwan. An extensive amount of literature has been written about the nativeness paradigm and its effect on the English language-teaching field, but the Taiwanese-American experience concerning those issues has yet to be explored. The study used Asian Critical Race Theory, Social Identity Theory and Asian American Racial Identity Theory to analyze the history of English language teaching in Taiwan, the critical studies on native and non-native English language teachers and the social issues affecting Asian Americans …

English Language Teaching In China: Teacher Agency In Response To Curricular Innovations, Sarina Chugani Molina

School of Leadership and Education Sciences: Faculty Scholarship

This chapter explores the unique history of English Language Teaching in China, and the role of teacher agency in response to curricular changes. This study employed survey methodology with 72 Chinese English language teachers to understand the ways in which they adapt their curriculum within their local contexts. Interviews with five teachers and one teacher educator selected through purposeful sampling revealed additional factors that contributed to the teachers’ sense of agency. The complexity of the translation of theory into practice is revealed in light of the current ecological systems in which teachers and students are situated.

Learning Benefits Of A Translation Corpus For Novice Asl-English Interpreters, Daniel R. Roush

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

A preliminary review of the literature reveals that Corpus-Based Translation Studies (CTS) is an established area of research/methodology (Kruger, et al, 2011). Corpus-Based Interpreting Studies (CIS) is still emerging (Setton, 2011). Studies within CTS point to positive benefits of using translation corpora in translator education (Beeby, 2009, among others). In CIS, there are few studies that examine the use of corpora in spoken language interpreter education (Tohyama, et al., 2006). The use of corpora in signed language interpreter education appears to be unexplored.