Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

L2 Investment In The Transnational Context: A Case Study Of Prc Scholar Students In Singapore, Chang Liu, Guangxiang Liu

Journal of English and Applied Linguistics

Despite growing research on mainland Chinese international students’ intercultural language learning and adjustment experiences in Anglophone countries, few studies have delved into these students’ socially constructed language learning practices as an essential component of their study-abroad journey, especially in Singapore which shares linguistic and cultural affinities with China. As such, building on Darvin and Norton’s (2015) theory of investment at the intersection of identity, capital, and ideology, this case study focuses on Chinese foreign talent students in Singapore and aims to understand how they invest in learning English as an additional language (L2) and assert their legitimate place in the …

Intercultural Competence In The Esl Classroom: Challenges And Successes, Breno Santos Rodrigues Pereira

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This action-based research study investigated the challenges and successes involved in the teaching of intercultural competence in the English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom. Most studies on intercultural competence take place in English as a foreign language classroom, and very few are centered on ESL instruction. It is this gap in the research that motivated the present study, in which the following research questions were posed: 1) How do targeted training practices in the classroom promote the development of intercultural competence as demonstrated by quantitative data?; 2) What challenges are associated with teaching intercultural competence to ESL learners?; 3) …

Mother Tongue, Please!, Anannya Chakraborty

Teacher India

There is sufficient research to show that mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) can help improve learning levels of students. Anannya Chakraborty discusses the key role of teachers in driving MTB-MLE and the systemic challenges of successfully engaging teachers in such programmes.

The Influence Of Family On Children’S Second Language Learning, Yahan Zhou

Major Papers

This major paper talks about the influence of family on foreign language learning of children. Families in different countries, regions, and cultural background have different attitudes and views towards learning a foreign language and may hold unique opinions on the ways and methods of learning foreign languages. This paper introduces the current situation of children learning a foreign language in different countries, at different ages, and discusses whether children's learning a foreign language is deeply influenced by their families. The paper also attempts the analysis from various perspectives, including the attitudes of the parents towards second language learning, the social-economic …

Strengthening Spanish-Speaking English Learners’ Acquisition Of English By Supporting Cross-Language Transfer During Early Childhood, Ashley Golin

Award Winners

In the United States, Spanish-speaking English Learners (ELs) represent a growing and significant portion of the student population. ELs require targeted instructional strategies and classroom environments in order to fully acquire language and learn content. Studies in bilingual and second language education have demonstrated how students’ native language (i.e., first language, or “L1”), once believed to be a limitation that should be kept separate from students’ use of the target language, can instead serve as an asset benefitting English acquisition. However, educators who are unfamiliar with Spanish and components of language transfer may not be able to fully support students …

Transborder Testimonios Of Language Learning And Socialization, Maria Teresa Guevara Beltrán

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

This qualitative study utilizes a Chicana/Latina feminist lens and the Latin American tradition of Testimonio to explore Spanish-speaking immigrants’ experiences of migration, language learning and socialization, paying close attention to the ways in which the multilayered intersections of identity, race, class, gender, nationality, language, citizenship and power shape these experiences. In the context of a grassroots English as a Second Language class, testimonios are elicited through multimodal data collection methods, including visual, oral and written forms. Critical perspectives of second language learning and second language socialization research in bilingual contexts provide a multidisciplinary framework for this study, bridging conceptual parallels …

Newcomer English Language Learners In High School Choral Music Education: An Ethnographic Case Study, Lisa Ann Serna

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This five month long ethnographic case study seeks to add to the limited literature on Newcomers enrolled in choir (Carlow, 2006), by understanding the role a focused choral music education plays in their ability to listen, speak, read, and write in the English language. The study also seeks to contribute to the literature connecting language learning and choral music education. The purpose of the study was to understand Newcomer English language learnersâ?? (NELs) experiences of practice and performance in high school choir, as it relates to language learning and social belonging. Cultural Historical Activity Theory framed my study which allowed …

Newcomer English Language Learners In High School Choral Music Education: An Ethnographic Case Study, Lisa Ann Serna

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This five month long ethnographic case study seeks to add to the limited literature on Newcomers enrolled in choir (Carlow, 2006), by understanding the role a focused choral music education plays in their ability to listen, speak, read, and write in the English language. The study also seeks to contribute to the literature connecting language learning and choral music education. The purpose of the study was to understand Newcomer English language learners' (NELs) experiences of practice and performance in high school choir, as it relates to language learning and social belonging. Cultural Historical Activity Theory framed my study which allowed …

A Humanized View Of Second Language Learning Through Creative Writing: A Korean Graduate Student In The United States, Kyung Min Kim

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

This case study traces the journey of a Korean graduate student’s English learning experience, drawing on autobiographical poetry, self-narrative, and interviews. Through a series of snapshot recollections, it illustrates the participant’s evolving subject position with English over the years from his childhood to graduate school. The article concludes that language learning is a transformative experience of constructing translingual identities which entails a wide spectrum of emotion, desire, and dedication: desire to understand the world; to be included in the world; to empower oneself as a user.

Factors Affecting Adult Speakers Of Other Languages' (Esol) Enrollment In English For Academic Purposes (Eap) Courses: A Multicase Study, Jacklyn Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation provided insight and identified impediments and obstacles in the areas of educational and societal assimilation, career and monetarist support, and academics to ascertain the effects they have on students transitioning from ESOL classes to EAP courses. Adult non-native speakers have evolved into an important segment of the adult population in the United States. Many Limited English Proficient (LEP) students lack the aptitude as it relates to the English language, often translating into lower wages, higher rates of poverty, and limited upward movement in the workplace. Researchers have identified several factors that may potentially influence the program participants …

An English-Speaking Prekindergarten Teacher For Young Latino Children: Implications Of The Teacher…Child Relationship On Second Language Learning, Cristina Gillanders

Cristina Gillanders

This case study was designed to describe how an effective English-speaking prekindergarten teacher develops strategies for communicating with and teaching young English language learners. The teacher’s classroom practices to enhance her own relationship with the children promoted opportunities for the Latino children to become full participants in the classroom community. At the end of the year, the Latino children showed progress in formal and informal measures of receptive vocabulary in both English and Spanish. Findings from the study suggest the importance of the affective and social nature of second language learning in young children. Implications for practice and research are …

A Comparison Of Vocabulary Learning From Joint Reading Of Narrative And Informational Books With Dual Language Learner Children, Deborah Bergman Deitcher

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

A Comparison of Vocabulary Learning From Joint Reading of

Narrative and Informational Books With Dual Language Learner Children

By: Deborah Bergman Deitcher

Advisor: Professor Helen L. Johnson

This study examined joint reading of narrative and informational texts in the home setting, between parents and their English-Hebrew dual language learning preschool children. Parent-child dyads were video-recorded while reading two sets of books; each set contained one narrative and one informational text on the same theme. Children's target word learning of 48 target words (12 words per book) of varying difficulty levels was measured from pretest to posttest. Results showed that children …

A Case Study Of Pedagogical Practices And Learning Environment In An Ontario Francophone Child Care Centre, Alan D. Russette

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis explores the pedagogy and learning environment in an Ontario Francophone child care centre. This study is an exploratory descriptive case study using ethnographic tools. Relying on Cummins’ (1989) Minority Empowerment Framework and Lyster’s (2007) Counterbalanced Approach to Second Language Teaching as reference points, this study investigated how Franco-Ontarian culture and linguistic character are reinforced in this child care centre; how language instruction was integrated into educational activities; and what supports were in place to assist and support Anglophone and Allophone children in this environment. Over ten weeks, the researcher found that the centre promoted a culture of universal …

Motivation And Technology For Quebec Cegep Esl Classes, Jamie R. Bridge

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This paper focuses on English as a second language (ESL) learning by students at Quebec Collèges d’Enseignement General et Professionnel (CEGEPs). The research seeks to describe the positive outcome of computer assisted language learning (CALL) practices on the motivational level of students, their efficacy in helping students understand the cultural contexts of a second language, and their role in the achievement of proficiency in oral and written language skills. The main aim of the research is to investigate the role of new constructivist pedagogies and CALL practices in enhancing student motivation for continuous second language learning. Following qualitative case study …

A Washington State Elementary Teachers’ Guide To Bilingual Education, Maria G. Garcia-Bautista

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to create an elementary teacher's manual which explained the history and laws of bilingual education, first and second language development theories and approaches, bilingual education models and what research says about the various models. Proponents of English only/ Sheltered Instruction programs argue that immigrants and their descendents should assimilate to the customs and cultural norms of the United States as expeditiously as possible. Those same proponents believe that acquiring English is a prerequisite for success in education. Without a doubt English language proficiency can lead to immeasurable success. In this manual Two-Way Dual Language …

Dual Language Education In The Elementary Grades: What Are Some Constraints Or Limitations Of Dual Language In Kindergarten Through Fifth Grade., Anna Alvarez

All Graduate Projects

This study examined the dual language model of bilingual education available to students at Pioneer Elementary in Sunnyside, Washington. There are a variety of bilingual education, Spanish and English, programs currently used throughout the United States. The effectiveness of student's academic success is based on the bilingual education program they participate in, which has been a long-standing debated topic. Recently new and innovative bilingual education programs such as dual-language models have been introduced and implemented into many classrooms. There is significant scholarly debate regarding the efficacy of dual language education programs. It is possible that the debate is centered on …

Natural And Necessary Language: A Newcomer Resource Manual, Shelley Joy Henry

All Graduate Projects

American public schools are experiencing a dramatic rise in immigrant students. These "newcomer students" have unique needs. Providing "newcomer students" with a specialized, short term program allows them the gift of time as they make major adjustments to many new aspects of life in the United States. Public schools are challenged to assess the needs and provide the most appropriate research based teaching practices for this special group of students. The research shows layers of diversity among "newcomer students" which requires careful implementation of instruction and curriculum to create a safe environment for learning the English language, core content, and …

A Questionnaire For Incoming High School Ell Students To Better Assist Them In Entering The American Educational System, Narine Balayan

All Graduate Projects

This project is designed to help teachers get a better understanding of the incoming ELL students' backgrounds to better assist these students in the education process and make the transition from their native educational system to the American educational system smoother. Teachers must be aware of ELL students' family situations, lives outside the school, diverse background knowledge and how these things affect reading and writing comprehension, and be able to choose the most appropriate assessment and instruction.

Practices For Dispreferred Responses Using "No" By A Learner Of English, John Hellermann

Applied Linguistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Responding in a manner that does not align with an action or affiliate with a stance implicated in just prior talk is potentially sensitive work. Conversation Analysis (CA) has shown that participants orient to the sensitive nature of sequences of talk used to project responses that do not align, or, are dispreferred (Pomerantz 1984) in some way. This paper examines such responses, especially with the use of no tokens. The talk comes from the interactions of one adult learner of English in a language learning classroom over the course of five ten-week terms. The findings show that the participant’s use …

The Design And Implementation Of An Intensive English-As-A-Second-Language Program, Georgina Arguello

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to examine the design and implementation of an intensive English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) program to help students with limited English proficiency improve their English skills and obtain a passing score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). How the ESL course set high expectations for English-language learners and supported them by linking TOEFL courses with academic content was explored.

The researcher developed and facilitated in her workplace an intensive 6-week ESL program for adult students with an intermediate to intermediate-advanced level of English proficiency and assessed the effectiveness of the program that utilized the immersion …

Interaction In Languages Other Than English Classes In Western Australian Primary And Secondary Schools: Theory, Practice And Perceptions, Rita Tognini

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This descriptive study investigated the interaction of teachers and learners in ten primary and secondary school languages other than English (LOTE) classes in Western Australia, with the aim of providing a detailed picture of its nature and patterns. Teachers' and learners' perceptions of this interaction were also examined as part of the study, through interviews conducted with them.

Worlds Together . . . Words Apart: An Assessment Of The Effectiveness Of Arts-Based Curriculum For Second Language Learners, Stephanie Urso Spina

Publications and Research

The objective of this study is to assess whether authentic arts-based1 curricula facilitate the acquisition of English as a second language (ESL) without sacrificing proficiency in the first language (Spanish). This question is examined theoretically and empirically. First, the use of an arts-based curriculum is positioned within a Vygotskiian framework of learning as reflected in current research. This overview is organized by two themes: 1) the authenticity of the art experience and 2) the emphasis on social interaction and the cognitive mediation among sign systems. Applicable findings from related literature are reviewed and synthesized within each of these themes. Secondly, …

The Interactive Work Of Prosody In The Irf Exchange: Teacher Repetition In Feedback Moves, John Hellermann

Applied Linguistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article examines the interactive import of prosody from a perspective of participants' orientation to talk in interaction, taking advantage of data from institutional discourse to focus on the prosodic packaging of recurring turn sequences of the same discourse activity. The analysis focuses on the third slot of a ubiquitous three-part classroom discourse sequence, the IRF exchange (Sinclair & Coulthard 1975), a site in which teachers make repetitive feedback moves following student responses. Examination of more than 25 hours of classroom discourse and more than 300 third-turn teacher feedback types uncovered a systematic use of prosody for these teacher repetitions …

Learning The Chinese Language In An Australian School, Ruilan Yuan

Shannon Research Press

This study deals with the learning of Chinese as a foreign language across school grades in South Australia. The purposes of the study are briefly to measure student achievement in learning the Chinese language across grade levels from Year 4 to Year 12 over a period of 12 months; investigate the factors that influence learners' continuing with the study of the Chinese language; and identify the factors that influence student achievement in learning the Chinese language within and between school grades. The term 'Chinese language' in this study refers to the Mandarin Chinese language, rather than the many other dialects …

A Teaching Resource For English Education In Japanese Elementary Schools, Jody Shimoda

MA TESOL Collection

Instruction in English in elementary schools in Japan was mandated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in 2002 and is being rapidly implemented in schools across the nation. This paper describes the development of a Teaching Resource for use in teaching English in Japanese elementary schools. The Resource is based on almost a decade of teaching experience in Japanese schools by the author, the shared experience of colleagues, and the concepts derived from the published literature on language development and instruction. The content of the Resource is discussed within the framework of Ministry guidelines, is conceptually …

Writing On!, Maria Aranda

MA TESOL Collection

This paper describes my participation in the development and implementation of an online writing program at Associacao Alumni, a Binational Center in Sao Paolo, Brazil. The program, Writing On!, was Alumni’s first of many online programs that was developed by a team of teachers of writing.

In Chapter One, I narrate my first experience with giving feedback online in a writing program designed for a young Brazilian student who needed to improve his academic writing skills in order to study in the U.S.A. this enriching learning experience planted the seeds of Writing On!.

In Chapter Two, I give an overview …