Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

A Study Of The Composing Skills Among Learners In A Chinese School, Kam Mee Foo

Student Works (2000-2009)

Composition writing has always been an integral part of the English Language curriculum in all schools. However, after years of practice in writing composition, many of our students are still weak in their composing skills. This study looks into the problems of composition writing among learners in a Chinese school. The instruments used in this study were two sets of questionnaires and to supplement and verify data obtained from questionnaire, structured interviews were conducted and sample of students' marked compositions were collected. Data obtained was analyzed via triangulation. The main findings revealed that there is very little direct teaching of …

A Genre Analysis Of Advertisements In A Local Newspaper, Moi Moi Yong

Student Works (2000-2009)

This study attempts to investigate the organisation of advenisements on private institutions of higher learning taken from 'The Star' daily and to provide a descriptive account of how the advertisements are structured Twenty advertisements on different private institutions of higher learning are selected and analysed using the nine move structure analysis adapted by S. Kathpalia (1992). This genre based move structure is employed as a format to study the structure of these advertisements. It is revealed that there is a uniform pattern of organisation of the elements in the advertisements. An eight move structure is identified. It is also found …

First Language Transfer Amongst Malay Students In National Primary Schools, Kien Cheng Yong

Student Works (2000-2009)

This study attempts to discover the influence of first language transfer on the production of written English. Since all the subjects are Malay students, their first language is likely Bahasa Melayu. Their second language is the English Language which is taught in their national primary schools. Besides that, this study also seeks to discover the types of errors involved in first language transfer, whether gender and the socioeconomic background of the subjects affect ESL learning. 194 Year 4 students from two national primary schools in Kajang, Selangor were involved in this study. They were given four sets of writing tasks …

An Analysis Of Verb Form Errors Of Chinese Esl Students, Yong Meng Kam

Student Works (2000-2009)

This study sets out to investigate the types of errors in the simple past and past progressive tenses found in the written English of 40 Form Four Chinese students of Sek. Men. Tanah Merah Site 'C', Negeri Sembilan. The errors are examined according to Corder's (1981) taxonomy of errors. In the essays, selection errors accounted for the highest percentage of simple past tense errors, followed by addition and then, omission errors. In the past progressive tense, the omission category has the highest occurrence of errors, followed by the selection category with no errors in the addition category. In the structured …

A Comparison Of Developmental Sentence Scores And Ratings Of Intelligibility, Julie O'Harrow Karnstein

Dissertations and Theses

Speech intelligibility is the term used to describe the degree to which an individual speaker is understood by both familiar and unfamiliar listeners. There are many factors that influence an individual's intelligibility, including (but not limited to) variations in phonology, grammar, rate of speech, and vocal features. Most research has focused on the articulation and phonological influences that impact speech intelligibility. Perhaps for this reason, treatment methods for improving speech intelligibility generally have targeted an individual's phonological production skills. Additional research is necessary to understand more about each of the areas of language production that may be influencing intelligibility. This …

The Literacy Proficiencies Of Oregon Tanf Recipients: A Human Capital Approach, Amy Katherine Arnett

Dissertations and Theses

On August 22, 1996, President Clinton signed new legislation that dismantled the United State's welfare system. Consequently, thousands of welfare recipients had to move into the work-force. It is essential to discover if former welfare recipients are prepared to obtain employment and achieve self-sufficiency. Previous research suggests that human capital assets, such as level of literacy proficiency and grade completed in school are important factors in predicting welfare receipt. The purpose of this study is to investigate how literacy skills are associated with having received TANF for people without a high school degree or GED. The 941 subjects were located …

Children's Book Festival, Karen Rowell, Onva K. Boshears Jr., University Of Southern Mississippi

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival Programs

The program for the thirty-third annual Children's Book Festival held on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 2000.

Persuasion In Thesis Writing, Faridah Noor Mohd. Noor

Student Works (2000-2009)

This study is an attempt to suggest that persuasion is employed in thesis writing . Based on the Social Constructionist Approach , the present study proposes that persuasion in thesis writing is implicit. This is in line with the demands of the academic community that expects scientific language to be objective. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted in the study. The major study is a qualitative analysis based on a corpus made up of fourteen (14) Master's theses that were randomly selected from the Arts and Science fields. Two quantitative analyses were also conducted on the corpus. The first …

An Investigation Into The English Language Needs Of Electrical Engineering Students : A Case Study, Magandran Malayappan

Student Works (2000-2009)

The study is an attempt to identify the needs of Diploma of Electrical Engineering students in Ungku Omar Polytechnic. It aims to contribute to the English Language Department of the Polytechnic and the parties concerned, essential findings that forms a basis for course revision and development in its present English Language programme. This study researches in some depth into the area of needs for English, concentrating on the students' needs in respect of reading, speaking, writing and listening. The aims of the study are to find out: What are the present needs of the UOP Diploma of Electrical Engineering students? …

A Study Of Students' Reports Based On 'Acceptability' Standards For Business Reports In The Workplace, Shahizan Shaharuddin

Student Works (2000-2009)

This study is a qualitative exploration of target situation requirements for written business reports. lts main objective is to determine whether a selected group of business students are able to write an analytical report that meets with the 'acceptability' standards for business reports in the workplace. Two Senior Managers from a local organisation in Kuala Lumpur provided the necessary information on the criteria and features they believed to be important in a report as well as the extent to which the students' work met with these criteria. The study made use of the case study method, utilising questionnaires. interviews and …

A Study Of Problems In Reading English Texts Among The Esl Trainee Teachers, Jayanthi Mala V. Marimuthu

Student Works (2000-2009)

The trainee teachers in the English option of Maktab Perguruan Batu Pahat (MPBP) face problems in the reading comprehension of texts written in English. These trainees, when they graduate, will be English teachers posted to primary schools all over the country. In order to be good English teachers, it is one of the essential requirements for them to be able to comprehend English texts. ln addition, with the advent or the computer and other technological advancements in this era, there is a greater need for these readers to he able to comprehend the information they obtain from this media. The …

A Study Of Learners' Perception Of An Effective Business Negotiation, Zarina Othman

Student Works (2000-2009)

This study examines learners' perception of an effective business negotiation. It focuses on Business English learners at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia . The study was conducted due to the general concern amongst ESP instructors at the Language Faculty regarding the effectiveness of learners' performance in the negotiation task. Many instructors have raised the question of whether learners have actually understood and learnt about business negotiations through the simulated task in the classroom and whether they could actually perform effectively in the real world business negotiations. In search of the answers, the study adopted the effective strategies in negotiations by Cotton & …

Through Whose Eyes, Susan Kay Aries Jolly

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study is to determine if third and fourth grade students enjoy reading and or enjoy books that are told from the first person point of view. Two versions of two different stories were used to determine reading preferences. The final samples included 46 third grade students and 38 fourth grade students. It was found that in the third grade, the first story, the boys preferred first person point of view and the girls preferred third person point of view. Fourth grade boys and girls both preferred the story told from the first person point of view. …

Teaching Listening Comprehension Skills In An Intermediate Level English As A Foreign Language Classroom, Dwipa Janardhanan Pillai

Student Works (2000-2009)

This piece of action research was driven by the need to diagnose the problems that students of English as a Foreign Language face in developing better listening skills. As a teacher, I felt that it was essential to scaffold the learning experiences through various strategies so that a satisfactory level of development could be attained. This study therefore, probed the following questions : a) What are the problems EFL students encounter in comprehending audiotexts? b) Why do EFL students face difficulty in taking down notes or information from audio-texts? c) What are the effective teaching-learning strategies which will help students' …

Kecekapan Penggunaan Kamus Ekabahasa Dalam Meningkatkan Pengembangan Kosa Kata, Noraziah Ahmad Ghazali

Student Works (2000-2009)

A general survey of dictionary use would show that there is a tendency to agree that referring to the dictionary is a useful activity in enhancing and enriching one's vocabulary or word power, and that dictionary is a useful tool in language learning. However, the importance of introducing effective technique of dictionary use to students is neglected in the teaching and learning of language; as a matter of fact, it has been left to students to find their own way to acquire the skill. The dissertation seeks to examine how far an exposure to techniques of dictionary use can help …

Building Bridges : The Use Of Semantic Mapping To Enhance Reading Comprehension In A Form 6 English Language Class, Harbans Kaur

Student Works (2000-2009)

This piece of action research study investigates if the use of semantic mapping enhances reading comprehension. The study was conducted in a Form 6 ESL class in Sckolah Menengah Kcbangsaan Taman S.E.A. The purpose of th is study was to probe into the effec ti veness of semantic mapping as a reading comprehension strategy. It aimed at making students aware that understanding each individual word in a text was not necessary to understand the whole text. In essence, this study highlights the effect of the use of semantic mapping as a strategy to activate prior knowledge and enable students to …

Communicative Events In Sales And Marketing In The Hotel Industry : A Case Study, Sharifah Bahyah Syed Ahmad

Student Works (2000-2009)

This research is a study of the communicative events surrounding the discourse community of the sales and marketing staff in the hotel industry. Focusing on the internal and external communication of one company which is responsible for the sales and marketing of a local chain of hotels, the research is in essence a reality check, a look at text and how it is used in authentic context. Using the ethnographic approach, the researcher has attempted to expose the nonns, values and culture behind the patterns of communication of that particular community through the analysis of its communicative actions. These nonns, …

Pengajaran Ta'bir : Satu Kajian Kes Di Kolej Islam Sultan Alam Shah (Kisas), Normah Mohd Ariff

Student Works (2000-2009)

This dissertation on Arabic Language has been prepared focusing on problems faced by students in their oral practice . The writer has recognized that most students in schools and higher learning institution nowadays have difficulties in spoken Arabic. What is the reason? The writer has tried to identify the culprit through various methodologies , including survey on 120 respondents. With KISAS being the location, the survey was specifically focused on its students

Penggunaan Isim Ma'rifat Di Kalangan Pelajar-Pelajar Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama : Satu Analisis Kesilapan, Ali Hinbdul Latif

Student Works (2000-2009)

A research on the use of 'isim' or noun in certain languages in Arabic language is the knowledge threshold which is never been in touched widely and in detail. As a matter of fact, it is recognized as difficult by a lot of language lovers particularly on school students, college students and undergraduates. We normally hear people saying learning Arabic language is the hardest and most challenging. Due to this realization the writer has chosen this research entitled 'The Use Of Isim Ma' rifat Among Students In Religious School: An Analysis Of Mistake'. May be this is the solution to …

An Evaluation Of The Reading Component Of Business English Courses : A Case Study, Tuck Chee Pong

Student Works (2000-2009)

The Business English Courses are compulsory for Business Students at Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) College. These courses are aimed at improving the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills of the students. This study is an evaluation of the reading component of the Business English Courses for Chartered Institute of Management Accounting (CIMA) students. The reading component emphasized the teaching of nine reading skills that were considered useful to reading. The study attempts to obtain information about the utilization of these reading skills and the benefits derived from utilizing them. In addition, it also seeks to get feedback from both the …

An Investigation Of Subject-Verb Agreement Errors In The Interlanguage Of Esl Learners, Kok Tin Koh

Student Works (2000-2009)

This study seeks to investigate the subject-verb agreement errors in the interlanguage of ESL learners of a secondary school in Kuala Lumpur. Using a self-designed cloze test. a total of 2,454 errors (61.4%) was elicited and categorised into five main categories of singular/plural subject-verb agreement. From the errors and percentage of errors obtained, the most common error was identified and the cause of errors explained. The sub-categories in each main category of errors were compared to determine which area of the singular/plural subject-verb agreement posed more difficulty to the learners. The subject+ auxiliary does/do category accounted for the highest percentage …

Penggunaan Al-Damair Dalam Karangan, Manisah Mohd. Nor

Student Works (2000-2009)

This dissertation, which is entitled 'Usage of "Al-Damair" in Composition Writing An Analytical Study of Incorrect Use of "damir" in Compositions Written by Form IV Malay Students', is a partial fulfillment for Master of Arts, Faculty of modern Languages and Linguistics, The University of Malaya. This thesis has several objectives. The first is to highlight the importance of the proper and precise use of damir in the Arabic Language. The second objectives is to ascertain the level of performance and understanding in the use of damir by Malay students from religious schools. The third is to identify the causes of …

Satu Kajian Penguasaan Sebutan Bahasa Al-Quran Di Kalangan Pelajar-Pelajar Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama, Abdul Rahman Md. Hassan

Student Works (2000-2009)

Disertasi ini ditulis berasaskan kajian yang dilakukan di Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Tok Jiring, Kuala Terengganu. Fokus utama kajian yang dibuat adalah kepada guru-guru yang mengajar AI-Quran dan Pelajar-Pelajar Tingkatan Tiga Tahun 1997. Bab pertama merupakan pengenalan yang menerangkan tentang permasalahan pelajar-pelajar membaca AI-Quran secara umum. Kemudian dinyatakan secara ringkas tentang kepcntingan analisis kesilapan, kepentingan kajian ini , ruang lingkup kajian, responden, batasan kajian metodologi dan tinjauan awal kajian lepas. Bab kedua membicarakan tentang cara membunyikan bahasa Al-Quran yang melibatkan makhraj huruf, sifat-sifatnya yang lazim dan yang tidak lazim, mad, qasr, waqaf dan ibtida. Bab ketiga diisi dengan data-data yang …

Analisis Kesilapan Penggunaan Kata Kerja Dalam Bahasa Portugis Di Kalangan Pelajar Universiti Malaya, Jamian Mohamad

Student Works (2000-2009)

Disertasi ini bertajuk "Analisis Kesilapan Penggunaan Kata Kerja Dalam Bahasa Portugis Di Kalangan Pelajar Universiti Malaya". Tumpuan utama penyelidik di dalam kajian ini ialah untuk melihat kesilapan penggunaan kata kerja dalam bahasa Portugis. Kata kerja dipilih kerana ia merupakan asas kepada pembentukan ayat atau sintaksis dalam bahasa Portugis. Masalah untuk menyesuaikan kata kerja berdasarkan gantinama dan kala sering dihadapi oleh pelajar-pelajar bahasa Portugis.

Analisis Kesilapan Tatabahasa Dalam Penulisan Karangan Bahasa Melayu Pelajar Tingkatan Lima, Mohamad Abdul Rahman

Student Works (2000-2009)

This survey is mainly done for identifying the grammatical errors in Malay Language essay writing of form five students. It focuses on the wrong usage of three kinds of grammatical items; ; subject-verb-agreement, conjunction and pluralization. A total of 30 form five students from Guar Chempedak Secondary School participated in this survey. The data are analysed by using the descriptive statistic to find out the frequency and the percentage of the errors found in the essay. The finding indicates that a number of 279 grammatical errors (subject-verb agreement, conjunction and pluralization) are done by the students. The most significant error …

The Effectiveness Of An Accent Reduction Program On Foreign Speaker’S Oral English Proficiency And Understandability, Kara Elizabeth Sewell

Dissertations and Theses

Accent reduction is a program to assist foreign speakers in developing a level of oral English proficiency that is more similar to native English speakers. This study examined whether an accent reduction program, focusing on intonation and articulation, would improve the oral English proficiency and understandability of 2 Vietnamese speakers.

The research questions this study sought to answer were: (a) Does a foreign speaker's oral English proficiency as measured by the Proficiency of Oral English Communication (POEC) subtest scores improve immediately after completion of an accent reduction program?, (b) Does a foreign speaker's POEC subtest scores 4 weeks after termination …

Children's Book Festival, Karen Rowell, Onva K. Boshears Jr., University Of Southern Mississippi

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival Programs

The program for the thirty-second annual Children's Book Festival held on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 1999.

Table Of Contents, Journal Staff

Journal of Pedagogy, Pluralism, and Practice

No abstract provided.

What Is Critical Literacy?, Ira Shor

Journal of Pedagogy, Pluralism, and Practice

We are what we say and do. The way we speak and are spoken to help shape us into the people we become. Through words and other actions, we build ourselves in a world that is building us. That world addresses us to produce the different identities we carry forward in life: men are addressed differently than are women, people of color differently than whites, elite students differently than those from working families. Yet, though language is fateful in teaching us what kind of people to become and what kind of society to make, discourse is not destiny. We can …

Read Aloud Practices In One Iowa Middle School, Linda K. Balog

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this research was to determine whether or not teachers at Prairie Middle School in the College Community, Iowa School District were reading aloud to their students. Secondly, the research set out to determine whether those teachers surveyed knew the impact that reading aloud has on the development of vocabulary, language, and comprehension. Finally, the purpose of the research was to determine whether those teachers were choosing to read materials that would provide opportunity for. growth in vocabulary, language, and comprehension. The middle school teachers in this district were surveyed to determine what current read aloud practices are. …