Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

English Language Learners: The Impact Of Language And Socio-Cultural Factors On Learning, Lori Navarrete, Silvana M. R. Watson

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

[Introduction] Our daily educational experiences can be enriched by learning in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms because we learn from others whose experiences and beliefs are different than ours. We learn to communicate effectively and respectfully with individuals of varied backgroundsand then may then think twice about stereotypes, prejudices, and discriminatory behaviors because we grow as individuals, as stewards of knowledge, and as change agents. We become good citizens in a pluralistic society.

Parent Participation In Family Programs: Involvement In Literacy Interactions, Adult And Child Instruction, And Assessment, Andrea D. Parecki, Sabra B. Gear

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

The purpose of this article is to describe optimal parent participation in family literacy programs and parent-child literacy interactions, most specifically during interactive reading. Family literacy can be interpreted in many ways, resulting in diverse models of implementation that take place in Head Start programs, community agencies, schools and other venues. Since early literacy starts in the home environment where parents, across cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, want their children to learn successfully, family literacy programs that enhance parent-child interactions can directly assist many parents in supporting their children to become proficient readers. Implementation and outcomes of program activities on …

The History Of Foreign Language Pedagogy: From Methodology To Psychology, Alyssa Pilli '12

Honor Scholar Theses

This thesis investigates the history of studies performed regarding foreign language pedagogy in an attempt to investigate how well the information gained from these studies influences the teaching practices that are in use. The first half looks at earlier studies which focused on the specific teaching methods employed in the language classroom. While the Immersion method is the only method displaying significant benefits in comparison to the others, this method is rarely used in the public school domain for political reasons such as funding and alternate agendas. With inconclusive evidence favoring any other method, research switched focus to the individual …

The Effects Of Digital Technology On Basic Writing, Leslie Denise Norris

English Theses & Dissertations

At this study's research site—a small, Virginia community college—faculty, staff and students use digital technology to share information daily, which could cause a problem for some students: students may need digital literacy instruction before the college requires those courses. Another potential problem is that scholars (Stephens, Houser, and Cowan) indicate that some instructors across the academy treat students negatively if students do not demonstrate digital, rhetorical dexterity when communicating—particular digital skills that some students lack.

For this study, I surveyed basic writing (BW) instructors and students at the research site to learn more about their digital experiences. The surveys yielded …

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival, Karen Rowell, The University Of Southern Mississippi, The University Of Southern Mississippi's School Of Library And Information Science

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival Programs

The program for the forty-fifth annual Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival held on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 2012.

Cross-Culture Communication: Linguistic And Nonverbal Accommodation Within An English As A Second Language Classroom, Patrick Snyder

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Immigration to the United States presents difficulties to culturally diverse communities because of various customs, beliefs and languages. Daily social interaction and differing behavioral norms in these communities harbor positive and negative interethnic interactions. English as a second language (ESL) classrooms are common places in which people of numerous nationalities meet and work. The goal of this ethnography study is to observe the students’ and teachers’ interactions within an ESL classroom aided by Howard Giles’s communication accommodation theory (CAT) as a lens through which to view these issues. The communication interaction patterns and themes are divided into groups based on …

Writing For The Web: Twitter As A Starting Point For Breaking News, Sue Burzynski Bullard, Michelle Carr Hassler

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Students enrolled in a multimedia reporting course use Twitter to cover breaking news events as they unfold, capitalizing on the immediacy of the social media network and the Web. Using cellphones or laptops, they learn to tell stories 140 characters at a time. The second half of this assignment requires students to build on their Twitter stories by posting follow-up stories and photographs to a class website. The follow- ups, written within six hours of events, must include additional reporting. The assignment marries traditional writing and reporting skills with digital tools increasingly being used in the real world.

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival, Karen Rowell, The University Of Southern Mississippi, The University Of Southern Mississippi's School Of Library And Information Science

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival Programs

The program for the forty-fourth annual Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival held on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 2011.

Penguasaan Kemahiran Sebutan Bahasa Arab Melalui Keadah Transliterasi : Satu Penilaian., Nur Hafizah Ahmad Tajuddin

Student Works (2010-2019)

The use of transliteration in teaching and learning Arabic language is still considered new in Malaysia and was first formally introduced by UiTM. It was pioneered to facilitate and motivate students in learning Arabic. A research entitled ‘Arabic Pronunciation Skills Mastery through the Method of Transliteration: An Evaluation’ has been conducted with the aim to assess whether the use of transliteration really helps students in learning Arabic pronunciation, identify what problems that may arise in the learning process and suggest ways to resolve them. A total of 10 respondents among the weak students in Arabic pronunciation were chosen through purposive …

The Languages Needs Of English For Science And Technology Learners : A Case Study., Ambigah Devi Manigam

Student Works (2010-2019)

The main purpose of this study was to identify the English Language needs of English for Science and Technology (EST) learners in SMK Taman Maluri, Kuala Lumpur. These needs formed the basis for recommending appropriate methods and strategies that can be applied by their English teachers to help the students learn the subject well. English for Science and Technology being an elective subject for the Science stream students, has always become a challenge for the students to excel. The fact that the students have obtained good resuhs for English in the PMR examination does not help them much when it …

Accelerated Reader And Sustained Silent Reading's Impact On Students' Motivation To Read, Amy Benedict

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine if students' motivation to read is influenced by the use of Accelerated Reader or SSR in their school. Fourth grade students had been selecting books to read based on Accelerated Reader levels. After reading each book the students took a quiz. SSR was implemented for two weeks to determine if students' attitudes towards reading would improve.

A mixed-methods approach was used in this research design. Quantitative data were collected through the MRP survey, administered both before the introduction of SSR and after implementing SSR. Qualitative data were collected through an individual conversational …

Politeness In Malaysian Esl Classroom Directives., Khaw Aun Nee

Student Works (2010-2019)

The present study investigates teachers’ and students’ use of directives and politeness strategies in realising directives in Malaysian ESL classrooms. Using Bach and Harnish’s (1979) classification of directives and Brown and Levinson’s (1987) politeness strategies as a theoretical framework, audio recordings of three ESL lessons were analysed to examine the types of directives used by teachers and students in Malaysian ESL classrooms and the types of politeness strategies used to realise these directives. Audio recordings of interviews with participants of the current study were then examined to discover the factors that affect teachers’ and students’ use of directives and politeness …

The Use Of Past Tense In French By Arab Students : An Error Analysis., Rasha B. Y. Hamarsha

Student Works (2010-2019)

The objectives of this study are: (a) to analyse and categorise the errors made by Arab students of French when using four French past tenses: the imparfait, passé composé, plus-que-parfait, and passé simple; (b) to compare the French past tenses with Arabic past tenses; and (c) to suggest some pedagogical strategies. The subjects of this study are Arab undergraduates from the Bachelor of Arts programme, majoring in French language and literature at An-najah National University in Nablus, Palestine. The instrument used is a test consisting of four passages. The respondents have to use the correct past tense of the 108 …

Second Language Learning Anxiety Among Malay Learners Of English / Razlina Muhammad Sabri, Razlina Muhammad Sabri

Student Works (2010-2019)

This is a study of second language speaking anxiety among Malay ESL learners at an institution of higher learning. The objectives of this study are to determine whether learners experience test anxiety during public speaking, to discover if there is a difference in the anxiety level of high and low proficiency learners, to ascertain whether there are any differences between the high and low anxiety learners in their speaking test assessment, and to identify the factors leading to speaking language anxiety. This study has taken both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The data is mainly obtained from questionnaires and interviews with …

Penguasaan Al-`Adad Wa Al-Ma'dud Dalam Kalangan Pelajar., Mohamad Hussin

Student Works (2010-2019)

This study is done to identify the mastery level of al-‘adad wa al-ma‘du:d in the Arabic Language among students, together with the types of al-‘adad and its regulations related to it. This study also aims specifically to identify students’ weaknesses in learning and understanding the al-‘adad wa al-ma‘du:d concept besides identifying the most difficult aspect and detecting the most difficult source. A few effective steps in understanding and mastering the topic of study were suggested in the final chapter of this research. Samples were taken from 100 form five students of al-Madrasat al-Idri:siyyat and Ma‘had Al-Mi:zan, both in Kuala Kangsar, …

Penukaran Kod Di Kalangan Guru-Guru Sains Di Sekolah Tamil., Marimuthu Punniaseelan

Student Works (2010-2019)

This research discusses the code switching phenomena among science teachers in Tamil Schools, especially in SJK (T) Vivekananda, Brickfields Kuala Lumpur. The objective of this research is to analyze and draw possible conclusions on the absorption level of the nature of this type of code switching. The notion of polarity and the factors that influence the execution of this code switching is also defined. The researcher selected six teachers for the present study (2 males and 4 females subjects). This selection also takes into consideration the minimum academic achievement that is Diploma in teaching. Another pre- requirement being teaching experience …

Lexical Errors In The Written Compositions Of Thai Efl Students., Jehsuhana Suetae

Student Works (2010-2019)

This research examines the lexical errors in the written work of fifty forthyear students at Prince of Songkla University (PSU), Pattani campus, majoring in English from both the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. The aim of this study is to investigate the types of lexical errors produced by Thai EFL students. This study also attempts to explain the possible causes of lexical errors in terms of interlingual and intralingual errors. Procedures for an error analysis study are adapted from Corder (1974). The lexical errors classified in this study are based on lexical classifications proposed …

The Effectiveness Of Content-Based Instruction In Literature-Based Esl Reading Classes., Uma Rani A Rethina Velu

Student Works (2010-2019)

This study investigates the effectiveness of CBI in Literature-based ESL Reading Classes in an urban Primary School in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The researcher used quantitative method to collect the data, which were analysed using SPSS (Statistical Packages for Social Sciences), version 16. Sixty students were the subjects for this study. The data for this study was gathered via three questionnaires and 3 tests. Findings revealed that the students, who had medium and low proficiency levels in English, had a positive attitude towards the use of CBI in the teaching and learning process in the reading classes. The CBI approach was …

Factors Which Influence The Learning Strategies Of Efl Learners., Persis Dineen Rodrigues

Student Works (2010-2019)

Research studies on language learning strategies have been carried out by researchers in their quest to locate factors that influence the proficiency of language learners. Language learning strategies are found to be one of the key factors that contribute to successful language learning. This paper presents the findings of factors that influence the choice of learning strategies of proficient and less proficient EFL learners in a four-week English Intensive Programme. A total of 30 participants took part in this study, and collection of data was carried out via the use of the SILL questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The results indicate …

The Cognitive Processes Of Japanese As A Foreign Language Learners In Understanding Videos., Yoshida Masahiro

Student Works (2010-2019)

The aim of this study is to explore the differences between the thinking processes of proficient learners and less proficient learners of Japanese language while watching Japanese videos.  This study examines facilitating and distracting factors which impact the learners’ understanding of the video content. Data of think aloud protocols, verbal summaries and semi-structured interviews were collected from four proficient learners and four less proficient learners while watching two kinds of videos; i.e., a Japanese animation “Doraemon” and a Japanese drama “Nodame Cantabile”. Analyses of listening strategies revealed that both proficient and less proficient learners used a lot of visual elements …

Class Blogs As New-Age Assessment And Feedback Tools., Norazrin Zamri

Student Works (2010-2019)

This study investigated the perceptions of Malaysian university students and educators regarding the use of class blogs as an assessment tool in ESL courses. The objective is to provide evidence for the feasibility of this issue. The participants’ perceptions, obtained from questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, were analyzed based on Carl Rogers’ Humanistic approach to language learning. The findings showed that there is a parallel relationship between the aspects of Humanistic approach and the perceptions of the participants in this study. The aspects analyzed were: motivation; active interactive learning; non-threatening environments; feedback; wholesome collaborative relationships; autonomous learning; assessment for life-long learning; …

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival, Karen Rowell, The University Of Southern Mississippi, The University Of Southern Mississippi's School Of Library And Information Science

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival Programs

The program for the forty-third annual Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival held on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 2010.

Collaborative Writing Among Esl Diploma Students : A Case Study., Lin Siew Fong

Student Works (2010-2019)

The main objective of this study was to obtain insights on collaborative writing among mixed ability students in an ESL setting of an institution of higher learning. The focus of this study was on the process and the product of collaborative writing as most past studies concentrated on the process instead of the product of collaborative writing. The participants comprised two case study groups of twelve students from a Diploma in Computer Science course. Data was collected through video recordings of the collaborative writing sessions, interviews, diary entries, and observations. The data was analysed by describing and interpreting the incidents …

International Students' Beliefs And Perceptions Of Learning English In Malaysia., Sharifah Ayeshah Syed Mohd Noori

Student Works (2010-2019)

Among the cognitive and affective variables thought to influence language learning are language learning beliefs (Horwitz, 1987; Wenden, 1998; Ellis, 2008). These assumptions influence learners’ strategy choices and, as a result, their potential success. Therefore, it is necessary for language teachers and language programme administrators to understand the language learning beliefs of each new group of learners. One relatively new group of English language learners in Malaysia is the international student population. Since recent research in language learning beliefs, as well as in second language acquisition, has advocated a contextual, socio-cultural approach to studying the language learning process, the contextual …

A Contrastive And Error Analysis Of The Use Of English Prepositions By Malay Learners., Woo Sow Yin

Student Works (2010-2019)

This study has two main objectives. The first objective is to find the similarities and differences between the prepositions in English and Malay through the description of the prepositions of both the languages. Next, the second objective is to identify prepositional errors in the written text of Malay Form Five students and explain why these errors occur. The primary sources of reference for English prepositions are from four written sources namely Casell’s Students’ English Grammar, A University Grammar of English, A Practical English Grammar, and A Communicative Grammar of English. Tatabahasa Dewan, Tatabahasa Melayu and Nahu Kemas Kini: Panduan Bahasa …

The Role Of Motivation In The Learning Of English As A Second Language, Nadzrah Ahmad Bustami

Student Works (2010-2019)

Motivation is important in language learning. This present study aims to investigate learners’ motivation in the learning of English as a second language at university level and the factors that affect their motivation. The study particularly focuses on six motivation components: integrative motivation, instrumental motivation, effort, valence, expectancy and ability. The present study also aims to explore the differences in motivation level between female and male participants. 189 students participated in this quantitative study. The survey method used was the administration of the Motivation Scale (Wen, 1996 and modified by Shaaban and Ghaith, 2000). The results of this study revealed …

Penguasaan Partikal "Al" Bahasa Arab Dalam Kalangan Pelajar Melayu., Ahmad Rushdi Haroon

Student Works (2010-2019)

This research is aimed to see the accuracy of “al” particle among the Malay students. In this research, the writer gave the definition of what the particle is, and explained in detail the types and its functions. There are many types of particles in the Arabic language but this research only focuses on the “al” particle and its main semantic aspect such as the determinant particle, the connection particle and the additional particle. This research further explains the function of each particle and provides examples of its usage in sentences. This research uses a descriptive-observation method throughout the case study. …

Strategies Used In Summary Writing By Malaysian Students., Vasanthi Ramadass

Student Works (2010-2019)

Strategy use is a highly researched area, more so in the L1 context than the L2 context. On the other hand, summary writing has been rarely studied in the L2 context despite its importance to reading comprehension. This study has tried to investigate and evaluate the strategies used by Malaysian sixth formers in summary writing. The study adopted a mixed research design that used both quantitative (SILL Questionnaire) and qualitative (Modified Think-Aloud Protocol and document analysis of written summaries) research approaches. Strategies are normally used to overcome problems. Therefore, firstly the study explored the problems faced by both high and …

Enhancing Literacy Among Rural, Work-Oriented Youth : A Cultural Analysis, Marta Kliger Albert

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation focuses on educational reform in New York State in relation to two policies that I term "dual reform." The 1996 Regents graduation policy required all students to participate in the college-prep curriculum and attain a Regents diploma, while the 2001 Career and Technical Education (CTE) policy promoted integrative approaches to teach academic topics within CTE. The central study questions were: How has literacy reform been constituted in relation to CTE within two rural communities? How does CTE enable and constrain youth literacy learning and development?

Communication Strategies Used By Chinese Students From China In Spoken English., Liu Qing Hua

Student Works (2010-2019)

This study evaluates the use of Communication Strategies which are employed by Second Language Acquisition (SLA) learners. A comprehensive review of the relevant literature from the last decade is done with focus on the particular consideration given to the different ways in which Communication Strategies have been defined under the corresponding influences in regard to the organization of strategy taxonomies. This study also seeks to examine how learners of second language perform in communicative tasks especially where they are confronted with linguistic problems and communication barriers. It also aims at identifying the communication strategies used by the students from China …