Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Gjr Volume 36 Number 2 Fall 2013, Christine Draper, Lina Soares

The Georgia Journal of Reading Archive

The Georgia Journal of Reading's Fall 2013 issue includes:

Message from the Editors by Lina B. Soares and Christine A. Draper (pg. 4)

President’s Page by Loleta Sartin (pg. 5)

Helping Strugling Readers Track Their Own Learning Growth by Susan Szabo (pg. 6)

The ABCs of Literacy: Creating Excitement About Learning Through Reading, Writing and Poetry in an Early Learning College Literacy Session by Anne Katz (pg. 11)

Close Reading of Informational Texts: Assessment-Driven Instruction in Grades 3-8 by Lina B. Soares and Christine A. Draper (pg. 17)

Teaching Academic Vocabulary K-8: Effective Practices Across the Curriculum by Christine A. …

Gjr Volume 36 Number 1 Spring 2013, Christine Draper, Lina Soares

The Georgia Journal of Reading Archive

The Georgia Journal of Reading's Spring 2013 issue includes:

Message from the Editors by Lina Soares and Christine Draper (pg. 4)

President’s Page by Lynn C. Minor (pg. 5)

The Cognitive Psychology of Multiple Text Comprehension: What Can Educators Garner from the Literature by Tracy Linderholm (pg. 6)

Middle School Literacy Coaches: Perceptions of Roles and Responsibilities by Katie Stover (pg. 11)

Revitalizing Word Walls for High School English Learners: Conventional and Digital Opportunities for Learning New Words by Janis Harmon, Lucretia Fraga, Elizabeth Martin and Karen Wood (pg. 20)

Literacy Gains through Digital Documentaries: A Photo Essay by Jabari …

Medical Spanish For U.S. Medical Students: A Pilot Case Study, Lauren Davidson, Sheri Spaine Long

Dimensions

In an effort to expand the teaching of medical Spanish to medical students, a one-week pilot course was developed and implemented at The University of Alabama School of Medicine (UASOM) in January 2010. Objectives included offering a refresher course in Spanish for medical students before third-year clerkships and providing a model for medical schools interested in developing medical Spanish courses. The pilot course included the teaching of Spanish language and related cultural information to students at varying levels of Spanish proficiency by an experienced Spanish for Specific Purposes (SSP) instructor. Students completed an evaluation to suggest future directions for the …

Using Dictogloss To Advance Proficiency And Accuracy In Teaching Arabic, Ghassan Husseinali

Dimensions

This study investigates the effectiveness of using dictogloss in making students notice and reproduce key vocabulary and highlighted structural features in a college intermediate level Arabic L2 class. Dictogloss is a technique used in second language classes to make students pay attention to the relationship between form and meaning. Students listened to a short text containing the target form(s) read aloud by the instructor. Students were asked to work in small groups/pairs to reconstruct the original text. Data for this study were obtained from individual student notes, group-generated text reconstructions, and post-dictogloss reflections. The results of this classroom-based investigation show …

A Snapshot Of Their Beliefs And Practices: Perspectives Of Mississippi And Alabama Spanish Teachers, Kelly Moser, Jennifer Weir, Krista Chambless

Dimensions

As a result of the ACTFL/NCATE Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers (2002) much progress has been made with regard to identifying what teachers should know and be able to do. A survey of secondary Spanish teachers in the 20 largest school districts in Alabama and Mississippi investigated teacher beliefs about their teacher preparation, proficiency, and practices within and beyond the classroom context. Results of the survey indicate a disparity between teacher beliefs and classroom practice. The results as well as implications for teacher education programs and professional development are discussed.

World Language Learning: Setting The Global Standard

Dimensions

SCOLT Dimensions Volume 48

The Academic Experiences Of Native Spanish Speakers In The Traditional Spanish Classroom, Lealane Sanders, David Alley

Dimensions

This study examines the academic experiences of heritage Spanish-speakers who were placed in a traditional Spanish class for non-Spanish speakers at the secondary level. Each of the participants in the study demonstrated advanced-levels of oral proficiency in Spanish yet each was placed in a beginning-level Spanish class. An ethnographic case study method was used to explore the effect of this inappropriate placement on the students’ linguistic abilities and academic identities. This study addresses an all-toocommon practice that fails to advance heritage language students’ knowledge of their native language. The needs of these students differ from those of non-native speakers, and …

From Orality To Literacy: A Curricular Model For Intensive Second-Year Collegiate Language Instruction, Per Urlaub, Jan Uelzmann

Dimensions

This article documents a curriculum reform of the second-year German program at the Department of Germanic Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. This curricular reform had two goals: (1) compressing two semesters of intermediate-level language instruction into a single semester; (2) incorporating a strategy-based approach to literary reading in the second language. The article will first compare the previous curriculum and then introduce a conceptual framework for the reform process. This framework is based on three distinct pedagogical principles that the article will outline. Further, the article will describe the planning and implementation stages of the reform and …

The Effects Of Interactive Note-Taking On Increasing Rigor And Student Achievement For High-School Foreign Language, Laura Droms

Dimensions

This study examined the effects of interactive note-taking, a method that relies on student interaction with teacher-provided notes, on student test scores and critical thinking skills in the high-school Spanish classroom. It also examined how interactive notetaking affected students’ confidence in note-taking and critical thinking skills and their level of participation in the classroom. Over a five-week period, interactive note-taking was implemented in one class (n = 29) while traditional foreign language methods were used in another class (n = 32). Changes in student evaluative performances were determined by comparing pre-intervention test scores to test scores during the intervention period. …

Encouraging Tas To Embrace Communicative Language Teaching: An Investigation Of Pre-Service Training Practices, Paula Garrett-Rucks, Kerri Mccoy

Dimensions

This article begins by synthesizing research findings concerning the increasingly important role graduate student teaching assistants (TAs) play in fostering undergraduate learners’ oral proficiency. Despite this important role, our review of TA training practices in the literature found a lack of research on the preparation TAs receive prior to beginning their foreign language instruction. Accordingly, the present study examines incoming TAs’ perceptions of their command of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) techniques presented at an interdepartmental, pre-service orientation at a large Midwestern research university. Using a qualitative approach, we investigated the unique ways in which this orientation influenced novice and experienced …

Online Translator Usage In Foreign Language Writing, Errol M. O’Neill

Dimensions

With the increasing availability of technology, one issue that has arisen in foreign language education is the use of online translation (OT) sites that claim to convert text from one language to another but are generally prohibited for classwork due to ethical and pedagogical concerns. In a study to explore the effects of OT usage, teacher raters were able to determine, to a statistically significant level, on which compositions OT was used; there were, however, a number of cases for which OT use went undetected and some instances it was incorrectly suspected. This article discusses the results of the study …

Staying In The Target Language While Teaching Middle School And High School, William Worden

Dimensions

This article advocates the use of the target language at all times in the classroom at all levels of language instruction. While addressed specifically to middle school and high school teachers, the article suggests an approach to language instruction that can be implemented for students of all ages. After recounting how the author’s experience teaching high school students convinced him to teach exclusively in Spanish, the article then addresses possible objections to the instructional method, presents topics to cover when teaching Day 1 of Level 1 of a language, and discusses ways to help students thrive in an all-target-language classroom.

Evaluating Effective Teaching In The 21st Century World Language Classroom, Christina Huhn

Dimensions

Stronge, Ward, and Grant (2011) emphasize the fundamental need to evaluate the teaching that occurs in our classrooms. They add that in order to effect change in the quality of our education, we must continue to investigate what constitutes effective teaching as it has significant implications for both the education of and assessment of teachers and their students. In West Virginia, what occurs in world language (WL) classrooms has been the topic of ongoing discussions between members of the state foreign language teachers association, current teachers, and the state’s WL coordinators. Despite notable positive momentum in WL education in the …

Gjr Volume 35 Number 1 Fall 2012, Christine Draper, Lina Soares

The Georgia Journal of Reading Archive

The Georgia Journal of Reading's Fall 2012 issue includes:

Message From the Editors by Lina Soares and Christine Draper (pg.4)

President’s Page by Lynn C. Minor (pg. 5)

Integrating Mathematics and Reading Fluency Instruction in the Primary Grades by Ryan Nivens, Lori Meier, Michael Brikell, and Edward J. Dwyer (pg. 6)

Visual Literacy: A Picture Can Be Worth Ten Thousand Words by Stacy Delacruz (pg. 12)

Using Interactive Whiteboards to Enhance the Writing Process by Laura Ely and Jerilou Moore (pg. 18)

Teacher Influence on Book Selection of Third Grade Students by Shelia Delony and Katie Hathorn (pg. 24)

Schema …

Medical Spanish For U.S. Medical Students: A Pilot Case Study, Lauren Davidson, Sheri Spaine Long

Dimensions

In an effort to expand the teaching of medical Spanish to medical students, a one-week pilot course was developed and implemented at The University of Alabama School of Medicine (UASOM) in January 2010. Objectives included offering a refresher course in Spanish for medical students before third-year clerkships and providing a model for medical schools interested in developing medical Spanish courses. The pilot course included the teaching of Spanish language and related cultural information to students at varying levels of Spanish proficiency by an experienced Spanish for Specific Purposes (SSP) instructor. Students completed an evaluation to suggest future directions for the …

From Orality To Literacy: A Curricular Model For Intensive Second-Year Collegiate Language Instruction, Per Urlaub, Jan Uelzmann

Dimensions

This article documents a curriculum reform of the second-year German program at the Department of Germanic Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. This curricular reform had two goals: (1) compressing two semesters of intermediate-level language instruction into a single semester; (2) incorporating a strategy-based approach to literary reading in the second language. The article will first compare the previous curriculum and then introduce a conceptual framework for the reform process. This framework is based on three distinct pedagogical principles that the article will outline. Further, the article will describe the planning and implementation stages of the reform and …

World Languages: Learners Wanted

Dimensions

SCOLT Dimensions Volume 47

Hybrid Language Teaching And Learning: Assessing Pedagogical And Curricular Issues, Joshua J. Thoms

Dimensions

In recent years, several economic factors have led to an increase in the number of hybrid courses offered in foreign language departments at the postsecondary level in the U. S. Hybrid courses incorporate several technological applications not typically used in a traditional face-to-face course. Hybrid courses combine contact time in a traditional classroom with virtual days, in which students are responsible for working with content on their own or in small groups outside of the classroom. This study reports on student and instructor perceptions of and reactions to a hybrid course piloted in three lower-level Spanish language courses at a …

Got Languages? Powerful Skills For The 21st Century

Dimensions

SCOLT Dimensions Volume 46

Got Languages? Powerful Skills For The 21st Century, Lynne Mcclendon

Dimensions

Volume 46 Issue 1 Article 2

Perceptions Of The Culture And Communications Standards, Jana Sandarg, Carol Wilkerson

Dimensions

This article discusses the impact of the Standards for Foreign Language Teaching in the 21st Century on language programs at American universities. Surveys were administered to American students and to faculty at a university in Spain asking questions about the five goal areas of the standards. Responses from these groups were analyzed and compared with responses of faculty at American institutions. Although most faculty informants in the U.S. and in Spain said they were familiar with the goals of the standards, findings indicate that grammatical accuracy is perceived to be the primary focus of language programs in the U.S. Faculty …

Service Learning And Foreign Language Acquisition: Working With The Migrant Community, Susan Wehling

Dimensions

Volume 46 Issue 1 Article 5

21st Century World Language Education: Issues Of Target Language Use, Christina Huhn

Dimensions

World language educators face many challenges progressing into the 21st century. This research describes the practices of world language educators and presents a rich description of what constitutes an engaging 21st century world language classroom. The use of the target language as a crucial component in the world language classroom as well as barriers and challenges to its use emerged from this qualitative research. Among the obstacles identified are variations in pedagogical approaches, support of target language use, issues of language choice, and conflict between student and teacher perspectives. The research also highlights the benefits of professional development.

Gjr Volume 33 Number 1 Spring 2010, Elizabeth Pendergraft, Sheryl Dasinger

The Georgia Journal of Reading Archive

The Georgia Journal of Reading's Spring 2010 issue includes:

Message From the Editors by Elizabeth Pendergraft (pg.5)

President’s Page by Sallie Averitt Miller (pg. 6)

Using Children’s Literature as a Resource Within Middle Grades Social Studies Curriculum by Christine A. Draper (pg. 7)

Critical Literacy: From Theory to Practice by Katie Simon Kurumada (pg. 12)

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!: Tapping Students’ Popular Culture Interest Through An Elementary School Newspaper by Andrew Huddleston (pg. 16)

Can Digital Storytelling Improve Literacy Outcomes for Students with Autism? by Brent Daigle and Margaret-Mary Sulentic Dowell (pg. 25)

Project Pen Pal: A Win-Win …

Student-Centered Instruction: Linking Career Goals And Instruction, Rosalie Cheatham

Dimensions

In 2002 French faculty at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock began the process of curricular revision to prepare for the challenges of a standards-based French major. After five years of experience and positive evaluations from students, faculty are gratified that the number of graduates in French has increased. However, new challenges have emerged recently. Institutional pressure to graduate a larger number of majors, professional expectations that graduates have acquired a higher level of proficiency than was previously expected, and a significant change in student access to and usage of technology for communication have demanded attention and offered new …

Languages And Economic Development: 2009 Keynote Address, Nico Wijnberg

Dimensions

SCOLT Dimensions Volume 45 Article 3

Scolt Through The Ages: 1990 To 2010, Lynne Mcclendon, Lee Bradley

Dimensions

The previous history of the Southern Conference on Language Teaching (SCOLT) from its origins through 1989 was undertaken by Herman F. Bostick, SCOLT founder and first co-editor of the conference proceedings; James S. Gates, past SCOLT Secretary-Treasurer; and Robert Terry, past SCOLT Chair and co-editor of Dimension. The history was published in the Silver Anniversary edition, Perspectives and Horizons Dimension: Languages ’89. The SCOLT Board recommended that a two-decade summary of SCOLT’s history be included in this current volume as illumination for the Index, which also appears. The authors of this current two-decade history are Lee Bradley, Executive Director from …

A Thematic Index Of Dimension : 1980-2009, C. Maurice Cherry

Dimensions

SCOLT Dimensions Volume 45 Article 5

Communication Beyond The Classroom

Dimensions

SCOLT Dimensions Volume 45

Unifying Our Profession Through Standards: Writing The Actfl/Ncate Report, Judith L. Shrum, Rebecca Fox

Dimensions

Accreditation and accountability recently have been prominent in national conversations about the preparation of teachers. Members of our profession have developed standards to which we will hold ourselves as we prepare foreign language and world language (F/WL) teachers for the 21st century. As a participating Specialized Professional Association (SPA), ACTFL has joined the conversation with the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). In this article, we describe the standards that are most applicable to our field and provide suggestions for those who are compiling their ACTFL/ NCATE reports seeking national program recognition. We offer comments and suggestions based …