Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Retrieval Practice Promotes Learning Of Turkish As A Foreign Language: A Computer-Assisted Language Learning Study, Maya C. Rose

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Adults generally find it difficult to learn a new language, yet exhibit remarkable individual differences in outcomes. Variation in second language (L2) learning is associated with input conditions (Morgan-Short et al., 2010) as well as learners’ aptitude (Dörnyei, 2005). Recent work has demonstrated benefits of retrieval practice in promoting L2 learning of grammatical patterns and vocabulary in both artificial and natural languages (Hopman & MacDonald, 2018; Keppenne et al., 2021). With that said, when retrieval practice is based on oral recall as opposed to a recognition test, it confounds potential benefits of repeated testing (Rowland, 2014) with those associated with …

Second Language Gesture And Acculturation In Study Abroad Contexts, Christie Marie Gardner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Motivationis an integral part of learning; Gestures are an important aspect of human communication, and culture plays a significant role in shaping all of these human elements. This study explores the relationship betweensocial, cultural-historical activityand second language(L2) gesture acquisitionas student motivations both drive, and emanate from, the L2 learning process. Six American students participating in a study-abroad program in Chile were evaluated at three different levels of L2 proficiency (beginning, intermediate, and advanced) for L2 gesture articulations and motivational developments. During the semester-long investigation, three audio-video recorded interviews were conducted to observe L2 gestural behaviors, and two e-mail logs were …

Foreign Languages And Learning Disabled Students: Research And Potential Solutions, Todd Christopher Wheelden

MA TESOL Collection

This paper reviews the latest research on the struggles learning disabled (LD) students have in the foreign language (FL) classroom. Over the last ten years, there have been significant advancements in recognizing the fact that LD students do in fact face greater obstacles when acquiring a FL than their peers do. Over the past five years, advances have been made taking the information garnered from these discoveries and developing appropriate solutions. The paper attempts to summarize the most significant comprehension, reference, and implementation.

The paper begins with an overview of second language acquisition learning disabilities and how they may surface …

A Certificate Program In Teaching English To Brazilian-Portuguese Speakers, Sonia Regina Moussalli

MA TESOL Collection

This paper intends to present and describe a project of a teacher certificate program for Brazilian EFL teachers. First, I will introduce relevant information on the context and background where this project will take place including the reasoning behind this program, and an investigation of the prospective participants’ needs. Second, I will explore a study of some educational assumptions including teaching effectiveness, efficiency, competence, performance and some principles for the preparation of effective EFL teachers. Third, I will provide the readers a description of the goals and objectives of the program, along with, a detailed description of the courses. Finally, …

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 …

Written Feedback In The Classroom And Beyond, Karen Gould Peltola

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is an in-depth look at the experimentation with and use of written feedback with middle school foreign language students and their parents. It includes my own learning about giving written feedback, the process by which I have trained my students to give written feedback, and finally the extensions of written feedback beyond the classroom, to the parents. Examples of written feedback forms and formats are included, as well as completed examples.

Rising Off The Plateau In Learning Arabic, Daniel Scott Linquist

MA TESOL Collection

Experiencing plateaus in second language learning is a common experience, especially for language student studying Arabic or one of the other languages considered more difficult. Some of the causes for the plateau experience in Arabic are its complex grammar, its vast amount of vocabulary, and the different roles of Modern Standard Arabic and the spoken dialects of Arabic.

Rising off the Plateau in Studying Arabic is a thesis project, which analyzes this second language learner’s attempt to make significant progress in studying Modern Standard Arabic. The project was based on a self-directed, semi-intensive Arabic language program, which prioritized the reading …