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1
Dooey, Patricia. "Issues of English language proficiency for international students." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2005. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/628.
Full textAbstract:
In the last 20 years or so, there has been a phenomenal increase in the number of international full-fee paying students applying to study in Australian universities, The revenue provided in this way has helped to address the problems faced by cash-starved universities facing recurring funding cuts over the same period. Furthermore, the presence of such students on any university campus provides immeasurable enrichment to the student body in terms of cultural diversity and research potential, and indeed it is very tempting in an ever,-increasing global market, to be as flexible as possible with prospective international students. However, the process of admission also demands careful consideration on the part of the various stakeholders involved. Although several factors need to be taken into account, the most obvious and certainly of primary importance would be the need to prove proficiency in the English language, Given that English is the dominant means of communication in the university, all students are required to draw from a complex web of linguistic resources to construct meaning and to complete the range of tasks required of them during their tertiary studies, This volume deals :with the overarching theme of issues of English language proficiency for overseas students studying in an Australian university. This focus can be viewed from many angles, and there are certainly many key facets involved, a selection of which is explored in the papers of the portfolio. These include the following broad areas: recruitment and admissions, language testing and technology, curriculum and inclusivity, English language support, academic conduct and finally the specific needs of international students, as viewed from their own perspective.
2
Evans, Simone Kirsten School of Modern Languages UNSW. "How can teachers best enable adult English language learners to interact verbally?" Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Modern Languages, 2004. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/20512.
Full textAbstract:
The study revolves around the delivery of an ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) program on conflict management in the workplace to a small group of adult learners studying in a private educational institution in Sydney, Australia. The program was of four days???? duration, and was delivered over a four-week period. It involved both in-class and out-of-class tasks, and required learners to analyse their own discourse practices, those of other learners, and those of the speech community in which they were living. The program had two principle objectives. Firstly, it asked whether learners are able to modify their discourse practices at will in order to achieve successful negotiation outcomes. Secondly, it explored the effect of deliberately altered discourse styles on perceptions of learners held by speech community members. The methodology employed to achieve these objectives was ethnographic in nature and involved the following processes: 1. Learners were video-taped negotiating with other learners before and after the program. 2. Learners undertook the program aimed at increasing their ability to negotiate in business environments using culturally appropriate spoken language in conjunction with compatible prosodic and paralinguistic features as well as conversation management strategies. Learners kept diaries of their experiences and self-evaluation, and were interviewed following the course. 3. A group of nine native speakers of English viewed the 'before' and 'after' video-tapes and completed a survey aimed at collecting and quantitatively measuring (change in) their perceptions of the learners. This change was statistically analysed using a repeated-measures t test. The effect proved statistically significant overall; t(80) = 1.990, p>.01, two-tailed. 4. The 'before' and 'after' negotiations were then analysed by the researcher using ethnomethodological Conversation Analysis, modified to include some aspects of facial expression. The implications of the findings for teaching 'Business English', 'Global English' and 'Speaking' more generally are then discussed.
3
Glew, Paul J. "Learning and teaching in ESL : perspectives on educating international students in Australia." Thesis, View Vol. 1 (Vol. 2 restricted access), 2008. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/41785.
Full textAbstract:
This Doctor of Education (EdD) portfolio addresses the learning by and teaching of English to full-fee-paying international students from language backgrounds other than English in a secondary school setting in Australia. It focuses on the two strands of English second language (ESL) learning and teaching in schools. The first of these is ESL for the general school curriculum in New South Wales (NSW). The second is English language intensive courses for overseas students (ELICOS). The EdD portfolio consists of two volumes. Volume 1 consists of five published journal papers, two refereed papers and one unrefereed paper published in national, state or local conference proceedings. These papers examine theory, pedagogy and teacher knowledge about English language education for high school aged international students. English language programs for overseas students are now a global market driven by commercial interests. I argue for an increased understanding of the needs of overseas students in the Australian education system, and that quality English language education and student welfare are both central to an effective ELICOS program for high school aged international students. Volume 2 comprises a resource for policy makers, principals and teachers entitled ‘Excellence in ELICOS: A Resource for quality preparation programs for high school aged international students in Australia’. Volume 2 is informed and underpinned by the scholarship, research, and theoretical work presented in Volume 1 but also draws on the author’s professional experience of implementing a holistic approach to international student welfare and English language education in a secondary school in NSW. Volume 2 presents a practical framework, approach and supporting resource that might assist in the establishing, implementing and sustaining of quality, intensive English language courses that are sensitive to the diverse educational and welfare needs of overseas students. Volume 2 was developed in response to the needs and demands of principals and teachers for proven, research driven curricula and policies that meet the needs of the growing population of international students enrolled in NSW secondary schools.
4
Rida, A. "Non English speaking background migrant Muslim women and migrant English language provision." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1996. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/945.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this study is to define and delineate the factors which influence the decision by non-English speaking background migrant Muslim women to access or not access their eligibility for English language tuition, as set out by current policies governing the eligibility of migrants to participate in Adult Migrant Education programs. As such, the study is of particular interest to both key informants: teachers, community workers, coordinators, and to the target population themselves-Migrant Muslim women. It is also of benefit to those who are concerned with implementing language programs as it will provide them with an understanding of the issues facing Muslim women that may prevent them from accessing such classes. It is also of particular interest because it delves into and explores an• area where much speculation has taken place, but where little research of significance has been directed. The target population is defined as adult (over age 16) Muslim women from a non-English speaking background who are currently residing in the Perth metropolitan area. Two groups within this target population have been included in the study, the first being those women who have accessed migrant language tuition in a formal class setting (excluding those who have accessed the home tutor scheme). The second being those women who have not, with the objective of drawing a typology of the kind of Muslim women accessing classes-age, country of birth, family, socio-economic status, perceived need to learn English, level of education and aspirations and other relevant variables that were brought to light through the research process. Data was collected using both quantitative and qualitative research methods which involved the analysis of figures pertaining to the numbers of women from Muslim countries of birth who have accessed English language classes through the Adult Migrant Education Program in order to arrive at conclusions about the relative absence of Muslim women in these programs. Qualitative data was collected using a structured interview with twenty three women from the target population as well as interviews with three key informants. The purpose of the key informant interviews was to gain an understanding of the external factors accessibility, availability of information and practical considerations such as child care transport and provision of special arrangements that may affect the decision or the ability of Muslim women to attend classes.
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Woodrow, Lindy (Linda Jane). "A model of adaptive learning of international English for academic purposes (EAP) students at Australian universities." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2003. https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27874.
Full textAbstract:
This study considers a proposed model of adaptive learning relevant to advanced
English for academic purposes (EAP) students at Australian universities. The model
is informed by theorising in second language learning and educational psychology
and makes particular reference to learners from Confucian heritage cultures, (CHCs)
such as Korea, Japan, China and Chinese speaking countries.
The model of adaptive learning comprises motivational variables, affective variables,
language learning strategies and oral performance. These constructs were primarily
assessed using a questionnaire. This was based on existing scales and researcher
designed scales to measure anxiety and self-efficacy.
The study comprised a pilot stage and a main stage. The pilot study was conducted
using a sample of 249 advanced EAP students with the aim to validate the
instrumentation.
The main phase involved 275 advanced EAP students and assessed the viability of the
proposed model. The participants completed a 78 item 5 point Likert type scale and
took part in an oral assessment. Of the sample 47 were interviewed to provide richer
data than could be obtained using quantitative techniques.
The study had three main aims; first to consider the applicability, reliability and
validity of the constructs; to provide evidence to support the proposed model; and to
consider the effect of ethnicity on the variables measured.
The data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to provide evidence
of reliability and validity of the new constructs. The data analyses conducted to
support the model of adaptive learning included correlation analysis, structural
equation modelling (SEM) and profile analysis using multi dimensional scaling
(PAMS). To assess the effect of ethnicity, a multivariate analyses of variance
(MANOVA) were conducted.
The results indicated that the constructs and instrumentation were valid, reliable and
applicable to language learners. There was strong evidence to support the model of
adaptive learning. An effect for ethnicity was discovered suggesting learners from
CHCs have different motivational profiles from other ethnic groups.
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Walsh, Maureen Patricia. "An Investigation of the Beginning Reading Behaviour of Young Second Language Children Learning to Read in English." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 1997. https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27619.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis investigates the beginning reading behaviour of young children who are second language learners of English in the early years of school. The study explores the relationship of specific variables in a model of reading within the broad framework of research into mainstream reading, second language reading and emergent literacy.
The observations and analysis of reader-related variables, reading behaviour, and children’s responses to text-related variables provide detailed descriptors of a socio-psycholinguistic model of reading for second language learners. Differences are identified between second language children and children who are ’native’ English speakers.
While there are extensive studies in the area of second language reading, little research has been conducted on the beginning reading of young second language children in Australian schools. The researcher offers this study as a contribution to assist the literacy development of children with a second language background.
The researcher assumed the role of participant-observer within a paradigm of naturalistic inquiry. Through class lessons, interviews and one-to—one reading sessions, she observed and analysed the reading behaviour of ninety-eight children from six different classes in three schools classified as ’disadvantaged’. This process occurred in four stages over a period of two years.
The ’beginning reading behaviour’ of each child is analysed and compared with ’reader-related variables’ that are examined through separate interviews with each child. Statistical analysis of data provides support for the belief that certain reader-related variables are predictors of success in reading. The strongest reader-related variable was found to be ’oral language proficiency in English’ for the children in this study. ’Home literacy practices’ was also found to be a significant variable, while other variables were more significant for specific sub-groups.
’Text-related variables’ of narrative picture books for young children are examined and children’s responses to these are analysed. The analysis confirms how the process of ’reading’ is an interaction between each reader, with her / his reader-related variables, and each text, with its particular text-related variables. The analysis of children’s responses to these text-'related variables has revealed important links to research on emergent literacy and
early writing behaviour.
A recurrent theme emerges through both the qualitative and quantitative analysis of data.
This is the nature of ’English language proficiency’ and how different language ’thresholds’ may be required for educational tasks. It is evident that many second language children need assistance to develop appropriate levels of oracy associated with reading and literacy tasks.
7
Shand, Jennifer. "From essay to resumé : a study of writing genre and discursive positioning in senior school English." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2011. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/465.
Full textAbstract:
In 2004, the Western Australian government signalled its intention to increase the school leaving age from 15 to 17 by 2008 (Carpenter, 2004). During the period from 2004 to 2006, increasing numbers of young Western Australians completed twelve years of secondary school. For English faculties in Western Australian schools, this resulted in a notably diverse cohort of students undertaking compulsory English studies in their final two years of school. The central aim of this thesis was to examine what it means to be a writer in senior school English. In doing so, the thesis investigated the construction of student writing identities in an environment where increasing numbers of students progressed through senior school with the intention of pursuing pathways other than university. In this setting, students were offered a range of English subjects, each of which represented and promoted particular writing identities, and access to specific opportunities for learning about genre. The thesis explored the role of environmental and discursive features in shaping student writing identities through the selection, presentation and construction of genre. In this process, it examined the discursive framing of writers through the key features of writing in curricula, policy, seminal discourses of the English subject area, teacher interpretation of curricula and the texts students construct. A review of the literature, particularly the recent work of Kress (2005, 2006), Bourne (2003) and Kress, Jewitt, Bourne, Hardcastle, Jones, and Reid (2005) suggests that the factors shaping writing identity in the English subject area emanate from both the local contexts of the classroom and broader cultural and institutional contexts. In order to analyse and interpret the influence of broader social and cultural values and practices, a discourse analysis (Bernstein, 1990, 1996, 2000) has been applied to policy, curriculum and classroom practice. To do this specifically, Bernstein’s notion of pedagogic discourse has been used to explain how educational contexts were framed through regulative discourses that shape social order and outline how learning takes place. Additionally, using Bernstein’s framework, the thesis explored how opportunities for learning and access to particular forms of genre were framed at the level of policy and curriculum. Central to this investigation of identity has been an analysis of how the selection, presentation and construction of genre discursively positions students. It drew upon the theoretical framing of genres as culturally embedded templates, which influence the features of texts and the parameters of successfully constructed texts (Feez, 2002; Macken-Horarik, 2002, 2006a; Martin, 1985, 2002, 2009). The thesis examined the discourse roles (Smidt, 2002, 2009) offered to students and their own attempts to establish identities as they engaged with the genres they encountered. To examine the nexus between identity, genre and discourse, the thesis has utilised Bakhtin’s (1986) notion of the discourse community and its use in studies of genre (Hyland, 2010; Ivanic, 2006; Smidt, 2009). Aspects of systemic functional linguistics (Butt, Fahey, Feez, Spinks & Yallop, 2000; Halliday, 1978, 1994; Halliday & Hasan, 1985) have been employed to identify and interpret some of the linguistic resources presented to students and the ways students appropriated and transformed these. In doing so, the research drew upon investigations of the positioning of students writers in subject English through a number of discourses and practices (Bourne, 2003; Christie, 2002b, 2005a, Christie & Derewianka, 2008; Christie & Macken-Horarik, 2007; Kress et al., 2005). A case study methodology provided the primary research design. Elements of the ethnography were used as interpretative tools, and the thesis incorporated the social semiotic ethnography (van Leeuwen, 2005a, Vannini, 2007). Data from a range of sources were used including policy and curriculum documents, teacher and student interviews, classroom observations and text analysis.
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Krebs-Lazendic, Lidija. "Early vs. late Serbian-English bilinguals' responses to two Australian English vowel contrasts." Thesis, View thesis, 2008. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/36713.
Full textAbstract:
Adults learning a second language (L2) (“late learners”) have difficulty achieving a native speaker’s level of accuracy in both perception and production of L2 phonetic segments. This difficulty often results in deviant production of L2 segments that is perceived as accented speech by native speakers of that language. It is generally agreed that this failure in non native segmental production and perception is caused by previous linguistic experience with the first (L1) language. Late learners are expected to show stronger L1 effects than learners who learnt their L2 in early childhood (“early learners”). However, not all L2 phonetic segments are equally difficult for late learners. The learnability of L2 phonetic segments is thought to be perceptual in nature and depends on the perceived phonetic distance between them and the acoustically, phonetically and/or articulatorily most similar segment(s) in the learner’s L1 phonetic inventory. It is generally assumed that specific L2 segments will be perceptually related or assimilated to the most similar L1 segment(s) even if there is a detectable acoustic difference between them. The studies reported in this thesis examined Serbian-English bilinguals’ perception and production difficulties with two Australian English vowel contrasts that are not contrastive in Serbian: /e/ - /æ/ and /i:/ - //. We compared participants who began learning English before 5 years (“early”) versus those who began after 15 years (“late”). In Study 1and Study 2 early learners discriminated and produced both contrasts equally well, whereas late learners had greater difficulties perceiving and producing /e/ - /æ/. In Study 3 a priming paradigm was applied to discrimination and perceptual assimilation tasks in which the prime and target contain phonologically identical, phonetically similar or phonologically and phonetically unrelated vowels under two interstimulus intervals (ISI) that tap phonological versus phonetic levels of processing, according to prior research. Early versus late group differences suggest that discrimination and production accuracy reflect how listeners assimilate Australian English vowels to native Serbian vowels. “Early” and “late” learners related L2 vowels to L1 differently, which reflects differences in establishment of the L1 phonetic system at the time of L2 onset.
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Hui, Leng. "A study of intercultural discourse between mainland Chinese speakers of English and Anglo-Australians." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2005. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/672.
Full textAbstract:
Intercultural communication between mainland Chinese speakers of English and Anglo-Australians is receiving ever-increasing attention in many fields. These fields include intercultural communication. English language teaching, education and business. This study approached the intercultural communication between mainland Chinese speakers of English and Anglo-Australians from a cognitive perspective by applying the theoretical framework of cultural linguistics. The intercultural discourse produced by mainland Chinese speakers of English in the context of them interacting with Anglo-Australians was analysed. The analysis was made by employing key concepts such as schemas, cultural schemas, discourse scenarios and discourse indexicals. A body of 39 audio-taped conversations between mainland Chinese speakers of English and Anglo-Australians which ran about 50 hours was collected according to the research tradition of the ethnography of communication. The data were transcribed and examined with the “emic” and “etic” insights provided by volunteer participants and informants. Fifty live excerpts of these conversations were analysed in line with cognitive anthropology and cultural linguistics.
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Kazemi, Ali School of Modern Language Studies UNSW. "A systematic study of self-repairs in second language classroom presentations: with some reference to social variables and language proficiency." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Modern Language Studies, 2006. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/24298.
Full textAbstract:
Self-repairs have been the subject of investigation in a number of research areas, notably psycholinguistics and conversation analysis. This study has aimed at the examination of self-repairs in second language classroom presentations. Specifically, it has sought to gain insight into self-repairs in naturally occurring talk and to explicate the possible relationships between the variables of age, sex, and educational background and self-repair behaviour of L2 speakers as well as the possible link between self-repair and proficiency. Accomplishing these required a scrutiny of individual self-repairs and their classification. However, the classifications which have traditionally been used in the psycholinguistic approach suffer from a number of shortcomings, as they are usually based on the analysis of surface forms of self-repairs. Because of the subjectivity involved in this process, there has been considerable variation in terms of classes of self-repairs and also the decision as to where a given self-repair belongs. An in-depth analysis of self-repair data revealed that self-repairs do cluster into categories. This analysis also yielded a set of features which are relevant to the study of self-repairs. In addition to showing that the established categories are mutually exclusive, comparison of major categories of self-repairs according to these features, which characterise the trajectory of self-repairs, resulted in the explication of a number of regularities in the way L2 speakers carry out self-repairs. Having established a data-driven classification of repairs, an attempt was made to see whether learner variables of age, sex and educational background have any significant effect on self-repairs. It turned out that none of these variables have a significant effect on self-repairs. In addition, it became clear that while beginning, intermediate, and advanced L2 speakers have been shown to demonstrate significant proficiency-related differences, these differences fade away when they come from the same proficiency level.
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Mirahayuni, Ni Ketut School of Modern Language Studies UNSW. "Investigating textual structure in native and non-native English research articles : strategy differences between English and Indonesian writers." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Modern Language Studies, 2002. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/19068.
Full textAbstract:
Research into English research articles (RAs) has largely been focused on articles produced by native English writers. This thesis aims to investigate the textual structure of research articles written by non-native English writers, which may contribute to their acceptance for international publication. A comparison is made between RAs written by native English speakers, Indonesian writers writing in English, and Indonesian writers writing in Indonesian, all in the field of Language and Language Teaching. It explores the relation of text's generic structure, context and linguistic realization. The thesis develops a framework for the generic structure analysis based on Swales' CARS model of moves. A complementary analysis using Systemic-Functional Linguistics' (SFL) approach to texture, namely, text's method of development and structure of information, is conducted to further reveal the textual strategies of the different groups. The findings indicate significant differences in both forms and functions of textual strategies between the native and non-native texts. The differences may partly be due to the influence of writing practices in the non-native writers' first language and partly to the writer's attempt to find an appropriate format in the absence of well-established research writing conventions in the first language. Consequently, non-native English texts may show textual features and organising strategies unfamiliar to both the native English and native Indonesian texts. Findings from the research highlight two issues. First, formal and functional differences of generic structure elements and their realizations between the native and non-native English texts may disadvantage the non-native writers, particularly with regards to employment of unfamiliar organizational strategies. Second, besides knowledge of formal generic structure, more importantly, non-native English writers need to acquire the knowledge of the nature of scientific writing in English in order to achieve full control of the writing process and thus produce successful writing. The implications for further research and the teaching of academic writing are discussed.
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Bunts-Anderson, Kimberly. "Relations between teachers' conceptions of in-class and out-of-class interactions and reported teaching practices teachers' belief study /." Phd thesis, Australia : Macquarie University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.14/82707.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (PhD)--Macquarie University, Division of Linguistics & Psychology, Department of Linguistics, 2006.Bibliography: p. 372-438.
Introduction: the influence of second language teachers' conceptions and the role of interactions in language learning -- Literature review -- Theory and methodology -- Teachers' conceptions of in-class interactions -- Teachers' conceptions of out-of-class interactions -- Differences between EAP teachers' experiences and conceptual development: in-class and out-of-class interactions -- Two categorical frameworks for ICI and OCI context: similarities, differences and relations -- Discussion and conclusion.
Spoken interaction with others is one of the most powerful tools in learning and teaching a second language. This investigation is concerned with uncovering and categorising the ways a group of L2 teachers' describe their experiences and beliefs of two types of spoken interaction; those that occur in the classroom (ICI) and those that occur outside the classroom (OCI). Twenty-eight EAP teachers were interviewed using phenomenographic and ethnographic investigative approaches and asked to describe their experiences and how they thought about and used spoken interactions in the teaching and learning of a situated lesson. The conceptions that emerged as consistent (reported as experienced most frequently across the group and within individual transcripts) were identified and categorised into two sets of categories of description (COD) one for each type of interaction. Across the group of teachers, five stable ICI categories of conceptions were identified and four stable OCI categories of conceptions were identified. These categories describe the range of conceptions that emerged across the group as a whole and do not attempt to rate the understandings of individual teachers. -- The conceptions of interactions in both sets of categories followed a hierarchal pattern of development from less complete to more complete understandings of these interactions. These descriptions formed two frameworks that are supported by similar patterns describing less complete and more complete understandings of various concepts in sets of categories published in other education settings (Marton & Booth, 1997). Exploration into the teaching and learning approaches reported in the teachers' experiences of ICI and OCI indicated that the utilization of interactions was constrained by the ways these interactions were conceived. Relations between more developed conceptions of both phenomena emerged in situations where more developed conceptions were reported. In these situations both ICI and OCI were simultaneously present in the teachers' awareness and perceived as different aspects of the same teaching/ learning situations. Across the group the teachers reported less powerful ideas of how to utilize OCI than how to utilize ICI.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
xvii, 496 p. ill
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Grote, Ellen. "An ethnography of writing : the writing practices of female Australian indigenous adolescents at school." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2004. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1675.
Full textAbstract:
The lack of success in addressing the educational needs of Aboriginal English (AbE) speaking adolescents is evidenced by consistently lower outcomes in literacy than those of their non-Indigenous peers. Differences in literacy levels between Indigenous girls and boys suggest that gender is an influential factor in literacy achievement. This ethnographic study explores cultural and gender influences on the writing practices of a group of female Indigenous adolescents in the cross-cultural context of an urban Western Australian secondary school.
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Batt, Deleece A. "The communicative orientation of virtual language teaching in upper primary and lower secondary telematics in Western Australia." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2003. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/36669/1/36669_Digitised%20Thesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
The aim of this study was to investigate the communicative orientation of classroom interaction in Japanese language lessons that are conducted in the virtual environment of synchronous (real-time) telematics. Specifically, the study examined Japanese telematics classrooms in upper primary and junior secondary schools in Western Australia. This study focused on whether the interaction in the classes studied, evident in the virtual learning mode of telematics was facilitative of second language (L2) acquisition.
The form of telematics used in this study was synchronous communication between teacher and students using telephone and computer links, sometimes also referred to as "audiographics". Telematics may also include the use of other communication technologies, such as live interactive television (LIT) however this was not available to all sites in the current study so it was not investigated.
The aim of this study is articulated through the research questions:
1. What is the nature of the communicative orientation in upper primary and junior secondary Japanese language classrooms in telematics mode?
2. ls the interaction observed in Japanese language telematics classrooms of the type that promotes L2 acquisition?
The first question seeks to identify the relative emphasis placed on interaction and form-focused interaction in the telematics classroom context. The second question identifies whether the features of interaction that SLA researchers suggest promote L2 acquisition are evident in the telematics context. This study uses the term interaction to refer to the type of human-human communicative interaction occurring in L2 telematics classes via the computer/technology that is facilitated by a number of key communicative features of interaction drawn from the second language acquisition (SLA) research. Interactivity on the other hand is used to refer to the human-computer engagement which is technologically facilitated.
Subjects in the study were three telematics teachers, with distributed classes across several student receival sites. The study examined descriptive process data collected from Japanese telematics classes in Western Australia via audio and video recordings. The study engaged in a descriptive inquiry using Classroom-Centred Research (CCR) methodology. CCR as a methodology provides evidence about the nature and influence of language instruction and classroom interaction have on L2 acquisition. This study used multi-methods of data collection via four stages: teacher questionnaire, classroom observations of interactions, teacher focus group discussion and follow-up interviews conducted later in the study to confirm the findings.
The major analytical tool used was the current version of the Communicative Orientation of Language Teaching (COLT) Observation (1995). The use of this scheme stems from its ability to bring together all of the communicative variables to capture features deemed theoretically and empirically relevant to the L2 classroom. The COLT Observation Scheme also provides a framework for comparing features of discourse in classrooms with features of natural language acquisition considered to be facilitative of L2 acquisition. In this way the extent to which an instructional treatment may be characterised as communicatively orientated can be measured. Both Part A and Part B of the scheme were used. The features and categories in Part A are primarily derived from pedagogical issues identified in the literature on communicative language teaching (CL T). Features and categories in Part B reflect issues in first and second language acquisition. The only modification was an additional investigation of how form was used in the telematics lessons.
Although recent studies have recommended improvements to telematics delivery, no other known study has specifically investigated whether the interaction evident in the delivery of Japanese via telematics is of the type that promotes successful L2 acquisition. Through the use of the COLT Observation Scheme, this study was able to capture and measure features of L2 classroom interaction in these telematics environments.
The results indicate that there were a number of internal and external variables that influenced the nature of the communicative orientation of telematics classes in this study. In terms of the communicative features of interaction identified in the COLT Observation Scheme as predictors of successful L2 acquisition, a number of these were not strongly evident in the results, for example, use of the target language, interaction in group work, use of extended text, use of authentic resources and student-made materials, reaction to message and clarification request.
Pedagogic factors impinging on the communicative orientation of the telematics environment included the highly teacher-centred nature of the telematics context. The use of the computer as a controlling device and the only visual connection also moved teachers further towards a more directive delivery style and greater dependence on using the L 1. Given the recent support for the incorporation of some focus on form into a communicative curriculum, the supplementary focus on form data revealed how the electronic nature of telematics delivery influenced how form was taught and the overuse in some cases of vocabulary games, drilling, substitution and repetition. There was also little evidence of students initiating discourse, negotiating activities or requesting clarification. Students engaged in mainly minimal rather than extended text thus limiting opportunities to experiment with the L2.
The communicative orientation of L2 telematics classes in this study was also impacted upon by a number of external factors, such as noise, technical breakdowns and inadequate learning environments at receival sites. The impact of the absence of a two-way human visual connection led to teachers using a more directive style of teaching where "silences" were often filled with teacher talk. Teachers identified this limitation as also limiting opportunities for students to obtain comprehensible input. However, teachers developed useful compensation strategies to overcome some of these limitations such as, using colour on the computer screen and tone of voice to highlight salient features. They also introduced games that promoted interaction between sites.
Whilst this study has revealed that some of the communicative features of interaction are evident, a greater number of these features need to become more prominent or more communicative. As well as targeting the technological orientation of the delivery method by adding a human visual connection, this would also involve the careful incorporation of the features that are characteristic of a more communicative approach to L2 acquisition.
This study has contributed to the fields of SLA and virtual delivery in a number of ways. It has added to the existing literature base through interfacing the SLA literature with the telematics literature. It has also contributed to a new methodology by taking an existing methodology and methods and applying them to the virtual L2 telematics classroom, in particular, the use of the COLT Observation Scheme in a virtual context. A contribution this study has made to language teaching through telematics lies in a mapping framework that has evolved from the study that aims to bring the type of interaction that occurs in SLA, communicative interaction and telematics closer together.
Further research needs to determine how interaction can be more effectively promoted m the telematics and virtual learning environments. It is anticipated that this study will encourage other researchers to further investigate the benefits of a more communicatively orientated intervention which will ultimately lead to positive L2 learning outcomes for all students in telematics environments and the broader virtual learning contexts.
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Zhang, Xiaohong. "A great leap forward : EFL curriculum, globalization and reconstructionism - a case study in North East China." Thesis, University of Ballarat, 2009. http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/65708.
Full textAbstract:
I have used the name, The Great Leap Forward in relation to my study of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) curriculum reform as I have linked economic, political and social developments of the late 20th and early 21st centuries in China with education developments that have occurred at the same time as the reform has been implemented.Doctor of Philosophy
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Wajnryb, Ruth. "The pragmatics of feedback a study of mitigation in the supervisory discourse of TESOL teacher educators /." Phd thesis, Australia : Macquarie University, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.14/23100.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (PhD)--Macquarie University, School of Education, 1994.Includes bibliography.
Introduction ; The research question and the professional context of the inquiry -- Literature review: substantive survey -- Literature review: methodological survey -- Research method -- The prgamatics of feedback -- An ethnographic portrait of supervision -- Perceptions of mitigation -- Conclusion.
This research project investigates the language of supervisory conferences. A grounded theory approach is taken to the analysis of data drawn from teacher educators in TESOL (Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages) in their feedback discussions with teachers following observed lessons.--Supervisory talk is investigated within a linguistic framework of politeness theory: while the supervisory role includes the obligation of criticism, the act of criticism is constrained by the face-to-face encounter of the supervisory conference. A central construct is the notion of fragility: the supervisory conference-an event which is equated with the talk that achieves it - is considered to be inherently fragile. The aim of the project is to investigate the language so as to uncover the source of the fragility.--Findings suggest that the perceived tension derives from a tug-of-war of essential elements: while the supervisory position affords discoursal power (the right to raise and pursue topics, take long turns, drive the discourse etc), the fa-threatening nature of the event obliges supervisors to resort to social/strategic skills to protect the teacher's face, as well as their own. The textualisation of this restraint takes the form of linguistic mitigation - devices rooted in syntax and semantics that allow supervisors to undercut the force of their own assertions. Mitigation is posited as the means by which supervisors resolve the clash-of-goals that is central to their role. However, mitigation is risky because it may interfere with message clarity.-- The product of the grounded study is a typology of utterance-level mitigation. The typology has three macro-categories (syntactic, semantic and indirectness) and fourteen sub-categories.-- The study was triangulated through an ethnographic investigation of supervisory concerns about feedback; and through an experiment designed to gauge teachers' perceptions of variously mitigated supervisory language. Findings from both studies corroborate the central tenet by contributing images of supervision that support the clash-of-goals thesis.--The projected applied outcome is in supervisor training where, it is suggested, strategic training delivered in a framework of politeness theory would reduce the unwitting dependence on mitigation and hence the risk of message distortion.--Suggestions for further research conclude the study.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
413 leaves
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Yoo, Joanne. "A narrative landscape of a teacher's perception of the 'other' in a Korean Christian University : the courage to 'be' and to learn." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/4132.
Full textAbstract:
The teaching and learning field has been renowned for being a rapidly changing and multifaceted environment. Moreover, being both intensely personal and public, the process of cultivating, discovering and relaying knowledge has also been influenced from a wide range of participating individuals to the broader groups in society. Such numerous possibilities for interaction have highlighted the difficulty of defining ‘good’ teaching and learning, especially considering the growing objectivism of modern day value systems. An increasing number of educators have thereby responded to this confusion by returning to more fundamental and holistic views of ‘knowing’ the ‘other.’ Such rising concerns for holistic teaching and learning practices represent many exciting possibilities for developments towards authenticity and autonomy, as teachers become responsible explorers of their profession. The current study is an autoethnography of my own teaching experiences at a small Korean Christian University. It captures my desires to develop greater sensitivity and empathy as a critical teacher practitioner, and further documents efforts to acquire aesthetic and creative skills as a writer. Ultimately, through my experiences as a teacher researcher, I have sought to develop a deeper picture of the knowing process as a rich and mutual dialogue between the 'knower' and the 'other.’ To do this, I have constructed eight stories based on my teaching experiences. The first describes the reflections accompanying my experiences of writing, whilst the next three involve narrative portrayals of certain striking colleagues and students. The following two stories convey the ‘faith’ and ‘acceptance’ experienced through the study, and the last two act as a form of reflective closure to the overall teaching and researching experience Since I believed that the symbolic and holistic nature of story writing could convey the depth, complexity and open-endedness of the knowing process, I have chosen narratives and reflective writing to capture and depict my experiences (Van Manen, 1997). Interviews and journals writing of my students and my colleagues have also been included to further explore these ideas. Accordingly, this current study seeks to portray a view of 'knowing' that enables teachers and students to become co-researchers, who can cultivate sensitivity, creativity and empathy towards the 'other.’
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Yoo, Joanne. "A narrative landscape of a teacher's perception of the 'other' in a Korean Christian University : the courage to 'be' and to learn." University of Sydney, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/4132.
Full textAbstract:
Doctor of EducationThe teaching and learning field has been renowned for being a rapidly changing and multifaceted environment. Moreover, being both intensely personal and public, the process of cultivating, discovering and relaying knowledge has also been influenced from a wide range of participating individuals to the broader groups in society. Such numerous possibilities for interaction have highlighted the difficulty of defining ‘good’ teaching and learning, especially considering the growing objectivism of modern day value systems. An increasing number of educators have thereby responded to this confusion by returning to more fundamental and holistic views of ‘knowing’ the ‘other.’ Such rising concerns for holistic teaching and learning practices represent many exciting possibilities for developments towards authenticity and autonomy, as teachers become responsible explorers of their profession. The current study is an autoethnography of my own teaching experiences at a small Korean Christian University. It captures my desires to develop greater sensitivity and empathy as a critical teacher practitioner, and further documents efforts to acquire aesthetic and creative skills as a writer. Ultimately, through my experiences as a teacher researcher, I have sought to develop a deeper picture of the knowing process as a rich and mutual dialogue between the 'knower' and the 'other.’ To do this, I have constructed eight stories based on my teaching experiences. The first describes the reflections accompanying my experiences of writing, whilst the next three involve narrative portrayals of certain striking colleagues and students. The following two stories convey the ‘faith’ and ‘acceptance’ experienced through the study, and the last two act as a form of reflective closure to the overall teaching and researching experience Since I believed that the symbolic and holistic nature of story writing could convey the depth, complexity and open-endedness of the knowing process, I have chosen narratives and reflective writing to capture and depict my experiences (Van Manen, 1997). Interviews and journals writing of my students and my colleagues have also been included to further explore these ideas. Accordingly, this current study seeks to portray a view of 'knowing' that enables teachers and students to become co-researchers, who can cultivate sensitivity, creativity and empathy towards the 'other.’
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Watkins, Megan. "Discipline and learn : theorising the pedagogic body." Thesis, View thesis, 2003. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/23481.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis, grounded in an empirically-based study of pedagogic practice in primary school classrooms, examines the corporeality of learning and its role in the process of learning how to write. The central concern in the formation of scholarly habits in the primary years and the degree to which the embodiment of specific dispositions is fundamental in students acquiring the ability and desire to write. This thesis explores the enabling dimensions of embodiment and how these can be generated through the pedagogic practices of schooling. The body is not simply perceived as being shaped by the external, nor capacitated by its ability to retain affects, but rather as mindful, where these affects form the basis of consciousness with embodied understanding being integral to how we learn. This thesis asserts the inseparability of body and mind. Different conceptualisations of the body are examined, and assessed in terms of their usefulness in understanding the role of the body in learning and the need within education to posit an ontology that embraces both the body and the mind. A genealogy of the educative body is provided through an analysis of English syllabus documents within the New South Wales education system. An empirically-based study is conducted examining the pedagogies employed by six teachers and the ways in which disciplinary techniques they employ can contribute to their students’ acquisition of a scholarly habitus and their ability and desire to write.
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Stone, Helen. "Specialist teachers and curriculum reform in a Western Australian primary school in 2002: a comparative study of specialist music, health and physical education, and languages-other-than-English teaching professionals." Thesis, Stone, Helen (2006) Specialist teachers and curriculum reform in a Western Australian primary school in 2002: a comparative study of specialist music, health and physical education, and languages-other-than-English teaching professionals. Masters by Research thesis, Murdoch University, 2006. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/350/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis details research on the first phase of curriculum reform (1999-2004) in a government primary school in Western Australia. The purpose of the study was to examine what progress had been made with the implementation of the Curriculum Framework (1998). The research focussed on Music, Health and Physical Education, and Languages Other than English as specialist teachers working with the Curriculum Framework (1998). Teachers and school administrators, as frontline practitioners, considered their experiences and perceptions of daily practice and provided their perspectives on curriculum reform.
The hypothesis formulated for the study was that with the introduction of the Curriculum Framework (1998) the delivery of these three subjects could be further improved. This study argues that successful curriculum performance of these three subjects traditionally considered 'specialist programs' may be more fully supported by becoming aware of the forces influencing Australian curriculum discourse and delivery. Subject knowledge endorsement in this study refers to the transfer of valued knowledge in Western Australian educational systems. It is proposed that if teaching professionals articulated the substance of their educational beliefs and experiences with regard to subject knowledge meaning, place and value, curriculum delivery in primary schools may progress more effectively. Positive learning experiences for all students can be provided through the encouragement of communication and collegiality together with relevant and accessible professional development. These measures can also be supported by mounting whole-school primary programs that engage with beliefs about Music, Health and Physical Education, and Languages Other Than English through collaborative networks and learning communities. Accordingly, curriculum delivery can come within reach of the seamless curriculum anticipated by reform (Curriculum Framework, 1998:6-7).
In this qualitative interview study, the frontline participants included generalist teachers, specialist teachers and school administrators. These educational practitioners were asked to participate in an in-depth, semi-structured discussion that explored their perceptions of specialist teaching and knowledge while employed at Deep Sea Primary School in 2002. They teachers also commented on how these perceptions may be linked to their experiences of socially constructed and established notions of valued knowledge.
The findings of this study indicated that the progressive implementation of these three subjects or specialist's areas were characterised by subtle historical, economic, political and social forces. This thesis suggests that, these largely obscured external forces together with individual yet, taken for granted perceptions of what is perceived as valuable knowledge work together to position curriculum rhetoric and curriculum enactment that reflect established perceptions of the knowledge hierarchy. Teachers and administrators at the school often operated within the structures and meanings of conventional teaching practice of subject knowledge as determined by dominant culture in Australia. The findings indicated that school culture in a time of reform re-traditionalised hierarchical patterns of subject knowledge organisation and evaluation. Accordingly, current subject knowledge endorsement in terms of specialist teaching often worked to the benefit of established power relationships typical of post-industrial market economy in Australia.
The findings also indicated that issues pertaining to curriculum prioritisation were influenced by institutional, group and individual experiences of subject specialist knowledge. Poor perceptions of these three subjects could also be generated by experiencing inflexible and inadequate yet established funding and resource patterns in educational systems. Frontline teachers, their school-based roles and responsibilities attached to the teaching and learning of the three specialist areas were typified by rigid school organisation and job structures together with condensed teaching time and community backing.
This thesis argues that progressive, outcomes education requires an articulate and supportive school culture, more funding and the genuine maintenance of quality Music, Health and Physical Education and Language Other Than English teachers. In addition, curriculum implementation would benefit from the promotion of constructivist-orientated student activities within specialist programs.
21
Stone, Helen. "Specialist teachers and curriculum reform in a Western Australian primary school in 2002 : a comparative study of specialist music, health and physical education, and languages-other-than-English teaching professionals /." Stone, Helen (2006) Specialist teachers and curriculum reform in a Western Australian primary school in 2002: a comparative study of specialist music, health and physical education, and languages-other-than-English teaching professionals. Masters by Research thesis, Murdoch University, 2006. http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/350/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis details research on the first phase of curriculum reform (1999-2004) in a government primary school in Western Australia. The purpose of the study was to examine what progress had been made with the implementation of the Curriculum Framework (1998). The research focussed on Music, Health and Physical Education, and Languages Other than English as specialist teachers working with the Curriculum Framework (1998). Teachers and school administrators, as frontline practitioners, considered their experiences and perceptions of daily practice and provided their perspectives on curriculum reform.
The hypothesis formulated for the study was that with the introduction of the Curriculum Framework (1998) the delivery of these three subjects could be further improved. This study argues that successful curriculum performance of these three subjects traditionally considered 'specialist programs' may be more fully supported by becoming aware of the forces influencing Australian curriculum discourse and delivery. Subject knowledge endorsement in this study refers to the transfer of valued knowledge in Western Australian educational systems. It is proposed that if teaching professionals articulated the substance of their educational beliefs and experiences with regard to subject knowledge meaning, place and value, curriculum delivery in primary schools may progress more effectively. Positive learning experiences for all students can be provided through the encouragement of communication and collegiality together with relevant and accessible professional development. These measures can also be supported by mounting whole-school primary programs that engage with beliefs about Music, Health and Physical Education, and Languages Other Than English through collaborative networks and learning communities. Accordingly, curriculum delivery can come within reach of the seamless curriculum anticipated by reform (Curriculum Framework, 1998:6-7).
In this qualitative interview study, the frontline participants included generalist teachers, specialist teachers and school administrators. These educational practitioners were asked to participate in an in-depth, semi-structured discussion that explored their perceptions of specialist teaching and knowledge while employed at Deep Sea Primary School in 2002. They teachers also commented on how these perceptions may be linked to their experiences of socially constructed and established notions of valued knowledge.
The findings of this study indicated that the progressive implementation of these three subjects or specialist's areas were characterised by subtle historical, economic, political and social forces. This thesis suggests that, these largely obscured external forces together with individual yet, taken for granted perceptions of what is perceived as valuable knowledge work together to position curriculum rhetoric and curriculum enactment that reflect established perceptions of the knowledge hierarchy. Teachers and administrators at the school often operated within the structures and meanings of conventional teaching practice of subject knowledge as determined by dominant culture in Australia. The findings indicated that school culture in a time of reform re-traditionalised hierarchical patterns of subject knowledge organisation and evaluation. Accordingly, current subject knowledge endorsement in terms of specialist teaching often worked to the benefit of established power relationships typical of post-industrial market economy in Australia.
The findings also indicated that issues pertaining to curriculum prioritisation were influenced by institutional, group and individual experiences of subject specialist knowledge. Poor perceptions of these three subjects could also be generated by experiencing inflexible and inadequate yet established funding and resource patterns in educational systems. Frontline teachers, their school-based roles and responsibilities attached to the teaching and learning of the three specialist areas were typified by rigid school organisation and job structures together with condensed teaching time and community backing.
This thesis argues that progressive, outcomes education requires an articulate and supportive school culture, more funding and the genuine maintenance of quality Music, Health and Physical Education and Language Other Than English teachers. In addition, curriculum implementation would benefit from the promotion of constructivist-orientated student activities within specialist programs.
22
Koppe, Rosemarie. "Aboriginal student reading progress under targeted intervention." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2000. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/36652/1/36652_Digitised%20Thesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Urban Aboriginal students often come to school with a different set of cultural and
language learnings than those of their non- indigenous peers. These differences can
pose major barriers for the primary- aged Aboriginal student trying to access the
curriculum which is based on Standard Australian English (SAE). Aboriginal students
often come to school speaking a recognised dialect of English, Aboriginal English
(AE) which has its own grammatical, phonological, pragmatic and socio- cultural
standards which at times are quite different from those of classroom language
interactions. The mismatch between the language of the home (AE) and the language
of the classroom (SAE) can have dramatic effects on the literacy learning of
Aboriginal students and hence their ability to effectively read in Standard Australian
English.
This study aims to explore the question of whether changes would be evident in urban
Aboriginal students (who speak Standard Australian English as a second dialect),
following a targeted reading intervention program. This reading intervention program,
called an "Integrated Approach" combined existing strategies in reading and second
language I second dialect teaching and learning, with cultural understandings, in a
methodology aimed at improving the reading ability of the participating Aboriginal
students. The students who were the 5 case studies were part of a larger cohort of
students within a wider study. Students were drawn from primary schools in urban
localities within the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia.
Qualitative data collection procedures were used to observe the 5 case study students
over a period of 6 months and quantitative measures were also utilised to support this
data for the purposes of triangulation. Both data collection sources for the case studies
and the wider study showed that the reading intervention program did have significant
effect on reading accuracy, reading comprehension and the affective area of learning.
The study revealed that by using the teaching I learning strategies described in the
intervention program, combined with socio-cultural understandings which include
respect for the students' home language and an understanding of the effects of
learning English as a Second Dialect (SESD), educators can assist Aboriginal students
m improving their abilities to read in SAE. Other positive effects on students'
behaviours during the intervention program which were recorded during the study
included: an improved attitude to reading; a new willingness and confidence in
reading; an improved willingness to participate in language activities both in tutorial
sessions and back in the classroom; improved use of decoding skills and an improved
control over SAE grammatical structures in writing tasks.
This study emphasises the need for educators to work ardently at increasing their own
understanding of how best to assist Aboriginal students in becoming competent
literacy learners in SAE. Closing the gap created by the mismatch between home and
school language can only be achieved by educators exploring eclectic pedagogical
options and valuing the Aboriginal student's home language as a vital learning tool in
gaining this competence in SAE literacies.
KEYWORDS
Australian Aborigines; Aboriginal; urban Aborigines; Primary- aged students;
Standard Australian English; English as a Second Language; Standard English as a
Second Dialect; Aboriginal English; Standard Australian English; home language;
socio- cultural; culture; language; oral language; oral culture; prior knowledge;
literacy; reading; reading comprehension; reading strategies; modelling reading;
literature; learning styles; mechanics of reading; code switching; standardised
assessment.
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Moore, Wendy M. "Clever talk : using literature to boost vocabulary through explicit teaching in early childhood." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2013. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/685.
Full textAbstract:
Vocabulary knowledge is an important predictor of literacy and broader academic outcomes. Children’s literature is a rich source of sophisticated vocabulary, and this study investigated the efficacy of boosting word learning by incorporating explicit instruction approaches into story-book read-aloud sessions. This design-based research study sought to compare two models: teaching a greater number of word meanings more briefly and teaching fewer words in greater depth. Six schools from low SES areas participated, with the main intervention program running for three 6 week blocks.
Overall, both of the explicit approaches were more effective in improving word learning for Grade One students than a traditional, student-centred or constructivist approach. Teaching more words briefly (greater breadth) was just as effective overall as teaching fewer words in a robust manner (greater depth). Students made larger gains on more difficult words than on simpler words, although the pattern of word learning was affected by the students’ vocabulary knowledge at the outset. Students with the highest initial vocabulary scores made greater gains, and learnt more of the most difficult words, than students with lower initial scores. While the intervention resulted in large effect size gains on target vocabulary words as assessed by researcher-developed measures, there was no impact on standardised vocabulary measures (PPVT and EVT) when compared to a control group.
Explicit instructional approaches have not been widely used in Western Australian classrooms, so the study used group interviews to investigate teachers’ responses to the programs. Mitigating and facilitative factors influencing the adoption of vocabulary instruction practices in schools were explored. Student engagement, ease of use, time efficiency and the provision of prepared materials were important factors in teacher responsiveness to the programs.
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Faine, Miriam. "At home in Australia: identity, nation and the teaching of English as a second language to adult immigrants in Australia." Monash University. Faculty of Education, 2009. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/68741.
Full textAbstract:
This is an autoethnographic study (e.g. Brodkey, 1994) based on ‘stories’ from my own personal and professional journey as an adult ESL teacher which I use to narrate some aspects of adult ESL teaching. With migration one of the most dramatically contested spheres of modern political life world wide (Hall, 1998), adult English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching is increasingly a matter of social concern and political policy, as we see in the current political debates in Australia concerning immigration, citizenship and language. In Australia as an imagined community (Anderson, 1991), the song goes ‘we are, you are Australian and in one voice we sing’. In this study I argue that this voice of normative ‘Australianess’ is discursively aligned with White Australians as native speakers (an essential, biological formulation). Stretching Pennycook’s (1994a) argument that ELT (English Language Teaching) as a discourse aligns with colonialism, I suggest that the field of adult ESL produces, classifies and measures the conditions of sameness and difference to this normative ‘Australian’. The second language speaker is discursively constructed as always a deficient communicator compared with the native speaker. The binary between an imagined homogeneous Australia and the ‘migrant’ as essentially other, works against the inclusion of the learner into the dominant groups represented by their teachers, so that the intentions of adult ESL pedagogy and provision are mitigated by this imagining, problematizing and containing of the learners as other. The role of ESL teachers is to supervise (Hage, 1998) the incorporation of this other. Important policy interventions (e.g. Department of Immigration and Citizenship, 2006; ALLP, 1991a) are based on understanding the English language as a universalist framework of language competences inherent in the native speaker; on understanding language as consisting of fixed structures which are external to the learner and their social contexts; and on a perception that language as generic, transferable cognitive skills can be taught universally with suitable curricula and sufficient funding. Conversely in this study I recognise language as linguistic systems that define groups and regulate social relations, forming ‘a will to community’ (Pennycook, op. cit.) or ‘communities of practice’ (Lave & Wenger, 1991). Language as complex local and communal practices emerges from specific contexts. Language is embedded in acts of identity (e.g. Bakhtin, 1981) developing through dialogue, involving the emotions as well as the intellect, so that ‘voice’ is internal to desires and thoughts and hence part of identity. Following Norton (2000) who links the practices of adult ESL learners as users of English within the social relations of their every day lives, with their identities as “migrants”, I suggest that the stabilisation of language by language learners known as interlanguage reflects diaspora as a hybrid life world. More effective ESL policies, programs and pedagogies that assist immigrant learners feel ‘at home’ within Australia as a community of practice (Wenger, 1998) rest on understanding immigrant life worlds as diasporic (Gilroy, 1997). The research recommends an adult ESL pedagogy that responds to the understanding of language as socially constituted practices that are situated in social, local, everyday workplace and community events and spaces. Practices of identity and their representation through language can be re-negotiated through engagement in collective activities in ESL classes that form third spaces (Soja, 1999). The possibilities for language development that emerge are in accord with the learners’ affective investment in the new language community, but occur as improvements in making effective meanings, rather than conformity to the formal linguistic system (Pavlenko & Lantolf, 2000).
25
Foreman, Annik 1973. "Pretending to be someone you're not : a study of second dialect acquisition in Australia." Monash University, School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, 2003. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/5859.
Full text
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Glew, Paul J. "Learning and teaching in ESL perspectives on educating international students in Australia /." View Vol. 1 (Vol. 2 restricted access), 2008. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/41785.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2008.A thesis presented to the University of Western Sydney, Centre for Educational Research, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. Includes bibliographies.
27
Gunn, John Samuel. "Australian vocabulary : a study of land settlement, stock raising, and the wool industry." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/14296.
Full text
28
Nie, Junshan. "Teaching English as a second language, a phenomenological study." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape3/PQDD_0017/NQ54677.pdf.
Full text
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Wong, Hoi-yee Grace. "Teaching of writing : a study of the effects of the teaching of rhetorical information structure on the organization of the writing of Form 4 and Form 7 students /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1993. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B13836882.
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Weeden, Scott R. Hesse Douglas Dean. "Teaching discipline-specific academic writing a qualitative study of four semesters /." Normal, Ill. Illinois State University, 1998. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ilstu/fullcit?p9835922.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1998.Title from title page screen, viewed July 7, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Douglas Hesse (chair), Janice Neuleib, Dana Harrington. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 179-183) and abstract. Also available in print.
31
Gehringer, Jennefer Fry. "A study of developmentally appropriate teaching strategies for teaching writing in the early childhood classroom." Instructions for remote access. Click here to access this electronic resource. Access available to Kutztown University faculty, staff, and students only, 2003. http://www.kutztown.edu/library/services/remote_access.asp.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M. Ed.)--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 2003.Abstract precedes thesis as preliminary leaf i. Typescript. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2770. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 29-31).
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Yu, Siu-hung, and 余小紅. "The teaching of English: a sociological perspective." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1994. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31958400.
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AlKhars, Dalal Ali Mohammed Ali. "Creativity in English language teaching in Kuwait : a TESOL study." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/13928.
Full textAbstract:
The aim of this study is to investigate English language teachers’ understanding of creativity in the context of primary education in Kuwait. The meaning of creativity, and the factors that support or suppress it, are investigated from the point of view of female English language teachers in the primary stage in Kuwait. Most research in the fields of both TESOL and creativity in education has been undertaken in the West, some in the East, but very little in the Middle East (Craft, 2001a) in a context similar to that of Kuwait. In the context of Kuwait, creativity is called for in policy, but there is a lack of research and clarification as to what creativity means to English language teachers in their own context. The main approach to data collection and analysis was grounded theory. In the first stage of data collection, fifteen in-depth interviews and ten non-participant observations were carried out, to provide both breadth of research and depth of understanding. In the second stage, to enlarge the data, a survey (of seventy-five participants) was designed based on the findings of the first stage of data collection and analysis, as well as on the findings of previous literature. The participants were female TESOL teachers and senior teachers in primary schools in Kuwait. Findings from interviews, observations and questionnaires were consistent in many ways regarding the meaning of creativity in TESOL in the context of the study. All three methods of data collection revealed that creativity was perceived as a multi-faceted concept. The creative English language teacher was viewed as confident and self-directed. Using new and successful teaching material and methods, establishing good relationships with learners and being able to meet their needs in English language were associated with creative English language teaching. However, some findings emerged from certain data collection methods but not others. For example, the salience of clarity and freedom (autonomy) emerged from the interviews but not from the observations or questionnaire. All three methods showed similar supporting and suppressing factors for creativity. Supporting factors were both internal and external, notably the availability of teaching material (resources) and self-motivation. Suppressing factors were the lack of teaching aids and a negative school environment. The current study contributes to knowledge by expanding the understanding of two areas of research which are TESOL and creativity within the context of Kuwait, focusing on the voice of the primary stage teacher. The current study agrees with previous studies that creativity is associated with newness and value (Cheng and Yeh, 2006; Forrester & Hui, 2007) and the current study explained that newness and value are relative. The current research suggests that TESOL teachers can be creative in one or many aspects (Rietzschel et al., 2009). The current study agrees with previous studies that creativity is context related because there are creativity elements which are unique to the cultural context (Craft, 2001a; Grigorenko & Tan, 2008), but at the same time the current study proposes that creativity can be universal in some ways because of some common findings of studies from different contexts. Other contributions to knowledge points are clarity and freedom and their relation to creativity in TESOL. Clarity is not mentioned much in the literature, but can be linked to knowledge (Sternberg & Lubart, 1991). Freedom can also be related to autonomy and creativity (Sternberg, 2006b). The current research views that the process, product, person and place of creativity in TESOL are interrelated (Wallace, 1926; Fryer, 1996; Runco, 1997; Craft, 2001; Rhodes, 1961). Unlike previous studies, the current research into creativity in TESOL was not associated with artistic language, literature (Mok et al., 2006), or errors and violating language rules (Tin et al., 2010; Brown, 2001). The current findings are also different from the literature in that creativity was not linked to imagination (Beetlestone, 1998; Craft, 2000; Craft, Jeffrey & Leibling, 2001; Fryers, 1996; Egan et al., 1988; Craft, 2002, 2003a) or aesthetics (Craft, 2001a). On the other hand, creativity in TESOL is linked to personal traits including confidence, which agrees with the literature (NACCCE, 1999; Craft, Jeffrey, & Leibling 2001; Burnard et al., 2006; Craft, 2002; Craft, 2001b; Claxton et al., 2006; Fryer, 1996). The current study suggests more detailed the written preparation notes of the participants the less confident participants seemed to be. This can be related to the negative effect of evaluation on creativity (Sternberg, 2006b). The literature associated intrinsic motivational factors with creativity (Jones & Wyse, 2004, Sternberg, 2006b), but the current study shows that extrinsic as well as intrinsic motivational factors support creativity in TESOL. The current study suggests belonging to field and workplace is a supporting factor for creativity. This can be related to collaboration which is suggested in previous studies (Craft et al., 2008; John-Steiner, 2000; Miell & Littleton). The literature suggests that creativity flourishes in collaboration; however some of the current research participants prefer to work individually, while others prefer to work collaboratively to be more creative. Teaching material is an important tangible side to the creativity of TESOL (Cheng & Yeh, 2006), and relationships are also linked to improving TESOL creativity according the current research. Implications for teachers’ reflection, teachers’ education and training courses as well as better communication with the teacher for teaching material design and a better school working environments are some of the recommendations of the current research. Future research can benefit from the findings and the recommendations of the current research.
34
Brandeis, Judy. "English language arts and media education : making links." Thesis, McGill University, 1998. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=21197.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this study is to advance existing Media Education theory by looking at similarities in English Language Arts (ELA) theory and Media Education theory. The study explores similarities and differences between the two areas of study creating a broader understanding of literacy, English Language Arts, Media Education and pedagogy.In order to clarify the co-relation between English Language Arts theory and Media Education theory, I interviewed experts in both fields to shed light on how these two areas of study complement one another and where the points of difference lie. The information points to the development in theory and opportunities for research that may help teachers in training and classroom teachers integrate Media Education and ELA education.
35
Irvine-Niakaris, Christine. "Teaching reading in English as a foreign language : a language teacher cognition study." Thesis, University of Bristol, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.681501.
Full textAbstract:
Language teacher cognition research originated from teacher cognition studies in general education. It is a well-established domain of research concerned with what teachers think, know and believe and the relationship of these mental constructs to their classroom practice. Although research in the field of language teaching cognition has proliferated in the last 10 years, particularly in the teaching of grammar, there are very few studies on the teaching of reading in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and no specific studies which relate to the teaching of advanced level reading to adults in preparation classes for a high stakes international examination. The present study aims to fill the gap in our understanding of the teaching of reading by examining the cognitions and practice of four experienced teachers of English working in a non-profit language teaching centre in Greece. The research framework for this study in language teacher cognition is an exploratory interpretative paradigm. The research design is naturalistic rather than experimental and concerned with understanding the teachers' knowledge base and how this knowledge has been shaped. Central to the interpretative nature of this study are the combined qualitative methods of classroom observation, individual teacher interviews and a scenario-based group discussion including all four teachers. The combination of methods is aimed at enhancing the ecological validity of the study, and an attempt to relate teacher thinking to real teaching situations. The findings suggest that the four 'teachers in this study mostly shared similar practices in the organization of their instruction, explicit instruction of reading strategies and mode of delivery and that there were very few inconsistencies between their beliefs and practice. The findings also indicated that teachers' cognitions and practice are informed by undergraduate studies in general, professional coursework in teaching as well as accumulated Classroom experience, particularly in teaching examination preparation classes. These results have strong implications for pre-service and in-service teacher education courses and seminars in EFL.
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Poindexter, Wanda 1946. "Creative imitation: An option for teaching writing." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/291444.
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Creative Imitation is an alternative strategy to help students improve their expository writing in college composition. It combines writing by imitation with process modeling to increase student fluency with both the products and processes of writing. For centuries, a technique of "imitatio" was used to teach oral and written language traditions. Isocrates, Quintilian, and Cicero shaped the tradition of imitating writing models. Their principles were revived in the 60s by two neo-classical educators, Corbett and D'Angelo. Objections to the principles of imitation to teach writing are analyzed: models intimidate students, imitation focuses on the products instead of the processes of writing, and imitation reduces individual creativity. Some teachers have reported success with student-centered writing-by-imitation exercises in college composition classrooms. They assert that imitation exercises increase student awareness of correct usage, grammar conventions, rhetorical strategies, and paradoxically enable students to develop an "authentic" voice in their own writing.
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Jennings, Stephen. "Implementing communicative language teaching : a case study of English language teaching reform in a Japanese science university." Thesis, Open University, 2018. http://oro.open.ac.uk/58102/.
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This thesis considers an example of English language teaching (ELT) reform in the context of internationalisation at Noda campus, Tokyo University of Science, Japan. Research questions not only enquire into institutional policy, but also teacher beliefs, attitudes and perceptions about a greater use of communicative language teaching activities and how these notions play out in examples of teaching practice. I take an interpretive stance to the enquiry and conduct a qualitative case study. As a participant in the research context, I am able to gain insight into the wider social processes of a purposely chosen group of seven Japanese English teachers. I employ Wolcott's (2008) notion of an ethnographic perspective on data gathering with 1) institutional documents regarding ELT reform and other ethnographic material, 2) field notes taken during classroom observations; and, 3) a theme analysis of semi-structured interview transcripts. Findings suggest there has been a move towards 1) the implementation of communicative language teaching activities with a large increase in the number of oral English courses, 2) a more student-centred approach; and, 3) the introduction of oral communication activities on a trial-and-error basis. I contend that findings are relevant to educational theory in illuminating the extent to which perceived negative attitudes towards ELT reform may be mitigated through constructive engagement. Moreover, in terms of educational practice, the study of participants' apparent attitudes and beliefs may be analogous to other groups of teachers engaging with foreign language education reforms. The thesis concludes by recommending future investigation into educational contexts viewed as inter-related systems (Larsen-Freeman and Cameron, 2008). Such future investigations will focus on the constant mutual restructuring of teaching policy, theory and practice (Johnson, 2008). This type of research will provide insight into how educators mediate national and institutional policy initiatives in order that they be suitable for local contexts.
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Krebs-Lazendic, Lidija, University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, and MARCS Auditory Laboratories. "Early vs. late Serbian-English bilinguals' responses to two Australian English vowel contrasts." 2008. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/36713.
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Adults learning a second language (L2) (“late learners”) have difficulty achieving a native speaker’s level of accuracy in both perception and production of L2 phonetic segments. This difficulty often results in deviant production of L2 segments that is perceived as accented speech by native speakers of that language. It is generally agreed that this failure in non native segmental production and perception is caused by previous linguistic experience with the first (L1) language. Late learners are expected to show stronger L1 effects than learners who learnt their L2 in early childhood (“early learners”). However, not all L2 phonetic segments are equally difficult for late learners. The learnability of L2 phonetic segments is thought to be perceptual in nature and depends on the perceived phonetic distance between them and the acoustically, phonetically and/or articulatorily most similar segment(s) in the learner’s L1 phonetic inventory. It is generally assumed that specific L2 segments will be perceptually related or assimilated to the most similar L1 segment(s) even if there is a detectable acoustic difference between them. The studies reported in this thesis examined Serbian-English bilinguals’ perception and production difficulties with two Australian English vowel contrasts that are not contrastive in Serbian: /e/ - /æ/ and /i:/ - //. We compared participants who began learning English before 5 years (“early”) versus those who began after 15 years (“late”). In Study 1and Study 2 early learners discriminated and produced both contrasts equally well, whereas late learners had greater difficulties perceiving and producing /e/ - /æ/. In Study 3 a priming paradigm was applied to discrimination and perceptual assimilation tasks in which the prime and target contain phonologically identical, phonetically similar or phonologically and phonetically unrelated vowels under two interstimulus intervals (ISI) that tap phonological versus phonetic levels of processing, according to prior research. Early versus late group differences suggest that discrimination and production accuracy reflect how listeners assimilate Australian English vowels to native Serbian vowels. “Early” and “late” learners related L2 vowels to L1 differently, which reflects differences in establishment of the L1 phonetic system at the time of L2 onset.Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
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Liando, Nihta V. F. (Vera Frelly). "Foreign language learning in primary schools with special reference to Indonesia, Thailand and Australia." 1999. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ARM/09arml693.pdf.
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Bibliography: leaves 211-227. This thesis addresses the implications of language policy for foreign language teaching practice. It specifically looks at the implementation of language policy on the practice of teaching English in Indonesian and Thai primary schools as well as on the practice of teaching Indonesian in Australian primary schools.
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Glew, Paul J., University of Western Sydney, and Centre for Educational Research. "Learning and teaching in ESL : perspectives on educating international students in Australia." 2008. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/41785.
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This Doctor of Education (EdD) portfolio addresses the learning by and teaching of English to full-fee-paying international students from language backgrounds other than English in a secondary school setting in Australia. It focuses on the two strands of English second language (ESL) learning and teaching in schools. The first of these is ESL for the general school curriculum in New South Wales (NSW). The second is English language intensive courses for overseas students (ELICOS). The EdD portfolio consists of two volumes. Volume 1 consists of five published journal papers, two refereed papers and one unrefereed paper published in national, state or local conference proceedings. These papers examine theory, pedagogy and teacher knowledge about English language education for high school aged international students. English language programs for overseas students are now a global market driven by commercial interests. I argue for an increased understanding of the needs of overseas students in the Australian education system, and that quality English language education and student welfare are both central to an effective ELICOS program for high school aged international students. Volume 2 comprises a resource for policy makers, principals and teachers entitled ‘Excellence in ELICOS: A Resource for quality preparation programs for high school aged international students in Australia’. Volume 2 is informed and underpinned by the scholarship, research, and theoretical work presented in Volume 1 but also draws on the author’s professional experience of implementing a holistic approach to international student welfare and English language education in a secondary school in NSW. Volume 2 presents a practical framework, approach and supporting resource that might assist in the establishing, implementing and sustaining of quality, intensive English language courses that are sensitive to the diverse educational and welfare needs of overseas students. Volume 2 was developed in response to the needs and demands of principals and teachers for proven, research driven curricula and policies that meet the needs of the growing population of international students enrolled in NSW secondary schools.Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
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Akhter, Rezina. "Enabling effective teaching with non-English speaking students." Thesis, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.7/uws:69025.
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Nowadays, students’ language and cultural differences are distinct in the University campuses. Every year Non-English Speaking Background (NESB)/international students come to Australia to do the higher study. But the problem is identifying how those students manage their study load despite language and cultural differences. To enable effective teaching for culturally and linguistically dissimilar groups of students, this study looks at students’ problem experiences and the learning barriers from their point of view. Qualitative method and narrative analysis are used and narrative data (stories) from 11 individual participants or small groups are collected through interviews. Based on what they said and on the obtained meanings, pattern/themes have been created. NESB students’ problems factors include financial pressure, loneliness, cultural differences of values, social isolation, low motivation and low resources. For the purpose of written assessments, English language course necessity, studying in English medium and listening and comprehending lecture and tutorial in the classroom environment have been explored. Undergraduate students experience more difficulties to pursue their study than postgraduate students. Both undergraduate and postgraduate NESB students need more learning support and resources, especially for the duration of the first year of study.
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Nakamura, Kikuko. "Problems encountered by non-native Japanese speakers in learning giving and receiving verbs in Japanese." Master's thesis, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/144409.
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Aboultaif, Ronda. "Lebanese Arabic listeners' perception of Australian English vowels." Thesis, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.7/uws:41013.
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Second language (L2) learning involves more than simply understanding the grammar or writing system of a new language; it also requires the acquisition of a new sound system. In particular, vowels are particularly difficult to perceive due to the influence of the learners’ native language vowel inventory (Flege, 1995; Escudero, 2005; Best & Tyler, 2007). The present study investigated the role of acoustic similarity in predicting bilingual Lebanese Arabic-English (LA) listeners’ discrimination of Australian English (AusE) vowels. The findings are in line with the predictions based on acoustic similarity in terms of the Second Language Linguistic Perception model (L2LP; Escudero & Boersma, 2004; Escudero, 2005; 2009a). In particular, LA listeners use duration as a cue to facilitate discrimination of AusE vowel contrasts which produces few difficulties. For the LA listeners, discrimination difficulty is only apparent for vowel contrasts where the vowels do not align perfectly with native LA counterparts. Furthermore, when both vowels in the non-native contrast are acoustically similar to or perceived as the same multiple native categories, resulting in an acoustic or perceptual overlap, also contributes to the difficulties in vowel discrimination. Further research is required to test the reliability of the present findings and to establish whether the identified patterns are also detected in speech production.
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Darmawan, Jenny. "The development of tense and aspect in English L2 in Chinese older migrants in Australia." Thesis, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.7/uws:49938.
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This study investigates the development of tense and aspect (TA) in English L2 in Chinese L1 older migrants in Australia within a Processability Theory (PT) (Pienemann, 1998). TA is expressed differently in Chinese and English: it is expressed through morphological and syntactic processes in English while in Chinese tense it is expressed lexically, and aspect via contextual cues and aspect markers, e.g., le (Xiao & McEnery, 2004). These typological contrasts create learning difficulties among Chinese L1 learners in producing English TA (Wiedenhof, 2015). From a morph-syntactic viewpoint, PT hypothesises a universal sequence of L2 development where V-ing and V-ed are acquired at category-procedure stage, followed by verb phrase agreement between auxiliary and lexical verb at phrasal stage and finally marking of third person-singular on verb at S-procedure stage. The Aspect Hypothesis (AH) (Andersen & Shirai, 1994; Shirai, 2002b; Shirai & Andersen, 1995) on the other hand, claims that the acquisition of aspect is related to verb semantics and, for instance, acquisition of progressive V-ing starts with Activity verbs (e.g., walking) then extends to Accomplishment (e.g., completing) and Achievement verbs (e.g., reaching) (Shirai & Andersen, 1995, p. 745). Further, in English L2, TA is acquired in the following order: Present progressive > Simple past > Past progressive > Present perfect > Past perfect. No study, so far, has investigated whether older migrants follow such developmental paths. Seven Chinese migrants in Australia, aged 60-69, participated in this study. They received four-week instruction on TA. Speech production data were collected before and after the instruction. Analyses indicate that the informants’ PT developmental stages and grammatical accuracy improved but with significant individual differences. Results also largely support AH. This study suggests that older learners are able to learn English TA through targeted training, and also provides empirical support to PT’s development trajectory among older learners.
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McNamara, Timothy Francis. "Assessing the second language proficiency of health professionals." 1990. http://repository.unimelb.edu.au/10187/7110.
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This thesis reports on the development of an Australian Government English as a Second Language test for health professionals, the Occupational English Test (OET) , and its validation using Rasch Item Response Theory models.The test contains sub-tests of the four macroskills, each based on workplace communication tasks. The thesis reports on the creation of test specifications, the trial ling of test materials and the analysis of data from full test sessions.
The main research issues dealt with are as follows:
1. The nature of the constructs involved in communicative language testing. The term proficiency is analysed, and its relationship to a number of models of communicative competence examined. The difficulty of incorporating into these models factors underlying test performance is identified.
2. The nature of performance tests. A distinction is introduced between strong and weak senses of the term performance test, and related to the discussion in 1 above.
3. The content validity of the OET. This is established on the basis of a questionnaire survey, interviews, examination of relevant literature, workplace observation and test data.
4. The role of classical and Rasch IRT analysis in establishing the qualities of the test. Classical and Rasch IRT analyses are used to establish the basic reliability of the OET sub-tests. The Writing sub-test is shown to be somewhat problematic for raters because of the nature of the writing task involved. Analysis of data from the Reading subtest demonstrates the superiority of the Rasch analysis in the creation of short tests with a specific screening function.
5. The role of Rasch IRT analysis in investigating the construct and content validity of the test and hence of communicatively-oriented tests in general. Rasch analysis reveals that the sub-tests are satisfactory operationalizations of the constructs 'ESL listening/ speaking/ reading/ writing ability in health professional contexts. For the Speaking and Writing sub-tests, the analysis reveals that responses of raters in categories associated with perceptions of grammatical accuracy have a more important role in the determination of the candidate's total score than was anticipated in the design of the test. This finding has implications for the validity of communicatively oriented tests in general, and illustrates the potential of IRT analysis for the investigation of the construct validity of tests.
6. The appropriateness of the use of Rasch IRT in the analysis of language tests. The nature of the debate about 'unidimensionality' in Rasch analysis is reviewed. It is argued that the issue has been substantialy misunderstood. Data from the two parts of the Listening sub-test are analysed, and statistical tests are used to confirm the unidimensionality of the data set. It is concluded that Rasch analysis is appropriate for a language test of this type.
7. The behaviour of raters in the rating of oral and written production in a second language. The findings reported in 5 above suggest that the behaviour of raters is crucial to understanding what is being measured in a communicative test of the productive language skills.
The research demonstrates the value of Rasch IRT analysis in the empirical validation of communicatively oriented language tests, and the potential of large-scale test development projects for theoretical work on language testing.
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Weng, Yi. "Exploring the funds of knowledge in the Chinese community in Australia for Mandarin teaching and learning in schools." Thesis, 2011. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/499732.
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This research reports on an exploration of the "funds of linguistic and cultural knowledge" in a Chinese community, with the purpose of building school/community partnership to utilize community resources for Mandarin teaching and learning in Australian schools. The research originally derived from the researcher's personal experience of learning English as a second language, in which the language environment and applications of language were found to be the most important factors that determined learning success. During her stint of research in the Western Sydney Region as a volunteer Mandarin teacher-researcher, she found that there was a lack of teaching and learning resources in the school, and that there was a need to build a systematic model to support the efficient utilization of community-based resources for educational purposes. This research focused on how to explore resources from the Chinese community through school/community partnership. Case study was employed as the research methodology for this study. Interviews, reflective journals and document reviews were used to collect data and to triangulate the data sources. The research findings were discussed and reported in accordance to four contributory research questions: essential criteria, the forms of funds of knowledge, contradictory issues, and the significance of partnerships. The key finding of the study is presented in the form of a school/community partnership Model, which provides an answer to the principal research question: "How can cooperation be built up between schools and local Chinese communities to support Mandarin teaching and learning in Australian schools?" This study contributes to our understanding of school/community partnerships to enhance teaching and learning Mandarin in Australian schools. It reveals the real situation of partnerships in the target school community, in which welcoming attitudes coexisted with poor actions. It argues that the Model of school/community partnerships can be used to explore linguistic and cultural knowledge in Chinese communities, with significant implications for improving the quality of Mandarin teaching and learning in schools.
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Lee, Daniel Cheungsing. "A study of Japanese loanword naturalisation by Australian learners of Japanese." Master's thesis, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/146228.
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Bundgaard-Nielsen, Rikke L., University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, and MARCS Auditory Laboratories. "The role of L2 vocabulary expansion in the perception and production of Australian English vowels by adult native speakers of Japanese." 2009. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/42647.
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Research indicates that adult Second Language (L2) learners typically do not become native-like in their perception or production of their L2, likely as a result of interference from their native language (L1). Research also indicates that L2 perception and production nonetheless improves with increased experience with the L2. Until recently, however, theories of L2 acquisition (e.g., SLM: Flege, 1995; PAM: Best, 1994) have been vague in their account of the processes underlying this improvement. The recent PAM-L2 (Best and Tyler, 2007), however, opens up new ways to understand experiential change in L2 perception and production. Centrally, PAM-L2 suggests that a large L2 vocabulary curtails change in L2 perception and production because it forces the learner to settle on an accented version of the L2 phonology. The present thesis introduces the Vocabulary-Tuning Model of L2 Rephonologisation (Vocab Model). This model extends PAM-L2 by highlighting the facilitating effect of L2 vocabulary expansion, in early L2 immersion when the L2 vocabulary is still small, on the perception and production of an L2. It is further argued that the processes underpinning this improvement are analogous to those that underpin L1 acquisition in infants and toddlers. The thesis tests the Vocab Model in a series of studies (cross-sectional as well as longitudinal) of the perception and production of Australian English vowels by native speakers of Japanese, who have recently arrived in Australia for the purpose of acquiring English. The results show that L2 vocabulary size is indeed associated with L2 vowel perception and production and thus support the predictions of the Vocab Model. The thesis examines the usefulness of different criteria for L2-L1 vowel assimilation and discusses the findings in relation to results from L1-vowel perception research. The research design also pioneers a ‘whole system’ approach to cross-language vowel perception research that allows the learners to use all native vowels and all native vowel combinations (all three thesis studies), and to apply them to the full inventory of L2 vowels (Study 1). It is argued that results from such an approach more appropriately reflect the actual perceptual flexibility of the learners in a natural L2-immersion context than would a smaller subset of L1 and/or L2 vowels. This ‘whole system’ approach further suggests that L1 phonotactics is worthwhile to consider in future studies of L2 segmental perception and production.Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
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Kenny, Lawrence. "Mapping early speech : a description of Standard Australian English in the first two years of school in four very remote Central Western Desert Aboriginal communities." Thesis, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.7/uws:36597.
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Annual reports of Indigenous disadvantage mark the inability of children in very remote Aboriginal communities of the Northern Territory (NT) to meet national benchmarks in education. On their entry into the school system, these children are usually identified by the Diagnostic Net T-2 Continua as being behind their mainstream counterparts. After more than a decade of living and teaching in a very remote Aboriginal community for the NT Department of Education (DoE), it is apparent to me that there is a disconnect between the actual and expected development of Standard Australian English (SAE) speech of very remote Aboriginal school students.
There is scant research on the language development of very remote Aboriginal children and to date, there are no studies that have investigated their development of English as a Second Language (ESL) within the very remote context. Those involved in education acknowledge the key constructivist or social-cultural premise that it is language that mediates relationships and understanding, yet the current accounts that describe how these children learn to speak and understand English are incomplete. The relationship between speech and literacy is well established and ESL research has highlighted that first language factors influence the developmental acquisition sequences for ESL. The research questions for this study aim to identify the characteristics of the developing SAE ESL speech for a group of very remote Aboriginal school children from four Central Western Desert communities.
For linguists, two interrelated and accepted measures of early language competency and development are the Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) and the grammatical morpheme stages of learning. This study examined both aspects of the developing SAE ESL speech of 30 children over an eight-month period in the 2008 Indigenous Language Speaking Student (ILSS) program. The ILSS children selected were a linguistically homogenous Aboriginal language group of school-aged children from four very remote Aboriginal Communities in the Central Western Desert of the NT.
This study reinforces earlier findings that an ESL learner’s first language influences the developmental and acquisition patterns for ESL and this study is the first to consider the influence of an Aboriginal language on developing SAE in this way. The results of this study are divided into two sets. The group results [collective] are within Set A and there are two case studies [individual children] in Set B. The aim was to investigate SAE ESL speech development to determine the existence of and describe any general patterns of speech development. The data was collected using culturally appropriate techniques developed by the NT DoE, in negotiation with community stakeholders.
Analysis of the data from this study reveals the differences between the actual and expected SAE ESL rates of progression by identifying and charting the oral language capabilities of these children. Findings indicate that the ILLS children are in the initial stages of SAE ESL development, which is clearly reflected in the length of their utterances and also in their varied use of grammatical morphemes. These initial stages of SAE ESL development are characterised by speech that is telegraphic in style and format, typically with a range of inconsistently applied grammatical morphemes.
Overall, the grammatical morpheme results revealed that these children are within the beginning developmental phases and they display the inchoate characteristics of such learners. The results showed that the children exhibit a range of grammatical morphemes across MLU stages and this diversity warranted closer inspection. This revealed that at this early stage of language development, rather than a linear acquisition profile for grammatical morphemes, it is prudent to examine the frequency ratios and create a priority list that will enable very remote teachers to better orchestrate ESL oracy in their classrooms.
Consequently, drawing on the results of this study, it is noted that within the very remote context of limited SAE immersion, any ESL approach must include explicit modelling and teaching. This will provide the children with a contextual cultural linguistic framework upon which to establish and build their SAE ESL oracy.
The very remote Aboriginal classroom is characteristically subjected to overtly formulaic and explicit periods of interaction throughout each day. Within the very remote context, teachers need to regularly program formal explicit periods in which a variety of formulaic sequences can be modelled and practiced by children every day. Teaching programs need to choreograph a range of habitualised experiences. These explicit activities must deliver opportunities for children to be exposed to, and experience a range of SAE ESL lessons that cover both the content and the communication strategies and other skills necessary to learn another language.
Three recommendations arise from this study. First, further longitudinal research is necessary to complete this SAE ESL grammatical morpheme developmental profile. Second, a review of existing mandated SAE ESL profiles to include earlier emerging developmental indicators is warranted. Third, there is a need for development and systematic delivery across the NT of a professional and teaching learning package around early and emerging ESL oracy. This teaching package will be informed by evidence-based research on language acquisition that promotes best practice in ESL oracy for very remote children.
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May, Thorold (Thor). "Language tangle: predicting and facilitating outcomes in language education." Thesis, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/804346.
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Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)This thesis argues that foreign and second language teaching productivity can only reach its proper potential when it is accorded priority, second only to language learner productivity, amongst the many competing productivities which are always asserted by stakeholders in educational institutions. A theoretical foundation for the research is established by examining the historical concept of productivity, and its more recent manifestation as knowledge worker productivity, especially as applied to teachers. The empirical basis of the thesis is sourced from a chronological series of twenty biographical case studies in language teaching venues in Australia, New Zealand, Oceania and East Asia. The biographical case study methodology, although rare in applied linguistics, is justified by reference to its wide and growing application in other fields of qualitative research. The case studies are analysed for common patterns of productivity, as well as teaching productivity inhibition or failure. It was affirmed across all of the case studies without exception that external parties could not control or even reliably predict what individual students might learn, and how well, from instances of instructed language teaching. This was regardless of the power of institutional players, external resources, curriculums or the teacher. Student belief in the immediate value of what was to be learned in a given lesson, and personal confidence in an ability to learn it were the most critical factors. Teaching productivity was found to turn, ultimately, on the teacher's ability to influence the probability of student learning. The teacher could best influence learning probability by enhancing student motivation. The most effective environments for teaching productivity were seen to be those where the teacher was professionally equipped and politically enabled to exercise judgements which maximized opportunities for student language learning productivity. A negotiated pact concerning both curriculum and method often proved effective, especially with mature students, and at times required some deception of institutional authorities. Empirically, the encouragement of reciprocal learning relationships between teacher and students was found to be powerfully enabling for language teaching productivity in the case studies. In many venues a small but effective minority of 'intimate learners' were also able to leverage their language learning productivity by forging more personal relationships with the teacher. The wider cultural paradigm within each of the countries represented in the case studies sanctioned different paths and limitations for both language learners and teachers, and hence was seen to influence teaching productivity in critical ways. It was found that under certain conditions, notably (but not exclusively) those prevailing in many East Asian educational institutions, that certification of foreign language skills had a higher cultural, employment and monetary value than the actual ability to exercise foreign language skills. A negative influence on teacher productivity in many of the case studies was an ignorance about language learning and teaching amongst institutional players. The disregard of language teacher professionalism was fed by a belief that being able to speak a language was all that was necessary to teach it, and reinforced by misinterpreting the meaning of test results. Related to this, an imbalance of power relationships between teachers or students with other institutional interests was consistently found to interfere with teaching and learning productivities. Overall, the model of productivity understood in institutions instanced by the case studies tended to reflect a 19th Century economic paradigm of capital, raw materials (students) and labour (dispensable classroom workers) rather than any more sophisticated grasp of knowledge worker productivity. It was demonstrated in the context of the case studies that productivity, and in particular knowledge worker productivity, is a complex concept whose facets require detailed analysis to arrive at a proper understanding of the role that foreign and second language teachers play in educational institutions.