Intelligent CAI: An Author Aid for a Natural Language Interface.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burton, Richard R.; Brown, John Seely

This report addresses the problems of using natural language (English) as the communication language for advanced computer-based instructional systems. The instructional environment places requirements on a natural language understanding system that exceed the capabilities of all existing systems, including: (1) efficiency, (2) habitability, (3)…

A Small-Scale Study of Primary School English Language Teachers' Classroom Activities and Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arikan, Arda

2011-01-01

Turkey's search for upgrading the quality of English language teaching is still in progress. Publication of Ministry of National Education's "English Language Curriculum for Primary Education Grades 4,5,6,7 and 8" (2006) framed the content and delivery of our primary school English language teaching classes along with a list of suggested…

Teaching English as a Second Language.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oberle, Joseph

1990-01-01

The shrinking U.S. labor pool has caused employers to hire more immigrants with the result that the language problem has become a work place problem. More and more employers are being forced to provide English-as-a-second-language training to their employees. (JOW)

Towards a More Appropriate University English Curriculum in China in the Context of English as an International Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xiaoqiong, Betsy Hu; Jing, Xi

2013-01-01

The rapid and wide spread of English has given rise to its lingua franca status, which in turn, changes the nature of English and English teaching at the tertiary level. This paper, based on a survey, discusses some of the problems with the current English curriculum used in Chinese universities and proceeds to offer some suggestions for a more…

Teachers' Views on Ways of Improving English Language Teaching in Hong Kong.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Fung-kuen Eva

A study investigated the attitudes of Hong Kong English-as-a-Second-Language teachers concerning English language teaching problems in that context. The study was prompted by perceptions of declining interest in use of English, less frequent requirement of English skills for employment, increased use of colloquial Cantonese in social contexts, and…

Accelerating Decoding-Related Skills in Poor Readers Learning a Foreign Language: A Computer-Based Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Björn, Piia Maria; Leppänen, Paavo H. T.

2013-01-01

The results of Fast ForWord® training on English decoding-related skills were examined. Finnish fifth-grade students were identified as having reading fluency problems and poor skills in English as a foreign language learned at school and were randomly assigned to either a training group (TRG) or a control group. The TRG ("n"?=?13)…

Testing foreign language impact on engineering students' scientific problem-solving performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tatzl, Dietmar; Messnarz, Bernd

2013-12-01

This article investigates the influence of English as the examination language on the solution of physics and science problems by non-native speakers in tertiary engineering education. For that purpose, a statistically significant total number of 96 students in four year groups from freshman to senior level participated in a testing experiment in the Degree Programme of Aviation at the FH JOANNEUM University of Applied Sciences, Graz, Austria. Half of each test group were given a set of 12 physics problems described in German, the other half received the same set of problems described in English. It was the goal to test linguistic reading comprehension necessary for scientific problem solving instead of physics knowledge as such. The results imply that written undergraduate English-medium engineering tests and examinations may not require additional examination time or language-specific aids for students who have reached university-entrance proficiency in English as a foreign language.

The Effect of Using Arabic Language for Teaching English as a Foreign Language at Elementary Stage Schools in Jordan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dmour, Ahmad

2015-01-01

This paper aims at investigating the effect of using Arabic language for teaching English as a Foreign Language in a Jordanian context at elementary school stages in Al-Karak Directorate of Education. English language teachers usually intend to focus on using English in their classes, but they come across a big problem which is the lack of…

English Language Teaching in Rural Areas: A Scenario and Problems and Prospects in Context of Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hossain, Md. Mahroof

2016-01-01

Language is one of the medium of expressing our ideas, feelings and emotions. And if we think about language in present world then English is one of the most used languages in the world and English is used as a second language in Bangladesh. English is introduced here at the primary level and its inclusion continues till the tertiary level of…

Prenatal Care: A Content-Based ESL Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hassel, Elissa Anne

A content-based curriculum in English as a Second Language (ESL) focusing on prenatal self-care is presented. The course was designed as a solution to the problem of inadequate prenatal care for limited-English-proficient Mexican immigrant women. The first three sections offer background information on and discussion of (1) content-based ESL…

Language Development Versus the Teaching of the Standard Language. Lektos: Interdisciplinary Working Papers in Language Sciences, Special Issue.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valdes-Fallis, Guadalupe

This paper examines the problem of language development and language growth in the English-dominant Spanish-speaking student who intends to increase his total command of Spanish for the purpose of functioning in that language at a level equivalent to that of most educated Latin Americans. Observations are based on the experiences of…

Curriculum-Based Language Assessment With Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students in the Context of Mathematics.

PubMed

Newkirk-Turner, Brandi L; Johnson, Valerie E

2018-04-05

The purpose of this tutorial is to discuss the use of curriculum-based language assessment (CBLA) with students who are English language learners and students who speak nonmainstream varieties of English, such as African American English. The article begins with a discussion of the discourse of mathematics and the role of the speech-language pathologist (SLP), followed by a review of studies that includes those that examined the performance of English language learner and nonmainstream dialect-speaking students on word-based math items. The literature review highlights the linguistic and content biases associated with word-based math problems. Useful strategies that SLPs and educators can incorporate in culturally and linguistically appropriate assessments are discussed. The tutorial ends with a discussion of CBLA as a viable assessment approach to use with culturally and linguistically diverse students. Tests used at national, state, and school levels to assess students' math abilities have associated linguistic bias and content bias often leading to an inaccurate depiction of culturally and linguistically diverse students' math skills. CBLA as an assessment method can be used by school-based SLPs to gather valid and useful information about culturally and linguistically diverse students' language for learning math. By using CBLA, SLPs can help modify curricular tasks in broader contexts in an effort to make math, including high-level math, "accessible and achievable for all" students (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2017).

Pensamientos Sobre (Thoughts on) Teaching English as a Second Language.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ulibarri, Mari-Luci

This document presents ideas on various topics in teaching English as a second language. Some of the problems of English orthography and semantics are illustrated. The role of contrastive analysis is mentioned with Spanish-English illustrations. A list of second-language-acquisition principles and techniques is provided, and suggestions for…

Language and EFL Teacher Preparation in Non-English-Speaking Environments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peretz, Arna S.

Linguistic and paralinguistic problems faced by non-native-English speakers training to be teachers of English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) in non-English-speaking environments are discussed. Relevant theories of second language learning and acquisition are reviewed, and the affective factors and sociocultural variables that appear to…

English Language Development in Tunisia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daoud, Mohamed

1996-01-01

Describes English language policy decisions and implementation strategies in Tunisia and highlights the problems accompanying them. The article emphasizes that Tunisia has entered a critical stage in the promotion of English as the language of economic, scientific, and technological development and that the educational system must develop programs…

Giving Power Its Due: The Powerful Possibilities and the Problems of Power with Deliberative Democracy and English Language Learners. A Response to "Deliberative Democracy in English-Language Education: Cultural and Linguistic Inclusion in the School Community"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanson, Jarrod S.

2015-01-01

The use of deliberation with English Language Learners presents possibilities to both improve language learning, but also expand the potential for civics education for all students. In particular, this response examines the issue of power to extend Liggett's (2014) arguments for using deliberative democracy with English Language Learners and…

Challenges Face Arab Students in Writing Well-Developed Paragraphs in English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rass, Ruwaida Abu

2015-01-01

This study aimed to investigate problems facing Palestinian Arab students from Israel who are majoring in teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in developing well-written paragraphs in English. They usually transfer the stylistic features of their first language, Arabic to the target language, English. For example, they tend to write long…

Interoperation transfer in Chinese-English bilinguals' arithmetic.

PubMed

Campbell, Jamie I D; Dowd, Roxanne R

2012-10-01

We examined interoperation transfer of practice in adult Chinese-English bilinguals' memory for simple multiplication (6 × 8 = 48) and addition (6 + 8 = 14) facts. The purpose was to determine whether they possessed distinct number-fact representations in both Chinese (L1) and English (L2). Participants repeatedly practiced multiplication problems (e.g., 4 × 5 = ?), answering a subset in L1 and another subset in L2. Then separate groups answered corresponding addition problems (4 + 5 = ?) and control addition problems in either L1 (N = 24) or L2 (N = 24). The results demonstrated language-specific negative transfer of multiplication practice to corresponding addition problems. Specifically, large simple addition problems (sum > 10) presented a significant response time cost (i.e., retrieval-induced forgetting) after their multiplication counterparts were practiced in the same language, relative to practice in the other language. The results indicate that our Chinese-English bilinguals had multiplication and addition facts represented in distinct language-specific memory stores.

Teaching English Language at SSC Level in Private Non-Elite Schools in Pakistan: Practices and Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fareed, Muhammad; Jawed, Saniya; Awan, Sidra

2018-01-01

English language is taught as a compulsory subject up to graduate level in Pakistani educational system. Despite studying English for over 14 years, majority of students coming from non-elite schools, lack required command in English language skills to pursue their higher education and professional careers. With this background in mind, the…

Collocational Differences between L1 and L2: Implications for EFL Learners and Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadeghi, Karim

2009-01-01

Collocations are one of the areas that produce problems for learners of English as a foreign language. Iranian learners of English are by no means an exception. Teaching experience at schools, private language centers, and universities in Iran suggests that a significant part of EFL learners' problems with producing the language, especially at…

Language Workbook for Food Service.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mankoski, Linda C.

This workbook parallels the manual, "Food Service" (see related note), and is designed to assist the language arts or foods service teacher in helping deaf students cope with problems of reading the parallel text. The language system used in this text is based upon the Roberts English Series, which uses a linguistic approach to teaching language…

ICT and the Teaching of Reading Comprehension in English as a Second Language in Secondary Schools: Problems and Prospects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maduabuchi, Chinyere Henrietta; Emechebe, Vivian I.

2016-01-01

This study is aimed at identifying both prospects and problems of using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching reading comprehension in English as Second Language. To achieve this aim, a total of 25 secondary school English teachers were interviewed through the use of questionnaire. The teachers were purposively and…

A Roadmap for True Accountability: Reconceptualizing Language-Learning Services, Reclassification Practices and Monitoring Systems for English Language Learners in U.S. Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slama, Rachel B.

2012-01-01

A major problem facing educators in the United States is how to determine when the nation's five million English language learners (ELL) are ready to exit language-learning programs, i.e. to be "reclassified" as fluent English proficient (R-FEP) and placed in mainstream classrooms without additional language support. No Child Left Behind…

Il problema della scelta e della continuita della lingua straniera nella scuola dell'obbligo (Problems of Choice and Continuity of a Foreign Language in Elementary and Junior High School).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gotti, Maurizio

1987-01-01

Discusses two current problems with foreign language study in Italy: (1) Students are frequently unable to study English, the most popular language, because of a lack of qualified English teachers; and (2) Students sometimes cannot continue studying in junior high school the language they began in elementary school. (CFM)

Exporting the European Idea of a National Language: Some Educational Implications of the Use of English and Indigenous Languages in the Philippines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smolicz, Jerzy J.; Nical, Illuminado

1997-09-01

The Philippines has a bilingual education policy, using English and a major indigenous language, Tagalog, renamed "Filipino". This article describes a study on the problem facing approximately two thirds of the population who do not have English or Filipino as their first or home language. Senior secondary school students were asked abut their attitudes towards English, Filipino and their home language (Cebuana, Ilocano or Waray). Attitudes to the three languages differed. Some respondents favoured Filipino over English, others vice versa. Most respondents showed attachment to their home languages. The study concluded that it is possible for Filipinos to be literate in their mother tongue and still be fluent in Filipino, as the national language of the country, with English continuing in its role as the international language.

Socio-emotional skills, behavior problems, and Spanish competence predict the acquisition of English among English language learners in poverty.

PubMed

Winsler, Adam; Kim, Yoon Kyong; Richard, Erin R

2014-09-01

This article analyzes the role that individual differences in children's cognitive, Spanish competence, and socio-emotional and behavioral skills play in predicting the concurrent and longitudinal acquisition of English among a large sample of ethnically diverse, low-income, Hispanic preschool children. Participants assessed at age 4 for language, cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral skills were followed through kindergarten. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that Spanish-speaking preschoolers with greater initiative, self-control, and attachment and fewer behavior problems at age 4 were more successful in obtaining English proficiency by the end of kindergarten compared to those initially weaker in these skills, even after controlling for cognitive/language skills and demographic variables. Also, greater facility in Spanish at age 4 predicted the attainment of English proficiency. Social and behavioral skills and proficiency in Spanish are valuable resources for low-income English language learners during their transition to school.

Target Language Variation and Second-Language Acquisition: Learning English in New York City.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenstein, Miriam R.

1986-01-01

Investigates the role of dialect variation in the acquisition of American English by adult second language learners. The study revealed that dialect differences present problems for learners and cause variable intelligibility and negative learner attitude toward some varieties of English and its speakers. This attitude could negatively affect a…

Workpapers in English as a Second Language, [Volume II].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rand, Earl, Ed.

This volume presents the 1968 collection of working papers in the field of teaching English as a second language (TESL). It includes discussions of several practicalities in the field of English language teaching such as choosing literature and short stories for non-native speakers, criteria for selecting textbooks, educational problems involved…

Some Problems in Studying the English Elements in the Main European Languages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Filipovic, Rudolf

1972-01-01

A study is being done, to be reported on subsequently, on the infiltrations of English into the languages of Europe. Objectives of the project, some problems encountered, and planned results and products are discussed. See FL 508 197 for availability. (RM)

Moving International Technical Communication Forward: A World Englishes Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bokor, Michael Jarvis Kwadzo

2011-01-01

This article explores how the English language contributes to cross-boundary communication failure and establishes that there is an "English language problem" that has not been adequately addressed in preparing United States native English-speaking students for international technical communication tasks. For example, U.S. technical communication…

EAP and LLNP Students: Common Problems and Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Thi Minh Phuong

2010-01-01

As English learners originate from many cultural and language backgrounds, they come to class with different circumstances. This paper examines the backgrounds, common problems and solutions for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students and Language, Literacy, and Numeracy Programme (LLNP) students. EAP students are from Meridian International…

A Comparative Analysis of the English-Language Accent Preferences of Prospective and Practicing Businesspersons from around the World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, James C.; Green, Diana J.; Blaszczynski, Carol; Rosewarne, David D.

2007-01-01

Problem: The studies of the English-language accent preferences of prospective and practicing businesspersons from around the world have not been integrated. Research Questions: What are the English-language accent preferences of prospective and practicing businesspersons from around the world, and how are those preferences influenced by the…

THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND OR FOREIGN LANGUAGE, BRITISH ACTIVITIES 1967/68.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Council, London (England).

THIS REPORT HAS BEEN COMPILED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES BY THE ENGLISH-TEACHING INFORMATION CENTRE OF THE BRITISH COUNCIL FOR THE NINTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SECOND LANGUAGE PROBLEMS, HELD IN TUNIS, APRIL 1968. (SEE "TEACHING ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES, UNITED STATES ACTIVITIES--1967," PUBLISHED BY THE CENTER FOR APPLIED…

Creative Writing, Problem-Based Learning, and Game-Based Learning Principles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trekles, Anastasia M.

2012-01-01

This paper examines how virtual worlds and other advanced social media can be married with problem-based learning to encourage creativity and critical thinking in the English/Language Arts classroom, particularly for middle school, high school, and undergraduate college education. Virtual world experiences such as "Second Life," Jumpstart.com, and…

Linguistic Challenges in the Mathematical Register for EFL Learners: Linguistic and Multimodal Strategies to Help Learners Tackle Mathematics Word Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Simon

2015-01-01

In learning mathematics through English, one of the major challenges facing English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners is understanding the language used to present word problems in mathematics texts. Without comprehending such language, learners are not able to carry out the targeted calculations no matter how familiar they are with the…

A Case Study on the Problems and Suggestions in Foreign Language Teaching and Learning at Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Unal, Menderes; Ilhan, Elif

2017-01-01

This study explores and identifies some reasons for the problems of foreign language learning (English) and teaching from the perspective of instructors and learners using the case study model. The data of the study was gathered by a semi-structured interview form, and the study group of the research was composed of English language instructors…

Using Dictionaries in Teaching English as a Foreign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aleeva, Gulnara Kh.; Safiullina, Gulshat R.

2016-01-01

The article discusses the problem of mastering new vocabulary at the English language classes. The brief review of the bilingual English-Russian printed and electronic Dictionaries used at the practical classes of English for the students of the first and second courses of the Germanic Philology Department of Kazan Federal University. The method…

Some Aspects of the Teaching of English in Viet Nam.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Le Van Diem

In regard to the teaching of English, which is replacing French as a foreign language, Viet Nam presents some unique aspects and some individual problems. More secondary school students are selecting English as their foreign language choice; English departments in the universities are expanding rapidly; the teacher shortage is increasing. One…

British-Tradition English in the American University. Lektos: Interdisciplinary Working Papers in Language Sciences, Special Issue.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dubois, Betty Lou

This paper describes the English language problems encountered by foreign students at New Mexico State University, students whose previous educational experiences have included extensive use of British English. Specifically dealt with are West African students having lived in a situation where "transplanted English" was introduced by…

Language and Higher Education: Two Current Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brumfit, Christopher

2004-01-01

For higher education, two recent changes in world language practices are crucial: the emergence of English as the default language of international communication, and the technology of the Internet. The first appears to have contributed to problems of motivation for English-speaking learners of foreign languages. Information is provided about…

Exploring problem solving strategies on multiple-choice science items: Comparing native Spanish-speaking English Language Learners and mainstream monolinguals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kachchaf, Rachel Rae

The purpose of this study was to compare how English language learners (ELLs) and monolingual English speakers solved multiple-choice items administered with and without a new form of testing accommodation---vignette illustration (VI). By incorporating theories from second language acquisition, bilingualism, and sociolinguistics, this study was able to gain more accurate and comprehensive input into the ways students interacted with items. This mixed methods study used verbal protocols to elicit the thinking processes of thirty-six native Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs), and 36 native-English speaking non-ELLs when solving multiple-choice science items. Results from both qualitative and quantitative analyses show that ELLs used a wider variety of actions oriented to making sense of the items than non-ELLs. In contrast, non-ELLs used more problem solving strategies than ELLs. There were no statistically significant differences in student performance based on the interaction of presence of illustration and linguistic status or the main effect of presence of illustration. However, there were significant differences based on the main effect of linguistic status. An interaction between the characteristics of the students, the items, and the illustrations indicates considerable heterogeneity in the ways in which students from both linguistic groups think about and respond to science test items. The results of this study speak to the need for more research involving ELLs in the process of test development to create test items that do not require ELLs to carry out significantly more actions to make sense of the item than monolingual students.

Tense Marking in Black English. A Linguistic and Social Analysis. Urban Language Series, No. 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fasold, Ralph W.

In recent years a considerable amount of interest has developed in language variability and in the educational problems connected with it. This volume is a report of linguistic research on the variable language behavior in a community of American English speakers, specifically on some aspects of tense marking in Black English. The following topics…

One-Year Follow-Up Outcomes of Spanish and English Interventions for English Language Learners at Risk for Reading Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cirino, Paul T.; Vaughn, Sharon; Linan-Thompson, Sylvia; Cardenas-Hagan, Elsa; Fletcher, Jack M.; Francis, David J.

2009-01-01

The authors report 1-year follow-up data from 215 English language learners with reading difficulties who received a supplemental first grade reading intervention in the language of their core reading instruction. The researchers provided no intervention or boosters in second grade. The Spanish study revealed significant differences favoring…

In Pursuit of Alternatives in ELT Methodology: WebQuests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sen, Ayfer; Neufeld, Steve

2006-01-01

Although the Internet has opened up a vast new source of information for university students to use and explore, many students lack the skills to find, critically evaluate and intelligently exploit web-based resources. This problem is accentuated in English-medium universities where students learn and use English as a foreign language. In these…

Of Texts AND Translations And Rhizomes: Postcolonial Anxieties and Deracinations and Knowledge Constructions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramanathan, Vaidehi

2006-01-01

This article uncovers some problems involved in culling and translating non-western texts--written in other languages, at particular times, for specific audiences, and rooted in particular local milieus--before assembling them into academic arguments in English in the west. Based on my longterm, evolving endeavour regarding English- and…

Teaching Pronunciation in the Learner-Centered Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Hsiang-Pao; And Others

Specific tools and techniques to help students of English as a Second Language overcome pronunciation problems are presented. The selection of problems addressed is based on the frequency and seriousness of errors that many native Chinese-speaking learners produce. Ways to resolve various problems (e.g., missing final consonants, misplaced stress…

What Is the Problem? Official English in the U.S.A.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lo Bianco, Joseph

This paper investigates the politics of English as the official language in the United States, focusing on the move to declare English the official language within the 104th Congress. Though the bill lapsed in the Senate, movement to declare English official at the federal level has continued. Several large national organizations work hard to see…

English as a Problem Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moss, Peter

2010-01-01

At a time when English has emerged as the dominant language of academic communication, there is a disturbing silence about the risks and problems attendant on this development and a failure to ask critical questions about its consequences. Who gains and who loses? What is lost in translation? What are the consequences of one way linguistic…

Handicapped English: The Language of the Socially Disadvantaged.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nist, John

This book deals with the isolation and alienation of native-language speaking minority groups resulting from the teaching strategies and procedures used in the public school system. Chapters include: "The Problem Defined," which states the problem of handicapped English and argues that it is a cultural rather than a psychological phenomenon; "The…

Factors that May Contribute to the Placement of Latino English Language Learners in Special Education: Perceptions of Directors of Special Education in California

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alvarez, Dante

2010-01-01

The problem: Research indicates that Latino English language learners in California are placed in special education classes at a higher rate than other states. The factors that determine placement of Latino English learners such as language barriers, transiency, poverty, and teacher training may create challenges for Directors of Special…

Bespoke Language Teaching (BLT): A Proposal for a Theoretical Framework. the Case of EFL/ELF for Italians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santipolo, Matteo

2017-01-01

This paper deals with the problems of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) and as a lingua franca (ELF) in the Italian educational system and, in particular, with introducing language variation in the English class. After briefly illustrating how English teaching has changed in the last few decades, an outline is drawn of what happens in…

The Impact of Vietnam's Globalization on National Education Policies and Teacher Training Programs for Teachers of English as an International Language: A Case Study of the University of Pedagogy in Ho Chi Minh City

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lam, Tri Ly

2011-01-01

The Problem: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of Vietnam's globalization on national language education policies and teacher training programs for teachers of English to speakers of other languages. Specifically, this research explored the extent to which the new policies for English language training programs adopted by the…

Guest Comment: Universal Language Requirement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherwood, Bruce Arne

1979-01-01

Explains that reading English among Scientists is almost universal, however, there are enormous problems with spoken English. Advocates the use of Esperanto as a viable alternative, and as a language requirement for graduate work. (GA)

Teaching Mathematical Problem Solving to Students with Limited English Proficiency.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaplan, Rochelle G.; Patino, Rodrigo A.

Many mainstreamed students with limited English proficiency continue to face the difficulty of learning English as a second language (ESL) while studying mathematics and other content areas framed in the language of native speakers. The difficulty these students often encounter in mathematics classes and their poor performance on subsequent…

Communicative Language Teaching: Possibilities and Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sreehari, Pusuluri

2012-01-01

This paper investigates the teaching of English at undergraduate colleges in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India in the backdrop of Andhra Pradesh English Lecturers' Retraining Program. The program was jointly sponsored and conducted by the Directorate of Collegiate Education, Government of AP and the US State Department English Language Fellow…

The Influence of English-Korean Bilingualism in Solving Mathematics Word Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whang, Woo-Hyung

1996-01-01

Purposeful sampling was used to select six English-Korean bilingual students to investigate language difficulties and cognitive processes in solving mathematics word problems. These six case studies revealed distinct patterns of difficulties in solving problems written in English and Korean, especially for students in transition stage. (Author/KMC)

Status of teaching elementary science for English learners in science, mathematics and technology centered magnet schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Alyson Kim

According to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (2001), one in three students speaks a language other than English. Additionally, the Commission stated that a student is considered to be an English learner if the second language acquisition is English. In California more than 1.4 million English learners enter school speaking a variety of languages, and this number continues to rise. There is an imminent need to promote instructional strategies that support this group of diverse learners. Although this was not a California study, the results derived from the nationwide participants' responses provided a congruent assessment of the basic need to provide effective science teaching strategies to all English learners. The purpose of this study was to examine the status of elementary science teaching practices used with English learners in kindergarten through fifth grade in public mathematics, science, and technology-centered elementary magnet schools throughout the country. This descriptive research was designed to provide current information and to identify trends in the areas of curriculum and instruction for English learners in science themed magnet schools. This report described the status of elementary (grades K-5) school science instruction for English learners based on the responses of 116 elementary school teachers: 59 grade K-2, and 57 grade 3-5 teachers. Current research-based approaches support incorporating self-directed learning strategy, expository teaching strategy, active listening strategies, questioning strategies, wait time strategy, small group strategy, peer tutoring strategy, large group learning strategy, demonstrations strategy, formal debates strategy, review sessions strategy, mediated conversation strategy, cooperative learning strategy, and theme-based instruction into the curriculum to assist English learners in science education. Science Technology Society (STS) strategy, problem-based learning strategy, discovery learning strategy, constructivist learning strategy, learning cycle strategy, SCALE technique strategy, conceptual change strategy, inquiry-based strategy, cognitive academic language learning approach (CALLA) strategy, and learning from text strategy provide effective science teaching instruction to English learners. These science instructional strategies assist elementary science teachers by providing additional support to make science instruction more comprehensible for English learners.

The U.S.-China E-Language Project: A Study of a Gaming Approach to English Language Learning for Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Patricia J.; Sha, Mandy; Liu, Lu

2011-01-01

In 2001, the U.S. Department of Education and the Ministry of Education in China entered into a bilateral partnership to develop a technology-driven approach to foreign language learning that integrated gaming, immersion, voice recognition, problem-based learning tasks, and other features that made it a significant research and development pilot…

Learning to Solve Addition and Subtraction Word Problems in English as an Imported Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verzosa, Debbie Bautista; Mulligan, Joanne

2013-01-01

This paper reports an intervention phase of a design study aimed to assist second-grade Filipino children in solving addition word problems in English, a language they primarily encounter only in school. With Filipino as the medium of instruction, an out-of-school pedagogical intervention providing linguistic and representational scaffolds was…

Methods for conducting systematic reviews of risk factors in low- and middle-income countries.

PubMed

Shenderovich, Yulia; Eisner, Manuel; Mikton, Christopher; Gardner, Frances; Liu, Jianghong; Murray, Joseph

2016-03-15

Rates of youth violence are disproportionately high in many low- and middle-income countries [LMICs] but existing reviews of risk factors focus almost exclusively on high-income countries. Different search strategies, including non-English language searches, might be required to identify relevant evidence in LMICs. This paper discusses methodological issues in systematic reviews aiming to include evidence from LMICs, using the example of a recent review of risk factors for child conduct problems and youth violence in LMICs. We searched the main international databases, such as PsycINFO, Medline and EMBASE in English, as well as 12 regional databases in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian. In addition, we used internet search engines and Google Scholar, and contacted over 200 researchers and organizations to identify potentially eligible studies in LMICs. The majority of relevant studies were identified in the mainstream databases, but additional studies were also found through regional databases, such as CNKI, Wangfang, LILACS and SciELO. Overall, 85% of eligible studies were in English, and 15% were reported in Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian or French. Among eligible studies in languages other than English, two-thirds were identified only by regional databases and one-third was also indexed in the main international databases. There are many studies on child conduct problems and youth violence in LMICs which have not been included in prior reviews. Most research on these subjects in LMICs has been produced in the last two-three decades and mostly in middle-income countries, such as China, Brazil, Turkey, South Africa and Russia. Based on our findings, it appears that many studies of child conduct problems and youth violence in LMICs are reported in English, Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese, but few such studies are published in French, Arabic or Russian. If non-English language searches and screening had not been conducted in the current review, 15% of eligible studies would have been missed. Although there are benefits to non-English language searches and the inclusion of non-English studies in meta-analyses, systematic reviewers also need to consider the resources required to incorporate multi-lingual research.

Using English as the Common Corporate Language in a German Multinational

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swift, Jonathan S.; Wallace, James

2011-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to examine a German multinational that uses English as the common corporate language (CCL) for internal communications with its international subsidiaries/agencies. It examines use of English within the workplace, and problems/opportunities it presents to those who use it. Design/methodology: The questionnaire was piloted…

Teaching English in a Multilingual Context: The Algerian Case.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miliani, Mohamed

2001-01-01

Algeria's educational system and language usage are politically controlled. As French loses its ground, English is being heralded as a solution to the country's problems. Popular vernaculars are banned. Language policy is the result of political takeovers. The introduction of English in elementary school appears to be an attempt to end the…

Advanced English as a Second Language for Manufacturing. P.R.I.D.E. People Retraining for Industry Excellence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewandowski, Carol

This workplace skills training course in English as a Second Language (ESL) identifies English problems for nonnative speakers and encourages students to practice speaking, writing, listening, and reading skills using company literature. Introductory material includes course description, objectives, topical outline, and evaluation. The course…

Translating questionnaire items for a multi-lingual worker population: the iterative process of translation and cognitive interviews with English-, Spanish-, and Chinese-speaking workers.

PubMed

Fujishiro, Kaori; Gong, Fang; Baron, Sherry; Jacobson, C Jeffery; DeLaney, Sheli; Flynn, Michael; Eggerth, Donald E

2010-02-01

The increasing ethnic diversity of the US workforce has created a need for research tools that can be used with multi-lingual worker populations. Developing multi-language questionnaire items is a complex process; however, very little has been documented in the literature. Commonly used English items from the Job Content Questionnaire and Quality of Work Life Questionnaire were translated by two interdisciplinary bilingual teams and cognitively tested in interviews with English-, Spanish-, and Chinese-speaking workers. Common problems across languages mainly concerned response format. Language-specific problems required more conceptual than literal translations. Some items were better understood by non-English speakers than by English speakers. De-centering (i.e., modifying the English original to correspond with translation) produced better understanding for one item. Translating questionnaire items and achieving equivalence across languages require various kinds of expertise. Backward translation itself is not sufficient. More research efforts should be concentrated on qualitative approaches to developing useful research tools. Published 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Functional Analyses of the Problems in Non-English Majors' Writings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Shun-ying

2010-01-01

Problems in generating and organizing ideas, in coherence and language competence are common in non-English majors' writings, which decrease non-English majors' ability to use English as a tool to realize its pragmatic functions and meta-functions. The exam-centered objective, the product-oriented approach, the inefficient mode of instruction, the…

Teaching English Speaking Skills to the Arab Students in the Saudi School in Kuala Lumpur: Problems and Solutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Sobhi, Bandar Mohammad Saeed; Preece, Abdul Shakour

2018-01-01

Of the four English language skills, speaking enjoys a superior status. Accordingly, it should be given high priority while teaching. In spite of its importance, teaching English speaking skill to Arab EFL learners has always been an exacting task for Arab teachers of English because it is considered a foreign language, i.e. not widely spoken or…

Japan-U.S. Joint Ventures in Higher Education: Language Education in an Uncertain Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clayton, Thomas

1991-01-01

Examines Japanese-U.S. joint venture language or U.S.-style education programs in Japan. These programs offer language and cultural education classes for those interested in English and for students who have failed in the Japanese education system. Problems facing these programs and the need to explore new, English-language education markets are…

[One-hundred fifty English words and expressions in dermatology that present difficulties or pitfalls for translation into Spanish].

PubMed

Navarro, F A

2008-06-01

Every year, thousands of technical neologisms are coined in English and must be rapidly imported into the Spanish language with the utmost precision, clarity, rigor, and linguistic correctness for Spanish to remain useful as a language of culture and learning that allows us to express the medicine of today. In 1999, the author published an extensive Glossary of Doubts in English-Spanish Translation of Dermatology that contained more than 500 words and expressions in dermatology that present difficulties in translation. Nine years later, the original glossary has been extended to include new English words and expressions that were not covered at that time. The author compiles and discusses 150 dermatological neologisms and technical terms in English that present problems for translation into Spanish or generate doubts regarding their use in that language, and offers reasoned proposals for their translation. The proposed translations are well founded and reflect the necessity for accuracy and clarity that should characterize all scientific language. In most cases, they are accompanied by detailed comments on normal usage among physicians, orthographic rules in Spanish, and official guidelines based on standardized nomenclature and the recommendations of the main international organizations.

The Effects of Dynamic Strategic Math on English Language Learners' Word Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orosco, Michael J.; Swanson, H. Lee; O'Connor, Rollanda; Lussier, Cathy

2013-01-01

English language learners (ELLs) struggle with solving word problems for a number of reasons beyond math procedures or calculation challenges. As a result, ELLs may not only need math support but also reading and linguistic support. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a math comprehension strategy called Dynamic Strategic…

Usage of Mother Tongue in Learning English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tosuncuoglu, Irfan

2012-01-01

In Turkey, where English is a foreign language and where learners share the same native language, teachers are often reluctant to use small group speaking activities because the learners do the ranking, bridge the information gap, or find an answer activities using their first (native) language. This article studies the problem and suggests a…

Using Trialogues to Measure English Language Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

So, Youngsoon; Zapata-Rivera, Diego; Cho, Yeonsuk; Luce, Christine; Battistini, Laura

2015-01-01

We explored the use of technology-assisted, trialogue-based tasks to measure the English language proficiency of students learning English as a second or foreign language. A presumed benefit of the system for language assessment is its suitability for use in scenario-based tasks that integrate multiple language skills. This integration allows test…

Age, Marital Status and Time in U.S. as Correlates to English Language Proficiency of Male Arab University Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Addou, Ibrahim Hassan; Hodinko, Bernard A.

A study examined the difficulties that 400 male Arab students, attending five universities in the District of Columbia, experienced with academic English while seeking college degrees. A survey investigated problems with nine aspects of English language proficiency: (1) expressing ideas correctly, (2) understanding lectures, (3) taking class…

Narratives of Second Language Identity amongst Young English Learners in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Besser, Sharon; Chik, Alice

2014-01-01

This article reports on an exploratory study responding to the problem of understanding how young learners position themselves as speakers of a foreign language. A group of 24 Hong Kong primary-school children (ages 10-12) who are in the process of simultaneously learning English and developing narratives of identities as English speakers,…

An Overview on Gender Problem in Modern English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tuyakaeva, Daria

2013-01-01

The object of the present linguistic study is the linguistic phenomenon of gender as a grammatical category of the English noun. We witness an upsurge of interest to the problem nowadays in the context of the prescription of gender-fair English. Gender-fair (neutral) English language has gained support from major text-book publishers and academic…

Use of Online Machine Translation for Nursing Literature: A Questionnaire-Based Survey

PubMed Central

Anazawa, Ryoko; Ishikawa, Hirono; Takahiro, Kiuchi

2013-01-01

Background: The language barrier is a significant obstacle for nurses who are not native English speakers to obtain information from international journals. Freely accessible online machine translation (MT) offers a possible solution to this problem. Aim: To explore how Japanese nursing professionals use online MT and perceive its usability in reading English articles and to discuss what should be considered for better utilisation of online MT lessening the language barrier. Method: In total, 250 randomly selected assistants and research associates at nursing colleges across Japan answered a questionnaire examining the current use of online MT and perceived usability among Japanese nurses, along with the number of articles read in English and the perceived language barrier. The items were rated on Likert scales, and t-test, ANOVA, chi-square test, and Spearman’s correlation were used for analyses. Results: Of the participants, 73.8% had used online MT. More than half of them felt it was usable. The language barrier was strongly felt, and academic degrees and English proficiency level were associated factors. The perceived language barrier was related to the frequency of online MT use. No associated factor was found for the perceived usability of online MT. Conclusion: Language proficiency is an important factor for optimum utilisation of MT. A need for education in the English language, reading scientific papers, and online MT training was indicated. Cooperation with developers and providers of MT for the improvement of their systems is required. PMID:23459140

English/Japanese Professional Interpretation: Its Linguistic and Conceptual Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ishikawa, Luli

1995-01-01

A study of simultaneous interpretation from Japanese to English focused on problems inherent in simultaneous language processing. Data were drawn from a discussion session at an international conference of physicians concerning nuclear war. Transcription of the Japanese source text (romanized), English product, and a gloss of lexical equivalents…

Language of administration and neuropsychological test performance in neurologically intact Hispanic American bilingual adults.

PubMed

Gasquoine, Philip Gerard; Croyle, Kristin L; Cavazos-Gonzalez, Cynthia; Sandoval, Omar

2007-11-01

This study compared the performance of Hispanic American bilingual adults on Spanish and English language versions of a neuropsychological test battery. Language achievement test scores were used to divide 36 bilingual, neurologically intact, Hispanic Americans from south Texas into Spanish-dominant, balanced, and English-dominant bilingual groups. They were administered the eight subtests of the Bateria Neuropsicologica and the Matrix Reasoning subtest of the WAIS-III in Spanish and English. Half the participants were tested in Spanish first. Balanced bilinguals showed no significant differences in test scores between Spanish and English language administrations. Spanish and/or English dominant bilinguals showed significant effects of language of administration on tests with higher language compared to visual perceptual weighting (Woodcock-Munoz Language Survey-Revised, Letter Fluency, Story Memory, and Stroop Color and Word Test). Scores on tests with higher visual-perceptual weighting (Matrix Reasoning, Figure Memory, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and Spatial Span), were not significantly affected by language of administration, nor were scores on the Spanish/California Verbal Learning Test, and Digit Span. A problem was encountered in comparing false positive rates in each language, as Spanish norms fell below English norms, resulting in a much higher false positive rate in English across all bilingual groupings. Use of a comparison standard (picture vocabulary score) reduced false positive rates in both languages, but the higher false positive rate in English persisted.

An Exploration of the Relationship between Vietnamese Students' Knowledge of L1 Grammar and Their English Grammar Proficiency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tran, Tammie M.

2010-01-01

The problem. This research study explores an important issue in the field of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and second language acquisition (SLA). Its purpose is to examine the relationship between Vietnamese students' L1 grammar knowledge and their English grammar proficiency. Furthermore, it investigates the extent to…

The Relationship between Performance on Mathematical Word Problems and Language Proficiency for Students Learning through the Medium of Irish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riordain, Maire Ni; O'Donoghue, John

2009-01-01

Ireland has two official languages--Gaeilge (Irish) and English. Similarly, primary- and second-level education can be mediated through the medium of Gaeilge or through the medium of English. This research is primarily focused on students (Gaeilgeoiri) in the transition from Gaeilge-medium mathematics education to English-medium mathematics…

Mother-Tongue Interference in the Acquisition of English Articles by L1 Arabic Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thyab, Rana Abid

2016-01-01

Native speakers of Arabic face a number of problems in their attempt to acquire the English language. One of these problems is encountered in their attempt to use English articles. According to earlier studies, learning English articles by students whose mother-tongue is Arabic is one of the most frequent and significant difficulties Arab learners…

Transitional Woes: On the Impact of L2 Input Continuity from Primary to Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pfenninger, Simone E.; Lendl, Johanna

2017-01-01

In this paper, we discuss the problem of articulation between levels in the educational system, as the transition from a rather more communicative, content-based and holistic approach to English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching at primary level to more formal and explicit ways of foreign language (FL) teaching at secondary is often experienced…

Problem-Solving Support for English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiest, Lynda R.

2008-01-01

Although word problems pose greater language demands, they also encourage more meaningful problem solving and mathematics understanding. With proper instructional support, a student-centered, investigative approach to contextualized problem solving benefits all students. This article presents a lesson built on an author-adapted version of the…

A Critical Analysis of the Language Background Other than English (LBOTE) Category in the Australian National Testing System: A Foucauldian Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Creagh, Sue

2016-01-01

This article presents a Foucauldian analysis of the political rationalities of national testing and accountability practices in Australia, and their inconsistencies for students for whom English is a second or additional language. It focuses on a problem associated with the statistical data category "Language Background Other Than…

How Professionally Relevant Can Language Tests Be?: A Response to Wette (2011)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pill, John; Woodward-Kron, Robyn

2012-01-01

The recently published article "English Proficiency Tests and Communication Skills Training for Overseas-Qualified Health Professionals in Australia and New Zealand" (Wette, 2011) aims to address perceived problems and misconceptions associated with the testing of English language skills and professional communicative competence of…

Analogical Transfer by Spanish-English Bilinguals: Implications for Educational and Employment Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fukumine, Eri; Kennison, Shelia M.

2016-01-01

The present research investigated analogical transfer during problem solving by bilinguals. In a study with 50 Spanish-English bilinguals, participants solved a target problem whose solution was similar to that of a preceding source problem. The source problem was always presented in the 2nd language; the target problem was always presented in the…

Test Review: Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malone, Margaret E.

2010-01-01

This article presents a review of the Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL) Assessment, a high stakes standardized test of the English language. It is a topic-based test that integrates listening, reading, writing and speaking. The test is designed to describe the level of English language proficiency of test takers planning to study at…

Effects of Language Context on Ratings of Shy and Unsociable Behaviors in English Language Learning Children

PubMed Central

Ash, Andrea C.; Rice, Mabel L.; Redmond, Sean M.

2014-01-01

Purpose The primary goal of this study was to explore the effect of the language context on the socially withdrawn behaviors of school aged-children who are English Language Learners (ELLs) from middle to high SES backgrounds. This is one of the first studies to address the frequently confused concepts of shyness and unsociability as independent constructs within the ELL population. This study also investigated the feasibility of an experimental parent and child questionnaire that examines shyness and unsociability across native and English speaking contexts. Method Children and parents (34 ELL and 37 native English speaking) were administered an experimental questionnaire examining shy and unsociable behavior in native language and English-speaking contexts. Results Parents and children from the ELL group reported significantly higher ratings of shy behavior in English versus native language contexts, whereas unsociable ratings did not differ across language contexts. Conclusions Shyness and unsociability are distinguishable behaviors in ELL children and these constructs should be considered when examining withdrawal. Additionally, examining ELL children’s behavior across language contexts provides a valuable method for investigating language influenced behavioral problems. This study demonstrates the need for service providers to evaluate behavior across subtype and language context before pathologizing withdrawal in ELL children. PMID:24687767

Task-Based Language Teaching and English for Academic Purposes: An Investigation into Instructor Perceptions and Practice in the Canadian Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Douglas, Scott Roy; Kim, Marcia

2014-01-01

English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programs designed to meet postsecondary English language proficiency requirements are a common pathway to higher education for students from non-English-speaking backgrounds. Grounded in a Canadian context, this study seeks to examine the prevalence of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) in EAP, common examples…

Specialist English as a foreign language for European public health: evaluation of competencies and needs among Polish and Lithuanian students.

PubMed

Sumskas, Linas; Czabanowska, Katarzyna; Bruneviciūte, Raimonda; Kregzdyte, Rima; Krikstaponyte, Zita; Ziomkiewicz, Anna

2010-01-01

Foreign languages are becoming an essential prerequisite for a successful carrier among all professions including public health professionals in many countries. The expanding role of English as a mode of communication allows for university graduates to project and to seek their career in English-speaking countries. The present study was carried out in the framework of EU Leonardo da Vinci project "Specialist English as a foreign language for European public health." The study aimed to get a deeper insight how the English language is perceived as a foreign language, by Polish and Lithuanian public health students, what is level of their language competence, which level of English proficiency they expect to use in future. MATERIAL AND METHODS. A total of 246 respondents completed the special questionnaires in autumn semester in 2005. A questionnaire form was developed by the international project team. For evaluation of English competences, the Language Passport (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages of Council of Europe) was applied. RESULTS. Current self-rated proficiency of the English language was at the same level for Lithuanian (3.47+/-1.14) and Polish (3.31+/-0.83) respondents (P>0.05). Majority of respondents (88.6% of Lithuanian and 87.8% of Polish) reported using the English language for their current studies. Respondents reported a significant increase in necessity for higher level of English proficiency in future: mean scores provided by respondents changed from B1 level to B2 level. Respondents gave priority to less formal and practice-based interactive English teaching methods (going abroad, contacts with native speakers) in comparison with theory-oriented methods of learning (self-studying, Internet courses). CONCLUSIONS. Similar levels of English language in all five areas of language skills were established in Polish and Lithuanian university students. Respondents gave more priorities to less formal and practice-based interactive English teaching methods (going abroad, contacts with native speakers) in comparison with theory-oriented or classroom-based methods of learning (self-studying, Internet courses). Survey showed a growing interest of students in improving English language in the future in Poland and Lithuania.

Teaching English to Young Learners Through Indonesian - Translated Songs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sukirmiyadi

2018-01-01

As an international language, English is taught and learnt by almost all of the people in the world. In Indonesia for example, English has been introduced since the learners are studying at the elementary school. Even many of the Kindergarten Schools too, have already introduced this language to their students. However, we cannot deny that teaching foreign language is not such an easy thing due to the fact thatmany of the learners are not capable of speaking English very well although they have been learning it for more than ten years (Elementary: 6 years, Junior and Senior High School: 6 years). In line with this problem, this study aims at providing a solution by offering one teaching technique which seems to make the learners (especially young learners) enjoy learning through singing songs (Kasihani, 1999).Furthermore, Phillips(1995) said that young learners really enjoyed learning and singing songs with highly motivating. Based on those two researches andin efforts to make it easier in English language learning, especially to young learners, the writer translated the very common and popular Indonesian kid songs into English. Thesetranslated songswere then used to teach the students of Kindergarten up to Elementary ones of the first and second grade. This meant that before a teacher started to teach, s/he had to translate the Indonesian kid songsat first into English.Due to its popularity and familiarity, it was expected that this teaching technique would be more effective and efficient to apply especially to young learners.

Implementation of multiple intelligences theory in the English language course syllabus at the University of Nis Medical School.

PubMed

Bakić-Mirić, Natasa

2010-01-01

Theory of multiple intelligences (MI) is considered an innovation in learning the English language because it helps students develop all eight intelligences that, on the other hand, represent ways people understand the world around them, solve problems and learn. They are: verbal/linguistic, logical/mathematical, visual/spatial, bodily/kinaesthetic, musical/rhythmic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalist. Also, by focusing on the problem-solving activities, teachers, by implementing theory of multiple intelligences, encourage students not only to build their existing language knowledge but also learn new content and skills. The objective of this study has been to determine the importance of implementation of the theory of multiple intelligences in the English language course syllabus at the University of Nis Medical School. Ways in which the theory of multiple intelligences has been implemented in the English language course syllabus particularly in one lecture for junior year students of pharmacy in the University of Nis Medical School. The English language final exam results from February 2009 when compared with the final exam results from June 2007 prior to the implementation of MI theory showed the following: out of 80 junior year students of pharmacy, 40 obtained grade 10 (outstanding), 16 obtained grade 9 (excellent), 11 obtained grade 8 (very good), 4 obtained grade 7 (good) and 9 obtained grade 6 (pass). No student failed. The implementation of the theory of multiple intelligences in the English language course syllabus at the University of Nis Medical School has had a positive impact on learning the English language and has increased students' interest in language learning. Genarally speaking, this theory offers better understanding of students' intelligence and greater appreciation of their strengths. It provides numerous opportunities for students to use and develop all eight intelligences not just the few they excel in prior to enrolling in a university or college.

The Mother Tongue in the Foreign Language: An Account of Russian L2 Learners' Error Incidence on Output

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forteza Fernandez, Rafael Filiberto; Korneeva, Larisa I.

2017-01-01

Based on Selinker's hypothesis of five psycholinguistic processes shaping interlanguage (1972), the paper focuses attention on the Russian L2-learners' overreliance on the L1 as the main factor hindering their development. The research problem is, therefore, the high incidence of L1 transfer in the spoken and written English language output of…

The Blurring of the English Language.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fish, James S.

1987-01-01

While the appreciation for plain English is taking hold, some areas of business writing still need attention. Jargon is a problem, as well as euphemisms and the growing density of expression that have softened the language. Mail-order catalogs work well as a training ground for compressed, effective persuasive writing. (Author/CH)

Predicting the language proficiency of Chinese student pilots within American airspace: Single-task versus dual-task English-language assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noble, Clifford Elliott, II

2002-09-01

The problem. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of three single-task instruments---(a) the Test of English as a Foreign Language, (b) the Aviation Test of Spoken English, and (c) the Single Manual-Tracking Test---and three dual-task instruments---(a) the Concurrent Manual-Tracking and Communication Test, (b) the Certified Flight Instructor's Test, and (c) the Simulation-Based English Test---to predict the language performance of 10 Chinese student pilots speaking English as a second language when operating single-engine and multiengine aircraft within American airspace. Method. This research implemented a correlational design to investigate the ability of the six described instruments to predict the mean score of the criterion evaluation, which was the Examiner's Test. This test assessed the oral communication skill of student pilots on the flight portion of the terminal checkride in the Piper Cadet, Piper Seminole, and Beechcraft King Air airplanes. Results. Data from the Single Manual-Tracking Test, as well as the Concurrent Manual-Tracking and Communication Test, were discarded due to performance ceiling effects. Hypothesis 1, which stated that the average correlation between the mean scores of the dual-task evaluations and that of the Examiner's Test would predict the mean score of the criterion evaluation with a greater degree of accuracy than that of single-task evaluations, was not supported. Hypothesis 2, which stated that the correlation between the mean scores of the participants on the Simulation-Based English Test and the Examiner's Test would predict the mean score of the criterion evaluation with a greater degree of accuracy than that of all single- and dual-task evaluations, was also not supported. The findings suggest that single- and dual-task assessments administered after initial flight training are equivalent predictors of language performance when piloting single-engine and multiengine aircraft.

The Impact of Patient Language Proficiency and Interpreter Service Use on the Quality of Psychiatric Care: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Bauer, Amy M.; Alegría, Margarita

2010-01-01

Objective To determine the effects of limited English proficiency and use of interpreters on the quality of psychiatric care. Methods A systematic literature search for English-language publications was conducted in PubMed, PsycInfo, and CINAHL and by review of the reference lists of included articles and expert sources. Of 321 citations, 26 peer-reviewed articles met inclusion criteria by reporting primary data on the clinical care for psychiatric disorders among patients with limited proficiency in English or in the providers’ language. Results Little systematic research has addressed the impact of language proficiency or interpreter use on the quality of psychiatric care in contemporary US settings. Therefore, the literature to date is insufficient to inform evidence-based guidelines for improving quality of care among patients with limited English proficiency. Nonetheless, evaluation in a patient’s non-primary language can lead to incomplete or distorted mental status assessment whereas assessments conducted via untrained interpreters may contain interpreting errors. Consequences of interpreter errors include clinicians’ failure to identify disordered thought or delusional content. Use of professional interpreters may improve disclosure and attenuate some difficulties. Diagnostic agreement, collaborative treatment planning, and referral for specialty care may be compromised. Conclusions Clinicians should become aware of the types of quality problems that may occur when evaluating patients in a non-primary language or via an interpreter. Given demographic trends in the US, future research should aim to address the deficit in the evidence base to guide clinical practice and policy. PMID:20675834

A Math Intervention for Third Grade Latino English Language Learners at Risk for Math Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orosco, Michael J.

2014-01-01

Word problems for English language learners (ELLs) at risk for math disabilities are challenging in terms of the constant need to develop precise math language and comprehension knowledge. As a result of this, ELLs may not only need math support but also reading and linguistic support. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a…

The Significance of Learning Nicknames of Public Figures in Modern English and American Language Models of the World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garayeva, Almira K.; Akhmetzyanov, Ildar G.; Khismatullina, Lutsia G.

2016-01-01

The importance of the topic of this study is determined by several factors: increased interest of linguists to the problem of interaction between language and culture; the need to study the onomastic units as body language. The purpose of this article is to identify the types of motivational nick names of famous American and English public…

Regionally Specific Tasks of Non-Western English Language Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lanteigne, Betty

2006-01-01

Many English tests based on Western culture are inappropriate for regions where English use differs from that of Europe and North America. In these non-Western settings, it is desirable that English assessments be based on real-world English use. Therefore, identifying tasks of non-Western English language use is a beginning step in developing…

Codeswitching Techniques: Evidence-Based Instructional Practices for the ASL/English Bilingual Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, Jean F.; Rusher, Melissa

2010-01-01

The authors present a perspective on emerging bilingual deaf students who are exposed to, learning, and developing two languages--American Sign Language (ASL) and English (spoken English, manually coded English, and English reading and writing). The authors suggest that though deaf children may lack proficiency or fluency in either language during…

English Activation through Art: Tensions and Rewards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Tat Heung

2017-01-01

This article describes a unit of work framed by a rationale for activating English language learning through arts-based practices that are suitable for preservice teachers who are nonnative speakers of English (seeking certification for teaching English as a second language). Because teachers of English are expected to use language arts to promote…

Automated database design from natural language input

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gomez, Fernando; Segami, Carlos; Delaune, Carl

1995-01-01

Users and programmers of small systems typically do not have the skills needed to design a database schema from an English description of a problem. This paper describes a system that automatically designs databases for such small applications from English descriptions provided by end-users. Although the system has been motivated by the space applications at Kennedy Space Center, and portions of it have been designed with that idea in mind, it can be applied to different situations. The system consists of two major components: a natural language understander and a problem-solver. The paper describes briefly the knowledge representation structures constructed by the natural language understander, and, then, explains the problem-solver in detail.

Personality Traits as Predictors of the Social English Language Learning Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fazeli, Seyed Hossein

2012-01-01

The present study aims to find out the role of personality traits in the prediction use of the Social English Language Learning Strategies (SELLSs) for learners of English as a foreign language. Four instruments were used, which were Adapted Inventory for Social English Language Learning Strategies based on Social category of Strategy Inventory…

The Impact of Personality Traits on the Affective Category of English Language Learning Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fazeli, Seyed Hossein

2011-01-01

The present study aims at discovering the impact of personality traits in the prediction use of the Affective English Language Learning Strategies (AELLSs) for learners of English as a foreign language. Four instruments were used, which were Adapted Inventory for Affective English Language Learning Strategies based on Affective category of…

Using Explicit C-R-A Instruction to Teach Fraction Word Problem Solving to Low-Performing Asian English Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Sun A.; Wang, Peishi; Michaels, Craig A.

2015-01-01

This article investigates the effects of fraction word problem-solving instruction involving explicit teaching of the concrete-representational-abstract sequence with culturally relevant teaching examples for 3 low-performing Asian immigrant English learners who spoke a language other than English at home. We used a multiple probe design across…

English Language Teaching in Malaysia: The Case for a Dual Track English Curriculum [Short Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iber, George

2014-01-01

It has been my privilege to work within the ELTC for a period of 10 months, learning about the English language problems and aspirations of the Ministry of Education. While tasked to work directly on a Remedial Instruction Module, it became apparent that the scopes of the initiatives in Malaysia are much more far reaching. In this paper I wish to…

Explanations, explanations, explanations: how do patients with limited English construct narrative accounts in multi-lingual, multi-ethnic settings, and how can GPs interpret them?

PubMed

Moss, Becky; Roberts, Celia

2005-08-01

The gap is widening between understanding the subtle ways patients and GPs manage their talk, and superficial discussion of the 'language barrier' among linguistic minority patients. All patients have to explain themselves, not just those for whom English is their first or main language. Patients' explanations reflect how they want the doctor to perceive them as a patient and as a person: they reveal patients' identities. Yet interpretations are not easy when patients' style of talking English is influenced by their first language and cultural background. To explore in detail how patients with limited English and GPs jointly overcome misunderstandings in explanations. Using discourse analysis and conversation analysis, we examine how GPs and their patients with limited English negotiate explanations and collaborate to manage, repair or prevent understanding problems. 31% of patients said English was not their first language. Misunderstandings arise owing to a range of linguistic and cultural factors, including stress and intonation patterns, vocabulary, the way a patient sequences their narrative, and patient and GP pursuing different agendas. When talk itself is the problem, patients' explanations can lead to misunderstandings, which GPs have to repair if they cannot prevent. Careful interpretation by skillful GPs can reveal patients' knowledge, experience and perspective.

English to Sanskrit Machine Translation Using Transfer Based approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pathak, Ganesh R.; Godse, Sachin P.

2010-11-01

Translation is one of the needs of global society for communicating thoughts and ideas of one country with other country. Translation is the process of interpretation of text meaning and subsequent production of equivalent text, also called as communicating same meaning (message) in another language. In this paper we gave detail information on how to convert source language text in to target language text using Transfer Based Approach for machine translation. Here we implemented English to Sanskrit machine translator using transfer based approach. English is global language used for business and communication but large amount of population in India is not using and understand the English. Sanskrit is ancient language of India most of the languages in India are derived from Sanskrit. Sanskrit can be act as an intermediate language for multilingual translation.

A Usage-Based Approach to Preposition Placement in English as a Second Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jach, Daniel

2018-01-01

This study examined the acquisition of preposition placement in English as a second language from a usage-based perspective. German and Chinese learners of English and English native speakers rated the acceptability of English oblique "wh" relative clauses in a magnitude estimation task. Results indicated that acceptability depended on…

Chinese English Learners' Strategic Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Dianjian; Lai, Hongling; Leslie, Michael

2015-01-01

The present study aims to investigate Chinese English learners' ability to use communication strategies (CSs). The subjects are put in a relatively real English referential communication setting and the analyses of the research data show that Chinese English learners, when encountering problems in foreign language (FL) communication, are…

Recognition of English and German Borrowings in the Russian Language (Based on Lexical Borrowings in the Field of Economics)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashrapova, Alsu; Alendeeva, Svetlana

2014-01-01

This article is the result of a study of the influence of English and German on the Russian language during the English learning based on lexical borrowings in the field of economics. This paper discusses the use and recognition of borrowings from the English and German languages by Russian native speakers. The use of lexical borrowings from…

Development of a Mandarin-English Bilingual Speech Recognition System for Real World Music Retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qingqing; Pan, Jielin; Lin, Yang; Shao, Jian; Yan, Yonghong

In recent decades, there has been a great deal of research into the problem of bilingual speech recognition-to develop a recognizer that can handle inter- and intra-sentential language switching between two languages. This paper presents our recent work on the development of a grammar-constrained, Mandarin-English bilingual Speech Recognition System (MESRS) for real world music retrieval. Two of the main difficult issues in handling the bilingual speech recognition systems for real world applications are tackled in this paper. One is to balance the performance and the complexity of the bilingual speech recognition system; the other is to effectively deal with the matrix language accents in embedded language**. In order to process the intra-sentential language switching and reduce the amount of data required to robustly estimate statistical models, a compact single set of bilingual acoustic models derived by phone set merging and clustering is developed instead of using two separate monolingual models for each language. In our study, a novel Two-pass phone clustering method based on Confusion Matrix (TCM) is presented and compared with the log-likelihood measure method. Experiments testify that TCM can achieve better performance. Since potential system users' native language is Mandarin which is regarded as a matrix language in our application, their pronunciations of English as the embedded language usually contain Mandarin accents. In order to deal with the matrix language accents in embedded language, different non-native adaptation approaches are investigated. Experiments show that model retraining method outperforms the other common adaptation methods such as Maximum A Posteriori (MAP). With the effective incorporation of approaches on phone clustering and non-native adaptation, the Phrase Error Rate (PER) of MESRS for English utterances was reduced by 24.47% relatively compared to the baseline monolingual English system while the PER on Mandarin utterances was comparable to that of the baseline monolingual Mandarin system. The performance for bilingual utterances achieved 22.37% relative PER reduction.

"The Burden of Diversity": The Sociolinguistic Problems of English in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ntombela, Berrington X. S.

2016-01-01

At the emergence of democracy in South Africa the government corrected linguistic imbalances by officialising eleven languages. Prior to that only English and Afrikaans were the recognised official languages. The Black population had rejected the imposition of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction. However, such rejection did not mean the…

English Language Learners' Pathways to Four-Year Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanno, Yasuko; Cromley, Jennifer G.

2015-01-01

Background/Context: English language learners (ELLs) are the fastest growing segment of the K-12 student population in the United States, yet they encounter substantial problems entering higher education. The gap between ELLs and non-ELLs is particularly acute for four-year college access. Research has been largely silent on ELLs' college…

Coping with Teacher Resistance: Insights from INSET Programmes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saraswathi, V.

Inservice education for teachers of English as a Second Language in India is discussed, focusing on the problem of teacher resistance to change in teaching practice. First, the need for inservice teacher education in the Indian context is examined, noting that standards of both student and teacher English language proficiency have been declining.…

Characteristics of English Teachers When Training Global Multi Cultural Students (Sinop Sample)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Usakli, Hakan

2011-01-01

Language teaching, particularly English language teaching was discussed in this study. That is why it is integral to the globalization. The study demonstrates that problems addressed from the aspects of administration, educational program and psychology can indeed be generalized to all. This study is conducted according to qualitative research…

Facilitating Multilingual Tutorials at the University of the Free State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

du Buisson, Theuns

2017-01-01

Conducting undergraduate studies in the English language, while only a small minority of students speak English at home, poses many problems to learning in the South African context. This article explores how restrictive language policies may influence proper learning and impact negatively on the self-understanding of students. It also explores…

The Berlin Wall of Language: The Problem and Solution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burroughs, Evelyn

1969-01-01

Several obstacles to social and intellectual growth confront the disadvantaged student whose nonstandard dialect is unacceptable to many users of standard English. To help him develop a bidialectalism that minimizes these obstacles, the English teacher needs to guide the student to explore the ways in which language conveys meaning; to experience…

Bilingual Children's Project. B.C.P., 1988-89. OREA Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berney, Tomi D.; Gritzer, Glenn

The goals of the Bilingual Children's Project (B.C.P.) were to help students acquire skills in the English language content area subjects, critical thinking, and problem solving. In its first year, the project served 740 kindergarten through third grade students of limited English proficiency at 12 schools. Participants' native languages were…

The Efficacy of Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) in Mathematics Instruction on English Language Learner Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vidot, Jose L.

2011-01-01

Studies by the National Association for Educational Progress found that English Language Learner (ELL) students perform poorly compared to other students on standardized mathematics exams. The research problem addressed how Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) affected the instructional practices of high school mathematics teachers.…

English Language Teaching Management Research in Post-Compulsory Contexts: Still "Crawling Out"?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, John

2011-01-01

This paper explores the field of post-compulsory English Language Teaching (ELT) management research, enquiring into its identity, legitimacy and development, by identifying and discussing issues, problems, and controversies. It reviews the nature of the ELT sector as a predominantly commercial educational service with a significant role in "inner…

Focus: Film in the English and Language Arts Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mullican, James S., Ed.

1976-01-01

The articles collected in this issue are devoted to the topic of film in the English and language arts classroom. Titles include "Film Study: Some Problems and Approaches" (Judd Chesler), "The New Basic Skill: Film" (Harold M. Foster), "Caveat Viewer: Developing Viewing Perceptions" (Edward S. Dermon), "Shreds and Patches: Improvised Textbook"…

A Brief Introduction to Foreign Languages Education Policy in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Weiwen

2012-01-01

Based on a series of official published documents and relevant research reports, the paper make a brief introduction to foreign languages education policies in China, which included national English teaching guidance, national English language textbooks, national English curriculum standard and the massive English teachers training program, etc.…

Moodling English Language Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coskun, Abdullah; Arslan, Abdullah

2014-01-01

This paper aims to emphasize the importance of using Moodle in foreign language learning and teaching by reviewing relevant literature and introducing a Moodle-based environment aiming to help English learners to practice their English by themselves. Firstly, the use of Moodle in education and more specifically in English Language Teaching is…

Test Review: ACCESS for ELLs[R

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Janna; Fairbairn, Shelley

2011-01-01

This article reviews Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners ("ACCESS for ELLs"[R]), which is a large-scale, high-stakes, standards-based, and criterion-referenced English language proficiency test administered in the USA annually to more than 840,000 English Language Learners (ELLs), in…

English Relativization and Learners' Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phoocharoensil, Supakorn; Simargool, Nirada

2010-01-01

The present study aims at investigating the learning strategies on which Thai EFL learners rely in learning English relative clauses (ERCs). Not only do these strategies facilitate their ERC acquisition, but they are also found to lead them to certain kinds of problems. Such problems related to the learning strategies are first language transfer,…

The effect of English-language restriction on systematic review-based meta-analyses: a systematic review of empirical studies.

PubMed

Morrison, Andra; Polisena, Julie; Husereau, Don; Moulton, Kristen; Clark, Michelle; Fiander, Michelle; Mierzwinski-Urban, Monika; Clifford, Tammy; Hutton, Brian; Rabb, Danielle

2012-04-01

The English language is generally perceived to be the universal language of science. However, the exclusive reliance on English-language studies may not represent all of the evidence. Excluding languages other than English (LOE) may introduce a language bias and lead to erroneous conclusions. We conducted a comprehensive literature search using bibliographic databases and grey literature sources. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they measured the effect of excluding randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reported in LOE from systematic review-based meta-analyses (SR/MA) for one or more outcomes. None of the included studies found major differences between summary treatment effects in English-language restricted meta-analyses and LOE-inclusive meta-analyses. Findings differed about the methodological and reporting quality of trials reported in LOE. The precision of pooled estimates improved with the inclusion of LOE trials. Overall, we found no evidence of a systematic bias from the use of language restrictions in systematic review-based meta-analyses in conventional medicine. Further research is needed to determine the impact of language restriction on systematic reviews in particular fields of medicine.

Investigating Problems of English Literature Teaching to EFL High School Students in Turkey with Focus on Language Proficiency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isikli, Ceren; Tarakçioglu, Asli Ö.

2017-01-01

Introduction of English literature as a separate school subject into Turkish high school curriculum has revealed a huge number of problems during its practical applications: students' low levels of proficiency in English, teacher incompetence, low motivation, lack of confidence, limited resources, lack of materials etc. Given the great extent and…

Language Profiles of Poor Comprehenders in English and French

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Angelo, Nadia; Chen, Xi

2017-01-01

This study explored components of language comprehension (vocabulary, grammar, and higher-level language) skills for poor comprehenders in French immersion. We identified three groups of bilingual comprehenders (poor, average, and good) based on English reading performance and compared their language comprehension skills in English L1 and French…

A Mobile Game-Based English Vocabulary Practice System Based on Portfolio Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Ting-Ting; Huang, Yueh-Min

2017-01-01

English learning has become a vital educational strategy in many non-English-speaking countries. Vocabulary is a critical element for language learners. Therefore, developing sufficient vocabulary knowledge enables effective communication. However, learning a foreign language is difficult and stressful. In addition, memorizing English vocabulary…

Vocabulary Learning: A Comparison of Learners of English as a Second and Third Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dibaj, Farzad

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study is to compare the vocabulary learning of monolingual learners of English as a second language with bilingual learners of English as a third language. The study is based on data from 52 monolingual Persian-speaking learners of English and 45 bilingual Azeri-Persian-speaking learners of English. All the participants were…

Assessment and Intervention for English Language Learners with Primary Language Impairment: Research-Based Best Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pieretti, Robert A.; Roseberry-McKibbin, Celeste

2016-01-01

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are experiencing the exciting challenge of serving increasing numbers of English Language Learners (ELLs) in U.S. schools. When ELLs struggle in school, they may be overreferred for speech-language services. SLPs are routinely expected to differentiate a language difference based on cultural, linguistic, and…

Multimedia Scenario Based Learning Programme for Enhancing the English Language Efficiency among Primary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tupe, Navnath

2015-01-01

This research was undertaken with a view to assess the deficiencies in English language among Primary School Children and to develop Multimedia Scenario Based Learning Programme (MSBLP) for mastery of English language which required special attention and effective treatment. The experimental study with pre-test, post-test control group design was…

MorphoSaurus--design and evaluation of an interlingua-based, cross-language document retrieval engine for the medical domain.

PubMed

Markó, K; Schulz, S; Hahn, U

2005-01-01

We propose an interlingua-based indexing approach to account for the particular challenges that arise in the design and implementation of cross-language document retrieval systems for the medical domain. Documents, as well as queries, are mapped to a language-independent conceptual layer on which retrieval operations are performed. We contrast this approach with the direct translation of German queries to English ones which, subsequently, are matched against English documents. We evaluate both approaches, interlingua-based and direct translation, on a large medical document collection, the OHSUMED corpus. A substantial benefit for interlingua-based document retrieval using German queries on English texts is found, which amounts to 93% of the (monolingual) English baseline. Most state-of-the-art cross-language information retrieval systems translate user queries to the language(s) of the target documents. In contra-distinction to this approach, translating both documents and user queries into a language-independent, concept-like representation format is more beneficial to enhance cross-language retrieval performance.

Minority students in the science classroom: Issues of language, class, race, culture and pedagogy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sweeney, Aldrin Edward

A considerable proportion of the educationally at-risk students in the K-12 public education system is composed of minority students, either in terms of cultural background, linguistic background, and frequently, both. In particular, satisfactory levels of achievement in science are not being attained by these students. The concerns of this study center on examining and understanding the reasons underlying this situation, with a view to suggesting how these problems of underachievement in science might be addressed. Previous and ongoing educational research concerning these issues suggest that such underachievement may be due to current pedagogical practices which seem to actively discourage these students from achieving any significant measure of academic, educational or professional success. The purpose of this study is thus to explore the beliefs and pedagogical practices of science teachers as they relate to minority students, especially those minority students for whom English is not a first language and who have limited English proficiency (LEP). In the course of this study, the terminology 'minority students' will refer to and be inclusive of cultural and/or language minorities, i.e. those students who differ from the mainstream white American student in terms of cultural background and a native language other than English. Culturally derived usages of non-standard forms of English (e.g. Black English Vernacular) also will be subsumed within this definition of cultural and language minority students. Particular attention will be given to emergent issues relating to current pedagogical practices, also to the science teacher beliefs and epistemological rationales underlying such practices. In exploring these beliefs and pedagogical practices, the study also will seek to delineate and to understand the various problems which are being encountered in the teaching of science to minority students. As the result of exploring the beliefs and pedagogical practices of science teachers as they relate to minority students, it is intended that the completed study will contribute toward the development and elaboration of a substantive pedagogical content knowledge base for science teachers of cultural and language minority students. It is anticipated that the development of such a knowledge base will be of practical assistance to science teachers in their pedagogical decisions such that a greater inclusion of these students in the science discourse community may be attained.

Open access for the non-English-speaking world: overcoming the language barrier

PubMed Central

Fung, Isaac CH

2008-01-01

This editorial highlights the problem of language barrier in scientific communication in spite of the recent success of Open Access Movement. Four options for English-language journals to overcome the language barrier are suggested: 1) abstracts in alternative languages provided by authors, 2) Wiki open translation, 3) international board of translator-editors, and 4) alternative language version of the journal. The Emerging Themes in Epidemiology announces that with immediate effect, it will accept translations of abstracts or full texts by authors as Additional files. Editorial note: In an effort towards overcoming the language barrier in scientific publication, ETE will accept translations of abstracts or the full text of published articles. Each translation should be submitted separately as an Additional File in PDF format. ETE will only peer review English-language versions. Therefore, translations will not be scrutinized in the review-process and the responsibility for accurate translation rests with the authors. PMID:18173854

Intercultural Exposure through English Language Teaching: An Analysis of an English Language Textbook in Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siddiqie, Shamsun Akhter

2011-01-01

The treatment of culture in foreign language textbooks is comparatively a new trend in English Language Teaching (ELT) which is based on the growing consensus that language textbooks should attempt to raise students' awareness of international culture as well as that of their own. Being influenced by this thought, Bangladesh too like many other…

Building Teachers' Assessment Capacity for Supporting English Language Learners through the Implementation of the Step Language Assessment in Ontario K-12 Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Viegen Stille, Saskia; Jang, Eunice; Wagner, Maryam

2015-01-01

The Ontario Ministry of Education recently implemented the Steps to English Proficiency (STEP) language assessment framework to build educator capacity for addressing the needs of English language learners (ELLs) in K-12 schools. The STEP framework is a set of descriptors-based language proficiency scales that specify observable linguistic…

Studiar L'inglese dalle elementari--Problema europeo: Una proposta nuova della pedagogia cibernetica (Beginning the Study of English in the Elementary School Grades--A European Problem: A New Proposal from Cibernetic Education).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiti-Batelli, Andrea

1986-01-01

Warns the European community of the dangers of accepting English as the international language and urges the adoption of Esperanto, a neutral language without its own cultural tradition, as the international lingua franca. (CFM)

Increasing the Vocabulary Acquisition Rate for Third Grade English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pendergrass, Jennifer D.

2017-01-01

Given the ongoing demographic transformations of U.S classrooms, knowledge of the strategies teachers use to address the vocabulary needs of English language learners (ELLs) is central for improving student outcomes. The problem in a Georgia school system was that ELLs were not building grade-level appropriate vocabulary at a pace comparable to…

The Effects of Differentiated Foreign Language Instruction on Academic Achievement and Creativity of Gifted Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aysin, Sayi K.; Serap, Emir

2017-01-01

The main aim of this study is to investigate the effects of an English language education program that addresses the academic and cognitive needs of gifted children on their academic achievement and creative thinking levels. To this end, through an experimental research design, the unit "Health Problems" in English course book was…

The Effect of Writing Task and Task Conditions on Colombian EFL Learners' Language Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonough, Kim; Fuentes, César García

2015-01-01

This classroom study examines whether English L2 writers' language use differs depending on the writing task (operationalized as paragraph type), and task conditions (operationalized as individual or collaborative writing). The texts written by English L2 university students in Colombia (N = 26) in response to problem/solution and cause/effect…

Problems with Science Teaching and Learning for English Language Learners in One Diverse Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Karen Margaret

2012-01-01

This qualitative study centered on science instruction and learning that occurred in a Title I elementary school in a suburban district in southeast Texas. Twelve teachers were interviewed in order to understand their perceptions of their classroom practices in terms of science instruction and learning for English Language Learners (ELL). This…

Addressing the Issue of Cultural and Linguistic Diversity and Assessment: Informal Evaluation Measures for English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spinelli, Cathleen G.

2008-01-01

Existing research indicates that there is a disproportionate number of students with cultural and linguistic differences, English Language Learners (ELL), who are misidentified as learning disabled when their problems are due to cultural and/or linguistic differences. As a consequence, these students do not receive appropriate services. With the…

Finding and Understanding Talent among Elementary English Language Learners: Beyond Project Hope

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pereira, Nielsen

2011-01-01

The under-identification and underrepresentation of English language learners (ELLs) in gifted programs remains a severe and pervasive problem in the field of gifted education (Yoon & Gentry, 2009, VanTassel-Baska & Stambaugh, 2007). This study focused on ELLs in grades K-5 from four elementary schools in Midwestern school districts (a) to…

Does Adding Mathematics to English Language Learners' Timetables Improve Their Acquisition of English?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stacey, Jenny

2016-01-01

This enquiry based project set out to find out if adult English language learners, known as ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) learners in the UK, might benefit, in terms of their acquisition of English, from studying maths. This research has been conducted at a medium sized FE college in the East Midlands where I teach. I evaluate…

Current Trends in English Language Testing. Conference Proceedings for CTELT 1997 and 1998, Vol. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coombe, Christine A., Ed.

Papers from the 1997 and 1998 Current Trends in English Language Testing (CTELT) conferences include: "Computer-Based Language Testing: The Call of the Internet" (G. Fulcher); "Uses of the PET (Preliminary English Test) at Sultan Qaboos University" (R. Taylor); "Issues in Foreign and Second Language Academic Listening…

English Language Teacher Educator Interactional Styles: Heterogeneity and Homogeneity in the ELTE Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lucero, Edgar; Scalante-Morales, Jeesica

2018-01-01

This article presents a research study on the interactional styles of teacher educators in the English language teacher education classroom. Two research methodologies, ethnomethodological conversation analysis and self-evaluation of teacher talk were applied to analyze 34 content- and language-based classes of nine English language teacher…

Language Issues: Readings for Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durkin, Diane Bennett

This book provides a collection of interrelated essays on language for teachers concerned with first and second language acquisition, non-standard English, the teaching of grammar, language change, and the attainment of literacy. A problem-oriented text, the book presents the various controversies surrounding each language area, offering competing…

Problems in Preparing for the English Impromptu Speech Contest: The Case of Yuanpei Institute of Science and Technology in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsieh, Shu-min

2006-01-01

Entering an "English Impromptu Speech Contest" intimidates many students who do not have a good command of the English language. Some choose to give up before the contest date while others stand speechless on the stage. This paper identifies a range of problems confronted by contestants from my college, the Yuanpei Institute of Science…

Bridges to Swaziland: Using Task-Based Learning and Computer-Mediated Instruction to Improve English Language Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierson, Susan Jacques

2015-01-01

One way to provide high quality instruction for underserved English Language Learners around the world is to combine Task-Based English Language Learning with Computer- Assisted Instruction. As part of an ongoing project, "Bridges to Swaziland," these approaches have been implemented in a determined effort to improve the ESL program for…

Tourism English Education Based on Students' Beliefs on Foreign Language Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seong, Myeong-Hee

1999-01-01

Investigates beliefs held by Korean college students majoring in tourism English about learning foreign languages, particularly English, and suggests desirable directions that English instruction may take. The student questionnaire is appended. (Author/VWL)

The Perspectives of Students in the College of Basic Education on the Characteristics of Effective English Language Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taqi, Hanan A.; Al-Nouh, Nowreyah A.; Akbar, Rahima S.

2014-01-01

This paper presents a research study designed to investigate the characteristics of effective teachers of English and the uniqueness of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The research is based on four general categories: English language proficiency, educational perception, organization and communication skills, social and emotional…

Constructing Gender in an English Dominant Kindergarten: Implications for Second Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hruska, Barbara L.

2004-01-01

This article is part of a year-long ethnographic study conducted in an English dominant kindergarten in the United States. The classroom comprised 6 Spanish-bilingual English language learners and 17 native English speakers. The study was based on a theoretical framework that views language as the site for constructing social meaning and…

Website Analysis as a Tool for Task-Based Language Learning and Higher Order Thinking in an EFL Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roy, Debopriyo

2014-01-01

Besides focusing on grammar, writing skills, and web-based language learning, researchers in "CALL" and second language acquisition have also argued for the importance of promoting higher-order thinking skills in ESL (English as Second Language) and EFL (English as Foreign Language) classrooms. There is solid evidence supporting the…

Ambivalence toward Black English: Some Tentative Solutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Hanni

1991-01-01

Describes the writing problems of a poor, black, urban student who wants to succeed in college but doesn't know how. Asserts that language use, particularly the use of Black English, plays a major role in their lack of academic success. Offers drills and strategies to help with this problem. (PRA)

Web-Based English Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarica, Gulcin Nagehan; Cavus, Nadire

2008-01-01

Knowledge of another language is an advantage and it gives people to look at the world and in particular to the world's cultures with a broader perspective. Learning English as a second language is the process by which students learn it in addition to their native language. Today, internet is an important part of our lives as English. For this…

Variable Production of English Past Tense Morphology: A Case Study of a Thai-Speaking Learner of English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prapobaratanakul, Chariya; Pongpairoj, Nattama

2016-01-01

The study investigated variable production of English past tense morphology by an L1 Thai-speaking learner of English. Due to the absence of the past tense inflectional morphology in the Thai language, production of English past tense morphemes poses a persistent problem for L1 Thai-speaking learners of English. Hypotheses have been made in…

Blogs as Powerful Learning Tools: The Perception from EFL Students in Riau Main Island Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamuddin, Budianto; Dahler

2018-05-01

Promoting the potential value of blogs in English Language Teaching (ELT) for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students is the focus of this present study. It’s aimed to explain in a quantitative way the perceptions from English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in using blogs in Riau main island context. The students from PBIG FKIP Universitas Lancang Kuning in Riau mainland, Indonesia was selected based on the increasing trends of the blog used as alternative media to learn English during these two years. The analysis of this present study based its data from online questionnaire as the main instrument to collect the data. The online questionnaire was open from August 2016-February 2017 (6 months) and filled up by 161 students from English Department of FKIP Unilak who enroll in 6 different blog-based classes at PBIG FKIP Unilak. The analysis showing that the majority of the students had a positive perception that blog can be used as powerful tools to promote English language skills especially reading and writing. The data also reveals that using the blog as a learning journal can raise students’ motivation in learning English and publishing article. These positive results somehow showing that blog can be promoted as an alternative media of learning English for English as Foreign Language Students at PBIG FKIP Unilak or in other institutions around the globe that teach English as a Foreign language.

MED9/368: Health education over Internet: Is there a special way for smaller language groups?

PubMed Central

Aru, J

1999-01-01

Health education over resources, that use English, German and French language, is a rapidly growing area of medicine within the World Wide Web. Multiple gateways and portal servers have been set up to guide people within the diversity of materials available. For smaller language groups the situation is quite different: there is a lack of information in even the basic medical education topics. The question is: how to fill the missing gaps. Principally two different ways are possible: Translating materials from English, German, French and other "big" language groups. Generating original Internet-based texts for "smaller" language group When using the first, possibility of problems related to copyright and proper translating occur. When using the second approach, the quality of materials could suffer. As an example, the homepage for health education www.doctus.ee is discussed in detail. This homepage includes materials about the health care system, basic health topics, main diseases and also a questionnaire for consulting one's health problems with a doctor. A year's experience running this health education Web site in Estonian has brought to following conclusions: For translations a link for originals should be included. With original Estonian texts copyright questions are frequent. Guidance is frequently needed for translated texts. Health consultations over Internet should be legally regulated

Promoting CLT within a Computer Assisted Learning Environment: A Survey of the Communicative English Course of FLTC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haider, Md. Zulfeqar; Chowdhury, Takad Ahmed

2012-01-01

This study is based on a survey of the Communicative English Language Certificate (CELC) course run by the Foreign Language Training Center (FLTC), a Project under the Ministry of Education, Bangladesh. FLTC is working to promote the teaching and learning of English through its eleven computer-based and state of the art language laboratories. As…

Predictive Validity of Curriculum-Based Measures in the Reading Assessment of Students Who Are English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muyskens, Paul; Betts, Joseph; Lau, Matthew Y.; Marston, Doug

2009-01-01

The inclusion of English Language Learners as a subgroup in the No Child Left Behind legislation has leant additional importance to the need for valid and efficient measures of reading for students whose first language is not English. This study examines the use of Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) reading fluency as a predictor of later reading…

Selective auditory attention in adults: effects of rhythmic structure of the competing language.

PubMed

Reel, Leigh Ann; Hicks, Candace Bourland

2012-02-01

The authors assessed adult selective auditory attention to determine effects of (a) differences between the vocal/speaking characteristics of different mixed-gender pairs of masking talkers and (b) the rhythmic structure of the language of the competing speech. Reception thresholds for English sentences were measured for 50 monolingual English-speaking adults in conditions with 2-talker (male-female) competing speech spoken in a stress-based (English, German), syllable-based (Spanish, French), or mora-based (Japanese) language. Two different masking signals were created for each language (i.e., 2 different 2-talker pairs). All subjects were tested in 10 competing conditions (2 conditions for each of the 5 languages). A significant difference was noted between the 2 masking signals within each language. Across languages, significantly greater listening difficulty was observed in conditions where competing speech was spoken in English, German, or Japanese, as compared with Spanish or French. Results suggest that (a) for a particular language, masking effectiveness can vary between different male-female 2-talker maskers and (b) for stress-based vs. syllable-based languages, competing speech is more difficult to ignore when spoken in a language from the native rhythmic class as compared with a nonnative rhythmic class, regardless of whether the language is familiar or unfamiliar to the listener.

A Qualitative Inquiry into the Experiences of High-Potential Hispanic English Language Learners in Midwestern Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pereira, Nielsen; Gentry, Marcia

2013-01-01

The underrepresentation of English language learners (ELLs) in gifted programs remains a severe and pervasive problem; however, few studies exist concerning the educational experiences of high-potential ELLs. This study focused on Hispanic ELLs in Grades 2 through 6 from four Midwestern schools. In all, 22 students, 20 parents, and 22 teachers…

Middle School Mathematics Teachers' Conceptions of English Language Learners and Strategies to Support Them: An Examination of Two Professional Development Communities of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Sarah Ann

2009-01-01

This study examined teachers' positioning of English language learners (ELLs) and instructional strategies to support them within the Problem Solving Cycle professional development program. Using a communities of practice lens (Wenger, 2000) and building on literature related to supporting ELLs in mathematics, Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching…

Using Simplified English to Identify Potential Problems for Non-Native Speakers in the Language of Engineering Examination Papers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrison, Sandra; Morgan, Roger

2012-01-01

There is an increasing sensitivity to the challenges posed by the language of examination papers and of instruction in scientific subjects, especially for non-native speakers of English. It has been observed that in addition to technical subject-specific vocabulary, non-technical words such as instructional verbs have been sources of difficulty,…

Triumph through Texting: Restoring Learners' Interest in Grammar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hedjazi Moghari, Mona; Marandi, S. Susan

2017-01-01

It is usually the case that learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) are exposed to language materials in class only, and of course in such a short space of time, they do not always find enough chance to practice English grammar features and become aware of their grammar mistakes. As a potential solution to this problem, the current study…

The Effects of Culturally Adapted Version of "First Steps to Success" for Latino English Language Learners: Preliminary Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castro-Olivo, Sara; Preciado, Jorge; Le, Loan; Marciante, Mia; Garcia, Melissa

2018-01-01

For decades, Latino English language learners (ELLs) have been identified as a high-risk population for both reading and behavioral problems. A comprehensive approach that provides academic and behavioral support in both home and school settings has been suggested by researchers as a viable option for improving outcomes of students who exhibit…

SOME APPLICATIONS TO TELEVISION AND RADIO TO THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE IN NORTHERN NIGERIA.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

KINCAID, R. THOMAS

THIS REPORT PRESENTS A DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTIVITIES, ACCOMPLISHMENTS, HOST GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTIONS, PROBLEMS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS MADE CONCERNING THE TWO-YEAR PROJECT (NOVEMBER 1, 1966 TO 1967) IN WHICH TELEVISION AND RADIO WERE USED AS MEDIA FOR TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE IN NORTHERN NIGERIA. A SERIES OF TELECASTS (EIGHT 20-MINUTE…

English as a Second Language on a Virtual Platform--Tradition and Innovation in a New Medium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansson, Thomas

2005-01-01

A pilot study at a local school explores a virtual world during English lessons. The objective of applying a Vygotskian experimental design to the study is to investigate the potential of software, interaction and integration related to problem-solving defined as text composition in a foreign language. Focus of research and practices is on the…

The Voices of Special Educators: How Do Special Educators Teach English Language Learners Who Are Receiving Special Education Services?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DuBois, Elizabeth Ann

2017-01-01

Disproportionality in special education has been examined from various perspectives over a 50-year period. English Language Learner (ELL) students have been included in the discussion among researchers in the past two decades as a disproportionate number of ELL students are referred to special education. Though the problem of disproportionality…

Nudge, Nudge: Teacher Interventions in Task-Based Learner Talk.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Tony

1997-01-01

Discusses whether teachers should intervene when communication between learners of English as a Second Language breaks down and, if so, what form that intervention should take. The article concludes that teachers should resist intervention at the outset of communication problems and that any subsequent intervention must be specifically tailored to…

Students' Silence and Identity in Small Group Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jin, Jun

2017-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been increasingly employed as a teaching and learning approach in many disciplines in higher education. In English medium of instruction (EMI) universities in Asia, PBL can further enhance knowledge construction as well as development of disciplinary language and communicative skills. It is necessary to explore how…

Learning Strategy Training in English Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arulselvi, M. Evangelin

2016-01-01

The fundamental task of schools is to endow students with strategies, which enable them to elaborate, transform, contrast and critically rebuild knowledge, that develops strategic knowledge. Learning strategy is the specific action to make the students better in learning a second language. Learning Strategy Training is based on problems the…

The Cultural and Intercultural Identities of Transnational English Teachers: Two Case Studies from the Americas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menard-Warwick, Julia

2008-01-01

This article presents case studies of two long-time English language teachers: a California English as a second language instructor originally from Brazil, and a Chilean English as a foreign language teacher who worked for many years in the United States before returning home. Based on interview and classroom observation data, this research…

CBM Progress Monitoring in Foreign Language Learning for Secondary School Students: Technical Adequacy of Different Measures and Scoring Procedures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, Siuman; Espin, Christine A.

2013-01-01

The reliability and validity of three curriculum-based measures as indicators of learning English as a foreign language were examined. Participants were 260 Dutch students in Grades 8 and 9 who were receiving English-language instruction. Predictor measures were maze-selection, Dutch-to-English word translation, and English-to-Dutch word…

The 150-Year History of English Language Assessment in Japanese Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sasaki, Miyuki

2008-01-01

In the present study I describe the 150-year history of school-based English language assessment in Japan. The history is divided into four major periods according to the purposes of English language education set by the government in the different periods: (1) 1860 to 1945, when English was first introduced and taught in schools mainly for elite…

Computer-Based English Language Testing in China: Present and Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Guoxing; Zhang, Jing

2017-01-01

In this special issue on high-stakes English language testing in China, the two articles on computer-based testing (Jin & Yan; He & Min) highlight a number of consistent, ongoing challenges and concerns in the development and implementation of the nationwide IB-CET (Internet Based College English Test) and institutional computer-adaptive…

Language Ability and Verbal and Nonverbal Executive Functioning in Deaf Students Communicating in Spoken English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Remine, Maria D.; Care, Esther; Brown, P. Margaret

2008-01-01

The internal use of language during problem solving is considered to play a key role in executive functioning. This role provides a means for self-reflection and self-questioning during the formation of rules and plans and a capacity to control and monitor behavior during problem-solving activity. Given that increasingly sophisticated language is…

Value of Web-based learning activities for nursing students who speak English as a second language.

PubMed

Koch, Jane; Salamonson, Yenna; Du, Hui Yun; Andrew, Sharon; Frost, Steven A; Dunncliff, Kirstin; Davidson, Patricia M

2011-07-01

There is an increasing need to address the educational needs of students with English as a second language. The authors assessed the value of a Web-based activity to meet the needs of students with English as a second language in a bioscience subject. Using telephone contact, we interviewed 21 Chinese students, 24 non-Chinese students with English as a second language, and 7 native English-speaking students to identify the perception of the value of the intervention. Four themes emerged from the qualitative data: (1) Language is a barrier to achievement and affects self-confidence; (2) Enhancement intervention promoted autonomous learning; (3) Focusing on the spoken word increases interaction capacity and self-confidence; (4) Assessment and examination drive receptivity and sense of importance. Targeted strategies to promote language acculturation and acquisition are valued by students. Linking language acquisition skills to assessment tasks is likely to leverage improvements in competence. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

Some linguistic and pragmatic considerations affecting science reporting in English by non-native speakers of the language

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Approximately 50% of publications in English peer reviewed journals are contributed by non-native speakers (NNS) of the language. Basic thought processes are considered to be universal yet there are differences in thought patterns and particularly in discourse management of writers with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The study highlights some areas of potential incompatibility in native and NNS processing of English scientific papers. Principles and conventions in generating academic discourse are considered in terms of frequently occurring failures of NNS to meet expectations of editors, reviewers, and readers. Major problem areas concern organization and flow of information, principles of cohesion and clarity, cultural constraints, especially those of politeness and negotiability of ideas, and the complicated area of English modality pragmatics. The aim of the paper is to sensitize NN authors of English academic reports to problem areas of discourse processing which are stumbling blocks, often affecting acceptance of manuscripts. The problems discussed are essential for acquiring pragmalinguistic and sociocultural competence in producing effective communication. PMID:23118596

Selected Topics from LVCSR Research for Asian Languages at Tokyo Tech

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furui, Sadaoki

This paper presents our recent work in regard to building Large Vocabulary Continuous Speech Recognition (LVCSR) systems for the Thai, Indonesian, and Chinese languages. For Thai, since there is no word boundary in the written form, we have proposed a new method for automatically creating word-like units from a text corpus, and applied topic and speaking style adaptation to the language model to recognize spoken-style utterances. For Indonesian, we have applied proper noun-specific adaptation to acoustic modeling, and rule-based English-to-Indonesian phoneme mapping to solve the problem of large variation in proper noun and English word pronunciation in a spoken-query information retrieval system. In spoken Chinese, long organization names are frequently abbreviated, and abbreviated utterances cannot be recognized if the abbreviations are not included in the dictionary. We have proposed a new method for automatically generating Chinese abbreviations, and by expanding the vocabulary using the generated abbreviations, we have significantly improved the performance of spoken query-based search.

Language Acculturation among Older Vietnamese Refugee Adults.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tran, Thanh V.

1990-01-01

Examined English language acculturation among older Vietnamese refugees (aged 40 and older). Found that age, sex, education in Vietnam, health, and length of residence in United States had some significant relationships with language acculturation. Older Vietnamese people had more problems with language acculturation than younger counterparts, and…

Second Language Writing and Assessment: Voices from within the Saudi EFL Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Obeid, Rana

2017-01-01

This small scale, quantitatively based, research study aimed at exploring one of the most debated areas in the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL); and that is, the perceptions and attitudes of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers as well as EFL learners at an English Language Institute (ELI) at a major…

Health information in Vietnamese-American print media: results of a content analysis.

PubMed

Nguyen, Giang T; Ashfaq, Hera; Pham, Tuong Vi H

2010-01-01

Vietnamese-Americans (VA) constitute a large minority community that is mostly foreign born with limited English proficiency. This article compares the health content of free print media targeting VA with that of free English-language print media. Content analysis. All free print media available at the three largest VA-serving supermarkets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were reviewed. Comparison English-language periodicals included free and purchased publications. We identified and coded 254 health content-containing articles from 22 issues of six periodicals (four free Vietnamese, one free English language, and one purchased English language) collected over a 4-week period. Chi-square and t-tests for independent samples were used to compare free Vietnamese- and free English-language periodicals. Additional analyses included all English-language periodicals as the comparison group. Higher proportions of advertisements and "pseudonews" articles (ads formatted like news stories) were found in free Vietnamese- vs. free English-language publications (overt ads, 61% vs. 28%; pseudonews, 18% vs. 0%). Moreover, Vietnamese-language publications did not contain many articles addressing diseases most commonly found in Asian-Americans. The significant proportion made up by profit-motivated health content in VA print media points to an untapped opportunity to provide evidence-based information about health topics of interest to this community. Future studies should examine secular trends, assess multiple communities, and develop community-based participatory approaches to improving access to quality health information among minorities with limited English proficiency.

Test and Score Data Summary for TOEFL[R] Internet-Based and Paper-Based Tests. January 2008-December 2008 Test Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Educational Testing Service, 2008

2008-01-01

The Test of English as a Foreign Language[TM], better known as TOEFL[R], is designed to measure the English-language proficiency of people whose native language is not English. TOEFL scores are accepted by more than 6,000 colleges, universities, and licensing agencies in 130 countries. The test is also used by governments, and scholarship and…

Exploring Relationships between Oral Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension amongst English Second Language Readers in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pretorius, Elizabeth J.; Spaull, Nic

2016-01-01

Most analyses of oral reading fluency (ORF) are based on L1 reading, and the norms that have been developed in English are based on first language reading data. This is problematic for developing countries where many children are learning in English as a second language. The aim of the present study is to model the relationship between English…

Facilitating Revision in the English as a Second Language (ESL) Composition Classroom through Computer-Based Multimodal Composing Activities: A Case Study of Composing Practices of ESL Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dzekoe, Richmond

2013-01-01

Literature on second language (L2) writing indicates that, on their own, L2 writers are not able to notice problems with the linguistic and rhetorical features of their drafts and do successful self-revision; and that there is the need to facilitate self-revision in the L2 writing classroom. In view of this need, this dissertation explored the…

Learners' Perceptions of Listening Comprehension Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hasan, Ali S.

2000-01-01

Reports a study of listening problems encountered in the English-as-a-foreign-language classroom in the English for Specific Purposes Centre at Damascus University in Syria. Looks particularly at learner strategies, features of the listening text, characteristics of the speaker, attitudes of the listener, the task to be completed as a result of…

English-Teaching Problems in Thailand and Thai Teachers' Professional Development Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noom-ura, Sripathum

2013-01-01

This study surveys problems with English language teaching and learning and the professional development (PD) needs of high-school teachers in three provinces of three Secondary Educational Service Areas in Thailand. Both closed-and open-ended questionnaires were employed. The data was analyzed by frequency distribution and percentage; the…

English Skills for Life Sciences: Problem Solving in Biology. Tutor Version [and] Student Version.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California Univ., Los Angeles. Center for Language Education and Research.

This manual is part of a series of materials designed to reinforce essential concepts in physical science through interactive, language-sensitive, problem-solving exercises emphasizing cooperative learning. The materials are intended for limited-English-proficient (LEP) students in beginning physical science classes. The materials are for teams of…

What Does "Wicked Good" Really Mean? Students Talk about Their ESL Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Celona, Jennie M.

1983-01-01

A survey of 25 international students studying in Massachusetts colleges gathered information on 4 specific aspects of their American college experience (recruitment, orientation, adaptation, and acculturation) as well as about their experiences with English. In interviews, nine students said they had had no problems with the English language;…

Developing Pedagogical Practices for English-Language Learners: A Design-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iddings, Ana Christina DaSilva; Rose, Brian Christopher

2012-01-01

This study draws on the application of sociocultural theory to second-language learning and teaching to examine the impact of a design-based research approach on teacher development and literacy instruction to English-language learners (ELLs). Design-based research methodology was employed to derive theoretical suppositions relating to the process…

Significance of Social Applications on a Mobile Phone for English Task-Based Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmad, Anmol; Farrukh, Fizza

2015-01-01

The utter importance of knowing the English language cannot be denied today. Despite the existence of traditional methods for teaching a language in schools, a big number of children are left without the requisite knowledge of English as a result of which they fail to compete in the modern world. With English being a Lingua Franca, more efforts…

Developing Students' Intelligent Character through Linguistic Politeness: The Case of English as a Foreign Language for Indonesian Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mariani, Nanik

2016-01-01

English is a foreign language that must be taught at school, particularly in secondary school. Based on a preliminary observation of several secondary schools in Banjarmasin, it appears that the English taught focuses most on concepts or language formulas. Most of the students who interact in English during the learning process do not use…

Laying the Foundations for Video-Game Based Language Instruction for the Teaching of EFL

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galvis, Héctor Alejandro

2015-01-01

This paper introduces video-game based language instruction as a teaching approach catering to the different socio-economic and learning needs of English as a Foreign Language students. First, this paper reviews statistical data revealing the low participation of Colombian students in English as a second language programs abroad (U.S. context…

Computer versus Paper-Based Reading: A Case Study in English Language Teaching Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solak, Ekrem

2014-01-01

This research aims to determine the preference of prospective English teachers in performing computer and paper-based reading tasks and to what extent computer and paper-based reading influence their reading speed, accuracy and comprehension. The research was conducted at a State run University, English Language Teaching Department in Turkey. The…

English Transitivity Alternation in Second Language Acquisition: An Attentional Approach. China Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Yuxia

2017-01-01

The correct use of English verb argument structure is crucial for foreign learners of the English language. Based on an experimental study recruiting 162 Chinese English learners at different proficiency levels, this book suggests that the acquisition of English transitivity alternation follows as a consequence of the cognitive processing of…

Interactive Syllable-Based English Vocabulary Learning in a Context-Aware Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Wen-Yen; Huang, Yueh-Min

2017-01-01

English is one of the most important second languages in nonnative English-speaking countries, where learning English usually begins in primary school. To this end, vocabulary learning is regarded as the most fundamental and crucial stage in developing the student's English language capability. While some studies have explored strategies of…

A comparison of the language skills of ELLs and monolinguals who are poor decoders, poor comprehenders, or normal readers.

PubMed

Geva, Esther; Massey-Garrison, Angela

2013-01-01

The overall objective of this article is to examine how oral language abilities relate to reading profiles in English language learners (ELLs) and English as a first language (EL1) learners, and the extent of similarities and differences between ELLs and EL1s in three reading subgroups: normal readers, poor decoders, and poor comprehenders. The study included 100 ELLs and 50 EL1s in Grade 5. The effect of language group (ELL/EL1) and reading group on cognitive and linguistic skills was examined. Except for vocabulary, there was no language group effect on any measure. However, within ELL and EL1 alike, significant differences were found between reading groups: Normal readers outperformed the two other groups on all the oral language measures. Distinct cognitive and linguistic profiles were associated with poor decoders and poor comprehenders, regardless of language group. The ELL and EL1 poor decoders outperformed the poor comprehenders on listening comprehension and inferencing. The poor decoders displayed phonological-based weaknesses, whereas the poor comprehenders displayed a more generalized language processing weakness that is nonphonological in nature. Regardless of language status, students with poor decoding or comprehension problems display difficulties with various aspects of language.

A Tentative Study on the Task-Based Teaching of Writing to English Majors in Chinese Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhaochun, Sun

2015-01-01

Under task-based learning (TBL) framework, language learners engage in purposeful, problem-oriented, and outcome-driven tasks that are comparable to traditional teaching methods which focus only on the correctness of grammar. In this study, the author employs Jane Willis' TBL framework and examines its effects on the improvement of EFL learners'…

Specific Pronunciation Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avery, Peter; And Others

1987-01-01

Reviews common pronunciation problems experienced by learners of English as a second language who are native speakers of Vietnamese, Cantonese, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Polish, Greek, and Punjabi. (CB)

Fitting a Mixture Rasch Model to English as a Foreign Language Listening Tests: The Role of Cognitive and Background Variables in Explaining Latent Differential Item Functioning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aryadoust, Vahid

2015-01-01

The present study uses a mixture Rasch model to examine latent differential item functioning in English as a foreign language listening tests. Participants (n = 250) took a listening and lexico-grammatical test and completed the metacognitive awareness listening questionnaire comprising problem solving (PS), planning and evaluation (PE), mental…

The Effect of Parental Participation on the Academic Achievement of Female English as a Second Language Middle School Students in the Persian Gulf

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baydoun, Nada

2013-01-01

This study addressed the problem of underachieving female English as second language students in the Persian Gulf Region. The purpose of this correlational study was to explore the relationship between parental participation, as measured by a middle school parent-participation survey, and students' academic achievement, as measured by parent…

Cultutal Factors Affecting English Proficiency in Rural Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ler, Ee Chop

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the rural "cultural" problems and to determine their effect on the learning of English. Twenty students from different ethnic backgrounds and English language proficiency in six rural schools in Terengganu, Malaysia were interviewed. In addition the teachers also from different rural schools…

Foreign Accents Revisited: The English Pronunciation of Russian Immigrants.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Irene

1991-01-01

This study investigated factors associated with the acquisition of second-language pronunciation and methodological problems associated with the study of foreign accents. Thirty-six native speakers of Russian fluent in English read specifically constructed English sentences and a prose passage, and talked spontaneously about their daily routine.…

Bilingual Medical Phrase Book (In English and Vietnamese).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thuy, Vuong G.

This guide offers Vietnamese refugees and immigrants with limited English proficiency a short-cut, word-for-word bilingual reference tool for dealing with medical problems and situations in English-language environments. Seven chapters deal with different issues of the medical encounter and five appendixes present specialized terms and…

Bilingual Medical Phrase Book (In English and Laotian).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thuy, Vuong G.

This phrase book offers Laotian refugees and immigrants with limited English proficiency a short-cut, word-for-word bilingual reference tool for dealing with medical problems and situations in English-language environments. Seven chapters deal with different issues of the medical encounter and five appendixes present specialized terms and…

Bilingual Medical Phrase Book (In English and Cambodian (Khmer)).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thuy, Vuong G.

This guide offers Cambodian refugees and immigrants with limited English proficiency a short-cut, word-for-word bilingual reference tool for dealing with medical problems and situations in English-language environments. Seven chapters deal with different issues of the medical encounter and five appendixes present specialized terms and…

Stakeholders' Perceptions of Language Variation, English Language Teaching and Language Use: The Case of Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Jim Yee Him

2017-01-01

This study examines Hong Kong major stakeholders' (secondary students, university students, teachers and professionals) perceptions of language variation, English language teaching (ELT) and language use in their everyday communication via a large-scale questionnaire survey (N = 1893). Based on principal components analysis of the questionnaire…

Generating Language Activities in Real-Time for English Learners Using Language Muse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burstein, Jill; Madnani, Nitin; Sabatini, John; McCaffrey, Dan; Biggers, Kietha; Dreier, Kelsey

2017-01-01

K-12 education standards in the U.S. require all students to read complex texts across many subject areas. The "Language Muse™ Activity Palette" is a web-based language-instruction application that uses NLP algorithms and lexical resources to automatically generate language activities and support English language learners' content…

Young Children Learning English as a Second Language: An Intensive Summer Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sowers, Jayne

This paper describes the development and implementation of an intensive summer course in English as a Second Language (ESL) designed for children aged 4-5. Planning included development of a curriculum and instructional materials based on theory and practice in the teaching of young children, English language learning and instruction, and…

Service Climate in New Zealand English Language Centres

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, John

2007-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to report on the findings of a study into staff perceptions of service climate in New Zealand English language centres (ELCs) offering ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) courses. Design/methodology/approach: A 71-item questionnaire based on a Likert scale was used to survey non-management teaching and…

Research on the Language of the English Classroom: A Disconnected Dream.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kluwin, Thomas N.

Methods used in studies of the classroom language of the English teacher are described in this paper and some results of the research are reported. The paper first describes three methods traditionally employed in the description of the language of the English classroom--live observation systems, coding systems based on transcripts, and…

Sub-syllabic processing in young Korean-English bilinguals: semivowel placement differences between Korean and English.

PubMed

Baek, Seunghyun

2014-10-01

This study investigated the sub-syllabic awareness of two groups of 86 Korean kindergarteners learning English as a foreign language (EFL) or English as a second language (ESL). In addition, it explored the cross-language transfer of sub-syllabic units between Korean and English by taking into account their lexical abilities with respect to the two languages. The participants were assessed in Korean and English based on their sound oddity and similarity judgments with respect to sub-syllabic units in spoken pseudo-syllables containing semivowels (e.g., /j/ and /w/) as well as on a lexical ability test. The results indicate that EFL and ESL children preferred body structure and rime structure, respectively, regardless of the language. These results provide support for the bilingual interactive activation model; that is, bilingual lexicon may be represented in language non-selective access. Further, the differences in semivowel placement between Korean and English may be a possible resource for language-specific sub-syllabic awareness.

The Effects of Aircraft Noise on the Auditory Language Processing Abilities of English First Language Primary School Learners in Durban, South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollander, Cara; de Andrade, Victor Manuel

2014-01-01

Schools located near to airports are exposed to high levels of noise which can cause cognitive, health, and hearing problems. Therefore, this study sought to explore whether this noise may cause auditory language processing (ALP) problems in primary school learners. Sixty-one children attending schools exposed to high levels of noise were matched…

Cross-linguistic transfer effects after phonologically based cognate therapy in a case of multilingual specific language impairment (SLI).

PubMed

Kambanaros, Maria; Michaelides, Michalis; Grohmann, Kleanthes K

2017-05-01

Clinicians globally recognize as exceptionally challenging the development of effective intervention practices for bi- or multilingual children with specific language impairment (SLI). Therapy in both or all of an impaired child's languages is rarely possible. An alternative is to develop treatment protocols that facilitate the transfer of therapy effects from a treated language to an untreated language. To explore whether cognates, words that share meaning and phonological features across languages, could be used to boost lexical retrieval in the context of multilingual SLI. This is dependent on exploiting the phonological information in the one, trained language as a mechanism for (phonological) language transfer to the other, untrained languages. The participant is an 8.5-year-old girl diagnosed with SLI who showed a severe naming deficit in her three spoken languages (Bulgarian, English and Greek). She received training on cognates (n = 20) using a picture-based naming task in English only, three times a week, over a 4-week period for 20 min each time. Phonological-based naming therapy was carried out using form-based strategies. There was a significant improvement during therapy and immediately after intervention on cognate performance in English which was maintained 1 month after intervention. Cognate production in Bulgarian and Greek also improved during all stages of the intervention. Improvement in the non-treated languages was slightly more than half of the improvement recorded in English. The findings reflected some degree of cross-linguistic transfer effects. Cross-linguistic transfer effects were evident during therapy and after therapy had finished and the effects were maintained 1 month post-treatment. Both the native language (Bulgarian) and the dominant language (Greek) benefitted equally from the treatment of cognates in English. Generalization to non-treatment words was evident, predominantly for English. The results suggest that cognates can indeed be used successfully as a WFD intervention strategy for multilingual children with SLI with lasting effects. © 2016 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Developmental Differences in Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) Reading Aloud Growth Rates between English-Speaking Students and English Language Learners in Grade 8

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeo, Seungsoo; Park, Sohee

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the developmental difference in curriculum-based measurement (CBM) reading aloud performance between Grade 8 English-speaking students and English language learners (ELLs) using two theories of reading development: compensatory model and cumulative model. Fifty non-ELLs and 133 ELLs were administered the…

Acculturation, Communication Apprehension, and Language Acquisition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mettler, Sally

1987-01-01

Describes acculturation as the negotiation of linguistic, behavioral, and affiliation barriers. Reviews three models of second-language acquisition and highlights problems for the learner related to linguistic noise, comprehension lag, and communication apprehension. Considers ways English-as-a-Second-Language instructors can ease linguistic and…

English and Chinese languages as weighted complex networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheng, Long; Li, Chunguang

2009-06-01

In this paper, we analyze statistical properties of English and Chinese written human language within the framework of weighted complex networks. The two language networks are based on an English novel and a Chinese biography, respectively, and both of the networks are constructed in the same way. By comparing the intensity and density of connections between the two networks, we find that high weight connections in Chinese language networks prevail more than those in English language networks. Furthermore, some of the topological and weighted quantities are compared. The results display some differences in the structural organizations between the two language networks. These observations indicate that the two languages may have different linguistic mechanisms and different combinatorial natures.

From Teacher Professional Development to the Classroom: How NLP Technology Can Enhance Teachers' Linguistic Awareness to Support Curriculum Development for English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burstein, Jill; Shore, Jane; Sabatini, John; Moulder, Brad; Lentini, Jennifer; Biggers, Kietha; Holtzman, Steven

2014-01-01

This article reports on two studies using "Language Muse[superscript SM]" (LM), a web-based, teacher professional development (TPD) application designed to enhance teachers' linguistic awareness and to support teachers in the development of language-based instructional scaffolding for English language learners (ELL). In Study 1,…

Linguistic validation of translation of the self-assessment goal achievement (saga) questionnaire from English

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background A linguistic validation of the Self-Assessment Goal Achievement (SAGA) questionnaire was conducted for 12 European languages, documenting that each translation adequately captures the concepts of the original English-language version of the questionnaire and is readily understood by subjects in the target population. Methods Native-speaking residents of the target countries who reported urinary problems/lower urinary tract problems were asked to review a translation of the SAGA questionnaire, which was harmonized among 12 languages: Danish, Dutch, English (UK), Finnish, French, German, Greek, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, and Swedish. During a cognitive debriefing interview, participants were asked to identify any words that were difficult to understand and explain in their own words the meaning of each sentence in the questionnaire. The qualitative analysis was conducted by local linguistic validation teams (original translators, back translator, project manager, interviewer, and survey research expert). Results Translations of the SAGA questionnaire from English to 12 European languages were well understood by the participants with an overall comprehension rate across language of 98.9%. In addition, the translations retained the original meaning of the SAGA items and instructions. Comprehension difficulties were identified, and after review by the translation team, minor changes were made to 7 of the 12 translations to improve clarity and comprehension. Conclusions Conceptual, semantic, and cultural equivalence of each translation of the SAGA questionnaire was achieved thus confirming linguistic validation. PMID:22525050

Linguistic validation of translation of the Self-Assessment Goal Achievement (SAGA) questionnaire from English.

PubMed

Piault, Elisabeth; Doshi, Sameepa; Brandt, Barbara A; Angün, Çolpan; Evans, Christopher J; Bergqvist, Agneta; Trocio, Jeffrey

2012-04-23

A linguistic validation of the Self-Assessment Goal Achievement (SAGA) questionnaire was conducted for 12 European languages, documenting that each translation adequately captures the concepts of the original English-language version of the questionnaire and is readily understood by subjects in the target population. Native-speaking residents of the target countries who reported urinary problems/lower urinary tract problems were asked to review a translation of the SAGA questionnaire, which was harmonized among 12 languages: Danish, Dutch, English (UK), Finnish, French, German, Greek, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, and Swedish. During a cognitive debriefing interview, participants were asked to identify any words that were difficult to understand and explain in their own words the meaning of each sentence in the questionnaire. The qualitative analysis was conducted by local linguistic validation teams (original translators, back translator, project manager, interviewer, and survey research expert). Translations of the SAGA questionnaire from English to 12 European languages were well understood by the participants with an overall comprehension rate across language of 98.9%. In addition, the translations retained the original meaning of the SAGA items and instructions. Comprehension difficulties were identified, and after review by the translation team, minor changes were made to 7 of the 12 translations to improve clarity and comprehension. Conceptual, semantic, and cultural equivalence of each translation of the SAGA questionnaire was achieved thus confirming linguistic validation.

A Different Approach to Preparing Novakian Concept Maps: The Indexing Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turan Oluk, Nurcan; Ekmekci, Güler

2016-01-01

People who claim that applying Novakian concept maps in Turkish is problematic base their arguments largely upon the structural differences between the English and Turkish languages. This study aims to introduce the indexing method to eliminate problems encountered in Turkish applications of Novakian maps and to share the preliminary results of…

Writing for Journal Publication: An Overview of NNES Challenges and Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fazel, Ismaeil

2013-01-01

After a brief discussion of the importance of publishing in academic journals, this paper provides an overview of studies on writing for publication of NNES (non-native English speaking) writers. Based on the related literature, different language problems facing NNES contributors, from the perspective of both NNES writers and journal editors, as…

Approaches to Enhance the Teaching Quality of Experimental Biochemistry for MBSS Students in TSMU, China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Lijuan; Yi, Shuying; Zhai, Jing; Wang, Zhaojin

2017-01-01

With the internationalization of medical education in China, the importance of international students' education in medical schools is also increasing. Except foreign students majoring in Chinese language, English Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBSS) students are the largest group of international students. Based on problems in the…

Speaking English in Finnish Content-Based Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nikula, Tarja

2007-01-01

CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) is a term widely used in Europe to refer to different forms of content based education, often conducted in English. Earlier research on CLIL has tended to focus on matters of language learning or content mastery rather than on details of classroom interaction. This paper investigates how English is…

Assisting Parents of Bilingual Students to Achieve Equity in Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ochoa, Salvador Hector; Rhodes, Robert L.

2005-01-01

This article provides school-based consultants with an overview of the English language learner (ELL) student population and common programs available to ELL students (such as English-only programs, pull-out English as a second language [ESL], content-based ESL, transitional bilingual programs, maintenance bilingual programs, and two-way or dual…

Corpora Processing and Computational Scaffolding for a Web-Based English Learning Environment: The CANDLE Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liou, Hsien-Chin; Chang, Jason S; Chen, Hao-Jan; Lin, Chih-Cheng; Liaw, Meei-Ling; Gao, Zhao-Ming; Jang, Jyh-Shing Roger; Yeh, Yuli; Chuang, Thomas C.; You, Geeng-Neng

2006-01-01

This paper describes the development of an innovative web-based environment for English language learning with advanced data-driven and statistical approaches. The project uses various corpora, including a Chinese-English parallel corpus ("Sinorama") and various natural language processing (NLP) tools to construct effective English…

A Preliminary Language Validity Analysis of the Problem Oriented Screening Instrument for Teenagers (POSIT).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, Michael J.

1995-01-01

The Problem Oriented Screening Inventory for Teenagers (POSIT) was analyzed in a Hispanic majority school district to determine the test/retest correlation of the English and Spanish versions of the instrument. Data analysis indicated fairly weak agreement between the English and Spanish POSIT version results for this sample of bilingual…

Non-Native English Varieties: Thainess in English Narratives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singhasak, Piyahathai; Methitham, Phongsakorn

2016-01-01

This study aims at examining Thainess as a writing strategy used in non-literary texts written by non-professional bilingual writers. These writers are advanced language learners who are pursuing their Master's degree in English. Seven English narratives of their language learning experiences were analyzed based on Kachruvian's framework of…

Is editing the roadblock to the internationalization of Chinese academic journals?

PubMed

Lu, Jian-ping

2011-06-01

"China's internationalization" is in part realized through the dissemination of Chinese publications, such as academic journals. Therefore, editorial proficiency in the English language is of vital importance to the quality of the journals. This article analyzes the results of the two projects sponsored by the General Administration of Press and Publication of the People's Republic of China in 2007 and 2010 respectively, namely the "Analytical Evaluation of Language and Editing Quality of Chinese Academic Journals in English Language Issued in 2006", and the "Evaluation of Publication Quality of the China-Grown English Periodicals Issued in 2009, Sanctioned from 2005 to 2009", and proposes solutions to the problems presented therein.

The Computer Integration into the EFL Instruction in Indonesia: An Analysis of Two University Instructors in Integrating Computer Technology into EFL Instruction to Encourage Students' Language Learning Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prihatin, Pius N.

2012-01-01

Computer technology has been popular for teaching English as a foreign language in non-English speaking countries. This case study explored the way language instructors designed and implemented computer-based instruction so that students are engaged in English language learning. This study explored the beliefs, practices and perceptions of…

An Investigation of the Impact of Parent and Community Involvement in Middle Schools in North Carolina That Successfully Serve Latino English Language Learners (ELLs)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuga, Michael T.

2016-01-01

English Language Learners (ELLs) are students that speak a primary language other than English. The number of ELLs continues to grow in the United States with the current majority having Spanish as their base language (Ortiz & Pagan, 2009). Since the implementation of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in 2001, schools are held accountable for…

The Development of English as a Second Language With and Without Specific Language Impairment: Clinical Implications.

PubMed

Paradis, Johanne

2016-02-01

The purpose of this research forum article is to provide an overview of typical and atypical development of English as a second language (L2) and to present strategies for clinical assessment with English language learners (ELLs). A review of studies examining the lexical, morphological, narrative, and verbal memory abilities of ELLs is organized around 3 topics: timeframe and characteristics of typical English L2 development, comparison of the English L2 development of children with and without specific language impairment (SLI), and strategies for more effective assessment with ELLs. ELLs take longer than 3 years to converge on monolingual norms and approach monolingual norms asynchronously across linguistic subdomains. Individual variation is predicted by age, first language, language learning aptitude, length of exposure to English in school, maternal education, and richness of the English environment outside school. ELLs with SLI acquire English more slowly than ELLs with typical development; their morphological and nonword repetition abilities differentiate them the most. Use of strategies such as parent questionnaires on first language development and ELL norm referencing can result in accurate discrimination of ELLs with SLI. Variability in the language abilities of ELLs presents challenges for clinical practice. Increased knowledge of English language learning development with and without SLI together with evidence-based alternative assessment strategies can assist in overcoming these challenges.

Acquisition of Compound Words in Chinese-English Bilingual Children: Decomposition and Cross-Language Activation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Chenxi; Wang, Min; Perfetti, Charles A.

2011-01-01

This study investigated compound processing and cross-language activation in a group of Chinese-English bilingual children, and they were divided into four groups based on the language proficiency levels in their two languages. A lexical decision task was designed using compound words in both languages. The compound words in one language contained…

Language Sample Measures and Language Ability in Spanish English Bilingual Kindergarteners

PubMed Central

Bedore, Lisa M.; Peña, Elizabeth D.; Gillam, Ronald B.; Ho, Tsung-Han

2010-01-01

Measures of productivity and sentence organization are useful metrics for quantifying language development and language impairments in monolingual and bilingual children. It is not yet known what measures within and across languages are most informative when evaluating the language skills of bilingual children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how measures of language productivity and organization in two languages converge with children’s measured language abilities on the Bilingual English Spanish Assessment (BESA), a standardized measure of language ability. 170 kindergarten age children who produced narrative language samples in Spanish and in English based on a wordless picture book were included in the analysis. Samples were analyzed for number of utterances, number of different words, mean length of utterance, and percentage of grammatical utterances. The best predictors of language ability as measured by the BESA scores were English MLU, English grammaticality, and Spanish grammaticality. Results are discussed in relationship to the nature of the measures in each of the languages and in regard to their potential utility for identifying low language ability in bilingual children. PMID:20955835

Office of English Language Learners: 2013 Demographic Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York City Department of Education, 2013

2013-01-01

The aim of this report is to provide context about the NYC Department of Education's (DOE) English Language Learners (ELLs) students. The data provided is based on the Bilingual Education Student Information Survey (BESIS). Just over 41% of the students enrolled in New York City public schools speak a language other than English at home. That…

Evidence for Long-Term Cross-Language Repetition Priming in Low Fluency Chinese-English Bilinguals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Li; Mo, Lei; Wang, Ruiming; Luo, Xueying; Chen, Zhe

2009-01-01

Previous studies have found that proficiency in a second language affects how the meanings of words are accessed. Support for this hypothesis is based on data from explicit memory tasks with bilingual participants who know two languages that are relatively similar phonologically and orthographically (e.g., Dutch-English, French-English). The…

Japanese Students' Perceptions of Digital Game Use for English-Language Learning in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolliger, Doris U.; Mills, Daniel; White, Jeremy; Kohyama, Megumi

2015-01-01

Researchers investigated perceptions of Japanese college students toward the use of digital games in English-language learning. The study was conducted at one large private university in Japan. Undergraduate students who were enrolled in 14 English-language courses were invited to complete a paper-based survey during class time. The survey…

Classification System for English Language Learners: Issues and Recommendations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abedi, Jamal

2008-01-01

High-stakes decisions for the instruction and assessment of English language learner (ELL) students are made based on the premise that ELL classification is a valid dichotomy that distinguishes between those who are proficient in the use of the English language and those who are not. However, recent research findings draw a vague picture of the…

English Learning Predictors of Listening and Speaking Self-Efficacy for Adult Second Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grafals, Zoraida

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was twofold. First, this study was conducted to compare English communicative competency achievement between two different models of instruction. Adult English language learners (AELLs) participated in either the communicative task-based (CTB) or in a more traditional (MT) language instructional approach. The goal of the…

Behavioral Problems and Reading Difficulties among Language Minority and Monolingual Urban Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierce, Margaret E.; Wechsler-Zimring, Adrianna; Noam, Gil; Wolf, Maryanne; Katzir, Tami

2013-01-01

This study examined the potentially compounding effect of language minority (LM) status on problem behaviors among urban second and third grade-level poor readers. Univariate analyses showed that a disproportionate percentage of both LM and English monolingual (L1) poor readers already displayed clinically significant levels of anxiety, social…

The Somali Oyster--Training the Trainers in TEFL.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edge, Julian

1985-01-01

Describes a situation which raises problems for in-service training in teaching English as a foreign language and discusses a suggested procedure for dealing with the problem. Argues that the procedure for training the trainers should be the same as that for training the teachers and for teaching the language students. (SED)

The Intersection of Language and Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, Patricia E.

2010-01-01

Story problems either bring students to a screeching halt or send them into a frenzied search for numbers and operations. They cause greater anxiety, still, in English language learners. These problems are often the nemesis of many a math teacher. This author grappled with this challenge in the context of teaching a series of lessons on integers…

Assessment of Academic Literacy Skills: Preparing Minority and LEP (Limited English Proficient) Students for Postsecondary Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuehn, Phyllis

Addressing the problem of the language-related barriers to successful postsecondary education for underprepared college students, an assessment of academic language proficiency and a curriculum to help students improve their academic language skills were developed. The nature of the language tasks required in the undergraduate curriculum was…

An Automatic Reference Aid for Improving EFL Learners' Formulaic Expressions in Productive Language Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Mei-Hua; Huang, Chung-Chi; Huang, Shih-Ting; Chang, Jason S.; Liou, Hsien-Chin

2014-01-01

Formulaic language is important to language acquisition; however, English language learners are often reported to have problems with formulaic expressions. Several lists of formulaic sequences have been proposed, mainly for developing teaching and testing materials. However, their limited numbers and insufficient usage information seem unable to…

Legal Language: What Is It and What Can We Do About It?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charrow, Veda R.; Crandall, Jo Ann

The simplification of legal language is required by President Carter's Executive Order requiring "clear and simple English" in government regulations. A major problem in the simplification process is the absence of any adequate description or classification of legal language. This paper defines some specific features of legal language,…

Beliefs about Learning English as a Second Language among Native Groups in Rural Sabah, Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krishnasamy, Hariharan N.; Veloo, Arsaythamby; Lu, Ho Fui

2013-01-01

This paper identifies differences between the three ethnic groups, namely, Kadazans/Dusuns, Bajaus, and other minority ethnic groups on the beliefs about learning English as a second language based on the five variables, that is, language aptitude, language learning difficulty, language learning and communicating strategies, nature of language…

Language Models and the Teaching of English Language to Secondary School Students in Cameroon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ntongieh, Njwe Amah Eyovi

2016-01-01

This paper investigates Language models with an emphasis on an appraisal of the Competence Based Language Teaching Model (CBLT) employed in the teaching and learning of English language in Cameroon. Research endeavours at various levels combined with cumulative deficiencies experienced over the years have propelled educational policy makers to…

English Pyramids: Using Hierarchical Diagrams for Communication Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Tia; Sheetz-Brunetti, Judy

The pyramid, or hierarchical diagram, is used in teaching writing English as a second language (ESL) as a visual representation of the way English speakers and writers organize ideas, for comparison with discourse organization in other cultures. A common problem of ESL students is an inability to organize ideas hierarchically. One class activity…

Having an Operation: An ESL Workbook. English as a Second Language Community Survival Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rabinowitz, Myrna

This workbook, written in simple English with pictographs, helps adult learners of English in British Columbia (Canada) deal with biological and medical needs and hospital patient visits. Lessons include parts of the body, nurses' and doctors' examination and instructions, general health problems, hospital items, hospital admissions, and pre- and…

A Contrastive Approach for Teaching English as a Second Language to Indochinese Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phap, Dam Trung

The manual concentrates on features of English and Indochinese which are dissimilar and, therefore, potential problem areas. These areas were identified through: (1) a contrastive analysis of English and Indochinese (Lao, Cambodian, Vietnamese) phonology, morphology, and syntax; (2) an analysis of Indochinese students' errors; and (3) noting the…

Improving Phonological Awareness and Reading through Rhyme Picture Books for EFL Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Hui Chen

2009-01-01

The problem. The Taiwanese educational system incorporated English classes into the third grade curriculum beginning in 2005, making English language education more and more important in Taiwan. The goals for implementing this English educational policy in elementary schools are for students to be able to comprehend letters, phonology, and…

Sweet Science for ALL! Supporting Inquiry-Based Learning through M&Ms Investigation for English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, Youngjin; Higgins, Teresa; Harding-DeKam, Jenni

2014-01-01

This article describes a series of inquiry-based lessons that provide English language learners (ELLs) with opportunities to experience science and engineering practices with conceptual understanding as well as to develop their language proficiency in elementary classrooms. The four-lesson sequence models how various types of instructional…

On the Effectiveness of Pop-Up English Language Glossary Accommodations for EL Students in Large-Scale Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Dale; Tracy, Ryan; Cohen, Jon

2017-01-01

This study examined the effectiveness and influence on validity of a computer-based pop-up English glossary accommodation for English learners (ELs) in grades 3 and 7. In a randomized controlled trial, we administered pop-up English glossaries with audio to students taking a statewide accountability English language arts (ELA) and mathematics…

Content-Based Instruction in Primary and Secondary School Settings. Case Studies in TESOL Practice Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufman, Dorit, Ed.; Crandall, JoAnn, Ed.

2005-01-01

Content-based instruction (CBI) challenges English language educators to teach English using materials that learners encounter in their regular subject-area classes. This volume helps ESL and EFL teachers meet that challenge by providing them with creative ways to integrate English language learning with the content that students study at primary…

Healthy Eating for Life English as a second language curriculum: primary outcomes from a nutrition education intervention targeting cancer risk reduction.

PubMed

Duncan, Lindsay R; Martinez, Josefa L; Rivers, Susan E; Latimer, Amy E; Bertoli, Michelle C; Domingo, Samantha; Salovey, Peter

2013-07-01

We conducted a pre-post feasibility trial of Healthy Eating for Life, a theory-based, multimedia English as a second language curriculum that integrates content about healthy nutrition into an English language learning program to decrease cancer health disparities. Teachers in 20 English as a second language classrooms delivered Healthy Eating for Life to 286 adult English as a second language students over one semester. Postintervention data are available for 227 students. The results indicated that Healthy Eating for Life is effective for increasing fruit and vegetable intake as well as knowledge, action planning, and coping planning related to healthy eating. Participants also achieved higher reading scores compared to the state average.

Overpassivization in Second Language Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kondo, Takako

2005-01-01

An important problem for a language learner is identifying how properties of argument structure are realized morphosyntactically in the particular language they are learning. Speakers of some L1s overgeneralize the morphosyntactic reflexes of the movement of Theme objects in English to unaccusative intransitive verbs, using passive morphology in…

Negotiation for Action: English Language Learning in Game-Based Virtual Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zheng, Dongping; Young, Michael F.; Wagner, Manuela Maria; Brewer, Robert A.

2009-01-01

This study analyzes the user chat logs and other artifacts of a virtual world, "Quest Atlantis" (QA), and proposes the concept of Negotiation for Action (NfA) to explain how interaction, specifically, avatar-embodied collaboration between native English speakers and nonnative English speakers, provided resources for English language acquisition.…

Strategies Making Language Features Noticeable in English Language Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seong, Myeong-Hee

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study is to suggest effective strategies for the development of communicative ability in ELT (English Language Teaching) by investigating learners' perceptions on strategies making language features more noticeable. The assumption in the study is based on the idea of output-oriented focus on form instruction, supporting…

Using Tasks to Assess Spanish Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herrera Mosquera, Leonardo

2012-01-01

The methodology of Task-based teaching (TBT) has been positively regarded by many researchers and language teachers around the world. Yet, this language teaching methodology has been mainly implemented in English as a second language (ESL) classrooms and in English for specific purpose (ESP) courses; and more specifically with advanced-level…

Needed Research as a Contribution to the Problem of Teaching English to American Indians. A Position Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willink, E. W.

There appears to be a general realization in the Southwest that the fact that English is not the mother tongue for large numbers of American Indian children has implications for the method and materials by which English should be taught to these children. TESL (teaching English as a second language) methods are generally considered superior but,…

MELT Bibliography. Materials Correlated with the Core Curriculum Competencies of the Mainstream English Language Training Project, Office of Refugee Resettlement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brod, Shirley, Comp.; Sample, Barbara J.

This bibliography is intended to assist teachers and administrators involved in competency-based, English as a second language (ESL) instruction. The materials included in the bibliography have been correlated with the core curriculum competencies of the Mainstream English Language Training (MELT) Project. The guide is divided into three parts.…

Learning English While Exploring the National Cultural Heritage: Technology-Assisted Project-Based Language Learning in an Upper-Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pitura, Joanna; Berlinska-Kopec, Monika

2018-01-01

The quality and content of English language courses offered in secondary schools require special attention as they affect many students who learn English as one of their school subjects. Despite curricular provisions prescribing balanced development of language competence and a number of so-called "key competences", class work in Polish…

A Perceptual Phonetic Similarity Space for Languages: Evidence from Five Native Language Listener Groups1

PubMed Central

Bradlow, Ann; Clopper, Cynthia; Smiljanic, Rajka; Walter, Mary Ann

2010-01-01

The goal of the present study was to devise a means of representing languages in a perceptual similarity space based on their overall phonetic similarity. In Experiment 1, native English listeners performed a free classification task in which they grouped 17 diverse languages based on their perceived phonetic similarity. A similarity matrix of the grouping patterns was then submitted to clustering and multidimensional scaling analyses. In Experiment 2, an independent group of native English listeners sorted the group of 17 languages in terms of their distance from English. Experiment 3 repeated Experiment 2 with four groups of non-native English listeners: Dutch, Mandarin, Turkish and Korean listeners. Taken together, the results of these three experiments represent a step towards establishing an approach to assessing the overall phonetic similarity of languages. This approach could potentially provide the basis for developing predictions regarding foreign-accented speech intelligibility for various listener groups, and regarding speech perception accuracy in the context of background noise in various languages. PMID:21179563

Dual language versus English-only support for bilingual children with hearing loss who use cochlear implants and hearing aids.

PubMed

Bunta, Ferenc; Douglas, Michael; Dickson, Hanna; Cantu, Amy; Wickesberg, Jennifer; Gifford, René H

2016-07-01

There is a critical need to understand better speech and language development in bilingual children learning two spoken languages who use cochlear implants (CIs) and hearing aids (HAs). The paucity of knowledge in this area poses a significant barrier to providing maximal communicative outcomes to a growing number of children who have a hearing loss (HL) and are learning multiple spoken languages. In fact, the number of bilingual individuals receiving CIs and HAs is rapidly increasing, and Hispanic children display a higher prevalence of HL than the general population of the United States. In order to serve better bilingual children with CIs and HAs, appropriate and effective therapy approaches need to be designed and tested, based on research findings. This study investigated the effects of supporting both the home language (Spanish) and the language of the majority culture (English) on language outcomes in bilingual children with HL who use CIs and HAs as compared to their bilingual peers who receive English-only support. Retrospective analyses of language measures were completed for two groups of Spanish- and English-speaking bilingual children with HL who use CIs and HAs matched on a range of demographic and socio-economic variables: those with dual-language support versus their peers with English-only support. Dependent variables included scores from the English version of the Preschool Language Scales, 4th Edition. Bilingual children who received dual-language support outperformed their peers who received English-only support at statistically significant levels as measured by Total Language and Expressive Communication as raw and language age scores. No statistically significant group differences were found on Auditory Comprehension scores. In addition to providing support in English, encouraging home language use and providing treatment support in the first language may help rather than hinder development of both English and the home language in bilingual children with HL who use CIs and HAs. In fact, dual-language support may yield better overall and expressive English language outcomes than English-only support for this population. © 2016 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Problems in Bilingual Lexicography: Romance and English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiezell, Richard John

1975-01-01

A bilingual dictionary must be more accurate in definitions than a monolingual. This paper touches on problems of transference between languages, linguistic "cannibalism," and lexical versus connotative meaning. (CK)

What Is the Criterion of Interest in Identifying Limited-English Speaking Students: Language Dominance or Proficiency?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Estes, Gary D.; Estes, Carole

The issue of using language proficiency or language dominance to assess programs for high school students with limited English speaking backgrounds is addressed. The development and initial analyses of the Competency Based Oral Language Assessment (COLA) are discussed. Three components of oral language are rated separately: semantics; syntax and…

Language Learning Going Global: Linking Teachers and Learners via Commercial Skype-Based CMC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terhune, N. M.

2016-01-01

This paper reports on students' use of face-to-face synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) for oral language learning. It describes a university English language class designed to prepare students for overseas study in which a Skype-based English conversation school was piloted. The study offers analysis of how students used the CMC…

Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Beliefs, Attitudes, Knowledge Base, and Practices in Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gann, Linda

2013-01-01

The research centered on secondary mathematics teachers' beliefs, attitudes, knowledge base, and practices in meeting the academic and language needs of English language learners. Using socio-cultural theory and social practice theory to frame the study, the research design employed a mixed methods approach incorporating self-reported surveys,…

Internet Technology-Based Projects in Learning and Teaching English as a Foreign Language at Yakutsk State University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zamorshchikova, Lena; Egorova, Olga; Popova, Marina

2011-01-01

This paper discusses recent uses of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in fostering Internet-based projects for learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at the Faculty of Foreign Languages in Yakutsk State University, Russia. It covers the authors' experiences integrating distance education and creating educational resources…

University Students' English Language Improvements through a Content-Based Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gómez Flórez, Erica; Jiménez Díaz, Jhon Jaime; Lopera, Sergio Alonso

2011-01-01

Content-Based Instruction (CBI) may result in improved proficiency in language skills due to the meaningful combination of subject matter and foreign language as a means of communication. This paper shows how university students improved their level of English by means of a content methodology as they attended a course called Topics in Molecular…

Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language in Taiwan: A Socio-Cultural Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kung, Fan-Wei

2017-01-01

This article examines the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context in Taiwan based on Vygotsky's (1978) socio-cultural framework. The historical context is provided after some delineations of the educational system in Taiwan with regard to its foreign language instruction policy and development. Based upon the proposed socio-cultural framework,…

Using LEGO Blocks for Technology-Mediated Task-Based English Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gadomska, Agnieszka

2015-01-01

LEGO blocks have been played with by generations of children worldwide since the 1950s. It is undeniable that they boost creativity, eye-hand coordination, focus, planning, problem solving and many other skills. LEGO bricks have been also used by educators across the curricula as they are extremely motivating and engaging and, in effect, make…

Exploring the Factors Influencing UPM English Language Faculty Members' Adoption and Integration of Web-Based Instruction (WBI)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sayadian, Sima; Mukundan, Jayakaran; Baki, Roselan

2009-01-01

Technology, if integrated effectively, has been found to influence students' academic performance, develop their higher order thinking and problem solving, improve their motivation, attitude, and interest in learning, and help them prepare for the workforce as well as address the needs of low performing, at-risk, and learning impaired students…

The Impact of PBL Technology on the Preparation of Teachers of English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ochoa, Theresa A.; Kelly, Mary L.; Stuart, Shannon; Rogers-Adkinson, Diana

2004-01-01

This document presents a description and explanation of the MUSE module, a multimedia, computer-supported, problem-based learning (CS-PBL) unit that provides users with a simulation of the special education referral process. The module, developed by Leafstedt et al. (2000) depicts an elementary Hispanic student who is limited in English…

The Effect of Task-Based Activities on EFL Learners' Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nahavandi, Naemeh

2011-01-01

Nowadays, preparing learners to communicate successfully in language classes is of utmost importance. But teachers face a lot of difficulties in teaching English in EFL contexts. One of the major problems is students' unwillingness to take part in reading classes. Reading classes seem boring for students who find no occasion to show their ability…

"La unión hace la fuerza": Community Organizing in Adult Education for Immigrants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlock, Russell H., Jr.

2016-01-01

Adult English as a second language (ESL) educators have struggled to move beyond skills-based instruction to implement more student-centered, contextualized pedagogy that prepares students to become active citizens and to solve real-world problems, even as the growing number of immigrants make adult education increasingly important for determining…

Approaching the Grammatical Count/Mass Distinction from a Multimodal Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Derek J.

2015-01-01

The way in which the count/mass distinction (CMD) is realized in English can cause serious problems for learners. Cognitive theories of language propose that it is based on the speaker's conceptualization of the world. It has also been argued that this conceptualization is socially constructed, as social semiotic resources influence what a speaker…

Dual language versus English only support for bilingual children with hearing loss who use cochlear implants and hearing aids

PubMed Central

Bunta, Ferenc; Douglas, Michael; Dickson, Hanna; Cantu, Amy; Wickesberg, Jennifer; Gifford, René H.

2015-01-01

Background There is a critical need to better understand speech and language development in bilingual children learning two spoken languages who use cochlear implants (CIs) and hearing aids (HAs). The paucity of knowledge in this area poses a significant barrier to providing maximal communicative outcomes to a growing number of children who have a hearing loss and are learning multiple spoken languages. In fact, the number of bilingual individuals receiving CIs and HAs is rapidly increasing, and Hispanic children display a higher prevalence of hearing loss than the general population of the United States (e.g., Mehra, Eavey, & Keamy, 2009). In order to better serve bilingual children with CIs and HAs, appropriate and effective therapy approaches need to be designed and tested, based on research findings. Aims This study investigated the effects of supporting both the home language (Spanish) and the language of the majority culture (English) on language outcomes in bilingual children with hearing loss (HL) who use CIs and HAs as compared to their bilingual peers who receive English only support. Methods and Procedures Retrospective analyses of language measures were completed for two groups of Spanish-and English-speaking bilingual children with HL who use CIs and HAs matched on a range of demographic and socio-economic variables: those with dual language support versus their peers with English only support. Dependent variables included scores from the English version of the Preschool Language Scales, 4th edition. Results Bilingual children who received dual language support outperformed their peers who received English only support at statistically significant levels as measured by Total Language and Expressive Communication as raw and language age scores. No statistically significant group differences were found on Auditory Comprehension scores. Conclusions In addition to providing support in English, encouraging home language use and providing treatment support in the first language may help rather than hinder development of both English and the home language in bilingual children with hearing loss who use CIs and HAs. In fact, dual language support may yield better overall and expressive English language outcomes than English only support for this population. PMID:27017913

Potential Issues for Language Planning in Scotland. Language Planning Newsletter, Vol. 3, No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Richard E.

The national re-emergence of Scotland is accompanied by the desire for cultural and linguistic autonomy and identity. Issues at hand include language standardization, bilingual education, the language problems of immigrants, the role of Gaelic as compared to the continuum of linguistic varieties that go from Standard English to Scots, the adoption…

Testing Foreign Language Impact on Engineering Students' Scientific Problem-Solving Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tatzl, Dietmar; Messnarz, Bernd

2013-01-01

This article investigates the influence of English as the examination language on the solution of physics and science problems by non-native speakers in tertiary engineering education. For that purpose, a statistically significant total number of 96 students in four year groups from freshman to senior level participated in a testing experiment in…

Helping the Older Adult to Succeed in the ESL Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hedge, Dick; And Others

Special problems of adult language learners aged 50 and older studying English as a second language include physical, social, and psychological factors. Physical factors related to aging include vision and hearing problems that adults may not be willing to admit to. Older adults may also be more sensitive to room temperature and lighting, and may…

Native Language Spoken as a Risk Marker for Tooth Decay.

PubMed

Carson, J; Walker, L A; Sanders, B J; Jones, J E; Weddell, J A; Tomlin, A M

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess dmft, the number of decayed, missing (due to caries), and/ or filled primary teeth, of English-speaking and non-English speaking patients of a hospital based pediatric dental clinic under the age of 72 months to determine if native language is a risk marker for tooth decay. Records from an outpatient dental clinic which met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. Patient demographics and dmft score were recorded, and the patients were separated into three groups by the native language spoken by their parents: English, Spanish and all other languages. A total of 419 charts were assessed: 253 English-speaking, 126 Spanish-speaking, and 40 other native languages. After accounting for patient characteristics, dmft was significantly higher for the other language group than for the English-speaking (p<0.001) and Spanish-speaking groups (p<0.05), however the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking groups were not different from each other (p>0.05). Those patients under 72 months of age whose parents' native language is not English or Spanish, have the highest risk for increased dmft when compared to English and Spanish speaking patients. Providers should consider taking additional time to educate patients and their parents, in their native language, on the importance of routine dental care and oral hygiene.

Is editing the roadblock to the internationalization of Chinese academic journals?*

PubMed Central

Lu, Jian-ping

2011-01-01

“China’s internationalization” is in part realized through the dissemination of Chinese publications, such as academic journals. Therefore, editorial proficiency in the English language is of vital importance to the quality of the journals. This article analyzes the results of the two projects sponsored by the General Administration of Press and Publication of the People’s Republic of China in 2007 and 2010 respectively, namely the “Analytical Evaluation of Language and Editing Quality of Chinese Academic Journals in English Language Issued in 2006”, and the “Evaluation of Publication Quality of the China-Grown English Periodicals Issued in 2009, Sanctioned from 2005 to 2009”, and proposes solutions to the problems presented therein. PMID:21634045

Instructional Technology and the Post-Test Results of College Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pagan-Melendez, Juan

2012-01-01

The problem in the present quasi-experimental research design was the poor English communication skills of college students enrolled in first-year English as a second language (ESL) courses in Puerto Rico. The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare learning outcomes between a first-year English as a second class taught with the…

Aspects of English for Specific Purposes. Occasional Papers, No. 22.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chambers, Fred, Ed.; McDonough, Jo, Ed.

The following papers on English for special purposes are collected here: (1) "An Investigation of Some of the English Language Problems of Overseas Students at the National College of Agricultural Engineering, Silsoe" by M. Keech; (2) "The Organization of Pre-sessional Courses, with Special Reference to Seminar Skills" by S.R. Slater; (3) "Notes…

Transactional Literature Circles and the Reading Comprehension of English Learners in the Mainstream Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McElvain, Cheryl Marie

2010-01-01

This study examines a problem that many mainstream teachers face today: how to successfully improve reading comprehension for English language learners (ELLs) in an English-only environment. The researcher examines both the academic and psychosocial effects of the Transactional Literature Circles (TLC) programme on a treatment group of 75 fourth…

Examining English Language Learning Motivation of Adult International Learners Studying Abroad in the US

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weger, Heather D.

2013-01-01

The present study reports on the motivations of adult, international learners of English, studying English 20 hours a week in a US-based Intensive English Program (IEP). Though often used as participants in language acquisition studies, there are few studies of these learners' motivational profiles. In the current study, a questionnaire designed…

The Religion of Learning English in "English": A Language Educator's Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gao, Xuesong

2011-01-01

This essay is my reading of "English," a novel based on author Wang Gang's experiences in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Northwest China during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). As a language educator, I was particularly interested in the way that Wang describes learning English in the novel. The essay focuses on three…

A Fuzzy Logic-Based Personalized Learning System for Supporting Adaptive English Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsieh, Tung-Cheng; Wang, Tzone-I; Su, Chien-Yuan; Lee, Ming-Che

2012-01-01

As a nearly global language, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) programs are essential for people wishing to learn English. Researchers have noted that extensive reading is an effective way to improve a person's command of English. Choosing suitable articles in accordance with a learner's needs, interests and ability using an e-learning system…

Language Ideology and Identity Seeking: Perceptions of College Learners of English in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wei, Ming

2016-01-01

This study was based on the view that collective conceptions of learners have intimate connections with both social and linguistic analysis and language education. It set out to examine systematically the perceptions of Chinese college students on English and English education against the background of both the increasing role of English in the…

Developing Critical L2 Digital Literacy through the Use of Computer-Based Internet-Hosted Learning Management Systems such as Moodle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meurant, Robert C.

Second Language (L2) Digital Literacy is of emerging importance within English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Korea, and will evolve to become regarded as the most critical component of overall L2 English Literacy. Computer-based Internet-hosted Learning Management Systems (LMS), such as the popular open-source Moodle, are rapidly being adopted worldwide for distance education, and are also being applied to blended (hybrid) education. In EFL Education, they have a special potential: by setting the LMS to force English to be used exclusively throughout a course website, the meta-language can be made the target L2 language. Of necessity, students develop the ability to use English to navigate the Internet, access and contribute to online resources, and engage in computer-mediated communication. Through such pragmatic engagement with English, students significantly develop their L2 Digital Literacy.

Codeswitching techniques: evidence-based instructional practices for the ASL/English bilingual classroom.

PubMed

Andrews, Jean F; Rusher, Melissa

2010-01-01

The authors present a perspective on emerging bilingual deaf students who are exposed to, learning, and developing two languages--American Sign Language (ASL) and English (spoken English, manually coded English, and English reading and writing). The authors suggest that though deaf children may lack proficiency or fluency in either language during early language-learning development, they still engage in codeswitching activities, in which they go back and forth between signing and English to communicate. The authors then provide a second meaning of codeswitching--as a purpose-driven instructional technique in which the teacher strategically changes from ASL to English print for purposes of vocabulary and reading comprehension. The results of four studies are examined that suggest that certain codeswitching strategies support English vocabulary learning and reading comprehension. These instructional strategies are couched in a five-pronged approach to furthering the development of bilingual education for deaf students.

Qualities of an Ideal English Language Teacher: A Gender-Based Investigation in a Saudi Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Khairi, Muhammad

2015-01-01

Identification of the attributes that are associated with an ideal English language teacher has been a major area of interest worldwide but there seems a scarcity of relevant studies in the Arab world. The present study is an attempt to fill this existing gap by identifying the qualities of an ideal English language teacher as perceived by Taif…

Changing Teacher Roles in the Foreign-Language Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Francis; Delarche, Marion; Marshall, Nicholas; Wurr, Adrian; Edwards, Jeffery

This paper examines trends reflecting changes in the role of the classroom foreign language teacher, particularly as these trends affect English-as-a-Second-Language instruction. This study is based on relevant literature and research being carried out in the English Language Institute at Kanda University of International Studies (Japan). Past and…

The Impact of Powerful Oral Language Lab on Chilean EFL Preservice Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Hsuying Chiou; Andruske, Cynthia Lee

2013-01-01

This exploratory qualitative case study reports the impact of using a public-speaking structure (Powerful Oral Language Lab [POLL]) in teaching preservice Chilean English pedagogy students. It describes how this task-based method of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher training is related to language strategic competence. Twenty students…

Pedagogical Differences during a Science and Language Intervention for English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garza, Tiberio; Huerta, Margarita; Lara-Alecio, Rafael; Irby, Beverly J.; Tong, Fuhui

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare and describe 8 fifth-grade classrooms by their teachers pedagogy during a quasiexperimental, longitudinal, and field-based project focused on increasing English language learners' (ELLs') achievement in science and language. The larger study found statistically significant and positive intervention effects…

Navajo Area Language Arts Project (NALAP). Book 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eby, J. Wesley; And Others

Ten units containing 86 structural objectives make up this volume of instructional materials for the first year to year and a half of teaching English as a second language to Navajo children. The Navajo Area Language Arts Project (NALAP) materials, intended to present a sequence of English grammatical structures based on specific language and…

Invented Rule with English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyer, Valerie E.; Martin, Kathryn Y.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to utilize an invented rule with English language learners (ELLs) in a clinical setting to determine differences based on language and age of the children. The performance was correlated with teacher reports of strong and weak language learning. Using a within-participants design, ELLs of age three to five were taught…

Systematic review: conservative treatments for secondary lymphedema

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Several conservative (i.e., nonpharmacologic, nonsurgical) treatments exist for secondary lymphedema. The optimal treatment is unknown. We examined the effectiveness of conservative treatments for secondary lymphedema, as well as harms related to these treatments. Methods We searched MEDLINE®, EMBASE®, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials®, AMED, and CINAHL from 1990 to January 19, 2010. We obtained English- and non-English-language randomized controlled trials or observational studies (with comparison groups) that reported primary effectiveness data on conservative treatments for secondary lymphedema. For English-language studies, we extracted data in tabular form and summarized the tables descriptively. For non-English-language studies, we summarized the results descriptively and discussed similarities with the English-language studies. Results Thirty-six English-language and eight non-English-language studies were included in the review. Most of these studies involved upper-limb lymphedema secondary to breast cancer. Despite lymphedema's chronicity, lengths of follow-up in most studies were under 6 months. Many trial reports contained inadequate descriptions of randomization, blinding, and methods to assess harms. Most observational studies did not control for confounding. Many studies showed that active treatments reduced the size of lymphatic limbs, although extensive between-study heterogeneity in areas such as treatment comparisons and protocols, and outcome measures, prevented us from assessing whether any one treatment was superior. This heterogeneity also precluded us from statistically pooling results. Harms were rare (< 1% incidence) and mostly minor (e.g., headache, arm pain). Conclusions The literature contains no evidence to suggest the most effective treatment for secondary lymphedema. Harms are few and unlikely to cause major clinical problems. PMID:22216837

What Counts as a Developmental Sequence? Exemplar-Based L2 Learning of English Questions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eskildsen, Søren W.

2015-01-01

Drawing on usage-based linguistics and its exemplar-based path of language learning, from recurring multiword expressions to increasingly abstract, schematized constructions, this article examines evidence for the exemplar-based developmental sequences for yes/no interrogatives and WH interrogatives in English as a second language (L2). The…

Language-Based Differences in the Literacy Performance of Bidialectal Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Patriann; Cheema, Jehanzeb R.; Kumi-Yeboah, Alex; Warrican, S. Joel; Alleyne, Melissa L.

2018-01-01

Background/Context: Standard English functions as a dominant language in the English-speaking Caribbean context despite the bidialectal, bilingual, and multilingual nature of countries. Notwithstanding, Caribbean non-Standard English-speaking students continue to be administered literacy assessments that do not take into account their…

Student Language Production, Second Language Tasks, and Instructional Scaffolding in an English-Based Curriculum in Vietnam: Realities and Hopes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pham, Thuong T. M.

2017-01-01

This dissertation investigates L2 student language production, task-based instruction, and teachers' scaffolding strategies in two special EFL classes in a Vietnamese university. Two English teachers and 73 students were studied as they participated in a nationwide educational project known as the Advanced Curriculum (AC), an initiative launched…

An Investigation into Chinese College English Teachers' Beliefs of Students' Web-Based Informal Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jiang, Jiahong

2016-01-01

With the rapid development of information and technology, language learners have more ways to acquire the target language. Recently, WILL has gained popularity, for informal web-based learning of English has been depicted as a process driven by the purpose of communication. Thus, teachers have many challenges when teaching learners who have…

Managing Digital Learning Environments: Student Teachers' Perception on the Social Networking Services Use in Writing Courses in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prasojo, Lantip Diat; Habibi, Akhmad; Mukminin, Amirul; Muhaimin; Taridi, Muhammad; Ikhsan; Saudagar, Ferdiaz

2017-01-01

Limited studies have been conducted to examine how effective and what impacts dealing with students' learning experiences as well as the problems faced by the students. This study focused on English student teachers' experiences on the advantages and problems faced in using Social Networking Services (SNS) in English as Foreign Language (EFL)…

A Study of the Spelling Errors Committed by Students of English in Saudi Arabia: Exploration and Remedial Measures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hameed, Paikar Fatima Mazhar

2016-01-01

The craziness of English spelling has undeniably perplexed learners, especially in an EFL context as in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In these situations, among other obstacles, learners also have to tackle the perpetual and unavoidable problem of MT interference. Sadly, this perplexity takes the shape of a real problem in the language classroom…

Understanding L2 Speaking Problems: Implications for ESL Curriculum Development in a Teacher Training Institution in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gan, Zhengdong

2012-01-01

This paper reports the result of a study that aimed to identify the problems with oral English skills of ESL (English as a second language) students at a tertiary teacher training institution in Hong Kong. The study, by way of semi-structured interview, addresses the gap in our understanding of the difficulties ESL students encountered in their…

The challenge of regional accents for aviation English language proficiency standards: a study of difficulties in understanding in air traffic control-pilot communications.

PubMed

Tiewtrakul, T; Fletcher, S R

2010-02-01

Although English has been the international aviation language since 1951, formal language proficiency testing for key aviation personnel has only recently been implemented by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). It aims to ensure minimum acceptable levels of English pronunciation and comprehension universally, but does not attend to particular regional dialect difficulties. However, evidence suggests that voice transmissions between air traffic controllers and pilots are a particular problem in international airspace and that pilots may not understand messages due to the influence of different accents when using English. This study explores the potential impact of 'non-native English' in pilot-air traffic control transmissions using a 'conversation analysis' technique to examine approach phase recordings from Bangkok International Airport. Results support that communication errors, defined by incidents of pilots not understanding, occur significantly more often when speakers are both non-native English, messages are more complex and when numerical information is involved. These results and their possible implications are discussed with reference to the development of ICAO's new language proficiency standards. Statement of Relevance: This study builds on previous work and literature, providing further evidence to show that the risks caused by language and linguistics in aviation must be explored more deeply. Findings are particularly contemporary and relevant today, indicating that recently implemented international standards would benefit from further exploratory research and development.

Top Languages Spoken by English Language Learners Nationally and by State. ELL Information Center Fact Sheet Series. No. 3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Batalova, Jeanne; McHugh, Margie

2010-01-01

While English Language Learner (ELL) students in the United States speak more than 150 languages, Spanish is by far the most common home or first language, but is not the top language spoken by ELLs in every state. This fact sheet, based on analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau's 2009 American Community Survey, documents the top languages spoken…

Oral-diadochokinesis rates across languages: English and Hebrew norms.

PubMed

Icht, Michal; Ben-David, Boaz M

2014-01-01

Oro-facial and speech motor control disorders represent a variety of speech and language pathologies. Early identification of such problems is important and carries clinical implications. A common and simple tool for gauging the presence and severity of speech motor control impairments is oral-diadochokinesis (oral-DDK). Surprisingly, norms for adult performance are missing from the literature. The goals of this study were: (1) to establish a norm for oral-DDK rate for (young to middle-age) adult English speakers, by collecting data from the literature (five studies, N=141); (2) to investigate the possible effect of language (and culture) on oral-DDK performance, by analyzing studies conducted in other languages (five studies, N=140), alongside the English norm; and (3) to find a new norm for adult Hebrew speakers, by testing 115 speakers. We first offer an English norm with a mean of 6.2syllables/s (SD=.8), and a lower boundary of 5.4syllables/s that can be used to indicate possible abnormality. Next, we found significant differences between four tested languages (English, Portuguese, Farsi and Greek) in oral-DDK rates. Results suggest the need to set language and culture sensitive norms for the application of the oral-DDK task world-wide. Finally, we found the oral-DDK performance for adult Hebrew speakers to be 6.4syllables/s (SD=.8), not significantly different than the English norms. This implies possible phonological similarities between English and Hebrew. We further note that no gender effects were found in our study. We recommend using oral-DDK as an important tool in the speech language pathologist's arsenal. Yet, application of this task should be done carefully, comparing individual performance to a set norm within the specific language. Readers will be able to: (1) identify the Speech-Language Pathologist assessment process using the oral-DDK task, by comparing an individual performance to the present English norm, (2) describe the impact of language on oral-DDK performance, and (3) accurately detect Hebrew speakers' patients using this tool. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

V2S: Voice to Sign Language Translation System for Malaysian Deaf People

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mean Foong, Oi; Low, Tang Jung; La, Wai Wan

The process of learning and understand the sign language may be cumbersome to some, and therefore, this paper proposes a solution to this problem by providing a voice (English Language) to sign language translation system using Speech and Image processing technique. Speech processing which includes Speech Recognition is the study of recognizing the words being spoken, regardless of whom the speaker is. This project uses template-based recognition as the main approach in which the V2S system first needs to be trained with speech pattern based on some generic spectral parameter set. These spectral parameter set will then be stored as template in a database. The system will perform the recognition process through matching the parameter set of the input speech with the stored templates to finally display the sign language in video format. Empirical results show that the system has 80.3% recognition rate.

An exploratory survey of Spanish and English nursing students' views on studying or working abroad.

PubMed

Goodman, Benny; Jones, Ray; Sanchón Macias, Marivi

2008-04-01

Student mobility within Europe is encouraged by the EU's 'Bologna process' and financially supported by the Socrates programme. However, relatively few UK nursing students travel to Europe for study. To compare the willingness to study or work abroad and the perceived barriers and benefits of doing so, amongst students in England and Spain. Third year nursing students completed a 15 item questionnaire on work and study abroad. Spanish students were younger than UK students, had fewer family commitments, and better language skills. There was little difference between Spanish and UK students in wanting to study abroad, UK students named English speaking countries as likely destinations. Spanish students named Italy; the UK and USA were also popular. Perceived barriers for UK students were funding, family, and language. Family commitments were not a major problem for Spanish students. Spanish were more likely than English students to see language as a problem. UK and Spanish Nursing students are equally enthusiastic about studying or working abroad but UK students have limited language skills, are less able to access Socrates funding for European destinations, and given their age and family commitments, funding is a barrier for 'non-Socrates' destinations.

Competency-Based English Teaching and Learning: Investigating Pre-Service Teachers of Chinese's Learning Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Ruth M. H.

2008-01-01

English competency is known as one of the crucial skills in various social contexts in Hong Kong. In tertiary educational setting, English courses do not focus solely on the development of the four language skills. Rather, they put emphasis on the application of English Language for academic use or instrumental use. This paper will investigate the…

Next-Generation Summative English Language Proficiency Assessments for English Learners: Priorities for Policy and Research. Research Report. ETS RR-16-08

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Mikyung Kim; Guzman-Orth, Danielle; Hauck, Maurice Cogan

2016-01-01

This paper is the third in a series concerning English language proficiency (ELP) assessments for K-12 English learners (ELs). The series, produced from Educational Testing Service (ETS), is intended to provide theory- and evidence-based principles and recommendations for improving next-generation ELP assessment systems, policies, and practices…

The Listening Strategies of Tunisian University EFL Learners: A Strategy Based Approach to Listening to Oral English Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ishler, James Mitchell

2010-01-01

Effective listening comprehension skills are important as the world becomes increasingly global and television, radio, and the Internet become forums for English communication. However, many countries, such as Tunisia, do not use English as a first or second language, but as a foreign language. Therefore, realizing the importance of English, the…

English as a Medium of Instruction: Evidence for Language and Content Targets in Bilingual Education in Economics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernandez-Nanclares, Nuria; Jimenez-Munoz, Antonio

2017-01-01

This paper contributes towards a framework for analysing the effect of teaching Economics through a foreign language, in order to discover best practices that foster key content and language skills for Higher Education institutions following language bilingual programmes. The first part of the paper deals with the benefits and problems of…

The Effects of a Communicative Approach on the Mathematical Problem Solving Proficiency of Language Minority Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaplan, Rochelle G.; Patino, Rodrigo A.

Although it takes only 2 years to attain conversational competence in a second language, it takes up to 7 years to realize sufficient language competence to achieve academically at the level of native speakers. Specific adaptations in instructional methods in mathematics for language minority students should include techniques from English as a…

Curriculum Study: Language Arts, English K-12. A Report from the Language Arts/English K-12 Curriculum Study Committee to the North Carolina State Board of Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh.

Based on research findings, public hearings, reports submitted by individuals and professional organizations, as well as on the training and experiences of the study committee, this report contains the findings and recommendations from a study of the English language arts programs in the North Carolina public schools. The first section of the…

The ELAA 2 Citizen Science Project: The Case for Science, Equity, and Critical Thinking in Adult English Language Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basham, M.

2012-08-01

This article summarizes a paper presented at the recent ASP conference Connecting People to Science in Baltimore 2011. This action research study currently in progress aims to explore the impact of integrating science into English language instruction (English Language Acquisition for Adults, or ELLA) serving largely Hispanic immigrants at an adult learning center based in Phoenix, Arizona.

Relative Performance of English Second Language Students in University Accounting Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagner, Robin M.; Huang, Jiunn C.

2011-01-01

This paper explores the relative performances of Native English Speaking ("NES") students and English Second Language ("ESL") students in accounting courses at a large urban state university. Based upon a longitudinal study, we conclude that the relative performance between NES and ESL students depends upon the particular…

English Language Arts Curriculum Guide, Intermediate Elementary Level: Grade 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saporito, Leo C., Ed.; And Others

Prepared for use in grade four, this language arts curriculum guide bases its reading strand on "Roads to Everywhere" (Ginn 100), the English strand on "Roberts English Series" (Harcourt), the spelling strand on "Sound and Sense in Spelling" (Harcourt), and the handwriting strand on "Better Handwriting for…

Content-Focused Classrooms and Learning English: How Teachers Collaborate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Creese, Angela

2010-01-01

This article looks at the possibilities of content-based instruction in mainstream English secondary schools. It considers the continuum from a language to content focus in classrooms where teachers collaborate. English as an additional language (EAL) and subject curriculum teachers work together to support young people while they simultaneously…

Demonstrating Functional Interactive Language Teaching in the Nigerian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bello, Rachael O.; Oni-Buraimoh, Olawunmi O.

2014-01-01

Applied linguistics affords Linguists the opportunity of solving language related problems using various methods. In this paper, we x-ray the Nigerian University classroom situation in the teaching of the English language viz-a-viz the use of functional interactive method. Following Littlewood (1981) and Krashen (1982), we posit that the teaching…

Types of Mathematics-Language Reading Interactions that Unnecessarily Hinder Algebra Learning and Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lager, Carl A.

2006-01-01

English language learners (ELLs)--one of the lowest-achieving and fastest growing middle-school subpopulations--are challenged in the classroom by language components which could potentially jumpstart real mathematical growth for these and, eventually, all other students as well. Going beyond traditional word problems, this study documented and…

Language and Culture in the Multiethnic Community: Spoken Language Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matluck, Joseph H.; Mace-Matluck, Betty J.

This paper discusses the sociolinguistic problems inherent in multilingual testing, and the accompanying dangers of cultural bias in either the visuals or the language used in a given test. The first section discusses English-speaking Americans' perception of foreign speakers in terms of: (1) physical features; (2) speech, specifically vocabulary,…

Addressing the Problem of Negative Lexical Transfer Errors in Chilean University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dissington, Paul Anthony

2018-01-01

Studies of second language learning have revealed a connection between first language transfer and errors in second language production. This paper describes an action research study carried out among Chilean university students studying English as part of their degree programmes. The study focuses on common lexical errors made by Chilean…

Language and Literacy Development in Bilingual Settings. Challenges in Language and Literacy Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durgunoglu, Aydin Yucesan, Ed.; Goldenberg, Claude, Ed.

2010-01-01

Grounded in state-of-the-art research, this book explores how English language learners develop both the oral language and literacy skills necessary for school success. Chapters examine the cognitive bases of English acquisition, and how the process is different for children from alphabetic (such as Spanish) and nonalphabetic (such as Chinese)…

Past Tense Production by English Second Language Learners with and without Language Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blom, Elma; Paradis, Johanne

2013-01-01

Purpose: This study investigated whether past tense use could differentiate children with language impairment (LI) from their typically developing (TD) peers when English is children's second language (L2) and whether L2 children's past tense profiles followed the predictions of Bybee's (2007) usage-based network model. Method: A group of L2…

English Language Instructors' Perceptions about Technology-Based Language Learning at Northern Border University in Saudi Arabia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saqlain, Nadeem; Mahmood, Zahir

2013-01-01

This study used qualitative research methods to explore English language teachers' perceptions about the use of technology for language learning at Northern Border University (NBU) in Saudi Arabia. Data collection relied on interviews. Stream of behaviour chronicles was also used as a strategy of non interactive data collection.14 non native…

Foreign Language Learning in Sweden.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orpet, Brian R.

1984-01-01

Describes a visit made to Sweden to ascertain why Swedish citizens speak such excellent English. Motivation was a key factor. Describes observations of the methods of teaching English as a second language in Swedish schools. Makes recommendations for foreign language teaching in Great Britain based on these observations. (SED)

Building a Negotiation Mechanism in EFL Classroom in Chinese Context: Concepts and Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jiang, Shiyong

2016-01-01

Foreign language teaching is a bilateral process in which both the teacher and students must play their roles effectively. However, lack of interaction is the problem many EFL teachers in China face. To make the teaching more effective, negotiation in the classroom becomes a must. This paper, based on the current situation of English teaching in…

Exploring Adult Basic Education--Quality Services with Limited Funding: Qualitative Multiple Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calaf, Dolores C.

2017-01-01

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes are in great demand by immigrant adults in the Boston area. The problem investigated in this study was the limited funding to implement ESOL programs in Boston, which has resulted in waiting lists for many contracted community-based programs. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study…

Awareness of Christian College Professors Concerning English Language Learners in the Content-Based Classroom and Implementation of Effective Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roedding, Amy L.

2013-01-01

In an effort to understand Christian college professors' levels of awareness to the needs of English Language Learners (ELLs) in content-based classrooms and to identify effective practices for language learning that are being implemented, a quantitative study using descriptive research was carried out. A survey was used to collect data to…

Using Parent and Teacher Voices in the Creation of a Western-Based Early Childhood English-Language Program in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shimpi, Priya M.; Paik, Jae H.; Wanerman, Todd; Johnson, Rebecca; Li, Hui; Duh, Shinchieh

2015-01-01

The current English-language research and educational program was driven by an initiative to create a more interactive, theme-based bilingual language education model for preschools in Chengdu, China. During a 2-week teacher education program centered at the Experimental Kindergarten of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Chengdu, China, a team of…

Extracting Date/Time Expressions in Super-Function Based Japanese-English Machine Translation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sasayama, Manabu; Kuroiwa, Shingo; Ren, Fuji

Super-Function Based Machine Translation(SFBMT) which is a type of Example-Based Machine Translation has a feature which makes it possible to expand the coverage of examples by changing nouns into variables, however, there were problems extracting entire date/time expressions containing parts-of-speech other than nouns, because only nouns/numbers were changed into variables. We describe a method for extracting date/time expressions for SFBMT. SFBMT uses noun determination rules to extract nouns and a bilingual dictionary to obtain correspondence of the extracted nouns between the source and the target languages. In this method, we add a rule to extract date/time expressions and then extract date/time expressions from a Japanese-English bilingual corpus. The evaluation results shows that the precision of this method for Japanese sentences is 96.7%, with a recall of 98.2% and the precision for English sentences is 94.7%, with a recall of 92.7%.

Development and Validation of Extract the Base: An English Derivational Morphology Test for Third through Fifth Grade Monolingual Students and Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwin, Amanda P.; Huggins, A. Corinne; Carlo, Maria; Malabonga, Valerie; Kenyon, Dorry; Louguit, Mohammed; August, Diane

2012-01-01

This study describes the development and validation of the Extract the Base test (ETB), which assesses derivational morphological awareness. Scores on this test were validated for 580 monolingual students and 373 Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) in third through fifth grade. As part of the validation of the internal structure,…

Interpretation and use of the 5-level EQ-5D response labels varied with survey language among Asians in Singapore.

PubMed

Luo, Nan; Wang, Ye; How, Choon How; Tay, Ee Guan; Thumboo, Julian; Herdman, Michael

2015-10-01

This study aimed to investigate the comparability of the English, Chinese, and Malay versions of the 5-level EQ-5D (EQ-5D-5L) response labels in Singapore. Visitors to a primary care institution in Singapore (n = 743) were asked to complete two exercises: (1) rating the severity of the EQ-5D-5L response labels presented in English, Chinese, or Malay using a 0-100 numeric rating scale and (2) using the labels to describe various hypothetical health problems. Label ratings and choices between language versions were compared using regression analysis. Perceived severity of the English and Chinese labels was similar. Compared with their English counterparts, the Malay label "slight(ly)" was rated as more severe (adjusted mean difference: 10.5 to 14.5) and "unable"/"extreme(ly)" as less severe (adjusted mean difference: -13.3 to -11.0) (P < 0.001 for all). The Malay labels "no(t)" and "unable"/"extreme(ly)" and the less severe Chinese labels were more frequently used to describe hypothetical health problems than their English counterparts. Interpretation and use of the EQ-5D-5L response labels vary among Singaporeans using different language versions of the instrument. Future studies need to investigate ways to reduce the variations and increase the cross-cultural measurement equivalence of the instrument. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Education of English Language Learners: Research to Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shatz, Marilyn, Ed.; Wilkinson, Louise C., Ed.

2010-01-01

This comprehensive volume describes evidence-based strategies for supporting English language learners (ELLs) by promoting meaningful communication and language use across the curriculum. Leading experts explain how and why learning is different for ELLs and pinpoint specific best practices for the classroom, illustrated with vivid examples.…

You Know English, so Why Don't You Teach?" Language Ideologies and Returnees Becoming English Language Teachers in Mexico

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christiansen, M. Sidury; Trejo Guzmán, Nelly Paulina; Mora-Pablo, Irasema

2018-01-01

Return migration from the United States to Mexico has been increasing in the last decade. Research reports that many returnees, who are English dominant, drop out of school to look for work in call centers and transnational companies (Anderson, 2015). Others pursue higher education in English-based programs such as those for becoming English…

Revisiting Fluctuations in L2 Article Choice in L1-Korean L2-English Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarker, Bijon K.; Baek, Seunghyun

2017-01-01

The current study investigated the distinction of L2 (second language) English article choice sensitivity in fifty-three L1-Korean L2-English learners in semantic contexts. In the context of English as a foreign language, the participants were divided into two groups based on grammatical ability as determined by their performance on a cloze test.…

Evaluation of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Information System (PROMIS(®)) Spanish-language physical functioning items.

PubMed

Paz, Sylvia H; Spritzer, Karen L; Morales, Leo S; Hays, Ron D

2013-09-01

To evaluate the equivalence of the PROMIS(®) physical functioning item bank by language of administration (English versus Spanish). The PROMIS(®) wave 1 English-language physical functioning bank consists of 124 items, and 114 of these were translated into Spanish. Item frequencies, means and standard deviations, item-scale correlations, and internal consistency reliability were calculated. The IRT assumption of unidimensionality was evaluated by fitting a single-factor confirmatory factor analytic model. IRT threshold and discrimination parameters were estimated using Samejima's Graded Response Model. DIF by language of administration was evaluated. Item means ranged from 2.53 (SD = 1.36) to 4.62 (SD = 0.82). Coefficient alpha was 0.99, and item-rest correlations ranged from 0.41 to 0.89. A one-factor model fits the data well (CFI = 0.971, TLI = 0.970, and RMSEA = 0.052). The slope parameters ranged from 0.45 ("Are you able to run 10 miles?") to 4.50 ("Are you able to put on a shirt or blouse?"). The threshold parameters ranged from -1.92 ("How much do physical health problems now limit your usual physical activities (such as walking or climbing stairs)?") to 6.06 ("Are you able to run 10 miles?"). Fifty of the 114 items were flagged for DIF based on an R(2) of 0.02 or above criterion. The expected total score was higher for Spanish- than English-language respondents. English- and Spanish-speaking subjects with the same level of underlying physical function responded differently to 50 of 114 items. This study has important implications in the study of physical functioning among diverse populations.

Publishing in English-language journals.

PubMed

Davis, Anne J; Tschudin, Verena

2007-05-01

The need for academics to get their work published can be fraught with problems, especially if they have to publish in the English language and within western culture, both of which may be unfamiliar to them. Before considering a submission, authors need to satisfy the rigors of their studies: suitability of the subject matter for a particular journal; concepts, literature and instruments; and if the English is adequate. These are issues of responsibility of authors to readers and, on the part of editors and reviewers, to authors and through them to students and readers of the submitted texts. This short article elaborates on these themes by detailing specific items of importance.

Culture and English Language Teaching in the Arab World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahmoud, Montasser Mohamed AbdelWahab

2015-01-01

This article discusses the relationship between culture and English language teaching (ELT) in the Arab World. A critical question arises in terms of ELT, that is, whether to teach culture along with English. To answer such a bewildering question, this article presents related literature and studies and discusses a theoretical frame based on…

Effect of Network-Assisted Language Teaching Model on Undergraduate English Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

He, Chunyan

2013-01-01

With the coming of the information age, computer-based teaching model has had an important impact on English teaching. Since 2004, the trial instruction on Network-assisted Language Teaching (NALT) Model integrating the English instruction and computer technology has been launched at some universities in China, including China university of…

Experiences of Intensive English Learners: Motivations, Imagined Communities, and Identities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Juyeon

2014-01-01

Based on a widely held belief that immersion provides the best language learning opportunities, a large number of Asian students go to English-speaking countries to improve their English language skills. These strongly motivated learners arrive in a new country with a bag of expectations, learner beliefs, and imaginations about the new community…

Family Literacy: A Critical Inquiry-Based Approach to English Language Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rolander, Kathleen

2018-01-01

In this theoretical article, the author explores the perceptions that drive the development of family literacy programs aimed at preparing limited-English-proficiency (LEP) families for schools in the United States. Examining English language learning with regard to power dynamics within a society and culture, the article considers the spectrum of…

An Analysis of Three Curriculum Approaches to Teaching English in Public-Sector Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graves, Kathleen; Garton, Sue

2017-01-01

This article explores three current, influential English language teaching (ELT) curriculum approaches to the teaching of English in public-sector schools at the primary and secondary level and how the theory of each approach translates into curriculum practice. These approaches are communicative language teaching (CLT), genre-based pedagogy, and…

Designing and Evaluating a Professional Development Programme for Basic Technology Integration in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ansyari, Muhammad Fauzan

2015-01-01

This study aims to develop and evaluate a professional development programme for technology integration in an Indonesian university's English language teaching setting. The study explored the characteristics of this programme to English lecturers' technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) development. This design-based research employed…

The Impact of CALL Instruction on English Language Teachers' Use of Technology in Language Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiliçkaya, Ferit; Seferoglu, Gölge

2013-01-01

This study investigates the impact of CALL training on in-service language teachers' use of CALL-based activities in their classrooms. The participants included 35 pre-service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers who took an undergraduate-level elective CALL course (FLE318) offered during the 2008-2009 academic year in the Department of…

A Language-Based Approach to Content Instruction (LACI) for English Language Learners: Examples from Two Elementary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Oliveira, Luciana C.

2016-01-01

The number of English language learners (ELLs) in the United States has increased dramatically. Given this increase it is vital for teacher education programs at the pre-service level and professional learning programs at eh in-service level to address the needs of ELLs. This article presents a teacher preparation model--"a language-based…

Measuring Opportunity to Learn and Academic Language Exposure for English Language Learners in Elementary Science Classrooms. CRESST Report 767

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Jose Felipe; Bailey, Alison L.; Kerr, Deirdre; Huang, Becky H.; Beauregard, Stacey

2010-01-01

The present study piloted a survey-based measure of Opportunity to Learn (OTL) and Academic Language Exposure (ALE) in fourth grade science classrooms that sought to distinguish teacher practices with ELL (English language learner) and non-ELL students. In the survey, participant teachers reported on their instructional practices and the context…

A Home-Language Free Adult Pre-Vocational Audio-Visual Course in English-as-a-Second Language.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Philip D., Jr.

A pre-vocational English-as-a-second language course for adults was developed for the non-native speaker based upon the following assumptions: the teacher does not have to speak the language of the student; students in a class do not have to speak each others' language; the teacher need not be professionally trained in the field of teaching ESL;…

The Use of English as Medium of Instruction at the Upper Basic Level (Primary Four to Junior High School) in Ghana: From Theory to Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owu-Ewie, Charles; Eshun, Emma Sarah

2015-01-01

The language of education is crucial to learners' academic success. As a result, nations whose native languages are not the languages of education have promulgated language policies to solve communication problems in their school systems. Most multilingual nations have adopted bilingual education systems that recognize the child's native language…

Potential Problematic Rhetorical Style Transfer from First Language to Foreign Language: A Case of Indonesian Authors Writing Research Article Introductions in English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arsyad, Safnil; Arono

2016-01-01

Rhetorical style transfer from first language to a foreign language can be serious problems in academic writing, such as Research Articles (RAs). This study is aimed at analyzing the rhetorical style of Indonesian RA introductions in multiple disciplines written by Indonesian authors and published in Indonesian research journals especially on the…

The comprehension skills of children learning English as an additional language.

PubMed

Burgoyne, K; Kelly, J M; Whiteley, H E; Spooner, A

2009-12-01

Data from national test results suggests that children who are learning English as an additional language (EAL) experience relatively lower levels of educational attainment in comparison to their monolingual, English-speaking peers. The relative underachievement of children who are learning EAL demands that the literacy needs of this group are identified. To this end, this study aimed to explore the reading- and comprehension-related skills of a group of EAL learners. Data are reported from 92 Year 3 pupils, of whom 46 children are learning EAL. Children completed standardized measures of reading accuracy and comprehension, listening comprehension, and receptive and expressive vocabulary. Results indicate that many EAL learners experience difficulties in understanding written and spoken text. These comprehension difficulties are not related to decoding problems but are related to significantly lower levels of vocabulary knowledge experienced by this group. Many EAL learners experience significantly lower levels of English vocabulary knowledge which has a significant impact on their ability to understand written and spoken text. Greater emphasis on language development is therefore needed in the school curriculum to attempt to address the limited language skills of children learning EAL.

Current Issues in English Language Teacher-Based Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davison, Chris; Leung, Constant

2009-01-01

Teacher-based assessment (TBA) is increasingly being promoted in educational policies internationally, with English language teachers being called on to plan and/or implement appropriate assessment procedures to monitor and evaluate student progress in their own classrooms. However, there has been a lack of theorization of TBA in the English…

Technology-Based Literacy Instruction for English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Erin L.; Gillard, Sharlett

2011-01-01

There is a growing need to implement an alternative and viable solution in U.S. K-12 schools that will address the ever-growing gap that the rapidly growing English language learner (ELL) population presents. This article examines various technology-based solutions, and their potential impact. The systematic implementation of these…

Views from the Chalkface: English Language School-Based Assessment in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davison, Chris

2007-01-01

The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) has recently moved from norm-referenced to standards-referenced assessment, including the incorporation of a substantial school-based summative oral assessment component into the compulsory English language subject in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE). Starting in…

Focus-on-form instructional methods promote deaf college students' improvement in English grammar.

PubMed

Berent, Gerald P; Kelly, Ronald R; Aldersley, Stephen; Schmitz, Kathryn L; Khalsa, Baldev Kaur; Panara, John; Keenan, Susan

2007-01-01

Focus-on-form English teaching methods are designed to facilitate second-language learners' noticing of target language input, where "noticing" is an acquisitional prerequisite for the comprehension, processing, and eventual integration of new grammatical knowledge. While primarily designed for teaching hearing second-language learners, many focus-on-form methods lend themselves to visual presentation. This article reports the results of classroom research on the visually based implementation of focus-on-form methods with deaf college students learning English. Two of 3 groups of deaf students received focus-on-form instruction during a 10-week remedial grammar course; a third control group received grammatical instruction that did not involve focus-on-form methods. The 2 experimental groups exhibited significantly greater improvement in English grammatical knowledge relative to the control group. These results validate the efficacy of visually based focus-on-form English instruction for deaf students of English and set the stage for the continual search for innovative and effective English teaching methodologies.

Challenges Faced by Second Language Doctoral Student Writers in Hong Kong and Their Writing Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyland, Fiona

2016-01-01

Writing at the doctoral level presents many challenges for second language writers. This paper reports on a longitudinal study investigating English as a second language (ESL) doctoral students' writing problems and the strategies they developed to meet these challenges. Eight students were interviewed four times over a two-year period during…

Term Planning in Oriya: Problems and Prospects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohanty, Panchanan; Pattanayak, Subrat Kalyan

1996-01-01

Discusses the failed attempt to cultivate Oriya as a modern language and to make it the official language of Orissa, India, in the 19th century. The reasons for this failure are a lack of language consciousness among the Oriyas, the pro-English attitude of the Oriya bureaucrats, and an irresolute corpus planning exercise. (eight references)…

Overcoming Language and Cultural Barriers in School: Helping Hispanic Students Acquire Success in Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ivey, Pauline S.

2011-01-01

Research shows that Hispanic second language students are not as successful as their English-speaking peers in school. The problem is in part due to several factors: curriculum deliverance in a foreign language, cultural differences, and family/school disconnect. Current census reports reveal that Hispanic populations in the United States, and…

Implications of the Socio-Cultural Context for the Co-Construction of Talk in a Task-Based English as a Foreign Language Classroom in Japan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Paul

2012-01-01

In this article I investigate how Japanese students manage interaction together in a task-based English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom. Using methods from conversation analysis and focusing on the contextual dimensions of language, I analyse data from a real classroom task with a view to understanding the ways in which social processes and…

Understanding the Development of a Hybrid Practice of Inquiry-Based Science Instruction and Language Development: A Case Study of One Teacher's Journey through Reflections on Classroom Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Capitelli, Sarah; Hooper, Paula; Rankin, Lynn; Austin, Marilyn; Caven, Gennifer

2016-01-01

This qualitative case study looks closely at an elementary teacher who participated in professional development experiences that helped her develop a hybrid practice of using inquiry-based science to teach both science content and English language development (ELD) to her students, many of whom are English language learners (ELLs). This case study…

Communicative Competence in English: Teaching about Functions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kitao, S. Kathleen

1993-01-01

A discussion of teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) focuses on principles and techniques for the development of one form of communicative competence, i.e., sociolinguistic competence. First, the concept of sociolinguistic competence is explained, drawing on research in this area. Sources of problems in development of second language…

EMP: A Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephens, Jill

A 2-year study examined the relevance of English-as-a-second-language instructional materials for students in health care fields. The study gathered specific information on common medical activities requiring the use of English and identified problem areas. A random sample of students of medicine, pharmacy, and research science was surveyed, the…

The relationship between English language learning strategies and proficiency of pre-university students: A study case of UMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiram, Johannah Jamalul; Sulaiman, Jumat; Swanto, Suyansah; Din, Wardatul Akmam

2014-07-01

This paper seeks to investigate the relationship between language learning strategies and proficiency in English. Fifty-six pre-university students (22 males, 34 females) of University Malaysia Sabah participated in this study. Oxford's Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) self-report questionnaire was adopted to identify the students' language learning strategies, whereas their proficiencies were judged based on their Malaysian University English Test (MUET) Results. Pearson's correlation coefficient, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and the t-test were utilized to make statistical interpretation about the relationship. The knowledge obtained from this study will be helpful for future studies on how to improve the quality of learning and proficiency in English.

Legionnaires' Disease: a Problem for Health Care Facilities

MedlinePlus

... Clips Legionnaires’ Disease A problem for health care facilities Language: English (US) Español (Spanish) Recommend on Facebook ... drinking. Many people being treated at health care facilities, including long-term care facilities and hospitals, have ...

Language Aptitude and Grammatical Difficulty: An EFL Classroom-Based Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yalçin, Sebnem; Spada, Nina

2016-01-01

This study investigates the relationship between foreign language aptitude and the learning of two English structures defined as easy or difficult to learn. Using a quasiexperimental design, 66 secondary-level learners of English as a foreign language from three intact classes were provided with four hours of instruction on the "passive"…

Bridging Authentic Experiences and Literacy Skills through the Language Experience Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Jiuhan

2013-01-01

Although the research base is small on adult English language learners (ELLs) who are learning English while also acquiring basic literacy, this research can still guide instructional practices. The essential components of reading skills suggests that the Language Experience Approach has the potential to integrate relevant meaning-focused reading…

Teaching Science through the Language of Students in Technology-Enhanced Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryoo, Kihyun

2015-01-01

This study examines whether and how tapping into students' everyday language in a web-based learning environment can improve all students' science learning in linguistically heterogeneous classrooms. A total of 220 fifth-grade English Language Learners (ELLs) and their non-ELL peers were assigned to either an everyday English approach…

Representation of Sports and Recreational Activities in Primary School English Language Coursebooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zorba, Mehmet Galip; Arikan, Arda

2012-01-01

Studying coursebooks and instructional materials in terms of their cultural, social and value-based qualities has been a significant aspect of research in language education since what is inherent in coursebooks directly affects users' perspective. In this research study, contents of English language coursebooks used in Turkish senior primary…

Words, Words, Words: Reading Shakespeare with English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porter, Christina

2009-01-01

In 2006, the author returned to school after completing the Teaching Shakespeare Institute at the Folger Library inspired with new performance-based ideas for teaching the plays. The author began to wonder about using Shakespeare as a vehicle for investigating "rich and strange" language with English Language Learners (ELLs). The author began by…

Do "Current" Teaching Methodologies Really Work in Every Context?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yürekli, Aynur

2017-01-01

This study examines the impact that learners have on the effective implementation of the Communicative Language Teaching Approach (CLT) in monolingual English for Academic Purposes (EAP) class in a country where English is taught as a foreign rather than second language. Based on recorded language lessons of four different learner groups, it…

The Use of Computer Technology in Designing Appropriate Test Accommodations for English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abedi, Jamal

2014-01-01

Among the several forms of accommodations used in the assessment of English language learners (ELLs), language-based accommodations are the most effective in making assessments linguistically accessible to these students. However, there are significant challenges associated with the implementation of many of these accommodations. This article…

International Students: A Vulnerable Student Population

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherry, Mark; Thomas, Peter; Chui, Wing Hong

2010-01-01

This study examines the experiences of international students at The University of Toledo, where international students comprise approximately 10% of the student population. It highlights problems international students experience such as adapting to a new culture, English language problems, financial problems and lack of understanding from the…

Oracy and the Educational Achievement of Pupils with English as an Additional Language: The Impact of Bringing "Talking Partners" into Bradford Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kotler, Angie; Wegerif, Rupert; LeVoi, Martin

2001-01-01

Examined whether an intervention based on what is known about how children learn language could make a significant difference to English as an additional language learners' control over oral language, particularly in relation to literacy learners. Results from a range of assessments show it is possible to accelerate such learning. (Author/VWL)

Learning to Think in a Second Language: Effects of Proficiency and Length of Exposure in English Learners of German

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Athanasopoulos, Panos; Damjanovic, Ljubica; Burnand, Julie; Bylund, Emanuel

2015-01-01

The aim of the current study is to investigate motion event cognition in second language learners in a higher education context. Based on recent findings that speakers of grammatical aspect languages like English attend less to the endpoint (goal) of events than do speakers of nonaspect languages like Swedish in a nonverbal categorization task…

Exploring the Effect of Teaching Test-Taking Strategies on Intermediate Level Learners on Reading Section of IELTS; Learners' Attitude in Focus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khoshsima, Hooshang; Saed, Amin; Mousaei, Fatemeh

2018-01-01

Language proficiency tests have become common instruments to judge people based on their performance. Thus, the scores on language proficiency tests, such as the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), play a crucial role in the test-takers' lives. Because of increasing demands on…

Fostering Confidence and Risk Taking in MA in TESOL Students via Community English Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rueckert, Daniel L.

2013-01-01

In 2011, Oklahoma City University (OCU) opened its Community English School. This school implemented a project-based curriculum that was designed to accommodate English language learners from various proficiency levels and with varying amounts of time to invest in learning a new language. The school was staffed completely by students in OCU's MA…

The Influence of Gujarati and Tamil L1s on Indian English: A Preliminary Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiltshire, Caroline R.; Harnsberger, James D.

2006-01-01

English as spoken as a second language in India has developed distinct sound patterns in terms of both segmental and prosodic characteristics. We investigate the differences between two groups varying in native language (Gujarati, Tamil) to evaluate to what extent Indian English (IE) accents are based on a single target phonological-phonetic…

Language Assessment Scales, Level 2, LAS II, for Grades 6 and Up, English/Spanish. Examiner's Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duncan, Sharon E.; De Avila, Edward A.

Language Assessment Scales, Level 2 (LAS II) are used to assess the linguistic proficiency of limited-English-speaking or non-English-speaking adolescents. LAS II, like its predecessor, LAS I, provides a picture of oral linguistic proficiency based on a student's performance across four linguistic subsystems: phonemic, lexical, syntactic and…

Language Learning Strategies of English for Specific Purposes Students at a Public University in Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shah, Mohamed Ismail Ahamad; Ismail, Yusof; Esa, Zaleha; Muhamad, Ainon Jariah

2013-01-01

Studies on strategy research have shown the usefulness and importance of language learning strategies (LLS) for ESL and EFL learners. However, research on content-based learners in relation to English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) has yet to be undertaken. This study, therefore, investigated the learning…

Discrimination in the TESOL Profession in Mexico: Voices and Perspectives of English as a Foreign Language Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia-Ponce, Edgar Emmanuell; Lengeling, M. M.; Mora-Pablo, I.

2017-01-01

Over the last three decades, research has centred the attention on discrimination within TESOL motivated by issues concerning the distinction between native- and non-native English speaking teachers. However, based upon the authors' experience as English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers and researchers, it is claimed that discrimination in…

Teaching and Learning Science with Understanding to Limited English Proficient Students: Excellence through Reform.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutman, Francis X.; Guzman, Ana

This paper, which considers effective science teaching and learning for limited English proficient (LEP) students in U.S. schools, is based on the assumption that science and English language can be effectively learned together without excessive emphasis on students' native language, although teachers and aides who have knowledge of LEP students'…

Accommodations for English Language Learners Taking Large-Scale Assessments: A Meta-Analysis on Effectiveness and Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kieffer, Michael J.; Lesaux, Nonie K.; Rivera, Mabel; Francis, David J.

2009-01-01

Including English language learners (ELLs) in large-scale assessments raises questions about the validity of inferences based on their scores. Test accommodations for ELLs are intended to reduce the impact of limited English proficiency on the assessment of the target construct, most often mathematic or science proficiency. This meta-analysis…

Learning Computers, Speaking English: Cooperative Activities for Learning English and Basic Word Processing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quann, Steve; Satin, Diana

This textbook leads high-beginning and intermediate English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students through cooperative computer-based activities that combine language learning with training in basic computer skills and word processing. Each unit concentrates on a basic concept of word processing while also focusing on a grammar topic. Skills are…

Community Intelligence in Knowledge Curation: An Application to Managing Scientific Nomenclature

PubMed Central

Zou, Dong; Li, Ang; Liu, Guocheng; Chen, Fei; Wu, Jiayan; Xiao, Jingfa; Wang, Xumin; Yu, Jun; Zhang, Zhang

2013-01-01

Harnessing community intelligence in knowledge curation bears significant promise in dealing with communication and education in the flood of scientific knowledge. As knowledge is accumulated at ever-faster rates, scientific nomenclature, a particular kind of knowledge, is concurrently generated in all kinds of fields. Since nomenclature is a system of terms used to name things in a particular discipline, accurate translation of scientific nomenclature in different languages is of critical importance, not only for communications and collaborations with English-speaking people, but also for knowledge dissemination among people in the non-English-speaking world, particularly young students and researchers. However, it lacks of accuracy and standardization when translating scientific nomenclature from English to other languages, especially for those languages that do not belong to the same language family as English. To address this issue, here we propose for the first time the application of community intelligence in scientific nomenclature management, namely, harnessing collective intelligence for translation of scientific nomenclature from English to other languages. As community intelligence applied to knowledge curation is primarily aided by wiki and Chinese is the native language for about one-fifth of the world’s population, we put the proposed application into practice, by developing a wiki-based English-to-Chinese Scientific Nomenclature Dictionary (ESND; http://esnd.big.ac.cn). ESND is a wiki-based, publicly editable and open-content platform, exploiting the whole power of the scientific community in collectively and collaboratively managing scientific nomenclature. Based on community curation, ESND is capable of achieving accurate, standard, and comprehensive scientific nomenclature, demonstrating a valuable application of community intelligence in knowledge curation. PMID:23451119

Community intelligence in knowledge curation: an application to managing scientific nomenclature.

PubMed

Dai, Lin; Xu, Chao; Tian, Ming; Sang, Jian; Zou, Dong; Li, Ang; Liu, Guocheng; Chen, Fei; Wu, Jiayan; Xiao, Jingfa; Wang, Xumin; Yu, Jun; Zhang, Zhang

2013-01-01

Harnessing community intelligence in knowledge curation bears significant promise in dealing with communication and education in the flood of scientific knowledge. As knowledge is accumulated at ever-faster rates, scientific nomenclature, a particular kind of knowledge, is concurrently generated in all kinds of fields. Since nomenclature is a system of terms used to name things in a particular discipline, accurate translation of scientific nomenclature in different languages is of critical importance, not only for communications and collaborations with English-speaking people, but also for knowledge dissemination among people in the non-English-speaking world, particularly young students and researchers. However, it lacks of accuracy and standardization when translating scientific nomenclature from English to other languages, especially for those languages that do not belong to the same language family as English. To address this issue, here we propose for the first time the application of community intelligence in scientific nomenclature management, namely, harnessing collective intelligence for translation of scientific nomenclature from English to other languages. As community intelligence applied to knowledge curation is primarily aided by wiki and Chinese is the native language for about one-fifth of the world's population, we put the proposed application into practice, by developing a wiki-based English-to-Chinese Scientific Nomenclature Dictionary (ESND; http://esnd.big.ac.cn). ESND is a wiki-based, publicly editable and open-content platform, exploiting the whole power of the scientific community in collectively and collaboratively managing scientific nomenclature. Based on community curation, ESND is capable of achieving accurate, standard, and comprehensive scientific nomenclature, demonstrating a valuable application of community intelligence in knowledge curation.

Rock and Roll English Teaching: Content-Based Cultural Workshops

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Tim

2011-01-01

In this article, the author shares a content-based English as a Second/Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) workshop that strengthens language acquisition, increases intrinsic motivation, and bridges cultural divides. He uses a rock and roll workshop to introduce an organizational approach with a primary emphasis on cultural awareness content and a…

English Language Teacher Educators' Pedagogical Knowledge Base: The Macro and Micro Categories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moradkhani, Shahab; Akbari, Ramin; Samar, Reza Ghafar; Kiany, Gholam Reza

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the major categories of English language teacher educators' pedagogical knowledge base. To this end, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 5 teachers, teacher educators, and university professors (15 participants in total). The results of data analysis indicated that teacher educators' pedagogical…

Web Based Projects Enhancing English Language and Generic Skills Development for Asian Hospitality Industry Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Mei-jung

2009-01-01

This study investigated hospitality students' responses toward their learning experiences from undertaking group projects based upon a College web platform, the "Ubiquitous Hospitality English Learning Platform" (U-HELP). Twenty-six students in the Department of Applied Foreign Languages participated in this study. Their attitudes toward…

Teachers' Perceptions of the Standard-Based English Language Curriculum in Malaysian Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sulaiman, Suriati; Sulaiman, Tajularipin; Rahim, Suzieleez Syrene Abdul

2017-01-01

Standard-based English language curriculum (SBELC) was fairly a new curriculum in Malaysian primary schools. The implementation of SBELC is a phenomenon affecting all teachers and pupils in primary education. Since curriculum implementation occurs mostly in the classroom and teachers are the key players in the implementation process, the initial…

Teaching Language Learners to Elaborate on Their Responses: A Structured, Genre-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pryde, Michael

2015-01-01

Due to Japanese students' poor record of conversational ability in English in homestay contexts (Pryde, 2014), classroom English language curriculum decisions were reinvestigated in order to better prepare students to participate in study abroad experiences. A genre-based approach was used to teach and reinforce a conversational structure designed…

Directed Blogging with Community College ESL Students: Its Effects on Awareness of Language Acquisition Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Cathy

2012-01-01

English as a Second Language (ESL) students often have problems progressing in their acquisition of the language and frequently do not know how to solve this dilemma. Many of them think of their second language studies as just another school subject that they must pass in order to move on to the next level, so few of them realize the metacognitive…

Three treatments for bilingual children with primary language impairment: Examining cross-linguistic and cross-domain effects

PubMed Central

Ebert, Kerry Danahy; Kohnert, Kathryn; Pham, Giang; Disher, Jill Rentmeester; Payesteh, Bita

2014-01-01

Purpose This study examines the absolute and relative effects of three different treatment programs for school-aged bilingual children with primary or specific language impairment (PLI). It serves to expand the evidence base on which service providers can base treatment decisions. It also explores hypothesized relations between languages and cognition in bilinguals with PLI. Method Fifty-nine school-aged Spanish-English bilingual children with PLI were assigned to receive nonlinguistic cognitive processing, English, bilingual (Spanish-English), or deferred treatment. Participants in each of the three active treatments received treatment administered by nationally certified speech-language pathologists. Pre- and post-treatment assessments measured change in nonlinguistic cognitive processing, English, and Spanish skills, and analyses examined change within and across both treatment groups and skill domains. Results All active treatment groups made significant pre- to post-treatment improvement on multiple outcome measures. There were fewer significant changes in Spanish than in English across groups. Between group comparisons indicate that the active treatment groups generally outperformed the deferred treatment control, reaching statistical significance for two tasks. Conclusions Results provide insight into cross-language transfer in bilingual children and advance understanding of the general PLI profile with respect to relationships between basic cognitive processing and higher level language skills. PMID:23900032

The Podcasting Playbook: A Typology of Evidence-Based Podagogy for PreK-12 Classrooms with English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acosta, Sandra; Garza, Tiberio

2011-01-01

Podagogy, a fusion of podcasting and pedagogy, is evidence-based educational podcasting for teaching and learning. The purpose of our article was to compile a playbook of evidence-based strategies, the plays, for integrating podcasting into PreK-12 classrooms with English language learners (ELLs). Data for developing the playbook were drawn from…

English Language Learners' Strategies for Reading Computer-Based Texts at Home and in School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Ho-Ryong; Kim, Deoksoon

2016-01-01

This study investigated four elementary-level English language learners' (ELLs') use of strategies for reading computer-based texts at home and in school. The ELLs in this study were in the fourth and fifth grades in a public elementary school. We identify the ELLs' strategies for reading computer-based texts in home and school environments. We…

Rapid Assessment Procedure for Loiasis and Mapping Lymphatic Filariasis: Two Perfect Illustrations of “To Be in English or Not to Be”

PubMed Central

Carme, Bernard

2012-01-01

Interest in filariasis has found a new impetus now that neglected tropical diseases have their own journal. However, some of the advances published in renowned international journals have completely ignored previous publications on the subject, particularly those in languages other than English. The rapid assessment procedure for loiasis and the mapping of lymphatic filariasis provide two perfect illustrations of this. This problem may seem a bit outdated, given that all “good authors” now publish exclusively in English. It certainly is outdated for most areas of medicine. But, surely, this should not be the case for neglected tropical diseases, for which certain long-standing findings are every bit as important as what may be presented as new discoveries. One possibility would be for certain journals, such as PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, to include a specific heading permitting the publication in English of older studies that initially appeared in a language other than English. The texts would be English versions respecting the entirety of the original text. Submission should be accompanied by a presentation of the problem, with details and explanatory comments, with submission at the initiative of the authors of the former article in question or their students or sympathizers. PMID:23272254

Refusing in a Foreign Language: An Investigation of Problems Encountered by Chinese Learners of English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Yuh-Fang

2011-01-01

Whereas the speech act of refusal is universal across language, the politeness value and the types of linguistic forms used to perform it vary across language and culture. The majority of the comparative pragmatic research findings were derived from one single source of data (i.e., either production data or perception data). Few attempts have been…

Do Some School-Age Children Have No Language? Some Problems of Construct Validity in the Pre-LAS Espanol.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacSwan, Jeff; Rolstad, Kellie; Glass, Gene V.

2002-01-01

Analysis of a dataset of 38,887 Spanish-speaking children aged 4-6 who took the Pre-Language Assessment Scales Espanol indicates serious concerns with test validity. The "non-non" label--nonverbal in both Spanish and English--may be an artifact of poor assessment. Policies requiring routine oral native-language assessment of…

Word Class Distinctions in Second Language Acquisition: An Experimental Study of L2 Spanish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zyzik, Eve; Azevedo, Clara

2009-01-01

Although the problem of word class has been explored in numerous first language studies, relatively little is known about this process in SLA. The present study measures second language (L2) learners' knowledge of word class distinctions (e.g., noun vs. adjective) in a variety of syntactic contexts. English-speaking learners of Spanish from…

True reason for Zipf's law in language

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahui, Wang; Menghui, Li; Zengru, Di

2005-12-01

Analysis of word frequency have historically used data that included English, French, or other language, data typically described by Zipf's law. Using data on traditional and modern Chinese literatures, we show here that Chinese character frequency stroked Zipf's law based on literature before Qin dynasty; however, it departed from Zipf's law based on literature after Qin dynasty. Combined with data about English dictionaries and Chinese dictionaries, we show that the true reason for Zipf's Law in language is that growth and preferential selection mechanism of word or character in given language.

Do Students' Backgrounds in the Language of Instruction Influence Secondary School Academic Performance?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Komba, Sotco Claudius; Bosco, Stephen

2015-01-01

In Tanzania, two types of primary schools exist, based on the language of instruction used. These are English medium schools and Swahili medium schools. Students who complete their studies from both types of schools join secondary schools where the language of instruction is solely English. This study investigated the influence of students'…

Exploring the Potential for Language Supportive Learning in English Medium Instruction: A Rwandan Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milligan, Lizzi O.; Clegg, John; Tikly, Leon

2016-01-01

This article puts forward the argument for language supportive learning for learners in English medium instruction (EMI) classrooms based on the findings from a mixed methods study in Rwanda. The article first reviews the relevant literature and research which looks at the concept of language support, focusing on textbooks and pedagogy in…

Text Signals Influence Second Language Expository Text Comprehension: Knowledge Structure Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Kyung; Clariana, Roy B.

2017-01-01

This quasi-experimental investigation describes the influence of text signals on second language expository science text comprehension. In two course sections, mixed proficiency Korean English language learners (n = 88) read one of two print-based English expository text passage versions. Participants in one section (n = 44) were given a version…

Investigating the Effects of Authentic Activities on Foreign Language Learning: A Design-Based Research Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozverir, Ildeniz; Osam, Ulker Vanci; Herrington, Jan

2017-01-01

Achieving communicative competency in English classes has been a key goal in contexts where English is taught as a foreign language (EFL). During this process, however, integrating the difficulty and complexity of real life tasks into classroom teaching has often been disregarded. Lack of opportunities for authentic language use often results in…

The Impact of Computer-Based Instruction on the Development of EFL Learners' Writing Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zaini, A.; Mazdayasna, G.

2015-01-01

The current study investigated the application and effectiveness of computer assisted language learning (CALL) in teaching academic writing to Iranian EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners by means of Microsoft Word Office. To this end, 44 sophomore intermediate university students majoring in English Language and Literature at an Iranian…

The Flipped Experience for Chinese University Students Studying English as a Foreign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doman, Evelyn; Webb, Marie

2017-01-01

Many educators worldwide are aware that traditional teacher-fronted instruction and lecture-based learning often lead students to become passive in the classroom. In the language classroom, particularly in classrooms for English as a second or foreign language, the flipped model of education drives students to become more responsive and more…

The Expression of the Instrumental Case in English, Hungarian, Kongo, and Nepali.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zehr, Stanley J.

An analysis of the instrumental case in four languages (English, Hungarian, Kongo, and Nepali) compares expressions of each of the deep cases of instrumentality (tool, body part, material, and force) in each language. Observations are based on a translation exercise given to native speakers of the languages and on follow-up interviews. The…

Health Care Disparities and Language Use at Home among Latino, Asian American, and American Indian Adolescents: Findings from the California Health Interview Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hahm, Hyeouk Chris; Lahiff, Maureen; Barreto, Rose M.; Shin, Sunny; Chen, Wan-Yi

2008-01-01

Using the 2001 California Health Interview Survey, this study compared health status, medical insurance, and having a usual source of care for 2,230 ethnic minority adolescents based on language use at home: Group 1, English only; Group 2, both English and another language; and Group 3, exclusively another language. Adjusting for demographic…

Stock in Trade: The Role of English in International Trade Proceedings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cremer, Rolf D.; Willes, Mary J.

1991-01-01

Examines the use of English by merchandisers in Macao, where the required proficiency exceeds that these individuals can be expected to possess. Examples of serious language mistakes are given and contextual and other clues are identified. Possible solutions for these problems are suggested and potential directions of further enquiry are explored.…

Pausing, Preceding and Following "That" in English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bada, Erdogan

2006-01-01

While reading or speaking, individuals break up sentences into "meaningful chunks." This is true of any individual with any language background. Failure to do so, in an L2 context, leads to idiosyncrasies, and may possibly create some comprehensibility problems. In this study, native and non-native speakers of English read an authentic text into a…

Preparing English Learners for Effective Peer Review in the Writers' Workshop

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Soo Hyon

2015-01-01

English Language Learners (ELLs) often face challenges when participating in peer review activities in writers' workshops. This article identifies some of the potential difficulties that ELL writers may experience, and provides teachers with strategies to address these problems. The author describes a simple three-step peer review training model…

Some Internet Applications for Language Teaching: A Web-Assisted Course of English for Construction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez, Jose Maria Perez

2001-01-01

Describes how the Internet was used in an English class for architecture and construction students at the University of Granada (Spain). Discusses course organization; links to construction company Web sites; active learning; group work; student presentations; student autonomy and student motivation; and problems with plagiarism. (LRW)

Which Do Students Prefer to Evaluate Their Essays: Peers or Computer Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Yi-hsiu

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate problems and potentials of new technologies in English writing education. The effectiveness of automated writing evaluation (AWE) ("MY Access") and of peer evaluation (PE) was compared. Twenty-two English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in Taiwan participated in this study. They submitted…

More than Sanctions: Closing Achievement Gaps through California's Use of Intensive Technical Assistance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strunk, Katharine O.; McEachin, Andrew

2014-01-01

One of the enduring problems in education is the persistence of achievement gaps between White, wealthy, native English-speaking students and their counterparts who are minority, lower-income, or English language learners. This study shows that one intensive technical assistance (TA) intervention--California's District Assistance and Intervention…

Manual for Identification of Limited-English Proficiency Students with Special Needs. Report #11785.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ambert, Alba N.; And Others

This manual, intended to assist teachers in identifying students with limited-English proficiency who may have special needs, concentrates on four areas: language, observation, testing, and learning problems. The main part of the manual has eight sections dealing with the following topics: (1) observation techniques and methods; (2) modifications…

Evaluating Online Bilingual Dictionaries: The Case of Popular Free English-Polish Dictionaries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lew, Robert; Szarowska, Agnieszka

2017-01-01

Language learners today exhibit a strong preference for free online resources. One problem with such resources is that their quality can vary dramatically. Building on related work on monolingual resources for English, we propose an evaluation framework for online bilingual dictionaries, designed to assess lexicographic quality in four major…

Timed Writing Practice for Japanese University Students in an EFL Setting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kresovich, Brant M.

1990-01-01

Timed writing exercises used at the University of the Ryukyus (Japan) to help alleviate common problems in English second language writing are described. It is proposed that Japanese students have difficulty writing in English because of early training in the grammar-translation method, a lack of communication skills, the overuse of bilingual…

On the Optimization of Sentence Imitation in Primary School English Teaching from the Perspective of Strong Memes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Wang

2017-01-01

A sentence is an important unit in English language, and plays a crucial role in language teaching and learning as well. For many years, sentence teaching is always worth discussion in English teaching, because sentence imitation is very important for students' construction of logical discourse. This paper, based on memetics, proposes some certain…

Creating a Next-Generation System of K-12 English Learner Language Proficiency Assessments. Research Report. ETS RR-16-06

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hauck, Maurice Cogan; Wolf, Mikyung Kim; Mislevy, Robert

2016-01-01

This paper is the first in a series from Educational Testing Service (ETS) concerning English language proficiency (ELP) assessments for K-12 English learners (ELs). The goal of this paper, and the series, is to present research-based ideas, principles, and recommendations for consideration by those who are conceptualizing, developing, and…

English Language Learners. What Works Clearinghouse Topic Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2007

2007-01-01

English language learners are students with a primary language other than English who have a limited range of speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills in English. English language learners also include students identified and determined by their school as having limited English proficiency and a language other than English spoken in the…

Identity-Forming Discourses: A Critical Discourse Analysis on Policy Making Processes Concerning English Language Teaching in Colombia (Discursos que forjan identidades: un análisis crítico de discursos en la formulación de políticas sobre la enseñanza del inglés en Colombia)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Escobar Alméciga, Wilder Yesid

2013-01-01

This article addresses a critical problem about asymmetrical power relationships and uneven conditions in English language education exerted via identity shaping discourses in the document Educación: "Visión 2019" issued by the Colombian Ministry of National Education. The study follows the critical discourse analysis method. It…

Motivating Learners at South Korean Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niederhauser, Janet S.

2012-01-01

Students at many universities often fail to reach their full potential as English language learners due to low motivation. Some of the factors that affect their motivation relate to the country's education system in general. Others reflect institutional and cultural views of language learning in particular. Using a problem-solution format, this…

The Role of Discourse in Teaching Intercultural Professional Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kartabayeva, Ayana A.; Zhaitapova, Altynai A.

2016-01-01

With Kazakhstan's accession to the Bologna Process, particular importance is attached to the professionally-oriented approach of teaching foreign languages to students, which facilitates formation of their foreign language communicative ability. The article deals with the problem of teaching English to students for the purpose of formation of…

English Complex Verb Constructions: Identification and Inference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tu, Yuancheng

2012-01-01

The fundamental problem faced by automatic text understanding in Natural Language Processing (NLP) is to identify semantically related pieces of text and integrate them together to compute the meaning of the whole text. However, the principle of compositionality runs into trouble very quickly when real language is examined with its frequent…

Using Concept Mapping to Teach Young EFL Learners Reading Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teo, Adeline; Shaw, Yun F.; Chen, Jimmy; Wang, Derek

2016-01-01

Many English as a foreign language (EFL) students fail to be effective readers because they lack knowledge of vocabulary and appropriate reading strategies. We believe that teaching proper reading strategies can help second-language learners overcome their reading problems, especially when the instruction begins in elementary school. Effective…

Do Decision Rules Matter? A Descriptive Study of English Language Proficiency Assessment Classifications for English-Language Learners and Native English Speakers in Fifth Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carroll, Patricia E.; Bailey, Alison L.

2016-01-01

English language proficiency assessments (ELPA) are used in the United States to measure annually the English language progress and proficiency of English-language learners (ELLs), a subgroup of language minority students who receive language acquisition support mandated and largely funded by Title III (NCLB, 2001). ELPA proficient and…

Comparability of a Paper-Based Language Test and a Computer-Based Language Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Inn-Chull; Kim, Kyoung Sung; Boo, Jaeyool

2003-01-01

Utilizing the Test of English Proficiency, developed by Seoul National University (TEPS), examined comparability between the paper-based language test and the computer-based language test based on content and construct validation employing content analyses based on corpus linguistic techniques in addition to such statistical analyses as…

The development of cross-cultural recognition of vocal emotion during childhood and adolescence.

PubMed

Chronaki, Georgia; Wigelsworth, Michael; Pell, Marc D; Kotz, Sonja A

2018-06-14

Humans have an innate set of emotions recognised universally. However, emotion recognition also depends on socio-cultural rules. Although adults recognise vocal emotions universally, they identify emotions more accurately in their native language. We examined developmental trajectories of universal vocal emotion recognition in children. Eighty native English speakers completed a vocal emotion recognition task in their native language (English) and foreign languages (Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic) expressing anger, happiness, sadness, fear, and neutrality. Emotion recognition was compared across 8-to-10, 11-to-13-year-olds, and adults. Measures of behavioural and emotional problems were also taken. Results showed that although emotion recognition was above chance for all languages, native English speaking children were more accurate in recognising vocal emotions in their native language. There was a larger improvement in recognising vocal emotion from the native language during adolescence. Vocal anger recognition did not improve with age for the non-native languages. This is the first study to demonstrate universality of vocal emotion recognition in children whilst supporting an "in-group advantage" for more accurate recognition in the native language. Findings highlight the role of experience in emotion recognition, have implications for child development in modern multicultural societies and address important theoretical questions about the nature of emotions.

Principles for Large-Scale Classroom-Based Teacher Assessment of English Learners' Language: An Initial Framework from School-Based Assessment in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamp-Lyons, Liz

2009-01-01

Davison and Leung (this issue) describe the field of teacher-based English language assessment as having "much variability, a lack of systematic principles and procedures and a dearth of information as to the impact of teacher-based assessments on learning and teaching" (p. 389). In this article, the author briefly explores an example of…

Examining Changes in Beliefs and Practices: English Language Teachers' Participation in the School-Based Support Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chaaban, Youmen

2017-01-01

This article examines changes in teachers' beliefs and practices over the course of a professional development (PD) program concerned with the implementation of a constructivist-oriented pedagogy in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. Grounded in situative theories of learning and development, the School-based Support Program places…

Language Preferences on Websites and in Google Searches for Human Health and Food Information

PubMed Central

Singh, Punam Mony; Wight, Carly A; Sercinoglu, Olcan; Wilson, David C; Boytsov, Artem

2007-01-01

Background While it is known that the majority of pages on the World Wide Web are in English, little is known about the preferred language of users searching for health information online. Objectives (1) To help global and domestic publishers, for example health and food agencies, to determine the need for translation of online information from English into local languages. (2) To help these agencies determine which language(s) they should select when publishing information online in target nations and for target subpopulations within nations. Methods To estimate the percentage of Web publishers that translate their health and food websites, we measured the frequency at which domain names retrieved by Google overlap for language translations of the same health-related search term. To quantify language choice of searchers from different countries, Google provided estimates of the rate at which its search engine was queried in six languages relative to English for the terms “avian flu,” “tuberculosis,” “schizophrenia,” and “maize” (corn) from January 2004 to April 2006. The estimate was based on a 20% sample of all Google queries from 227 nations. Results We estimate that 80%-90% of health- and food-related institutions do not translate their websites into multiple languages, even when the information concerns pandemic disease such as avian influenza. Although Internet users are often well-educated, there was a strong preference for searching for health and food information in the local language, rather than English. For “avian flu,” we found that only 1% of searches in non-English-speaking nations were in English, whereas for “tuberculosis” or “schizophrenia,” about 4%-40% of searches in non-English countries employed English. A subset of searches for health information presumably originating from immigrants occurred in their native tongue, not the language of the adopted country. However, Spanish-language online searches for “avian flu,” “schizophrenia,” and “maize/corn” in the United States occurred at only <1% of the English search rate, although the US online Hispanic population constitutes 12% of the total US online population. Sub-Saharan Africa and Bangladesh searches for health information occurred in unexpected languages, perhaps reflecting the presence of aid workers and the global migration of Internet users, respectively. In Latin America, indigenous-language search terms were often used rather than Spanish. Conclusions (1) Based on the strong preference for searching the Internet for health information in the local language, indigenous language, or immigrant language of origin, global and domestic health and food agencies should continue their efforts to translate their institutional websites into more languages. (2) We have provided linguistic online search pattern data to help health and food agencies better select languages for targeted website publishing. PMID:17613488

GenieTutor: A Computer Assisted Second-Language Learning System Based on Semantic and Grammar Correctness Evaluations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwon, Oh-Woog; Lee, Kiyoung; Kim, Young-Kil; Lee, Yunkeun

2015-01-01

This paper introduces a Dialog-Based Computer-Assisted second-Language Learning (DB-CALL) system using semantic and grammar correctness evaluations and the results of its experiment. While the system dialogues with English learners about a given topic, it automatically evaluates the grammar and content properness of their English utterances, then…

Measuring Japanese EFL Student Perceptions of Internet-Based Tests with the Technology Acceptance Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dizon, Gilbert

2016-01-01

The Internet has made it possible for teachers to administer online assessments with affordability and ease. However, little is known about Japanese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students' attitudes of internet-based tests (IBTs). Therefore, this study aimed to measure the perceptions of IBTs among Japanese English language learners with the…

Effects of Tasks on Spoken Interaction and Motivation in English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carrero Pérez, Nubia Patricia

2016-01-01

Task based learning (TBL) or Task based learning and teaching (TBLT) is a communicative approach widely applied in settings where English has been taught as a foreign language (EFL). It has been documented as greatly useful to improve learners' communication skills. This research intended to find the effect of tasks on students' spoken interaction…

Title III Policy: State of the States. ESEA Evaluation Brief: The English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramsey, Andrea; O'Day, Jennifer

2010-01-01

"Title III Policy: State of the States" (2010) discusses state implementation of the Title III accountability requirements based on phone interviews with six state Title III Directors in the spring of 2009, interviews with six experts and university-based researchers who work on education for English Learners, and based on earlier data…

Creole Languages in Education and Their Role in Shaping Caribbean Identities: Models for Integrating English Lexifier Creoles into School Curricula in the Eastern Caribbean

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zambrana, Pier Angeli LeCompte

2017-01-01

In this dissertation, I will identify and analyze the serious problems that have arisen in the Caribbean due to the imposition of European colonial languages as languages of instruction in the education systems of those territories of the region where the majority of the population speak a creole language. I will also identify and analyze the…

Occupational English as a Second Language.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramirez, Alicia D.; Spandel, Victoria L.

1980-01-01

The purposes, development, characteristics, target population needs, appropriate materials, and teacher qualifications of an Occupational English as a Second Language Program (OESL) are presented. OESL is a component of bilingual education that utilizes open entry and exit and a competency-based individualized instructional approach. (PMJ)

Task-Based EFL Language Teaching with Procedural Information Design in a Technical Writing Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roy, Debopriyo

2017-01-01

Task-based language learning (TBLL) has heavily influenced syllabus design, classroom teaching, and learner assessment in a foreign or second language teaching context. In this English as foreign language (EFL) learning environment, the paper discussed an innovative language learning pedagogy based on design education and technical writing. In…

The Model of Forming Communicative Competence of Students in the Process of Teaching the English Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fahrutdinova, Rezida A.; Fahrutdinov, Rifat R.; Yusupov, Rinat N.

2016-01-01

The relevance of the topic is specified by the necessity of forming the communicative competence of students in the process of teaching of the English language in the institute of higher education. This article is intended to define interactive methods of teaching foreign language, which are based on interactive conception of interaction between…

Policies and Practices regarding Students with Accents in Speech-Language Pathology Training Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levy, Erika S.; Crowley, Catherine J.

2012-01-01

Speech-language pathology (SLP) training programs are the initial gateway for nonnative speakers of English to join the SLP profession. An anonymous web-based survey in New York State examined policies and practices implemented when SLP students have foreign accents in English or in other languages. Responses were elicited from 530 students and 28…

Which Learning Style is Most Effective in Learning Chinese as a Second Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ren, Guanxin

2013-01-01

Chinese is not only a tonal but also a visual language represented by tens of thousands of characters which are pictographic in nature. This presents a great challenge to learners whose mother tongue is alphabetical-based such as English. To assist English-speaking background learners to learn Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) well, a good…

Supporting the Language Development of Limited English Proficient Students through Arts Integration in the Primary Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brouillette, Liane

2012-01-01

This article looks at how arts integration can boost the language development of limited English proficient students in kindergarten through second grade. I first review existing research on how young children learn and describe the special challenges faced by children who must learn in an unfamiliar language. I then identify arts-based mechanisms…

"If I speak English, what am I? I am full man, me": Emotional impact and barriers for refugees and asylum seekers learning English.

PubMed

Salvo, Tania; de C Williams, Amanda C

2017-01-01

Lack of proficiency in the language of the host country predicts distress among refugees, but many refugees and asylum seekers in the United Kingdom have less than functional English. This study examined how learning English affected refugees' and asylum seekers' lives, particularly their emotional wellbeing, to explore what factors, particularly psychological ones, facilitated or impeded their learning English. We recruited 16 refugees and asylum seekers from an inner-city National Health Service trauma service and from a charity providing one-to-one English classes. All participants were interviewed in English. Interview data were analysed using thematic analysis from a critical realist perspective. Interviewees provided consistent accounts of their efforts to learn English, integrated into often unsettled and difficult lives. The analysis generated six themes in two domains. The impact of learning English was mainly positive, associated with autonomy, sense of achievement, and aspirations. Barriers to learning English consisted of other problems affecting refugees' capacity to learn, limited opportunities to speak English, and a sense of shame associated with perceived lack of English language competence. Findings highlight the need to provide adequate psychological support for refugees and asylum seekers learning English, recognising its importance in promoting both their integration in the UK and their individual psychological well-being.

Learning English Speaking through Mobile-Based Role-Plays: The Exploration of a Mobile English Language Learning App Called Engage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Bowen; Zhou, Shijun; Ju, Weijie

2013-01-01

Engage is a new form of mobile application that connects students studying English with teachers in real-time via their smartphones. Students receive target language through preparation dialogues, and then apply it to a role-play with a teacher. The conceptualization and development of Engage follows the user-centred design approach; and the…

The Integration of English Language Development and Science Instruction in Elementary Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwiep, Susan Gomez; Straits, William J.; Stone, Kristin R.; Beltran, Dolores D.; Furtado, Leena

2011-12-01

This paper explores one district's attempt to implement a blended science and English Language Development (ELD) elementary program, designed to provide English language learners opportunities to develop proficiency in English through participation in inquiry-based science. This process resulted in blended program that utilized a combined science/ELD lesson plan format to structure and guide teachers' efforts to use science as the context for language development. Data, collected throughout the first 2 years of the program, include teacher-generated lesson plans, observation notes, and interviews with teachers and principals. The process by which the blended program was developed, the initial implementation of the program, the resulting science/ELD lesson plan format, and teachers' perceptions about the program and its impact on their students are described.

Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Migrant Children and Adolescents in American Countries: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Belhadj Kouider, Esmahan; Koglin, Ute; Petermann, Franz

2015-08-01

The present review postulates the current mental health status in migrant children and adolescents in the North American continent. 35 studies published from 2009 to 2013 chosen from a systematic literature research were included. Almost all studies were conducted in the United States and Canada. From the perspective of selection effect, migration as a risk factor was not proven. The migration process perspective could have underestimated a higher danger of problem behavior in second-generation migrant children. Comparing native and migrant children, balanced results in problem behavior were reported, but the Asian migrant group was at higher risk of developing mental disorders. Family-based risk factors were offered: high acculturation stress, low English language competence, language brokering, discrepancies in children's and parent's cultural orientation, the non-Western cultural orientation, e.g., collectivistic, acceptance feelings of parents, or harsh parenting. However, the importance to support migrant families in the acculturation process becomes apparent.

Building Large Collections of Chinese and English Medical Terms from Semi-Structured and Encyclopedia Websites

PubMed Central

Xu, Yan; Wang, Yining; Sun, Jian-Tao; Zhang, Jianwen; Tsujii, Junichi; Chang, Eric

2013-01-01

To build large collections of medical terms from semi-structured information sources (e.g. tables, lists, etc.) and encyclopedia sites on the web. The terms are classified into the three semantic categories, Medical Problems, Medications, and Medical Tests, which were used in i2b2 challenge tasks. We developed two systems, one for Chinese and another for English terms. The two systems share the same methodology and use the same software with minimum language dependent parts. We produced large collections of terms by exploiting billions of semi-structured information sources and encyclopedia sites on the Web. The standard performance metric of recall (R) is extended to three different types of Recall to take the surface variability of terms into consideration. They are Surface Recall (), Object Recall (), and Surface Head recall (). We use two test sets for Chinese. For English, we use a collection of terms in the 2010 i2b2 text. Two collections of terms, one for English and the other for Chinese, have been created. The terms in these collections are classified as either of Medical Problems, Medications, or Medical Tests in the i2b2 challenge tasks. The English collection contains 49,249 (Problems), 89,591 (Medications) and 25,107 (Tests) terms, while the Chinese one contains 66,780 (Problems), 101,025 (Medications), and 15,032 (Tests) terms. The proposed method of constructing a large collection of medical terms is both efficient and effective, and, most of all, independent of language. The collections will be made publicly available. PMID:23874426

Building large collections of Chinese and English medical terms from semi-structured and encyclopedia websites.

PubMed

Xu, Yan; Wang, Yining; Sun, Jian-Tao; Zhang, Jianwen; Tsujii, Junichi; Chang, Eric

2013-01-01

To build large collections of medical terms from semi-structured information sources (e.g. tables, lists, etc.) and encyclopedia sites on the web. The terms are classified into the three semantic categories, Medical Problems, Medications, and Medical Tests, which were used in i2b2 challenge tasks. We developed two systems, one for Chinese and another for English terms. The two systems share the same methodology and use the same software with minimum language dependent parts. We produced large collections of terms by exploiting billions of semi-structured information sources and encyclopedia sites on the Web. The standard performance metric of recall (R) is extended to three different types of Recall to take the surface variability of terms into consideration. They are Surface Recall (R(S)), Object Recall (R(O)), and Surface Head recall (R(H)). We use two test sets for Chinese. For English, we use a collection of terms in the 2010 i2b2 text. Two collections of terms, one for English and the other for Chinese, have been created. The terms in these collections are classified as either of Medical Problems, Medications, or Medical Tests in the i2b2 challenge tasks. The English collection contains 49,249 (Problems), 89,591 (Medications) and 25,107 (Tests) terms, while the Chinese one contains 66,780 (Problems), 101,025 (Medications), and 15,032 (Tests) terms. The proposed method of constructing a large collection of medical terms is both efficient and effective, and, most of all, independent of language. The collections will be made publicly available.

A Character Level Based and Word Level Based Approach for Chinese-Vietnamese Machine Translation.

PubMed

Tran, Phuoc; Dinh, Dien; Nguyen, Hien T

2016-01-01

Chinese and Vietnamese have the same isolated language; that is, the words are not delimited by spaces. In machine translation, word segmentation is often done first when translating from Chinese or Vietnamese into different languages (typically English) and vice versa. However, it is a matter for consideration that words may or may not be segmented when translating between two languages in which spaces are not used between words, such as Chinese and Vietnamese. Since Chinese-Vietnamese is a low-resource language pair, the sparse data problem is evident in the translation system of this language pair. Therefore, while translating, whether it should be segmented or not becomes more important. In this paper, we propose a new method for translating Chinese to Vietnamese based on a combination of the advantages of character level and word level translation. In addition, a hybrid approach that combines statistics and rules is used to translate on the word level. And at the character level, a statistical translation is used. The experimental results showed that our method improved the performance of machine translation over that of character or word level translation.

Marking of verb tense in the English of preschool English-Mandarin bilingual children: evidence from language development profiles within subgroups on the Singapore English Action Picture Test.

PubMed

Brebner, Chris; McCormack, Paul; Liow, Susan Rickard

2016-01-01

The phonological and morphosyntactic structures of English and Mandarin contrast maximally and an increasing number of bilinguals speak these two languages. Speech and language therapists need to understand bilingual development for children speaking these languages in order reliably to assess and provide intervention for this population. To examine the marking of verb tense in the English of two groups of bilingual pre-schoolers learning these languages in a multilingual setting where the main educational language is English. The main research question addressed was: are there differences in the rate and pattern of acquisition of verb-tense marking for English-language 1 children compared with Mandarin-language 1 children? Spoken language samples in English from 481 English-Mandarin bilingual children were elicited using a 10-item action picture test and analysed for each child's use of verb tense markers: present progressive '-ing', regular past tense '-ed', third-person singular '-s', and irregular past tense and irregular past-participle forms. For 4-6 year olds the use of inflectional markers by the different language dominance groups was compared statistically using non-parametric tests. This study provides further evidence that bilingual language development is not the same as monolingual language development. The results show that there are very different rates and patterns of verb-tense marking in English for English-language 1 and Mandarin-language 1 children. Furthermore, they show that bilingual language development in English in Singapore is not the same as monolingual language development in English, and that there are differences in development depending on language dominance. Valid and reliable assessment of bilingual children's language skills needs to consider the characteristics of all languages spoken, obtaining accurate information on language use over time and accurately establishing language dominance is essential in order to make a differential diagnosis between language difference and impairment. © 2015 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

An Overview of Computer-Based Natural Language Processing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gevarter, William B.

Computer-based Natural Language Processing (NLP) is the key to enabling humans and their computer-based creations to interact with machines using natural languages (English, Japanese, German, etc.) rather than formal computer languages. NLP is a major research area in the fields of artificial intelligence and computational linguistics. Commercial…

Caregiver talk to young Spanish-English bilinguals: Comparing direct observation and parent-report measures of dual-language exposure

PubMed Central

Marchman, Virginia A.; Martínez, Lucía Z.; Hurtado, Nereyda; Grüter, Theres; Fernald, Anne

2016-01-01

In research on language development by bilingual children, the early language environment is commonly characterized in terms of the relative amount of exposure a child gets to each language based on parent report. Little is known about how absolute measures of child-directed speech in two languages relate to language growth. In this study of 3-year-old Spanish-English bilinguals (n = 18), traditional parent-report estimates of exposure were compared to measures of the number of Spanish and English words children heard during naturalistic audio recordings. While the two estimates were moderately correlated, observed numbers of child-directed words were more consistently predictive of children's processing speed and standardized test performance, even when controlling for reported proportion of exposure. These findings highlight the importance of caregiver engagement in bilingual children's language outcomes in both of the languages they are learning. PMID:27197746

Lexical Borrowing from Chinese Languages in Malaysian English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Imm, Tan Siew

2009-01-01

This paper explores how contact between English and Chinese has resulted in the incorporation of Chinese borrowings into the lexicon of Malaysian English (ME). Using a corpus-based approach, this study analyses a comprehensive range of borrowed features extracted from the Malaysian English Newspaper Corpus (MEN Corpus). Based on the contexts of…

Brain Bases of Morphological Processing in Chinese-English Bilingual Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ip, Ka I; Hsu, Lucy Shih-Ju; Arredondo, Maria M.; Tardif, Twila; Kovelman, Ioulia

2017-01-01

Can bilingual exposure impact children's neural circuitry for learning to read? To answer this question, we investigated the brain bases of morphological awareness, one of the key spoken language abilities for learning to read in English and Chinese. Bilingual Chinese-English and monolingual English children (N = 22, ages 7-12) completed…

The Effects of Learning-Style Based Activities on Students' Reading Comprehension Skills and Self-Efficacy Perceptions in English Foreign Language Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balci, Özgül

2017-01-01

This study investigated the effects of learning-style based activities on students' reading comprehension skills and self-efficacy perceptions in English foreign language classes. A quasi-experimental, matching-only pretest-posttest control group design was utilized. The study was conducted with freshmen university students majoring in Elementary…

Text-Based Argumentation with Multiple Sources: A Descriptive Study of Opportunity to Learn in Secondary English Language Arts, History, and Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Litman, Cindy; Marple, Stacy; Greenleaf, Cynthia; Charney-Sirott, Irisa; Bolz, Michael J.; Richardson, Lisa K.; Hall, Allison H.; George, MariAnne; Goldman, Susan R.

2017-01-01

This study presents a descriptive analysis of 71 videotaped lessons taught by 34 highly regarded secondary English language arts, history, and science teachers, collected to inform an intervention focused on evidence-based argumentation from multiple text sources. Studying the practices of highly regarded teachers is valuable for identifying…

Non-Native Student's Communication Is Affected Due to the Lack of Pragmatic Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Latha, V. G.; Rajan, Premalatha

2012-01-01

This paper aims at focusing how the lack of pragmatic competence affects student's communication in L2 (Second language) at tertiary level. The city based Indian students learn English which is their second language from 3 years onwards whereas the rural based students learn English only from 6 years onwards. This exposure of the L2 shows the…

Problems in the Assistant Language Teacher System and English Activity at Japanese Public Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohtani, Chie

2010-01-01

In 2001, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) released the "Rainbow Plan" as the educational reform plan for the twenty-first century. As part of the plan, MEXT will make English education activities compulsory at Japanese public elementary schools beginning in 2011. The purpose of the Rainbow Plan…

Health and nutrient content claims in food advertisements on Hispanic and mainstream prime-time television.

PubMed

Abbatangelo-Gray, Jodie; Byrd-Bredbenner, Carol; Austin, S Bryn

2008-01-01

Characterize frequency and type of health and nutrient content claims in prime-time weeknight Spanish- and English-language television advertisements from programs shown in 2003 with a high viewership by women aged 18 to 35 years. Comparative content analysis design was used to analyze 95 hours of Spanish-language and 72 hours of English-language television programs (netting 269 and 543 food ads, respectively). A content analysis instrument was used to gather information on explicit health and nutrient content claims: nutrition information only; diet-disease; structure-function; processed food health outcome; good for one's health; health care provider endorsement. Chi-square statistics detected statistically significant differences between the groups. Compared to English-language television, Spanish-language television aired significantly more food advertisements containing nutrition information and health, processed food/health, and good for one's health claims. Samples did not differ in the rate of diet/disease, structure/function, or health care provider endorsement claims. Findings indicate that Spanish-language television advertisements provide viewers with significantly more nutrition information than English-language network advertisements. Potential links between the deteriorating health status of Hispanics acculturating into US mainstream culture and their exposure to the less nutrition-based messaging found in English-language television should be explored.

Use and Impact of English-Language Learner Assessment in Arizona

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawton, Stephen B.

2009-01-01

The Arizona English-Language Learner Assessment (AZELLA) is the backbone of Arizona's new English-language learner (ELL) policy in that it is used to assess students' English-language proficiency in order to place them into groups for English-language instruction and to determine when they have become proficient in English. This paper evaluates a…

Characteristics of an Effective English Language Teacher as Perceived by Iranian Teachers and Learners of English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shishavan, Homa Babai; Sadeghi, Karim

2009-01-01

This study attempted to characterize qualities of an effective English language teacher (EELT) as perceived by Iranian English language teachers and learners. For this purpose, a tailor-made questionnaire was administered to 59 English language teachers and 215 learners of English at universities, high schools and language institutes in Iran. The…

CE-SAM: a conversational interface for ISR mission support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pizzocaro, Diego; Parizas, Christos; Preece, Alun; Braines, Dave; Mott, David; Bakdash, Jonathan Z.

2013-05-01

There is considerable interest in natural language conversational interfaces. These allow for complex user interactions with systems, such as fulfilling information requirements in dynamic environments, without requiring extensive training or a technical background (e.g. in formal query languages or schemas). To leverage the advantages of conversational interactions we propose CE-SAM (Controlled English Sensor Assignment to Missions), a system that guides users through refining and satisfying their information needs in the context of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations. The rapidly-increasing availability of sensing assets and other information sources poses substantial challenges to effective ISR resource management. In a coalition context, the problem is even more complex, because assets may be "owned" by different partners. We show how CE-SAM allows a user to refine and relate their ISR information needs to pre-existing concepts in an ISR knowledge base, via conversational interaction implemented on a tablet device. The knowledge base is represented using Controlled English (CE) - a form of controlled natural language that is both human-readable and machine processable (i.e. can be used to implement automated reasoning). Users interact with the CE-SAM conversational interface using natural language, which the system converts to CE for feeding-back to the user for confirmation (e.g. to reduce misunderstanding). We show that this process not only allows users to access the assets that can support their mission needs, but also assists them in extending the CE knowledge base with new concepts.

The relationship between English language learning strategies and gender among pre-university students: An overview of UMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiram, Johannah Jamalul; Sulaiman, Jumat; Swanto, Suyansah; Din, Wardatul Akmam

2014-06-01

This study aims to analyze the effects psychological gender differences on the relationship between language learning strategies and their proficiency in English language for pre-university students. Previous researchers found that the more employment of language learning strategies, the more successful the learners are and those with higher level of strategy use are female rather than male. In this study, fifty-six pre-university students (22 males, 34 females) of University Malaysia Sabah participated in this study. Oxford's Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) self-report questionnaire was adopted to identify the students' language learning strategies, whereas their proficiencies were based on their Malaysian University English Test (MUET) results. Pearson's correlation coefficient, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the t-test were utilized to make statistical interpretation about the relationship. The knowledge obtained from this study will be helpful for future studies on how to improve the quality of learning and proficiency in English.

Language Learning on the World Wide Web: An Investigation of EFL Learners' Attitudes and Perceptions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Shu Ching

2001-01-01

Describes the integration of Web resources as instructional and learning tools in an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) class in Taiwan. Highlights include challenges and advantages of using the Web; learners' perceptions; intentional and incidental learning; disorientation and cognitive overload; and information seeking as problem-solving. A…

Jabberwocky: The Complexities of Mathematical English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Merilyn; Quinnell, Lorna

2012-01-01

Students find it hard to interpret mathematical problem texts. Mathematics is a unique language with its own symbols (grapho-phonics), vocabulary (lexicon), grammar (syntax), semantics and literature. As in any other language, to make meaning of the text, the student must learn: (1) signs and symbols (for example: [division], x, [not equal to]);…

Language Ideologies in a Danish Company with English as a Corporate Language: "It Has to Be English"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lønsmann, Dorte

2015-01-01

With the spread of English as a global language, concerns have been voiced over the impact of English on local languages. This article presents results from an ethnographic study of language ideologies in a Danish workplace with a particular focus on ideologies of English in relation to the local language and to other foreign languages. In this…

Phonological Acquisition in Simultaneous Bilingual Mandarin-English Preschoolers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu-Shea, May

2011-01-01

Purpose: Significant challenges face speech-language pathologists when children raised in bilingual environments are referred for speech-language evaluations. The situation is compounded for bilingual Mandarin-English children because no research-based data is available to date. This study is a preliminary examination of phonological acquisition…

A Case Study on English Language Learners' Task-Based Interaction and Avatar Identities in Second Life: A Mixed-Methods Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Julian ChengChiang

2014-01-01

English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' language use in 3-D virtual environments is a vibrant avenue that still deserves more research attention in the field of CALL. To contribute research and pedagogical implications to the current Second Life (SL) literature, this study aims to examine EFL adult learners' use of communication strategies…

Re-Framing Literacy: Teaching and Learning in English and the Language Arts. Language, Culture, and Teaching Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, Richard

2010-01-01

Imaginative and attractive, cutting edge in its conception, this text explicates a model for the integration of language arts and literacy education based on the notion of framing. The act of framing--not frames in themselves--provides a creative and critical approach to English as a subject. "Re-framing Literacy" breaks new ground in the language…

Physiological Indices of Bilingualism: Oral-Motor Coordination and Speech Rate in Bengali-English Speakers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chakraborty, Rahul; Goffman, Lisa; Smith, Anne

2008-01-01

Purpose: To examine how age of immersion and proficiency in a 2nd language influence speech movement variability and speaking rate in both a 1st language and a 2nd language. Method: A group of 21 Bengali-English bilingual speakers participated. Lip and jaw movements were recorded. For all 21 speakers, lip movement variability was assessed based on…

Innovative practice: Conversational use of English in bilingual adults with dementia.

PubMed

Kokorelias, Kristina M; Ryan, Ellen B; Elliot, Gail

2017-02-01

Regression to mother tongue is common in those with dementia. In two long-term care facilities, we explored the use of bilinguals' two languages for five older adults with mild-moderate dementia who have begun to regress to Greek. We also examined the role of Montessori DementiAbility Methods: The Montessori Way-based English language activities in fostering conversational use of English. Over 10 sessions, participants' vocabulary or grammatical structure in English did not improve. However, four of the five participants were able to maintain a conversation in English for longer periods of time. This study contributes to strategies for optimizing meaningful conversation for bilingual long-term care residents with dementia. Moreover, the data suggest a change in the policy and practice for dementia care so that there are more opportunities for residents to speak English in non-English mother-tongue facilities. Greater attention to the specific language needs of bilinguals in English-dominant settings would also be advisable.

A practical approach to language complexity: a Wikipedia case study.

PubMed

Yasseri, Taha; Kornai, András; Kertész, János

2012-01-01

In this paper we present statistical analysis of English texts from Wikipedia. We try to address the issue of language complexity empirically by comparing the simple English Wikipedia (Simple) to comparable samples of the main English Wikipedia (Main). Simple is supposed to use a more simplified language with a limited vocabulary, and editors are explicitly requested to follow this guideline, yet in practice the vocabulary richness of both samples are at the same level. Detailed analysis of longer units (n-grams of words and part of speech tags) shows that the language of Simple is less complex than that of Main primarily due to the use of shorter sentences, as opposed to drastically simplified syntax or vocabulary. Comparing the two language varieties by the Gunning readability index supports this conclusion. We also report on the topical dependence of language complexity, that is, that the language is more advanced in conceptual articles compared to person-based (biographical) and object-based articles. Finally, we investigate the relation between conflict and language complexity by analyzing the content of the talk pages associated to controversial and peacefully developing articles, concluding that controversy has the effect of reducing language complexity.

Development and validation of the Spanish-English Language Proficiency Scale (SELPS).

PubMed

Smyk, Ekaterina; Restrepo, M Adelaida; Gorin, Joanna S; Gray, Shelley

2013-07-01

This study examined the development and validation of a criterion-referenced Spanish-English Language Proficiency Scale (SELPS) that was designed to assess the oral language skills of sequential bilingual children ages 4-8. This article reports results for the English proficiency portion of the scale. The SELPS assesses syntactic complexity, grammatical accuracy, verbal fluency, and lexical diversity based on 2 story retell tasks. In Study 1, 40 children were given 2 story retell tasks to evaluate the reliability of parallel forms. In Study 2, 76 children participated in the validation of the scale against language sample measures and teacher ratings of language proficiency. Study 1 indicated no significant differences between the SELPS scores on the 2 stories. Study 2 indicated that the SELPS scores correlated significantly with their counterpart language sample measures. Correlations between the SELPS and teacher ratings were moderate. The 2 story retells elicited comparable SELPS scores, providing a valuable tool for test-retest conditions in the assessment of language proficiency. Correlations between the SELPS scores and external variables indicated that these measures assessed the same language skills. Results provided empirical evidence regarding the validity of inferences about language proficiency based on the SELPS score.

Approaches to Automated Scoring of Speaking for K-12 English Language Proficiency Assessments. Policy Information Report and ETS Research Report Series No. RR-17-18

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evanini, Keelan; Hauck, Maurice Cogan; Hakuta, Kenji

2017-01-01

This report is the fifth in a series concerning English language proficiency (ELP) assessments for English learners (ELs) in kindergarten through 12th grade in the United States. The series, produced by Educational Testing Service (ETS), is intended to provide theory and evidence-based principles and recommendations for improving next-generation…

TRANSLATE: New Strategic Approaches for English Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwin, Amanda P.; Jiménez, Robert

2016-01-01

This teaching tip shares a research-based instructional model that uses translation to improve the English reading comprehension of English Learners. Within this instruction, English learners work collaboratively in small groups and use translation to facilitate understandings of their required English language arts curriculum. Students are taught…

The Persistence and Functional Impact of English Language Difficulties Experienced by Children Learning English as an Additional Language and Monolingual Peers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whiteside, Katie E.; Norbury, Courtenay Frazier

2017-01-01

Purpose: This study explored whether a monolingual-normed English language battery could identify children with English as an additional language (EAL) who have persistent English language learning difficulties that affect functional academic attainment. Method: Children with EAL (n = 43) and monolingual English-speaking children (n = 46)…