bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Do Test Formats in Reading Comprehension Affect Second-Language Students' Test Performance Differently?
Authors: Zheng Ying , Cheng Liying , Klinger Don A.
Published: May 2016

Large-scale testing in English affects second-language students not only greatly but also differently than first-language learners. The research literature reports that confounding factors in such large-scale testing such as varying test formats may differentially affect the performance of students from diverse backgrounds. An investigation of test performance between ESL/ELD students and non- ESL/ELD students on the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) was performed to investigate whether test formats in reading comprehension affected the two groups differently. The results indicate that the overall pattern of difficulty levels on the three test formats were the same between ESL/ELD students and non-ESL/ELD students, except that ESL/ELD students performed substantially lower on each format and that more variability was found among ESL/ELD students. Further, discriminant analysis results indicated that only the multiplechoice questions obtained a significant discriminant coefficient in differentiating the two groups. The results suggest a lack of association between test formats and test performance.
Listening Strategies of L2 Learners With Varied Test Tasks
Authors: Chang Anna Ching-Shyang
Published: May 2016

This article investigates the strategies that EFL students used and how they adjusted these strategies in response to various listening test tasks. The test tasks involved four forms of listening support: previewing questions, repeated input, background information preparation, and vocabulary instruction. Twenty-two participants were enlisted and interviewed from a sample of 160 business major students based on their listening anxiety levels. Overall results showed that various listening tasks influenced test takers’ listening strategies by varying degrees, with previewing test questions tending to have a greater effect on strategy use than other types of support. This study also found that both anxious and non-anxious students knew how to use the available information before taking a test; however, while doing the task, many students lacked competence to employ the strategies they intended to use. Finally, the article discusses some subtle problems reported by the interviewees and also provides cope for future research.
Understanding the Experiences and Needs of Mainstream Teachers of ESL Students: Reflections from a Secondary Social Studies Teacher
Authors: Wang Yan , Many Joyce , Krumenaker Larry
Published: May 2016

This case study addressed issues of ESL mainstreaming by examining a teacher's experiences and needs in teaching a social studies class where ESL students were mainstreamed. Extended observations, semistructured interviews, and documentary analysis served to unravel classroom dynamics, showing that the teacher modified various aspects of teaching to accommodate the needs of ESL students, which facilitated their access to the content, but at the same time created problems that had not been examined or predicted by past research. This study exposes the dilemma of providing comprehensible instruction to ESL students and highlights the role of differentiated instruction in diverse mainstream classrooms and the place of students' first languages in learning academic content.
Developing Critical Consciousness Through Film
Authors: Charlebois Justin
Published: May 2016

Recent instructional trends in the field of TESOL emphasize teaching language through course content. The dual focus of content-based English instruction (CBI) provides a way for language teachers to engage learners with challenging material while increasing their linguistic proficiency. This article describes a unit in a CBI course at a Japanese university that was designed to promote the development of critical consciousness (Freire, 2005) through the analysis of a film. Students identified race- and gender-related issues, engaged in discussions about these issues, and finally wrote a critical response paper to the film.
The ESL Classroom and the Queerly Shifting Sands of Learner Identity
Authors: Dumas Jacqueline
Published: May 2016

Class, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality are increasingly recognized as complex constructs of varied forms of identity. We now tend to speak of learner identities in the plural rather than learner identity in the singular. In this context, issues of sexual diversity intersect with those of cultural and linguistic diversity. The ESL classroom is one place where learners should not feel shy or afraid to explore and negotiate their identities, including their sexual identities. To help them in this process, teachers can provide a safe classroom environment where learners can discover what options are available to them.
Anglophone, Peewee, Two-four... Are Canadianisms Acquired by ESL Learners in Canada?
Authors: Xu Hai , McAlpine Janice
Published: May 2016

This article examines the extent to which ESL learners studying in Canada acquire Canadianisms. Two instruments were used to assess the effect of posited variables on this acquisition: a lexical survey administered to 103 ESL learners in Kingston, Ontario; and a questionnaire about resources, teaching methods, and attitudes administered to their instructors. Results indicate that ESL learners' knowledge of Canadianisms is limited. No correlation exists between the time learners have spent in Canada and their knowledge of Canadianisms. The more relevant a Canadianism is to their life, the more likely ESL learners in Canada are to acquire it. Level of English proficiency does correlate positively with the acquisition of Canadianisms, but the variables of learners' L1 background and classroom English training are not shown to be significant. Two additional findings of this study deserve further attention. First, ESL instructors' attitudes toward teaching Canadianisms vary widely. Second, lexical items specific to a particular variety of a language - for example, the Canadian English vocabulary sampled in this study - may make manifest the assumptions and knowledge tacitly shared in a cultural group.
Morphological Make-up as the Predictor of English Word Accent
Authors: Salmani-Nodoushan Mohammad Ali
Published: May 2016

For years, phoneticians have tried to simplify pronunciation for EFL/ESL learners. Some have identified four degrees of primary, secondary, tertiary, and weak stress, and others only three degrees: primary, secondary, and weak. Still others have concentrated on two stress levels: accented versus unaccented, or stressed versus unstressed (Bowen, 1975; Stageberg, 1964; Chomsky & Halle, 1968). None, however, has followed an orthography-based approach to English accent. Because orthography is the most static way of representing words in English, spelling- or orthography-based rules of accent/stress placement may come as a relief to ESL/EFL learners. In this article I present four spelling-based rules for stress placement to help EFL/ESL learners master pronunciation.
Book Reviews
Authors: Feuer Linda , Given-King E. Jill , Low Chadwick
Published: May 2016

Reviews of: 'Using Student-Centered Methods With Teacher-Centered Students,' by Marilyn Lewis and Hayo Reinders; 'Test it Fix it: Business Vocabulary (Intermediate) Test it Fix it: Business Grammar (Intermediate),' by K. Bourke and A. Maris; 'Teaching Other Subjects Through English,' by Sheelagh Deller and Christine Price.
A Participatory Photonovel as a Linguistic Tool for Educating ESL-Speaking Immigrant Women About Health Information
Authors: Nimmon Laura
Published: May 2016

Issues such as the linguistic and informational barriers to health care must be addressed if immigrant women are to achieve optimum health status for themselves and their families. This study used a participatory photonovel as a tool to educate ESL-speaking immigrant women about health information. This research illustrates five ESL-speaking immigrant women’s responses to the use of a participatory photonovel as a health literacy tool. The findings reveal the women’s perspectives on the use of culturally relevant visuals and simplified English in the photonovel as being conducive to their understanding of health information.
Pronunciation Pegs
Authors: Samuel Carolyn
Published: May 2016

An ESL instructor describes her experience of using pronunciation pegs, a method to foster the self-monitoring and self-correction of pronunciation mistakes with a view to helping university-level students deal with the ongoing challenge of producing target-like pronunciation. The appeal of pegs to students led the instructor to reflect on what makes adopting target pronunciation problematic, how pegs can be adapted to various learning styles, and how cultural differences can have an effect on the appreciation of pegs. Finally, the instructor sought a theoretical explanation for how pegs worked and found this in anchoring and covert rehearsal.
Reflections on Teaching Referencing: What Four Case Studies Can Tell us About Developing Effective Teaching Strategies
Authors: Hyland Theresa
Published: May 2016

Two contradictions are inherent in our research into referencing practices and the subsequent development of teaching strategies to remedy inappropriate practices. First, aggregate studies and teaching strategies that tend toward a one size fits all formula for researching and teaching referencing do not consider individual differences in students’ development of the complex set of skills that we know are involved in referencing practice. Further, although we say that we want students to be creative in their reading and writing practices, our teaching encourages them to look for correct answers in their reading of sources and to imitate set formulae for writing essays. This article examines four case studies taken from a larger aggregate study of EL1 and EL2 students. In their interviews and essay scripts, these students show varying levels of awareness of appropriate referencing practices. After examining these differences, I adapted Ada’s (Cummins, 1996) framework for comprehensible input and critical literacy, as well as work by Hinkel (2002), Keck (2006), and Kintsch (1998), to develop some strategies for teaching referencing that address individual differences.
Implementing Communication Strategy Instruction in the ESL Oral Classroom: What Do Low-Proficiency Learners Tell Us?
Authors: Lam Wendy Y.K.
Published: May 2016

This article reports findings from a strategy intervention study involving a treatment class (N=20) and a comparison class (N=20) in an ESL oral setting. Oral communication strategies were taught to the treatment class. A data-collection method comprising stimulated recall interviews that aimed to investigate respectively the learning process (i.e., strategy use) and the learning product (i.e.,task performance) was employed. The findings indicate that strategy instruction might affect low-proficiency students more than high-proficiency students in terms of both strategy use and task performance. The article concludes with pedagogic implications for communication strategy instruction.
“But My Students All Speak English”: Ethical Research Issues of Aboriginal English
Authors: Wiltse Lynne
Published: May 2016

In this article I explore ethical issues in relation to the topic of Aboriginal students who speak a dialect of English. Taking the form of a retrospective inquiry, I draw on data from an earlier study that examined Aboriginal English in the broader context of Aboriginal language loss and revival. Three interrelated ethical issues are discussed: the relationship between the dialect spoken by Aboriginal students and the ancestral language they no longer speak; the educational implications of Aboriginal English-speakers in the classroom; and insider-outsider issues of a non-Aboriginal English-speaking researcher working in the areas of Aboriginal education and language. I also review the recent literature in the field of Aboriginal English and outline changes that have occurred in classroom practice. Whereas in the past the common aim was to eliminate the home dialect, the goal of current programs is to add Standard English as an additional dialect to students’ repertoires of linguistic varieties. Suggestions are offered for educators interested in using a bi-dialectal approach in the classroom.
Linking Research and Practice: Effective Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary in the ESL Classroom
Authors: Nam Jihyun
Published: May 2016

Vocabulary plays a pivotal role in the ESL classroom. Whereas a considerable amount of research has examined effective ESL vocabulary teaching and learning, missing are studies that provide examples of how to put various research findings into practice: that is, apply them to real texts including target vocabulary items. In order to close the gap between research and practice, I reviewed a broad range of relevant literature addressing vocabulary learning. Drawing on an authentic Web reading text, in which I selected five vocabulary items as target words on the basis of my experience as a secondary English teacher in Korea, I applied vocabulary teaching strategies drawn from research findings reported in the literature to provide a model for ESL teachers when putting theory into practice.
Second-Language Learning Through Imaginative Theory
Authors: Broom Catherine
Published: May 2016

This article explores how Egan’s (1997) work on imagination can enrich our understanding of teaching English as a second language (ESL). Much has been written on ESL teaching techniques; however, some of this work has been expounded in a standard educational framework, which is what Egan calls an assembly-line model. This model can easily underlie our unconscious structures. The article begins by reviewing Egan’s kinds of understanding and then discusses how conceptions of English-language learning may be changed when Egan’s Imaginative Education (IE) theory is used as the theoretical base. For example, ESL learning jumps from a simple progression through language levels to multiple and interacting ecological zones that interplay with and within the learner. As well, the focus moves from the generation of activities to the students themselves as conscious, living beings. This theoretical orientation provides possibilities for second-language learning to become wondrous, multifaceted, and intricate.
Second-Language Acquisition and the Information Age: How Social Software has Created a New Mode of Learning
Authors: Davies Renaud J.
Published: May 2016

We are presently witnessing a great shift in how young people learn and in the benefits that social software has to offer. New technologies can augment and build on traditional forms of social learning, giving birth to an improved and more multifaceted approach to knowledge acquisition that complements the current more general shift toward an increasingly technological world. The purpose of this article is not only to consider how social learning through the use of technology benefits learners, but also to investigate the implications of such learning and technology for curriculum development.
Framing the Problem of Identity in Composition and TESOL Studies: A Sampler
Authors: Messekher Hayat
Published: May 2016

This article looks at how the intricate issue of identity has been addressed and framed in composition and TESOL studies (C&T). It reviews five articles and a book as a sampler to explore identity research in various contexts ranging from the problematic rise of identity in second-language acquisition (SLA) research in 1997, which represented a paradigm shift in SLA research, to other research dealing with second-language (L2) learners’ identity, identity in a teacher training program (i.e., identity of student teachers), and finally, teacher identity as a transformative pedagogy.
Knowledge Base of Pronunciation Teaching: Staking Out the Territory
Authors: Baker Amanda , Murphy John
Published: May 2016

Despite decades of advocacy for greater investigative attention, research into pronunciation instruction in the teaching of English as a second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL) continues to be limited. This limitation is particularly evident in explorations of teacher cognition (e.g., teachers’ knowledge, beliefs, and understandings), an area emerging as a vibrant focus for grounded research on the development, preparation, and instructional behaviors of ESL/EFL teachers. This article provides a comprehensive review of teacher cognition literatures tied to ESL/EFL pronunciation instruction. The review’s dual purposes are (a) to document the current knowledge base of pronunciation teaching, and (b) to propose future directions for classroom-based teacher cognition research in this area.
Effects of Pre-Reading Strategies on EFL/ESL Reading Comprehension
Authors: Mihara Kei
Published: May 2016

This study focuses on two pre-reading strategies: vocabulary pre-teaching and comprehension question presentation. Researchers have claimed that a vocabulary strategy is less effective than any other pre-reading strategy. This study investigates whether their claim is true of Japanese university students. The purpose of the study is twofold. The first goal is to examine the effects of the two pre-reading strategies; the second is to discuss the relationships between students’ English proficiency and their reading comprehension. The participants in the present study were asked to perform a pre-reading strategy, read a passage, and then answer comprehension questions. They read four passages altogether. Three weeks after they read the fourth passage, they were asked to answer a questionnaire. This study indicates that vocabulary pre-teaching is less effective for Japanese students, although students with higher English proficiency outperformed lowerlevel students regardless of which pre-reading strategy they used.
Second-Language Education Policy in Quebec: A Critical Analysis of the Policy of English as a Compulsory Subject at the Early Primary Level in Quebec
Authors: Fallon Gerald , Rublik Natalie
Published: May 2016

This is a critical policy study of language planning and policy in Quebec regarding the new policy direction requiring the compulsory teaching of English at the early primary level (grades 1-2, Cycle 1) in francophone public schools. Based on the analysis of policy documents, archives, and narratives from interviews, the goal of this policy study is to determine how and why language-policy decisions about the compulsory teaching of ESL at the early primary level were made by policymakers in Quebec.
Through the Eyes and From the Mouths of Young Heritage-Language Learners: How Children Feel and Think About Their Two Languages
Authors: Jean Maureen , Geva Esther
Published: May 2016

This study explores the affective responses and beliefs school-aged heritage-language learners (HLLs) hold regarding learning their two languages. Sixty-three HLLs in grades 3 and 4 were presented with pictorial scenarios involving activities across five language and literacy domains in their HL and second language (English). Children were asked to indicate the affect they associated with the scenario and were queried about their chosen affect. They associated positive affect with listening and speaking the HL at home and with English across all domains regardless of context. Qualitative analysis of children’s attributions revealed skill in the domain or language as the most common rationale for their chosen affective responses. Other common themes in children’s rationales in descending order of frequency included children’s degree of interest in the domain or language, the perceived availability of assistance from others, their membership in language groups, and the influence of language environments on language-learning. Implications for further research with this population and recommendations for relevant parties are discussed.
Immigrant Students Navigating Canadian Schools: A Longitudinal View
Authors: Gunderson Lee , D’Silva Reginald Arthur , Odo Dennis Murphy
Published: May 2016

Findings are presented from studies of the academic and language achievement of 1,307 young immigrant students whose educational history was traced from their arrival in Canada and entry into primary education in the early 1990s until their graduation from secondary schools. Five major findings are reported: school mobility, disappearance and dropout rates, success in provincial examinations, eligibility for postsecondary education, and ethnolinguistic differences in academic success. Findings reveal distinct differences in academic success related to immigrant class, gender, and first language (L1), whereas differences related to age on arrival (AOA) are less apparent. These and other findings are reported and described, and implications for pedagogical policy are presented.
Helping Children to Learn at Home: A Family Project to Support Young English-Language Learners
Authors: Jasinski Mary-Anne
Published: May 2016

The Coalition for Equal Access to Education (CEAE) is a Calgary-based nonprofit organization committed to working with community, education, and government stakeholders to promote access to quality, equitable education and services for K-12 English-as-a-second-language (ESL) learners. CEAE is active in developing innovative projects, research publications, and informing policy and decision-makers on issues that affect education and services for children and youth. In addition, the organization engages in community development initiatives through literacy development support for ethnocultural children and youth, leadership training on active parental involvement, and promotion of systemic change and cultural competence. In its work to address the complex needs of ESL children, families, and the professionals who support them, the CEAE has developed Helping Children Learn at Home, a parents’ program that supports ethnocultural parents in creating healthy learning environments in the home, in understanding better and addressing their young children’s learning needs, learning about the Canadian education system, and contributing to decision-making processes in schools and in the community that affects their children’s educational success. This article describes the program and the pilot session completed in February 2011. The evaluation phase included feedback from the participants, the CEAE staff, and the curriculum developers in order to produce and publish a completed version of the document, which will be available for use by other agencies.
An Intensive Academic English Course for Generation1.5 ELLs Bound for Postsecondary Studies: Curriculum Design, Development, and Implementation
Authors: Crossman Katie , Pinchbeck Geoffrey
Published: May 2016

Immigrants and the children of immigrants who have completed their schooling in Canadian school settings, commonly referred to as Generation 1.5, are increasingly identified in the research literature as academically at risk due to inadequately developed academic language proficiency and learning strategies. This article describes the design, development, and implementation of a curriculum that targets the academic needs of these students as they transition from high school to university. A thematically integrated design is adopted for the purposes of contextualizing the academic demands of science and engineering, business, and social sciences and humanities. Preliminary insights from a prototype iteration of the curriculum are presented.
Processing Trade-Offs in Non-Native Learners’ Performance of Narrative Tasks
Authors: Ben Maad Mohamed Ridha
Published: May 2016

Exploring learners’ processes of memory and analysis has captivated considerable attention among language-learning researchers due to the recent prevalence of key concepts from feeder disciplines such as cognitive psychology and phraseology. However, there has been little empirical effort to describe the nature of interaction between these two processing modes. This article reports on a study that was designed (a) to explore the distribution of these two modes of language representation in the oral production of non-native learners of English and (b) to determine whether they shift their processing styles (i.e., lexical retrieval to rule analysis or vice versa) in the face of increasing cognitive load. Thirty Tunisian undergraduate students of English performed three narrative tasks over three tape-recorded episodes. Analysis of the transcribed findings revealed that these participants activated their memory-based system for lexical retrieval at the beginning of their performance when the tasks were not demanding and fell back on the rule-based mode when faced with the increasing processing load due to time pressure. These results empirically validate the role of formulaicity in second/foreign-language learners’ processing styles.
Keeping up the Conversation on Culture: A Response to Robert Courchêne and Others
Authors: Walsh-Marr Jennifer
Published: May 2016

Robert Courchêne’s 1996 article entitled “Teaching Canadian Culture: Teacher Preparation” sparked a conversation in the pages of the TESL Canada Journal that continues today. From advocating the teaching of significant historical events and icons to encouraging second-language learners to embrace cultural ambiguity,there is a wide spectrum of philosophies and approaches for English-as-an-Additional-Language (EAL) professionals to consider. This article attempts to summarize the discussion so far, to contextualize it in research frameworks, and to build on practical suggestions for teachers charged with teaching culture to their students.
Prewriting Tasks for Auditory, Visual, and Kinesthetic Learners
Authors: Leopold Lisa
Published: May 2016

Although it is a well-known fact that students’ preferred learning styles vary, many instructors teach in the way that reflects their own learning style preferences despite the fact that mismatches in teacher-learner styles may result in lower student achievement. In a traditional ESL or EAP writing class, students who prefer to learn by reading and writing may be privileged over those who have a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic style preference. In this article, I describe a variety of prewriting tasks that appeal to diverse learners and complement a processoriented approach to writing.
Using Rational Cloze for Diagnostic Testing in L1 and L2 Reading
Authors: MacLean Margaret
Published: May 2016

Although both first and second language reading have been frequently explored, much of the research has tended to be product oriented and comparative in nature. That is, researchers have tended to focus on quantitative differences in reading comprehension test scores between groups of native and non-native speakers. Very few studies have examined how readers understand text in both their first and second languages. This paper presents results from a case study of a bilingual reader (French Ll/English L2) who read both easy and hard texts in her first and second language. Rational doze and introspection tasks were used to examine quantitative and qualitative differences in comprehension across languages. Results indicated that there were differences in the extent to which this reader successfully manipulated meaning especially at the whole text level. Implications of the rational doze procedure for diagnostic testing and teaching are discussed.
The Influence Mode on the Syntactic Complexity of EFL Students at Three Grade Levels
Authors: Yau Margaret S.S. , Belanger Joe
Published: May 2016

This study extends the findings of syntactic research to students studying English as a foreign language. First, it corroborates earlier research findings on the relationships between syntactic complexity and grade level by examining a type of population not previously studied. Second, it extends earlier findings on the relation of mode and syntax to an English as a foreign language writing sample and examines the influence of the syntax in each mode of writing on the content of the compositions. In the expository mode, the upper-grade students used more non-clausal embeddings than the lower-grade students did, structures which are interpreted as providing the opportunity to express more complex relationships. In the narrative mode, on the other hand, the upper-grade students used significantly more clausal embeddings than their junior counterparts which resulted in greater detail in the narrations of the former. The older students appeared to be more able to adjust their syntax to the demands of the rhetorical task than the younger students were.
English in the Workplace Institute: My Perspective
Authors: Payne Donna
Published: May 2016

This section features: (I) reactions of readers to articles and reviews published in the Journal and the replies of authors to whom the comments are addressed (if forthcoming) and (2) viewpoints and opinions expressed in the form of a report, commentary, or interview on issues or topics of current interest.
Two Contexts for Training Teachers of Native Languages
Authors: Toohey Kelleen , and Hansen Pamela
Published: May 2016

This paper reports on our experience in Native language teacher training in two contexts in British Columbia: one a university sponsored course offered in a northern community, and one a workshop-based in service course offered in the Fraser Valley. Work done with the students is described, excerpts of student work are presented and suggestions about Native language teacher training in Canada are made.
Teaching Pronunciation with the Vowel Colour Chart
Authors: Finger Julianne
Published: May 2016

The Vowel Colour Chart is a system for teaching Canadian English vowels in which each sound is represented by a colour, the colour-word being the key word for that vowel sound. This article explains the composition of the Vowel Colour Chart, and suggests practical examples of its use with ESL learners of all ages. Comparisons with other pedagogical and aesthetic approaches to colour and sound are given. As a teaching aid, the Vowel Colour Chart offers a wider approach for individual participation in learning pronunciation.
A Not So Trivial Pursuit
Authors: Magahay-Johnson Wendy
Published: May 2016

This section presents descriptions of teaching techniques or practical classroom activities.
The Pedagogy of Error Correction: Surviving the Written Corrective Feedback Challenge
Authors: Guénette Danielle
Published: May 2016

Should we correct our students’ language errors? Most ESL teachers would an- swer this question with a resounding Yes while at the same time wondering how to meet the challenge. The collaborative project reported below was designed to provide ESL teacher trainees with an opportunity to experience the ups and downs of providing corrective feedback on writing and develop their awareness in this regard. To this end, the teacher trainees acted as corrective-feedback tutors to high school learners during one school semester. During the course of the proj- ect, they kept journals documenting their reflections in regard to this demanding pedagogical practice. Time constraints, motivation, and fear of making mistakes themselves or of not providing adequate guidance to the learners were among the major hurdles encountered by the tutors. In interviews conducted at the end of the project, the tutors offered suggestions for overcoming these difficulties and surviving the corrective-feedback trials and tribulations. The survival tips pre- sented were drawn from the tutors’ recommendations as well as from insights from corrective-feedback research.Devrait-on corriger les erreurs de langue de nos étudiants? La plupart des en- seignants d’ALS répondraient à cette question par un oui catégorique tout en se demandant comment relever ce défi. Le projet collaboratif décrit ci-dessous a été conçu pour fournir aux stagiaires en ALS une occasion de vivre les hauts et les bas liés au fait de présenter de la rétroaction corrective aux travaux écrits, et de se conscientiser à cet égard. À cette fin, les stagiaires ont joué le rôle de tuteurs fournissant de la rétroaction corrective à des élèves du secondaire pendant un se- mestre. Au cours de projet, ils ont tenu un journal pour noter leurs réflexions relatives à cette pratique pédagogique exigeante. Parmi les obstacles les plus im- portants auxquels les tuteurs ont fait face, notons les contraintes de temps, la motivation et la peur de se tromper eux-mêmes ou de ne pas fournir des conseils adéquats aux élèves. Lors d’entrevues qui ont eu lieu à la fin du projet, les tuteurs ont offert des suggestions pour surmonter ces difficultés et survivre aux vicissi- tudes de la rétroaction corrective. Les conseils de survie présentés sont tirés des recommandations des tuteurs et des perspectives découlant de la recherche sur la rétroaction corrective.
Determiners, Feline Marsupials, and the Category-Function Distinction: A Critique of ELT Grammars
Authors: Reynolds Brett
Published: May 2016

The concept of determiners is widely employed in linguistics, but mostly absent from English Language Teaching (ELT) materials (dictionaries, teacher-reference books, and student-oriented texts). Among those employing the concept, there is near-universal confusion between determiners and pronouns, arising mainly from an analytical and terminological failure to distinguish consistently between the category (determinative) and the function (specifier). I criticize this situ- ation and present linguistic evidence for a more consistent framework. I conclude by arguing that in language teaching and applied linguistics we rarely adopt advances from linguistics, not because they fail to meet some criterion of rele- vance à la Widdowson (2000), but simply because we are ignorant of linguistics in general.Le concept de déterminants s’emploie largement en linguistique, mais il est très peu présent dans le matériel pédagogique pour l’enseignement de l’anglais (dic- tionnaires, manuels de référence pour les enseignants, manuels pour les étudi- ants). Parmi ceux et celles qui emploient le concept, il existe une confusion quasi universelle entre les déterminants et les pronoms. Cette confusion découle no- tamment d’une analyse erronée et d’une erreur terminologique faisant en sorte qu’on ne distingue pas toujours la catégorie (déterminant) de la fonction (spé- cificateur). Je critique cette situation et présente des données linguistiques qui plaident en faveur d’un cadre plus constant. Je conclus en affirmant qu’en en- seignement des langues et en linguistique appliquée, nous adoptons rarement les avancées du domaine de la linguistique, pas parce qu’elles ne répondent pas à des critères de pertinence à la Widdowson (2000), mais parce que nous connaissons mal la linguistique de façon générale.
Teachers’ Discourses on Teaching Students of Elementary School English Literacy Development in Ontario
Authors: Brubacher Katherine
Published: May 2016

This article explores teachers’ discourses on teaching English Literacy Develop- ment (ELD) students in mainstream elementary school classrooms through an examination of their philosophies of teaching and reflections on literacy. The find- ings are based on empirical qualitative data collected from interviews with two English-as-a-second language (ESL)/ELD teachers in two school boards in On- tario. Both participants discussed the importance of developing awareness of and including in classes students’ learning and language experiences from outside the formal education system. Challenges perceived in the school communities in- cluded the structure of schooling, the demands of the curriculum, the incorpora- tion of students’ unwritten first languages, and negative views of ELD students.Cet article se penche sur la philosophie d’enseignement et les réflexions sur la lit- tératie telles qu’elles découlent des discours d’enseignants évoquant l’enseigne- ment, dans des salles de classe régulières à l’élémentaire, à des élèves en perfectionnement de l’anglais. Les résultats reposent sur des données empiriques qualitatives tirées d’entrevues auprès de deux enseignants en anglais langue sec- onde et en perfectionnement de l’anglais dans deux conseils scolaires en Ontario. Les deux participants ont discuté de l’importance de faire connaitre les expéri- ences liées à la langue et à l’apprentissage que vivent les élèves à l’extérieur du système d’éducation formel et de les intégrer aux cours. Parmi les défis au sein des communautés scolaires, on a évoqué la structure de la formation scolaire, les exigences des programmes d’études, la prise en compte des langues maternelles non-écrites des élèves et les perceptions négatives des élèves en perfectionnement de l’anglais.
The Quantity and Quality of Language Practice in Typical Interactive Pair/Group Tasks
Authors: Collins Laura , White Joanna
Published: May 2016

This article reports on a study examining the language practice opportunities that occurred during a range of paired and small group interactive tasks in an intensive English as a Second Language (ESL) class of francophone Grade 6 students. The analysis focussed on the opportunities the tasks provided for the use of two complex and challenging forms (the simple past and the possessive determiners his/her) by these learners. We examined both the quantity and the quality of the contexts for the two target forms within the tasks, and whether particular task types or task features were associated with more or richer practice for the forms.Cet article fait rapport d’une étude qui examine les occasions de pratiquer la langue qui se sont présentées pendant diverses tâches interactives accomplies en petits groupes dans un cours intensif d’anglais langue seconde avec des étudiants francophones en 6e année. L’analyse a porté sur les occasions présentées aux apprenant pendant les tâches pour employer deux formes complexes et difficiles (le passé simple et les déterminants possessifs « his » et « hers »). Nous avons examiné tant la quantité que la qualité des contextes pour les deux formes ciblées, ainsi que les différentes sortes de tâches pour déterminer si elles étaient liées à un emploi plus riche ou fréquent des formes.
TBL and Teacher Preparation: Toward a Curriculum for Pre-service Teachers
Authors: Roessingh Hetty
Published: May 2016

English language learners (ELLs) represent a growing demographic in the elementary mainstream classroom of today. Initial teacher education (ITE) programs must prepare teacher candidates for the dual challenge of teaching curriculum content while supporting the development of English language proficiency. Task-based learning (TBL) holds potential for addressing these learner needs. This article describes the curriculum and provides a list of suitable readings and tasks (assignments) for a 3-hour (one full course-equivalent) university course at the pre-service level that bridges theory to practice, and prepares elementary-route teachers to design and implement TBL in the context of the mainstream class setting. By basing the proposed curriculum on TBL, a model is provided for students to learn firsthand how TBL may be implemented in the mainstream.Les apprenants de l’anglais constituent un groupe démographique croissant dans les salles de classe au primaire. Les programmes de formation initiaux des enseignants doivent préparer les stagiaires pour le double défi que représentent l’enseignement du contenu et le développement de la compétence en anglais chez les élèves. L’enseignement basé sur les tâches (EBT) est susceptible de répondre à ces besoins. Cet article décrit un programme d’étude et offre une liste de lectures et de tâches appropriées pour un cours universitaire complet du premier cycle qui lie la théorie à la pratique et prépare les étudiants à concevoir et mettre en pratique l’EBT dans les classes au primaire. Le programme d’étude proposé fournit donc aux étudiants en pédagogie un modèle de la mise en œuvre de l’EBT en salle de classe.
Task-Based Language Teaching and Expansive Learning Theory
Authors: Robertson Margaret
Published: May 2016

Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) has become increasingly recognized as an effective pedagogy, but its location in generalized sociocultural theories of learning has led to misunderstandings and criticism. The purpose of this article is to explain the congruence between TBLT and Expansive Learning Theory and the benefits of doing so. The merit of locating TBLT in Expansive Learning Theory is that it provides concrete explanations for how cycles of meaning making and negotiation can be worked into task phases. It provides an elaboration of the cyclical learning processes that may be embedded in tasks, improving the intentionality and focus of language tasks. In doing this it clearly establishes task-based teaching as a robust construct for language teaching programs. Additionally, the location of TBLT within Expansive Learning Theory makes explicit the central importance of intercultural communication competence to language learning, positioning culture as a mediating artefact in learning. This may provide teachers choosing to use TBLT as their pedagogy with a theoretical underpinning of expansive learning and with tools to assist their teaching practice. Additionally, it may contribute to teacher training and professional development through clarity provided by placing TBLT pedagogy within the theoretical framework of Expansive Learning Theory.L’enseignement des langues basé sur les tâches (ELBT) est de plus en plus perçu comme une pédagogie efficace, mais sa place au sein des théories socioculturelles de l’apprentissage a donné lieu à des malentendus et des critiques. L’objectif de cet article est d’expliquer la concordance entre l’ELBT et la théorie de l’apprentissage expansif, d’une part, et les avantages de le faire, d’autre part. Le fait de situer l’ELBT dans la théorie de l’apprentissage expansif permet d’offrir des explications concrètes pour l’intégration des cycles de production de sens et de négociation dans les phases de tâches. L’élaboration des processus d’apprentissage cyclique qui peuvent être ancrés dans les tâches vient améliorer l’intentionnalité et l’objectif des tâches langagières, établissant ainsi l’enseignement basé sur les tâches comme cadre solide des programmes d’enseignement des langues, exposant l’importance centrale de la communication interculturelle dans l’apprentissage d’une langue et remettant à la culture un rôle de médiateur dans l’apprentissage. Tout ceci peut offrir aux enseignants qui choisissent de baser leur pédagogie sur l’ELBT un fondement théorique en apprentissage expansif et des outils pour appuyer leur pratique. L’intégration de la pédagogie de l’ELBT au sein du cadre théorique de l’apprentissage expansif peut également contribuer à la formation et au développement professionnel des enseignants.
Career Development and Professional Attrition of Novice ESL Teachers of Adults
Authors: Valeo Antonella , Faez Farahnaz
Published: May 2016

Research and development in language teacher education and, more recently, teacher accreditation has had enormous impact on the professional lives of ESL teachers in Canada. There has been less interest, however, in examining the ca- reer development and employment experiences of accredited ESL teachers as they transition from TESL programs to ESL classrooms. In this article, we report on a study examining this issue for ESL teachers of adults in Ontario, in which 147 ESL teachers responded to a survey and a select group participated in follow-up interviews. The data were collected for a broader study investigating the link between teacher education and teaching efficacy of novice ESL teachers. Quantita- tive analysis of the survey data revealed the professional backgrounds and career development of recently accredited ESL teachers in Ontario. Qualitative data analysis revealed concerns with employment in the first years of practice. The findings suggested a high risk of attrition for novice ESL teachers and highlighted the impact of current teacher education programs and the professional landscape of ESL teaching on their career development. We discuss the implications of these findings for TESL institutions, accreditation bodies, and ESL teachers.La recherche et le développement visant la formation des enseignants de langue et, plus récemment, l’accréditation des enseignants, ont eu un énorme impact sur la vie professionnelle des enseignants d’ALS au Canada. Toutefois, on a moins porté attention au développement professionnel et aux expériences de travail d’enseignants d’ALS accrédités lors de leur transition des programmes de TESL vers les salles de classe d’ALS. Dans cet article, nous rendons compte d’une étude pendant laquelle 147 enseignants d’ALS aux adultes en Ontario ont répondu à une enquête visant ce sujet et un groupe d’enseignants sélectionnés ont participé à des entrevues de suivi. Les données ont été recueillies pour une étude plus vaste portant sur le lien entre la formation des enseignants et l’efficacité des enseignants d’ALS en début de carrière. Une analyse quantitative des données de l’enquête a fait ressortir le développement et les antécédents professionnels d’enseignants d’ALS récemment accrédités en Ontario. L’analyse a également révélé des préoc- cupations quant à l’emploi pendant les premières années de pratique. Les résultats indiquent un risque élevé d’attrition chez les enseignants débutants et soulignent l’impact des programmes actuels de formation des enseignants et du milieu pro- fessionnel de l’enseignement de l’ALS sur le développement de leur carrière.
Students’ Source Misuse in Language Classrooms: Sharing Experiences
Authors: Fazel Ismaeil , Kowkabi Nasrin
Published: May 2016

In this article we first provide a brief discussion of what is generally referred to as “student plagiarism,” which we prefer to call “source misuse” or “inappropriate textual borrowing,” and then provide some of the factors that may contribute to this problem in language classes. Moreover, we provide our views and sugges- tions on how to deal with these causes, drawing mainly on our experiences as students and teachers in both EFL and ESL contexts, but also making references to some conceptual frames and the related literature.Dans cet article, nous présentons d’abord une discussion brève de ce que l’on appelle communément « le plagiat étudiant » et ce que nous préférons nommer « un mauvais emploi des sources » ou « un emprunt textuel inapproprié ». Nous poursuivons en évoquant quelques-uns des facteurs qui pourraient entrainer ce problème dans les cours de langue. De plus, nous offrons nos avis et nos sugges- tions quant à la façon d’aborder ces causes en puisant surtout dans nos expéri- ences tant comme étudiants qu’enseignants dans des milieux d’ALS et d’ALE, mais également en faisant référence à des cadres conceptuels et à la documentation qui s’y rattache.