bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does Language Assessment Facilitate Recent Immigrants' Participation in Canadian Society
Authors: Cumming Alister
Published: May 2016

Reviewing studies of the functions of language assessment for recent immigrants to Canada, this article suggests that a fundamental criterion-whether or not language assessment facilitates immigrants' participation in Canadian society-be used to evaluate whether assessment practices and policies are able (1) to overcome institutional or systemic barriers that recent immigrants may encounter, (2) to account for the range and qualities of language use that may be fundamental to specific aspects of Canadian life, and (3) to prompt majority populations and institutions to better accommodate minority populations.
Learners' Transfer of Writing Skills Between Languages
Authors: Berman R.
Published: May 2016

One hundred, twenty-six secondary school EFL students took part in this study, which examines learners' transfer of essay organization skills between languages. Students were divided into three groups: (a) one receiving L1 essay writing instruction; (b) another receiving equivalent L2 (English) instruction; and (c) a comparison group receiving no such instruction. This article analyses students' pre- and post-test essay organization and grammatical proficiency scores. It concludes that many learners transfer writing skills between languages, and that their success in doing so is assisted by their grammatical proficiency in the target language.
Change and Conflict: Introduction of the Communicative Approach in China
Authors: Penner Janice
Published: May 2016

Chinese resistance to the Communicative Language Teaching approach is often dismissed as the classic traditional versus modern approach debate. "The Chinese will soon change." However, because this is an example of cross-cultural exportation of educational innovations, there are many conflicts that must be resolved. This article examines how the beliefs, pedagogy, and structures that have developed in the Chinese English language classroom culture restrict pedagogical change advocated by foreign and Chinese change agents. The issues raised serve to acquaint the reader with some of the complexities of pedagogical change. The issues are also of significance to educators who are considering teaching in an EFL context.
ESL Students Speak Up: Their Stories of How We are Doing.
Authors: Kanno Yasuko , Applebaum Sheila Dermer
Published: May 2016

This study explores the ESL curriculum as experienced by students, casting light on their side of the story. We invited three Japanese secondary-level students to discuss their experience of learning English and analyzed their stories in terms of Schwab's four curriculum commonplaces (learner, subject matter, milieu, and teacher). Our analysis reveals that for the students, learning English has to do with negotiating their identities in a new environment. The current ESL curriculum as it focuses on the development of academic skills may not be providing enough support to help them integrate into the school community. In the absence of such support, some students may run the risk of perpetuating their marginality in the school and prematurely reaching a plateau in their English acquisition. Some practical ideas to promote integration, some of which are already implemented in Canadian schools, are discussed in the light of these findings.
An Alternative Method for Teaching and Testing Reading Comprehension
Authors: Courchêne Robert
Published: May 2016

The summary doze technique, which can be used for both teaching and testing reading and listening comprehension, offers an alternative format to multiple choice. Summary doze exercises are prepared by summarizing the content of the original text into a new text about one third the length. The shortened text is then transformed into a rational doze exercise. The learner, who always has access to the original text, must complete the summary text using the list of choices provided. Research using the technique has shown that it is certainly as good a measure of reading comprehension as the multiple-choice-based format and that it is often more reliable. Considerable experimentation, however, remains to be done concerning the text topic and choice and frequency of deletions.
Research Paper Writing Strategies of Professional Japanese EFL Writers
Authors: Matsumoto Kazuko
Published: May 2016

Four Japanese university professors were interviewed on their processes and strategies for writing a research paper in English as a Foreign language (EFL). The results show that these professional EFL writers use strategies similar to those used by skilled native English and proficient ESL writers as reported in previous studies, have an explicit view of writing as a nonlinear dynamic process and as a way of discovering meaning and ideas, supplement writing at the computer with writing with pen and paper, and basically do not rely on L1 Japanese in the EFL writing process. It was also found that their L2 research paper writing process is perceived as virtually equivalent to their L1 counterpart, which suggests that already existing L1 writing strategies transfer to L2 writing.
The Critical Role of Language and Communication in International Development Projects
Authors: Mackay Ronald , de Hopkins Nila Mendoza
Published: May 2016

In this article we look at Canada's policy regarding its role in international development and, in particular, at the essential role of language and communication in development projects. In order to discuss certain issues of language and communication as they relate to such projects, we draw on recent development literature and certain aspects of our experience with projects in Asia and Latin America.
Individual Variables, Literacy History, and ESL Progress Among Kurdish and Bosnian Immigrants
Authors: Gardener Sheena , Polyzoi Eleoussa , Rampaul Yvette
Published: May 2016

This study examines the relationship between individual variables and ESL progress among nine Kurdish and seven Bosnian immigrants. All participants are adult refugees who arrived in Canada with virtually no English. Significant correlations are found between the dependent variables of oral and written progress and the independent variables of literacy level, years of schooling, and ethnicity. Contingency, text quality, and text quantity are also examined. Although the number of participants is small and the number of variables examined is large, it is hypothesized that in 18-21 months high literates will progress from low beginner to advanced, semi-literates from pre-beginner to low intermediate, and pre-literates from pre-beginner to low beginner. The article concludes with implications for ESL programming and future research.
The Effects of Using Advance Organizers and Captions to Introduce Video in the Foreign Language Classroom
Authors: Chung Jing-Mei
Published: May 2016

Foreign language teachers and students now have access to more video materials than ever before. This article explored two video instructional strategies, advance organizers and captions in the target language, to make the viewing experience profitable. After reviewing the relative effectiveness of various types of advance organizer and the advantages and disadvantages of using captioned video materials, a set of classroom procedures that combines advance organizers and captions to teach English as a foreign language is proposed.
Teacher's Perception of a Language Policy: "Teaching LINC"
Authors: Cray Ellen
Published: May 2016

The boundaries of English language teaching are being expanded with recognition that the language classroom has cultural and political aspects. Policies that legislate the learning and teaching of additional languages are one relevant aspect of this context. However, little empirical work has been done on how language policies are realized in the classroom. In this article data from interviews with teachers in LINC classrooms are analyzed. Results suggest that teachers perceive the policy in ways that are determined by the local situations in which they teach. Results also suggest that there are important differences between what policies dictate and what teachers do in their classrooms.
Enhancing ESL Students' Awareness of Coherence-Creating Mechanisms in Writing
Authors: Lee Icy
Published: May 2016

Coherence is central to effective writing. However, it is often regarded as a fuzzy and elusive concept that is difficult to teach and difficult to learn. This article attempts to identify the text-based and reader-based features that are crucial to the creation of coherence and describes a number of classroom tasks that can be exploited to enhance ESL students' awareness of coherence-creating mechanisms in writing.
Language -Learning: The Importance of Access to Community
Authors: Toohey Kelleen , Day Elaine
Published: May 2016

This article is based on data derived from a four-year ethnographic study that followed two cohorts of ESL learners enrolled in mainstream Canadian primary classrooms from kindergarten through grade 2. It draws on sociocultural theory, based on the work of the Russian scholars Vygotsky and Bakhtin and developed in North America by Lave and Wenger (1991), Rogoff (1994), and others. In the article, we examine classroom practices that appear to offer our participants access to the linguistic resources of their community and those in which our participants appear to have limited access to these resources. Choral and small group activities are contrasted with Initiation-Response-Evaluation (IRE) sequences to show contrasting possibilities for access. We argue that speech situations in classrooms that are ludic or playful, that, in Bakhtin's (1981) terms, offer ever new ways to mean, are those in which children have the possibility of appropriating the words of others and of finding voices and utterances for themselves.
Service-Learning as a Pedagogy to Promote the Content, Cross-Cultural, and Language-Learning of ESL Students
Authors: Heuser Linda
Published: May 2016

This article describes the incorporation of service-learning in a sheltered-content course called American Society for Japanese college sophomores studying in the United States. By engaging students in activities designed to address community needs, service-learning holds great promise for furthering cognitive knowledge, cross-cultural awareness, and language competences. After profiling the academic program, a definition of service-learning is provided along with a review of the preparatory steps leading to a weekend of service. The exercises developed to help students make sense of their firsthand experiences and a critique of this instructional activity round out this discussion.
Hitting the Mark: Learner's Perceptions of Course Design in a Foundation ESOL Program
Authors: Macdonald Malcolm N. , Badger Richard , White Goodith
Published: May 2016

This article investigates a first-year undergraduate program in TESOL consisting of three strands: a language-based course, a theme-based content course, and a sheltered-content course. Learners rated different aspects of their development in language, skills, and strategies-as well as motivational factors-over two semesters. Overall, learners rated the language-based course more highly in the first semester and the two content courses more highly in the second. Three conclusions were drawn: first, variation in methodology and design of the content course is such that it is difficult to generalize about generic types of content course; second, our EAP course/program might benefit from progressing asymmetrically, by starting with a more extensive language component and ending with a more extensive content component; and, third, no course was perceived by learners to provide optimum language acquisition and skills development in every domain.
Same Task, Different Activities: Issues of Investment Identity, and Use of Strategy
Authors: Parks Susan
Published: May 2016

Drawing on activity theory and the construct of investment, this article explores how three francophone CEGEP students variously invested in a task that involved producing short documentary-style videos in English. Case study data included interviews with the students and teacher and student work portfolios. The analysis suggests that the appropriation of, or resistance to, particular strategies was related to the construct of motive and issues of identity. Although all three participants had a positive orientation to L2 language learning, differences surfaced about the value attached to classroom language learning, task preference, and attitude to group work. The author argues for task-based research that takes into account the sociocultural dimension of task performance and learner's perspective, as well as studies that involve a broader range of tasks than is currently the case in traditional SLA task-based research. Implications of the study for ESL teaching are discussed.
An EAP Course for Chinese MBA Students
Authors: Raymond Patricia M. , Des Brisay Margaret
Published: May 2016

This article describes an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course for Chinese Master of Business Administration (MBA) students. Unequal English language learning opportunities overseas means that many otherwise excellent candidates are denied access to graduate programs at Canadian universities. Consequently, the Second Language Institute at the University of Ottawa decided to make ESL training estimates based on scores from the Canadian Test of English for Scholars and Trainees (CanTEST) for a group of Chinese applicants to the University of Ottawa's MBA program. Thirty-four candidates participated in an innovative EAP course that combined teaching language, study, and acculturation skills, whereas some candidates were also required to complete 240 to 480 hours of Intensive Four Skills English before undertaking the EAP course. Successful completion of the EAP course constituted fulfilling the requirements for admission into the MBA program. Teaching staff from both the Faculty of Administration and the Second Language Institute provided input into the EAP course.
The Impact of Language and Skills Training on Immigrants's Lives
Authors: Wong Ping , Duff Patricia , Early Margaret
Published: May 2016

This study is a qualitative exploration of the experiences of immigrants who completed a health care aide training program that combined occupational skills and ESL training. The focus was the employment barriers and personal benefits associated with program completion. Data were collected through structured interviews with nine participants, eight of whom were women, which were then transcribed and analyzed for central themes. The interview data were supplemented with document data consisting of information from application forms and intake assessment tests. The findings revealed that participation in the training program had a major impact on the employment, identities, and settlement of program participants. The skills and language training improved the employment prospects of the individuals, although many had to overcome such employment barriers as the need to work on call, conflicts between domestic responsibilities and work outside the home, and transportation limitations. Many participants also spoke of the importance of learning job-search skills and the personal significance of having an occupational identity. Finally, successful completion of the program increased the self-confidence and autonomy of the individuals, which in turn aided their settlement and integration into Canadian society. The article concludes with recommendations for future research in this area, as well as pedagogical interventions to assist participants with their ongoing language learning, job aspirations, and settlement.
Langue maternelle, langue ancestral: un paradoxe linguistique
Authors: Piquemal Nathalie
Published: May 2016

This article deals with the implications of Aboriginal communicative norms and interaction patterns on the development of linguistic competence in Aboriginal students, with special attention to the behavioral norm of noninterference in their interactions with others. More specifically, this paper argues that many Aboriginal students for whom English is their mother tongue find themselves in a similar situation as ESL learners insofar as they communicate and interact in ways that are consistent with their ancestral language. Drawing on ethnographic research with Aboriginal communities, this article outlines the sociolinguistic difficulties that many Aboriginal people encounter in their relationships with dominant culture researchers as well as teachers. This article stresses the need to recognize the development of dual linguistic competence in Aboriginal students, thereby contributing to their educational success.
Through the Looking Glass: What ESL Teachers Can Find in Russian-Published Reference Books
Authors: Chipouline Dina
Published: May 2016

The purpose of this article was to research the cultural content of Russian-published English reference literature. Paradoxically, in trying to create the learning materials for the students of English, the authors of these texts focus on the values inherent in their own culture. Ethnocentrism and a high degree of generalizations about local values are reflected in the seemingly dry 1-2-sentence texts used for the study. The goal of the present research is not to give "modern recommendations" to non-English-speaking authors on how to write textbooks for students in their countries; rather, the intention is to help Canadian teachers working with the ESL learners to become more aware of the experiences, expectations, and views their students may bring to the classroom.
Performing Argumentative Writing in English: Difficulties, Processes, and Strategies
Authors: Zhu Wei
Published: May 2016

Argumentative writing constitutes an important part of second-language learners' academic writing experience in North America. This study examined the difficulties a group of Mexican graduate students encountered when engaged in an argumentative writing task as well as their writing processes and strategies. Data were collected from individual interviews with the participants and from participants' written essays. Data analysis indicated that most participants perceived the rhetorical aspects of English argumentative writing as difficult. Data analysis also indicated that participants mainly used cognitive, social, and search strategies, whereas metacognitive strategies were used infrequently. Potential implications of the study for second-language writing instruction are discussed.
Developing Cross-Cultural Awareness: Learning Through the Experiences of Others
Authors: Murray Garold L. , Bollinger Deborah J.
Published: May 2016

This article offers communicative activities designed to enhance the cross-cultural awareness of Japanese university students whose language levels range from beginner to intermediate. Facilitating the development of cross-cultural awareness of foreign language students who have never lived in another culture or even visited one can be problematic. Although many educators have responded to the challenge with a knowledge-based approach, a recent study suggests a syllabus that emphasizes constructivist, process-oriented tasks would be more effective. In their efforts to implement the latter approach, the authors have devised activities that range from student-generated interviews of a guest speaker and e-mail exchanges with target language speakers to amini-video ethnography project that focuses on the cross-cultural experiences of others. The article outlines these activities and concludes with a brief evaluation of their effectiveness based on the learners' reactions.
Speaking Their Sex: A Study of Gender and Linguistic Space in an ESL Classroom
Authors: Jule Allyson
Published: May 2016

This study is an exploration of the amount of talk (also referred to as "linguistic space," Mahony, 1985) used by girls as opposed to boys in a grade 2 ESL classroom located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. The focus was on the amount of language used by the girls in teacher-led classroom lessons. Data were collected through videotaped observations, which were then transcribed, measured by counting words, and analyzed for conversational opportunities. The findings revealed that being a girl may have affected participation in the classroom lessons, and by extension affected language-learning opportunities. The particular lack of linguistic space in the girls' experience suggests that the girls in this classroom may be limited in language use. Their silence appeared partly influenced by the teacher's response to their comments. The article concludes with a discussion of gender as a significant linguistic variable in an ESL experience.
Bringing Real Language into the Classroom: The Re-Tell Activity
Authors: Sklar Adrianne Levine , Ullman Lili
Published: May 2016

A re-tell is an activity designed to involve ESL learners in a dynamic interactive process. Using authentic reading and listening passages as core input, its aim is to create a context which encourages negotiating for meaning through an exchange of information. It is a flexible activity. easily adaptable for a variety of levels and teaching situations. A re-tell meets the criteria for a student-centered classroom, real language use and the fostering of acquisition by exposure to challenging material.
Phonological Processes in ESL Five-Year-Olds
Authors: Piper Terry
Published: May 2016

This paper reports the results of a study investigating the acquisition of the sound system by fifteen ESL five-year-olds. Segmental consonant errors drawn from speech data collected over ten months were categorized according to eight phonological processes in three categories, assimilation. substitution, and syllable structure changes. Eighty-six percent of the errors corresponded to those identified by Ingram (1979) and others as universal in first language acquisition. The author advises caution in the interpretation of this result, however, since there were certain differences in the particular errors made by the ESL learners within each category as well as processes considered universal among first language learners which were not found among the ESL learners.
Measuring the Multicultural Quotient of a School
Authors: Sealey D. Bruce
Published: May 2016

Enough research has been done in multicultural education so that guidelines can be developed to guide curriculum development at both the local and provincial levels. Six guidelines are presented for consideration. Questions arising from the guidelines are posed as examples of how classroom teachers, supervisory personnel or curriculum developers might assess current efforts within their jurisdiction.
Input and Acquisition in Second Language Classrooms
Authors: Lightbown Patsy M.
Published: May 2016

In the speech of a group of francophone ESL learners, we examined introducer forms used to initiate picture descriptions. We then compared the learners' use of these forms to the corresponding forms in the classroom language the learners were exposed to-textbook language, the students' own classroom language, and their teachers' language. We also compared the learners' use of introducers to that of native speakers performing the same task. Some of the non-target-like characteristics of the learners' language were found to correspond to characteristics of the input they received.
The Effect of Frequent Dictation on the Listening Comprehension Ability of Elementary EFL Learners
Authors: Kiany G. Reza , Shiramiry Ebrahim
Published: May 2016

This study investigated the effects of frequent dictation on the listening comprehension (LC) ability of elementary EFL learners. Two homogeneous groups of elementary EFL learners at the Kish Language Institute in Tehran, Iran were chosen. Each group consisted of30 male elementary EFL students, 20 to 35 years of age. All the participants had had the same amount of exposure to listening materials before the experiment, and all had studied English for three terms (each term consisting of 20 sessions of 100 minutes each) at the Kish Language Institute. One of the groups was chosen as the experimental group, and the other as the control group. For one term, consisting of 20 sessions, the students in the control group were given the listening exercises in their textbook, Headway Elementary (Soars & Soars, 1993). The experimental group, in addition to the listening exercises in the textbook, were given dictation 11 times during the term. At the end of the term the Le ability of both groups was posttested by a battery of 40-item NCTE Elementary Listening Tests (National Council of Teachers of English, 1972)/ which was also used as the listening pretest. The results showed that dictation had a significant effect on the listening comprehension ability of the participants in the experimental group. The mean gain scores of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group.
Race and Desire: Toward Critical Literacies for ESL
Authors: Mackie Ardiss
Published: May 2016

This article examines the complexities of race and teaching identity and their coupling with desire. The author contributes to a theory of critical literacies for ESL by questioning the construction of whiteness as it relates to ESL. She draws on a cross-disciplinary bibliography of critical pedagogy, cultural, and feminist studies. She suggests that an interesting paradox in critical literacy is the simultaneous breaking down of binary identities while continuing to offer up a socially transformative curriculum.
A Primer on Accent Discrimination in the Canadian Context
Authors: Munro Murray J.
Published: May 2016

Negative attitudes toward foreign-accented speech have led to discrimination against second-language users in Canada. This article reviews aspects of the Canadian human rights process as they pertain to language and accent, and identifies three types of accent discrimination arising in human rights cases: discrimination in employment due to inappropriate concern with accent, discrimination due to accent stereotyping, and harassment based on accent. It is argued that ESL teachers can work to stop this kind of discrimination by developing an understanding of the role of accent in communication and by promoting informed attitudes toward second-language users' speech, in both the classroom and the community.
Cultural Collisions in L2 Academic Writing
Authors: Steinman Linda
Published: May 2016

Learning to write in English for academic purposes presents a significant challenge for non-native speakers. Not only must they deal with the obvious linguistic and technical issues such as syntax, vocabulary, and format, but they must also become familiar with Western notions of academic rhetoric. (West or Western in this article refer primarily to North America.) Collisions of cultures are experienced when the discourse practices L2 writers are expected to reproduce clash with what they know, believe, and value in their L1 writing. For this article I reviewed a range of literature that addresses writing and culture. Described by researchers and by L2 writers are collisions regarding voice, organization, reader/ writer responsibility, topic, and identity. Implications for writing pedagogy include awareness of contrastive rhetoric on the part of ESL writing instructors; instructors' acknowledgment of and appreciation for the prior knowledge that students bring from their L1; realization on the part of ESL writing instructors that Western notions of,for example, voice are indeed just notions and are simply one way among many of expressing oneself; and a need for open discussion with students about how they might incorporate standard Western notions of writing without compromising their own identity.
From Generation to Generation: Survival and Maintenance of Canada's Aboriginal Languages, within Families, Communities and Cities
Authors: Norris Mary Jane
Published: May 2016

The survival and maintenance of Aboriginal languages in Canada depend on their transmission from generation to generation. Children are the future speakers of a language. This paper demonstrates that the family and the community together play critical roles in the transmission of language from parent to child. On their own, neither family capacity nor community support is sufficient to ensure the adequate transmission of an Aboriginal language as a population's mother tongue from one generation to the next. Intergenerational transmission is maximized in Aboriginal communities among families where both parents have an Aboriginal mother tongue. Transmission can be best realized with the support of the community in those families with either both parents or the lone parent having an Aboriginal mother tongue. Outside of Aboriginal communities, particularly within large cities, transmission and continuity is significantly reduced even under ideal family conditions of linguistically endogamous parents. For exogamous families, it appears that community effect, while positive, is nevertheless limited in offsetting their low rate of mother tongue transmission. Trends indicate continuing declines in intergenerational transmission accompanied by a decreasing and ageing Aboriginal mother tongue population and a growing likelihood that Aboriginal languages will be learned increasingly as second languages.
Presenting Canadian Values in LINC: The Roles of Textbooks and Teachers
Authors: Thomson Ron I , Derwing Tracey M
Published: May 2016

A survey of 63 employees in LINC programs in Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta Indicated that the mandate of LINC to incorporate information on 'Canadian values' remains partly unfulfilled. Although professionally trained ESL instructors may be equipped to incorporate Canadian values into the content of classroom instruction, those who lack specific preparation are likely to rely on published texts. We analyzed 67 textbooks used in LINC programs. In general, most of the materials have little in the way of Canadian content and even less in the way of Canadian values. The survey responses suggested that some teachers dealt with general Canadian values if they cam up in class: others, however, felt that it was inappropriate to deal with such complex topics in LINC programs and that the proficiency level of LINC students was an obstacle. Most teachers felt that survival English was paramount in LINC.
Achievement Goal Theory: A Perspective on Foreign-Language-Learners' Motivation
Authors: Tercanlioglu Leyla
Published: May 2016

It has long been recognized that varying achievement goals elicit varying motivational patterns with varying behavioral consequences. Several sets of contrasting goal orientations have been proposed to explain differences in language students' achievement behaviors. A total of 135 third-year (n = 54 male; n = 81 female) students in a preservice English teacher education program participated in this study of goal orientation. The proposed goal orientations were measured by adapting the Goal Orientation Scale developed by Skaaalvik (1997) for the L2 learning domain, and students' language achievement was measured by a TOEFL test. Results indicated that students placed most emphasis on task mastery goals and that this was related to language achievement. Task mastery goals are negatively correlated with work-avoidance. Self-defeating ego orientation is positively correlated with both work-avoidance and self-enhancing ego orientation. The analysis also suggested that male students had a stronger tendency to avoid work.
Giving Students a Fighting Chance: Pragmatics in the Language Classroom
Authors: McLean Terrence
Published: May 2016

In order to give language learners a fighting chance outside the classroom, teachers must provide them with consciousness-raising opportunities for developing pragmatic awareness. By attending to pragmatic factors in second-language (L2) situations, students will be better able to make informed decisions in negotiating effective communication., This article examines the potential use of the pragmatic discourse completion task (DCT) as a springboard for discussion in the L2 classroom. A description of a DCT used in a study involving advanced L2 learners at the University of Alberta (Ranta, 2002) is provided. The author also provides suggestions for developing students' pragmatic awareness.
Error Correction in the L2 Writing Classroom: What Do Students Think?
Authors: Lee Icy
Published: May 2016

Error correction research has focused mostly on teachers' strategies and their effects on student writing. Much less has been done to find out about students' beliefs and attitudes about teachers' feedback on errors. This study aimed to investigate L2 students' perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes about error correction in the writing classroom. Data were obtained from a questionnaire and from follow-up interviews. The findings showed that most students wished their teachers to mark and correct errors for them and believed that error correction was primarily the teacher's responsibility. The article ends with some pedagogical implications that can be applied in L2 writing classrooms.
Demystifying Lexical Inferencing: The Role of Aspects of Vocabulary Knowledge
Authors: Qian David D.
Published: May 2016

This empirical study examines how English-as-a-second-language (ESL) learners use their vocabulary knowledge for inferring meanings of unknown words in reading comprehension. The data, collected through interviews with young adult ESL students in Canadian universities, indicate that: (a) semantic and morphological aspects of vocabulary knowledge play an important role in learners' comprehension processes; (b) a positive relationship exists between certain aspects of learners' vocabulary knowledge and their lexical inferencing ability; and (c) in processing the meaning of unknown words, all learners looked for cues to meaning, but learners with varying depths of vocabulary knowledge tended to focus on varying strategies.
Teachers' and Students' Beliefs About Responding to ESL Writing: A Case Study
Authors: Diab Rula L.
Published: May 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate ESL instructors' feedback techniques and the rationales behind these techniques, to explore ESL students' beliefs about the relative effectiveness of various types of feedback, and to compare students' beliefs with those of their instructors. A university-level ESL instructor and two of her students participated in this case study. Data were collected by think-aloud protocols and semistructured interviews, and results revealed four major categories: (a) types of feedback the instructor emphasized, (b) the instructor's beliefs about teaching writing, (c) students' beliefs about learning to write, and (d) students' views on the effectiveness of teachers' feedback strategies. Because some of the instructor's beliefs seemed to conflict with her students' views, it was concluded that teachers should make an effort to explore their students' beliefs about writing, feedback, and error correction and to try to bridge any gap between their own and their students' expectations.
Citizenship Concepts in LINC Classrooms
Authors: Derwing Tracey M. , Thomson Ronald I.
Published: May 2016

In this study we surveyed teachers and program coordinators of Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) from Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta to determine to what degree they believe they are incorporating citizenship concepts into the ESL classroom. Respondents provided us with information on the nature of their programs, the role of LINC, the types of materials they used, general course content, challenges faced, and their evaluation of the success of LINC in view of the government mandate to provide instruction that will lead to social integration. Most LINC providers felt that their programs were well tailored to the needs of their students, but in general they did not see LINC as a substitute for citizenship preparation courses. We recommend that optional citizenship courses be made widely available to immigrants after LINC, where the focus is on complex issues facing Canadians rather than a superficial coverage of facts for the citizenship test.
Creative EFL Writing as a Means of Intensifying English Writing Skill Acquisition: A Ukrainian Experience
Authors: Tarnopolsky Oleg
Published: May 2016

This article describes a classroom technique for improving the writing skills of EFL university students who have chosen English as their major for pursuing future careers as translators from and into English. The technique in question, designed for a creative writing course aimed at such students, was based on: (a) the combination of process and genre approaches to teaching writing; (b) paying special attention to students’ development of the skills of description, narration, and discussion in creative writing; (c) development the skills of commenting and critique; (e) emphasizing peer-reviewing, peer-commenting, and peer-evaluating students’ written works in the course; (e) and ensuring learners’ autonomy in writing by introducing free-choice writing. This technique allowed students to achieve dramatic improvement in their writing skills. The article describes how its introduction not only intensifies students’ development, but also generates positive motivation for writing in English as a foreign language.
Reflective Practice in Action: A Case Study of a Writing Teacher’s Reflections on Practice
Authors: Farrell Thomas S.C.
Published: May 2016

Reflective practice, a popular item in current second-language teacher education and development programs, can help bridge the gap between a teacher’s beliefs and classroom practices. This article outlines a case study, highlighting how one teacher of academic writing initiated the exploration of her teaching and how she used classroom observations and oral recall to help her reflect on her practice. Specifically, the exploration sought to outline the teacher’s beliefs about, and classroom practices in, teaching academic writing. It is suggested that oral recall and classroom observations may be effective methods for helping language teachers discover the relationship between their beliefs and classroom practices.
The Contestation of Citizenship Education at Three Stages of the LINC 4 & 5 Curriculum Guidelines: Production, Reception, and Implementation
Authors: Pinet Robert
Published: May 2016

This article highlights how citizenship and citizenship education are sites of contestation. I have analyzed the process of curriculum making of the LINC 4 & 5 Curriculum Guidelines (TCDSB, 1999) through three stages: from production, through reception, to implementation. The production stage is investigated by contrasting commentaries from two members of the Advisory or Specialist Committees who helped to prepare the document. The reception stage featured a thematic analysis of the Guidelines. The implementation stage is investigated through interviews with five present or former LINC teachers, who discuss how they used or are using the Guidelines as part of their curriculum-in-use. Although this LINC document can be characterized as representing a "Liberal democratic" approach to citizenship and a transactional approach to citizenship education in a multicultural framework, a minority position supporting a more critical and transformational approach to citizenship education is also evident.
I Meant to Say That: How Adult Language Learners Construct Positive Identities Through Nonstandard Language Use
Authors: Szabo Michelle
Published: May 2016

The aim of this article is to raise awareness in L2 education about the relationship between second-language learners' linguistic choices in the L2 and their identities. The author reviews empirical research and language-learning narratives that show that L2 learners may purposely use nonstandard L2 forms. Using a poststructuralist framework to conceptualize identity, the author argues that these second-language learners use nonstandard language in the L2 in order to create positive identities, and in some cases to resist social inequalities, in the L2 community. The implications of this research for second-language teachers are discussed and suggestions for classroom practice are offered.
Keeping the Language Focus in Content-Based ESL Instruction Through Proactive Curriculum-Planning
Authors: Bigelow Martha , Dahlman Anne , Ranney Susan
Published: May 2016

For content-based instruction (CBI) to work to its maximum potential, a concerted planning effort must be made to address language objectives, combined with effective instructional strategies that target and assess student performance in relation to those objectives. In this article, after considering various models of content-language integration, we propose a flexible and dynamic planning model for content-language integration. This model has been helpful in our work with ESL teachers learning to conceptualize lesson planning and curriculum development using CBI across a variety of K-12 settings. Examples implementing the planning model are provided using a curriculum about Arctic exploration and Inuit cultures.
ESL Learning Experiences of Immigrant Students in High Schools in a Small City
Authors: Karanja Lucy
Published: May 2016

Immigrant students who attend high schools in small Canadian cities are likely to be few in each school. Consequently, they may receive limited English as a second language (ESL) services and support by school personnel. This study aimed to acquire a deeper understanding of the organization and provision of ESL services in high schools in a small city with few immigrant students. Results indicate that the limited ESL support and services available in these schools pose challenges to the educational success of these students; however, sufficient resources and support would enable meeting their educational needs better, even given their low numbers. Suggestions for improvements are provided.
What do University Language Teachers Say About Language Teaching Research?
Authors: Allison Desmond , Carey Julia
Published: May 2016

Although the relationship between research and language teaching is often discussed among applied linguists, the views of language teachers are often reported only anecdotally if at all. Our article explores how language teaching colleagues in a Canadian university view this relationship as expressed in open-ended questionnaire responses and contributions to follow-up discussions. We ask what research issues interest colleagues and how teaching insights might contribute to research. Responses proved remarkably full and frank, and our investigation elicited ideas for a collective effort to develop a shared program of language teaching research.
Effects of Word Games, Culturally Relevant Songs, and Stories on Students' Motivation in a Nigerian English Language Class
Authors: Ajibade Yetunde , Ndububa Kate
Published: May 2016

This study investigated the extent to which word games and culturally relevant songs and stories could motivate senior secondary school students in Nigeria, thereby enhancing their performance in English. A pre-test/post-test control group design was used. The sample consisted of 100 senior secondary school II students randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. Four instruments were designed, validated, and used for data collection. Four hypotheses were formulated and tested. The findings revealed that the use of word games and culturally relevant instructional activities was beneficial for these students, as they served as an effective motivational strategy that contributed to better performance in English-language learning at the senior secondary school level.
Beyond the Pragmatic and the Liminal: Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students Code-Switching in Early-Years Classrooms
Authors: Iannacci Luigi
Published: May 2016

This article examines the code-switching (CS) practices of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) young children in kindergarten and grade 1 classrooms. The author argues that their use of CS went beyond relief of psycholinguistic stress or coping with liminality (sense of living between two languages and cultures). Through several narratives constructed using ethnographic data, the author explores CLD students' use of CS to respond to the sociolinguistic and sociopolitical dynamics that they encountered in their early-years classrooms. CS enabled students to address their language and literacy needs, assert their identities, and defy subtractive and assimilative orientations that they experienced with respect to lack of incorporation of their first languages. Further, data affirm Cummins'(2001) assertion that students do not passively accept dominantgroup attributions of inferiority, but actively resist the process of subordination.
The Effects of Various Kinds of Form-Focused Instruction on Learners' Ability to Comprehend and Produce Polite Requests in English
Authors: Takimoto Masahiro
Published: May 2016

This study involving 60 Japanese learners of English investigated the effects of various kinds of form-focused instruction on learners' ability to comprehend and produce polite requests in English. Each treatment group received one of the following: (a) deductive instruction; (b) inductive instruction with problem-solving tasks; or (c) inductive instruction with structured input tasks. These tasks all involved explicit input-based instruction and were intended to test for differences in deductive versus inductive treatments. Treatment group performance was compared with that of a control group on a range of input- and output-based pretests, posttests, and follow-up tests. The results indicate that the three treatment groups performed significantly better than the control group, suggesting that in this study explicit input-based instruction was effective both deductively and inductively for learners' comprehension and production of English polite requests. There was also some indication that inductive treatment may be superior in the longer term.
I hate the ESL idea!: A Case Study in Identity and Academic Literacy
Authors: Waterstone Bonnie
Published: May 2016

This case study of an undergraduate student in a Canadian university analyzes her resistance/acceptance of practices and possibilities for participation in academic discourses. Analyzing her responses to feedback on her writing, this study shows the strategies she engages for negotiating her multiple and contradictory identifications as she learns to write.
Chinese Graduate Students' Experiences with Writing a Literature Review
Authors: Qian Jun , Krugly-Smolska Eva
Published: May 2016

Based on interview data, this study investigated four Chinese graduate students' experiences with writing a literature review at a medium-sized university in Canada. These students, from four subject areas, held varying perceptions of a literature review, but all saw the writing challenges that they encountered mainly as linguistic problems, especially regarding vocabulary and accuracy at the sentence level. The strategies that they used in the composing process were diverse, with each individual relying on them to varying degrees. Findings from this study suggest that Chinese graduate students need assistance in adjusting to the new academic environment and writing-genre expectations.