ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the Implementation of the Reading Component of the English Language Curriculum for Basic Education in Nigeria
Author: Yusuf, Hanna Onyi
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English Curriculum,Curriculum Implementation,Reading Achievement,Secondary School Curriculum,Teaching Methods,Institutional Characteristics,Questionnaires,Observation,Fidelity,Likert Scales,Teacher Surveys,Incidence,Educational Practices

This study assessed the implementation of the reading component of the Junior Secondary School English Language Curriculum for Basic Education in Nigeria. Ten (10) randomly selected public and private secondary schools from Kaduna metropolis in Kaduna State of Nigeria were used for the study. Among the factors assessed in relation to the implementation of the curriculum were: teachers variation of methods and the differences between school types in the implementation of reading component of the English Language curriculum. Thirty (30) English language teachers were involved in the study. Questionnaire and observation were the instruments used in gathering data. The data were analyzed, using frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviation. The analysis of the data collected revealed that there was no significant difference in the implementation of the reading component of the English language curriculum in public and private schools. Teachers in both schools tended to have the same pattern of implementing the reading component of the English language curriculum. It was observed that the implementation of the reading component of the English language curriculum was not very effective from the classroom observation of the teachers. Teaching was teacher-centred. Students were passive and did not participate in class discussion. It was recommended that teachers should adopt learner centred approaches in teaching reading and students should be encouraged to participate actively in class discussions. For efficiency and effectiveness of the implementation of the reading component of the English curriculum, there should be continuity of the syllabus (from JS 1-3) and there should be checks and balances to ensure the successful delivery of the curriculum.
A CALL-Based Lesson Plan for Teaching Reading Comprehension to Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners
Author: Khoshsima, Hooshang
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computer Assisted Instruction,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Reading Comprehension,Foreign Countries,Teaching Methods,Lesson Plans,Language Teachers,Educational Benefits,Teacher Attitudes,Educational History,Pretests Posttests,Qualitative Research

The main purpose of this descriptive research is to provide a CALL (Computer-Assisted Language Learning)-based lesson plan for teaching reading comprehension to Iranian intermediate EFL learners. CALL is a new way of learning and teaching language. It is proved that CALL mainly has positive effects on educational contexts. Although teachers believe that CALL will have positive effect in the process of learning a language, they prefer the traditional methods. The reason is that they do not have a guide to work based on it. As a result, this study tries to design a CALL-based lesson plan to suggest not only the teachers, but also the students to examine the benefits of the method.
A Multidimensional Review of Bilingual Aphasia as a Language Disorder
Author: Akbari, Mohsen
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Bilingualism,Aphasia,Neurolinguistics,Psycholinguistics,Language Impairments,Language Proficiency,Severity (of Disability),Age,Second Language Learning,Language Research,Literature Reviews

Aphasia as a multifaceted language disorder associated with the complicated links between language and brain has been and is of interest and significance to the stream of research in different disciplines including neurolinguistics, psycholinguistics, cognitive studies and language acquisition. Along with explorations into the manifestations of aphasia in monolingual speakers, bilingual aphasia has similarly become the most current form of this language disorder due to the rising number of bilingual speakers in recent decades all over the world and the probability of facing bilinguals suffering from this language deficit. To paint a picture of this multidimensional linguistic impairment and to get out of the labyrinth of aphasia and in particular bilingual aphasia, the present review study aims to provide a summary of aphasia-related studies in different contexts worldwide and run through the variables affecting the manifestations and language recovery patterns in bilingual aphasic speakers.
Fostering Critical Thinking in the Classroom
Author: Sahamid, Husniah
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Critical Thinking,Thinking Skills,Questioning Techniques,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Abstract Reasoning,Learning Processes,Reading Comprehension,Teaching Methods

The ability to cite reasons, to justify claims and give support to arguments is seen as primary characteristics of a critical thinker. This paper discusses how the &quot;Elements of Reasoning&quot; is employed with Socratic Questioning to develop critical thinking in the language classroom. The principles that guide the questioning are laid out clearly, just as is the response which must be backed by valid reasons, examples, and illustrations, pushing students beyond mere recall and into abstract thinking. It is based on the notion that through questioning, the process that occurs in the student's mind creates thinking and learning.
A Cross Cultural Analysis of Textual and Interpersonal Metadiscourse Markers: The Case of Economic Articles in English and Persian Newspapers
Author: Boshrabadi, Abbas Mehrabi
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cross Cultural Studies,English,Indo European Languages,Newspapers,Discourse Analysis,North Americans,Authors,Economics,News Reporting,Language Usage,Connected Discourse,Literary Devices,Statistical Analysis,Foreign Countries

This study was an attempt to investigate the functional role of textual and interpersonal metadiscourse markers in English and Persian Economic news reports. To this end, 10 news articles, 5 in each language, were randomly selected from the Economic sections of the leading newspapers published in 2013-2014 in Iran and the United States. Based on Kopple's (1985) taxonomy, the type and frequency of metadiscourse markers used in the texts were analyzed to find out their functions in the text. The findings revealed that the textual markers used by Persian authors were considerably more frequent than those employed by the American writers. Interestingly, unlike the Persian writers, the American authors enlisted a larger number of interpersonal markers, which made their angle of the subject treatment different. It is evident that the differential use of metadiscourse markers by nationally different authors could be attributed to culture-specific norms governing the development and organization of discourse.
Canonical Word Order of Japanese Ditransitive Sentences: A Preliminary Investigation through a Grammaticality Judgment Survey
Author: Shigenaga, Yasumasa
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Japanese,Grammar,Syntax,Verbs,Native Speakers,Psycholinguistics,Surveys,Language Research,Likert Scales,Statistical Analysis

There have been three competing analyses regarding the canonical word order of Japanese ditransitive sentences: a) &quot;S-'ga' IO-'ni' DO-'o' V&quot; is the canonical word order rather than &quot;S-'ga' DO-'o' IO-'ni' V&quot;, b) both word orders are canonical, and c) the canonical word order depends on the type of the verb. The present study attempted to examine which of the three analyses might be most plausible through a grammaticality judgment survey. Twenty-seven native speakers of Japanese responded to a survey which consisted of three sections. While the data from one of the sections conformed to analysis a) above, the results of the two other sections remained inconclusive. A future study with a larger number of items and more refined survey methods, along with more studies from structural and psycholinguistic perspectives, would be necessary to clarify the point.
Investigating the Efficacy of an Intensive English Program and the L2 Learners' Learning Styles
Author: Ping, Rebecca Lee Su
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learning Strategies,Cognitive Style,English (Second Language),Intensive Language Courses,Reading Achievement,Writing Achievement,Grammar,Listening,Speech Skills,Language Tests,Pretests Posttests,Language Proficiency,Semi Structured Interviews,Achievement Gains,Interviews,Student Attitudes,College Second Language Programs,Foreign Countries,Second Language Learning,Mixed Methods Research

Past research has found that many pre-university L2 learners, having completed an Intensive English Program (IEP) still have difficulty in undertaking various disciplines in English-speaking tertiary institutions and continue to exhibit numerous linguistic problems (Bialystok, 2001, Celce Murcia 2001). The purpose of this paper is to present the findings on the investigation of L2 learners' English proficiency in reading, writing, grammar, listening and speaking upon their completion of an Intensive English (IE) program using their IELTS (Academic), in-house exams and English Placement Tests (EPT) scores, and the efficacy of IE program. IELTS test is chosen for this study due to its increasing popularity in Malaysia and its internationally recognised value and quality. The study was conducted in two parts. In Part One, all 72 Level 4 IE students were given an in-house EPT (English Placement Test) pre-test on their entry and another EPT post-test on their exit, and then their pre-test and post-test results were compared. In Part Two, 22 volunteers sat the IELTS test at the end of the program. The IELTS results of the 22 volunteers were compared with those who did not. Data were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. This paper hopes to shed some light on (i) whether or not L2 learners' English language proficiency can be significantly enhanced and influenced by an intensive English program and (ii) how leaners' perception of their own learning strategies influence their learning progress.
Generalization of Suppression in Norma Khouri's &quot;Forbidden Love&quot;
Author: Mariam, Olya
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Generalization,Social Problems,Consciousness Raising,Terrorism,Critical Theory,Literary Criticism,Literary Devices,Literary Styles,Literature Appreciation,Cultural Context,Cultural Awareness,Didacticism,Fiction,Educational Theories,Story Grammar

The aim of this research is to critique the repercussions of over-generalization of a social issue as depicted in Norma Khouri's &quot;Forbidden Love.&quot; The novel/memoir has been written against the 9/11 backdrop and as such serves as means of sensationalizing and exploiting a cultural event which unfortunately echoes in the East. The objective of this research is to highlight the responsibility of the writer in raising or negating awareness. Investigative journalism such as Anna Broinowski and Malcolm Knox's helps to highlight the repercussions of such canonship. Michel Foucault's theory of &quot;Discourse Analysis&quot; and E Ann Kaplan's &quot;Imperial Gaze&quot; have been employed to exploit the core text. The research proves that writers can fictionalize and fabricate events to sensationalize a social practice/ cultural dimension to over generalize and market a given perception. Thereby, helping to develop a condescending attitude amongst (Western) audience and reader
Contribution of Gender, Marital Status, and Age to English Language Teachers' Burnout
Author: Mousavy, Seyedehhava
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Marital Status,Gender Issues,Age,English Teachers,Burnout,Stress Variables,Public School Teachers,Questionnaires,Teacher Surveys,Teacher Attitudes,Elementary Secondary Education,Foreign Countries,Measures (Individuals),Statistical Analysis

Teaching is a stressful job and can lead to teachers' burnout. Teachers feel burned out when they experience high levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization but low levels of personal accomplishment (Maslach, 1999). A wealth of research is available on this subject but the findings are inconsistent. The present study surveyed the level of burnout among a randomly selected group of English language teachers (n = 315) in Malaysia. It also investigated whether these teachers' gender, age and marital status could significantly contribute to their burnout levels. Maslach's Burnout Inventory (Maslach &amp; Jackson, 1986) was used to collect the data. According to the results, the teachers suffered from significantly high levels of burnout in reference to their PA scores. In comparison with the male teachers, female teachers reported significantly higher levels of burnout considering their emotional exhaustion (p = 0.008), depersonalization (p = 0.002) and personal accomplishment (p = 0.000). Additionally, older teachers (aged = 40) were significantly more burned out than their younger colleagues (aged = 30), regarding their depersonalization (p = 0.001) and personal achievement (p = 0.000) mean scores. Finally, married teachers indicated significantly higher levels of burnout compared with those who were not married. The study is expected to have useful implications for teachers, administrators, and researchers.
Study of Sinhalizations in Sinhala-English Mixed Discourse
Author: Senaratne, Chamindi Dilkushi
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Pronunciation,Multilingual Materials,Speech Acts,Questionnaires,Language Attitudes,Self Evaluation (Individuals),Coding,Phonology,Sociolinguistics,Language Styles

Pronunciation plays a vital role in creating a language acceptable to all. This is also true in the case of Sri Lankan English (hereafter SLE). This study concentrates mainly on the phonological features of non-standard SLE, identified mainly by deviations in pronunciation of a few vowels and consonants. The objective of this paper is to analyze the terms characterized as non-standard by using Muysken's theory on Code Mixing. The proposed analysis will categorize elements into insertion and congruent lexicalization strategies. The study will analyze recorded speech of 20 urban bilinguals to obtain data. Self-assessment questionnaires will be used to determine attitudes towards phonologically marked items. Results will reveal that terms which are phonologically marked as non-standard. These phonologically marked items identified as Sinhalizations show more affinity to Sinhala phonology and are based on the speaker's first language. They are products of a grammaticalisation process.
Advertisement Analysis: A Comparative Critical Study
Author: Abdelaal, Noureldin Mohamed
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Advertising,Comparative Analysis,Semiotics,Discourse Modes,Electronic Publishing,Qualitative Research,Content Analysis,Discourse Analysis,Audience Awareness,Misconceptions,Syntax,Mass Media Use

This study aimed at analyzing two advertisements, and investigating how advertisers use discourse and semiotics to make people and customers buy into their ideas, beliefs, or simply their products. The two advertisements analyzed are beauty products which have been selected from internet magazines. The methodology adopted in this study is qualitative method. The first advertisement is analyzed qualitatively in terms of content; there was no focus on a specific theoretical frame work, while the second advertisement analysis is based on Fairclough's framework, the critical discourse analysis framework.
Addressing Iraqi EFL Teacher/Learner Discourse Interactions in Task-Based Classrooms
Author: Rashid, Bushra Ni'ma
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Teacher Student Relationship,Classroom Techniques,English (Second Language),College Second Language Programs,Teaching Methods,Communicative Competence (Languages),Protocol Analysis,Questioning Techniques,Video Technology,Educational Practices,Educational Strategies,Interaction Process Analysis,Observation

Teaching English in an EFL context involves certain difficulties. The most important is how to prepare learners to use the English language so as to be able to participate in conversations inside and outside the class. Six classes at intermediate level (nine hours) were video and audio-taped in their entirety. The study explored recurring patterns of questioning behavior and their interactive effects were observed through nonparticipant observation. The findings of this study indicated that Display questions were used by the teachers more frequently than Referential questions. Also, it was concluded that NOT all Referential questions could create enough interaction.
A Synthesis of Language Learning Strategies: Current Issues, Problems and Claims Made in Learner Strategy Research
Author: Barjesteh, Hamed
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Synthesis,Learning Strategies,Second Language Learning,Literature Reviews,Cognitive Processes,Research Methodology,Evidence,Inferences,Definitions,Classification,Educational Practices,Research Needs,Criticism,Barriers,Performance Factors

The current paper presented theoretical assumptions behind language learning strategies (LLS) and an overview of methods used to identify learners' strategies, first, and then summarized what have been reported from large number of descriptive studies of strategies by language learners. Moreover, the paper tried to present the variety of definitions and classifications of learning strategies can be counterproductive in a number of ways. Finally, the researchers argued that in spite of the lack of coherence and clarity in the description of second language learning strategies, the relevant research findings can be profitably incorporated into classroom activities and that further research and application in this area can make our understanding of learning strategies deeper and our facilitation of language learning more fruitful.
A Structural Equation Modeling of EFL Learners' Goal Orientation, Metacognitive Awareness, and Self-Efficacy
Author: Zafarmand, Atefeh
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Structural Equation Models,Goal Orientation,Metacognition,English (Second Language),Self Efficacy,Hypothesis Testing,College Second Language Programs,Predictor Variables,Predictive Validity,Correlation,Student Surveys,Academic Achievement,Performance Factors,Foreign Countries

This article sets out to examine the relationship between EFL learners' goal orientation, metacognitive awareness and self-efficacy in a single framework. One hundred fifteen EFL students from two universities of Mashhad, a city in north-eastern Iran took part in this study. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to examine the hypothesized relations. The results of SEM demonstrated that among goal orientations, mastery goal is a positive and significant predictor of metacognitive awareness. It also positively and significantly predicts self-efficacy. Furthermore, it was found that metacognitive awareness has a positive and significant role in self-efficacy. The results of correlation between subscales of metacognitive awareness and mastery goal indicated that the highest correlations were found between mastery goal, planning and monitoring. Identical analysis for performance goal revealed that there are significant but weak correlations between performance goal and declarative and procedural knowledge.
Expectations of Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) Stakeholders on the Ulul Albab Curriculum at a MARA Junior Science College (MRSM)
Author: Manaf, Umi Kalthom Abdul
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Stakeholders,Expectation,Religious Education,Integrated Curriculum,College Science,Semi Structured Interviews,Qualitative Research,Program Attitudes,Spiritual Development,Educational Practices,Foreign Countries,Case Studies

Ulul Albab is an educational programme of integration between the existing programmes in MARA Junior Science College (MRSM) with the religious school programme including Tahfiz Al-Quran. MRSM Ulul Albab education programme is designed to produce professional experts, entrepreneurs and technocrats that are well versed in the field of religion-based Al-Quran and &quot;Sunnah&quot; as Ulul Albab generation. This study aims to explore stakeholders' expectations on the Ulul Albab programme in MRSM Kota Putra, Besut Terengganu towards students' &quot;sahsiah&quot;. The methodology used was qualitative in nature in the form of semi-structured interviews conducted with the four MARA stakeholders. Validity and reliability of data were done through several techniques employed such as member checking, rich thick description, clarification of researcher biases, peer review and debriefing, and external audit. The findings from this study indicate that inculcation of &quot;akhlak&quot; is fundamental in human capital development. This is the case because stakeholders believe that the main intention of the programme is to develop an Ulul Albab generation who are not only knowledgeable and skilled but also possess good qualities namely devotion, noble, responsible and committed to religion, nation and state. Aside from that, findings also showed that teaching and learning that is based on love is fundamental in fostering good &quot;akhlak&quot;.
Scaffolding Singaporean Students to Write Vividly in the Chinese &quot;Mother Tongue&quot;, Mandarin
Author: Chung, Tzemin
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Scaffolding (Teaching Technique),Mandarin Chinese,Native Language Instruction,Writing (Composition),Writing Achievement,Writing Improvement,Writing Strategies,Teaching Methods,Elementary School Students,Learning Strategies,Student Surveys,Achievement Rating,Observation,Courseware,Mixed Methods Research

This paper details results from a three-year study investigating how to help students in Singapore write vivid compositions in Mandarin, the Chinese &quot;mother tongue&quot;. Mastery of the mother tongue by Singaporean students has become an important government priority in recent years. The strategies employed by this study included the use of information and communications technology (ICT) mediated scaffolds such as collaborative mind maps and online peer editing to help students learn micro-writing strategies. This paper outlines the process of using various scaffolds to support students to learn and apply the action chain micro-writing strategy. A class of 31 Primary 4 from a neighbourhood school participated in this study. Findings indicated that students were very enthusiastic about writing in the ICT-mediated environment. Contrary to the teacher's initial belief, students could be scaffolded to write action chains quickly. Findings highlighted the potential of scaffolding students in learning small chunks of writing strategy in an ICT-mediated environment that enabled them to practice these strategies in their composition writing until they could master and apply them. These micro-writing strategies gradually built up to a complex set of skills, including expressive writing. Moreover, students enjoyed working in groups and editing their peers' work online. This showed that peers could be engaged as scaffolders in the classroom to free up the teacher's time, allowing the teacher more time to spend with students who were not performing well.