ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Discourse Markers and Spoken English: Nonnative Use in the Turkish EFL Setting
Author: Asik, Asuman
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Native Speakers,Comparative Analysis,Undergraduate Students,Transcripts (Written Records),Oral Language,Public Speaking,Foreign Countries,Statistical Analysis,Language Usage

This study investigated the production of discourse markers by non-native speakers of English and their occurrences in their spoken English by comparing them with those used in native speakers' spoken discourse. Because discourse markers (DMs) are significant items in spoken discourse of native speakers, a study about the use of DMs by nonnative speakers is necessary and guiding. Thus, the study was based on two specific corpora. First, a research corpus was composed using the transcriptions of the course presentations of twenty non-native undergraduate students studying at an English Language Teaching (ELT) program in Turkey. To compare the data, transcripts of student presentations of native speakers were attained with the help of MICASE Corpus. The occurrences of the discourse markers in both corpora were determined with frequency analysis. The results indicated that non-native speakers of English use a limited number and less variety of discourse markers in their spoken English. The study therefore highlights the importance of the need for raising non-native speakers' awareness of using discourse markers in their spoken English, and recommends implications for English language teaching.
The Effects of Age Factor on Learning English: A Case Study of Learning English in Saudi Schools, Saudi Arabia
Author: Gawi, Elsadig Mohamed Khalifa
Date: 2012-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Age Differences,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Elementary School Teachers,Language Teachers,Elementary School Students,Intermediate Grades,Hypothesis Testing,Language Proficiency,Questionnaires,Statistical Analysis,Language Tests,Gender Differences,Grammar,Vocabulary

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of age on learning English in Saudi Arabia. It aims at encouraging the learning of English as a foreign language at an early age in KSA. The populations of the study are English language teachers and Saudi students in elementary schools compared with intermediate school students in Dawadmi town. The study found out that age affects EFL learning because early exposure to language instructions constantly results in better performance. The results show that start learning English at an earlier age is an important factor in enhancing the skills of English language learners.
A Study of Relationships between L1 Pragmatic Transfer and L2 Proficiency
Author: Bu, Jiemin
Date: 2012-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Correlation,Second Language Learning,Language Proficiency,Pragmatics,Native Language,Interlanguage,Transfer of Training,English (Second Language),Native Speakers,Taxonomy,English,Chinese,Language Tests,Questionnaires,Semantics,Linguistic Theory,Undergraduate Students,Coding,Statistical Analysis

Studies in interlanguage pragmatics have shown that L2 learners' proficiency has an influence on the occurrences of L1 pragmatic transfer. However, questions remain whether the relationship between L1 pragmatic transfer and L2 proficiency is positive or negative. This paper is designed to study L1 pragmatic transfer in requests made by Chinese learners of English at low L2 proficiency level and at high L2 proficiency level and how L1 pragmatic transfer is related to their L2 proficiency. Ten low proficiency learners of English, ten high proficiency learners of English, ten native speakers of English and ten native speakers of Chinese participate in this study. Requests are collected by means of a discourse completion test questionnaire and are analysed in terms of requestive semantic formulas based on the taxonomy of request strategies, internal modifiers and external modifiers. The research results reveal that L1 pragmatic transfer decreases with the increase of L2 proficiency such as learners' use of direct strategies, lexical and phrasal downgraders, imperatives and grounder and no clear relationship is found between L1 pragmatic transfer and L2 proficiency in terms of the other request strategies, internal modifiers and external modifiers. These results provide partial support to negative correlation hypothesis--high proficiency L2 learners are less likely to transfer their native language pragmatic norms since they have enough control over L2.
Application of Critical Classroom Discourse Analysis (CCDA) in Analyzing Classroom Interaction
Author: Sadeghi, Sima
Date: 2012-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Classroom Communication,Discourse Analysis,Linguistic Input,Power Structure,Ethnography,Gender Differences,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Foreign Countries,Second Language Instruction,Sociocultural Patterns,Translation,Interviews,Student Attitudes,College Students

As an area of classroom research, Interaction Analysis developed from the need and desire to investigate the process of classroom teaching and learning in terms of action-reaction between individuals and their socio-cultural context (Biddle, 1967). However, sole reliance on quantitative techniques could be problematic, since they conceal more than they reveal of the intricacies of classroom interaction. Moving away from this quantitative norm, this study examines the classroom process from the discourse analysis perspective called Critical Classroom Discourse Analysis (CCDA), proposed by Kumaravadivelu (1999); which draws on Poststructuralism and postcolonialism concepts of discourse; to analyze and understand classroom input and interaction in terms of &quot;power&quot; and &quot;dominance.&quot; This ethnographic study aimed at using CCDA as a tool for critical reflection to analyze the differences in the discourse of males and females in an EFL situation. The discussion, based on a case study conducted at a university classroom in Iran, aims at understanding the unseen social processes, i.e. male dominance in discourse. Transcriptions of classroom interactions were put into a qualitatively interpretation of males and females' adherence to, or flouting of four maxims. The research findings suggest that male dominance could be concealed in discourse control, types of questions, and turn-taking. Male participants tended to exert more power and used less indirect language, more negative face, and fewer politeness phenomena.
Effects of Critical Thinking Strategy Training on Male/Female EFL Learners' Reading Comprehension
Author: Fahim, Mansoor
Date: 2012-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Correlation,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Critical Thinking,Reading Comprehension,Language Proficiency,Learning Strategies,Language Tests,Foreign Countries,Program Design,Indo European Languages,Native Language,Teaching Methods,College Students

The development of critical thinking (CT) skills has become a key goal for educators in first and second language contexts. There is evidence that the use of such activities has still not become widespread in a number of ELT situations. One reason for this may be lack of awareness about how levels of thinking can be conceptualized in ELT activities. This paper will report on a program designed by the authors at a university in Iran, which used taxonomy of CT skills drawn up by Facione (1990) to probe the effect of critical thinking strategies training on reading comprehension of Iranian EFL students. In so doing, 240 male and female Iranian EFL students were selected and screened into two proficiency levels based on the TOEFL tests. Each proficiency group was divided into critical and non-critical group. The results suggested CT skills significantly affected EFL learners' reading comprehension performance. However, the effect of critical thinking strategy training didn't vary across different language proficiency levels. Overall, the findings provide empirical support for the facilitative effect of critical thinking strategy training on reading comprehension performance of EFL learners.
A Systematic Review of Research on Questioning as a High-Level Cognitive Strategy
Author: Davoudi, Mohammad
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Questioning Techniques,Learning Strategies,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Teacher Role,Student Role,Language Teachers,Critical Thinking,Writing Ability,Reading Comprehension,Learning Processes,Metacognition,Scaffolding (Teaching Technique),Literature Reviews

Given the significance of questioning as a high-level cognitive strategy in language teaching and learning in the literature on TEFL as well as in education in general, this study sought to make a systematic review of research studies conducted in the span of the last three decades on the issue of questioning across different disciplines with a special focus on second or foreign language teaching and learning. It encompasses the questioning behavior of both teachers and learners. In the first phase of the study, it reviews and synthesizes the findings of 60 studies conducted on questioning in education since 1974. It also illustrates the impact of different questioning patterns on various types of learning and literacy areas. In the second phase of the study, an in-depth review is made of 40 studies between 2000 and 2014 examining the role of questioning in different academic fields and various educational fields. The findings of the in-depth review reveal the indispensable role of teacher and student questioning in facilitating critical thinking, writing ability, reading comprehension, subject matter learning, metacognitive skills, and scaffolding learning process. Finally, the implications and applications of the research findings are mentioned along with suggestions for further research.
A Thought on Reviewing Ways in Primary School
Author: He, Xiaojun
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Elementary School Students,Elementary Schools,Elementary School Teachers,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Grade 3,Educational Theories,Educational Testing,Student Motivation,Instructional Effectiveness,Educational Games

This paper will focus on the effective review of English in the third grade of primary school. In the first part, the author introduces the importance of improving the effective review of English in the third grade of primary school. Analyzing from the aspects of theories, teachers have to get a good knowledge of language theories and analyze it well to achieve the teaching goal. So the author brings some theories about second language acquisition, such as the input hypothesis, the monitor hypothesis, the effective filter hypothesis and the natural order hypothesis. After analyzing the weaknesses deeply, the author lists some methodologies for reviewing language and the motivation for primary students' review of English. In the third part, it shows the cause of the present problems in the method of present teaching and reviewing lessons. In the next part, it gives some solutions for these problems.
Handwriting: A Matter of Affairs
Author: Al-Ghabra, Iman M. M. Muwafaq
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Handwriting,Academic Achievement,English (Second Language),Memory,Comprehension,Educational Benefits,Remedial Instruction,Curriculum Development,Cognitive Processes,Information Retrieval,Recall (Psychology),Lesson Plans,Writing Skills,Foreign Countries

Academic performance is the main concern of educators all over the world. Authentic researchers have studied the importance of handwriting for improving students' performance, and they have proved that using the hand in writing activates many regions in the brain that are related to memory and comprehension. The study aims at displaying the results of some substantial resources on handwriting to show this importance and its impact on students' academic performance. It also aims at being a loud call for the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to make a remedial action through establishing awareness campaigns to show the importance and necessity of updating curriculum to focus on using handwriting to enhance and support the students' reception of information. In order to achieve the success of the mentioned efforts, the researcher refers to training the trainers and establishing writing units that are joined to the learning institutions.
Teacher Allocation Policies and the Unbalanced Distribution of Novice and Senior Teachers across Regions in Turkey
Author: Özoglu, Murat
Date: 2015-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Beginning Teachers,Experienced Teachers,Teacher Placement,Resource Allocation,Educational Policy,Equal Education,Educational Quality,Teacher Effectiveness,Geographic Regions,Correlation,Disadvantaged Schools,Transfer Policy

Policies toward fostering a more balanced distribution of teacher quality have garnered considerable attention from researchers and policymakers around the world. This attention has been motivated largely by the widely acknowledged educational goal of providing quality education for all children. Equipped with similar policy concerns, this study examines the initial assignment of novice teachers and voluntary transfer of senior teachers to determine whether there is any kind of sorting pattern in the allocation of novice and experienced teachers to schools across regions, particularly across provinces, in Turkey. Using the entire initial teacher assignment and voluntary teacher transfer data in between 2010 to 2014, the descriptive and correlational analyses in this study provide clear evidence that both novice and senior teachers are unevenly allocated across regions. The findings suggest that already-disadvantaged students in the less-developed eastern regions of the country are far more likely to be exposed to novice and/or less-experienced teachers. Possible explanations of this observed teacher sorting pattern and its policy implications are discussed.
(Re)Imagining Our Foundations: One Social Foundations of Education Program's Attempt to Reclaim, Reestablish, and Redefine Itself
Author: Hardee, Sheri C.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Principles,Foundations of Education,Education Courses,Educational Change,Teacher Education,Theory Practice Relationship,Service Learning,Partnerships in Education,Program Descriptions,Community Centers,Community Information Services,Migrants,Equal Education,Civil Rights

As many have noted, we are seeing the continuing marginalization of Social Foundations of Education (SFE) courses and programs to the point at which some are disappearing completely. SFE can play a vital role in helping universities establish relationships with their local communities that are equitable and based upon the voices and needs of the community. In addition to university-wide and community value, a strong connection between SFE courses and departments outside of education, local schools, educational organizations, and government institutions illustrates the undeniable importance of SFE to the training and development of a generation of future educators who are advocates and allies for their local community members and who are change agents in their field. This article describes several projects that highlight what it means to be in service to the field of education and to one's community. These projects are an example of moving theory into practice for students and professors. Projects highlighted in this article include: (1) The YES Institute Curriculum Collaboration; (2) 21st Century Community Learning Centers; (3) Near Peer Service-Learning Program; (4) Migrant Education Program Partnership; and (5) Education as a Human Right Project. This article illustrates situations where SFE is centralized and becomes key to successful pedagogical practices.
An Investigation into Ambiguity Tolerance in Iranian Senior EFL Undergraduates
Author: Marzban, Amin
Date: 2012-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Students,Ambiguity (Semantics),Course Descriptions,Gender Differences,Statistical Analysis,Classroom Techniques,Role,Teaching Methods,Multivariate Analysis,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Measures (Individuals),Likert Scales,Student Attitudes

The present study aimed to explore how tolerant of ambiguity Iranian EFL learners at university level are and if gender plays a role in this regard. To this end, upon filling in the revised SLTAS scale of ambiguity tolerance 194 male and female Iranian teacher trainees were assigned to three ambiguity tolerance groups; namely, high, moderate and low. Cluster analysis of the SLTAS scores indicated that Iranian EFL learners were mostly moderate as far as tolerance of ambiguity was concerned. Examining the gender differences through an independent sample t-test manifested that female participants were less tolerant of ambiguity than their male peers. Also, the differences between the expected and observed number of participants categorized in the three AT groups were non-significant undermining the role of gender as a moderator variable in assigning participants to AT groups and further approving of SLTAS validity. Implications for classroom practice are presented in the light of findings. The results are helpful in syllabus design and teaching methodology.
Student Teachers' Cognition about L2 Pronunciation Instruction: A Case Study
Author: Burri, Michael
Date: 2015-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Pronunciation,Second Language Instruction,Cognitive Processes,English (Second Language),Language Teachers,Teaching Methods,Beliefs,Student Teachers,Student Attitudes,Preservice Teacher Education,Suprasegmentals,Cognitive Development,Case Studies,Qualitative Research,Focus Groups,Semi Structured Interviews,Questionnaires,Observation,Language Proficiency,Native Speakers

In view of the minimal attention pronunciation teacher preparation has received in second language (L2) teacher education, this study examined the cognition (i.e. beliefs, thoughts, attitudes and knowledge) development of 15 student teachers during a postgraduate subject on pronunciation pedagogy offered at an Australian tertiary institution. Findings revealed that, as a result of taking the subject, student teachers' cognition shifted from teaching individual sounds (i.e. segmentals) to favouring a more balanced approach to pronunciation instruction. That is, teaching the melody of the English language (i.e. suprasegmentals) was seen as important as teaching segmentals. Non-native speakers' self-perceived pronunciation improvement, an increase in their awareness of their spoken English, and native/non-native collaboration played critical roles in facilitating participants' cognition growth. The findings also showed that cognition development is a complex process. The paper concludes with recommendations for preparing L2 teachers to teach English pronunciation in their classroom contexts.
In Defence of the Lecture
Author: Webster, R. Scott
Date: 2015-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Lecture Method,Educational Benefits,Criticism,Listening,Higher Education,Protocol Analysis,Academic Freedom,Educational Theories,Attention,Comparative Analysis,Electronic Learning,Tutorial Programs,Workshops,Information Dissemination,Computer Mediated Communication

In response to the lecture format coming under &quot;attack&quot; and being replaced by online materials and smaller tutorials, this paper attempts to offer not only a defence but also to assert that the potential value of the lecture is difficult to replicate through other learning formats. Some of the criticisms against lectures will be challenged, in particular that they are monological and promote a banking concept to learning. To make this argument, Freire's &quot;banking concept&quot; and Vygotsky's notion of &quot;inner speech&quot; shall be referenced and it shall be claimed that listening is a virtue. There is a review of some of the unique features of lectures and it shall be argued that the sort of thinking, appropriate for higher education, can be encouraged by the lecturer as &quot;expert thinking aloud,&quot; embodying what it means to know, to think and to action one's academic freedom as a curriculum worker.
Effect of Dialogue Journal Writing through the Use of Conventional Tools and E-Mail on Writing Anxiety in the ESL Context
Author: Foroutan, Maryam
Date: 2012-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Writing Apprehension,Journal Writing,Diaries,Conventional Instruction,Electronic Learning,Electronic Mail,Pretests Posttests,Questionnaires,Instructional Effectiveness,Statistical Significance,Constructivism (Learning),Undergraduate Students

ESL/EFL Anxiety has been reported as one of the foremost factors affecting ESL learners' performance. Hence, identifying methods to assist language learners to alleviate their ESL anxiety deserve to be considered by the educators. This study compared the effect of dialogue journal writing (DJW) through two different modes of learning and teaching: conventional (using pen and paper or Microsoft Word) and online (using e-mail) on the writing anxiety. Forty-two students from an intact class undergoing the TESL program participated in the study. After going through seven weeks where students wrote their dialogue journals (using two different tools) in dyadic groups, pre and posttest writing anxiety questionnaire (Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory) showed statistically no significant difference between groups in terms of writing anxiety, however mean scores revealed that e-mail group's writing anxiety have been alleviated greater than their counterparts in conventional group. It shows e-mail has potential in assisting students in lowering their anxiety towards writing.
&quot;Inclusive and Different?&quot; Discourse, Conflict, and the Identity Construction Experiences of Preservice Teachers of English Language Learners in Australia
Author: Trent, John
Date: 2015-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,English Language Learners,Student Attitudes,Equal Education,Student Characteristics,Educational Policy,Conflict,Professional Identity,Conflict Resolution,Foreign Countries,Student Diversity,Barriers,Identification (Psychology),Masters Programs,Graduate Students,Qualitative Research,Semi Structured Interviews,Teaching Conditions

This article reports the results of a discourse-theoretic study that considered the perspectives of one group of preservice mainstream teachers in Australia concerning their preparedness to teach English language learners (ELLs). Framed by a theory of teacher identity and using in-depth interviews, the paper explores the perceptions and experiences of six preservice teachers, revealing the presence of two dominant discourses of ELLs: a discourse of equity and inclusiveness and a discourse of difference. The results suggested that these discourses interacted in ways unanticipated by policy makers and that an unintended consequence of this discursive interplay was that participants experienced conflict between the professional identity positions that were made available to them within these discourses. The ways in which this conflict might be overcome to support the identity construction goals of teachers of ELLs are discussed and suggestions for future research considered.