ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Teaching Pragmatic Competence: A Journey from Teaching Cultural Facts to Teaching Cultural Awareness
Author: Lenchuk, Iryna
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Pragmatics,Cultural Awareness,Sociolinguistics,Sociocultural Patterns,English (Second Language),Benchmarking,Foreign Countries,Interpersonal Competence,Communicative Competence (Languages),Language Usage,Lesson Plans

Pragmatic competence is one of the essential competences taught in the second language classroom. The Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB, 2012a), the standard document referred to in any federally funded program of ESL teaching in Canada, acknowledges the importance of this competence, yet at the same time notes the limited resources available to help ESL teachers address it in the classroom. Informed by the theoretical construct of communicative competence and its application to second language learning, the article offers an exemplar of the whats and hows of teaching pragmatics in the ESL classroom. The article stresses the importance of making explicit to the learners the sociolinguistic and sociocultural variables that underlie native speakers' linguistic choices. It is hoped that ESL learners will thus develop a better understanding of the reasons that make native speakers choose one linguistic expression rather than others when performing a certain linguistic act. The speech act of complimenting is used here as an exemplar.
Teaching Pragmatics and Intercultural Communication Online
Author: Waugh, Erin
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Intercultural Communication,Teaching Methods,Pragmatics,Online Courses,Foreign Countries,Workplace Learning,Cultural Pluralism,Skill Development,Instructional Design,Course Content,Questionnaires

English in the Workplace (EWP) programs are increasingly surfacing across Canada to assist internationally educated professionals (IEPs) with the challenges of integrating into the Canadian workplace. One critical topic of these courses is targeted pragmatics (soft skills) instruction. By learning these skills, IEPs gain valuable tools for communicating effectively and appropriately with their Canadian-born colleagues and leaders. The workplace is also becoming increasingly culturally diverse, broadening the required skillsets of IEPs to include intercultural competence--the ability to adapt both cognitively and behaviourally across cultures to achieve communicative goals (Bennett, 1993). As an EWP instructor in a medium-sized institution in Alberta, I worked on the redesign of an EWP course with both pragmatics and intercultural components to be offered online. The course results showed learner development in both pragmatics and intercultural competence. In this article, I outline the theory that informed the course design, content, and assessment tools; discuss results of a sample of learners from four pilot offerings; and provide considerations for instructors and instructional designers tasked with the development of online courses of this nature.
The Relationship between Instructor Feedback and ESL Student Anxiety
Author: Di Loreto, Sabrina
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Feedback (Response),Correlation,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Student Attitudes,High School Students,Anxiety,Writing Tests,Drills (Practice),Questionnaires,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,Private Schools,French,Likert Scales

This correlational study, conducted in intermediate English as a second language (ESL) high school classes in Quebec, investigated the relationship between instructor feedback and student anxiety. The participants were 53 ESL students in their last year of secondary school who were required to take an integrative-writing exam as part of their graduation requirements. Throughout a 5-month period, students took 2 practice integrative-writing tests, received written corrective feedback, and completed 5 questionnaires about their language learning anxiety, L2 writing anxiety, and perceptions about instructor feedback. The results showed a significant negative correlation between students' perceptions of feedback and test anxiety. The findings indicated that students with more positive perceptions of instructor feedback had lower anxiety.
Teaching Strategies to Get the Tone Right: Making Requests and Gaining Compliance
Author: Glass, Maria
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Pragmatics,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Learning Strategies,Instructional Effectiveness,Language Usage

Language learners invariably struggle with the target language pragmatics, and helping them to understand and use it appropriately is not an easy task for ESL teachers. Specific pragmatic acts, such as requests, involve myriad elements that, despite being inherent to these acts, are quite elusive. No wonder so many ESL teachers feel intimidated and, not surprisingly, end up avoiding dealing with pragmatics in the classroom. This article introduces a strategy-instruction technique that has been proven effective in teaching language learners how to make requests and gain compliance.
The Neglected Combination: A Case for Explicit-Inductive Instruction in Teaching Pragmatics in ESL
Author: Glaser, Karen
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Interlanguage,Pragmatics,Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,English (Second Language),Teaching Methods,Instructional Design,Metalinguistics,Language Usage

A substantial part of interlanguage pragmatics (ILP) research has contrasted explicit and implicit teaching designs, generally finding that explicit approaches--those featuring metapragmatic rule provision--are more effective than their implicit counterparts, which are characterized by the absence of metapragmatic information. A second dichotomy used to characterize instructional designs, that of deductive vs. inductive approaches, has received somewhat less attention. Concerned with the sequencing of the instruction rather than the criterion of whether or not to provide rules, this concerns the question of whether to choose (deductive) rules or (inductive) language use as the starting point of the instruction. Although the two dichotomies are interrelated, they are often unjustifiably merged, with the labels deductive and explicit, on the one hand, and inductive and implicit, on the other, being used interchangeably. This article illustrates the reasons for this oversimplification and argues that the resulting focus on the contrast of explicit-deductive and implicit-inductive designs has led to overlooking a third possible constellation: the explicit-inductive framework. Adopting a classroom perspective, the article further attempts to point out the advantages that this neglected combination can have for the teaching and learning of pragmatics in ESL.
Students&apos; Source Misuse in Language Classrooms: Sharing Experiences
Author: Fazel, Ismaeil
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Plagiarism,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Citations (References),Language Teachers,Self Concept,Socialization,Writing (Composition),Teaching Methods,Feedback (Response)

In this article we first provide a brief discussion of what is generally referred to as &quot;student plagiarism,&quot; which we prefer to call &quot;source misuse&quot; or &quot;inappropriate textual borrowing,&quot; and then provide some of the factors that may contribute to this problem in language classes. Moreover, we provide our views and suggestions on how to deal with these causes, drawing mainly on our experiences as students and teachers in both EFL and ESL contexts, but also making references to some conceptual frames and the related literature.
The Effect of Self-Assessment on EFL Learners' Self-Efficacy
Author: Baleghizadeh, Sasan
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Self Evaluation (Individuals),English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Control Groups,Foreign Countries,Self Efficacy,Questionnaires,Institutes (Training Programs),Statistical Analysis,Experimental Groups,Teaching Methods,Formative Evaluation,Quasiexperimental Design,Adult Students,Regression (Statistics)

This study investigated the continuous influence of self-assessment on EFL (English as a foreign language) learners' self-efficacy. The participants, divided into an experimental and a control group, were 57 Iranian EFL learners in an English-language institute. The participants' self-efficacy was measured through a questionnaire that was the same for both groups. Additionally, the participants in the experimental group completed a biweekly self-assessment questionnaire throughout the semester. The obtained data were analyzed through an Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The findings showed that the students' self-efficacy improved significantly in the experimental group. This suggests that applying self-assessment on a formative basis in an EFL setting leads to increased self-efficacy. This study thus highlights the pedagogical implications of self-assessment in EFL classrooms.
How a Personal Development Program Enhances Social Connection and Mobilises Women in the Community
Author: Spry, Nandila
Date: 2014-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Individual Development,Females,Empowerment,Pretests Posttests,Telephone Surveys,Structured Interviews,Observation,Measures (Individuals),Mixed Methods Research,Adult Learning,Transformative Learning,Self Esteem,Emotional Intelligence,Employment,Facilitators (Individuals),Social Networks,Adult Education,Community Programs,Reliability,Program Effectiveness,Evidence

Gender equity and the empowerment of women is a significant international issue. Successful adult education programs are vital to enhance women's situation. Lessons learned from a personal development program provided for thousands of women are analysed. The program is conducted by community service providers in Australia and internationally, with an Australian evaluation reported here. The three phase evaluation included 500 participants, with pre- and post-tests for a sample of 161, structured phone interviews with 53 and third-party observations from six organisations. The value includes multiple measurements over time, in a thorough evaluation with mixed methods, along with policy and practice implications. Key adult learning issues canvassed include the role of empowerment, adult education and transformative learning. Key findings included that women's self-esteem, emotional intelligence, purpose and mobilisation increased, with the latter evident in vocational outcomes and social connection. Some women expressed interest in facilitating the program for other groups. As one facilitator observed 'the program really empowers women to tap into their own gifts and talents'. Lessons learned encompassed improvements to the program including sustainable social networks, since for these women purpose in life and mobilisation were intertwined with social connection and helping other women.
Validity of Assessment and Recognition of Non-Formal and Informal Learning Achievements in Higher Education
Author: Kaminskiene, Lina
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Educational Assessment,Higher Education,Validity,Reliability,Informal Assessment,Nonformal Education,College Credits,Evidence,Recognition (Achievement),Models

The article identifies the validity of assessment of non-formal and informal learning achievements (NILA) as one of the key factors for encouraging further development of the process of assessing and recognising non-formal and informal learning achievements in higher education. The authors analyse why the recognition of non-formal and informal learning achievements is still being accepted rather sceptically in higher education and discuss whether these achievements can be recognised at all and what principles are followed in order to achieve valid and reliable assessment. The article reviews several models for the assessment and recognition of non-formal and informal learning achievements that could possibly be used by universities and colleges. The authors discuss what assessment methods are used in different models. Models that emphasise assessment of non-formal and informal learning achievements are formative. Thus the key method of assessment is portfolio. The aim of these models is qualification recognition and accreditation. Irrespective of the type of the assessment and recognition model of non-formal and informal learning achievements used in a higher education institution, it is very important to assure the quality of this process and to note that credit award models dominate in contemporary higher education institutions. Once adapted to formal criteria of study programmes at higher education institutions, these models are the most appropriate tool for comparing and recognising non-formal and informal learning achievements.
Challenges When Using a Standardized Approach for Assessing the Quality of College Teaching
Author: Cisneros-Cohernour, Edith J.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Qualitative Research,Case Studies,Special Needs Students,Observation,Interviews,Instructional Effectiveness,Teacher Effectiveness,Teacher Evaluation,Introductory Courses,Higher Education,Universities,College Faculty,Teaching Assistants,College Students

This article develops around a qualitative research case study of an instructor teaching an introductory course about students with special needs. Data collection involved document analysis, observations and interviews with administrators, the faculty member, his peers, teaching assistants and students. The case is also a reflective piece on the evaluation of teaching quality. Benefits and obstacles to using a standardized approach for evaluating an instructor teaching a required course for teacher certification are discussed, and important implications in the evaluation of both educational technology and college teaching are identified.
Students as Stakeholders in Quality Assurance in Eight European Countries
Author: Leisyte, Liudvika
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Higher Education,College Students,Stakeholders,Quality Assurance,Student Attitudes,Decision Making,Evidence,Colleges,Power Structure,School Policy,Student Role

How are stakeholders represented in higher education institutions' decision-making bodies that influence the quality of education, and are their viewpoints taken into account? This paper addresses this question taking into account the empirical evidence from eight countries in Europe. Findings indicate that formal barriers are largely absent, that stakeholder influence has grown somewhat over recent years, but that actual influence of stakeholders can be further optimised in higher education institutions.
Review of Study Programme Renewal in Lithuania: Planning Students' Independent Work
Author: Zibeniene, Gintaute
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Program Evaluation,College Programs,Higher Education,Repetition,Independent Study,Expertise,College Students,Alignment (Education),International Cooperation,Student Mobility,Evaluators,Educational Planning

The article introduces external quality assessment results of first cycle and second cycle study programmes renewed under the Human Resources Development Action Programme 2007-2013 priority direction 2 &quot;Lifelong Learning&quot; (hereinafter the &quot;Programme&quot;) through the aspect of planning students' independent work. Problems faced when renewing study programmes are related to the methods of independent work, the variety of tasks, compatibility with learning outcomes at course unit level, its content, volume in credits and assessment of students' independent work.
Identifying Tertiary Bridging Students at Risk of Failure in the First Semester of Undergraduate Study
Author: Whannell, Robert
Date: 2014-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: At Risk Students,Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Students,Academic Failure,Dropouts,School Holding Power,Program Descriptions,Questionnaires,Attendance,Student Characteristics,Intervention,Teacher Student Relationship,Transitional Programs,Identification,Longitudinal Studies

This study presents the findings of the second phase of a project examining the attrition and progression of two cohorts of students in a tertiary bridging program at a regional university in Australia. The first phase of the study (Whannell, 2013) based on data collected up to week 5 of the bridging program identified age, academic achievement on the initial assessment tasks, the level of peer support and the number of absences from scheduled classes as being the factors which predicted attrition from the bridging program. This phase of the study examined a sample of 92 students who subsequently completed a custom questionnaire in week 12 of the tertiary bridging program and then continued into the first semester of undergraduate study. Participants at risk of failure in the first semester of undergraduate study were characterised by being younger in age, demonstrating a high incidence of absence from scheduled classes and low levels of academic achievement in the final assessment tasks in the bridging program and reporting lower quality relationships with academic staff. The need to initiate interventions to target at-risk students prior to commencement of their undergraduate study is discussed.
Diversity and Achievement: Is Success in Higher Education a Transformative Experience?
Author: Benson, Robyn
Date: 2014-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Success,Transformative Learning,Longitudinal Studies,Student Diversity,Reflection,Educational Experience,Social Work,Nontraditional Students,Semi Structured Interviews,Learning Experience,Student Characteristics,Performance Factors,Educational Resources,Attitude Change,Foreign Countries,Academic Achievement

This paper reports on a longitudinal project examining how a group of students from diverse backgrounds succeeded in higher education. The project explored participants' pathways into higher education, how they managed their studies, and their reflections at course completion. In this paper, the concept of perspective transformation is used to consider the extent to which their success in higher education was a transformative experience. Data from the project's first stage identified the role of perspective transformation in influencing participants' pathways to higher education, while here we focus on the impact of their university study on perspective transformation, comparing evidence of transformative experiences during study with those that led to enrolment. Analysis of participants' reflections at course completion indicated that higher education success was a transformative experience for most of them and that perspective transformation affected more participants during study than before it. Participants identified several aspects of the course that contributed to the changes experienced in their perspectives. We consider some implications for university staff, which may help others involved with students from diverse backgrounds.
Educational Biographies in Germany: From Secondary School General Education to Lifelong Learning?
Author: Friebel, Harry
Date: 2014-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Secondary Education,Educational Mobility,Transitional Programs,Vocational Education,Continuing Education,Educational Policy,Longitudinal Studies,Unemployment,Dropouts,Educational Assessment,Lifelong Learning,Biographies

This article addresses the change in the transitional process from secondary school general education to gainful employment within the framework of societal modernisation processes in Germany. We analyse the relationship between the options for and restrictions upon individual educational mobility under the conditions imposed by the various socially institutionalised educational segments, which comprise a structure of opportunity. The database for our study consists in the longitudinal findings of the &quot;Hamburg Biography and Life Course Panel&quot; (HBLP) from 1980 to 2007, which examined the processes of vocational education mobility for a sample of the Hamburg graduating class of 1979. How do these people manage their educational strategies? What do they experience in terms of vocational education and continuing education within the institutional structure of opportunity? Do the career paths differ after gender?
Do Actions and Methods in Guidance for Older Workers Exist in Spain?
Author: Sánchez, María José López
Date: 2014-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Older Workers,Career Guidance,Labor Market,Web Sites,Unions,Statistical Data,Statistical Analysis,Interviews,Employment Services,Questionnaires,Unemployment,Use Studies,Qualitative Research

Older people suffer discrimination in the labour market, in that their chances of finding employment if they lose their jobs are small, and the longer someone is out of the labour market, the harder it is to return. Although they often do possess the technical and transferrable skills required, these are not always recognised. Those who remain in work also encounter discrimination. They are unlikely to receive ongoing training and encouragement for career development, especially if their existing skills and qualifications are at a low level. This paper is focusing on the Spanish situation, looking at the actions and methods in careers guidance for older workers. For this purpose 52 websites of Spanish trade unions were visited during 2010. Using the main findings of 131 questionnaires from 48 employers' organisations, 41 trade unions and 28 public employment services from across the country, we look at guidance from a macro and micro perspective: how guidance is provided and who the main beneficiaries are. We conclude that in the Spanish labour context, there is a specific need to improve the coordination and effective publicity regarding existing guidance services and their accessibility. Evidence shows that those who make least use of the careers guidance services are the older workers aged 50 to 55 years, and no special attention is given to meeting their needs.
Expectations and Reality: What You Want Is &quot;Not Always&quot; What You Get
Author: Garces-Ozanne, Arlene
Date: 2014-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Student Attitudes,Expectation,Economics Education,Higher Education,Grades (Scholastic),Student Characteristics,Student Behavior,Academic Achievement,Undergraduate Students,Age Groups,Generational Differences,Questionnaires,Online Surveys,Student Surveys,Comparative Analysis,Positive Attitudes,Psychological Patterns,Risk,Regression (Statistics),College Faculty,Teacher Characteristics

A total of 196 first year Principles of Economics I students participated in a study examining how students' expectations about their course and grades are related to the grades they actually receive. We empirically test whether there is a significant difference between the students' grade expectations and the actual grades they receive, and examine what factors contribute to this difference. In particular, we examine how much students' expectations about their grades are conditioned by specific student characteristics, as well as by their attitude/behaviour over the semester. We hypothesise that students, like many from Generation Y, often make confident but also false predictions about their ability, but as reality sets in, they modify their behaviour accordingly and set more reasonable, realistic expectations to achieve their desired goals. We find that they are indeed overoptimistic, but there appears to be a gap between their optimism and actual performance.