ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
A Study on the Relationship between English Vocabulary Threshold and Word Guessing Strategy for Pre-University Chinese Students in Malaysia
Author: Juan, Wu Xiao
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Correlation,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Vocabulary Development,Reading Processes,Language Teachers,Foreign Countries,Asians,Computer Software,Statistical Analysis,Guessing (Tests),Reading Tests,Scores,Foreign Students,Undergraduate Study

This survey aims at studying the relationship between English vocabulary threshold and word guessing strategy that is used in reading comprehension learning among 80 pre-university Chinese students in Malaysia. T-test is the main statistical test for this research, and the collected data is analysed using SPSS. From the standard deviation test results, the large of vocabulary is proportional to the higher score of the reading test. The standard Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.750, and P&lt; 0.01 indicated that there is a positive relationship between word guessing and vocabulary learning. T-test results showed that the vocabulary of the students should reach about 3500 words, only then can the students consciously and flexibly use the word guessing strategy in the reading process. Based on the students' different vocabulary level, the English teacher should provide opportunities for more learning.
Thinking-for-Speaking of Chinese EFL Learners in the Use of Additional Expressions of Manner in the Expression of Motion Events
Author: Ziyan, Xu
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Language Processing,Motion,French,Chinese,Comparative Analysis,Verbs,College Students

This study adopts Talmy's (1985, 1991, 2000) theory of linguistic typology and Slobin's (2003, 2004) hypothesis of Thinking-for-Speaking to investigate the use of additional expressions of Manner in the expression of Motion events by Chinese EFL learners in comparison with French EFL learners. The aim is to find out the Thinking-for-Speaking effect in the acquisition of the English Motion event expressions for speakers with typologically different L1 background. It is revealed that Chinese EFL learners benefit from the Thinking-for-Speaking in L1 compared with French EFL learners. Chinese Language teachers can emphasise the similarities between Chinese and English to enhance English learners' acquisition of motion event expressions.
The Interaction between Cognitive Test-Taking Strategies, Reading Ability, and Reading Comprehension Test Performance of Iranian EFL Learners
Author: Ghafournia, Narjes
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Reading Comprehension,Reading Tests,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Correlation,Graduate Students,Statistical Analysis,Questionnaires,Student Attitudes,Regression (Statistics),Metacognition,Scores,Language Proficiency,Language Tests,Test Validity,Language Teachers,Test Interpretation,Error of Measurement,Teaching Methods

The study scrutinized the probable interaction between using cognitive test-taking strategies, reading proficiency, and reading comprehension test performance of Iranian postgraduate students, who studied English as a foreign language. The study also probed the extent to which the participants' test performance was related to the use of certain cognitive test-taking strategies. The participants were 343 MA students, who took an English reading comprehension test and answered a test-taking strategy questionnaire. The gathered data were subjected to a set of parametric statistical analysis, including descriptive statistics, factorial, and regression analyses. The results showed that the participants at the high level of reading proficiency used comprehending and retrieval strategies more frequently than did the participants at the intermediate and low levels. The findings reflected that 33% of the variance in the test performance was due to the use of cognitive test-taking strategies. Thus, the observed scores cannot account for the actual language ability of test takers. The findings can help language teachers gain a better understanding of the strategic process of test taking and improve the validity of language tests. In addition, the findings can assist language teachers in interpreting test scores from a different angle to make a sound judgment about the actual ability of language learners and decrease error of measurement. The findings also recommend language teachers to pay systematic attention to the linguistic and strategic aspects of language learning and adopt their teaching approaches to the needs of language learners to improve their reading ability.
Study on the Competency of Bilingual Art Teachers Based on the Psychology Capital Intervention Model
Author: Li, Donglan
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Art Teachers,Bilingual Teachers,International Education,Higher Education,Art Education,Majors (Students),Teacher Attitudes,Teacher Competencies,Teaching Methods,Models,Psychology,Positive Attitudes

In this globalization era, it is an important strategy to focus on the core status of bilingual art teachers in the internationalization of higher education. And it is necessary to prepare a thorough, detailed, well-designed assessment criterion for teachers, especially for teachers specialized in art, as their competency relates directly to whether the fine art culture can be inherited and whether the cultural communication can be achieved. Based on the positive psychological capital of students majoring in art, this research investigates art teachers' bilingual teaching attitude, and how to construct the competency of art teachers via bilingual teaching.
Gender and Autonomy-Supportive Contexts: Theoretical Perspectives of Self-Determination and Goal Setting
Author: Lin, Shinyi
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Self Determination,Goal Orientation,Gender Differences,Personal Autonomy,Models,Gender Issues,Predictor Variables

In integrating theoretical perspectives of self-determination and goal-setting, this study proposes a conceptual model with moderating and mediating effects exploring gender issue in autonomy-supportive learning in higher education as research context. In the proposed model, goal-setting attributes, i.e., individual determinants, social determinants, and situational determinants, have substantial prediction on goal attainability and goal commitment. Goal commitment has prediction on goal attainability. Additionally, perceived support mediates the causal effect of goal-setting attributes on goal attainability. In other words, goal commitment has partial mediating effect of goal-setting attributes on goal attainability. Further discussion and implications are also included in the study.
A Corpus-Based Study on the Use of Past Tense Auxiliary &quot;Be&quot; in Argumentative Essays of Malaysian ESL Learners
Author: Manokaran, Janaki
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Persuasive Discourse,Morphemes,Verbs,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Error Analysis (Language),Error Patterns,Secondary School Students,College Students,English Teachers,Computational Linguistics

This research is a corpus-based study of secondary and college ESL Malaysian learner's written work by identifying and classifying the types of errors in the Past Tense Auxiliary &quot;Be&quot;. This research studied the past tense auxiliary &quot;be&quot;, types of past tense auxiliary &quot;be&quot; errors and frequency of past tense auxiliary &quot;be&quot; errors found in the Malaysian Corpus of Students' Argumentative Writing (MCSAW) corpus using the WordSmith Tools Version 4.0 and using the Error Analysis (EA) approach. The findings revealed that there are seven types of errors. They are Tense Shift, Agreement, Missing Auxiliary &quot;Be&quot;, Wrong Verb Form, Addition and Misformation and Misordering. This study can be used as a guide for English Language teachers to identify the most common errors in using the Past Tense Auxiliary &quot;Be&quot; made by the ESL learners and decide what remedial action can be taken to prevent them from making these errors. It can also help teachers improvise and develop materials which are not only more suitable but also cater to the needs of the students. In addition to the materials, teachers can also revise their teaching approaches and strategies to ensure effective teaching and learning of these grammar components.
Discipline Disproportionality among Hispanic and American Indian Students: Expanding the Discourse in U.S. Research
Author: Brown, Carolyn A.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Disproportionate Representation,Hispanic American Students,American Indian Students,Discipline,Gender Differences,Urban Schools,Comparative Analysis,Referral,Racial Bias,Student Behavior,Discipline Problems,Disabilities,Suspension,Expulsion,School Districts,Student Records,Coding,Statistical Analysis,African American Students,White Students,Asian American Students,At Risk Students

While disproportionality in discipline referrals and discipline action has been fairly well established among African American students in the United States, especially males in urban school districts, little research has looked at disproportionality among American Indian and Latino students. This paper uses a large dataset from the State of Arizona, with rich data on American Indian and Latino students, to explore if and how these students are being disproportionately referred for discipline and if and how these students are being punished more harshly for lesser violations than their peers. Results indicate that disproportionality in discipline referrals and in violation to action relationship for American Indians is on par with those of African Americans. Latino students were shown to be nearly proportional to their population.
Corpus Analysis of English Euphemism in &quot;College English (3)&quot;
Author: Wang, Meihua
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Figurative Language,Semantics,Textbooks,Language Usage,Language Research

Euphemism, a linguistic and cultural phenomenon, which serves as a lubricant in people's communication, has aroused much interest among scholars worldwide. Many researches on euphemism have already been done in different fields, such as in daily conversations, intercultural communication, advertisements, science, literature, business affairs, etc. For a long time, the researches on English euphemism have been done in terms of semantics, rhetoric and pragmatics, yet few analyzes its usage in textbook. This article attempts to make some analysis of the usage of euphemism in textbook for non-English majors. Then it comes up with some suggestions to teachers concerning how to teach English euphemism in classroom, hoping that this thesis can raise the teachers' and students' awareness of euphemism in English learning and that the suggestions can benefit both teachers and students.
A District Wellness Policy: The Gap between Policy and Practice
Author: Turgeon, Brenda
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Obesity,Educational Policy,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Wellness,Nutrition,Health Promotion,Physical Education,Child Health,Public Officials,Interviews,Teacher Surveys,Online Surveys,Elementary School Teachers

This article examines the gap between a federally-mandated wellness policy and its practice in U.S. schools. To address the problem of childhood obesity, the United States government requires school districts to develop a District Wellness Policy (DWP) that promotes a healthy school environment, healthy food choices, nutrition education, and physical education. This cross-sectional study describes the policy interpretation process and the degree to which the policy has been implemented. Teacher survey results show the emphasis of the DWP is on creating a healthy environment but lacks the health, nutrition, and physical education components called for by the policy. Lack of funding, time constraints, high-stakes testing, and No Child Left Behind combined to undermine teachers in the policy's implementation. Policies are only as effective as the funding and support provided; therefore, it is crucial for district and school staff to prioritize wellness allowing students to learn and practice habits that support lifelong health.
&quot;Good Citizenship&quot; through Bilingual Children Literature: Arabic and Hebrew
Author: Zamir, Sara
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Citizenship Education,Teaching Methods,Childrens Literature,Bilingualism,Semitic Languages,Foreign Countries,Arabs,Jews,Citizen Participation,Role,Justice,Content Analysis

The aim of the research has been to evaluate the contribution of the genre of bilingual literature, Arabic and Hebrew, to citizenship education. Since the Israeli society is a multicultural society comprised of both nations, Arabs and Jews who live in conflicted environment, one must regard those textbooks as civic agents. Literature is a socialization agent and as such it is an active influential factor in children's mental environment. Choosing literary pieces adapted to children's life is important, since literature, by its essence, is about values, and its function is to mold the child's character as an adult citizen. According the typology of Westheimer and Kahne (2003), the notion of being a good citizen is comprised of three types: the responsible citizen, the participatory citizen and the justice citizen. The content analysis procedure, based on Krippendorff (2004), revealed that most the stories, hence, ten out the thirteen deal with the two elevated types of citizenship, namely, the participatory citizen and the justice citizen. Inspire of the fact that we are dealing with children's literature, the authors of bilingual children literature do not belittle the capacity of children to grasp their role as citizens in multicultural society.
Integrating Mobile Phones into the EFL Foundation Year Classroom in King Abdulaziz University/KSA: Effects on Achievement in General English and Students' Attitudes
Author: Khrisat, Abdulhafeth A.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Handheld Devices,Telecommunications,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Technology Integration,College Students,Student Attitudes,Teaching Methods,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Academic Achievement,Predictor Variables,Males,Pretests Posttests,Questionnaires,Statistical Analysis,Statistical Significance,Positive Attitudes

This study investigates the effect of ten teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) oriented features of mobile phones in the English language classroom on the achievement of foundation-year students in King Abdulaziz University (KAU) in General English. The study also explores students' attitudes towards this new method of teaching. The study uses an experimental design where the control group is taught through the strategies used in ELI, whereas the experimental group is taught through the same strategies used in the control group in addition to mobile phones. The independent variable is using ten features of mobile phones in the EFL classroom and the dependent variable is the foundation-year students' achievement in general English. Forty male students of the foundation year at level two are assigned for the control group as well as the experimental one. The tools of the study are: A pre-test to ensure the equivalency of the two groups before conducting the experiment, a post test to see if there are any statistically significant differences in students' achievement in general English that are attributed to mobile phones, and a questionnaire to see students' attitudes towards using mobile phones in the English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom. The results of the t-test showed differences in the mean scores in favor of the experimental group, but these differences were not statistically significant at a = 0.5. The analysis of the questionnaire showed positive attitudes toward using mobile phones in the classroom. The study concludes with recommendations about training students and teachers on the academic use of mobile phones and reinforcing the attitudes of students toward using them in the EFL classroom.
Analysis of Social Cohesion in Health Data by Factor Analysis Method: The Ghanaian Perspective
Author: Saeed, Bashiru I. I.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Factor Analysis,Social Integration,Computer Software,Community Influence,Political Influences,Neighborhoods,Self Esteem,Security (Psychology),Surveys,Interviews,Correlation,Data,Health

We investigated the study of the overall social cohesion of Ghanaians. In this study, we considered the paramount interest of the involvement of Ghanaians in their communities, their views of other people and institutions, and their level of interest in both local and national politics. The factor analysis method was employed for analysis using R software. The incontrovertible evidence from the results showed the factors that were measured to enhance and promote social cohesion among Ghanaians were community, political, neighborliness, socio-cultural, confidence and security. Our results perfectectly fit our expectation in terms of knowledge in our socio-political arena.
Exploring Students' Perceptions about Learning in School: An Activity Theory Based Study
Author: Portnov-Neeman, Yelena
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Social Theories,Student Attitudes,Influences,Questionnaires,Interviews,Junior High School Students,Constructivism (Learning),Educational Environment,Student Participation,Learning Theories,Standards,Role,Foreign Countries,Mixed Methods Research,Likert Scales,Communities of Practice

In the current study, we used Activity Theory as the conceptual framework for exploring students' perceptions about how learning in school is affected by the following five elements: Object, Tools, Rules, Community and Division of Labor. Data were collected by administrating a semi-structured questionnaire among 70 junior high school students and interviewing a sample of 25 participants. The findings showed that the students positively evaluated the Object and Division of Labor categories, but appreciated less the contribution of Tools, Rules and Community to learning. This indicts that current schooling offers only little a constructivist-learning environment in which students interact with Tools, Rules and Community, and take an active part in forming the learning environment, as derived from Activity Theory.
Playful Learning and Montessori Education
Author: Lillard, Angeline S.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Montessori Method,Play,Fantasy,Outcomes of Education,Educational Philosophy,Learning Activities,Educational History,Intellectual History,Evidence,Early Childhood Education,Educational Research,Educational Practices

Although Montessori education is often considered a form of playful learning, Maria Montessori herself spoke negatively about a major component of playful learning--pretend play, or fantasy--for young children. In this essay, the author discusses this apparent contradiction: how and why Montessori education includes elements of playful learning while simultaneously eschewing fantasy. She concludes with a discussion of research on the outcomes of Montessori education and on pretend-play research, clarifying how Montessori education relates to playful learning. [Reprinted from the &quot;American Journal of Play&quot; 5,2 (2013, Winter): 157-186 (see EJ1003949).]
Application of Matrix Outcome Mapping to Constructively Align Program Outcomes and Course Outcomes in Higher Education
Author: Mazouz, Abdelkader
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Course Evaluation,Outcomes of Education,Matrices,Course Content,Delivery Systems,Higher Education,Student Surveys,Teacher Surveys,College Students,College Faculty,Maps,Assignments,Program Effectiveness,Foreign Countries,Classification,Cross Cultural Studies

Establishing a link between Course Learning Outcomes (LOs) and Program Outcomes (POs) while assessing the course contents and delivery are among the most challenging issues in Higher Education. In the present study two forms were generated based on specific Course Learning Outcomes identified in the syllabus at the beginning of the teaching term: a Student outcome evaluation form and a Faculty outcome evaluation form. The objective is was to assess if the outcomes specified in the syllabus are being delivered and are being delivered throughout the term. At the end of the semester, a student survey was given to students to evaluate the course outcomes. In addition, the faculty evaluated the course outcomes. A matrix was developed mapping the results of the student, the faculty and each assessment contributing to the specified outcome, all are on a similar scale. A mapped matrix was then generated based on the results. The results from the mapped Matrix pinpoint which assignment contributed to the specified outcome, and show the gaps between the student evaluation and faculty evaluation. All data and results are set within a dashboard. The Dashboard is used as a tool to help see where improvements are needed, whether an assessment has contributed to the LOs or not and how much has contributed to the PO, thus constructively aligning POs and LOs with continuous improvement as a focus.
Practical Life for the Older Children in the Casa
Author: Soholt, Polli
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Children,Housework,Skill Development,Elementary School Students,Mathematics,Handicrafts,Relevance (Education),Teaching Methods,Montessori Method,Montessori Schools,Cooking Instruction

Polli Soholt writes about advanced practical life and demonstrates that adding more challenge and complexity for older children leads to more social cooperation. Activities such as washing dishes, polishing, sewing, and food preparation take the child beyond the need to refine basic skills. The older primary children find more reality in tasks such as bringing sewing from home and using math to double recipes for baking projects. This advanced work of the hands enhances the whole community.
Evaluation on Degree and Result of Bilingual Education of Business Courses in GDUFS
Author: Jiang, Yong
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Bilingual Education,Business Administration Education,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Questionnaires,Correlation,Data Analysis,Program Effectiveness,Instructional Effectiveness,College Faculty,College Students,Language Proficiency,Curriculum Design,Program Evaluation

From the connotation of bilingual education in higher education in China, this paper analyzes the factors that may affect the quality and result of bilingual education, such as faculty and students' English level, teaching materials, curriculum system, classroom instruction, teaching quality control, as well as incentives and other factors. The paper focuses on Fuzzy-AHP model as a university bilingual education quality evaluation system, and build an evaluation index system for quality control of bilingual teaching. It also conducts quantitative analysis using analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation on the degree of the bilingual education of business courses in Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS), China. By selecting evaluation indicators and using analytic hierarchy process, the paper determines corresponding weight of the indicators. It also establishes sets of standard on evaluation and fuzzy relationship matrix, and conducts an empirical study on the degree of bilingual education of business courses in GDUFS. The paper has certain theoretical and practical significance for bilingualism in higher education in China.