ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
A Review on Developing Critical Thinking Skills through Literary Texts
Author: Shukri, Noraini Ahmad
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Critical Thinking,Thinking Skills,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Learning Processes,Metacognition,Classroom Communication,Second Language Instruction,Language Patterns,Cultural Awareness,Teaching Methods,Literature

Many ESL instructors are generally in agreement with the belief that it is essential that students should be assisted in developing critical thinking skills while being engaged in their language learning process, especially those learning the target language at a higher level (Stern, 1985; Dickinson, 1991; McKay, 2001; Terry, 2007; Van, 2009; Odenwald, 2010). As it enables language learners to engage in a more purposeful and self-regulatory in judgment, helping them in their evaluation of the arguments of others and of their own, coming to well-reasoned resolutions to any complex problems and to be able to resolve conflicts encountered in their daily lives. Critical thinking requires them to be actively involved in their own learning process as they attempt to individually understand and apply the information they are exposed to during the classroom interaction (Landsberger, 1999; Tung &amp; Chang, 2009). The many advantageous and feasibility of teaching instruction that incorporates the study of literature in the ESL classroom which suggests that literature texts, if correctly chosen and instructed, can prove to be beneficial to ESL students' overall level of literacy and critical thinking skills. Numerous empirical researches also asserted that literary texts that are authentic, enjoyable, and motivating would naturally increase both their knowledge of the target language patterns and cultural awareness.
A Contrastive Analysis of Animal Metaphor in English and Persian
Author: Miri, Marveh
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Contrastive Linguistics,Figurative Language,Animals,Indo European Languages,Classification,Second Language Learning,Cultural Differences,English (Second Language),Native Language,Error Analysis (Language)

Learning a second language for Iranian students may not be simple at all parts, and it may be difficult for them, especially in some parts that is different from their first language principles. One of these parts is Metaphor, which is different in most languages according to their culture and history. This article is a kind of comparative study which aimed to describe some differences between English and Persian interpretation of animal metaphor. We have three categorizations for animal metaphors and different examples according to cultures of both languages.
A Narratological Study and Analysis Of: The Concept of Time in William Faulkner's &quot;A Rose for Emily&quot;
Author: Ahmadian, Moussa
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Literary Genres,United States Literature,Twentieth Century Literature,Narration,Time,Theories

This study is primarily concerned with applying Genette's narratological framework of time to the study of William Faulkner's &quot;A Rose for Emily&quot;. This study aims to provide insights about the time shift processes in this short story. Moreover, since time is a component of narratology, this study will be concerned with discussions about &quot;narratology&quot; and &quot;narrative&quot;, too. The study falls into two parts. The first section is allocated to the theoretical concepts of &quot;narratology&quot;, &quot;narrative&quot;, and &quot;time&quot;. &quot;Narratology&quot; which is the study of narrative structures, includes many elements such as mood, voice, narration, as well as time (which is the focus of this study). &quot;Narrative&quot; is the product of narration and it is what narratologists study and analyze. Furthermore, &quot;time&quot;--the main focus of this paper--will be elaborated on and then identified in &quot;A Rose for Emily&quot; based on Genette's two fundamental dichotomies of &quot;story time&quot; and &quot;discourse time&quot;. These theoretical discussions are taken into consideration while analysis of &quot;A Rose for Emily&quot;. The second section, will be devoted to the analysis of time using Genette's model on Faulkner's &quot;A Rose for Emily&quot;. For this aim, Genette's concept of time which is classified into categories of order, duration, and frequency as well as their subcategories (which are already explained in the first section), will be identified and the shifts that have occurred will be determined.
Students' Motivation toward English Language Learning at Undergraduate Level
Author: Ahmed, Mumtaz
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Students,Learning Motivation,Second Language Learning,Teacher Student Relationship,Classroom Environment,Self Esteem,Interpersonal Communication,Communication Skills,Student Centered Learning,Student Attitudes,Questionnaires,Likert Scales,Females,Teaching Methods,Communication Problems,Classroom Techniques,Language Tests,Stress Variables,Academic Failure,Class Size,Cultural Differences,Student Satisfaction,Family Environment

The main purpose of this descriptive research is to explore the fact that why students are less motivated towards English language learning at undergraduate level. It also throws light upon the very facts of motivation with regard to the factors like student-teacher relationship, class room environment, self esteem or self respect, and willingness to communicate. Motivation plays a major part in learning a second language. It creates very powerful communicative factors by planting in them the seeds of self confidence. It is the responsibility of a teacher to create a comfortable environment in the class. The teacher should make the environment student-centered because if a student feels valued in the class, he or she would be more interested in learning a second language. The population of this research consisted of 199 students at undergraduate level from University of Sargodha (UOS) Women Campus Faisalabad, Pakistan. For this purpose the researchers formed a questionnaire on the four point Likert's scale on the different levels of motivation and gave the students maximum time to solve the questionnaire. The results and findings of the research show that motivation has a great role in learning with regard to the above mentioned factors.
Developments in Transnational Research Linkages: Evidence from U.S. Higher-Education Activity
Author: Koehn, Peter H.
Date: 2014-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Evidence,International Educational Exchange,Educational Research,Research Projects,Educational Practices,Global Approach,Web Sites,Content Analysis,College Programs,Program Administration,Regional Characteristics,Partnerships in Education,Financial Support,Labor Force Development,Institutional Characteristics,Participant Characteristics,Educational Cooperation

In our knowledge-driven era, multiple and mutual benefits accrue from transnational research linkages. The article identifies important directions in transnational research collaborations involving U.S. universities revealed by key dimensions of 369 projects profiled on a U.S. higher-education association's database. Project initiators, principal research fields, regional and country distributions, and the sources and amounts of funding for different types of transnational research activity are selected for analysis. The balanced total portfolio of reported current research projects by region suggests that U.S. university principal investigators increasingly recognize the value of collaborative knowledge generation in the Global South as well as in other OECD countries. The data also show concentrations in the distribution of transnational research projects by principal field of activity that could exacerbate intra-regional asymmetries. The multi-institutional data draw attention to the often unnoticed, but vital, role that higher-education institutions play in supporting transnational research endeavors that address issues of current and future global concern. The conclusion considers wider implications for higher-education involvement in transnational knowledge generation and calls for increased symmetry in collaborative research ventures.
Understanding the Role of Organizational Factors in Shaping the Research Careers of Women Academics in Higher Education
Author: Ion, Georgeta
Date: 2014-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Interviews,Foreign Countries,Organizational Climate,Organizational Culture,Performance Factors,Professional Development,Qualitative Research,Semi Structured Interviews,Females,Women Faculty,Career Development

This paper represents an attempt to make a theoretical contribution to its knowledge base through an analysis of the group factors which contribute to the success of women academics engaged in research within the area of social sciences. The data were obtained through a series of in-depth interviews carried out at public universities in Catalonia, with women academics--all of whom were the heads of research groups recognized by the Generalitat [Regional Government] of Catalonia. The findings indicate that research groups provide a supportive and effective environment for female researchers enabling them to develop their academic careers, as measured by such key performance indicators as the number of publications and successful applications for research funding.
An Interdisciplinary Study in Initial Teacher Training
Author: Larraz Rada, Virginia
Date: 2014-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Interdisciplinary Approach,Preservice Teacher Education,Preservice Teachers,Cultural Education,Communications,Technology Uses in Education,Instructional Materials,Educational Technology,Student Developed Materials,Electronic Publishing,Elementary School Curriculum,Student Projects,Scoring Rubrics,Technological Literacy,Efficiency,Training Methods,Foreign Countries

This experiment of innovative university education shows the interdisciplinary work carried out in the studies of the Bachelor of Science in Education at the University of Andorra. The study was developed within two subjects: Communication Technology (TAC) and Cultural Heritage Education in Andorra. The main objective of this experiment is to foster the use of technological resources and digital materials, with the aim of drawing cultural heritage closer to the classroom. Based on a previous study of documentation and an analysis of online educational materials, the students have to design an e-book, which is understood to be digital material in the curricular field of cultural heritage. This digital material is a didactic proposal that focuses on the construction of knowledge by primary school students. During the elaboration of the materials the instructors introduce follow-up activities. The results of the experiment show that, from an interdisciplinary approach, and a problem-solving, learning-centered methodology, specific and transferable abilities in initial teacher training can be studied and evaluated.
Why and How EFL Students Learn Vocabulary in Parliamentary Debate Class
Author: Aclan, Eunice M.
Date: 2015-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Vocabulary Development,Debate,Qualitative Research,Focus Groups,Teaching Methods,Language Proficiency,Instructional Effectiveness,College Students,Foreign Countries,Foreign Students

Vocabulary, the backbone of any language including English, is foundational for listening, speaking, reading and writing. These four macro-skills are necessary not only in gaining knowledge as English is the language to access major information sources particularly the World Wide Web but also in the demanding globalized workplace. Vocabulary is seen to be learned better when it is contextualized thus language teachers should design communicative activities such as debate. However, debate, being more known as a competitive rather than a classroom activity worldwide, has not been explored yet for its potential to develop vocabulary among EFL/ESL students although it has been identified for its power in developing communication skills in general as well as critical thinking and other soft skills. Thus, this qualitative study was conducted to explore why and how EFL students learn vocabulary in classroom debate. The data were gathered through end-of-course evaluation and focus group interview with seven participants from the Middle East, African and ASEAN countries. The findings show that students learned vocabulary due to debate's interactive nature requiring contextualized and meaningful language use from preparation to actual debate. EFL students described how they learned vocabulary through debate which has implications for SLA and language teaching.
Analytical Review of Universal Grammar (UG) Approach on Second Language Acquisition (SLA)
Author: Irwandy
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language Universals,Grammar,Second Language Learning,Language Acquisition,Linguistic Theory,Second Language Instruction,Learning Processes,Language Usage,Foreign Countries

The aim of this paper is to explore the analysis of Universal Grammar (UG) approach on Second Language Acquisition (SLA). This paper is significant as the sources for teacher or researcher of the second language since this elaboration is deeply focusing on the use of UG on SLA. The method used in this academic writing is inductive method of writing. Three main analyses namely Construct Knowledge of Language, Acquiring Language and Language Use are elaborated strongly in this paper. Furthermore, this paper concludes that UG is very important on teaching and learning of the second language in Indonesia.
Solving Math and Science Problems in the Real World with a Computational Mind
Author: Olabe, Juan Carlos
Date: 2014-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Problem Solving,Elementary Secondary Education,Undergraduate Students,Teaching Methods,Mathematics Instruction,Mathematics Curriculum,Foreign Countries,Student Surveys,Relevance (Education),Interviews,Teacher Attitudes,College Faculty,Preservice Teachers

This article presents a new paradigm for the study of Math and Sciences curriculum during primary and secondary education. A workshop for Education undergraduates at four different campuses (n = 242) was designed to introduce participants to the new paradigm. In order to make a qualitative analysis of the current school methodologies in mathematics, participants were introduced to a taxonomic tool for the description of K-12 Math problems. The tool allows the identification, decomposition and description of Type-A problems, the characteristic ones in the traditional curriculum, and of Type-B problems in the new paradigm. The workshops culminated with a set of surveys where participants were asked to assess both the current and the new proposed paradigms. The surveys in this study revealed that according to the majority of participants: (i) The K-12 Mathematics curricula are designed to teach students exclusively the resolution of Type-A problems; (ii) real life Math problems respond to a paradigm of Type-B problems; and (iii) the current Math curriculum should be modified to include this new paradigm.
Assessing Adult Learner's Numeracy as Related to Gender and Performance in Arithmetic
Author: Awofala, Adeneye O. A.
Date: 2014-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Adult Learning,Numeracy,Gender Differences,Arithmetic,Foreign Countries,Statistical Analysis,Surveys,Mathematics Skills,Self Evaluation (Individuals),Attitude Measures,Basic Skills,Job Skills,Adult Literacy,Employees

The study investigated adult learner numeracy as related to gender and performance in arithmetic among 32 Nigerian adult learners from one government accredited adult literacy centre in Lagos State using the quantitative research method within the blueprint of descriptive survey design. Data collected were analysed using the descriptive statistics of percentages, mean, and standard deviation and inferential statistics of factor analysis, independent samples t-test, and multiple regression analysis. Findings revealed that numeracy skill assessed by the numeracy self-assessment scale was a multi-dimensional construct (numeracy in everyday life, numeracy in workplace, and numeracy in mathematical tasks). Adult learners showed average numeracy strength as gender differences in perception of numeracy skills and performance in arithmetic among adult learners reached zero-tolerance level. Numeracy in workplace and numeracy in mathematical tasks made statistically significant contributions to the variance in adult learners' performance in arithmetic. Based on this base line study, it was thus, recommended that future studies in Nigeria should investigate adult learners' numeracy skills using more robust and psychometrically sound instruments such as the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALLS) and the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS).
Effects of Goal-Setting Skills on Students'academic Performance in English Language in Enugu Nigeria
Author: Abe, Iyabo Idowu
Date: 2014-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Goal Orientation,Academic Achievement,Foreign Countries,Quasiexperimental Design,Pretests Posttests,Control Groups,Intervention,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Secondary School Students,Gender Differences,Hypothesis Testing

The study investigated the effectiveness of goal-setting skills among Senior Secondary II students' academic performance in English language in Enugu Metropolis, Enugu state, Nigeria. Quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test control group design was adopted for the study. The initial sample was 147 participants (male and female) Senior Secondary School II students drawn from two public schools in Enugu zone of Enugu Metropolis. The final sample for the intervention consisted of 80 participants. This sample satisfied the condition for selection from the baseline data. Two research hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data generated were analyzed using the mean, standard deviation and t-test statistical method. The findings showed that performance in English language was enhanced among participants exposed to goal-setting intervention compared to those in the control group. The study also showed that there is a significant gender difference in students' performance with female participants recording a higher mean score than males. Parental level of education was also found to be related to performance in English Language. Based on the findings, goal-setting intervention was recommended as a strategy to enhancing students' academic performance particularly in English Language.
Diasporic Reconciliations of Politics, Love and Trauma: Susan Abulhawa's Quest for Identity in &quot;Mornings in Jenin&quot;
Author: Abu-Shomar, Ayman M.
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Novels,United States Literature,Politics,Intimacy,Trauma,Identification (Psychology)

Negotiating human conditions is an emblematic critical impetus of diaspora informed by multiple cultural possibilities practiced through the creation of multiple spaces that cross the realm of the &quot;self&quot; to that of the &quot;other.&quot; It offers a locale to cross from the oppressed &quot;self&quot; to an understanding of an oppressor &quot;other.&quot; Yet, diasporic negotiation is politically involved in the most responsible manner; it engages the contextual social realities in order to enable creative possibilities for overcoming the logic of the politics altogether. It invites a kind of political involvement that assures the &quot;situatedness of the ethical&quot; in a framework of moral humanistic realisations. The realisation of diasporic negotiations is dialogically engaged in manners that will give birth to new possibilities for human togetherness. In this essay, I trace the signs of diasporic negotiations of politics, love and trauma in Susan Abulhawa's &quot;Mornings in Jenin&quot; by focusing on the Diasporic identity of &quot;Amal&quot; (the central character). I consider the intersections between diaspora, dislocation of identity and the creation of negotiating spaces that qualify an &quot;epistemology of Diaspora&quot; against essentialised and ethnocentric construction of realities. I argue that Abulhawa creates diasporic spaces and immense moral scenes to transcend a particular stance of politics via transcending love in opposition to suffering and tribulation. I contend that Abulhawa's conceptualisation of Diasporic negotiations enables her to depict and gauge two extreme human sentiments: love and trauma, yet, without yielding or compromising the right of just resistance and dissent.
The Human-Animal Relationship: A New Field of Socio-Educational Action
Author: Senent-Sánchez, Joan-Maria
Date: 2014-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Literature Reviews,Web Sites,Content Analysis,Educational Practices,Animal Husbandry,Ecology,Animal Behavior,Social Action,Therapy,Observation,Sensitivity Training,Profiles,Teacher Characteristics,Interaction,Interpersonal Relationship,Foreign Countries

This article analyses the educational approaches towards the animal-human relationship which have been developed during the last 20 years. The article establishes a chain of states in that relationship and presents the reasons why those states are consecutive or, occasionally, simultaneous. Next, the different European profiles of social educators are reviewed to see which of these are more open towards educational action with animals, something which could be considered a new field for educators if they have adequate professional training. A series of European (and some American) websites are analysed in order to determine their approach towards the human-animal relationship. Although most of them are related to animal-assisted therapy, some francophone and Italian websites show approaches that go beyond that. That could imply an extension of the social educators' field of action. Indeed, French and Southern-European models are closer to that point than the rest of the profiles analysed, in terms of the openness and flexibility they show towards new fields.
Syllepsis: An Unfought Battle in the Language Wars
Author: Segal, Alex
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Grammar,Sentence Structure,Figurative Language,Language Usage,Authors,Literature,Discourse Analysis

Syllepsis (in one meaning of the term) is most commonly thought of as an ungrammatical construction which can in certain contexts function as a figure of speech. Yet the common view is at odds with syllepsis occurring in well-written prose that we experience neither as ungrammatical nor as figurative; and with its being largely ignored by literary and rhetorical analysis. As well as arguing against the common view, the paper considers why the view is so uncontroversial, so common.