An Intelligent Computer-aided Training System (CAT) for Diagnosing Adult Illiterates: Integrating NASA Technology into Workplace Literacy

An important part of NASA's mission involves the secondary application of its technologies in the public and private sectors. One current application being developed is The Adult Literacy Evaluator, a simulation-based diagnostic tool designed to assess the operant literacy abilities of adults having difficulties in learning to read and write. Using Intelligent Computer-Aided Training (ICAT) system technology in addition to speech recognition, closed-captioned television (CCTV), live video and other state-of-the-art graphics and storage capabilities, this project attempts to overcome the negative effects of adult literacy assessment by allowing the client to interact with an intelligent computer system which simulates real-life literacy activities and materials and which measures literacy performance in the actual context of its use. The specific objectives of the project are as follows: (1) to develop a simulation-based diagnostic tool to assess adults' prior knowledge about reading and writing processes in actual contexts of application; (2) to provide a profile of readers' strengths and weaknesses; and (3) to suggest instructional strategies and materials which can be used as a beginning point for remediation. In the first and development phase of the project, descriptions of literacy events and environments are being written and functional literacy documents analyzed for their components. From these descriptions, scripts are being generated which define the interaction between the student, an on-screen guide and the simulated literacy environment

Teacher cognition in language teaching: A review of research on what language teachers think, know, believe, and do

This paper reviews a selection of research from the field of foreign and second language teaching into what is referred to here as teacher cognition – what teachers think, know, and believe and the relationships of these mental constructs to what teachers do in the language teaching classroom. Within a framework suggested by more general mainstream educational research on teacher cognition, language teacher cognition is here discussed with reference to three main themes: (1) cognition and prior language learning experience, (2) cognition and teacher education, and (3) cognition and classroom practice. In addition, the findings of studies into two specific curricular areas in language teaching which have been examined by teacher cognition – grammar teaching and literacy – are discussed. This review indicates that, while the study of teacher cognition has established itself on the research agenda in the field of language teaching and provided valuable insight into the mental lives of language teachers, a clear sense of unity is lacking in the work and there are several major issues in language teaching which have yet to be explored from the perspective of teacher cognition

EVALUATING THE EFFICACY OF AN ARABIC METALINGUISTIC AWARENESS TRAINING PROGRAM

Recently both academics and professional standards have demonstrated the essential role teachers’ knowledge about metalinguistic awareness plays in pupils' literacy achievement. This study aimed to explore whether an intensive training program in Arabic metalinguistic awareness increases teachers’ knowledge and improves their performance. Changes from pre-test to post-test knowledge and reporting confidence of 25 trainees were investigated. Participants showed significant gains in their knowledge and skills of Arabic metalinguistic awareness upon post-test. In addition, participants reported higher confidence in teaching Arabic metalinguistics after attending the course. Findings from this research bring recommendations toward developing Arabic metalinguistic awareness-related approaches for educators. The importance of professional development is discussed.  Article visualizations

Developing language and writing skills of deaf and hard of hearing students: A simultaneous approach

In school, deaf and hard of hearing students (d/hh) are often exposed to American Sign Language (ASL) while also developing literacy skills in English. ASL does not have a written form, but is a fully accessible language to the d/hh through which it is possible to mediate understanding, draw on prior experiences and engage critical thinking and reasoning (Allington & Johnston, 2002, Vygotsky, 1987; Wertch, 1991). This study investigates the impact of Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction (SIWI) on the development of signed expressive language (ASL) and written English. Our analysis demonstrates that a focus on ASL did not detract from students’ writing growth in English. Instead a focus on building ASL and written English proficiency simultaneously resulted in significant gains in both language and writing

Testing ICT-based Learning Model 'Creative Reading’ as A Trigger of Children’s Metalinguistic Awareness in Learning English

This 21st century is known as a period in which access to information and communi- cation technology (ICT) are widely open. This brings good in various fields, one of which is educa- tion. In relation to the use of technology in education sector, Kurniawan developed a learning model based on ICT that is a combination of the components of animation technology with aspects of Eng- lish learning specifically reading comprehension. The model is called Creative Reading Learning Model aiming to increase vocabulary understanding, concept and the use of previously owned knowledge. The model emphasizes the role of educators in preparing learning and students in under- standing learning through the help of animation technology that can arise prior knowledge to under- stand learning materials. This study aims to complete the Research and Development phase until the product is complete and analyze the pedagogical implications of the application of Creative Reading as a form of triggering metalinguistic awareness in the test group. Data obtained through observation. The results of this study indicate that children understand most of the vocabulary presented. Related to metalinguistic awareness, there are children who have used English intentionally with an under- standing of form and meaning as the basis. Keywords: Creative Reading, English, Learning Models, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary Reference Abdon, M. M., Maghanoy, J. M., Alieto, E. O., Buslon, J. B., Rillo, R. M., & Bacang, B. G. (2019). Phonological Awareness Skills of English As Second Language (Esl) Learners: the Case of First-Grade Filipino Bilinguals. Sci.Int.(Lahore), 31(5), 647–652. Altman, C., Goldstein, T., & Armon-Lotem, S. (2018). Vocabulary, metalinguistic awareness and language dominance among bilingual preschool children. Frontiers in Psychology, 9(OCT), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01953 Cadena, C. M. Z. (2006). Effectiveness of Reading and Improving Reading Comprehension in Young ESL Readers (Universidad Del Norte Maestria). Retrieved from http://manglar.uninorte.edu.co/bitstream/handle/10584/718/45686016.pdf;jsessionid=E69 B0580514D369C34D96E4B48A8C9AC?sequence=1 Ceballos, M. R. S., Grenna, M., Joy, M., & Chall, J. S. (2012). Stages of Reading Development. Reading Difficulties and Dyslexia: An Interpretation for Teachers, 20–28. https://doi.org/10.4135/9788132108375.n3 Copland, F., Garton, S., & Burns, A. (2014). Challenges in Teaching English to Young Learners: Global Perspectives and Local Realities. TESOL Quarterly, 48(4), 738–762. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.148 de Souza, G. N., Brito, Y. P. dos S., Tsutsumi, M. M. A., Marques, L. B., Goulart, P. R. K., Monteiro, D. C., & de Santana, Á. L. (2018). The Adventures of Amaru: Integrating learning tasks into a digital game for teaching children in early phases of literacy. Frontiers in Psychology, 9(DEC), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02531 Flemban, F. Y. (2018). Animated Pedagogical Agent’s Roles and English Learners’ Prior Knowledge: The Influence on Cognitive Load, Motivation, and Vocabulary Acquisition. University of South Florida. Georgescu, C.-A. (2010). Using Blogs in Foreign Language Teaching. Educational Sciences Series, 62(1A), 186–191. Guilford, J. P. (1977). Way Beyond the IQ. New York: Bearly Limited. Karavas, E. (2014). Applied Linguistics to Foreign Language Teaching and Learning. An introduction to Applied Linguistics. In National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Retrieved from http://opencourses.uoa.gr/courses/ENL6/ Kurniawan, M. (2012). Students’ Perspectives Toward the Use of Teacher’S Edublog in Efl Learning (Satya Wacana Christian University Salatiga). Retrieved from http://repository.uksw.edu/bitstream/123456789/3412/2/T1_112008013_Full text.pdf Kurniawan, M. (2016). From Common Reading to Creative Reading: An ICT-Based ELL Model Development. Widya Sari, (March 2016). Retrieved from http://widyasari- press.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=756:from-common-reading- to-creative-reading&catid=92:vol-18-no-1-jurnal-maret-2016&Itemid=2 Kurniawan, M., & Tanone, R. (2016). Mobile learning in TESOL: A golden bridge for enhancement of grammar awareness and vocabulary mastery? Asian EFL Journal, 8(May), 155–159. Li, L., & Wu, X. (2015). Effects of metalinguistic awareness on reading comprehension and the mediator role of reading fluency from grades 2 to 4. PLoS ONE, 10(3), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0114417 Masnan, A. H., & Ngajib, S. H. M. (2016). The Dilemmas of Teaching English in Cambodia Kindergarten. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 6(12), 190–196. https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v6-i12/2485 O’Brien, B. A., Habib, M., & Onnis, L. (2019). Technology-Based Tools for English Literacy Intervention: Examining Intervention Grain Size and Individual Differences. Frontiers in Psychology, 10(November). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02625 Robinson Anthony, J. J. D., Blumenfeld, H. K., Potapova, I., & Pruitt-Lord, S. L. (2020). Language dominance predicts cognate effects and metalinguistic awareness in preschool bilinguals. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 0(0), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2020.1735990 Salazar, J. V. A. & Gallardo, F. O. R. (2017). Effectiveness of Reading Comprehension Activities for Developing Communicative Skills in 8th Basic Year Students at Unidad Educativa Lemas. Universidad Laica Vicente Rocafuerte De Guayaquil.Soesilo, T. D. et al. (2018). Konsep Dasar Perkembangan Anak Usia Dini. Salatiga: Satya Wacana University Press. Timothy, A. E. (2019). English Language Components Preference of Students in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria: Implications for Teaching English as a Second Language. SSRN Electronic Journal, (November). https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3483857 Torgesen, J. K., Wagner, R. K., Rashotte, C. A., Herron, J., & Lindamood, P. (2010). Computer- assisted instruction to prevent early reading difficulties in students at risk for dyslexia: Outcomes from two instructional approaches. Annals of Dyslexia, 60(1), 40–56. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-009-0032-y U.S. Department of Education. (2017). Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education: 2017 National Education Technology Plan Update. In Office of Educational Technology. https://doi.org/10.1080/0963749810843097

The effects of various combinations of form-focused instruction techniques on the acquisition of English articles by second language learners of English

Although English articles (the/a(n)) are two of the most frequently occurring words in the language, second language (L2) learners of English tend to exhibit extraordinary difficulty acquiring them. Uniquely resistant to instruction and often overlooked due to a lack of inherent meaning, articles are a suitable linguistic target for form-focused instruction (FFI), an approach that has demonstrated its efficacy over decades of research, across multiple domains of instructed L2 acquisition. With the aim of integrating attention to form into communicative L2 instruction, FFI encompasses numerous instructional techniques that promote various types of linguistic processing that contribute to L2 learning. The current study in particular focuses on three proactive FFI techniques—input enhancement, metalinguistic explanations, and practice—that sequentially facilitate noticing, awareness, and practice, respectively (Lyster, 2007, 2017; Ranta & Lyster, 2018). Targeting English articles, an experimental study was conducted to measure the differential effects of various combinations of the three FFI techniques, in order to examine the benefits attributable to each technique and its corresponding linguistic processing. Forty-six L2 learners of English were randomly assigned to four conditions: input enhancement only (n = 12); input enhancement and metalinguistic explanations (n = 11); input enhancement, metalinguistic explanations, and practice (n = 11); and a control condition (n = 12). The L2 learners each completed six hours of online English lessons. The three treatment groups received instruction on English articles according to their respective condition, while the control group received general instruction with no focus on articles. The participants’ knowledge of English articles was measured by four tasks (i.e., grammaticality judgment task, metalinguistic knowledge task, elicited imitation task, and picture-description task) in a pretest, an immediate posttest, and a delayed posttest. Results showed that the group that received input enhancement and metalinguistic explanations exhibited clear and durable gains in the metalinguistic knowledge task after the lessons. Furthermore, a subset of participants who benefitted the most from the instructional treatment revealed two factors in common, which were their article-less native languages and a high level of participation during the lessons. Based on these results, the present study contributes meaningfully to the current understanding of FFI and the L2 acquisition of English articles. In addition, it seeks to bring L2 research and L2 pedagogy one step closer together by offering evidence-based insights that further inform instructed L2 acquisition

Enhancing Information Language Learning with Mobile Technology - Does it Work?

There are many theories that attempt to explain second language acquisition processes and factors determining success or failure. Despite a lack of general agreement between proponents of these theories, research has convincingly shown that the amount of exposure to target language input is one important predictor of ultimate achievement levels. ‘Time on task’ is as important in language learning as it is in many other domains (cf. Reber, 1993) and it is therefore important to identify ways in which this can be increased. An obvious possibility is to encourage learners to engage with (and in) the language outside the classroom. Informal learning, in the sense of learning outside of formal education, has been shown to be a major aspect of adult learning (Cross, 2007) and, given appropriate preparation and support, learners can greatly increase opportunities for learning if they can do so independently. Mobile technologies have obvious potential in this regard. However, is it possible to improve language skills in this way? In this article we report on an exploratory study into the use of cellphones for extensive listening practice. We used input enhancement to draw learners’ attention to not only the meaning of the materials but also the formal (grammatical) aspects of the input. We found that the use of mobile technology presented a number of challenges and in this study did not result in learners acquiring the target structures. We conclude with a number of recommendations for the use and future study of mobile technologies for (language) learning

Report on design of new teaching methods and remediation tools for dyslexia

The aim of this work is to provide a review of the remediation therapies that can be used in the rehabilitation of developmental dyslexia; a special emphasis is put on morphological instruction as a promising strategy for compensating the phonological deficits exhibited by dyslexic children, both monolinguals and bilinguals, and enhancing their literacy skills. We will begin our discussion by presenting an overview of developmental dyslexia, discussing its manifestations and its relationships with other developmental disorders, and in particular with Specific Language Impairment. We will then present the results of the studies that we carried out within the European Project AThEME, which confirm the presence of a morphological deficit in dyslexic children, but also point to an advantage in morphological tasks of bilingual children, both dyslexics and typically developing, over their monolingual peers. On the basis of these results, we propose that morphological training could be a viable and effective strategy for the treatment of reading difficulties in both monolingual and bilingual children. We will back this proposal up by presenting the results of three meta- analyses, for a total of 46 studies reviewed, confirming that morphological treatment can lead to enhancements in reading, spelling and literacy-related skills, including phonological and morphological competence, vocabulary development and reading comprehension