3,168 research outputs found

    An action research study of collaborative strategic reading in English with Saudi medical students

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    This is an investigative action research study on ways of improving the reading comprehension skills of Arabic medical school students. The study first analysed the difficulties of teaching and learning English and reading in English in a Saudi university medical college. An intervention was planned and implemented based on Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR –Klingner and Vaughn, 1996). This involved using group work to teach explicitly a set of reading strategies to a class of students who had failed their first year examinations. The process and outcomes of this intervention were analysed through mainly qualitative research methods including: semi-structured interviews which were audio taped to explore students' reading habits, field notes and video and audio taped observations to examine students’ interactions while reading, the results of the reading comprehension test taken at the end of the course, and a questionnaire of students’ perceptions completed after implementing collaborative strategic reading. The results of the first action research cycle suggested that CSR had enabled these students to improve their reading comprehension considerably. However, the analysis also revealed some issues about the group work on which this was based, suggesting that improved interaction in groups might enable students to make better use of the CSR strategies. A second cycle of action research, this time with a different class of first year students, was therefore enacted including group work training using the idea of exploratory talk (Mercer 2000) alongside CSR to help students to think more critically and constructively. Analyses revealed significant findings. First, CSR had a positive improvement on students’ learning by boosting their learning strategies. Second, students were able to build on the structure of CSR and gained other collaborative skills. Third, students reported positive feedback about CSR and its strategies and changed their views about group work and its efficacy in the classroom. Moreover, when CSR was combined with exploratory talk the group work became more critical and productive. However, analysis of data from group work transcripts suggested that Mercer’s typology, developed with British children, may not be so useful for Arabian students working with English as a foreign language. The sociolinguistic context means that a different typology is required and the thesis suggests one appropriate to Saudi students who are studying English for a specific academic and professional purpose. The findings offer a framework for developing reading comprehension through group work and combining it with exploratory talk. The thesis has implications for those in similar contexts to the research site and makes some practical recommendations. It also raises questions about conducting action research in this context and engages with micro and macro political issues related to the purpose of teaching and learning English in the college and how they limit teaching and learning practices

    The effects and usefulness of blending asynchronous online discussion with face-to-face classes on students’ reading comprehension, participation and learning at first year of secondary school in Saudi Arabia

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    This study examined the effects and usefulness of blending asynchronous online discussion (AOD) with face-to-face (FTF) reading classes on first-year Saudi Arabian secondary school students’ Arabic reading comprehension, participation, interaction and learning processes. A sequential mixed methodology approach was applied, including quantitative and qualitative research data collection and analysis. Two teachers and 64 students participated. The first part involved a quasi-experimental quantitative design with two groups to examine the impact of BL on students’ comprehension scores. In the control group, 32 students participated in traditional FTF learning only. In contrast, 32 students in the experimental group participated in both FTF and AOD learning via 12 online group discussions over six weeks. Both groups were given the same pre-and post-comprehension tests. The second part involved qualitative semi-structured interviews with 16 students from the experimental, blended group and the two teachers. The third part involved quantitative and qualitative analysis of the AODs. The main finding of this study was that students in the experimental BL group did not improve significantly more than those in the FTF group in overall comprehension post-test scores, or literal, inferential and evaluative comprehension sub-levels. However a comparison within groups revealed that the experimental BL group demonstrated a significant improvement in test scores for overall and all sub-levels of comprehension while students in the control, FTF group only improved significantly in overall and literal comprehension. Overall, this study concludes that although there was no significant effect of blending AOD with FTF reading classes in terms of students’ reading comprehension compared to FTF learning, the integration of AOD design has the potential to benefit students’ participation, learning about comprehension strategies, and interaction. However, there were some challenges that must be considered. A number of recommendations are provided for designing effective AOD activities to support teaching and learning in Arabic reading classes

    An investigation of the relationships between Libyan EFL lecturers’ beliefs about the teaching and learning of reading in English and their classroom practices in Libyan universities

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    Although the significant influence of lecturers’ beliefs on their practices in the classroom is well known, not much is known about teachers’ beliefs and the extent to which they influence reading instructional techniques (Woods, 2006). Furthermore, no comprehensive studies have been carried out in the context of Libyan universities, where lecturers in English are non-native speakers of the language and have only minimal resources and limited access to published research and scholarship regarding this topic. The present qualitative study aims to fill this gap in knowledge, considering contextual factors such as limited access to expert knowledge, a fixed curriculum, time restrictions and the isolation of lecturers, in an analysis of the beliefs that lecturers in English hold and the correspondence between these beliefs and their teaching practices. The study explores the factors that shape lecturers’ beliefs and examines the relationship between their beliefs and practices. Twenty-three unstructured observation sessions were conducted with male and female lecturers teaching English reading. Each class was observed 3 times, giving a total of 69 classes. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty male and female lecturers. The observation and interview data were analysed inspired by grounded theory. The findings revealed that lecturers held a variety of beliefs, and these did not always inform their practices in the classroom. This study provides a more in-depth understanding of the multifaceted relationship between what lecturers believe and what they practise regarding the teaching of English reading. The study acknowledges the themes of the differences and similarities between lecturers’ beliefs and practices, with observations such as ‘lecturers knew, but did not do’; ‘lecturers did, but were not aware that they did’; and ‘lecturers did, and they knew’. In addition, the study demonstrates that correspondence between beliefs and practices does not necessarily result in positive pedagogical consequences, while a lack of such correspondence may not have negative results. The research also reveals that, irrespective of the relationships between beliefs and practices, the underpinning rationales are linked to the complex relationship between lecturers’ beliefs and practices and a range of other factors. The findings of this study could be of benefit to both current and future EFL lecturers of reading and should also provide directions for further research in this field

    Reading practices in the shadows: context, text and identities

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    This thesis provides an in-depth account of reading practices of graduates in Algeria. Significantly, the study offers fresh insights by drawing together two perspectives to understand readers: how their social environments shape reading identities and practices and the way that texts offer spaces for readers to ‘try on’ different identities, and (re)construct their own. Regarding the relationship between readers and their social environments, this thesis shows that family and peers are among the strongest influencers of reading. They trigger and maintain readers’ interest, respectively, by validating their reading identities and making reading a ‘common’ practice. The evidence presented indicates that reading is either reinforced or challenged by the predominant cultures in public spaces, educational institutions and places of work. Struggles over whether to conform with or resist these prevailing cultural rules emerge, thereby creating shaming experiences and feelings of guilt and humiliation. The analysis indicates that participants experience conflicts when reading a particular type of book or reading in a certain language, or a given public place due to the assumed hierarchy of fiction and other texts, the correct language to use and notions about the most appropriate places to read. Despite these difficult experiences, readers themselves played an active role in reproducing these cultural reading conventions and imposing definitions on who are real and who are fake readers. This research stresses the importance of recognising intricacy, nuance and variation, and avoiding the imposition of binary divisions between ‘reader’ and ‘non-reader’. The findings suggest that reading identities for these participants are shaped by various sub-identities – they are evident, for example, in reading in particular languages and reading the Quran. Reading identities are, hence, coloured by sub-identities, resulting in ‘mosaic reader identities’. They, in this sense, are diverse and should not be subsumed under the ‘reader’ label, with imposed forms of reading. This in-depth qualitative interpretive study, inspired by a phenomenographic approach, offers fresh insights into reading practices. Data collection was carried out in Algeria over a period of three months, consisting of focus group discussions, individual semi-structured interviews, visual representations of perceptions and feelings about reading, and informal conversations. It involved nine graduates of various disciplines: English language studies, translation studies, medical sciences, intercultural studies, law studies, economic sciences and physics. All participants identified as multilingual. The conceptual frame that helped deepen the analysis and frame the findings comprise: Bourdieu (1986) – habitus, capital and field – and Holland et al. (1998) – identity, artefact and figured worlds, with Kamhieh’s (2012) and Gee’s (2017) notions of ‘reader-as-XYZ’ and ‘sub-type principle’ respectively, helping to enrich my thinking throughout. The findings of this investigation have implications on readers’ social environments, as they indicate that democratising reading requires the coming together of various societal and cultural bodies, including families, peer groups, educational institutions, as well as the readers themselves. Diversity of reading practices and identities needs acknowledgement and celebration, rather than legitimisations of certain ways of reading and keeping others in the shadows

    Investigating language policy from a linguistic justice perspective in multilingual higher education - a case study of the science and technology schools in Adrar University, Algeria

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    This thesis attempts to understand language policy and practice at the level of university education while examining different linguistic behaviours to assess how linguistically just they are using a normative approach. This study seeks to answer the following research questions 1. How is the Algerian language policy operationalised at the level of universi-ty education generally and in science and technology classrooms specifical-ly? 2. What are students’ and teachers’ perceptions of the effect of implicit and explicit language policy on their academic experience? 3. What are students’ and teachers’ attitudes towards languages, choice, and multilingual universities, and how can this be reflected in a successful lan-guage policy? 4. How can we assess to what extent language policies (implemented in this context, explicit or implicit) are linguistically just? Through qualitative methods and thematic analysis, this study unveils how stu-dents and teachers at Adrar University use languages, their attitudes toward them in the classroom, and their perceptions of language policy. The findings are analysed using frameworks of linguistic justice inspired by the works of Rawls (1999), Sen (2010), Van Parijs (2011), and Kymlicka and Patten (2003). Findings of this study suggest that linguistic justice can be assessed through manifestations of different linguistic practices such as language use and choic-es (choice of medium of instruction, for instance). It is also concluded that lan-guage practices and policies at the level of Adrar University are not always just according to the framework of justice discussed in the literature review. The recommendations presented at the end of this thesis will pave the way for lan-guage planning and policy that are more considerate of linguistic justice, espe-cially in multilingual settings

    Guessing Verb–Adverb Collocations: Arab EFL Learners' Use of Electronic Dictionaries

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    Collocational studies have recently attracted a great deal of interest. To date, hardly any study has tackled Arab EFL learners' competency in the use of verb–adverb collocations. This study explores the way advanced Arab EFL learners handle verb–adverb collocations using two learner's dictionaries. The subjects (N = 82) were required to look up 22 verbs, 12 frequent and 10 infrequent, and guess three adverb collocates of each verb. The results showed that even advanced EFL learners had considerable difficulty in providing extra adverb collocates of both frequent and infrequent verbs. Dictionary use was effective; the subjects performed significantly better especially with infrequent verbs. Many reasons were posited for this finding, foremost of which included the subjects' deficiency in collocational skills and the lack of sufficient clues in the definitions to facili-tate dictionary users' correct use of collocations. Whereas knowledge of the meaning of the stimuli was found to be a significant contributing factor to the subjects' overall collocational competence, basic prior training in dictionary usage did not show any positive impact on their overall performance. Keywords: Verb–Adverb Collocations, Arab Efl Learners, Frequent Verbs, Infrequent Verbs, Training In Dictionary Use, Collocations Dictionaries, Dictionary Use, Learner's Dictionaries 

    Cross-cultural linguistic politeness: Misunderstanding between Arabs and British speakers of English.

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    This research investigates misunderstanding between Arabs and native speakers of English in verbal interaction. It examines the factors that might influence understanding and interpretations of politeness in interactants' linguistic utterances at the cultural and contextual levels. Its main argument is that the 'core theories' of politeness do not provide an adequate methodology for analysing cross-cultural interactions as they do not engage sufficiently with the dynamics of context selection in interactions. Through critical evaluation of politeness theories such as Grice (1975), Lakoff (1973), Leech (1983) and Brown and Levinson (1987), this research establishes that they do not adopt a sufficiently pragmatic approach to analyse politeness in cross-cultural interaction, and that they cannot explain how misunderstandings between interlocutors from different cultures , are generated. Thus, through reviewing how other scholars such as Spencer-Oatey (2000), Eelen (2001), Mills (2003), and Watts (2003) analyse politeness, and using theories of cognition, such as Sperber and Wilson (1995)'s relevance theory, this research tries to introduce a more contextual pragmatic approach that better analyses politeness in cross-cultural interaction. This study examines data from interactions between native and non-native English speakers. It uses two types of recordings involving native and non-native speakers of English. The first type of recording is of face-to-face casual conversations. The candidates for this type had to fill in a questionnaire and some of them attended follow-up interviews. The second type of recording is taken from television and radio broadcasts. Data was selectively transcribed and the situations where misunderstandings seem to have arisen were analysed in relation to what influenced both interactants' production and interpretation of utterances in relation to what is considered polite or impolite by the interactants' cultures. This research proves that Brown and Levinson (1978, 1987)'s theory of linguistic politeness strategies fails to reflect patterns of politeness differing from one culture to another linguistically, culturally, and contextually. It proves that the notion of politeness is interpreted differently across cultures, and involves many more issues than can be investigated through the analysis of individual utterances as Brown and Levinson do. The originality of this research, besides its criticism of the core theories of politeness in analysing politeness in cross-cultural interaction, lies in the fact that it introduces a contextual pragmatic approach that not only considers additional cultural and contextual variables that influence the production and interpretation of politeness between interactants, but also provides different interpretations of these variables that influence interaction. It analyses variables in relation to both speakers and hearers and the context of interaction, which makes it more suitable for cross-cultural analysis. Applying this approach helps us to consider whether misunderstanding between interactants is due to interactants failing to understand the politeness norms of other cultures or whether it is due to interactants failing to recognise differences in the way that politeness is realised linguistically in different cultures. The thesis proves that notions such as face and indirectness are not universal, and that politeness is a cultural contextual issue Thus, my approach identifies pragmatic failure, and isolates the cultural differences that lead to misunderstandings, through investigating the different implicatures that an utterance might give rise to in certain cross-cultural contexts

    An Investigation of the Impact of Inquiry-Based Learning in Mathematics on the Students’ Perceptions of the Learning Environment and Attitudes Towards Mathematics in some Abu Dhabi Schools

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    This study, carried out in four schools in the UAE, compared students in classes of mathematics teachers exemplary in the use of explorations with those who were not (learning environment perceptions and attitudes). Data collection involved surveys (n=291 students), lesson observations and focus-group interviews (n=27 students). Students taught by teachers exemplary in the use of explorations reported statistically significantly (p<.01) more favourable learning environment perceptions and attitudes than their counterparts who were not
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