Teacher Perceptions of Strategies for Improving ESOL Students’ Academic English Skills: A K-12 Perspective

This study investigates five North American K-12 classroom teachers’ perceptions of ESOL students’ challenges in academic English skills and strategies for improving ESOL students’ academic English skills. Seven distinct areas of interest emerged from the five interviews: 1) ranking of importance of academic listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills; 2) challenges that ESOL students face in the classroom; 3) strategies to help ESOL students in academic listening; 4) strategies to help ESOL students in academic speaking; 5) strategies to help ESOL students in academic reading; 6) strategies to help ESOL students in academic writing; and 7) strategies to assist ESOL students in overcoming challenges in academic English skills. This paper focuses on the implementation of coping strategies for K-12 ESOL students in academic English skills, as perceived by their classroom teachers. Cette étude enquête sur les perceptions de cinq enseignants nord-américains de classes préscolaires à la 12e, des défis de leurs élèves ESOL face aux compétences en Anglais académique et des stratégies pouvant améliorer les compétences en Anglais académique de ces élèves ESOL. Sept domaines d’intérêt distincts ont émergés de ces cinq entretiens:1) degré d’importance académique des compétences en écoute, parler, lecture et écriture; 2) défis auxquels font face les élèves ESOL dans leurs salles de classe; 3) stratégies visant à aider les élèves ESOL avec leur écoute académique; 4) stratégies visant à aider les élèves ESOL avec leur parler académique; 5) stratégies visant à aider les élèves ESOL avec leur lecture académique; 6) stratégies visant à aider les élèves ESOL avec leur écriture académique; et 7) stratégies visant à assister les élèves ESOL à surmonter les défis liés aux compétences en Anglais académique. Cet article porte l’accent sur l’implémentation de stratégies d’adaptation pour les élèves de la maternelle à la 12e concernant les compétences en Anglais académique, telle que perçue par leurs enseignants

Transfer of Learning Transformed

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/96651/1/j.1467-9922.2012.00740.x.pd

Needs analysis in an EAP course: A case study

This case study was done to investigate academic writing at a public university, in relation to student writing needs and the context of academic writing in a writing course at a public university in Malaysia. The study employed the complementarity mixed-method design, where questionnaires and interviews were used to collect the data. The total number of respondents for the questionnaire was 157 (26 EAP lecturers, 22 engineering lecturers, 17 human sciences lecturers and 92 EAP students from the engineering and human sciences faculties). Interviews were done with 15 EAP lecturers, three engineering lecturers, four human sciences lecturers, four EAP/engineering students and four EAP/human sciences students. The objectives of the study were to investigate the EAP lecturers’, the faculty lecturers’, and students’ perceptions of student academic writing needs and the EAP course. The results of the case study revealed that the EAP, engineering and human sciences lecturers as well as the EAP/engineering and EAP/human sciences students had similar and different perceptions with regard to student academic writing needs. Secondly, the majority of the EAP lecturers and students have a positive view towards the EAP course. The present needs (PSA) and the target needs (TSA) that have been identified from the findings can be used as a source of information for other language centres for their academic writing courses. As a start, since the findings also relate the identified needs with specific faculties (engineering and human sciences), this information can be used as a guide to determine the syllabus of a writing course for the related faculties

Effective writing instruction for English-as-a-foreign-language university students in Korea

Beginning with an analysis of current problems in English education in South Korea, this project is intended to suggest various ways to implement effective English education, especially for writing instruction. The project is designed for students who have low English proficiency in South Korean colleges and universities

A Theoretical Framework for Exploring Second Language Writers’ Beliefs in First Year Composition

abstract: Situated in the influx of Chinese students entering U.S. higher education and the L2 writing research growing interests in investigating learners’ experience to gain further insights into their emic perspectives on English literacy development, this dissertation argues that the identifying the beliefs as the underlying principle shaping and being shaped by our experience. In this dissertation, I propose a theoretical framework of beliefs and validates the framework by using it to examine multilingual writers’ learning experience in the context of First Year Composition. The framework advances a definition of beliefs and a framework demonstrating the relationship among three constructs—perception, attitude, and behavior. In order to develop the framework, I first synthesized existing literature on language learning beliefs and argue the scarcity of L2 writing researchers’ discussing belief when exploring learners’ experience. I define beliefs as an individual’s generalizations from the mental construction of the experience, based on evaluation and judgment, thus are predisposed to actions. I proposed a framework of belief, consisting three mental constructs—perception, attitude and action—to identify and examine factors contributing the formation and change of beliefs. I drew on drawing on Dewey's theory of experience and Rokeach's (1968) belief theory, and contextual approach to beliefs in the field of second language acquisition. I analyzed the interview data of twenty-two Chinses students accounting their English learning experiences across four different contexts, including English class in China, TOEFL training courses, intensive English program, and FYC classroom. The findings show that their beliefs were formed and transformed in the contexts before FYC. They perceived all the writing learning in those courses as similar content and curriculum, but the attitudes vary regarding the immediate contexts and long-term goal of using the knowledge. They believe grammar and vocabulary is the “king’s way,” the most effective and economic approach, which was emphasized in the test-oriented culture. Moreover, the repetitive course content and various pedagogies, including multiple revisions and the requirement of visiting writing center, have been perceived as requiring demonstration more efforts, which in turn prompted them to develop their own negotiation strategies, the actions, to gain more credits for the class. This dissertation concludes that the beliefs can be inferred from these all three constructs, but to change beliefs of learners, we need to make them explicit and incorporate them into writing instruction or curriculum design. Implications on how to further the research of beliefs as well as translating these findings into classroom pedagogies are also discussed. The dissertation concludes with a discussion of how the framework can be used to inform future research and classroom practices informed by writing beliefs identified in this study.Dissertation/ThesisDoctoral Dissertation English 201

Towards a Theory and Practice of Translingual Transfer: A Study of 6 International Undergraduate Students

This dissertation brings together research on writing transfer and translingual views of writing through a description of the experiences of six international transfer students during their first semester at an American research university. This work pays special attention to the wide range of knowledges and practices that such students bring to new writing situations, broadening the definition of what might constitute a prior text in discussions of transfer. Findings from this study illustrate the ways that students do not simply import writing practices from one context to another, unchanged, but recontextualize them to suit the needs of new audiences, situations, languages, and genres. Of particular importance is these students’ recontextualization of the metalanguages they learn to associate with given contexts and kinds of writing. These metalanguages correspond to the language ideologies that pervade particular contexts and often structure the silos into which particular languages and practices are artificially bounded. Students’ recontextualization and blending of such metalanguages illustrates a potential for more fluid ways of conceptualizing writing across a range of contexts. This potential is displayed in these students’ negotiation of writing practices they bring to new situations from their math courses, and through their negotiation of institutional pressures that actively discourage effective transfer of knowledge and practices. Taken together, these findings suggest that a translingual approach offers new avenues to discussions of writing transfer, shifting from questions focused on whether or not students effectively draw on prior knowledges to questions focused on how better to identify and understand the inevitable interaction of the many knowledges and practices students encounter as they move across a wide range of contexts. This shift in focus further suggests potential changes for both researchers and teachers, who might come to better recognize and build upon the rich repertoires that students bring to classes by adopting a translingual approach to transfer.PHDEnglish & EducationUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163177/1/ryanmcca_1.pd

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationResearch that has examined how L2 writers write from sources and the extent to which these source-based text;s differ from text;s produced by L1 writers suggests that L2 writers copy more extensively and attribute information to original sources less frequently than L1 writers (e.g., Keck, 2006). This dissertation study set out to add to the existing body of literature on text;ual borrowing in undergraduate L2 writers with the additional goal of examining the extent to which these writers‘ text;ual borrowing is influenced by instruction on avoiding plagiarism. The study employed qualitative methodology and drew upon multiple data sources. Additionally, unlike much of the existing research on L2 writers‘ text;ual borrowing, this study examined three L2 writers‘ text;ual borrowing in the context; of authentic source-based assignments produced in an ESL writing class and mainstream courses. The findings showed that the three L2 writers in the study were able to avoid blatant plagiarism by implementing basic text;ual borrowing strategies, such as paraphrasing by substituting original words with synonyms. However, they continued to have difficulties with more nuanced aspects of source use, such as transparency and cohesion in attribution, integration of source-based material with their own voice, source selection and organization, and use of effective reading and writing strategies. With respect to the observed instruction, the study uncovered several central themes: the instructor 1) tended to focus on the punitive consequences of plagiarism (although her perspective shifted toward the end of the course), 2) frequently emphasized concepts of credibility and blame as main reasons for responsible text;ual borrowing, and 3) simplified instruction on text;ual borrowing to rephrasing of others‘ words and changing structure. These findings highlight the mismatch between the complex difficulties that undergraduate L2 writers have with text;ual borrowing on one hand and the simplified instruction that ignores these difficulties on the other. I discuss this uncovered disparity in the realm of L2 writing teacher preparation and professional training for faculty across the curriculum, arguing for increased institutional support. I also outline a framework for providing such instructional support, which includes linguistic, text;ual, cognitive, metacognitive, and social support

"So That Everybody Starts at the Same Line": Exploring International English Language Learners’ Perceptions of Learning English and Studying in Canadian Universities

The myriad voices of international English language learners, who must enrol in an English language program before beginning their academic programs, are frequently left out of conversations about Canada's current efforts to internationalize higher education. The purpose of this study is to explore international English language learners' perceptions of learning English and studying in Canada as they transition from English language programs to post-secondary studies. Using an embedded qualitative case study design, the researcher interviewed 15 international English language learners studying engineering, business, and science in Ontario to explore how well they feel their particular English language program prepared them to study their academic disciplines. Additionally, this study extends scholarship on language learners' investments in English by exploring the personal values that international English language learners place on learning English as an additional language. Through a neocolonialist lens, the researcher examines how learning English impacts international students' identities and how they position themselves in relation to native-English speakers and non-English speakers. Findings from this study have the potential to help university and language program administrators better understand the diverse needs of international students undertaking post-secondary studies in Canada and implement both program and institutional reform

In the Pursuit of Advanced Academic Literacy: Two Second Language Students’ Experiences in their Initial Semester at a U.S. University

This thesis examines how second language students perceive the challenges of acquiring advanced academic literacy at U.S. universities, by investigating the actions and decisions of two research participants in the process of discourse enculturation into their field of study. Data was collected primarily through personal interviews over the course of their first semester of study. Through interviews and document analysis, a data-driven study emerged, reported on in the words of the participants in two personal narratives. The study highlights the importance of the perceptions of second language students in delineating the complex set of variables involved in the process of advanced academic literacy acquisition. Findings suggest that there is a complex interrelationship between the strategies invoked in response to academic challenges and the goals the research participants were seeking to attain. This interrelationship is described in terms of individual learning trajectories as related to particular contexts of discourse initiation