Implementing a multimodal online program for very young learners of Russian: Educators' perspective

CALL and MALL learning programs have been introduced by preschool teachers into their language classrooms (Sadykova, Kayumova, Khalitova, Gimaletdinova, 2017; Segers Verhoeven, 2003), despite reports saying that some of these programs have little educational value (Kazanci Okan, 2009). This exploratory mixed-methods study aims at examining how Russian language kindergarten and preschool teachers integrate resources of a Russian language online school Live Fairytales™ (Zhivye skazki, 2017) and what design elements of this multimodal digital resource they find conducive or impediment to successful language acquisition by young learners. The data come from the reports of six teachers and survey responses of 18 educators who described and reflected on their experiences integrating resources of the Russian language online school. The data show that teachers made productive use of the digital resource by utilizing its multimodal presentation of the content, integrating interactive activities mostly in a whole-class format, and creating an engaging and enjoyable learning environment of play. Visual representation of material was reported to be the most valuable and necessary for accompanying audio input, introducing or practicing vocabulary, supporting listening comprehension, and overall motivating very young learners to stay on task. This study extends our understanding of what early childhood educators expect from quality digital resources and how they integrate them into educational programs that support language acquisition of bilingual and multilingual preschool children.

Teachers’ Use of Multiple Instructional Strategies: A Comparison of Reading Performance of Third Grade English Language Learners in ESL/Bilingual Programs

The purposes of this dissertation are three-fold. The first purpose is to identify the effects of four different English as a Second Language/English as a Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) instructional strategies (graphic organizers, scaffolding, interactive read aloud, and leveled questions) on reading performance of English language learners (ELLs) across grade level, intervention duration, ESL/EFL environment, and sample size. The second purpose is to ascertain how frequently teachers should use these four strategies to enhance third-grade ELLs’ reading performance. The third purpose is to discuss how Project English Language and Literacy Acquisition (Project ELLA) curriculum can be modified to fit Taiwan’s English-language planning and education policy. To respond to the first purpose, a meta-analysis for quantitative synthesis was adopted to review and examine the effectiveness of the four instructional strategies on ELLs’ reading performance. For the second purpose, a multilevel path analysis using structural equation modeling was adopted to examine if teachers’ frequency of using these four instructional strategies moderates the relationship between ELLs’ reading performance on pretest and on posttest. For the third purpose, a case study was conducted to discuss incorporating Project ELLA into Taiwan’s English-language planning and education policy. The overall findings supported an educational belief that explicit instruction coupled with multiple instructional strategies is essential for enhancing ELLs’ reading performance. The findings further indicated that higher frequency of using multiple instructional strategies had a significant interaction effect on the relationship between ELLs’ reading performance on the pretest and the posttest. To conclude, the use of multiple instructional strategies is a key factor in predicting successful reading performance. To enhance ELLs’ performance in reading, teachers are strongly suggested to adopt multiple instructional strategies. When using these strategies, teachers should pay special attention to the frequency of use. A more frequent use of multiple instructional strategies should help improve ELLs’ reading performance. The four strategies combined with the curriculum of Project ELLA should strengthen Taiwan’s English-language planning and education policy

Teachers’ Use of Multiple Instructional Strategies: A Comparison of Reading Performance of Third Grade English Language Learners in ESL/Bilingual Programs

The purposes of this dissertation are three-fold. The first purpose is to identify the effects of four different English as a Second Language/English as a Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) instructional strategies (graphic organizers, scaffolding, interactive read aloud, and leveled questions) on reading performance of English language learners (ELLs) across grade level, intervention duration, ESL/EFL environment, and sample size. The second purpose is to ascertain how frequently teachers should use these four strategies to enhance third-grade ELLs’ reading performance. The third purpose is to discuss how Project English Language and Literacy Acquisition (Project ELLA) curriculum can be modified to fit Taiwan’s English-language planning and education policy. To respond to the first purpose, a meta-analysis for quantitative synthesis was adopted to review and examine the effectiveness of the four instructional strategies on ELLs’ reading performance. For the second purpose, a multilevel path analysis using structural equation modeling was adopted to examine if teachers’ frequency of using these four instructional strategies moderates the relationship between ELLs’ reading performance on pretest and on posttest. For the third purpose, a case study was conducted to discuss incorporating Project ELLA into Taiwan’s English-language planning and education policy. The overall findings supported an educational belief that explicit instruction coupled with multiple instructional strategies is essential for enhancing ELLs’ reading performance. The findings further indicated that higher frequency of using multiple instructional strategies had a significant interaction effect on the relationship between ELLs’ reading performance on the pretest and the posttest. To conclude, the use of multiple instructional strategies is a key factor in predicting successful reading performance. To enhance ELLs’ performance in reading, teachers are strongly suggested to adopt multiple instructional strategies. When using these strategies, teachers should pay special attention to the frequency of use. A more frequent use of multiple instructional strategies should help improve ELLs’ reading performance. The four strategies combined with the curriculum of Project ELLA should strengthen Taiwan’s English-language planning and education policy

Getting On Board: Investigating the Opinions and Attitudes of ESL Teachers on the Use of Interactive Whiteboards in the ESL Classroom

The growth in popularity of interactive whiteboards (IWBs) in K-12 classrooms in the United States has been immense over the course of the last fifteen years (Hennessy & London, 2012; Shenton & Pagett, 2007; Sundberg, Spante, & Stenlund, 2012). Both teachers and students have expressed favorable reactions to IWB implementation into the classroom. There have been a number of different studies surveying the thoughts and feelings of teachers and students on their use of IWBs. However, there has not been an interview-based study that looks at the viewpoints of teachers from the upper Midwest. The aim of this study is to investigate the opinions and attitudes of four ESL teachers on their use of IWBs in a K-12 classroom setting. The four participants’ answers revealed that they believe IWBs to be a very powerful, useful tool to have in the classroom. However, they did not feel they received adequate training with the technology. Therefore, for the IWB technology to be used more efficiently and effectively in schools, more training must be provided for the educators

Integration of Technology into Language Teaching: A Comparative Review Study

The purpose of this study was to monitor the effectiveness of earlier and contemporary practices in the application of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in language learning/teaching. It was revealed that current literature on the effectiveness of technology uses in language education is very narrow and there are three aspects that stand out: (1) The number of well-structured and comprehensive studies about the effects of technology uses on language education was very diminutive, (2) the settings where the studies were handled were restricted to higher education, (3) the experiments were often short-term and they mostly focused on only one or two aspects of language learning (e.g., vocabulary acquisition). However, the existing studies based mostly on experimental data showed a pattern of positive effects when compared to the conventional methods of language instruction. In terms of differences between the research done outside and in Turkey, the theme that was studied in international literature was based on technology use for providing opportunities for communication while in Turkey the studies concentrated on providing access to materials

Teaching with the interactive whiteboard – How to enhance teaching vocabulary to primary children aged 8 and 9”

The integration of information technology (ICT) into primary classrooms is increasingly crucial for engaging and stimulating digital young learners who are in daily contact with technology. In 2005 Bahrain Ministry of Education started King Hamad Future Schools Project which aimed to adopt the interactive whiteboard (IWB) in all government schools. However, there has not yet been any study that investigates the utilization of this technology in English language teaching either in primary or in intermediate and secondary schools. This thesis studies the employment and effectiveness of IWB in teaching English vocabulary to 104 young learners and their attitude and perception towards its use in their learning. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected, through questionnaire, language tests and classroom observations. The questionnaire and the observation results indicated that IWB is highly rated and preferred by the participating young learners. Three themes emerged from observation. The first theme is the IWB impact on children as learners which entails its influence on the children’s interaction, their learning, and their behaviour; the second theme is the impact of IWB on pedagogy; this involves the use of IWB multimedia, its presentational mode of range, and the use of games. The third and final theme is the IWB’s interactional affordances that include the teachers and the pupils’ use and control of the interactive board and the IWB’s effects on the lesson’s space. The analysis of the vocabulary tests has shown a positive impact on the learning of English vocabulary which was reflected by the pupils’ test results. As the study was conducted in Bahrain and on limited number of young learners, its results are limited and cannot be generalised

Interactive Videos As A Vocabulary Pre-Teaching Tool In Middle School Science

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of interactive video instruction to teacher-led direct instruction for pre-teaching science vocabulary to newcomer middle school ELs. The second phase of the experiment utilized interactive videos to pre-teach science vocabulary in a flipped learning environment. This study was influenced by vocabulary experts Beck, McKeown, and Kucan, as well as R. E. Mayer, multimedia learning expert. Data collection included pre-tests and post-tests of expressive and receptive vocabulary knowledge, as well as a student survey to determine ease of use, students’ perceived learning and satisfaction with the type of instruction. Results from the study showed that expressive vocabulary gains outpaced receptive vocabulary gains and that strong first language skills were more closely linked to vocabulary gains than strong second language skills. From the study, it may be concluded that interactive videos are not as effective as teacher-led vocabulary pre-teaching and that interactive videos used for flipped learning are equally as effective as interactive videos used within regular classroom instruction

The impact of interactive whiteboard technology on medical students' achievement in ESL essay writing: an early study in Egypt

This study investigated the impact of the interactive whiteboard on Egyptian medical students' achievement in essay writing in English as a second language (ESL). First, the writing micro-skills judged essential to help these students improve their essay writing were identified, using a questionnaire which investigated experts' views. This gave rise to a taxonomy of 29 writing micro-skills, which then provided the basis for the design of a teaching module. This module was subsequently taught to an experimental group using an interactive whiteboard to model the target micro-skills, thus exploiting the interactive features of the technology, while a control group was taught using traditional methods (pen, paper and traditional whiteboard). A pre-post essay writing test was developed to assess the impact of the module in both its experimental and traditional versions. Results showed that though the students' essay-writing skills improved in both groups, the use of the interactive whiteboard had no additional beneficial impact on the experimental group's achievement. This raises questions about the link between technological and pedagogical change in enhancing learning

Self made: a didactic proposal to improve oral competences and boost motivation in the EFL classroom

Despite the dominant communicative approach in the current educational context and the wide range of pedagogical resources available to teachers, the level of oral foreign language proficiency remains generally low among secondary school students. The lack of association between the subject matter and the real world outside the classroom, as well as passive and insufficiently meaningful activities often lead to student demotivation. In order to address these educational shortcomings, the following didactic proposal suggests the exploitation of a television series based on an autobiographical literary work. The project involves the use of authentic material and the inclusion of relevant social issues in order to design meaningful activities that enhance the students' oral skills and actively involve them in the learning process

What STEM Teachers Need to Know and Do for English Language Learners (ELLs): Using Literacy to Learn

A growing concern for STEM teachers is the responsibility of having students who do not speak English proficiently in their content area classrooms. This paper gives a background of how STEM literacy and English language learner (ELL) literacy can be used productively together as well as strategies for STEM teachers to help all students learn. Strategies for ELL literacy are good strategies for all students. We discuss specific strategies that STEM teachers can use that benefit all students in developing academic language and conceptual understanding in STEM content using a hands-on STEM experiment, “Why do I need to wear a bicycle helmet?” that incorporates Newton’s first, second, and third laws of motion