Peer Interaction And Meaning Construction Among Esl Learners In Comprehending Texts In Second Language Context

This study investigates patterns of peer interaction in the context of an English-As-A-Second Language (ESL) Secondary School Classroom, where learners work in groups and pairs on seven different reading tasks. It considers the manifestation of the learners‘ comprehension of the reading texts through the ways they constructed meaning together. The three research questions that served to guide this study are: 1) What are the patterns of interactions employed by ESL secondary school learners when they are engaged in discussions of reading texts? 2) How do the ESL secondary school learners construct meaning during their discussions of the stexts? 3) What are the conditions contributing to the emerging patterns of interactions to arrive at meaning? The study was classroom-based and exploratory in nature. Research was conducted in the natural setting of a classroom and the reading tasks were part of the regular class work. Data for the study came from a number of sources: audio recording of the learners‘ talk as they completed the reading tasks, video recording of the lessons as they progressed, observation notes, a background questionnaire survey, a series of interviews with two groups of learners and the completed tasks. The data were analysed for distinct patterns of interaction and strategy use. The approach to data analysis was qualitative in nature where categories to describe the patterns of interactions emerged from a reiterative analysis of the data. The interviews and survey data of two groups of learners were used for more detailed analysis. Each group represented a distinct pattern of peer interaction. The results from this study are discussed with relation to the sociocultural framework which views human cognitive development as originating from social interaction and language plays a mediating role in that development. Two distinct patterns of interaction were found to predominate in the data: collaborative and dominant/passive. The differences in these patterns were distinguishable in terms of the willingness of group members to work together on all aspects of the task and the willingness to contribute and engage with each other‘s contribution. The collaborative pattern is characterized by the co-construction of meaning where learners worked on understanding, involved and supported each other, ideas were deliberated in great length and developed into something more complex and mutually acceptable. As for the dominant-passive pattern, learners worked together, however, there was limited engagement with each other‘s contribution and ideas. This resulted in brief discussions of aspects of the texts, long pauses, abandonment of discussions, acceptance of shallow answers and dictation of answers by the ‗expert‘ which was rarely challenged by the others in the group. As with the collaborative group, these learners were found to employ reading comprehension strategies frequently, particularly at a more textually explicit level, such as reading aloud part/parts of the texts during the discussions. There was also evidence of the use of higher level reading comprehension strategies, however, these strategies were produced by different individuals in the group and they were often moves that were not followed up and deliberated by the others. These learners were only able to resolve 28% of the textual issues collaboratively and 56% were not resolved at all. The patterns of peer interaction remained largely stable across the different types of reading tasks, classroom instructions (group work and pair work) and across time for more proficient learners. As for the weaker learners, the patterns of peer interaction remained stable across the group tasks, however, when these learners worked in pairs with others who had similar backgrounds and proficiency levels, they demonstrated different interaction behaviours. During these activities, the learners were more active and they employed more discourse strategies, nonetheless, many episodes were not resolved collaboratively and there was still limited engagement with each other‘s contribution. Discussions were generally motivated by the ultimate aim of producing correct or acceptable answers. This was often emphasized by the teacher in her instructions and during class discussions. Because of these expectations, the more knowledgeable learners‘ were found to summarize and dictate the answers and make moves to reread and amend these answers until they felt satisfied. The efforts to produce correct or acceptable answers had also led the learners, especially those from the dominant-passive group, to stay close to the texts and to find meanings from the texts instead of exploring possible interpretations. Differences in the patterns of peer interaction and their characteristics can be explained by certain conditions that form the situational context in which the interactions take place. In this study, the conditions contributing to the emerging patterns of interaction were found to be the learners‘ proficiency in the L2 and their orientation to the activity, which were shaped by their motives, goals and perceived roles. Other conditions that helped shape the ways the learners construct meaning were the teacher and her instructional beliefs and practice and her selection of tasks. The results have important pedagogical implications, particularly for the practice of using pair and group work to promote comprehension of L2 texts in the second language reading classrooms

Literacy Development Through the Incorporation of Literature in Language Education for Malaysian Secondary School Students

Literacy is a major concern among educators in the Malaysian education scenario. Various programmes have been identified and implemented in primary and secondary schools to raise the standard of the English language among students. Among them is the implementation of various English language reading programmes. This move has been seen as necessary as part of the Malaysian government\u27s efforts to make all Malaysians proficient in the English language. To this end, the Malaysian Ministry of Education has incorporated literature into the English language subject. Despite the concerted efforts from the various sections of the Ministry of Educations, the effectiveness of these programmes has been unclear. This study looks into the various programmes implemented in the Malaysian primary and secondary schools. Using a questionnaire, the study attempts to identify students\u27 perception on the types of literary genre they enjoy reading. The study also looks into the various activities carried out by English teachers and students\u27 views on the types of activities they enjoy and found useful in the classroom

LITERACY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE INCORPORATION OF LITERATURE IN LANGUAGE EDUCATION FOR MALAYSIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Literacy is a major concern among educators in the Malaysian education scenario.  Various programmes have been identified and implemented in primary and secondary schools to raise the standard of the English language among students.  Among them is the implementation of various English language reading programmes.  This move has been seen as necessary as part of the Malaysian government’s efforts to make all Malaysians proficient in the English language.  To this end, the Malaysian Ministry of Education has incorporated literature into the English language subject.  Despite the concerted efforts from the various sections of the Ministry of Educations,  the effectiveness of these programmes has been unclear.  This study looks into the various programmes implemented in the Malaysian primary and secondary schools. Using a questionnaire, the study attempts to identify students’ perception on the types of literary genre they enjoy reading. The study also looks into the various activities carried out by English teachers and students’ views on the types of activities they enjoy and found useful in the classroom. Keywords:      English as a second language,  literacy, literature, reading programmes, literary genre

Marion Fairfax

Between 1904 and 1915, Marion Fairfax wrote several successful Broadway plays before turning to screenwriting. Over the next eleven years, she achieved even greater success in her new field. In 1921, she formed her own production company that produced The Lying Truth (1922), which Fairfax wrote and directed. The most enduring film with which she was associated was The Lost World (1925), a science fiction picture about an isolated land of dinosaurs that featured tremendous special effects. A handwritten note attached to a First National Pictures legal department memo dated December 6, 1923, states: “Fairfax is always a winner—Don’t ever let her get away. Tom [unidentified] knows she is both restless and damn independent.” Three years later, however, Fairfax received her final credit for The Blonde Saint (1926) and then disappeared from filmmaking. She was married to actor Tully Marshall, who died in 1943, for forty-three years

Magical mythical men

This thesis is divided into two sections, both of which center on myth and mysticism. Polyphemus: Book One is the opening section of a lengthy prose-poem. The young cyclops, overwrought with adolescence, not only is confronted with the new-found knowledge of his own monsterhood, but also learns of the threatening existence of mankind. His two friends, Telemos, the seer, and Palos, the Lotus-Eater, are both mystics and priests in their respective religions; and though they can and do provide Polyphemus with knowledge of the past and the future, the ever-present questions of blindness, helplessness, and godlessness are left for the monster to solve. The first chapter of Magicians and Brothers is one of five "portraits" that will appear throughout the novel, of and by different characters. The novel itself is based on an American Indian myth. In this chapter young Philip Kysela is immersed in the mystery of a religious ceremony that he cannot understand. Chapter two begins the narrative of the novel, as an older and highly educated Philip struggles to free himself from the priesthood and guilt of one religion only to become involved with one more mysterious

Südsee : Mythos, Handlungsraum, Thema ; eine Filmographie

Inhalt Spielfilme, TV Movies, Mini-Series Lamour, Dorothy The Mutiny on the Bounty / Die Meuterei auf der Bounty Dokumentarfilme, Dokumentationen, Fernsehfeature

Definitive Anagrams: J-L

Continued from the November 2004 Word Ways. Because of the large number of new pre-J catch-up words this article rightly should be called A-L . But no, tradition prevails over logic yet again, the three previous articles being A-C, D-F, and G-I

ESL teachers’ use of ICT in teaching English literature: An analysis of teachers’ TPCK

AbstractEffective integration of ICT in English language teaching classrooms depends on a host of factors. One of the important factors is teachers‟ knowledge and skills in using ICT in class. This paper reports a case study of four secondary school ESL teachers’ use of ICT in teaching English literature to second language (L2) learners. The data collection method includes observation of teachers‟ lessons. Each lesson was video recorded and played back during a stimulated recall interview with teachers after each lesson. The TPCK model proposed by Mishra and Koehler (2006) is used as a framework for the analysis of the interview data. They suggest that teachers‟ use of technology is guided by the dynamic relationship between teachers‟ technological, pedagogical and content knowledge. The analysis of the interview data will hopefully provide a better understanding of how the different types of knowledge interact and influence teachers‟ use of ICT in teaching English literature to L2 learners. Furthermore, through an analysis of teachers‟ use of ICT in teaching specific subject content, this study also hopes to advance the development of the TPCK model. The findings will also contribute to an understanding of the role of literature in language teaching