Effect of using texting on vocabulary instruction for English learners

This article reports on a study that examined the effectiveness of an intervention using text messages to enhance the academic vocabulary acquisition of English language learners (ELLs). With a random control trial design, we compared students’ learning gain of target vocabulary (direct effect) and its subsequent impact on academic vocabulary learning (transfer effect) with and without the intervention treatment. The study included 108 undergraduate ELLs in a large Canadian university in Ontario. The intervention was aligned with the lesson plans of two comparable content-based courses on English for academic purposes required for the ELLs and aimed at teaching frequently used academic words embedded within the assigned course readings. The results indicated that, with the intervention, students learned significantly more target words. However, there was no difference between the treatment and control groups on academic vocabulary post-test performance measuring the transfer effect. The pedagogical implication of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed

To Gain or To Lose: Students’ English and Chinese Literacy Achievement in a Mandarin Language Bilingual Program

AbstractThe present study examined the effectiveness of a Chinese-English bilingual program in enhancing children’s English and Chinese language and literacy skills. Participants included an experimental group of 26 students from Junior Kindergarten (age approximately 4-5 years) to Grade 2 (age approximately 7-8 years) enrolled in a Mandarin language bilingual program in Ontario, Canada, and a comparison group of 43 Chinese-speaking students attending English-only public schools in the same region. Measures of phonological awareness, syntactic awareness, receptive vocabulary, and word reading were administered in English and Chinese. Children in the experimental group showed Chinese word reading and phonological awareness skills that were superior to those of the comparison group. The two groups were comparable in English word reading and receptive vocabulary skills. Significant correlations between measures of phonological awareness, syntactic awareness, receptive vocabulary, and word reading were found within and across languages in the experimental group. We discuss results within the context of the extant theories of bilingual development and cross-language transfer.RésuméLa présente étude a examiné l’efficacité d’un programme bilingue chinois-anglais à améliorer les habiletés linguistiques en anglais et en chinois des enfants participant à ce programme. Dans le groupe expérimental, 26 élèves de la maternelle (4 et 5 ans) à la deuxième année (7 et 8 ans), scolarisés dans un programme bilingue mandarin en Ontario, au Canada, ont participé à l’étude. Le groupe comparatif incluait 43 élèves de langue chinoise scolarisés dans les écoles publiques anglaises de la même région. Des tâches de conscience phonologique, de conscience syntaxique, de vocabulaire réceptif et de lecture de mots ont été administrées en anglais et en chinois. Les élèves du groupe expérimental ont obtenu des résultats supérieurs que ceux du groupe comparatif sur les tâches de lecture de mots en chinois et de conscience phonologique. Les deux groupes étaient comparables dans les tâches de lecture de mots en anglais et de vocabulaire réceptif. La conscience phonologique, la conscience syntaxique, le vocabulaire réceptif et la lecture de mots étaient significativement corrélés à l’intérieur des langues et entre les langues des élèves du groupe expérimental. Nous discutons des résultats dans le contexte des théories existantes sur le développement bilingue et les transferts interlinguaux.

A Computer-Assisted Multiliteracies Program (CAMP) as an alternative approach to EFL instruction

The aim of this article is to introduce a computer-assisted multiliteracies programme (CaMP) as an alternative approach to English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction in order to overcome the educational limitations that are inherent in most EFL settings. In a number of monolingual societies with a dominant language other than English, students have had unequal access to authentic English communication opportunities and consequently have a limited understanding of English as American English or native speakers’ English. Although communication technologies have been regarded as a promising solution, the limitations within EFL education have not been fully addressed. In this article, multiliteracies pedagogy is offered as a promising solution enabling students to improve English and both cultural and media literacies. This article provides an in-depth description of effective ways to integrate the multiliteracies pedagogy in EFL instruction and its potential effects on EFL students’ learning experiences

Diversity Is an Important Classroom Resource

After-school programs, focused on immigrant students and their parents, can improve the performance of students and also get parents more involved in their children’s schooling. It is important to use diversity as a resource in the classroom.York's Knowledge Mobilization Unit provides services and funding for faculty, graduate students, and community organizations seeking to maximize the impact of academic research and expertise on public policy, social programming, and professional practice. It is supported by SSHRC and CIHR grants, and by the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation. [email protected] www.researchimpact.c

Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics in HIV Prevention; Current Status and Future Directions: A Summary of the DAIDS and BMGF Sponsored Think Tank on Pharmacokinetics (PK)/Pharmacodynamics (PD) in HIV Prevention

Thirty years after its beginning, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is still raging around the world. According to UNAIDS, in 2011 alone 1.7M deaths were attributable to AIDS, and 2.5M people were newly infected by the virus. Despite the success in treating HIV-infected people with potent antiretroviral drugs, preventing HIV infection is the key to ending the epidemic. Recently, the efficacy of topical and systemic antiviral chemoprophylaxis (i.e., preexposure prophylaxis or “PrEP”), using the same drugs used for HIV treatment, has been demonstrated in a number of clinical trials. However, results from other trials have been inconsistent, especially those evaluating PrEP in women. These inconsistencies may result from our incomplete understanding of pharmacokinetics (PK)/pharmacodynamics (PD) at the mucosal sites of sexual transmission: the male and female gastrointestinal and reproductive tracts. The drug concentrations used in these trials were derived from those used for treatment; however, we still do not know the relationship between the therapeutic and the preventive dose. This article presents the first comprehensive review of the available data in the HIV pharmacology field from animal models to human studies, and outlines gaps, challenges, and future directions. Addressing these pharmacological gaps and challenges will be critical in selecting and advancing future PrEP candidates and strategies with the greatest impact on the HIV epidemic

Elevers hjemmesprog: Ven eller fjende?

Kulturel og sproglig mangfoldighed er blevet det normale i skoler i større byer i Nordamerika, Europa og Australien. For eksempel har mere end 50 % af eleverne i Toronto og Vancouver en ikke-engelsktalende baggrund, og i andre større canadi- ske byer findes der også store grupper elever der repræsenterer en kulturel og sprog- lig forskellighed. (...