An exploration of the attitudes and beliefs of teacher trainers and teacher trainees concerning the use of the L1 in the EFL classroom

One important conflict within English language teaching methodology is concerning the use or exclusion of learners’ first languages (L1) when learning English. Perspectives on the topic range from those in favour of complete avoidance of the L1 in the EFL classroom, constantly striving for an exclusively L2 classroom to those who believe in the value and learning benefit of allowing and, to some extent, encouraging the use of all manner of languages available to the learner. This thesis conducted interviews and surveys in order to provide an in-depth exploration of the attitudes and beliefs of teacher trainers and teacher trainees in North Rhine Westphalia concerning the use of the L1, as well as other potential languages, in the English language classroom. Although the two groups of participants held many similar attitudes and beliefs concerning L1 use, some significant and interesting differences were found. Teacher trainees showed themselves to be more open concerning the use of the L1 than their more experienced counterparts. It remains, however, unclear what exactly the reason for these differences is. A further aspect which became apparent is how the pressures of language choice and of exclusive L2 instruction in the EFL classroom during observed and examination lessons is felt by teacher trainees. This is potentially adding to the overall burden of the teacher training period in NRW. The thesis concludes that an increase in evidence-based teacher education, concerning not only the aspect of L1 use in the EFL classroom but also many other aspects of language teaching could be prudent in the continued development of well-informed best-practice approaches. This thesis holds the standpoint that complete eradication of the L1 in the EFL classroom is counterproductive to successful language learning. Judicious use of the L1 and the development of a more plurilingusitic attitude to language learning, enabling learners to make use of any available linguistic resources, can offer both learners and teachers helpful scaffolding which can facilitate the successful learning of further languages

On Common Ground

The beeping of the metal detector set his mind in motion. And when he carefully uncovered a small metal button, it whispered softly, speaking of a great general, “He possessed every virtue of the great commanders, without their vices.” Heather Graham writes that Our teacher, Helen Storey, always challenged us to get deeper, to express emotions, paint pictures through our words, and most importantly encouraged us to think and express those thoughts in a new and creative way. With that challenge set before me I was ready to dig deep to create a story that intertwined my own life and experience with a historical event. The assignment asked to tell how a historical event has effected who I am today. Ready to take on the challenge, I sought to put together two separate stories by drawing pictures and creating emotions. As one takes place in the past, the other takes place in the present, yet both have the same setting and theme. My aim was to gradually relate the stories to one another, yet keep the reader in suspense as to the actual underlying thesis until the very end. In the end I hope that the reader can understand that I have tried to create a piece that shows that although times have changed, people have changed, and life has changed, one thing remains on, and that is the spirit and virtues held by those who came before us. This piece was written in my freshman general education writing class (GWRIT 102). I am currently finishing up my sophomore year, seeking a degree in early childhood education. I am a math/science focus, although I have a love for writing which I want to continue to pursue in the future

Moving Beyond Marriage: A Proposed Unit of Presumed Economic Interdependence for Joint Filing Purposes in Bankruptcy and in Tax

In order to promote both equality and efficiency, this Comment proposes that individuals should have the opportunity to file jointly for tax and bankruptcy purposes when they have a relationship predicated upon economic interdependence, as opposed to basing the opportunity to file jointly upon marital status. Part I of this Comment will briefly discuss the history of marriage in the United States. In particular, Part I will discuss the role that the government has had in promoting and regulating marriage and how the treatment of married persons operates to the exclusion of the unmarried. Parts II and III of this Comment will provide a history of the joint income tax and joint bankruptcy petition. In Parts IV(A) and IV(B), this Comment will evaluate and critique both the benefits and drawbacks of allowing individuals to file jointly for tax and bankruptcy purposes, and discuss the implications of joint filing. In Part V(A), this Comment will analyze and critique the relevance of the current system, and will conclude that both the Bankruptcy Code and the Internal Revenue Code must be modernized in order to reflect the changing demographics of the American household. In Parts V(B) and V(C), this Comment will present the reader with two alternative options for modernization: a strictly individual or modified individual system or allowance of a unit based on presumed economic interdependence. Ultimately, this Comment will conclude that a unit based on presumed economic interdependence would achieve the most equitable result

Development and piloting of a food-based intervention to increase vitamin E intake in pregnant women in a randomised controlled trial

Acknowledgement This study was funded by the University of Aberdeen and an unrestricted grant from Baxters Food Group Ltd. LC acknowledges funding from the RESAS programme of the Scottish Government.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The Don and Helen New Zealand election 2005: A media a-gender?

The media uses the technique of framing to process and package information in order to make sense of the material and present a news ‘story’ which is accessible to the audience. International research reports demonstrate a consistent ‘gendered’ framing of media coverage. ‘Gendering’ refers to the highlighting of a person’s gender, when this is not particularly relevant to the context. Usually gendering involves seeing the male as the norm, and the female as the remarkable. In terms of the media and politics, this gendering includes the under-representation of women politicians, an emphasis on their appearance, marital and maternal status, and personality rather than the policies and issues of debate. More recently, however, there is evidence that in some contexts the media is becoming less overtly biased in its representation of women politicians. While there are still many ways in which women are presented differently from their male counterparts, there is also some evidence that an emphasis on gender is initiated by the party campaigns rather than being a result of media agenda-setting