Teaching International Languages
http://hdl.handle.net/10211.3/10211.4_51
2024-03-28T17:03:23ZThe impact of one-on-one tutoring on ESL learners' writing
http://hdl.handle.net/10211.3/200211
The impact of one-on-one tutoring on ESL learners' writing
Schaffer, Seneca
Tutoring centers are often visited by adult ESL learners with persistent
concerns about sentence-level, linguistic features in their writing (i.e., “grammar”), even
when such concerns are not aligned with issues that need to be prioritized. This leaves
tutors the challenging task of simultaneously addressing learners’ concerns and writing
needs with limited guidance provided by adult, ESL tutoring literature. To address this,
this research set out to examine the impacts of ESL tutoring and thereby identify ideal,
one-on-one tutoring practices that support ESL learners’ writing needs while enhancing
their acquisition of sentence-level, linguistic features in the context of their writing. To
this end, three college-level, ESL case-study participants were tutored one-on-one over a
14-week period and their writing samples were documented and examined for linguistic
changes. Triangulation of the combined quantitative and qualitative data results revealed
that tutoring can significantly encourage ESL learners’ language acquisition; however,
this potential was strongly affected by proficiency, self-efficacy, and motivation.
2018-02-21T00:00:00ZUsing folklore to teach about Native American culture in the English as a foreign language classroom
http://hdl.handle.net/10211.3/180592
Using folklore to teach about Native American culture in the English as a foreign language classroom
Morgan, Angel R.
This project addresses the need for authentic Native American educational
resources in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Classroom. Historically, Native
Americans have been repressed and displaced through forced assimilation into Euro-
American society. Their stories were adulterated by western culture through writing
about Native Americans using a false emic perspective, providing a non-Native cultural
view. Even contemporary educational materials contain misinformation about Native
Americans based upon stereotypes proliferated through these false pretenses. Although it
is not necessarily the intention of the educator to misinform students, the materials lack
good representation through the examination of authenticity of the information provided
about Native Americans. Often, when Native Americans try to challenge information
provided by the status quo, they are met with extreme resistance. Native Americans should always be afforded the opportunity to scrutinize whether or not the content is
representative of any Native American tribal nation. This collection of resources contains
texts written by Native Americans. The texts are a starting point for educators to
supplement their curriculum with authentic materials that offer the Native American
perspective. This project utilizes Native American folklore to design educational
materials for EFL Classes. These materials challenge hegemonic views of Native
Americans and offer a means through which tribal nations can reclaim their heritage.
The database was developed through the process of academic inquiry. The
sample lessons are designed in accordance with the American Council on the Teaching of
Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Standards for foreign language learning: Preparing for the
21st century. The lessons intend to provide access to Native American culture while
simultaneously engaging students in activities that support foreign language
development. The literature review supports a story-based curriculum for second
language acquisition through the use of literature such as folklore. Native American
consultation provides emic perspectives on what areas need development. The cultural
products (CP) include short stories, news articles, videos, and audio documentation. The
CPs provide the Native American perspective on celebrations such as thanksgiving and
insight into some of their earlier practices and how they have changed over time. Finally,
Appendix D provides copies of the Native American survey results. This collection offers
a unique opportunity for teachers to develop additional classroom materials in
conjunction with Native American recommendations.
2016-11-16T00:00:00ZExploring conflicts of western-styled education in West Africa: a Peace Corps teacher's self-study in a Sierra Leonean village
http://hdl.handle.net/10211.3/178594
Exploring conflicts of western-styled education in West Africa: a Peace Corps teacher's self-study in a Sierra Leonean village
Stephens, Sean
This self-study was conducted by a Peace Corps volunteer teaching English in a
junior high school in Northern Sierra Leone from 2012-2014. A chronicled body of
research suggests that the expectations and goals of Sierra Leone’s western-styled
education system do not correlate with the needs and realities of rural Sierra Leoneans.
Conclusions from a longitudinal review of educational literature in Sierra Leone from the 18th century suggest that few studies have investigated the realities of western-styled
education at the rural-classroom level, or from the perspective of the classroom teacher.
The self-study presents data through a retrospective analysis of field journals, participant
observation, surveys, and interviews, grounded in Pierre Bourdieu’s social theories on
habitus and the forms of capital. Results illustrate a highly contextual narrative exploring
the transformation of a western educator’s educational beliefs, assumptions, and cultural underpinnings, and how that transformation informed his teaching practice and
understanding of the realities of western-styled education in rural Sierra Leone.
2016-09-28T00:00:00ZStudent preferences for teacher attributes and error correction
http://hdl.handle.net/10211.3/177973
Student preferences for teacher attributes and error correction
Giuseffi, Nikki
This thesis presents an investigation into the preferences of students for the
attributes which, from their perspective, constitute effective language teaching. In addition,
their preferences for error correction methods are surveyed. Using an adapted survey
instrument originally designed by Barnes and Lock (2013), data were gathered which
ultimately created a reflection of the original findings. Students rated major attribute
categories in the same order and placed high emphasis on such attributes as friendliness,
patience, care, and other rapport items. In addition, enthusiasm received the highest mean
score, and students placed importance upon fair treatment, adequate exam preparation, and
clarity of explanations. The results also indicated students preferred explicit correction,
which went against some previous research on the topic. The results of this study can be
used by foreign language teachers to improve their classroom efficacy.
2016-09-27T00:00:00Z