This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Sonia Nieto, Mileidis Gort, Raquel Serrano, Wouter Duyck, Eva Van Assche, Tamar H. Gollan, Mahdieh Farshadjou, Harriett D. Romo, Ryan W. Pontier, and Rouhollah Rahmatian.
(2013). Whole-Language and Item-Specific Control in Bilingual Language Production, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. The current study investigated the scope of bilingual language control differentiating between whole-language control involving control of an entire lexicon specific to 1 language and lexical-level control involving only a restricted set of recently activated lexical representations. To this end, we tested 60 Dutch-English (Experiment 1) and 64 Chinese-English bilinguals (Experiment 2) on a verbal fluency task in which speakers produced members of letter (or phoneme for Chinese) categories first in 1 language and then members of either (a) the same categories or (b) different categories in their other language. Chinese-English bilinguals also named pictures in both languages. Both bilingual groups showed reduced dominant language fluency after producing exemplars from the same categories in the nondominant language, whereas nondominant language production was not influenced by prior production of words from the same categories in the other language. Chinese-English, but not Dutch-English, bilinguals exhibited similar testing order effects for different letter/phoneme categories. In addition, Chinese-English bilinguals who exhibited significant testing order effects in the repeated categories condition of the fluency task exhibited no such effects when naming repeated pictures after a language switch. These results imply multiple levels of inhibitory control in bilingual language production. Testing order effects in the verbal fluency task pinpoint a lexical locus of bilingual control, and the finding of interference effects for some bilinguals even when different categories are tested across languages further implies a whole-language control process, although the ability to exert such global inhibition may only develop for some types of bilinguals. [More] Descriptors: Whole Language Approach, Bilingual Education, Lexicology, Phonemes
(2013). Exploring Bilingual Pedagogies in Dual Language Preschool Classrooms, Language and Education. In this paper, we present an analysis of the language practices of four Spanish/English dual language (DL) preschool teachers, focusing on the ways in which the teachers mediate bilingual interactions with students and distribute Spanish and English across different classroom discourse functions. Findings reveal teachers' flexible and strategic use of each language to support children's developing bilingual competencies as well as to negotiate several communicative, academic, and management functions. Findings further illuminate the utility of bilingual speech/interaction as a communicative and academic resource and suggest that a strict language separation approach, as traditionally implemented in DL programs, may be at odds with the natural social interactions of bilinguals who draw on a number of communicative strategies, including codeswitching and tandem talk, to construct meaning. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Second Language Learning, Preschool Children, Preschool Teachers
(2013). Perspectives of Bilingualism in Second Language Acquisition, Indian Journal of Applied Linguistics. This paper reports on the problems faced by students in the second language classroom. It focuses on their integration of social and cultural aspects in language learning, because every language is an amalgamation of both. The author adds that the learner of a second language finds difficulty in learning the culture of the first language and it requires understanding, skills, and various techniques to get the mastery. Teaching is more than just imparting knowledge to students–students must learn to speak fluently in their personal lives, future workplaces, social interactions, and political endeavours. The article discusses remedies for cutting across issues such as globalization, communication skills, language socialization, influence in language learning, motivation, advantages and disadvantages in using Bilingual Methods, and the need for practice. [More] Descriptors: Bilingualism, Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Cultural Awareness
(2013). Developing a Maori Language Mathematics Lexicon: Challenges for Corpus Planning in Indigenous Language Contexts, Current Issues in Language Planning. Over the last 25 years, there has been significant modernisation and elaboration of the Maori language mathematics lexicon and register to support the teaching of (Western) mathematics as a component of Maori-medium schooling. These developments are situated within the wider Maori language revitalisation movement in Aotearoa/New Zealand, of which Maori-medium education is a central component. A feature of the initial development of a Maori mathematics lexicon was the informal approach taken, involving elders, teachers and community working together to establish a corpus of appropriate terms, rather than any formal language planning approach. Subsequently, two state agencies, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori (the Maori Language Commission) and the New Zealand Ministry of Education assumed a formal role in the standardisation and elaboration process. Due to limitations in resources and expertise, the Commission eventually withdrew from the process of developing the specialised lexicon for schooling and, in their absence, ongoing lexical development was entrusted to a group of Maori-medium mathematics educators (Te Ohu Pangarau) and closely linked to the Ministry of Education's numeracy strategies. However, the process of linguistic modernisation of the Maori language to support the teaching of school subjects such as mathematics has since raised a number of conflicting tensions and linguistic issues, particularly among the older generation of Maori language speakers. This paper explores the process of development and the at-times conflicting linguistic ideologies which influenced the lexication and codification of the Maori-medium mathematics terminology. It also specifically examines the roles, policies and beliefs of the agents, including the two state agencies, involved in the process, charting the connections between micro, meso and macro language policy and practices in this context. [More] Descriptors: Malayo Polynesian Languages, Pacific Islanders, Ethnic Groups, Mathematics Instruction
(2013). A Qualitative Case Study of the Bilingual Teacher Shortage in One Texas School District, ProQuest LLC. The purpose of this study was to examine how stakeholders in one Texas school district perceive, experience, and respond to the Spanish bilingual teacher shortage. The research design was qualitative with an exploratory, single case study approach. The case study school district was a mid-sized suburban district in Texas that utilized a dual language enrichment approach to educating Spanish bilingual learners and housed its own alternative certification program expressly designed to certify bilingual teachers for district hire. The sample included members of the human resources department, bilingual campus principals, and aspiring bilingual teachers. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and a web-based interview and were triangulated with contextual data. Findings from the study affirm that the bilingual teacher shortage is a problem that significantly impacts school districts, at times to the detriment of the bilingual students they serve, and that misalignment between educational policy, educator preparation program curriculum, and school district bilingual programming serves to exacerbate the bilingual teacher shortage problem by increasing district recruiting and retention challenges. This study provides school leaders with a deepened awareness of the need to adopt a collaborative and differentiated approach to bilingual teacher certification that empowers a greater number of quality bilingual candidates to gain certification, enter the field, and persist in the profession. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Qualitative Research, Case Studies, Bilingual Teachers, Teacher Shortage
(2013). Simultaneous Learning of Two Foreign Languages, English and French, by Adult Persian-Speaking Learners, International Education Studies. In today's world, a good command of more than two foreign languages is a commonplace necessity. However, this is not the case for the majority of language learners in Iran. The foreign languages which could be of any avail to them are neither close to Persian nor have any daily social usage. The present research aims at promoting this linguistic ability by improving the methods of simultaneous teaching of two foreign languages in Iran. Through studying the concept of bilingualism and acquiring a more profound insight into simultaneous teaching, a plan was designed for teaching 20 sessions of English and French to two groups: Group A comprised of beginner learners in both languages and Group B of intermediate learners in English who were beginners in French. Thirty-six participants took part in the project. Twelve were in the simultaneous classes and 24 in the Control Groups, assigned into four groups of six based on language proficiency levels. The following results were reached based on the average grades of the final exam and the placement tests (given both before and after the course). On the whole, Groups A and B obtained higher averages than the Control Groups. The findings of this study suggest that not only simultaneous learning is not an impeding factor but also it reinforces learning of the two languages. We hope that this research will be a first step towards a more extensive study on a national scale for Iranians and especially for children to be multilingual. [More] Descriptors: Foreign Countries, English (Second Language), French, Second Languages
(2013). Review of Doctoral Research on Second Language Teaching and Learning in Spain (2008-2010), Language Teaching. This paper reviews a selection of doctoral theses on language learning and teaching completed in Spain between 2008 and 2010. A total of 16 theses have been identified as representative–in terms of the topics under investigation and the methodology employed–of the doctoral research undertaken in Spain. Current topics include the development of speaking skills, motivation, learner autonomy, pragmatics, learning context, Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), language learning by immigrant populations and, especially, classroom teaching. A variety of research methods were employed in the theses under review, and while most of them focus on adult learners, some also consider children. The interest of researchers in these topics is consistent with the challenges faced by language teachers in Spain, as well as with the new realities of teaching in this country, with its recently-arrived immigrant population, the expansion of CLIL programmes and the use of new technologies. [More] Descriptors: Doctoral Dissertations, Personal Autonomy, Immigrants, Adult Learning
(2013). Language, Literacy, and Culture: Aha! Moments in Personal and Sociopolitical Understanding, Journal of Language and Literacy Education. This article focuses on the intersections among language, literacy, and culture, and what these intersections have meant for the author personally, and what they can mean for students who have been marginalized, neglected, or made invisible by traditional understandings of the role of education. Although not linked conceptually in the past, the more recent tendency to connect language, literacy, and culture gives a richer picture of learning, especially for students whose identities are related to language, race, ethnicity, and immigrant status have traditionally had a low status in many societies. One result of this reconceptualization is that more education programs are reflecting and promoting a sociocultural perspective in language and literacy. Such a perspective is firmly rooted in an anthropological and sociological understanding of culture, a view of learning as socially constructed, and an understanding of how students from diverse segments of society experience schooling, due to differential access to literacy specifically, and to education more broadly. The context the author discusses in this article is grounded in her own experience as a Puerto Rican second-generation immigrant–also called "Nuyorican" or, more recently, "Diasporican"–in the United States, although the implications for teaching and learning go beyond her own limited experience. She is aware that multiple and conflicting ideas exist about these theoretical perspectives, but some basic tenets of sociocultural theory can serve as a platform for this article. Here, the author explores a number of these tenets, illustrating them with examples from her own experiences to demonstrate why a sociocultural perspective is invaluable in uncovering some of the tensions and dilemmas of schooling and diversity. [More] Descriptors: Puerto Ricans, Immigrants, Language, Literacy
(2013). Using the Dictionary for Improving Adolescents' Reading Comprehension of Short Scientific Texts (Uso del diccionario para mejorar la comprensión lectora de textos científicos cortos en inglés con adolescentes), PROFILE: Issues in Teachers' Professional Development. This paper reports on an innovative and action research project which focused on the use of the dictionary and the prior knowledge of Colombian high school students to improve their reading comprehension of short scientific texts. Data collection instruments included students' work gathered during two workshops, field notes, and a questionnaire. Findings showed that searching in the dictionary and activating prior knowledge seem to facilitate the use of the text to answer reading comprehension questions. Students experienced less difficulty answering questions that required literal information than those that required establishing relationships among elements of the text. They equally valued the prior knowledge of the subject and the use of the dictionary in the resolution of science workshops in English. [More] Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Dictionaries, Reading Comprehension, Scientific and Technical Information
(2013). Repositioning Biliteracy as Capital for Learning: Lessons from Teacher Preparation at the US-Mexico border, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education (QSE). This study explores biliteracy as understood and practiced in school and community contexts in a particular region of the US-Mexico borderlands, the Rio Grande Valley of southeast Texas. Drawing on capital theory, we contrast the ambivalent perceptions of Spanish/English biliteracy held by local pre-service and in-service educators with biliterate practices that are highly visible in the border communities where they live and teach. One objective of the study is to describe the diglossic nature of bilingualism and biliteracy in the Valley as a context for learning and teaching. We highlight patterns of overlap and difference in the ways that biliteracy is positioned in and out of school in this remarkably bilingual region, and we apply theories of human capital to interpret these patterns. A second objective is to share pedagogies for repositioning biliteracy through teacher education and to suggest directions for further research. [More] Descriptors: Bilingualism, Literacy, Spanish, English (Second Language)
(2013). Educators Challenging Poverty and Latino Low Achievement: Extending and Enriching the School Day, Journal of Urban Learning, Teaching, and Research. Latino students, as children of historically underachieving populations, often have their academic success in jeopardy. For many schools, after-school programs complement the regular school day, with more than half of the 49,700 U.S. elementary schools having one or more on-site programs. Such programs vary in intent, purposes, and resources and typically emphasize remediation rather than developing interests or competencies in curricular areas beyond language arts and math. This qualitative case study explores the practices of one dual language elementary school in a high poverty Latino community and its academic/enrichment extended day program. Wenger's (1998) community of practice framework captures the mutual engagement, joint enterprise, and shared repertoire of practices tightly woven between the regular school day's classroom teachers and the after-school instructional assistants. This investigation provides insight into collaborative efforts that can counter the isolation, segregation, and mediocrity of school experiences that children in poverty often experience and provide points for offering dual language and cultural experiences through an extension of the school day. [More] Descriptors: Hispanic American Students, Qualitative Research, Case Studies, Poverty
(2013). Language Teachers' Attitudes, Beliefs, Professional Knowledge, and Views on Professional Development: An Exploratory Study at a Preschool TEFL Setting, TESOL Journal. This article reports on an exploratory study of English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' attitudes, beliefs, and professional knowledge about teaching EFL (TEFL) in a preschool setting in China. The investigation is structured on a two-dimensional grid based on Calderhead's (1996) categorisation of teachers' attitudes and beliefs and Richards's (1996) two-dimensional division of EFL teachers' professional knowledge. It aims to explore relationships between teachers' attitudes and beliefs and their professional knowledge as well as their connections to views on a TEFL professional development program. The study shows that EFL teachers demonstrate an eminent form-focused inclination in their beliefs and professional knowledge, which is translated into a strong desire for new teaching methods to be introduced in a professional development program. The article concludes with a brief account of the study's implications for the design of a TEFL professional development program. [More] Descriptors: English (Second Language), Preschool Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, Foreign Countries
(2013). "All Colors and Hues": An Autoethnography of¬ a¬ Multiethnic Family's Strategies for Bilingualism and Multiculturalism, Family Relations. This two-year autoethnographic action research study explores the processes a multiethnic/multiracial family uses to maintain their children's heritage language of Spanish and the family's multiculturalism. Data sources (including interviews and participant observations in the home and the dual-language school) specifically focus on the eldest child, Nelia, from her kindergarten and first-grade years where she attended a public dual-language program. The findings illuminate the integral link between the family's ideology toward valuing bilingualism and the necessity of school support. [More] Descriptors: Ethnography, Cultural Pluralism, Cultural Maintenance, Interviews
(2013). (Un)Official Knowledge and Identity: An Emerging Bilingual's Journey into Hybridity, Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching. Gabriela Montserrat (pseudonym) is a Mexican-American child classified by her school district as an "emerging bilingual" and is the focus of this qualitative case study that took place at a public elementary school located in a suburban community in the southwestern US in Mrs Pérez's (pseudonym) second-grade classroom. The student's use of personal stories to make connections between the literature she reads and her life is framed primarily by Cultural Hybridity Theory and Third Space Theory in Language And Literacy. Within this conceptualization, we began with broad research questions: (1) What is the role of Gabriela, an emerging bilingual second-grade student, in the hybrid or "third space" that Mrs Pérez, her teacher, has created for her literature classroom? and (2) How does Gabriela's background influence her interpretation of text(s)? To answer these questions, we employed both a qualitative case study research paradigm and a feminist research paradigm to explore the processes and dynamics of Gabriela's use of narratives in her personal experience as a way for her to make connections and meaning from texts. Artifacts collected for data analysis and triangulation included audio-tapes, field notes, student journal entries, and semi-structured interviews. Constant comparative analysis and discourse analysis were used to analyze the data and to create an individual profile that serves to provide a background and context for understanding the students' chosen participation style during seven literature discussions. Within the analysis, several patterns and themes emerged including: (1) Connections to the Text; (2) Connections to Something Someone Said; (3) Responses to a Question; and (4) A Story She Needed to Tell. The article concludes with suggestions and recommendations for broadening the curricular and pedagogical practices for teachers of emerging bilingual learners. [More] Descriptors: Mexican Americans, Qualitative Research, Case Studies, Elementary School Students
(2013). Teaching Staff's Views about the Internationalisation of Higher Education: The Case of Two Bilingual Communities in Spain, Multilingua: Journal of Cross-Cultural and Interlanguage Communication. The process of internationalisation of higher education can be seen as fluctuating between two main discourses: economic competition and academic internationalisation (Bolsman & Miller 2008). Within the former type of discourse, internationalisation is constructed as a means to generate income, in competition with other institutions, through the provision of research and teaching services of a high quality to as many "clients" as possible. From the point of view of academic internationalism, internationalisation is represented as a joint enterprise by institutions from different countries for the advancement of human knowledge and intercultural understanding. In this paper we aim to explore the views of the teaching staff of two bilingual universities in Spain in connection with the process of internationalisation of their institution, placing a special emphasis on its impact on language policy. The sample for this study was made up of 173 university teaching staff who completed a questionnaire in which they were asked to express their views on issues such as internationalisation at higher education institutions, academic mobility and their attitudes towards multilingualism. The participants belonged to two officially bilingual universities in Spain, namely the University of Lleida (UdL) and the University of the Basque Country (UBC). Variables such as the sociolinguistic context, gender, mother tongue and age were considered when scrutinising the participants' answers with a view to drawing a picture of internationalisation which included opinions on academic mobility and multilingualism from the teaching staff's perspective. [More] Descriptors: Foreign Countries, International Education, Higher Education, Competition