Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'English-speaking training'

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Language Education, 2005.<br>Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 66-08, Section: A, page: 2868. Adviser: Sharon L. Pugh. Title from dissertation home page (viewed Oct. 9, 2006).

Purpose This study examines the extent to which Native English-speaking Teachers (NETs) have an impact on the oral English language proficiency gain of pupils taught in secondary schools in Hong Kong i.e. the so-called 'NET effect'. The principal aim was to determine whether the oral proficiency gain of subjects involved in this study was greater in students taught by NET teachers than it was in students taught by local teachers. Through the examination of Time one and Time two oral assessment data, this study also sets out to investigate the nature and strength of other predictor variables for the outcome variable 'Time two oral assessment'. Through a number of different statistical modelling techniques this study also sought to establish the model that would account for or 'explain' as much variance as possible between the Time one and Time two assessment scores. Procedures A randomised, stratified sample of secondary schools that was representative of the whole population secondary students in Hong Kong who are studying English was generated. From this sample, one thousand four hundred and twenty four students from forms one, three and four were selected and an English language oral proficiency test, specifically developed for this study was administered as a pre and post test. The period of data collection was a two year period, from the beginning of the 1998-1999 academic year to the end of the 1999-2000 academic year. The oral proficiency assessment instrument was designed, and piloted by a small team of trained assessors, and a standardised procedure was established for conducting the assessments. Hong Kong NET and local teachers were trained in the procedures and use of materials and techniques required to administer the assessments in specifically dedicated language assessment workshops. The assessments were then administered by the trained group of teachers who taped all of the interviews to allow monitoring to take place and to provide a data source for a second stage interview analysis (not covered in this thesis).The resulting pre-test and post-test data was then analysed through the use of a number of statistical techniques. In the first instance, a descriptive analysis was conducted in order to satisfy the assumptions on which traditional statistical analysis is based. The data analysis then proceeded with a number of scaling processes and was finally analysed to determine whether or not any significant 'NET effect' had been detected. In addition, the analysis also considered whether any of the other variables could be considered good predictors of the final post-test score. Major Findings Analysis of data produced from the Time one and Time two oral assessments revealed a number of important findings. Students did make significant oral English language proficiency gain as measured by the specially developed instrument. This gain was significant regardless of whether the students' results were analysed by whole sample or by separate year/age group. An analysis of means revealed that on average, the mean scores of students attending EMI schools were significantly higher than those attending CMI schools indicating that the medium of instruction is potentially a strong predictor of the Time two assessment score. In the post test analysis of means, students taught by NETs performed better than those taught by 'both' [NETs and local teachers] and in general, students taught by local teachers also performed better than those taught by 'both'. There was little difference between the scores of students taught by NETs and local teachers. The banding of the schools was also found to be an important predictor variable, with the average scores of students in high band schools significantly higher than their peers in medium and low band schools. Multiple regression analysis also revealed some important findings. When the modelling was conducted on the whole sample, the medium of instruction, the school level and NET teacher were all found to be significant predictor variables although in the case of the latter, the effect was small. When modelled by separate form/age group, similar results were found with Form one and with Form three students and again the medium of instruction, the school level and NET teacher were significant predictor variables although in the case of NET teacher, the effect was again small. The findings of this thesis suggest that in terms of measuring value-added between Time one and Time two, there are indeed strong predictor variables such as medium of instruction, school level and student level. However, in trying to evaluate the contribution of NETs to students' oral English language proficiency gain over a two-year period, there is some evidence of a so-called 'NET effect' although this is rather weak, suggesting that more research is required to investigate this question more thoroughly.

Today, a countless number of untrained and volunteer English as a second or foreign language teachers are working throughout the world to help meet the rising need for English teachers. Many of these volunteers have little or no training in teaching English. However, Basic Training and Resources for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (BTRTESOL) is a book and website that can be used as both a teacher-training program and a self-learning resource to help prepare these volunteer teachers. The idea for this program started with Dr. Lynn Henrichsen, who later invited a team of graduate students at Brigham Young University to work with him. This report documents the developmental process of two BTRTESOL units, namely, Unit 6A, "Developing English Language Learners' Listening Skills" and Unit 6B, "Developing English Language Learners' Speaking Skills." Both of these BTRTESOL units were designed to, first, familiarize novice and volunteer teachers with what it takes to listen and speak in a second language so that these teachers can identify the needs of their students successfully and plan and teach effectively. In addition, Unit 6A identifies several factors that make the second language listening process challenging. Unit 6B, on the other hand, describes four important characteristics of successful speaking activities. Finally, some of the most commonly used listening and speaking activities are recommended for novice and volunteer teachers to use with all levels of students. Additional resources, both print and electronic, are included at the end of each unit to help users learn more about each subject area and get additional teaching ideas.

The population of Hispanic limited-English proficient (LEP) people in the U.S. is growing at a staggering rate. Soon a quarter of the population will be Hispanic, with many of them being LEP. High-quality patient-provider communication is vital to cost-effective healthcare that could improve patient health outcomes. There are not enough Spanish-speaking healthcare providers to serve this growing population. Diversifying the profession is one answer, but will take many years. Professional interpreter services have been proven to be helpful in reducing this language discordance, but they are grossly underused due to barriers such as availability, cost, and quality. These barriers disproportionally affect smaller health clinics, so they instead often rely on the use of bilingual staff members and a patient's bilingual family members for interpretation. This practice diminishes the confidentiality of the visit and can lead to interpretation errors that can negatively impact health outcomes and increase healthcare cost. The possibility of applying formal medical interpreter training (MIT) to qualified bilingual staff members could be a solution to make high-quality interpretation services more readily available to the smaller healthcare clinic. An electronic survey was sent out to Nurse Practitioners through the Coalition of Arizona Nurses in Advance Practice listserv that explored their current interpretation use and their general knowledge and interest in applying MIT to their practice. Of the 29 surveyed, 24% of them spoke Spanish and only 7% "always" used interpretation services to provide care to LEP patients. Bilingual staff members and patients' bilingual family members were often the preferred and most utilized method of interpretation, which seemingly was connected to its ready availability. Although almost all of the providers believed that MIT would improve the interpretive skills of their bilingual staff members, only 62% thought the training would be applicable to their practice, with only 38% believing time and cost would be worth the benefit. Further research is needed to help determine if the cost of MIT implementation actually results in improved interpretation skills and if this benefits the practice and the LEP patient.

The current study assessed the effects of two teaching stimulus presentations, i.e. picture to word and word to word, used to teach second language vocabulary to college students. It also evaluated the emergence of untaught relations when picture to word and word to word were used separately as a teaching strategy. The findings showed picture to word training resulted in more untaught relations. Several aspects such time allotted for online quizzes, experimental and teaching arrangements and vocabulary complexity were suggested for future research.

Following an action research framework, my research investigates professional development for English Language teachers in the Arab World, who are non-native speakers of English themselves. The thesis has five chapters: Literature Review, Critical Contexts, Methodology of the Study, Data Analysis and Presentation, and finally the Discussion and Findings of the research. The Literature Review covers works relevant to the area of the study in relation to existing teacher practices, teacher effectiveness and current professional development opportunities. The second chapter presents some critical contexts of the study; the researcher's personal and professional contexts, and the research sites. These provide accounts of the researcher's background as an English language teacher, trainer and researcher. This section clarifies the need for focused research in the area of professional development of English language teachers. The next section provides an overview of the United Arab Emirates, teaching population and study sample. After reviewing a range of educational research methodologies, the Methodology of the Study explains why Action Research was found to be the most appropriate framework for the project, and most particularly the Deakin participatory action research approach. Characteristics of the research population and study sample are then discussed. Thereafter, the data collection instruments (needs assessment questionnaires, interviews, observation checklists, discussions, feedback forms and documents) are discussed in relation to their role and purposes in the study. The chapter concludes by outlining the research phases, intervention strategy and the ethical dimensions of the study, particularly in relation to researcher identity and power relations. The Data Analysis and Presentation chapter focuses on summarising the data and identifying the general themes and clusters to be addressed by the interventions. The thesis concludes with the Discussion and Findings of the research. This final chapter covers the design and operation of the first and second interventions. It also aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the action research framework. This is followed by the research statement and discussion of the main findings, particularly how the findings of the research have affected the decision making policy in the professional development of teachers working for the UAE Ministry of Education. The findings of the research section also provides recommendations for policy and practice.

This study investigates information literacy and scholarly communication within the processes of doctoral research and supervision at a distance. Both doctoral candidates and supervisors acknowledge information literacy deficiencies and it is suggested that disintermediation and the proliferation of information may contribute to those deficiencies. Further to this, the influence of pedagogic continuity—particularly in relation to the information seeking behaviour of candidates—is investigated, as is the concomitant aspect of how doctoral researchers practise scholarly communication. The well-documented and enduring problem for candidates of isolation from the research cultures of their universities is also scrutinised. The contentious issue of more formally involving librarians in the doctoral process is also considered, from the perspective of candidates and supervisors. Superimposed upon these topical and timely issues is the theoretical framework of adult learning theory, in particular the tenets of andragogy. The pedagogical-andragogical orientation of candidates and supervisors is established, demonstrating both the differences and similarities between candidates and supervisors, as are a number of independent variables, including a comparison of on-campus and off-campus candidates. Other independent variables include age, gender, DETYA (Department of Education, Training & Youth Affairs) category, enrolment type, stage of candidature, employment and status, type of doctorate, and English/non-English speaking background. The research methodology uses qualitative and quantitative techniques encompassing both data and methodological triangulation. The study uses two sets of questionnaires and a series of in-depth interviews with a sample of on-campus and off-campus doctoral candidates and supervisors from four Australian universities. Major findings include NESB candidates being more pedagogical than their ESB counterparts, and candidates and supervisors from the Sciences are more pedagogical than those from Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, or Education. Candidates make a transition from a more dependent and pedagogically oriented approach to learning towards more of an independent and andragogical orientation over the duration of their candidature. However, over tune both on-campus and off-campus candidates become more isolated from the research cultures of their universities, and less happy with support received from their supervisors in relation to their literature reviews. Ill The study found large discrepancies in perception between the support supervisors believed they gave to candidates in relation to the literature review, and the support candidates believed they received. Information seeking becomes easier over time, but candidates face a dilemma with the proliferation of information, suggesting that disintermediation has exacerbated the challenges of evaluation and organisation of information. The concept of pedagogic continuity was recognised by supervisors and especially candidates, both negative and positive influences. The findings are critically analysed and synthesised using the metaphor of a scholarly 'Club' of which obtaining a doctorate is a rite of passage. Recommendations are made for changes in professional practice, and topics that may warrant further research are suggested.

Thesis (MPhil (General Linguistics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The financial sector of South Africa is increasingly under pressure to ensure that the language used in all communication is aligned with international best practice and, furthermore, that the correct business terminology is applied. Standards of language proficiency and usage have, however, deteriorated over the past few years. This appears to be due mainly to lack of good language education at school level. In Nedbank, specifically, the language used by employees in written external communication is not always on par as is evident from the documentation that Nedbank Editorial and Language Services (Nels), the “language custodian” of the bank, has to edit and translate. Nels decided six years ago that, instead of rewriting all these documents, which is not timeor cost-efficient, to rather give business-writing training across the bank to enable Nedbank employees to increase their general writing proficiency of English. This study aims to establish whether there are discrepancies in the type of error made in English as used by Coloured Afrikaans mother tongue speakers and White Afrikaans mother tongue speakers in order to determine how to customise the business-writing training materials to the benefit of each cultural grouping in Nedbank.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die finansiële sektor in Suid-Afrika is toenemend onder druk om te verseker dat die taal wat in alle kommunikasie gebruik word in ooreenstemming is met internasionale “beste praktyk”, en verder dat die korrekte besigheidsterminologie gebruik word. Taalvaardigheids- en taalgebruiksvlakke het egter oor die afgelope aantal jare verswak, waarskynlik a.g.v. onvoldoende taalonderrig op skool. In Nedbank is die taalgebruik van werknemers in geskrewe eksterne kommunikasie nie altyd van ’n aanvaarbare standaard nie, soos duidelik blyk uit die dokumentasie wat Nedbank Editorial and Language Services (Nels), die bank se “taalbewaarder”, moet redigeer en vertaal. Nels het ses jaar gelede besluit om besigheidskryfkursusse vir die hele groep aan te bied, eerder as om al die eksterne kommunikasie oor te skryf, wat nie tyd- en koste-effektief is nie. Sodoende kan werknemers hulle algemene skryfvaardighede in Engels verbeter. Hierdie studie probeer vasstel of daar moontlike verskille is in die soort foute wat in Engels deur gekleurde Afrikaans-moedertaalsprekers en wit Afrikaans-moedertaalsprekers gemaak word, in ‘n poging om doeltreffende opleidingsmateriaal te ontwikkel vir elke kulturele groepering in Nedbank.

碩士<br>東海大學<br>教育研究所在職專班<br>105<br>The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of online English speaking training lessons on speaking performance and speaking anxiety of the eighth graders. A quasi-experimental study was conducted. Two classes of twenty-eight 8th graders participated in the study. One class of 26 students were assigned as the experimental group, which received online English speaking training lessons. One class of 24 students were assigned as the control group, which received pair practice. The experimental instruction was given once a week, with each meeting 45 minutes, for eight weeks. Both groups of students were given “Speaking Performance Test” and “English Speaking Anxiety Scale” before and after the experimental instruction. Students from the experimental group were interviewed for futhur understanding of how the online English speaking training lessons influences their speaking anxiety. The findings of the study include the following. 1. After receiving online English speaking training lessons, students’ speaking performance in accuracy was significantly improved. 2. After receiving online English speaking training lessons, students’ speaking anxiety was significantly lowered. 3. No obvious correlation was found between students’ speaking performance and their speaking anxiety. Implications for English instructors and suggestions to future research were provided.

碩士<br>朝陽科技大學<br>應用外語研究所<br>100<br>Foreign language anxiety has an abating effect on EFL speakers’ oral performance. This study examined the perceptions of college students on their experience of speaking anxiety at different oral proficiency levels in an English oral training class. Seventy-eight English major students were recruited to participate in this study. The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), adapted from Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope, (1986), was employed to explore how students experience speaking anxiety. Moreover, an E-portfolio was implemented as an instrument to examine whether the e-portfolio would enhance learners’ self-regulated learning and reduce speaking anxiety. The results showed a significant correlation between oral proficiency levels and speaking anxiety scores. Notably, through the e-portfolio, the participants showed evidence of self-regulated learning. The results also lead to suggestions for future research into the issues of English Speaking Anxiety.

English is a vehicle for international communication. In order to meet the demands of modern society, English teachers need to pay more attention to the development of learners’ competence and focus on a more effective and successful method. However traditional approaches to English language teaching still dominate Thai classrooms. Language teachers should not focus on reciting but should teach from their own understanding of language learning and help learners gain more competence with confidence. This study is a collaborative action research investigation to develop pronunciation training and communicative competence for Thai students studying English in Thailand. This study investigated pronunciation training and language learning strategies, how they influenced the learning behaviour of Thai students studying English and improved their speaking confidence. The purpose of the training was to improve students’ pronunciation and spoken intelligibility. It drew upon data collected in pronunciation training in one school in Thailand using language learning strategies and evaluated improvement after being trained in developing speaking confidence. The project contained two cycles, the first of which was to train five teachers using pronunciation training and language learning strategies. We evaluated their improvement in correct speech and in developing speaking confidence. In the second cycle, these teachers in turn taught a group of four students each and similar improvements were observed. The action phases showed the implications of the importance of pronunciation training in the Thai context and the usefulness of dictionary usage to help learners to improve their competence and to have more confidence to speak English. The project resulted in a change of policy by the school to include pronunciation teaching and to allocate English classes to teachers who understood that process. The pronunciation learning strategies in this study and those of other researchers were presented to formulate strategies as a contribution for teachers to include teaching pronunciation in their classroom instruction. The researcher intends that the data will be useful for language teachers to help them further their understanding of their students’ learning behaviour to achieve improved pronunciation. In addition, the phonetic symbol system used in the training was chiefly inspired from the symbols of the International Phonetic Association (IPA) to be standardized and easy to apply.

Wong, Wing Sze.<br>Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010.<br>Includes bibliographical references (leaves 215-241).<br>Abstracts in English and Chinese; some appendixes include Chinese.<br>Title Page --- p.i<br>Acknowledgments --- p.ii<br>Abstract --- p.iv<br>Table of Contents --- p.viii<br>List of Tables --- p.xiii<br>List of Figures --- p.xvii<br>Chapter Chapter1 --- Introduction --- p.1<br>Chapter Chapter2 --- Literature Review --- p.5<br>Chapter 2.1 --- Phonology in Second Language Acquisition --- p.8<br>Chapter 2.2 --- Modeling Speech Perception --- p.8<br>Chapter 2.2.1 --- Speech Learning Model --- p.8<br>Chapter 2.2.2 --- Perceptual Assimilation Model --- p.11<br>Chapter 2.2.3 --- Native Language Magnet Model --- p.13<br>Chapter 2.3 --- Linking Up Speech Perception and Production --- p.16<br>Chapter 2.3.1 --- The Motor Theory --- p.17<br>Chapter 2.3.2 --- The Direct Realist Approach to Speech Perception --- p.18<br>Chapter 2.3.3 --- General Approach to Speech Perception --- p.20<br>Chapter 2.4 --- Training in the Laboratory --- p.21<br>Chapter 2.4.1 --- Discrimination vs. Identification Training --- p.22<br>Chapter 2.4.2 --- High-Variability Phonetic Training (HVPT) --- p.25<br>Chapter 2.4.3 --- Vowel Training Studies --- p.30<br>Chapter 2.4.4 --- Perceptual Training on Production --- p.34<br>Chapter 2.4.5 --- Summary of Previous Research --- p.38<br>Chapter 2.5 --- Current Research Background --- p.38<br>Chapter 2.5.1 --- Cantonese Vowel System vs. English Vowel System --- p.39<br>Chapter 2.5.2 --- Cantonese Learners' Difficulties --- p.42<br>Chapter 2.5.3 --- The Present Research --- p.44<br>Chapter 2.6 --- Pilot Study --- p.45<br>Chapter 2.6.1 --- Purpose --- p.45<br>Chapter 2.6.2 --- Participants --- p.45<br>Chapter 2.6.3 --- Procedures --- p.46<br>Chapter 2.6.4 --- Results --- p.47<br>Chapter 2.6.4.1 --- Perceptual Performance --- p.47<br>Chapter 2.6.4.2 --- Production Performance --- p.49<br>Chapter 2.6.5 --- Discussions & Suggestions --- p.50<br>Chapter 2.7 --- Research Questions --- p.53<br>Chapter Chapter3 --- Research Methodology --- p.54<br>Chapter 3.1 --- Research Subjects --- p.54<br>Chapter 3.2 --- Research Design and Procedures --- p.57<br>Chapter 3.2.1 --- The Research Setting --- p.57<br>Chapter 3.2.2 --- The Design in Details --- p.58<br>Chapter 3.2.2.1 --- Before the Experiment: Preparation --- p.60<br>Chapter 3.2.2.2 --- Phase 1: Pretest Phase --- p.61<br>Chapter 3.2.2.2.1 --- Production Pretest: Word List Reading --- p.61<br>Chapter 3.2.2.2.2 --- Perception Pretest: Identification test --- p.62<br>Chapter 3.2.2.3 --- Phase 2: Training Phase --- p.65<br>Chapter 3.2.2.3.1 --- The HVPT --- p.65<br>Chapter 3.2.2.3.2 --- The LVPT --- p.67<br>Chapter 3.2.2.3.3 --- Control --- p.67<br>Chapter 3.2.2.4 --- Phase 3: Posttest Phase --- p.68<br>Chapter 3.2.2.4.1 --- Production --- p.68<br>Chapter 3.2.2.4.1.1 --- Production Post-test: Word List Reading --- p.68<br>Chapter 3.2.2.4.1.2 --- Test of Contextualization (TC): Passage Reading --- p.68<br>Chapter 3.2.2.4.2 --- Perception --- p.69<br>Chapter 3.2.2.4.2.1 --- Perception Posttest: Identification Test --- p.69<br>Chapter 3.2.2.4.2.1.1 --- Test of Generalization 1 (TG1): Identification Test --- p.69<br>Chapter 3.2.2.4.2.1.2 --- Test of Generalization 2 (TG2): Identification Test --- p.69<br>Chapter 3.2.3 --- Materials --- p.70<br>Chapter 3.2.3.1 --- Stimuli --- p.70<br>Chapter 3.2.3.2 --- Computer Training Programme --- p.73<br>Chapter 3.2.3.3 --- Word Lists for Reading --- p.73<br>Chapter 3.2.3.4 --- Technological Equipment --- p.74<br>Chapter 3.2.3.5 --- Survey Forms --- p.74<br>Chapter 3.2.4 --- Data Processing --- p.75<br>Chapter 3.2.4.1 --- Data Transcription --- p.75<br>Chapter 3.2.4.1.1 --- Procedures --- p.75<br>Chapter 3.2.4.1.2 --- Reliability Checking --- p.76<br>Chapter 3.2.4.1.2.1 --- Aim --- p.76<br>Chapter 3.2.4.1.2.2 --- Intra-rater Reliability --- p.76<br>Chapter 3.2.4.1.2.3 --- Inter-rater Reliability --- p.77<br>Chapter 3.2.4.2 --- Data Scoring --- p.77<br>Chapter 3.2.5 --- Data Analysis --- p.78<br>Chapter Chapter4 --- Results --- p.79<br>Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.79<br>Chapter 4.2 --- Perceptual Performance --- p.80<br>Chapter 4.2.1 --- Overall Performance --- p.80<br>Chapter 4.2.2 --- Effects of the Training Approaches --- p.82<br>Chapter 4.2.2.1 --- General Overview --- p.82<br>Chapter 4.2.2.2 --- Statistical Analysis --- p.84<br>Chapter 4.2.3 --- Effects of the Proficiency Level and Vowel Difference --- p.87<br>Chapter 4.2.3.1 --- General Overview --- p.87<br>Chapter 4.2.3.2 --- Statistical Analysis --- p.88<br>Chapter 4.2.3.2.1 --- The HVPT Group --- p.88<br>Chapter 4.2.3.2.2 --- The LVPT Group --- p.92<br>Chapter 4.2.3.3 --- Summary --- p.94<br>Chapter 4.2.4 --- Generalizability of the Training --- p.95<br>Chapter 4.2.4.1 --- Test of Generalization 1 --- p.96<br>Chapter 4.2.4.2 --- Test of Generalization 2 --- p.98<br>Chapter 4.2.4.3 --- Summary --- p.100<br>Chapter 4.2.5 --- Summing up the Results in Perceptual Identification Tests --- p.101<br>Chapter 4.3 --- Production Performance --- p.102<br>Chapter 4.3.1 --- Overall Performance --- p.102<br>Chapter 4.3.2 --- Effects of the Training Approaches --- p.108<br>Chapter 4.3.2.1 --- General Overview --- p.108<br>Chapter 4.3.2.2 --- Statistical Analysis --- p.110<br>Chapter 4.3.3 --- Effects of the Proficiency Level and Vowel Difference --- p.112<br>Chapter 4.3.3.1 --- General Overview --- p.112<br>Chapter 4.3.3.2 --- Statistical Analysis --- p.113<br>Chapter 4.3.3.2.1 --- The HVPT Group..： --- p.113<br>Chapter 4.3.3.2.2 --- The LVPT Group --- p.115<br>Chapter 4.3.3.3 --- Summary --- p.119<br>Chapter 4.3.4 --- Contextualizability of the Training --- p.120<br>Chapter 4.3.5 --- Follow-up Acoustic Analysis for Production Posttest --- p.123<br>Chapter 4.3.6 --- Summing up the Results in Production Tests --- p.130<br>Chapter 4.4 --- Summary of the Chapter --- p.130<br>Chapter Chapter5 --- Discussions --- p.132<br>Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.132<br>Chapter 5.2 --- Evaluation of the Training Approaches 一 Research Question 1 & 2 --- p.133<br>Chapter 5.2.1 --- Review of Research Question 1 & 2 --- p.133<br>Chapter 5.2.2. --- Perceptual Domain --- p.134<br>Chapter 5.2.2.1 --- General Success of the HVPT and the LVPT Groupsin the Perceptual Learning --- p.135<br>Chapter 5.2.2.1.1 --- Consistent Use of the Same Task --- p.135<br>Chapter 5.2.2.1.2 --- Nature of the Training Tasks --- p.136<br>Chapter 5.2.2.1.3 --- Use of Identification Tasks --- p.136<br>Chapter 5.2.2.1.4 --- Adoption of Feedback --- p.137<br>Chapter 5.2.2.2 --- Effectiveness of the HVPT over the LVPT --- p.138<br>Chapter 5.2.2.2.1 --- Promotion of Selective Attention ´ؤ Supporting an Exemplar-based approach to Speech Perception --- p.139<br>Chapter 5.2.2.2.2 --- Simulation of Real-life Experience --- p.141<br>Chapter 5.2.3 --- Production Result --- p.142<br>Chapter 5.2.3.1 --- The Relationship between Perception and Production --- p.143<br>Chapter 5.2.3.1.1 --- The Motor Theory --- p.147<br>Chapter 5.2.3.1.2 --- The Direct Realist Theory --- p.148<br>Chapter 5.2.3.1.3 --- General Approach to Speech Perception --- p.149<br>Chapter 5.2.4 --- Summary --- p.149<br>Chapter 5.3 --- Generalizability of the Training Effects - Research Question 3 --- p.150<br>Chapter 5.3.1 --- Review of Research Question 3 --- p.150<br>Chapter 5.3.2. --- Perceptual Result --- p.151<br>Chapter 5.3.2.1 --- Discussion of the Generalizability of the Training Effects --- p.152<br>Chapter 5.3.3 --- Production Result --- p.156<br>Chapter 5.3.3.1 --- Discussion of the results in Test of Contextualization --- p.157<br>Chapter 5.3.4 --- Summary --- p.159<br>Chapter 5.4 --- The Effect of Proficiency Groups - Research Question 4 --- p.160<br>Chapter 5.4.1 --- Review of Research Question 4 --- p.160<br>Chapter 5.4.2 --- Perceptual Aspect --- p.160<br>Chapter 5.4.3 --- Production Aspect --- p.161<br>Chapter 5.4.4 --- Discussion of the Effect of Proficiency Groups --- p.162<br>Chapter 5.4.4.1 --- Perception and Production as a Process --- p.163<br>Chapter 5.4.4.2 --- Indistinguishable Proficiency Levels of the Subjects --- p.165<br>Chapter 5.4.5 --- Summary --- p.166<br>Chapter 5.5 --- The Effect of Vowels - Research Question 5 --- p.166<br>Chapter 5.5.1 --- Review of Research Question 5 --- p.166<br>Chapter 5.5.2 --- Perceptual Aspect --- p.167<br>Chapter 5.5.2.1 --- Discussion of the Effect of Vowels on Perceptual Learning --- p.168<br>Chapter 5.5.2.2 --- Speech Learning Model --- p.169<br>Chapter 5.5.2.3 --- Perceptual Assimilation Model --- p.170<br>Chapter 5.5.3 --- Production Aspect --- p.172<br>Chapter 5.5.3.1 --- Discussion of the Effect of Vowel on Production --- p.173<br>Chapter 5.5.4 --- Summary --- p.175<br>Chapter 5.6 --- Summary of the Chapter --- p.176<br>Chapter Chapter6 --- Conclusion --- p.178<br>Chapter 6.1 --- An Overview of the Current Study --- p.178<br>Chapter 6.2 --- Contributions of the Current Study --- p.180<br>Chapter 6.3 --- Limitations of the Current Study --- p.183<br>Chapter 6.4 --- Future Research Directions and Implications --- p.185<br>Appendices<br>Appendix A Consent Form & Survey Form --- p.188<br>Appendix B Language Background of the Subjects --- p.191<br>Appendix C Production Word List & Reading Passage --- p.193<br>Appendix D Perceptual Training Tokens --- p.196<br>Appendix E Perceptual Performance in all Tests --- p.199<br>Appendix F Perceptual Performance in the Pretest and the Posttest --- p.201<br>Appendix G Perceptual Performance in two Tests of Generalization --- p.203<br>Appendix H Production Performance in all Tests --- p.207<br>Appendix I Production Performance in the Pretest and the Posttest --- p.209<br>Appendix J Production Performance in Test of Contextualization --- p.211<br>Appendix K Perception and Production Performance in contrast --- p.213<br>References --- p.215

碩士<br>雲林科技大學<br>應用外語系碩士班<br>99<br>English Abstract Trainees’ Learning Anxiety and Coping Strategies in an Intermediate General English Proficiency Test (GEPT) Speaking Training Class Student: Chiu-Min Wu Advisor: Dr. Cheng-Ji Lai Department of Applied Foreign languages National Yunlin University of Science & Technology Abstract This study firstly investigated GEPT instructors’ instructional methods and beliefs and further explored the relationships between learners’ learning anxiety and their coping strategies in three GEPT Intermediate speaking training classes. The participants in the present study included two GEPT instructors and students from three classes who were preparing for GEPT Intermediate Speaking Test. Two research methods were adopted in the study. Firstly, semi-structured interviews with the two instructors were conducted to analyze instructors’ instructional methods and beliefs. Secondly, a tailored questionnaire of learning anxiety and coping strategy with a pilot study was distributed to the students in three training classes to analyze their potential anxiety-provoking factors and coping strategies, the relationship between instructors’ specific instructional methods and students’ learning anxiety, and the relationship between students’ individual coping strategies and their learning anxiety. The questionnaire was distributed at the interval of the second, the fifth, and the eighth week of the training course. The present study yielded several major findings. Firstly, different instructional methods employed by two instructors resulted in different consequences of the learning anxiety and coping strategies. Secondly, trainees’ learning anxiety was mainly triggered from five factors (i.e., unable to answer, called to answer without notice, answered in front of others, answered with a microphone and asked to speak louder ). Thirdly, the types of instructors’ instructional methods that had apparently helped reduce trainees’ learning anxiety included “instructors’ offer of vocabulary bank,” “instructors’ debriefing the tips of how to answer questions,” “instructors’ demonstrations on answering questions,” and “instructors’ allowing time to think about answers.” Fourthly, students’ effective coping strategies to reduce their individual learning anxiety are “to practice answers before being called,” “to practice critical thinking,” “to self-study English vocabulary,” “to practice answers with classmates” and “to take a second thought of one’s answers.” Fifthly, the relationship between instructors’ specific instructional methods and students’ learning anxiety as well as the relationship between students’ individual coping strategies and their learning anxiety were not all significant in three classes. The result in Teacher X’s (the male instructor’s) class presented strongly significant at the intervals of the second, fifth and eighth week; however, slightly significant presented in the female instructor’s two classes at the intervals of the second and fifth week but no significance at the eighth week. Finally, likewise, the relationship between students’ individual coping strategies and their learning anxiety were not all significant in three classes. The result in Teacher X’s (the male instructor’s) class presented strong significant at the intervals of the second, fifth and eighth week; however, the result presented slight significant in the female instructor’s two classes at the intervals of the second and fifth week but no significance at the eighth week. Key words: learning anxiety, coping strategies

I conducted two experiments to investigate the emergence of Naming in a second language by monolingual English-speaking preschool children who demonstrated Naming in English with non-contrived visual stimuli. In Experiment I, I tested for the presence of full echoic responses in Chinese with 32 monolingual English-speaking children. The participants were randomly assigned into two groups. Group I received echoic probes in Chinese phonemes with English approximations, while Group II received echoic probes in distinctive Chinese phonemes. Participants in both groups were probed for their echoic responses in English. Results showed that Group I outperformed Group II in the numbers of correct echoic responses in Chinese phonemes, suggesting that the numbers of correct echoic responses in Chinese were affected by the distinctiveness of the phonemes as well as participants’ echoic responses in English. In Experiment II, I tested the effects of echoic training on the acquisition of Naming in Chinese with contrived and non-contrived visual stimuli by eight monolingual English-speaking preschool children. A multiple probe design was implemented for experimental control. I conducted naming probes in English with contrived and non-contrived visual stimuli, as well as naming probes in Chinese with contrived and non-contrived visual stimuli with all participants. Six out of eight participants received echoic training, while the other two participants went through repeated probes due to a lack of stable responding. The intervention consisted of the experimenter teaching the participants to echo Chinese consonant-vowel combinations that shared the same phonemes with the probes sets but with different consonant-vowel combinations. The participants were taught to say the target consonant-vowel combinations independently without an echoic model with 100% accuracy across three sessions during delayed probes in order to master a training set. Prior to the intervention, all participants demonstrated naming in English with non-contrived stimuli, but none of the participants demonstrated naming in English with contrived stimuli, or in Chinese with contrived or non-contrived stimuli. The results from post-intervention probes showed that echoic training was functionally related to the emergence of naming in Chinese with non-contrived stimuli for six participants, as well as naming in Chinese with contrived stimuli for five out of six participants.

This study focuses on the barriers that hinder the Zulu-speaking English second language learner in the Foundation Phase in acquiring basic reading and spelling skills. Nine hypotheses were developed from the literature study. Emanating from this, a quantitative empirical investigation, undertaken at various Foundation Phase schools in and around the greater Durban area, examined these barriers. A questionnaire was used as the main instrument in investigating these barriers. The study highlighted the relationships between the various variables. These relationships were, in the main, found significant. The research has indicated that contextual, language, school and intrinsic factors are significantly correlated to the problems L2 learners experience in acquiring English reading and spelling skills. The limitations of this investigation were discussed and recommendations, based on these results, were forwarded.<br>Educational Studies<br>M. Ed. (Guidance & Counselling)

The problem this study addresses is the continuing ineffective teaching of English as a Second Language (ESL) despite the popularity of in-service (INSET) programmes. As a means of situational analysis, ethnographic approaches were used to investigate the INSET participants in the four-year degree programme at the University of Botswana. Responses to one inventory containing second language teaching activities showed that the activities respondents know to characterize ESL classrooms do not facilitate much verbal teacher-pupil/pupil-pupil interaction. Responses to another inventory containing idealised course content showed evidence of needs the preparation programme was ignoring. This confirmed one of two study hypotheses that: there are specific second language teaching needs being ignored by preparation programmes for primary school language teachers. Document analysis verified the assumptions about what classroom English Language Teaching (ELT) was expected to achieve. However, lesson observation revealed that the products of the programme still taught and perceived English as a mental exercise, with the following results: the lessons were complicated, uninspiring, unenjoyable, restrictive, and ineffective. Questionnaire and interview results confirmed the second study hypothesis that: the confidence of non-native English-speaking teachers (non-NESTs) with regard to competence in English, which affects the effectiveness and efficiency of their teaching, is low. As a solution a model specifying the essential programme components for preparing ELT specialists in the primary school is proposed. The proposed model is however not prescriptive and the proposed content is neither exhaustive nor limiting, but only broadly suggestive of the content of each instructional component. It is hoped that the product of the proposed model will become not only a well-educated person in the arts but also a highly proficient and self-confident person in ELT.<br>Educational Studies<br>D. Ed. (Didactics)

English is a vehicle for international communication. In order to meet the demands of modern society, English teachers need to pay more attention to the development of learners’ competence and focus on a more effective and successful method. However traditional approaches to English language teaching still dominate Thai classrooms. Language teachers should not focus on reciting but should teach from their own understanding of language learning and help learners gain more competence with confidence. This study is a collaborative action research investigation to develop pronunciation training and communicative competence for Thai students studying English in Thailand. This study investigated pronunciation training and language learning strategies, how they influenced the learning behaviour of Thai students studying English and improved their speaking confidence. The purpose of the training was to improve students’ pronunciation and spoken intelligibility. It drew upon data collected in pronunciation training in one school in Thailand using language learning strategies and evaluated improvement after being trained in developing speaking confidence. The project contained two cycles, the first of which was to train five teachers using pronunciation training and language learning strategies. We evaluated their improvement in correct speech and in developing speaking confidence. In the second cycle, these teachers in turn taught a group of four students each and similar improvements were observed. The action phases showed the implications of the importance of pronunciation training in the Thai context and the usefulness of dictionary usage to help learners to improve their competence and to have more confidence to speak English. The project resulted in a change of policy by the school to include pronunciation teaching and to allocate English classes to teachers who understood that process. The pronunciation learning strategies in this study and those of other researchers were presented to formulate strategies as a contribution for teachers to include teaching pronunciation in their classroom instruction. The researcher intends that the data will be useful for language teachers to help them further their understanding of their students’ learning behaviour to achieve improved pronunciation. In addition, the phonetic symbol system used in the training was chiefly inspired from the symbols of the International Phonetic Association (IPA) to be standardized and easy to apply.