The Simple View of Reading in Bilingual Language-Minority Children Acquiring a Highly Transparent Second Language

The present study evaluated which components within the simple view of reading model better predicted reading comprehension in a sample of bilingual language-minority children exposed to Italian, a highly transparent language, as a second language. The sample included 260 typically developing bilingual children who were attending either the first 2 years (n = 95) or the last 3 years (n = 165) of primary school and who had Italian as an instructional language. Children were administered a comprehensive battery for the assessment of decoding skills, listening comprehension, and reading comprehension latent variables. Results showed that, in both groups, listening comprehension was the most powerful predictor of reading comprehension, followed, only for younger children, by reading accuracy. Reading speed was not a significant predictor. These results confirmed the primary role of listening comprehension in predicting reading comprehension in bilinguals and added important evidence regarding the role of reading accuracy as a predictor of reading comprehension.     

The Development of Reading Skills in Children With English as a Second Language

One goal of this longitudinal study was to examine whether the predictors of reading skills in Grade 3 would differ between English as a second language (ESL) students and native English-speaking (L1) students. Phonological processing, syntactic awareness, memory, spelling, word reading, and lexical access skills were assessed in kindergarten and in Grade 3. The results indicated that in kindergarten, the ESL group had significantly lower scores on phonological processing, syntactic awareness, spelling, and memory for sentences tasks. However, in Grade 3, the ESL group performed in a similar way to the L1 group except on the syntactic awareness task. The combination of the two kindergarten measures, memory for sentences and Oral Cloze, and the combination of phonological processing and letter identification all contributed equally to predicting the L1 students' word-reading skills. However, for ESL students, letter identification and phonological processing made much larger contributions to predicting Grade 3 reading ability. Another goal of this study was to assess the procedures used to identify reading disability in the ESL and L1 student sample. Performance on two measures—letter identification and phonological awareness in kindergarten—predicted whether students would be classified in Grade 3 as at risk or having typical reading development for the ESL and L1 groups. The ESL children developed strong reading skills, and their status as ESL speakers did not put them at risk for reading difficulties in Grade 3. ESL students were not at any particular risk for reading difficulties after 4 years in Canadian schooling with an adequate balanced literacy program.     

"Bridging the Gap": The Effects of the Success For All Program on Elementary School Reading Achievement as a Function of Student Ethnicity and Ability Level

This study examined the effects on reading achievement of the Success For All (SFA) program for minority and nonminority students attending elementary school in a small midwestern city. SFA uses a research-based kindergarten program, beginning and intermediate reading programs in Grades 1–3, one-to-one tutoring for low achievers, family support, and other elements. Findings from a comparison between two SFA schools and two matched control schools showed that on individually-administered reading tests, minority (African American) students in the SFA schools performed comparably to their nonminority counterparts at the four schools while significantly outperforming control school minority students. Although overall program effects were not significant, SFA was also effective for the subsample consisting of the lowest-25% achieving students. Longitudinal results over four years showed stable benefits for the lowest-achievers, but some decline in overall program effects relative to the first two years.     

Foreign Language Anxiety among Counseling Students Speaking English as a Second Language: A Rationale for Future Research

Research on foreign language anxiety has focused primarily on students in language training programs. The lack of attention to foreign language anxiety among counseling students speaking English as a second language has led to supervision issues among this growing student population in counseling programs. This article identifies areas such as self-efficacy and microskills that are affected by foreign language anxiety and recommends training strategies and the potential value of qualitative research methods to address the situation.     

浅谈如何培养大学生二语阅读的动机

文章旨在研究如何解决大学生在二语阅读中缺乏动机这一现实问题。阅读动机可以分为两方面——需要读和想要读,在此主要讨论如何在课内外帮助学生提高阅读动机的方法,并对于所涉及的方法谈一点心得体会。     

Shared Reading by Cambodian Mothers and Children Learning English as a Second Language: Reciprocal Gains

Subjects were five Cambodian mother‐child pairs. Three mothers (Group One) had received one year's schooling, and two (Group Two) had had no schooling in Cambodia; all children were participating in regular primary school class reading programs and receiving individual help from an ESL teacher. Group One was introduced to Shared Reading in a multiple baseline across‐subjects design, while an AB design was used for Group Two. Probes were taken of mothers and children reading individually from unseen books at the same level as those used in Shared Reading. During the Shared Reading program the Group One mothers and children markedly increased their rate of progress through book levels as did the Group Two children, but the Group Two mothers did not, although there was some evidence of minor progress in word recognition. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of the interactive social context for acquiring literacy skills.     

Integrating Language,Literacy, and Academic Development: Alternatives to Traditional English as a Second Language and Remedial English for Language Minority Students in Community Colleges

This article argues for the importance of integrating a focus on language, literacy, and academic development for United States-educated language minority (US-LM) students, sometimes called Generation 1.5. It describes four initiatives at community colleges in California that aim to do so. US-LM students have completed some K–12 schooling in the United States, but their English is considered by community college faculty, staff, or assessment measures to be inadequate for college-level instruction. Although enacting effective language and literacy support for Generation 1.5 has centered on debates about whether these students belong in English as a Second Language (ESL) or remedial English courses, how they can best be identified and tested, or whether they should be taught in separate classes, we argue that more fundamental shifts are needed. Instead of conceiving of students’ language and literacy development solely in terms of progress through ESL or remedial English sequences, educators designing support for US-LM students must also consider larger contexts of students’ academic progress, promoting students’ development of language and literacy for success in academic and professional settings as well as progress toward completing credits required for associate degrees, certificates, and transfer to four-year institutions.     

语言型大学学生二外日语学习动机与成绩的相关性研究

动机是影响二语学习诸个体因素中最具能动性的因素,对于语言学习的结果具有较强的预测性。本研究运用定量研究的方法,以语言型大学二外日语学习者为对象,进行问卷调查,通过因子分析和多元回归分析考察语言型大学二外日语学习者的学习动机与成绩之间的相关性。研究结果显示:考试竞争型、兴趣型及成就型动机与成绩呈明显的正相关,而盲目从众型动机对成绩呈负相关。     

论英语在中国成为第二语言的可能性

目前，英语是中国最主要的外语，但就其发展趋势来看，由于英语的全球化及其对中国英语教育的推动，英语在中国受重视程度的不断提高，英语将可能成为中国的第二语言，并且“中国英语”对其成为第二语言也有一定的积极作用。     

English Reading Growth in Spanish-Speaking Bilingual Students: Moderating Effect of English Proficiency on Cross-Linguistic Influence

This study examined the extent to which kindergarten Spanish reading affected English reading growth trajectories through fourth grade among nationally representative Spanish-speaking bilingual students (N = 312) in the United States and whether the association varied by students' English oral proficiency. Multilevel growth curve analyses revealed that stronger early Spanish reading was related to greater English reading growth. Within the stronger Spanish reading group, students with lower English oral proficiency initially began behind their counterparts but caught up with and surpassed them later. Within the weaker Spanish reading group, the difference between lower and higher English oral proficiency groups increased over time. Findings suggest that initially well-developed Spanish reading competence plays a greater role in English reading development than English oral proficiency.     

CALL在英语教学中的应用

这篇文章通过对机助语言教学应用的介绍,简单地阐述了多媒体技术对于英语教学在拼音、词汇、句子、文化和其他方面的影响。并且,它还强调了教师在多媒体教学当中的引导作用。     

Reading in English as a First or Second Language: The Case of Grade 3 Spanish,Portuguese, and English Speakers

This study compared variables related to reading ability in Grade 3 students learning English as a first language (L1) and second language (L2). The students learning English as an L2 came from diverse backgrounds, with different levels of bilingualism in Spanish and English or Portuguese and English before they entered school. Both within‐group and between‐group differences emerged in comparing Spanish children from two cohorts, and in comparing the Spanish group to the Portuguese and English groups. Models predicting reading comprehension found differences with respect to the contribution of receptive vocabulary, decoding, and print exposure in the L1 and L2 groups, depending on the L2 students’ bilingual language status and language acquisition experiences. Additionally, print exposure was more highly related to comprehension in the lowest performing L2 groups. Implications and future directions are discussed.     

国内英语作为二语的运动事件研究述评

分析了2006至2015年间发表的英语作为二语的运动事件相关期刊论文,对国内运动事件研究的进展进行梳理,从不同层面分析指出目前国内研究的成果与存在的不足。方便学者了解运动事件研究近况,对今后的研究方向有一定的预示作用,有利于促进国内运动事件相关研究的开展。     

认知体系差异对母语和第二语言阅读的影响

认知体系在理解母语文本及第二语言文本中都起着很重要的作用。读者无论以母语还是第二语言阅读,只要熟悉文本的内容、形式和语言等认知体系,就能对文本有较多的理解。但是,如果一个第二语言读者不具备这种知识,那他就可能因认知的障碍而理解甚少。本文将探讨认知体系在文化因素方面:内容认知体系(schema)和形式认知体系对母语和第二语言阅读的影响。     

加拿大的ESL课程

加拿大的ESL课程是指向母语为非英语的学生教授的英语课程。利用赴加拿大实地学术考察的机会,通过参与课堂教学、与国际学生、教师的直接交流、访谈以及对教学机构、科研机构的实地走访,分析和探讨了加拿大ESL课程的学生来源、TESL教师资格、教学理念、课程设置、教学特色及测试标准。     

Effects of a Cross-Linguistic Storybook Intervention on the Second Language Development of Two Preschool English Language Learners

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a shared reading experience between parent and child in the child’s home language on the emergent literacy and language acquisition in English of preschool-age English Language Learners. Parents of Spanish-speaking four-year-old Head Start students read storybooks in Spanish with their children concurrently with the use of the English language version of the books in the classroom. A single subject design with multiple baselines across subjects and settings was applied. Observed variables included changes in the frequency of utterances, the Mean Length of Utterance-word, and the frequency of spontaneous or child-initiated utterances in various settings within the Head Start classroom. The results indicated that there might be a relation between the shared reading experience in the home language and the child’s second language acquisition. Additionally, there appeared to be a relation between the behaviors and the settings. Finally, implications of this study were discussed.     

英语专业二外日语教学法初探

在二外日语教学学生多、教时少、要求高的情况下,如何提高教学,尤其在短期内如何提高"听""说"这两项实际运用技能,作者结合多年教学实践从兴趣教学、对比教学多种行之有效的教学法方面进行了探讨.     

The Teaching of English as a Second Language in Primary Schools

For the last few years projects of foreign language instruction in primary schools have been planned and carried out by a growing number of school authorities. It would be wrong to maintain that such schemes are a completely new feature of primary education. ‘If we include … the older practices in private schools and the accepted practices in the developing countries of Africa and Asia, we will find that the teaching at the primary level is far more widespread than is commonly believed and it is ‘experimental’ only in the public educational systems of those countries in which the second-language start in the secondary school has been the rule.’¹ Countries where a lingua franca is needed, bilingual areas, and smaller linguistic communities, are quite naturally expected to adopt a policy of early language learning. What is new in this context and particularly with regard to countries like Britain, France, Germany, or the United States, is the shift in emphasis which gives priority to the educational aspect and at the same time stresses the need to develop more effective methods of instruction. At any rate, this is the impression the reader gets from H. H. Stern's reports on the Hamburg conferences organized by the UNESCO Institute for Education in 1962 and 1966. In countries of a multilingual or bilingual type the motivational force of the surroundings, in which language learning takes place, is so strong that less refined techniques of teaching may still have certain chances of success. But this does not apply to the second group. It is easier to persuade pupils to tackle a second language and to keep them going, if their daily experience convinces them of the immediate surrender value of the matter learned, than to introduce such a language into an educational environment where the teachers cannot rely to that extent on advantages easily demonstrated in the community's life. Thus ways and means must be found to overcome the obstacles inherent in the learing situation, and there is no doubt that schools all over the world will profit from such progress in methodology. Therefore it is not lack of enthusiasm or the traditionalists horror of innovations, but a sober assessment of the present state of research when, for instance, the Plowden Report says with reference to the Leeds project; ‘for this, and other reasons, we hope that the experimental nature of the project will be recognized and that no attempt will be made to press further the teaching of second language in primary schools until the results of the experiment can be fully assessed.’²     

保持型教学模式在对外汉语双语教学中的应用

根据我国的语言环境和高等院校特点及生源的实际情况,探讨适合对外汉语专业的保持型双语教学模式。从保持型双语教学步骤的设计、双语教学材料的组织、双语教学方法的创新、合理有效的双语教学评价体系的建立四个方面进行了论述。