Literacy in Fiji: Its origins and its development

Literacy was introduced into Fiji by Christian missionaries just over 150 years ago, and for almost 100 years limited literacy practices were fostered by schools run mainly by the churches. With the rise of towns and of a bureaucracy, literacy in English as a second language was also introduced. But the levels of literacy in both vernacular and the second languages have been generally low, especially in the rural areas. A research project set up to improve literacy in educational contexts is described. Current problems related to literacy and future developments are discussed.     

A student's view of an engineering exchange scheme (2)

British engineering is in the doldrums. It no longer has the glamorous self-confidence that it enjoyed in the Victorian era. In comparison with France, Germany and the USA, grand engineering schemes in Britain are realized only very painfully, if at all. The link between technologists and planners and the national policy-making machinery (government) that Telford and Brunel enjoyed has to a large extent been severed. The academically bright tend to avoid engineering because it is not generally recognised to be an intellectual pursuit.     

The moderating influence of instructional intensity and word type on the acquisition of academic vocabulary in young English language learners

This study used a within-subjects design to explore two instructional conditions for developing vocabulary in second-grade Spanish-speaking English learners (ELs)—extended instruction and embedded instruction implemented during shared interactive reading. Words assigned to the extended condition were directly taught using a multifaceted approach that included visuals, bilingual definitions, examples, spelling, and partner-talk about the words’ meaning. Words assigned to the embedded condition were taught solely through brief definitions to embedded text, writing activities, and songs. In the control condition students heard the target words read aloud during shared interactive reading but without definitions or direct instruction. The study also explored the interaction between instructional condition and word type. Four types of words—abstract cognates, abstract noncognates, concrete cognates, and concrete noncognates—were randomly assigned to each condition. Nine teachers in four schools and 187 second-grade ELs participated in this within-subjects intervention, which took place in transitional bilingual classrooms. Findings indicated that across all word types, both extended and embedded instruction were more effective than the control condition in helping ELs acquire vocabulary. Findings also indicated that extended instruction was more effective then embedded instruction for all word types except concrete cognates suggesting that these young Spanish-speaking ELs were advantaged by word knowledge in their home language. Finally, while embedded instruction was less effective than extended instruction, it was much more effective than a control condition. Embedded instruction takes significantly less preparation and instructional time than extended instruction, offering teachers a practical way to teach more vocabulary to ELs.