An analysis of self-concept among Ethiopian immigrant and Israeli-born children and adolescents

2008 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 188-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Tannenbaum
Keyword(s):  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Peer Group ◽  
First Language ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Language Family ◽  
Host Culture ◽  
Ethiopian Immigrant ◽  
First Language Proficiency

This article reports a study comparing self-concept among 114 immigrant children and adolescents of Ethiopian origin in Israel and among 164 native-born Israelis, including an exploration of how age, gender, and first-language proficiency affect various dimensions of this construct. For the younger children (aged 8—9 years), self-concept was found to be higher among the native-born than among children of Ethiopian origin, while for junior high school children (aged 14—15 years), results were reversed. Findings are interpreted and discussed in light of the complex immigration history and the ongoing integration difficulties faced by members of the Ethiopian community, and related to different coping mechanisms adopted by participants at different ages. Ethiopian adolescents appear to cling more to their peer group, compared with younger children who seem to be more affected by the immediate family circle. Gender differences were found mainly regarding physical self-concept, in favor of boys. Self-rates of language proficiency appeared to be associated with several aspects of self-concept. Finally, and given the unique circumstances of the interaction between Ethiopian immigrants and Israeli society, findings emerge as relevant to the context of refugees, for whom the gap with the host culture is often wider than that encountered by voluntary migrants. Several recommendations related to language, family, and intergroup relations are included.

scholarly journals Variability of ESL Learners' Acquisition of Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency: What Can We Learn From Achievement Measures?

2003 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hetty Roessingh ◽  
Pat Kover
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Academic Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
High Expectations ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Academic Language Proficiency ◽  
Achievement Measures ◽  
First Language Proficiency ◽  
Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency ◽  
Esl Learners

With the revamping of the Canada Immigration Act in 1985, the demographic profile of new arrivals to Canada took a marked shift to place a priority on better educated, business-class immigrants. Most of these immigrants are from the Pacific Rim, and they have high expectations for the academic achievement of their children in the Canadian school system. The purpose of this study was to look at age on arrival and first-language proficiency of these children, as these factors interact with instructed ESL support on achievement measures in grade 12. Analysis of the data reveals that although all learners benefit from structured ESL support, it is the younger-arriving ESL learners who have the most to gain, even after many years of little or no support. We note that all ESL learners, regardless of age on arrival, struggle to acquire the cultural and metaphoric competence that is beyond the linguistic threshold required for success, but nevertheless central to successful engagement in a literature-based program of studies.

scholarly journals Individual Differences in Resting-state Brain Rhythms Uniquely Predict Second Language Learning Rate and Willingness to Communicate in Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chantel S. Prat ◽  
Brianna L. Yamasaki ◽  
Erica R. Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Resting State ◽  
First Language ◽  
Learning Rate ◽  
Fluid Reasoning ◽  
L2 Learning ◽  
First Language Proficiency ◽  
Lh Rh

The current study used quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) to characterize individual differences in neural rhythms at rest and to relate them to fluid reasoning ability, to first language proficiency, and to subsequent second language (L2) learning ability, with the goal of obtaining a better understanding of the neurocognitive bases of L2 aptitude. Mean spectral power, laterality, and coherence metrics were extracted across theta, alpha, beta, and gamma frequency bands obtained from eyes-closed resting-state qEEG data from 41 adults aged 18–34 years. Participants then completed 8 weeks of French training using a virtual language and cultural immersion software. Results replicate and extend previous studies showing that faster learners have higher beta power recorded over right hemisphere (RH) electrode sites, greater laterality (RH − LH/RH + LH) of alpha and beta bands, and greater coherence between RH frontotemporal sites across all frequencies, although only coherence measures survived multiple comparisons. Increased coherence within and between RH networks was also associated with greater posttest declarative memory scores and with more accurate speech during learning. Total speech attempts, in contrast, correlated with bilaterally distributed small-world network configurations, as indexed by lower power and coherence over high-frequency (beta and gamma) bands recorded over frontotemporal networks in both hemispheres. Results from partial correlations and regression analyses suggest that the neural predictors of L2 learning rate, posttest proficiency, and total speech attempts varied in their degree of overlap with qEEG correlates of first language proficiency and fluid reasoning abilities, but that neural predictors alone explained 26–60% of the variance in L2 outcomes.

scholarly journals The Ethics of TESOL a quarter century on

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Williams
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
First Language ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Sociocultural Context ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Quarter Century ◽  
First Language Proficiency ◽  
The Impact

Discussion of ethical considerations in Australian TESOL began 25 years ago, with arguments about the need for TESOL professionals to be aware of the potentially harmful consequences of their work, the loss of first language proficiency, and even the loss of languages themselves (Williams, 1992, 1995). The intervening quarter of a century has seen sweeping changes to the context in which TESOL professionals work and developments in our professional knowledge about the processes and consequences of TESOL professional practice (Canagarajah, 1999; Phillipson, 1992, 2013). In this paper developments in the sociocultural context of TESOL, the general education context and the TESOL professional context are explored. This article revises the arguments about ethical directions in TESOL presented a quarter century ago to take account of these changes. Guiding principles for individuals and professional bodies are identified. It is argued that our role is to sensitively help our learners to explore the potential consequences of the learning of English, and for professional bodies to take an active role in advocacy given the impact of globalization processes, more centralized curriculum and assessment frameworks, and the relatively reduced capacity of individual teachers to influence the institutions that employ them.

KEMAMPUAN GURU BAHASA INDONESIA DALAM MENYELESAIKAN SOAL UKBI DI PEKANBARU

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 147
Author(s):  
Elvina Syahrir
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Elementary School ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Proficiency Test ◽  
Senior High School ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
National Examination ◽  
Language Proficiency Test ◽  
Bahasa Indonesia

This study was motivated by the low score of the students‘ Indonesian language in national examination that were certainly correlated with the Indonesian language teachers‘ competences. The Indonesian language techers‘ competences can be observed in doing the Indonesian language proficiency test. This study was aimed to determine the Indonesian language teachers‘ capabilities indoing UKBI and to describe about it. The data obtained describe that the Indonesian language teachers of Senior High School (SMA) have the highest scores, then the Indonesian language teachers of Junior High School (SMP), and the last ones were the teachers of elementary school (SD). Moreover, among the Indonesian language techers‘ capabilities of SMA, SMP, and SD in doing UKBI have not shown the significant differences.AbstrakPenelitian ini dilatarbelakangi oleh rendahnya nilai Ujian Nasional (UN) bahasa Indonesia siswa yang tentunya berkorelasi dengan kompetensi guru bahasa Indonesianya. Kompetensi guru bahasa Indonesia dapat terlihat dari Uji Kemahiran Berbahasa Indonesia (UKBI). Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui kemampuan guru bahasa dan sastra Indonesia di Pekanbaru dalam menyelesaikan soal UKBI dan untuk mendeskripsikan kemampuan guru dalam menyelesaikan soal UKBI. Dari penganalisisan data diperoleh temuan bahwa nilai rerata UKBI guru SMA memperoleh skor paling tinggi, nilai rerata UKBI guru SMP memperoleh skor sedang, sedangkan nilai rerata UKBI guru SD memperoleh skor paling rendah. Akan tetapi, kemampuan guru bahasa dan sastra Indonesia dari ketiga tingkatan sekolah tersebut (SMA, SMP, SD) dalam menyelesaikan soal UKBI tidak menunjukkan perbedaan yang berarti (tidak signifikan) pada taraf kepercayaan 5 %, hal ini terlihat dari nilai Fhitung lebih kecil dari Ftabel (Fhitung = 0,11 < Ftabel = 4,35)

Meta-analysis of the neural representation of first language and second language

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 799-819 ◽  
Author(s):  
RAJANI SEBASTIAN ◽  
ANGELA R. LAIRD ◽  
SWATHI KIRAN
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Functional Neuroimaging ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
First Language ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Neural Representation ◽  
Second Language Processing ◽  
Meta Analyses

ABSTRACTThis study reports an activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of published functional neuroimaging studies of bilingualism. Four parallel meta-analyses were conducted by taking into account the proficiency of participants reported in the studies. The results of the meta-analyses suggest differences in the probabilities of activation patterns between high proficiency and moderate/low proficiency bilinguals. The Talairach coordinates of activation in first language processing were very similar to that of second language processing in the high proficient bilinguals. However, in the low proficient group, the activation clusters were generally smaller and distributed over wider areas in both the hemispheres than the clusters identified in the ALE maps from the high proficient group. These findings draw attention to the importance of language proficiency in bilingual neural representation.

First language effects on the identification and evaluation of second language speech

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-194
Author(s):  
Anne-France Pinget
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
First Language ◽  
Language Aptitude ◽  
Content Type ◽  
It Impacts ◽  
Language Effects

Abstract In Belgium, Dutch as spoken by Francophone learners is relatively frequent in political, commercial or educational contexts. While the characteristics of this second language (L2) variety have been studied extensively, there is to date no systematic report of how it is evaluated by either native speakers of Dutch or non-natives. Previous studies conducted in other language contexts have found that non-natives tend to be very critical towards L2 accents similar to their own. The main goal of the present study is to investigate the extent to which the listener’s first language (L1) impacts ratings of the fluency, accentedness and comprehensibility of L2 Dutch as spoken by Francophone learners and how it impacts the identification of the speakers’ L1. Specifically, we compared ratings by three groups of listeners: Francophone learners of Dutch, native speakers of Belgian Dutch and native speakers of Netherlandic Dutch. Moreover, the extent to which three additional cognitive and environmental factors influence L2 ratings is examined: listeners’ familiarity with the L2 variety, their language aptitude and language proficiency. The results show that the majority of native and non-native listeners recognized the speakers’ L1 (French). Non-native listeners perceived L2 speech as less fluent, less comprehensible and more accented than natives did, which corroborates the previously reported critical attitudes towards a shared L2 accent. Moreover, subtle differences in accent and fluency ratings were found between the Netherlandic Dutch and the Belgian Dutch listeners. No clear effects of other cognitive and environmental factors appeared in the ratings.

scholarly journals Regulasi Emosi dan Kelompok Teman Sebaya Pelaku Cyberbullying

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mutia Mawardah ◽  
MG Adiyanti
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Junior High ◽  
Peer Group ◽  
8Th Graders ◽  
Negative Impacts

Technology that is getting more advanced has not only positive but also negative impacts. The number of cyberbullying cases keeps increasing as the use of information technology appliances grows. The subjects of this research were 7th and 8th graders of state junior high school “S”, who were 12-14 years of age and had been using information technologies for at least 2 years. The result of this research showed that peer group conformity and emotional regulation are related to the tendency in them of becoming cyberbulliers as demonstrated by the F value=106.078 and p

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