scholarly journals The role of language in students’ justifications of scientific phenomena

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacky Deng ◽  
Malek Rahmani ◽  
Alison Flynn
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Undergraduate Science ◽  
Scientific Phenomena ◽  
Scientific Arguments

Constructing scientific arguments is an essential skill for members of society, especially in a world facing complex socioscientific issues. Educators can help students develop scientific argumentation skills; however, argumentation is a complex linguistic practice and little is known about how English language learners construct arguments in English. We investigated how undergraduate science students’ English language proficiency and history were associated with their level of reasoning in scientific arguments (N = 166). We found that participants’ English language experiences, including their proficiency and history, were associated with the level of reasoning demonstrated. These findings suggest a need to identify the associated barriers faced by students from diverse language backgrounds and design equitable educational supports and assessments.

scholarly journals The Struggling English Language Learners: Case Studies of English Language Learning Difficulties in EFL Context

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 108
Author(s):  
Sultan H. Alharbi
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Learning Difficulties ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Language Courses

The term ‘struggling language learner’ is one that is usually ascribed to students who are trying, without much success to master the English language in an academic setting. As a case study, this study was carried out to gain insights into the ‘struggles’ of the struggling English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. Ten students were selected from those with the 20th least percentile in their English language courses. Observation of and discussion with these categories of learners revealed that many language learners had a point at which they began to take learning English language more seriously. In such positive or negative situations, their language learning journey improved therefrom. The findings showed that 80% of the participants believed that their English language proficiency was ‘very good’, while 20% of these participants believed that their English language proficiency was ‘average’. Also, the findings indicated that there was a statistically significant association (i.e., p < .05) between English language proficiency of the learners and the following observable attributes: willingness to learn for educational purposes; willingness to learn for career development; and students’ continuation without losing focus. The study proposes a fresh evaluation of the problems faced by EFL struggling learners by bringing to light a multifaceted, meaningful consideration of their learning attitudes from socio-psychological point of view, offering a comprehensive account of these learners and their learning difficulties as well as their attitudes and outlook while taking lessons as freshmen at the university.  

Technical Adequacy of a Spelling Curriculum-Based Measure for English Language Learners in the First Through Third Grades

2020 ◽  
pp. 073194872093042
Author(s):  
R. Alex Smith ◽  
Erica S. Lembke
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Initial Examination ◽  
Technical Adequacy ◽  
English Only

This study represents an initial examination of the potential of word dictation (WD), a form of curriculum-based measure, to identify risk in writing for young English language learners (ELs). The sample included 73 ELs with beginning to advanced English language proficiency in the first to third grades attending schools in one Midwestern school district. This district used an English-only model of instruction and students completed two forms of WD in the fall, winter, and spring. The criterion measure, a common English language proficiency assessment, was administered in the winter. Results indicated that WD maintained similar reliability and validity coefficients between the ELs in this study and previous studies with the general population. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

scholarly journals The role of language in students’ justifications of scientific phenomena

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacky Deng ◽  
Malek Rahmani ◽  
Alison Flynn
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Academic Language ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
English History ◽  
Scientific Phenomena

Making decisions and constructing arguments with scientific evidence and reasoning are essential skills for all members of society, especially in a world facing complex socioscientific issues (climate change, global pandemics, etc.). Argumentation is a complex linguistic practice, but little is known about how students from diverse language backgrounds engage in argumentation. The goal of this study was to identify how students’ English language proficiency/history was associated with the reasoning demonstrated in their written arguments. We found that students with lower English proficiency and less English history produced fewer causal responses compared to students with higher English language proficiency and history. Follow-up interviews with fifteen participants revealed that students’ comfort communicating in English on assessments depended on a combination of general and academic language experiences. Findings suggest a need to identify what barriers students from diverse language backgrounds encounter during argumentation to ensure students from all language backgrounds have equitable opportunities to demonstrate their abilities.

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