Can Virtual Replace In-person Coaching? Experimental Evidence on Teacher Professional Development and Student Learning in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacobus Cilliers ◽  
Brahm Fleisch ◽  
Janeli Kotzé ◽  
Nompumelelo Mohohlwane ◽  
Stephen Taylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Reading Proficiency ◽  
Home Language ◽  
Oral Language Proficiency ◽  
Virtual Coaching ◽  
Negative Effect

Virtual communication holds the promise of enabling low-cost professional development at scale, but the benefits of in-person interaction might be difficult to replicate. We report on an experiment in South Africa comparing on-site with virtual coaching of public primary school teachers. After three years, on-site coaching improved students' English oral language and reading proficiency (0.31 and 0.13 SD, respectively). Virtual coaching had a smaller impact on English oral language proficiency (0.12 SD), no impact on English reading proficiency, and an unintended negative effect on home language literacy. Classroom observations show that on-site coaching improved teaching practices, and virtual coaching led to larger crowding-out of home language teaching time. Implementation and survey data suggest technology itself was not a barrier to implementation, but rather that in-person contact enabled more accountability and support.

scholarly journals Speech fluency: a result of oral language proficiency?

Linguistica ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vesna Požgaj Hadži ◽  
Damir Horga ◽  
Tatjana Balazic Bulc
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Corpus Analysis ◽  
Articulation Rate ◽  
Speech Fluency ◽  
Research Participants ◽  
Oral Language Proficiency

The aim of this paper is to answer the question of the influence of language proficiency on speech fluency in relation to speakers’ other cognitive abilities by comparing the speech of research participants who speak Slovenian as L1 and Croatian as LF. By using the method of acoustic and corpus analysis, the values of speech rate, articulation rate, mean length of runs and the length and frequency of certain pauses are presented.

scholarly journals Exploring Grade 6 mathematics teachers' use of the language of learning and teaching in assessment for learning

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sizwe B Mahlambi ◽  
Ailwei S Mawela
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Assessment For Learning ◽  
Code Switching ◽  
Home Language ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Learning And Teaching

In this study, we aimed to explore Grade 6 mathematics teachers' use of English, the language of learning and teaching in assessment for learning in selected primary schools in Alexandra Township, South Africa. From Grade 4, English is the language of teaching and learning for most learners, despite English being the home language of a minority of learners. Results of studies have shown that in South Africa, in Grades 1 to 3, in which learners are taught using their home-language performance appears to be better than in Grades 4 to 6 where English as a First Additional Language (EFAL) is used for teaching and learning. Guided by qualitative case study design, we used semi-structured interviews and non-participatory observation to collect data from nine purposefully sampled Grade 6 mathematics teachers. In conjunction with the literature reviewed and the theory underpinning the study, we used themes to analyse, interpret, and discuss the data we collected. This research revealed that learners in Grade 6 struggle to understand English as the language of learning and teaching, so, to augment concept development and understanding, teachers and learners use code-switching. In the classrooms observed, this practice has become the norm to improve the performance of learners with limited language proficiency. However, because of the differences between the home language of learners and that of teachers in mathematics classrooms, code-switching is often not enough to ensure understanding.

scholarly journals Language testing

2007 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-64
Keyword(s):  
Bilingual Education ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Special Educational Needs ◽  
Code Theory ◽  
Oral Language Proficiency ◽  
Research Journal ◽  
Class Placement ◽  
Learning Focused

07–72Macken-Horarik, Mary (U Canberra, Australia), Recognizing and realizing ‘what counts’ in examination English: Perspectives from systemic functional linguistics and code theory. Functions of Language (John Benjamins) 13.1 (2006), 1–35.07–73Myklebust, Jon Olav (Volda U College, Norway; [email protected]), Class placement and competence attainment among students with special educational needs. British Journal of Special Education (Blackwell) 33.2 (2006), 76–81.07–74Pray, Lisa (Utah State U, USA), How well do commonly used language instruments measure English oral-language proficiency?Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.2 (2005), 387–408.07–75Rea-Dickins, Pauline (U Bristol, UK; [email protected]), Currents and eddies in the discourse of assessment: A learning-focused interpretation. International Journal of Applied Linguistics (Blackwell) 16.2 (2006), 163–188.

The Role of the Speech-Language Pathologist in Whole Language

1990 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 228-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol E. Westby
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Whole Language ◽  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Language Program ◽  
Language Programs ◽  
Oral Language Proficiency ◽  
Speech Language Pathologist

Many schools are implementing whole language methodology in the teaching of reading and writing. Whole language programs assume that children have a certain degree of oral language proficiency. For language-learning disabled students, such assumptions may be incorrect. The whole language literacy movement provides an excellent opportunity for speech-language pathologists to work as an integral part of the school team seeking to build literacy. This article presents a framework for understanding the pragmatic, semantic, syntactic, text, and phonological aspects of language that underlie both oral and written communication and gives suggestions for ways speech-language pathologists can assess children's language skills that are essential for success in a whole language program.

scholarly journals The Effect of Paired Conversation Activity by Utilizing News-Based Materials in Improving the Students’ Speaking Skill

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-97
Author(s):  
Khadijah Maming ◽  
Raya Mangsi
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
English Education ◽  
Study Program ◽  
Good Opportunity ◽  
News Magazine ◽  
Oral Language Proficiency ◽  
Course Materials ◽  
Speaking Skill ◽  
Teaching Learning

The objective of this study focused on the effect of paired conversation activity by utilizing news-based materials in improving the students’ speaking skill. The students were supposed to comprehend the content of news-based materials and then explain and conclude the essential things from the news orally. It was focused on improving the students’ productive skill that is speaking skill. This research covered different topics of news taken from some resources such as; international yahoo news, BBC news, YouTube, magazine, and other mass media. In this research, the students also be expected to search and discover the course materials by themselves from internet, television etc. They discussed the topics of news-based materials with his/her pair. They started to discuss the news by using W-H questions, namely; who, what, where, why, when, and how. The lecturer has role as facilitator and consultant of the students in learning. It involved several learning activities, such as; preparing the news-based materials taken from BBC news, international yahoo news, magazine, etc, making  group in pair, reading carefully the news-based materials, discussing the essential things from the news, conclude the news orally, and presenting in front of the class. This study was experimental research design and applied quantitative method. The students of English Education Study Program of Muhammadiyah University of Parepare taken as the subject of this research. They were taught speaking course through the implementation of paired conversation activity by utilizing news-based materials. Through this treatment, it was found out that paired conversation activity by utilizing news-based materials has good effects in improving the students’ speaking skill. Besides, the students also gave positive responses toward the application of paired conversation activity by utilizing news-based material for teaching-learning EFL speaking. This technique allows the students got the good opportunity to speak at length and helps them to develop their oral language proficiency.

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