scholarly journals Using flashcards for English second language creative writing in Grade 1

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shivona Mathura ◽  
Free-Queen B. Zulu
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Creative Writing ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Teaching Strategy ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Research Process ◽  
English Second Language ◽  
Esl Learners

Background: English Second Language (ESL) learners have difficulty constructing sentences due to internalising information in their home language and thereafter translating it into English. Learners who have difficulty speaking English generally encounter problems writing it, which hampers their creative writing ability.Objectives: The purpose of the research was to identify a teaching strategy to facilitate ESL learners with creative writing. This study explored the influence of flashcards on the creative writing skills of Grade 1 ESL learners and improved the researchers’ teaching practice.Method: This qualitative study depicted an action research design and utilised an inductive approach to data analysis. Convenience sampling was used when selecting the participants who were 31 Grade 1 learners in a school in Pietermaritzburg. The flashcards were used during the implementation stage of the action research process as an intervention to enhance learners’ creative writing skills.Findings: The findings indicate that learners who participated in the study had improved in their written assessments. There were three themes identified, which included misspelt words, incorrect use of tenses and ungrammatical sentence construction. Flashcards revealed the correct sentence writing techniques by depicting sentences. Learners’ written pieces were more logical and they participated actively during lessons. This enhanced the researcher’s teaching practice, which catered to both visual and auditory learners.Conclusion: The findings suggest that the use of flashcards had a positive effect on ESL learners’ creative writing skills. This encouraged participatory teaching and learning, which can be of benefit to many teachers seeking to engage learners using alternate learning styles.

scholarly journals Voicing up in Debate Competition: Oral Development of Two Malaysian ESL Learners

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 90
Author(s):  
Farzaneh Amiri ◽  
Moomala Othman ◽  
Maryam Jahedi
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Linguistic Resources ◽  
Communicative Strategies ◽  
English Second Language ◽  
Oral Development ◽  
Esl Learners ◽  
The Impact

This research used a qualitative approach to focus on the classroom debate between Malaysian English second language learners (ESL). Since debate has been often perceived as not a suitable activity for low proficiency students due to their limited linguistic resources, there has not been much emphasis on the impact of debate on incompetent ESL learners; however, this study was an attempt to concentrate on two students who were not competent in English to investigate their oral development via debate. The study observed the communicative strategies employed in this challenging task during the five debate rounds. Although the progress made was quite limited, the study showed that debate competition can be a relevant and meaningful practice for speaking activity among low proficiency students. Moreover, it showed that debate can be used to scaffold students’ practice in speaking.

scholarly journals Enhancing English Learners’ Willingness to Communicate through Debate and Philosophy Inquiry Discussion

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 145
Author(s):  
Mardziah Shamsudin ◽  
Moomala Othman ◽  
Maryam Jahedi ◽  
Dalia Aralas
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Data Analysis ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Discussion Group ◽  
T Test ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
Classroom Discussion ◽  
Paired Samples ◽  
Esl Learners ◽  
The Impact

The present study investigated the impact of two instructional methods, Debate and Philosophy Inquiry (PI), in enhancing Willingness to Communicate (WTC) among two groups of English as a Second Language (ESL) learners who were randomly selected. In each group there were sixteen participants. The researchers used independent samples t-test and paired samples t-test to analyze the collected data. The data analysis using paired samples t-test showed that both methods of instruction have a significant effect on learners’ WTC. However, the learners’ WTC increased more in Debate group comparing to the Philosophy Inquiry classroom discussion group. The results indicate that Debate is more effective than Philosophy Inquiry classroom discussion in enhancing ESL learners’ WTC.

scholarly journals Exploring Veteran Teachers' Collaborative Action Research Experiences Through a School-University Partnership: "Old Dogs" Try New Tricks

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-68
Author(s):  
Mary Frances (Molly) Buckley-Marudas ◽  
John Dutton ◽  
Charles Ellenbogen ◽  
Grace Hui-Chen Huang ◽  
Sarah Schwab
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
High School ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Research Program ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Collaborative Action Research ◽  
University Faculty ◽  
University Partnership ◽  
School Practitioners

This article shares insights from the experiences of three high school practitioners and two university faculty who participated in a school-university-based action research program as a voluntary part of the teachers’ professional development. The three high school practitioners conducted action research projects around questions that stemmed from and were relevant to their own teaching practice.  As part of the action research program, the practitioners were paired with university faculty to support the research. Building on practitioner inquiry traditions and critical case study methodologies, this study used qualitative methods to explore the experiences of practitioner action research processes.  Drawing on in-person meeting notes and reflective memos, four key ideas emerged: Infrastructure, We are all Partners in Education, Engaging Pathway for Experienced Teachers, and Challenges. Insights gained from this inquiry will have implications for professional practices in the areas of school-university partnership, professional development, and action research process.

scholarly journals Graphic Organizers Support Young L2 Writers’ Argumentative Skills

2018 ◽  
pp. 6-33
Author(s):  
Carl Edlund Anderson ◽  
Carlos Andrés Mora González ◽  
Liliana Marcela Cuesta Medina
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Graphic Organizers ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Argumentative Writing ◽  
Group A ◽  
Grounded Theory Approach

Learners are increasingly required to analyze critically information presented in languages other than their first to form reasoned opinions and solve problems. It is thus urgent to develop their argumentation skills, needed not only for academic success but also later professional life—and, indeed, by participant citizens in democratic societies. Although there has been some increased interest in teaching argumentation at pre-tertiary levels, this remains a relatively unexplored issue in Colombia (and, indeed, much of the developing world), certainly when considering writing in a second language. This qualitative study analyzed the influence of graphic organizers on the development of argumentative written tasks by a group of sixth-grade English learners. Data was collected through surveys, questionnaires, focus group, a teachers’ journal, and students’ written artifacts and analyzed through the grounded theory approach. Findings revealed that using graphic organizers positively influenced learners’ argumentative writing skills, specifically through supporting strategic information planning and argumentative linearization during the pre- and while-writing stages. These understandings show that younger learners can develop complex argumentative writing skills in a second language, thereby offering significant lessons for teachers of language—and content—in both the first and additional languages.

Second Language Creative Writing: Learner Development in the Shinhaiku Pedagogy

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-96
Author(s):  
Jared Kubokawa
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Creative Writing ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Student Work ◽  
Research And Teaching ◽  
Poetry Writing ◽  
Literary Journal ◽  
Meaningful Literacy ◽  
Accessible Form

This article will address the place of second language creative writing (L2CW) in EFL curricula by first providing an updated understanding of L2CW and the Japanese form shinhaiku—a nontraditional haiku. Shinhaiku differs from traditional haiku in that it does not utilize the 5-7-5 syllable form. Secondly, the article will consider misconceptions as well as pedagogical implications of L2CW and thirdly, offer a classroom approach to L2CW (poetry writing) utilizing Hanauer’s (2012) meaningful literacy framework. The approach was developed from action research and teaching practices, underpinned by Spiro’s (2014) reading-to-writing cycle where learners 1) choose L2CW poems that they admire from an EFL literary journal; 2) articulate reasons for appreciation of said poems; 3) apply these ideas to their L2CW; and 4) reflect on the process. The article will also provide examples from student work as well as present a case for why shinhaiku is an accessible form in the Japanese context. この論文は、EFLの履修に於ける第二言語のクリエイティブライティング(L2CW)の位置付けについて述べたものである。第一に、L2CWの最新の解釈と日本語の形式として新俳句（従来型ではない俳句）を提示する。新俳句は形式として五七五の音節を使わないという点で、従来の伝統的な俳句とは異なる。次に、L2CWの誤認と教育法への影響について考察する。続いて、Hanauer (2012)による「意味を持つ読み書き能力の教育法」を通してL2CWの授業での取り組み（詩の創作）について述べる。この考え方はSpiro (2014) のreading-to-writing cycle (2014)に実証された行動研究と教育方法を発展したものである。その方法では、学習者は、1) EFL literary journal から彼らが良いと感じるL2CWの詩を選ぶ 2)前述の詩を良いと思う理由を明確化させる 3) その考えを自分のL2CWに応用させる 4)その過程を振り返り考察する。そして、学生の作品を例示し、新俳句が日本において利用し易い形式である理由を論証する。

scholarly journals PROPAGATING CRITICAL READING AND CREATIVE WRITING LITERACY USING READER’S DIGEST MAGAZINES

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 330-335
Author(s):  
Wan Zumusni Wan Mustapha ◽  
Sheela Paramasivam
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Creative Writing ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Team Building ◽  
Critical Reading ◽  
Authentic Material ◽  
Digital Era ◽  
Outdoor Setting ◽  
Sentence Construction ◽  
Esl Learners

Reading and writing have been seen as solitary, boring and individualized among ESL learners. Hence, teaching and learning critical reading and creative writing, can pose even a challenge to educators and learners of a second language, at all levels. The challenge is even greater in the digital era where students would rather spend time online on gadgets than flipping pages of magazines. As a receptive skill, reading a textbook outside the classroom would be next to impossible. This paper shares how second language educators can use an authentic material like Reader’s Digest magazines to propagate fun, engaging and outdoor critical reading and creative writing activities. It incorporates various elements such as team building, collaborative learning and problem-based learning while engaging students to learn vocabulary, sentence construction and paragraph writing in an outdoor setting.

scholarly journals Introducing Mnemonics to Japanese Students as a Vocabulary Learning Strategy

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-93
Author(s):  
Stephen Paton ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Learning Strategy ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
Lesson Plan ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Academic Disciplines ◽  
Japanese Students ◽  
Highly Effective ◽  
Word Number

Mnemonic strategies are not often utilised by Japanese students to learn and consolidate vocabulary, despite research showing that they are particularly effective. As part of an informal action research process, a structured lesson plan was devised that would introduce mnemonic strategies indirectly, that is, not by applying them directly to second-language vocabulary study from the outset, but instead as a means of memorising simple word/number pairings in something of a game. The strategy’s applicability to vocabulary study was shown only after it had been witnessed and practised by the students. This lesson was given in numerous classes from a variety of academic disciplines. A survey of the students (n = 361) was later carried out to ascertain whether despite its initially bypassing second-language concerns and complications, the lesson had been effective in introducing mnemonics as a vocabulary learning strategy that the students might choose to utilise in an upcoming programme of vocabulary learning and testing. Responses indicated that the lesson had been highly effective and that students in similar contexts might benefit from being introduced to mnemonics in such a way.

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