Andrea DeCapua

Conceptualizing Learning Style Modalities for ESL/EFL Students.

Abstract A major hurdle in assessing the learning styles of English as a second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL) students is the development of an instrument with established validity and reliability. This article reports the results of testing a newly developed learning styles instrument [System 29 (2001) 385; Wintergerst et al., TESL Canada Journal Revue TESL du Canada (in press)] on three groups of language learners: Russian EFL students, Russian ESL students, and Asian (specifically Chinese, Korean, and Japanese) ESL students to determine their learning style preferences. Results indicate that these students learn English under three modalities: Project Orientation, Group Activity Orientation, and Individual Activity Orientation. Findings further reveal that these three groups of language learners clearly prefer group activity above individual work, with the Russian EFL and Asian ESL students favoring group work and project work. The outcome of this study suggests that this instrument holds promise as a viable assessment tool for determining selected learning styles of ESL/EFL students and has sound implications for classroom teachers.

The construct validity of one learning styles instrument

Abstract Learning style research has become ubiquitous in second/foreign language teaching and research. While such an approach has a great deal of intuitive appeal, difficulties arise when researchers attempt to conceptualize actual learning styles and relate these to factors other than individual preferences. These difficulties are further compounded when working with second/foreign language learners and the inherent issues of learner proficiency and target language comprehensibility. The present study examines the reliability and validity of Reids (1984) Perceptual Learning Style Preference Questionnaire (PLSPQ), an instrument used to assess the learning style of English as a Second Language (ESL) students. Exploratory factor analysis was used to explore the dimensionality of the PLSPQ. Results showed that specific survey items did not necessarily group into factors conceptually compatible with Reids learning style model. Subsequently, an alternative learning style factor structure was explored.

Reframing the Conversation About Students With Limited or Interrupted Formal Education: From Achievement Gap to Cultural Dissonance

U.S. schools face increasing pressure to ensure that all students succeed, yet the dropout rate for English learners is alarmingly high, especially for those with limited or interrupted formal schooling (SLIFE). Serving SLIFE can be challenging because they not only need to master language and content but also need to develop literacy skills and learn to operate in formal classroom settings. We describe a culturally responsive instructional model that prepares SLIFE to access curriculum and instruction, and succeed on standardized testing.

The Transformational Learning Journey of a Novice ESL Teacher of Low-Literate Adults:

This article reports on one teacher’s journey, Nan’s, as she struggled to provide appropriate instruction to low-literate day laborers in an English as a second language (ESL) class for adult learners. In her efforts to do so, Nan became inspired to implement alternative pedagogy based on a culturally responsive approach that resonated strongly with her professed educational and social justice beliefs. As researcher-practitioners, we were interested in exploring Nan’s transformational journey during her graduate studies. The culturally responsive approach she was studying and attempting to implement is itself transformative in nature, providing an excellent opportunity to examine transformational learning both in the context of a novice ESL teacher and in the implementation of this approach. This case study provides important insights into how transformational learning theory sheds light on the struggles of one woman to achieve her twin goals of reaching a marginalized group of learners she cared deeply about and earning her master’s degree in Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages.

Morphology: Words and Their Parts

This chapter is divided into two sections. Section 2.1 focuses on word classes and includes a brief introduction to some of the basic parts of speech to aid in understanding the next section. Section 2.2 focuses on morphology, the structure and form of words.

Overview of Verbs and Verb Phrases: The Heart of the Sentence

In this chapter we begin examining verbs. The chapter is divided into five sections, with each section looking at a different aspect of verbs. Section 5.1 discusses how to identify verbs. Section 5.2 explores two main categories of verbs, main verbs and auxiliary verbs. Section 5.3 examines two types of main verbs, transitive and intransitive. Section 5.4 considers infinitives and gerunds, and Sect. 5.5 delves into a special type of verb called phrasal verbs.

Time, Tense, and Aspect of Verbs

In the previous chapter, we began our observation of verbs as a class. In this chapter, we will be examining how English verbs function to express the time of an event (tense) and information regarding the duration or completion of an event (aspect). The chapter is divided into five sections. Section 6.1 reviews verb inflections one more time and introduces the concept of time, tense, and aspect. Sections 6.2–6.5 delve into the different English verb tenses: Sect. 6.2 looks at the present; Sect. 6.3 the past; Sect. 6.4 the future; and Sect. 6.5 the perfect.

Compound Sentences and Introduction to Complex Sentences: Adverbial Clauses

In Chap. 8, we reviewed the constituents of basic sentences and examined some common variations of the basic sentence. In the next three chapters, we will examine expanded sentences. In this chapter, we will start by considering compound clauses and then begin our investigation into complex sentences, focusing on adverbial clauses. In Chaps. 10 and 11, we will investigate two other types of complex sentences, relative clauses and noun clauses. There are three parts to this chapter. Section 9.1 considers compound sentences, coordinators, and transition words. Section 9.2 delves into the various types of adverbial clauses. Section 9.3 examines reduced adverbial clauses.