Tara W. Fortune

Preparing preservice teachers for english language learners: A content-based approach

Contents: S.J. Hudelson, Foreword. Preface. Part I: The Knowledge Base of Second Language Teacher Education. D.J. Tedick, Introduction. E. Tarone, D. Allwright, Second Language Teacher Learning and Student Second Language Learning: Shaping the Knowledge Base. D. Freeman, K.E. Johnson, Response to Tarone and Allwright. A. Scarino, Introspection and Retrospection as Windows on Teacher Knowledge, Values, and Ethical Dispositions. B. Johnston, F. Pawan, R. Mahan-Taylor, The Professional Development of Working ESL/EFL Teachers: A Pilot Study. D. Freeman, K.E. Johnson, Toward Linking Teacher Knowledge and Student Learning. Part II: Contexts of Second Language Teacher Education. D.J. Tedick, Introduction. E. Shohamy, The Power of Tests Over Teachers: The Power of Teachers Over Tests. S. Hiramatsu, Contexts and Policy Reform: A Case Study of EFL Teaching in High School in Japan. H. Byrnes, Toward a Comprehensive Conceptualization of Teaching Assistant Education: Contents, Commitments, Structures. L. Poynor, A Conscious and Deliberate Intervention: The Influence of Language Teacher Education. Part III: Collaborations in Second Language Teacher Education. D.J. Tedick, Introduction. J. Edge, Build It and They Will Come: Realising Values in ESOL Teacher Education. L.C.Smith, The Impact of Action Research on Teacher Collaboration and Professional Growth. S. Cormany, C. Maynor, J. Kalnin, Developing Self, Developing Curriculum, and Developing Theory: Researchers in Residence at Patrick Henry Professional Practice School. N.E. Dubetz, Improving ESL Instruction in a Bilingual Program Through Collaborative, Inquiry-Based Professional Development. Part IV: Second Language Teacher Education in Practice. D.J. Tedick, Introduction. M.A. Snow, Key Themes in TESOL MA Teacher Education. N. Cloud, The Dialogic Process of Capturing and Building Teacher Practical Knowledge in Dual Language Programs. T. Erben, Teacher Education Through Immersion and Immersion Teacher Education: An Australian Case. M. Bigelow, D.J. Tedick, Combining Foreign and Second Language Teacher Education: Rewards and Challenges. C.L. Walker, S. Ranney, T.W. Fortune, Preparing Preservice Teachers for English Language Learners: A Content-Based Approach.

Assessing and Exploring the Oral Proficiency of Young Mandarin Immersion Learners

ABSTRACT This article presents original empirical research carried out in the early total Mandarin language immersion context. The study involves K–5 learners from three early total Mandarin immersion programs whose home language is English. We examined students’ second language (L2) oral proficiency in Mandarin in two ways: (a) a statistical comparative analysis of cross-sectional assessment data for kindergarten, Grade 2, and Grade 5 students and (b) a detailed linguistic complexity analysis comparing immersion students’ speech samples (one per grade level) produced during the assessment interview. Results indicate significant differences in median scores between kindergarten and Grade 2 in all domains; however, no median score differences were found between Grades 2 and 5. An exploratory complexity analysis of three speech samples revealed increasingly higher levels of grammatical complexity across grades. Measures of lexical complexity for the Grade 5 sample, while higher than those in kindergarten, were lower than those of Grade 2. Study findings question the efficacy of existing proficiency assessments at capturing the multidimensionality of oral proficiency in the intermediate and pre-advanced range. They also highlight the important role finely grained complexity measures can play in informing curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices.

The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics

This article looks in two directions with respect to the use of corpora within forensic linguistics: Keywords: discourse analysis; language and social interaction; sociolinguistics; corpus; forensic linguistics

Bilingual/immersion teacher education

This article looks in two directions with respect to the use of corpora within forensic linguistics: Keywords: discourse analysis; language and social interaction; sociolinguistics; corpus; forensic linguistics