Volume 8, Issues 1 & 2, Fall 2010
Editors: Hanh thi Nguyen & Catherine Sajna
Introduction
Hanh Nguyen & Catherine Sajna
Students’ Perceptions of An Online Discussion Forum
Lolita Celsi
ABSTRACT: Student attitudes toward the use of computer technology, such as an online discussion tool to extend classroom interaction, have been previously explored by research in Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL). This study examines data from a survey and from actual discussion postings by graduate students in a Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) course in a teacher-training program. The analysis demonstrates that the students‟ self-reported perceptions of their learning some-times concur with, but also vary from, the evidence shown in their own online discussion postings. The students‟ postings show, for example, that they were better critical thinkers than they believed themselves to be.
To ‘E’ Or Not To ‘E’: Electronic Portfolios in the Adult ESL Classroom
Victoria Grant
ABSTRACT:This literature review examines the advantages and obstacles of incorporating an e-portfolio as a means of alternative assessment in the adult and higher education ESL classroom. Some of the factors for the successful use of an e-portfolio include: adequate access to and training with technology, appropriate class size and course length, and realistic expectations for students, teachers and administrators regarding course level and goals. While e-portfolios are an excellent means alternative assessment, the above factors should be considered carefully before making the decision to use electronic than traditional paper-based portfolios. Several resources for research and practical application are also included.
“Your Son is in The Babysitter”: An Examination of Some Semantic Issues Faced by Swedish Learners of English
Jennifer Brook
ABSTRACT:Transfer errors by Swedish learners of English were examined with respect to their effect on semantic meaning. The historical and contemporary relationship between the Swedish and English languages makes many aspects of English, such as the use of the Latin alphabet and S-V-O syntactic structure, easier to acquire for native Swedish speakers; however, studies of Swedish learners of English have shown that use of the gerund in English as well as issues with modal verbs can cause semantic issues, which can impede the learner’s intended meaning. Additionally, “false friends” between Swedish and English such as gift, glass, and blank, can cause further interference and difficulties for the learner. Finally, teaching suggestions are also presented in order to assist Swedes learning English to avoid the negative interference of their first language in their second language use.
Comparison of Red in Chinese and English
Yanping Bai
ABSTRACT: This paper attempts to compare the different semantic meanings of red in Chinese and English with the purpose of illustrating on a very simple level the reason why Chinese and English speakers have difficulty understanding each other. The denotations of red in Chinese and English are listed in entries of Chinese, English, and bilingual dictionaries. Though the literal denotations are similar, the connotations of red in one language do not map exactly onto counterparts in the other language due to cultural and linguistic differences. In Chinese, red is regarded as a symbol of happiness and good luck, thereby occupying a substantial position in Chinese culture; while in English, it seems to have no similar meaning. Red has positive, negative, and warning connotations in both languages, but each language has distinctively different expressions to indicate the same meanings. This paper elaborates the equivalence and nonequivalence of red in both languages.
Effective Communicative Language Teaching in a Test-Preparation Class: Is It Possible? (Reflection paper)
Jihye Kim
Assessment in Project-Based Language Learning (Annotated bibliography)
Sachiko Sawamura
Review of “Assessment and ESL: An Alternative Approach” (Book review)
Amy C. Tarmey
