Abstract In this article, the writer examines how the under-utilization of mental health services by Hispanics has been a growing concern in research and clinical practice. The writer notes that language differences may be perhaps the most important stumbling block to the effective counseling and assessment of this population. The writer looks carefully at this issue and determines how much treatment is affected and whether there is anything that can to done to help Hispanics get better mental health treatment, even if they cannot speak English, or cannot speak it well. The writer points out that when clients and their therapists cannot communicate in the same language, they can often misunderstand each other, and this makes it very difficult to interact and provide what is needed by the therapeutic relationship. Further the writer highlights that since this is the case, mental health services are very under-utilized by the Hispanic population, and this issue must be addressed if this population is to be helped.
From the Paper "The interaction between therapists and their patients has long been a subject of study. Usually, these studies relate to Caucasian therapists and how their Caucasian clients respond to them. It seems as though there is the greater amount of Caucasian people in the therapy profession, and therefore the relationship between Caucasian therapists and Caucasian patients is easier to study. While it is true that there are many Caucasian therapists, there are also many therapists out there with a different ethnic background. Some are African-American, as well as Native American, Asian, Hispanic, and other nationalities. There are also many patients with a different ethnic background, and many of these individuals do not speak English, or do not speak it well enough to really communicate their thoughts and feelings in a therapeutic setting. While Hispanics are the main focus here, others will also be mentioned briefly, to shed some light on how large the actual problem is."
Abstract This paper aims to establish the presence of language learning anxiety among students and to identify the factors leading to the development of students' language learning anxiety. It then discusses the factors comprising language learning achievement. The paper compares language learning achievement between students of native and non-native ESL teachers and the level of language learning anxiety between students of native and non-native ESL teachers.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Statement of the Problem
Limitation of the Study
Definition of Terms
Review of Related Literature
Methodology
From the Paper "From McDonald's study, it was established that culture is vital in understanding the true dynamics of language learning, as well as the possible roots of anxiety. However, another important factor that must be delved into is the role that teacher type plays in motivating and changing feelings of anxiety among students of ESL. From Nero's (2005) study on the characteristics and skills of ESL teachers, it was discovered that differences in achievement, aptitude, and anxiety was not dependent on teacher type (native or nonnative), but actually on the techniques and skills that teachers utilize in their everyday teaching of ESL (203)."
Abstract In this article the writer discusses that unlike teaching a student how to diagram a cell in biology class or how to deconstruct a poem in English class, the aim of foreign language education is not simply to teach students how to learn, but to impart a functional skill. This is especially true in English as a Second Language (ESL) education, where the students are acquiring a language that may become their primary language in their education or in their workplace. The writer points out that it is critical that students acquire language vocabulary that is likely to be useful for them in their daily lives, and that the students are quickly immersed in the language in a way that replicates their exposure to the language in daily life. In this paper, the writer looks at the communicative language teaching (CLT) approach, which stresses the fact that students learn to communicate through the action of communicating without merely learning about communicating in that language.
From the Paper "Unlike a purely structuralist approach to teaching language that stresses learning foreign grammar structures in isolated and often unnatural ways, the technique of language content-based immersion exposes students to a new language in a holistic fashion. Even a successful structuralist method, such as the audiolingual method, in which the foreign language lessons are arranged on grammatical principles but in which the students are not responsible for any metalanguage tends to isolate grammatical principles from one another in a way that is not commensurate with how students are exposed to language in the lived environment outside of the classroom, and also tends to isolate acquiring vocabulary through intuition from correct grammatical usage. In contrast, communicative orientation in language teaching, with a student-focused perspective, is more evident in a content-based immersion approach. Such an approach encourages students use new expressions to impart their desired meaning in a way that enables them to truly communicate what they want to say in a given situation, rather than replicate the language patterns of a teacher by rote. A communication-focused approach also breaks down possible inhibitions about using the second language and making mistakes, as sometimes the English language is not even the main focus of the classroom, merely communicating something interesting about another subject."
Abstract This paper explains that, despite the ubiquity of human linguistic ability, pinning down exactly how language helps people and how people use it is not at all a straightforward task. The author points out that Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget and Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky examined how children acquire language and the relationship of thinking and language learning. The paper relates that the comparisons of bilingual and monolingual children, as well as comparisons of bilingual children of varying levels of development, indicate that bilingualism can lead to superior performance on a variety of intellectual skills.
From the Paper "It is clear that normal children acquire a language that reflects their particular linguistic environment. A child brought up in Japan acquires a version of Japanese. The same child brought up in Brazil acquires a version of Portuguese. So, these languages must in some sense reflect some of the same underlying innate principles. Languages are basically the same in structure, up to certain parameters, for example, whether the head of a phrase goes at the beginning of a phrase or at the end. Children do not have to learn the basic principles; they only need to set the parameters."
Abstract The paper relates that philosophy has been interpreted and analyzed in various ways by scholars and thinkers. Each of which established the basis of a new theory or developed the guidelines of old ones. The paper discusses the works of Richard Rorty, one of the most appreciated contemporary philosophers, and shows how in his 1989 "Contingency, Irony and Solidarity" he follows in the footsteps of Nietzsche's "Beyond Good and Evil." The paper explains Rorty's theory that philosophy should consist of a more personal experience which must be released from the strains of modern and classical dogmatism. The paper discusses how his beliefs stand against the idea of an absolute truth, that which is expressed through a common and strict language.
From the Paper "In regard to the own self, Rorty bases his modern society on the "liberal ironist", one that unwilling to accept the surrender to the will of the others, such as Nietzsche's "herd", decides to exercise its will and "reconcile themselves to a private-public split within their final vocabularies, to the fact that resolution of doubts about one's final vocabulary has nothing to do with attempts to save other people from pain and humiliation" (Rorty 120). Here, unlike Nietzsche, Rorty points to his expectations in the liberal society."
Abstract The paper examines studies that have been conducted in relation to second language acquisition. The paper explores the relevant factors of 'motivation' in learning the second language and what role or part motivation plays in the success of the student in acquiring the second language through looking at the theoretical framework of Zoltan Dornyei and others that have conducted studies relating to the motivational factor in L2 learning.
Outline:
Objective
Introduction
The Theoretical Framework Of Dornyei (2003)
Summary And Conclusion
Bibliography
From the Paper "Dornyei (1994) states further that: "L2 learning is more complex than simply mastering new information and knowledge, in addition to the environmental and cognitive factors normally associated with learning in current educational psychology; it involves various personality traits and social components. For this reason, an adequate L2 motivation construct is bound to be eclectic, bringing together factors from different psychological fields." (Dornyei, 1994) "
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses what link, if any, exists between student learning anxiety and native versus non-native teachers in the EFL / ESL classroom environment. The study identifies key issues surrounding this question in an attempt to identify what factors contribute to Taiwanese students' increases in language learning anxiety. Further, it investigates these issues with the intention of fleshing out valuable knowledge for future research and educational advancement. The writer concludes that this comparison of language learning anxiety between students of native and non-native ESL teachers in Taiwan intends to seek out what problems exist in the current system. The writer points out that by identifying and examining such problems, administrators can make educated decisions in the recruiting of foreign or native teachers to their ESL / EFL programs.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Statement of the Problem
Purpose of the Study
Research Questions
Definition of Terms
Limitations of the Study
Summary
References
From the Paper "Taiwan is experiencing an increase in English learners. As a result, a higher number of English language teachers are necessary. To meet this need, many foreign teachers specializing in ESL / EFL have flocked to Taiwan to teach classrooms full of English learners. For a variety of reasons, most of these English learners experience an Americanized version of English language training. Lou and Chism relay this Americanized English learning with the inability of young Taiwanese students to make associations between their own culture and experiences and English. This Americanized learning is in part due to the use of American written and published EFL textbooks. Yet, in classrooms where English is taught by a foreign ESL / EFL teacher, it is difficult to know whether the textbooks or the foreign teachers create difficulty in establishing successful language connections."
Abstract The paper discusses the attrition and retention of languages. In the paper, attrition refers to a gradual or marked loss of the understanding ,or the ability to converse and communicate, in a language. The paper examines language retention, which is the way that language is acquired and maintained. The paper further examines the way that this retention is affected by various linguistic, socio-linguistic and psychological factors.
From the Paper "Another theory that is encountered in the literature on second language learning is the Frequency of Use theory. The theory refers to the view that things learn best are most often retained. A study by de Bot, Gommans, and Rossing (1991) of Dutch learners in a French environment found that language attrition was related to the amount of contact that the Dutch learners had with other people who spoke their language in the French environment. "They discovered that the length of time away from the Netherlands would not cause attrition for this generation of immigrants if they had many regular first language contacts."
Abstract This study provides a comparison of language learning anxiety between language learners being instructed by both native and non-native English as a second language teachers in Taiwan today. This paper uses a critical and comprehensive review of the peer-reviewed and scholarly literature to develop the background and resources needed to answer the study's guiding research questions. The paper provides a summary of the research, important conclusions and salient recommendations in the concluding chapter.
Contents:
Introduction
Chapter 1:
Definition and Overview of Anxiety
Language Anxiety and ESL Instructors
Chapter Summary
Chapter 2: Methodology
Description of the Study Approach
Data-Gathering Method and Database of Study
Chapter 3: Data Analysis
Chapter 4: Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations
From the Paper "According to these authors, "Motivation, it now appears, is but one of many individual variables that influence the success of language learning. Anxious students can filter their language learning experience through such thick shielding that often immense amounts of comprehensible input result in limited intake. Risk-takers in terms of language learning progress more quickly and experience greater enjoyment than do their non-risk-taking peers" (emphasis added) (Leaver & Shekhtman, 2002, p. 15). In the classroom setting, a number of interpersonal and small-group issues can enhance or impair the efforts of any individual student in the "visible classroom" (the overt relationships) who reacts poorly to the "invisible classroom" (ubiquitous but covert group dynamics), to use the concept and terminology advanced for this purpose (e.g., the significance of small-group dynamics and rapport may be greater than many teachers realize) (Leaver & Shekhtman, 2002).
The vast majority of research on these variables has been conducted on groups of students with mixed backgrounds and at lower levels of proficiency. Based on their lengthy experience and empirical observations, our seventeen-year experience in extensive and intensive work with Superior-level students, learners at this level, especially those studying in courses and groups, tend to have a different set of anxieties, most of which are more closely tied to linguistic aspects of job performance than to the intellectual risk-taking required of language learning in general (Leaver & Shekhtman, 2002)."
Abstract In this article, the writer examines whether the use of the different DIBELS measures and the results are reliable in predicting the academic outcomes of a bilingual student. An evaluation of the different literature that concerns this study and other related issues are used to attain this objective. The writer maintains that the continuing research on the reliability and validity of the DIBELS measures clearly shows that it is a reliable source in predicting the academic outcomes of the students. The writer points out that the results obtained from the students are valid such that a comparison with other measures may be encouraged for more validation of results. The writer concludes that using the DIBELS in identifying the possible academic outcomes of English language learners is a helpful tool in assessing their English language proficiency.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Methodology
Results and Discussion
Conclusion and Recommendation
References and Works Cited
From the Paper "The increasing population growth among immigrants plays an important role in the demographic changes in the United States' school system. Given that the conditions regarding the students' English proficiency - which is a vital element in their academic performance - is not given proper attention, the country may not be able to produce competent students and human resources. This is the reason why the US educational system now works directly in its English language programs, which is a challenging task for them. In Los Angeles, there are already some eighty different languages spoken throughout the Los Angeles school system that addresses this issue.
In addition, in order to develop the US's human resources potential will mean keeping their educational opportunities open to minorities and to educationally disadvantaged students. The manner in which the US government addresses this issue will help shape their economic status and competitive position in the world. It will also affect the social and economic well being of every American in the United States. Emphasis on language training and the preparation of our youth for future jobs will be a critical task for the decade of the 90s."
Abstract The paper illustrates how, ever since its multiple origins in the mouths of many persons and on many national soils, the English language has been changing and evolving in a positive fashion. The paper contends that the changing nature of English vocabulary and grammar should be viewed in a positive fashion, rather than an incorrect use of the English language. The paper shows how the nature of human life is always changing and English must convey the increasingly complex nature of our technical world, as well as the rich ethnic and regional diversity of America today. The paper discusses how English unites business people all over the world although each country speaks a different type of English.
From the Paper ""Now, I do not know what white Americans would sound like if there had never been any black people in the United States, but they would not sound the way they sound," writes James Baldwin in his essay "If Black English isn't language, then tell me what is." (Baldwin, 1979) English is a language of multiple origins, an Indo-European language with Norman, French, Germanic, and Native American words and influences. It is spoken all over the world from the "damp little island" of England, where to "open your mouth in England means you "have confessed your parents, your youth, your school, your salary, your self-esteem, and, alas, your future," in Baldwin's words, to the streets of America where Blacks and other groups that supposedly do not speak standard English are really making a fundamental contribution to the creativity of an ever-changing language."
Abstract This paper examines several factors that determine success in the English-as-a-second-language classroom. The author argues that English is the necessary skill by which immigrants integrate into American society. Additionally, the author cites the linguistic paradox that exists in American society-- on the one hand, it encourages and honors diversity while on the other hand it encourages foreigners to learn English to the exclusion of their mother tongue. The paper concludes by stating language learning must be focused on the individual's learning style and needs whenever possible.
Outline:
Introduction
Definitions and Theories of Culture and Learning
The Significance of Sociocultural Theory
Bibliography
From the Paper "Since its inception, the United States have been a mix of many cultures. At the time of the first colonialists, the country was seen as a place of opportunity and prosperity for any who would make use of the vast resources offered. The immigration trend, despite all evidence to the effect that the opportunities offered are indeed not as vast as believed at first, continues to this day. This has created some difficulty in terms of culture and language, as immigrants attempted to integrate themselves into the United States and its workplace and schools while attempting to retain some of the culture that was their own since birth. In the L2 classroom then, it is vitally important to take into account matters of culture and the influence of this on learning."
Abstract The paper researches the correlation between primary language and academic results. The paper performs the research on groups of students, using interviews, as well as other methods. This study examines whether students perform better academically when involved in activities in the cultural setting of both the primary and the secondary language; and if the use of both languages on a consistent basis increases the academic performance of the students.
Outline:
Chapter I:
Objective
Hypothesis
Research Questions
Methodology
Importance of the Study
Organization of the Remaining Chapters
Chapter II:
Literature Review
Students Experience Loss Of L1 In The Learning Of L2
Overview Of Second Language Acquisition Theory - Five Stages Of Development
Chapter III:
Review Of Literature Reviewed In This Study
Chapter IV:
Findings
Recommendations
Bibliography
From the Paper "Hakuta, Ferman, and Diaz (1986) argued that the research on bilingualism that was conducted earlier had "failed to distinguish between the different levels of bilingualism." (Garcia-Vazquez, 1997) Current research has as its' focus the cognitive development of languages among all children." (Garcia-Vazquez, 1997) Recent research has found evidence for positive relation between bilingualism and reasoning abilities among children. Such reasoning abilities are inclusive of "nonverbal problem solving skills, divergent thinking skills, and field independence." (Cummings, 1976; as cited by Garcia-Vazquez, 1997) The research of Bialystock, 1986a and 1986b indicates that additive-bilingual children out-perform monolingual counterparts on tasks requiring high levels of cognitive control." (Garcia-Vazquez, 1997)"
Abstract The paper describes the setting of Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel "A Handmaid's Tale" where women are prevented from voting in elections and even from reading or writing. The paper shows how within Gilead itself, Atwood's fictional setting, both language and its repression are continually and deliberately used to maintain power over the women. Atwood's Gilead has its own new vocabulary, inflected with words, phrases and word-usages designed to reinforce the skewed attitudes and values of the established order. The paper's analysis illustrates how a loss of linguistic freedoms leads easily to the repression and loss of other freedoms as well.
From the Paper "In The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood describes the nightmarish potential of a complete reversal of all of the progress in women's rights made during the 1960's and 1970's women's rights movement. Within Atwood's fictional setting, Gilead, right-wing religious extremists seize power, and then based their new leadership on a "return to traditional values", e.g., male hegemony over women by men. Abortion is now illegal again; as is birth control."
"Women are prevented from voting in elections, and even from either reading or writing anymore. Women are instead, again, quite simply, now present for the subjugation by, and the pleasure of men."
Abstract There are a number of problems that a translator might come upon when translating wh- words from Bulgarian into English. This paper looks at "who" and "which" in particular. Why is there a problem? In English, "who" and "which" do not take grammatical markers for gender and number, while in Bulgarian they do . In English and Bulgarian, gender is grammaticalized differently. This particularity is sometimes considered a problem for certain translations from Bulgarian, and more specifically, when gender seems of importance to the Bulgarian text. This paper deals with the notions of grammatical and semantic gender only because the former exists in Bulgarian and the latter is used in English. This paper begins with some preliminary remarks, exposing the differences between Bulgarian and English when it comes to number and gender markings. Some translation examples are discussed in more detail in the section entitled "Examples". It must be pointed out that the paper investigates only one side of the problem, where Bulgarian is the source language and English is the target language. Back translation is not discussed here. The main focus is on how gender itself is produced and translated. Following paragraphs clarify what gender is in both languages and what problems translators might encounter if they choose to transfer a gendered reference from Bulgarian into English.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Preliminary Remarks on Gender and Number in English and Bulgarian
Who and Which in English
Who and Which in Bulgarian
Examples
Conclusions
Bibliography
From the Paper "In the extra-linguistic world, gender is a physiological phenomenon connected with the structure of some living beings. There are objects with no sex (inanimate) and others with sex (animate). The category of sex has two exponents (male and female). These facts can be reflected in language since gender markings in a given language are, on the first place, categories established through our contact with the natural differences between the sexes and between what we have called "the animate" and "the inanimate". Thus, the linguistic exponent of sex has the following grammatical and/or lexical correspondences in English:
1 M / he male (animate) boy, father, John, etc.
2 F / she female (animate) girl, mother, Mary, etc.
3 N / it O gender (inanimate/undetermined) cat, stone, table, baby (if sex unknown)"
