We describe the literacy issues facing young deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) learners in Taiwan who are learning both a logographic and an alphabetic script. We describe the contextual factors that surround their reading and writing processes such as island demographics, reading achievement levels, and background language learning variables…

Alternative approaches are discussed for use of e-rater[R] to score the TOEFL iBT[R] Writing test. These approaches involve alternate criteria. In the 1st approach, the predicted variable is the expected rater score of the examinee's 2 essays. In the 2nd approach, the predicted variable is the expected rater score of 2 essay responses by the…

Research has demonstrated that second language immersion is an effective means of facilitating primary school students' second language acquisition without undermining their competence in their first language. Despite the rapid growth of Chinese-English bilingual programmes in China, limited empirical research has been conducted thus far by which…

The effects of economic hardship and language isolation in children's neighborhood communities were examined to determine their influence on young children's developmental outcomes on measures of academic and social skills above and beyond child and family characteristics that included home language, disability, gender, and mother's education…

The ominous prediction is that New York City eighth-graders in the 2010 cohort will enter high school only slightly better prepared than the 2004 cohort to meet the Regents-diploma requirements. Their challenge will likely be compounded by higher Regents examination standards. Without widespread implementation of effective strategies to assist…

The ability to read is well-recognized as essential to being successful in school history. To be able to read history textbooks effectively, students can be made aware of some features typical of history discourse. Knowledge of how nominal groups are functional in history discourse can help students and teachers engage with the meanings presented…

Recruiting and preparing teachers of English language learners (ELLs) involves learning a complex educational subsystem. Many variables affect the education of ELLs, including changing demographics, policies at the federal and state levels, requirements for teachers, and program models. The goals of this brief are to set the policy and practice…

This study examines Linguistic Competence in English Language (LCE) as a general indicator of Communicative Competence. A test and a questionnaire were administered to 1838 undergraduate freshmen from five major institutes of higher education in Aguascalientes, Mexico. The results of the test are analysed in their association with main features of…

The role of gender, age, race/ethnicity, length of stay, social support, and proficiency in English in the variance in depression and anxiety among international students revealed that social support was a significant predictor of depression and anxiety among international students. Age significantly contributed to the variance in anxiety, and…

Iowa State University explored the reliability of the Educational Testing Service's Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) and an in-house tool as a good predictor of acceptable classroom performance by nonnative English-speaking teaching assistants and studied the relationship between the assistants' background characteristics and…

Describes a study of the cultural literacy of developmental, nondevelopmental, and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) college students and their high school preparation to determine whether high school was a significant factor in accumulation of cultural literacy. Offers suggestions for improving the cultural literacy of developmental students.…

This paper presents the research and methodology and analyses used for the "Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades" research. This appendix contains the following sections: (1) Overview; (2) Constructing the Survey Data File; (3) Constructing Composite Independent Variables (Subdomains); (4) Constructing Longitudinal Outcome Variables; (5)…

Although economic considerations are influential in one's success or failure at second language learning, sociolinguistic and psycholinguistic factors should not be overlooked. Suggests that a fuller understanding of language acquisition and language behavior might be gained by a combined analysis of economic data (human capital model), family…

An evaluation of a Des Moines program, in which the relationship of student background and program achievement was examined, is summarized. It was found that more instruction in English was beneficial in the first year of schooling, but had diminishing effects during the second and third years. Implications for similar programs are discussed. (MSE)

Examines various language learning background variables in relationship to rate of learning progress through an intensive English program. Findings reveal that entry proficiency variables were most effective when predicting high and low success category, but language learning background variables were most effective when predicting medium success.…