Research on ethnic Chinese students studying in a Western (New Zealand) learning environment exposed differences in communication and learning between their first culture and the host culture. Thirteen ethnic Chinese students in a New Zealand university business school participated in an 18-month ethnographic study. The findings indicate that…

The paper considers the consequences for research in classrooms of regarding "lessons" of all sorts as elaborate sequences of discourse, or "text", as part of a move towards a greater emphasis in research, teacher education and policy on education as cultural ("vis a vis" social or linguistic) practice. A quadruple…

Many studies have demonstrated that student motivation is an important factor in student learning. The recently proposed General Model of Instructional Communication, however, does not include motivation. Based on the assumption that student motivation may be an important factor in student learning, particularly long-term learning and retention,…

In this article, we examine the construction of word meaning by students during collaborative activities in a multicultural classroom at a Dutch primary school. The analysis is based on recordings of student talk in small groups of four or five students during mathematics lessons. Difficulties with specific terms and expressions frequently arose…

In this article, the authors present an approach to developing creativity through meaningful learning relationships that involve art, literature, dialogue, and experience. They present a model of creative teaching, Person-to-Person Learning, that includes a 3-stage process: (a) constructing the creative space, (b) engaging the learning theme, and…

A model of language and speciality-area content teaching and learning in Japan is built on a concern to develop dialogically engaged language communal communication (DELCC) in class to be extended outside in the wider society. This model is applicable to other university contexts insofar as the FAO language is conceptualised and practised for life…

This study examines the implications that state educational policies, such as high-stakes testing in English and Proposition 227, have on teaching and learning in primary language instruction for English learners in California. Utilizing cultural-historical activity theory of learning and development, this qualitative case study uncovers the…

The "Oh No! Syndrome" represents the reactions of U.S. undergraduates towards a foreign teaching assistant (TA) when s/he walks into a class on the first day of a term. Since 1982, the Oh No! Syndrome has been studied as a "foreign TA language problem." Researchers have argued recently that U.S. undergraduates play an equally…

By the year 2010, it is projected that in the United States no single ethnic group will hold the majority. Even though a variety of other languages will be represented, English will probably remain as the "common" communication tool between and among ethnic and racial groups. An investigation focused on the impact of language and…

This article describes how second language learners become more autonomous in the language learning process, how the cooperative learning strategy helps improve the learning outcome, and how second language learners apply learning strategies to learning tasks both in the classroom and outside of the classroom. Three activities were offered:…

Many instructors are planning to teach their writing classes in the networked computer classroom. Through the use of electronic mail, course listservs, and chat programs, the instructor is offered the opportunity to facilitate a more egalitarian classroom discourse that creates a strong sense of community, not only between students, but also…

A study examined the relationship between teachers' perceived eagerness to communicate within the classroom and students' perceived affective learning. Subjects were 88 students and 9 instructors at a proprietary business school in a large midwestern city. Teachers completed a 21-item self-report questionnaire assessing their communication…

A study investigated language alternation (LA) between the native language (L1) and second language (L2) in the lessons of four teachers of English as a Second Language in Hong Kong secondary schools. Qualitative analysis of classroom discourse revealed that LA is often used as an effective marker of boundaries in discourse and changes in frame.…

It is proposed that classroom collaboration has the potential to build a classroom learning community in which students turn to each other as resources and the teacher becomes one channel, among many, for learning. The demands that collaborative work places on students are examined, and the process of building a collaborative environment is…

The movement from a teacher-centered to a student-centered classroom environment requires that teachers utilize facilitation skills for effective collaborative learning. Collaboration is the process of shared creation in which two or more individuals with complementary skills interact to create a shared understanding that did not previously exist.…