The Kaleidoscope of Adult Second Language Learning: Learner, Teacher and Researcher Perspectives
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02 Kaleidoscope Cover 7/10/08 10:42 AM Page 1 Learner, teacher and researcher perspectives teacher and researcher Learner, The Kaleidoscope of adult second language learning: The kaleidoscope of adult second language learning: Learner, teacher and researcher perspectives Often we tend to think of the language classroom as an environment with a distinctive purpose. In reality, it is a microcosm of the society we live in, with Gillian Wigglesworth individuals possessing varying degrees of abilities, enthusiasm and assertiveness. Editor This volume of papers explores some of the factors impacting on learners in a language-learning situation through the voices of the learners, teachers and researchers involved in the research project. The project examined the learners’ perceptions, their participation and roles in the classroom. It also looked at how the learners’ backgrounds, their previous educational experiences and family situations affected their learning. In addition, the teachers expressed their perceptions of the learners, their approaches to teaching them, and their ideas and views of the learning process. A further perspective emerged from the researchers who interviewed the learners and the teachers, Wigglesworth Gillian observed the classes and analysed the data. All of the data is brought together in this volume as a kaleidoscope of factors that have impacted on the learners and the ultimate success of their learning. The kaleidoscope of adult second language learning: Learner, teacher and researcher perspectives will be ISBN 1-86408-856-7 of interest to TESOL practitioners and postgraduate students. It is part of the Research Collection Series Editor which contains major research reports on studies of interest to the AMEP and the TESOL field. NCELTR 9 781864 088564 Research Collection 2 The kaleidoscope of adult second language learning: Learner, teacher and researcher perspectives Gillian Wigglesworth Editor Research Collection 2 Contents Figures v Published by the National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research Tables v Macquarie University, Sydney NSW 2109 for the AMEP Research Centre Appendices vi The kaleidoscope of adult second language learning: learner, Notes vii teacher and researcher perspectives. Bibliography. ISBN 1 86408 856 7. 1. English language – Study and teaching – Foreign speakers. 2. Language and languages – Section 1: Influences on learning 1 Study and teaching – Foreign speakers. I. Wigglesworth, Gillian. II. National Centre for Chapter 1: Revolving the kaleidoscope: The role of cultural, English Language Teaching and Research (Australia). III. Title. (Series : Research collection (Macquarie University. National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research); 2). social, educational and individual factors in 428.2407 language learning 3 Gillian Wigglesworth Chapter 2: Changing clients in the AMEP at the turn of the 21st century 19 Denise E Murray © Macquarie University 2003 Chapter 3: Oracy is more than the absence of literacy: The AMEP Research Centre is a consortium of the National Centre for English Language Changing learner groups in ESL classrooms Teaching and Research (NCELTR) at Macquarie University in Sydney, and the National in highly literate societies 29 Institute for Education at La Trobe University in Melbourne. The Research Centre was established in January 2000 and is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Immigration Howard Nicholas and Alan Williams and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. Chapter 4: The influence of prior learning 53 Copyright Lynda Yates This book is sold subject to the conditions that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Section 2: Perceptions of learning and teaching 79 All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, Chapter 5: The pieces of the pattern: Learner backgrounds recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. and profiles 81 Project Manager: Louise Melov Alan Williams and Lynda Yates Production Supervisor: Kris Clarke Design and DTP: Helen Lavery Chapter 6: Language learning strategies 107 Cover design: Helen Lavery Helen Lunt Printed by: dbooks, Australia iii Chapter 7: Second language development: Extending, List of figures, tables and appendices elaborating and refining English speech 135 Howard Nicholas and Gillian Wigglesworth Figures Chapter 8: Turning the kaleidoscope: Perceptions of Figure 1 The data collection process 10 learning and teaching in the AMEP 183 Figure 2 Sample work sheet 281 Lynda Yates and Alan Williams Chapter 9: Bilingual initiatives in the ESL classroom 221 Tables Gillian Wigglesworth Table 1 Summary of learner participants 12 Table 2 Summary of interview data 13 Section 3: Classroom case studies 249 Table 3 Coding categories for interview data 14 Table 4 Coding categories for language elicitation data 14 Chapter 10: Problem or opportunity? Providing for Table 5 Offshore resettlement program, grants by region, preliterate learners in the AMEP 251 1998–99 to 2001–02 21 Margaret Gunn Table 6 Percentage of clients in the AMEP 1999–2003 by country of origin 22 Chapter 11: Special focus writing class for Horn of Africa Table 7 Percentage of elderly Chinese clients in the AMEP 1999–2003 22 and other AMEP students with similar Table 8 State with the highest percentage of clients in the AMEP Term 2, writing needs 273 2003 by country of origin 23 Karen Slikas Barber Table 9 Arrivals in skilled migration stream 2001–02 by region 23 Table 10 Percentage of AMEP skill stream clients 1999–2003 by country of origin 24 Section 4: Final reflections 289 Table 11 AMEP clients 2001–02 by migration category 25 Chapter 12: Reflections on the patterns from Table 12 Offshore Humanitarian Program – Regional breakdown for 2001–02 the kaleidoscope 291 (actual grants) and 2002–03 (notional allocations) 25 Gillian Wigglesworth and Howard Nicholas Table 13 Interrelationships between cultural and cohesive contrasts: Notes on contributors 299 Arabic and English 47 Table 14 Summary of learner backgrounds 82 Table 15 Percentage of extended clauses used by Horn of Africa learners 159 Table 16 Degree of refinement for learners from Horn of Africa 161 Table 17 Extension versus refinement 162 Table 18 Percentage of extended clauses used by Iraqi learners 163 Table 19 Degree of refinement for learners from Iraq 164 iv v List of figures, tables and appendices Notes Transcription conventions Table 20 Extension versus refinement for Iraqi learners 164 The following conventions are used in transcriptions of interviews with learners Table 21 Percentage of extended clauses used by Chinese learners 166 and teachers: Table 22 Degree of refinement for learners from China 166 Italic print: The interviewer’s words Table 23 Extension versus refinement for Chinese learners 167 Roman print: 1 The Teacher’s words Table 24 Number of languages spoken/written by project participants 261 2 An interpreter glossing the learner’s L1 reply or Table 25 Extent of previous literacy and primary schooling: Horn of Africa 262 comment in English, or explaining what the learner has said Table 26 Age at which project participants attended school 262 Bold print: The learner speaking in English … A pause by the speaker Appendices […] A short or lengthy section of the transcript has been Appendix 1 Classification and definition of learning strategies 130 omitted Appendix 2 Horn of Africa learners’ use of extended clauses 171 [ ] The word provided is what was probably said, but it is Appendix 3 Multi-constituent clauses as a measure of refinement not clearly audible on the tape for Horn of Africa learners 173 XXXX A word or phrase is unintelligible Appendix 4 Iraqi learners’ use of extended clauses 175 { } Contextual notes Appendix 5 Multi-constituent clauses as a measure of refinement Note: Potentially identifying information (for example, first language, names of for Iraqi learners 176 suburbs) has been removed from the transcripts. Appendix 6 Chinese learners’ use of extended clauses 178 Appendix 7 Multi-constituent clauses as a measure of refinement Example numbering for Chinese learners 179 All examples are numbered, with the pseudonym of the interviewee, and the Appendix 8 Examples of model texts 287 week number. Week numbers refer to the week in which the interview took place, as follows: Term 4, 2001 Week 1 Term 2, 2002 Week 20 Week 4 Week 23 Week 8 Week 27 Term 1, 2002 Week 12 Term 3, 2002 Week 32 Week 16 Week 35 vi vii Section 1: Influences on learning Chapter 1: Rotating the kaleidoscope: The role of cultural, social, educational and individual factors in language learning Gillian Wigglesworth For migrants1 arriving in a new country, whether they have come as a result of economic imperatives, as a lifestyle choice, because they are refugees fleeing persecution, or because they are coming to be reunited with relatives, there are many challenges to face. For those who come from a different language back- ground, one of the most important of these challenges for achieving their educational, professional and settlement aims is likely to be that of learning the language of the host community. Yet, for every learner, the challenge of learning