Here is our second issue of the MEXTESOL Journal for 2012. For your reading we have six articles (four refereed articles and two non-refereed articles) from different authors throughout the world from countries such as the Philippines, Japan, Mexico, the United States and Iran. I am sure you will enjoy them as much as the three editors have enjoyed working with these authors.
The first article, “Classroom Assessment Preferences of Japanese Language Teachers in the Philippines and English Language Teachers in Japan” is a comparative study of Japanese language teachers in the Philippines and English language teachers in Japan concerning the theme of classroom assessment preferences. This article is refereed and written by Richard Gonzales from the University of Santo Tomas Graduate School in Manila, Philippines and Jonathan Aliponga of Kansai University of International Studies in Hyogo, Japan.
From Mexico three authors (David Camps, Julio Villalobos and John Shea) have written the second article, “Understanding EFL Students’ Errors: An Insight towards Their interlanguage”. This article gives valuable insight as to how errors are seen in relationship to the students’ interlanguage.
The refereed article “Language Development in Latino Immigrant Children in the United States” by Sara Solórzano and Luciana C. de Oliveira from Purdue University explore the complex sociocultural and linguistic aspects of these children. A number of issues are addressed such as family relations and literacy of the home language in relation to the language development of these young learners and this article is of interest to educators on both sides.
Sima Khezrlou and Karim Sadeghi from Urmia University, Iran, have written the refereed article named “Self-regulated Vocabulary Strategy Use: Implications for CALL and Individual Variables”. This is a comparative study of vocabulary strategies in texts taking into consideration variables such as L1 and L2, level, gender and age.
The refereed article “Cooperative Learning in a Bilingual Middle School Classroom: The Challenges in the Classroom after Twelve Years of CL Implementation” by Jacobo Luna Cruz, Greensboro College, explores how cooperative learning has been incorporated in a private primary school in Veracruz and the reflections concerning its use.
Finally, Wanda I. Griffith and Hye-Yeon Lim (both from the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center) offer their expertise and advice on rubrics in the following non-refereed article, “Performance-Based Assessment: Rubrics, Web 2.0 Tools and Language Competencies”.
Please remember that the MEXTESOL Journal is open year round for submission of articles. We will also have our 39th International MEXTESOL Convention in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco during October 18-21, 2012. This year’s theme is Leading the Way to Excellence in ELT. We hope to see you there.
Student assessment provides teachers with information that is important for decision-making in the classroom. Assessment information helps teachers to understand their students’ performance better as well as improve suitability and effectiveness of classroom instruction. The purpose of the study was to compare the classroom assessment preferences of Japanese language teachers in the Philippines (n=61) and English language teachers in Japan (n=55) on the purposes of assessment as measured by the Classroom Assessment Preferences Survey Questionnaire for Language Teachers (CAPSQ-LT). Results revealed that overall, language teachers from both countries most preferred assessment practices that are focused towards assessment as learning and least preferred assessment practices that refer to the communicative function of assessment (assessing to inform). Comparatively, Japanese language teachers in the Philippines preferred assessment for learning, that is, they assessed to improve learning process and effectiveness of instruction, while the English language teachers in Japan are more concerned with the assessment of learning and the communicative and administrative function of assessment. The two groups did not significantly differ in their preference for assessment of learning and assessment as learning.
The present article discusses a study on errors of EFL students and how they are understood by native speakers. Those errors indicate the interlanguage stage in which students are. There are three types of errors: 1) the native speaker does not understand what the student is saying; 2) the native speaker understands what the student is saying despite errors; 3) the native speaker understands something different from what the student is trying to say. This is perhaps the most serious semantic error since the native speaker does not realize that anything is wrong. Based on the findings, suggestions relevant to EFL teaching are made and conclusions are drawn.
Keywords: error analysis and correction, feedback, interlanguage
This article identifies what sociocultural and linguistic factors affect the English-language development of Latino immigrant students in US classrooms. It begins with an exploration of what sociocultural factors are related to the development of the home and additional languages in immigrant students in the United States. The paper analyses more specifically what sociocultural and linguistic factors impact the English language development of Latino immigrant students in American classrooms. Such analysis reveals that sociocultural factors such as socioeconomic status and the cultural experiences that Latino immigrant students bring to the classroom affect their English language development. Additionally the previous learning experiences and the various levels of literacy in the home language relate to the development of the second language as well. Having learned a linguistic system and grammar can positively be transferred and therefore used to facilitate the learning of English. Family values and attitudes toward learning and education have an effect on the development of English in Latino immigrant students. This article concludes reinstating that culture, community, family values, socioeconomic status, and native language play an important role in the development of English as a second or new language in Latino immigrant students in the American classroom.
Keywords: immigrants, Latino immigrants, language development, native language, second language acquisition
This study compared the students’ use of self-regulated vocabulary strategies (SRVS) in texts with L1 and L2 marginal glosses and those accompanied by technology-enhanced materials on the computer. The study also compared strategy use across L2 proficiency level, gender, and age. Experimental group 1 (n=80) was taught new vocabulary items in the form of printed textual definition coupled with still pictures. Experimental group 2 (n=52) was taught via marginal glosses in L1 and Experimental group 3 (n=47) was taught via marginal glosses in L2. All the participants were asked to fill out the self-regulating capacity in vocabulary learning scale (SRCvoc) developed by Tseng et al (2006). A think-aloud protocol was used with some of the students to identify if they actually needed or used the strategies. The results of a one way ANOVA showed significant differences (p<0.05); and the Tukey post-hoc test showed that there was a significant difference only between the texts with still pictures and those with L1 and L2 marginal glosses. Most probably this occurred because the verbal definition plus the visual is more helpful than just L2 or L1 due to two channels. There was no significant difference between L1 and L2 marginal glosses. Regression analyses indicated that vocabulary strategy use was influenced by individual variables.
This article is based on research carried out in a bilingual middle school located in Xalapa,Veracruz, Mexico. The article discusses challenges that teachers at this school have perceived since they have been using Cooperative Learning (CL) in the classroom since 1995. Furthermore, the article describes the suggestions that these participants have made for any readers who are interested in implementing CL methods in their classrooms. The data presented in this article was taken from the thesis Teacher’s Perceptions of the Use of Cooperative Learning in Bilingual Middle Education, presented in the Graduate Program of Greensboro College in 2010.
The problem of assessing student performance in foreign language classrooms is one of the biggest tasks facing educators. Assessments based on actual performance, clear measurement rubrics and the use of technology have all been shown to increase student motivation and performance. This paper examines ways in which performance-based assessments (PBAs) can help teachers assess actual student competencies in all language skills. The paper begins with a general discussion of how to create specific types of rubrics and presents sample rubrics designed to measure student competencies in various skills. Tasks are developed to measure two specific competencies required by SEP and ways in which free Web 2.0 tools can be used with these rubrics are discussed.
MEXTESOL Journal, vol 36, núm. 1, 2012, es una Publicación cuadrimestral editada por la Asociación Mexicana de Maestros de Inglés, MEXTESOL, A.C., Versalles 15, Int. 301, Col. Juárez, Delegación Cuauhtémoc, C.P. 06600 Mexico, D.F., Mexico, Tel. (55) 55 66 87 49, journal@mextesol.org.mx. Editor responsable: M. Martha Lengeling. Reserva de Derechos al uso Exclusivo No. 04-2015-092112295900-203, ISSN: 2395-9908, ambos otorgados por el Instituto Nacional de Derecho del Autor. Responsable de la última actualización de este número: Asociación Mexicana de Maestros de Inglés, MEXTESOL, A.C. JoAnn Miller, Versalles 15, Int. 301, Col. Juárez, Delegación Cuauhtémoc, C.P. 06600 Mexico, D.F., Mexico. Fecha de última modificación: 31/08/2015. Las opiniones expresadas por los autores no necesariamente reflejan la postura del editor de la publicación. Se autoriza la reproducción total o parcial de los textos aquí publicados siempre y cuando se cite la fuente completa y la dirección electrónica de la publicación.
