Language instructors are grappling with the question of how to teach writing effectively in upper-level undergraduate world language classes. At that point, students still have to master aspects of grammar; they often work on general writing skills in their native language and hope to improve their skills to effectively bring forth arguments in…

Purpose: We examined the association between speech perception in noise (SPIN), language abilities, and working memory (WM) capacity in school-age children. Existing studies supporting the Ease of Language Understanding (ELU) model suggest that WM capacity plays a significant role in adverse listening situations. Method: Eighty-three children…

Purpose: The aims of this study were to examine phonological short-term memory in children born preterm (PT) and to explore relations between this neuropsychological process and later language skills. Method: Children born PT (n = 74) and full term (FT; n = 60) participated in a nonword repetition (NWR) task at 36 months old. Standardized measures…

A mixed-methods research design was employed to investigate the impact of use of learning centers to support language and academic skills of children aged 61-72 months. The sample of quantitative data of the study consisted of 70 children (35 in the experimental group and 35 in the control group). In the quantitative dimension of the study, data…

Communication and collaboration are essential components of 21st-century learning skills. In response, national standards have increased attention on these competencies through rigorous speaking and listening requirements. Mastery of these standards is contingent on academic oral language development. Oral language not only is the foundation for…

New students arriving from different countries present a challenge to school systems as language barriers prevent them from being placed in regular classes immediately. In Germany, these students are often enrolled in "international classes" before being placed with their fellow classmates. The project "Biology for Everyone"…

This paper details the results of a study of 25 students of refugee background (SoRB) from Syria, Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan at two technical universities of applied sciences in Berlin who were participating in preparatory courses to matriculate or were already engaging in their first semesters of study. The research shares what these refugee…

The goal of this study was to add to the existing literature by examining the effect of 1:1 iPad integration on the achievement of Canadian Grade 7 students. The school board we worked with provided an iPad to each Grade 7 student in the district to keep for the remainder of their time in the district. We examined the impact of the iPads on…

The aim of this study is to develop the English language skills self-efficacy belief scale for higher education students. For this purpose, the trial form has got 48 items. In the fall semester of the 2017-2018 academic year, the trial form was applied to a total of 305 university students. Explanatory factor analysis was conducted to prove the…

Purpose: This study compared the information content and information efficiency of spoken language in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) to a healthy comparator group. Method: Nineteen participants with PD and 19 healthy older adults completed the prospective, cross-sectional study. In the primary analysis, 2 language samples elicited by…

LaRocque, Kleiman, and Darling (2011) characterized parental involvement as the "missing link" in school achievement. For this reason, especially, middle grades teachers and teacher leaders want very much to reach out to newcomer Latino families--and they do. Although Google Translate™ has emerged as a go-to tool for many teachers and…

Oral language provides a foundation for reading comprehension. Story comprehension is a fundamental oral language skill; it covers making inferences, identifying main ideas, monitoring, perspective-taking, and applying working memory capacity. Complex reasoning and perspective-taking are key factors in deep reading comprehension. Preliterate…

Purpose: We examined receptive verb knowledge in 22- to 24-month-old toddlers with a dynamic video eye-tracking test. The primary goal of the study was to examine the utility of eye-gaze measures that are commonly used to study noun knowledge for studying verb knowledge. Method: Forty typically developing toddlers participated. They viewed 2…

Schools in the United States serve a linguistically diverse population of students. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that 9.1 percent of public school students in the United States were English learners (ELs) in 2014-2015. These are students who meet the federal definition of English learners, referred to in the Individuals with…

In the context of higher education foreign language courses are viewed as skills-oriented subjects that aim to enable students to communicate in a foreign language. The main four language skills to be developed are listening, speaking, reading and writing. Until recently, decisions about which of the linguistic skills should be emphasized in a…