[xmca] FW: L1 vol 7, issue 2

From: Peter Smagorinsky <smago who-is-at uga.edu>
Date: Sun Jul 08 2007 - 08:29:47 PDT

 

New issue in L1-Educational Studies in Language and Literature
With abstracts in English, French, Portuguese, Polish, German and Dutch

Crossing Cultural Boundaries:

A Window into Diverse Issues and Contexts in L1 Education

 <http://l1.publication-archive.com/public?fn=lookup&repository=1&> vol 7,
issue 2,
L1-Educational Studies in Language and Literature

 

Authors: Terry Locke, Michelle Prodeau,

Contents

links to articles

 
<http://l1.publication-archive.com/public?fn=enter&repository=1&article=252>
Kooy, M. (2007). Editorial. Crossing cultural boundaries. A window into
diverse issues and contexts in L1-Education. L1 - Educational Studies in
Language and Literature, 7 (2), p. 1-3

 

 
<http://l1.publication-archive.com/public?fn=enter&repository=1&article=253>
Locke, T. (2007). Constructing English in New Zealand: A report on a decade
of reform. L1 - Educational Studies in Language and Literature, 7 (2), 5-33.

 

 
<http://l1.publication-archive.com/public?fn=enter&repository=1&article=254>
Prodeau, M., & L'Hermitte Matrand, M. (2007). Developing literacy at the
beginning of secondary school through mythical tales and acting. L1 -
Educational Studies in Language and Literature, 7 (2), p. 93-119.

 

 
<http://l1.publication-archive.com/public?fn=enter&repository=1&article=255>
Kennedy, E. (2007). The academic writing of teacher candidates: Connecting
speaking and writing. L1 - Educational Studies in Language and Literature, 7
(2), 141-172.

 

 
<http://l1.publication-archive.com/public?fn=enter&repository=1&article=256>
Shalom, T., & Nir-Sagiv, B. (2007). Integrating Technology Into
Mother-Tongue Education: Examples from Hebrew. L1 - Educational Studies in
Language and Literature, 7 (2), p. 121-140

 

 
<http://l1.publication-archive.com/public?fn=enter&repository=1&article=257>
Tse,S.K., Lam, J.W.I., Lam, R.Y.H., Loh, E.K.Y,. & Westwood, P. (2007).
Pedagogical corre-lates of readingcomprehension in English and Chinese. L1 -
Educational Studies in Language and Literature, 7 (2), p. 71-91

 

 
<http://l1.publication-archive.com/public?fn=enter&repository=1&article=258>
Marin, B., Legros, D., & Prodeau, M.(2007). Multicultural contexts and
comprehension of youth literary texts. L1 - Educational Studies in Language
and Literature, 7 (2), p. 53-69

 

 
<http://l1.publication-archive.com/public?fn=enter&repository=1&article=259>
Pehlivan, A. (2007). Turkish Cypriot literature course in emerging cultural
and educational policies. L1 - Educational Studies in Language and
Literature, 7 (2), p. 35-51

 

 

Taken from Mary Kooy's Editorial (links lead to articles)

Editorial

"Crossing Cultural Boundaries:

A Window into Diverse Issues and Contexts in L1 Education"

Mary Kooy

University of Toronto

This issue of L1 - Educational Studies in Language and Literature is the
largest single issue we have produced since our introduction in 2000.
Containing seven articles, it covers a range of L1 issues: reform movements,
the role of literature, culture and multiculturalism in L1, literacy,
technology, reading comprehension and the role of oral and written language
in L1 Teacher Education. Authors represent a similar diverse national scope:
New Zealand, North Cyprus, France, USA, Hong Kong and Israel. The issue
reflects the sentiments expressed in our IAIMTE Conference 2007 theme in
Exeter, UK: "Crossing Cultural Boundaries." It represents both the diversity
in the field and the simultaneous opportunity to speak to a wide range of
critical L1 issues between the covers of a single copy of the journal.

In creating an order of presentation, we chose to begin with Terry Locke's
<http://l1.publication-archive.com/public?fn=enter&repository=1&article=253>
Constructing English in New Zealand: A report on a decade of reform since it
represents the broader more global issues that both concern and drive much
of L1 education in many national contexts. The article sets the stage for
heightening awareness of what L1 education has become in New Zealand as the
consequence of their "reform" of L1 Education. Teaching has become an
order-taking, technicised profession more tuned to "managing" and
"accountability" than professional decision-making about active learning and
effective teaching. The downward spiral has left teachers dispirited with
many leaving the profession. Hence, the article describes what has become a
familiar and recurrent theme whose echoes reach and represent the case in
many national contexts. While not all national contexts find themselves in
such a devolving situation, and indeed, have the In necessary support from
national and local educational federations to be professionals in the field,
the article teaches a wariness and knowledge for interventions in the events
that political tides and policies that may one day run counter to what we
know about best practice and sound theories and in a sense, equip us for
such possibilities.

Two articles deal with the connections between literature and culture.
<http://l1.publication-archive.com/public?fn=enter&repository=1&article=259>
Turkish Cypriot literature course in emerging cultural and education
policies by Ahmet Pehlivan explores the relationship between the literature
children study in school and its link to creating their cultural and
national identity. As a result of joining the European Union and related
attempts to create a united Cyprus, new educational policies include courses
on "Turkish Cypriot Literature" in the schools. The study found that
virtually all students and teachers accept this new entry into the
curriculum and express their understanding of its value in contributing to a
meaningful national identity. This places literature in a critical space in
a culture seeking to create a united front, a shared body of texts that
include and represent all Turkish citizens. In an ironic twist, this study
also found that effective pedagogy, "best practice," remains an elusive
reality indicating the complexity and problematics of making the transition
from ideology and theory, to practice.

The second article,
<http://l1.publication-archive.com/public?fn=enter&repository=1&article=258>
Multicultural context and comprehension of youth literary texts by Marin,
Legros and Prodeau also approach the issue of language, culture and
identity. The inquiry into making the transition from exclusively
monolingual (French) literacy standards to one that includes one particular
group bilingual children (French and Kabyle) in schools in France who
traditionally face challenges in learning standardized French. To account
for becoming inclusive in increasingly diverse populations, the authors
suggest shifting from the established literacy standard of "belles letters"
to a more comprehensive, multicultural model that builds on tacit language
competencies.

The next pair of articles also address L1 and L2 language acquisition and
development. The first focuses on reading competencies by comparing the
relationship between test scores and pedagogical practices in both Chinese
and English; the second uses the genre of Greek myths as a mediating tool
between oracy and literacy in French schools. The Tse et al, study reported
in
<http://l1.publication-archive.com/public?fn=enter&repository=1&article=257>
Pedagogical correlates of reading comprehension in English and Chinese
examines the potential of identifying specific pedagogical strategies that
affect reading comprehension test scores in both Chinese and English. The
quantitative study, using a significantly large student elementary school
population (4, 329 boys and girls) and teacher groups (127 teachers of
Chinese; 129 teachers of English) as well as a large number of instructional
practices (42), found no correlation between specific strategies and test
results except where the strategies involved the use of resource materials
and assessment. As the authors suggest, the findings indicate a more robust
and accurate relationship between teaching practices and improved reading
comprehension by moving into direct observation of the strategies (rather
than limiting the use, quality and frequency of strategies to teacher
self-reporting). The knowledge gained in this area could potentially be
beneficial for reading teachers in other national contexts and L1 languages.

In
<http://l1.publication-archive.com/public?fn=enter&repository=1&article=254>
Developing literacy at the beginning of secondary school through mythical
tales and acting, Podreau, Matrand and Legros report on a study conduct
considering the effects of active and reflexive relationship between oral
and written language by engaging middle school students in collaboratively
creating plays for performance.

By participating actively with guided assistance, L1 and L2 students
developed their competence in French oral and written language. The study
also points to the use of creative drama and literacy as effective for
advancing language skills particularly in classrooms with diverse student
populations.

 
<http://l1.publication-archive.com/public?fn=enter&repository=1&article=256>
Integrating technology into mother-tongue education: Examples from Hebrew by
Shalom and Nir-Sagiv position L1 education in relationship to new
technologies for learning in schools. The paper discusses four options for
integrating technology into the learning and teaching experiences of
students in demonstrating two online courses as well as off-line
possibilities for applying technology within L1 classrooms. In all, the
emphasis is on the linguistic, rather than social, literary or cultural
dimensions of teaching L1, Hebrew. In this timely inquiry, the authors
establish a critical connection and environments where students actively
participate in making choices leading to meaningful learning experiences.
Teachers choose from a variety of tools that can be adapted and modified for
individual learners. In applying technology to language teaching and
learning, the authors explore and enrich the possibilities and create spaces
for further inquiries into academic achievement, attitudes to L1
language/learning and the development of their linguistic awareness.

Each article preceding this final one,
<http://l1.publication-archive.com/public?fn=enter&repository=1&article=255>
The academic writing of teacher candidates: Connecting speaking and writing
by Kennedy, seeks to inquire into aspects of L1 education requiring a
re-viewing of perspectives and practices that currently identify many
classrooms around the world. As it turns out, however, teachers hold the key
to any significant change in schools. Hence, understanding what teachers
know, how they develop their knowledge and what support structures (ongoing
professional development, for instance) need to be in place, becomes
critical to operationalizing new theories and studies that can improve
learning and teaching in schools. To that end, Eileen Kennedy begins with
pre-service teachers, preparing them to participate in speaking and writing
and simultaneously, begin to understand the effects that reach beyond the
university class into the future classrooms of these pre-service teacher
candidates. By modeling and analyzing the relationship between
student-centered, group interactions and their effects on formal essays, the
pre-service teachers in the experimental group demonstrated considerable
improvement in their scores. The outcomes suggest a rich set of research
questions that can follow this study particularly, from my perspective, for
what this implies for elementary and secondary writing experiences. Studies
could be done on the elementary and secondary levels to see if
classroom-based discourse creates a bridge to more developed,
classroom-friendly academic writing. In turn, this will mean a continuing
emphasis on incorporating the dialogic, interactive discourses in
pre-service and graduate teacher education classes to strengthen the writing
of teachers entering and already practicing in the schools.

If, as the articles in this issue suggest, that change and re-thinking L1
educational practices are necessary in a diverse range of contexts and
focused on a variety of elements (reading comprehension, literature,
technology, writing, teacher education, for instance), then this issue
provides a window into more diverse and rich landscapes for such
investigations.

 

 

 

Gert Rijlaarsdam

 

 

 

  _____

 <http://www.ilo.uva.nl/> Graduate School of Teaching and Learning (GSTL),
University of Amsterdam

Spinozastraat 55, 1018 HJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

T + 31 20 5251288

F + 31 20 5251290

E G.C.W.Rijlaarsdam@uva.nl;

W Company <http://www.ilo.uva.nl/> www.ilo.uva.nl.

W Personal <http://www.ilo.uva.nl/homepages/gert>
www.ilo.uva.nl/homepages/gert

W Interntational Association for the Improvement of Mother Tongue
Education IAIMTE <http://www.ilo.uva.nl/Projecten/Gert/iaimte/default.html>

W Research group <http://www.ilo.uva.nl/Projecten/Gert/taal/default.htm>
Language & Literature Education Research

W International Journal L1-Educational
<http://www.ilo.uva.nl/projecten/Gert/L1EducationResearch/index.htm> Studies
in Language and Literature

  _____

 
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Received on Sun Jul 8 07:31 PDT 2007

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