Proceedings of the CATESOL State Conference, 2007
Instructions: Click on either the author or on the article title to link to the complete article. All articles are in PDF format.
Authors of Articles
Articles and Abstracts
The Effectiveness of Chinese NNESTs in Teaching English Syntax
Chun-Hui Chou and Kevin Bartz
This paper evaluates the effect of Chinese non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs) on Chinese ESL students’ struggles with English syntax. The paper first classifies Chinese learners’ syntactic errors into 10 common types. It demonstrates how each type of error results from an internal attempt to translate a common Chinese construction into English. Using a corpus of Chinese-speaking English learners’ essays, it first measures the frequency of these errors to establish their relative ordering. By dividing errors into two types – those caused by Chinese-based L1 interference and those not – it finds that roughly half of Chinese-speaking learners’ errors result from L1 interference. In light of this, it concludes that Chinese-speaking NNESTs should play an important role in helping Chinese L1 students grasp English syntax.
Reflective Essays: A TESOL Student’s Guide to Effective Teaching
Joseph D. Di Lella
Coming soon!
Action Research in the ELL Classroom
Joseph D. Di Lella and Barry Johnson
Coming soon!
Manga as a Teaching Tool: Comic Books without Borders
Ikue Kunai and Clarissa C. S. Ryan
Informed by theories about the use of pleasure-reading to develop students’ overall English ability, this demonstration encouraged teachers to use manga (Japanese comics) in their classes. Manga and related comics from Korea, Taiwan, etc., are popular throughout the world for their emotionally-involving stories and high-quality art. Since these publications are aimed at a variety of demographic groups, including adults, many students in intensive English programs are already accustomed to reading manga in their native languages. English translations of manga are increasingly available and can be used in a variety of ways by teachers to increase student interest, particularly to help otherwise uninterested students read for pleasure in English. The use of manga in the classroom is particularly applicable to IEP teachers, but also to any instructor who may have many students from nations where manga is popular.
SLA: What It Offers ESL/EFL Teachers
Michael Lessard-Clouston
What does SLA offer the practicing ESL/EFL teacher? This paper answers this question, making five main points. By referencing current research and literature on SLA and noting how they are relevant to teachers, it points readers to issues that can help them better understand their students’ learning and their teaching.
Blessed Complexities, Cursed Confusions: Identity Conflicts of Multilingual Persons
Julie O’Herin
Our language shapes us, and multiple languages refract our identities, personalities, thinking and behavior. We explore perception of selfhood, effects of language shift and loss, and perspectives on the intercultural communication which defines us. Reflect, resonate and respond … especially meant for those who know, teach, and/or are multilingual persons!
Understanding English as It’s Really Spoken: A Powerful Listening Tool
Nina Weinstein
Learn what reduced forms are, what really causes them, and why not
knowing them puts English learners at a disadvantage when trying to
understand natural spoken English.