Dissertations for English Language Teaching (ELT)

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Browsing Dissertations for English Language Teaching (ELT) by Subject "Dubai"

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    An Analysis of factors affecting reading comprehension performance of Arabic ESL students using the Suffolk Reading Scale
    (The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2009-09) Morris, Anne
    The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Suffolk Reading Scale, a standardised multiple-choice paper and pencil test of reading comprehension, as a reliable method of assessing the reading ability of a group of ESL Arabic children aged between 9-10 years who were pupils at an international school in Dubai. The results indicated that the ESL Arabic children scored significantly lower than the comparison groups of non-Arabic ESL children and children with English L1 of the same age and studying in the same class. The study discusses the possible reasons for the difficulties experienced by the Arabic ESL children in decoding English text and attempts to conduct an error analysis by searching for any patterns of error that could be accounted for by interference from the Arabic L1 and other problems experienced by Arabic readers in decoding English text including problems with word recognition and spelling patterns, lack of phonemic awareness and insufficient reading strategies.
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    Language and Cultural Attitudes of Indian Children living in Dubai
    (The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2007-12) Jacob, Elizabeth
    This study explores the cultural, language and identity attitudes of the Indian children living in Dubai. The study uses both the quantitative and qualitative research methods and is based on the previous research on language and identity. The research methods used are the questionnaires and single interviews. The children investigated in this study are from both India and Dubai. The variables used for the testing are the gender, income, medium of instruction and place of residence. The investigation shows that the children in Dubai prefer to follow the western culture especially when it comes to watching television and listening to music. They prefer to speak English with friends and in social gatherings but prefer to speak their mother tongue at home. The interviews point in the similar direction as well. The implication for such change in attitude is attributed to the multicultural society they live in.
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    A study of a grade 6 elementary ESL class in a private international school in Dubai to determine the main factors affecting their acquisition of the English language
    (The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2008-12) Mackay, Abigail
    Second language teachers are intrigued by the factors responsible for the second language acquisition of their students and for the different rates of acquisition within a class; an understanding of the interplay of the factors is essential for successful language teaching. This study endeavours to determine the factors affecting the different rates of SLA of a group of nine elementary grade 6 ESL students over an academic year. The researcher used a grounded theory approach whereby the research question, “What factors are affecting the different rates of second language acquisition of the subjects in the ESL and mainstream classroom?” was investigated. A multi-research tool method, triangulation, was used to ensure that the research question was examined from different perspectives. As the research proceeded, data was collected and analysed, indicating the perceived dominant factors affecting the students’ rate of language acquisition. The analysis of the data indicated that motivation, personality variables and IQ were considered to be dominant factors affecting the subjects’ language acquisition. Having identified these factors, the researcher proceeded to review the studies and theories written about them by researchers in the field. The review supported the validity of the huge role of motivation in the second language learning process and the view that an above average IQ is not necessary for successful second language acquisition but revealed that the role of personality is less conclusive.