Even when they are given a large number of students, teachers know that they must make at least some attempt to individualize their lessons, or at least allow for different learning styles. For teachers of English as a second language, this is often even more pronounced. Students learning English as a second language often come from different backgrounds that make the task easier and harder. First, language acquisition is a skill much different than math, science, or other academic disciplines. Instead, learning a language requires not simply the rote memorization of words and grammar, but instead the ability to synthesize vocabulary, grammar, and meaning in order to achieve fluency. Students "need opportunities to grapple with concepts by discussing topics in meaningful and productive ways" (151). Thus, the English language classroom looks for "meaningful discourse," as well as contributions from students that make that meaning (151). While enhancing the quality…...

Late-exit programs differ from early-exit programs in the amount and duration that English is used for instruction as well as the length of time students are to participate in each program (Hawkins, 2001). Students remain in late-exit programs throughout elementary school and continue to receive 40% or more of their instruction in their first language, even when they have been reclassified as fluent-English-proficient (Hawkins, 2001). Two-way bilingual programs, also called developmental bilingual programs, group language minority students from a single language background in the same classroom with language majority. Ideally, there is a nearly 50/50 balance between language minority and language majority students (Hawkins, 2001). Instruction is provided in both English and the minority language. In some programs, the languages are used on alternating days. Native English speakers and speakers of another language have the opportunity to acquire proficiency in a second language while continuing to develop their native language…...

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Bibliography

E-Source Online. (2005). Backgrounder: Bilingual Education in California, 1998-2005. Retrieved March 4, 2005 from E-Source Online Web site: http://ww.edsource.org/pub_bi_edu.cfm

Hawkins, Sonya. (2001). Effect of Total Language Immersion as Opposed to ESL Pullout Programs at a Rural, Western Arkansas Middle School. EDFD 6993 Special Projects.

Rennie, Jeannie. (2004). ESL and Bilingual Program Models. Retrieved March 4, 2005 from HelpforSchools.Com Web site: http://www.helpforschool.com/ESLandBilingualProgramModels.shtml

San Jose Unified School District. (2001). School Desegregation. Retrieved March 4, 2005 from District Overview Web site: http://www.sjusd.k12.ca.us/District-Information/contact/deseg.html

The structural linguists' rejection of conventional usage rules depends on two main arguments. The first is academic and methodological. In this age of technology, Descriptivists contend, it's the Scientific Method -- clinically objective, value-neutral, based on direct observation and demonstrable hypothesis -- that should determine both the content of dictionaries and the standards of "correct" English. Because language is constantly evolving, such standards will always be fluid. Gore's now classic introduction to Webster's Third outlines this type of Descriptivism's five basic edicts:
1 -- Language changes constantly;

2 -- Change is normal;

3 -- Spoken language is the language;

4 -- Correctness rests upon usage;

5 -- All usage is relative.

These principles look prima facie OK -- commonsensical and couched in the bland simple s.-v.-o, prose of dispassionate Science -- but in fact they're vague and muddled and it takes about three seconds to think of reasonable replies to each one of them &…...

The long-term effects of such learning suggest that language skills and vocabulary are also retained longer when learned in a context other than pure ESL instruction (Song 2006).
Both quantitative and qualitative data will be collected and analyzed as a part of this research study. Questionnaires with both closed and open response sections will be developed independently for students and ESL instructors, and administered electronically to those involved both in ESL courses that utilize television drama and soap operas as a method of instruction and those that do not. Quantitative data will be obtained both from reports of course performance and retention provided by learning institutions (after privacy issues have been met, of course), and through the use of a standardized test for English learning such as the TOEFL administered immediately and sometime after completion of a course, as a measure of both overall success in the program and retention…...

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References

Cheng, L.; Rogers, T. & Hu, H. (2004). "ESL/EFL instructors' classroom assessment practices: purposes, methods, and procedures." Language testing 21(3), pp. 360-89.

Clovis, D. (1997). "Lights, television, action!" Educational leadership 55(3), pp. 38-41.

Fairclough, G. (2005). "Korea's makeover from dull to hip changes face of Asia." Wall street journal -- eastern edition 246(83), pp. A1-A8.

Feigenbaum, H. (2003). "Digital entertainment jumps the border." Scientific American 288(3), pp. 78-84.

Education
The English language learner (ELL) student population continues to grow at a higher rate than the student population does as a whole. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics the general population grew 9% from 1993 to 2003, while the ELL population increased 65% during that same time. The ELL student population is estimated to now include 10% of all students (English Language Learners, 2005).

ELL students face the challenging task of learning a new language while also learning subject-area content. Although there have been signs of progress, including higher reading and math scores for ELL students, it is felt that more improvement is needed. Current trends show that English language learners receive lower grades, are judged by their teachers to have lower academic abilities, and score below their classmates on standardized tests (English Language Learners, 2005).

When school systems are developing ELL programs, goals for the program should flow from…...

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References

Developing Programs for English Language Learners: Goals. (2005). Retrieved April 30, 2009,

from Office for Civil Rights Web site:

 http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/ell/goals.html 

English Language Learners. (2005). Retrieved April 30, 2009, from Focus on Effectiveness Web

Accounts with Netflix or access to streaming web content are also recommended to enable personal or home viewing of assigned films.
Syllabus

Week 1: The first week of class is spent providing materials to students in preparation for the first film presentation, including film background information, character and vocabulary lists, and content questions. Students will also go through a process of nominating and voting on which award-winning (Academy, Sundance, Cannes only) films to be viewed during weeks 3 through 12.

Weeks 2-12: Each class will begin by presenting selected scenes without sound and then analyzing them as a class. The scenes will be viewed again with the soundtrack and altered perceptions examined in class. A 45 minute segment of the film containing these scenes will then be viewed without interruption, during which students will be expected to write down the dialog and make notes concerning any questions they may have. This presentation…...

Technology Integration Theory
One of the challenges with respect to technology integration in the classroom lies with teacher pedagogical beliefs. Ertmer (2005). Teachers form their opinions about technology in the classroom based largely on their own experiences, the socio-cultural environment and the vicarious experiences of other teachers. The evidence shows that since 2000, technology use in classrooms has increased. Given the increasing number of teachers who were trained in high-technology environments, it is expected that this trend will continue going forward.

Hughes (2005) finds support for this, noting that teacher experience and knowledge can play a significant role in their adoption of technology in the classroom. The way a teacher interprets a technology's value is particularly important. To a point, there are real constraints here, such as how much time a teacher has to evaluate new technology, whether the school can afford it, what sort of hardware the school has and other…...

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References

Bauer, J. & Kenton, J. (2005). Toward technology integration in schools: Why it isn't happening.. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education. Vol. 13 (4) 519-546.

Chapelle C. (2003). English language learning and technology. John Benjamin's Publishing Company: Amsterdam.

Chinnery, G. (2006) Emerging technologies: Going to the MALL: Mobile assisted language learning. Language Learning & Technology. Vol. 10 (1) 9-16.

Ertment, P. (2005). Teacher pedagogical beliefs: The final frontier in our quest for technology integration? ERR&D Vol. 53 (4) 25-29

English Language Learners, Specifically Aboriginals
English language learners, i.e. those learning English as a second language, have many struggles they face (Casper & Theilheimer, 2009). That is especially true when they attempt to learn English in an Early Childhood Education (ECE) capacity (Learning, n.d.). These people have been chosen for this study because they are a population that is often underserved in Canada and throughout the rest of the world. If they learn English they can lose the ability to use their first language effectively, but if they do not learn English they can find that they are not able to communicate appropriately for education and employment (Learning, n.d.). English is the power language in Canada, and it is something that can and should be learned, especially at an early age (Learning, n.d.).

English language learners are the group that will be addressed here, but there is a subset of that group…...

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References

Casper, V., & Theilheimer, R. (2009). Introduction to early childhood education: Learning together. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Epstein, R. (2009). The languages we speak: Aboriginal learners and English as an additional language. Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth. The Government of Manitoba.

Kato, K., & Ozaki, N. (2002). Young children's representations of groups of objects: The relationship between abstraction and representation." Journal for Research and Mathematics Education, 33(1): 30 -- 45.

Learning and teaching a second language. (n.d.). Section IV implementing inclusive early childhood programs.

Ancient Origins of the English Language
English is one of the best known languages in the contemporary society, but in order for a person to have a complex understanding of the language, he or she needs to go back in time and learn about its early period. English is a est-Germanic language that came to develop as a consequence of Germanic invaders settling in areas around Britain. This means that there are a great deal of English words that are similar to words in German, Dutch, and languages in the Scandinavian Peninsula. The English language certainly has an impressive history and in order for a person to be able to comprehend its past properly, he or she would have to concentrate on tribes on the European continent that were responsible for perfecting it and for bringing it to Britain.

English started out as a Germanic dialect and came to be a…...

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Works cited:

Antonsen, Elmer, H. "Runes and Germanic Linguistics," (Walter de Gruyter, 2002)

Baugh, Albert C., and Cable, Thomas, "A history of the English language"

Lerer, Seth, "Inventing English: A Portable History of the Language," (Columbia University Press, 13 Aug 2013)

Tyson, Donald, "Llewellyn's Truth About Runes," ((Llewellyn Worldwide)

Semantic Feature in the English Language: Homonyms
The objective of this study is to examine homonyms in the English language and their specific features. Homonyms are words that are identical in sound but which can be differentiated in them meaning. Modern English is reported to be significantly rich in words and word forms that are homonymous. It has been reported, "Languages where short words abound have more homonyms than those where longer words are prevalent. Therefore it is sometimes suggested that abundance of homonyms in Modern English is to be accounted for by the monosyllabic structure of the commonly used English words." (Ibragimov, 2009, p.1) Words as well as other linguistic units may be homonymous. Ibragimov reports the argument that homographs represent a phenomenon that should be separated from homonymy in sound language linguistics however, this is not possible to accept since the educational and cultural written English effects result…...

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Bibliography

Brown, Susan Windisch (1999) Polysemyin the Mental Lexicon. University of Colorado. Retrieved from:  http://www.colorado.edu/ling/CRIL/Volume21_Issue1/paper_BROWN.pdf 

Cabinillas, Isabel de la Cruz (1999) The Confect of Homonyms: Does it Exist? C.I.F. XXV (1999) 1-7-116.

Ibraqimov, O.O. (2006) Abdukarimov Doniyor's qualification work on specialty 5220100, English philology on theme: "Homonyms in English and their specific features." MINISTRY OF HIGHER AND SECONDARY SPECIAL EDUCATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN GULISTAN STATE UNIVERSITY. The English and Literature department. Gulistan-2006.

Smirnitsky A.I. Homonyms in English M.1977 pp.57-59,89-90

Politics and the English Language" by George Orwell
George Orwell's discourse on the political and social significance of the modern English writing is the primary theme shown in his essay, "Politics and the English Language," written in 1945. In this discourse, Orwell discusses the faults of modern English language regarding the gradual spread of vagueness and "insincerity" in the meaning of prose text. Furthermore, Orwell analyzes how certain writers of the English language committed this fault, wherein the meaning the writers tries to elucidate is lost behind the numerous phrases that are vague in meaning and inappropriately chosen with relation to the thought that they want to express. A commitment of this fault creates an ineffective form of writing in prose form, lacking clarity and conciseness.

To solve these problems of vagueness and insincerity, Orwell proposes explanations wherein he relates the improper use of the modern English language in the political…...

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Bibliography

Lincoln, A. "The Gettysburg Address." Cyber-Nation International Web site. 4 June 2003 http://www.cyber-nation.com/gettysburg_address.html.

Orwell, G. "Politics and the English Language." 1945. Berkeley University: Socrates Web site. 4 June 2003 http://ist-socrates.berkeley.edu/~llandau/africa/orwell.html.

Politics and English Language
POLITICS AND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

George Orwell in his essay 'Politics and the English Language' discusses the flaws and degeneration of English language. He believes that since the language is clearly losing its focus and direction, it is rapidly becoming unclear and vague giving rise to literary pieces that make little or no sense at all. Many people share Orwell's observation and feel that for some odd reason, English language is bringing on its own decline by making some common mistakes repeatedly and persistently. It has been noticed that with frequent use of words and phrases that sound fancy enough but actually lack meaning, English writing is becoming unclear and unfocused. The author has cited some examples of how the so-called learned people make clear mistakes in English writing and the vocabulary they use simply is mind-boggling. eaders are left in a sate of confusion and they wonder…...

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References

Sanford Pinsker, Can writing be too clear?. Journal Title: The Midwest Quarterly. Volume: 39. Issue: 4. Publication Year: 1998.

The Old French language became the official language of business and court in the now Norman controlled England (Soon Magazine). Parents who wanted their children to amount to anything would have them schooled in this language, while English was reserved for the commoners.
In this case, one can understand the first pronounced case of language bias in the English language. Although many of today's descriptive grammar linguists would hold that neither language was superior to the other, the social climate of the culture certainly held that the use of French was more correct than the use of English, which must have been seen as a dialect like today's Appalachian dialect. The result of this language bias was an altered English, Middle English, which emerged around 1200, when the French and English kingdoms were again sovereign entities (Soon Magazine). Thus, language bias caused the English language to change, which is a…...

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Works Cited

History of the English Language" (Your Text).

Fromkin, Victoria, Rodman, Robert, and Hyams, Nina. An Introduction to Language.

Boston: Thomas Wadsowrth, 2007.

Soon Magazine. "History of the English Language." Soon Online Magazine. 25 April 2007. 22 January 2009. http://www.soon.org.uk/page18.htm

One instance is the terror attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001. Rosenthal, notes that while we never would have known it then, this event changed language. For example, security is one of the most affected elements of society and this bleeds into language as well. e do not think twice about having a photo I.D. And we would probably wonder why someone would not ask to see a photo I.D. rather than why they would. In addition, we do not consider it unusual for anyone to be suspicious of cybercrimes, the word would have baffled John Keats or Lord Byron, men who were considered masters of the English language.
Language is more than a tool used to communicate language, which is why it has proven to be beneficial for mankind to devise a universal language. Baugh notes that emotions play a large role in communication and work "against the…...

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Works Cited

Baugh, Croll. Thomas Cable. A History of the English Language.

Champneys, Charles. History of English.

Classen, Ernest. Outlines of the History of the English Language. New York: Macmillan Company. 1919.

Emerson, Oliver. A Brief History of the English Language. London: Macmillan Company. 1922.

Lesson Plan
Grade 5th

English/Language Arts

Parts of Speech

To enable students to label parts of speech in their own work and in the work of others, such as when reading passages and on standardized exams

Big idea: Students will be able to label nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, pronouns, interjections, and conjunctions.

Essential questions: How does understanding the parts of speech make us better readers and writers?

Hook: Ask students to free-associate words that come to mind. Then, once every student has volunteered a word, discuss as a class under what part of speech these words can be classified. This may be followed by 'clustering' or listing the words under different categories. Words that can be placed in multiple categories can be singled out for special discussion.

Motivation: Students will be motivated because they will be able to volunteer the words. Allow students to be as funny or as crazy as they want when suggesting words. If…...

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References

How to differentiate instruction. (2012). Teach-nology. Retrieved:

 http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/teaching/differentiate/ 

Parts of speech. (2012). K6edu. Retrieved:

 http://www.k6edu.com/5thgrade/language_arts/parts-of-speech.html

Shakespeare may be the most popular broad topic for essays in English classes.  He wrote some of the most well-known works in the English language and, while he is known for his plays, he is also known for poetry.  English essays may focus on his works, but it is also possible to write compelling essays about Shakespeare’s life, including the enduring popular topic of whether Shakespeare was the true author of the works credited to him. 

Here are some essay title suggestions:   

1. Bringing Home the Bacon: Questions About the Authorship of Shakespeare’s Plays
2. The Real Tragedy of....

Sherlock Holmes is probably the most famous fictional detective in the English language.  Known for his keen observational skills and ability to put together facts, Sherlock is still considered a genius detective.  In fact, the ultimate detective continues to inspire mystery fans, everywhere.  However, his creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle famously had a love-hate relationship with Holmes.  In fact, he believed Holmes was preventing him from pursuing other characters in his writing and even killed him (and his mortal enemy, Moriarty) in a story, only to bring Holmes back to meet readers’ demands.....

Sure! Here are some essay topics on various aspects of the English language:

1. The importance of learning English as a second language.
2. The evolution and history of the English language.
3. The impact of technology on the English language.
4. The influence of English in the global world.
5. The role of standardized testing in assessing English language proficiency.
6. The benefits and drawbacks of using English as a global lingua franca.
7. The representation and portrayal of English in literature and media.
8. The challenges and strategies for teaching English as a foreign language.
9. The differences between British English and American English.
10. The role of....

1. Analyzing the use of figurative language in WIDA language assessments
2. Exploring the role of syntax and sentence structure in WIDA writing prompts
3. Investigating the inclusion of literary devices in WIDA reading passages
4. Discussing the importance of vocabulary acquisition in WIDA language development
5. Examining the integration of cultural elements in WIDA language arts tasks
6. Evaluating the effectiveness of incorporating multimedia resources in WIDA language assessments
7. Comparing the language skills developed through WIDA assessments with traditional language arts instruction
8. Exploring the connection between WIDA language proficiency levels and academic achievement in language arts
9. Investigating the impact of language arts instruction on....