The Development of Speaking Skills using the Immersion Teaching Model: A Case Study of a 5th Grade Greek Primary Class in an EFL Context

Athina Nteli, Makrina Zafiri

Abstract


This paper investigates the development of students’ speaking skills, using the Immersion Teaching Model (ITM) as a form of process differentiation. It aims to explore whether the ITM intervention in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context will have an impact on the students’ speech development and motivation, and will furthermore investigate its feasibility as a teaching approach. A 5th Grade class of a Greek state Primary school was used and action research was implemented. The research findings revealed enhancement of the speaking skills for the students that have at least an initial level of language speaking competence, but no difference was detected for the students of no speaking competence, indicating the need for further differentiation. However, the ITM intervention was proven feasible to use in the EFL classroom and highly affective to student motivation. The implications of the present research for the EFL context have shown that the ITM is flexible enough to accommodate the diverse educational needs, and benefit meaningful speech production if appropriately applied.


Keywords


Differentiated Instruction, Language Immersion, Immersion Teaching Model, Speaking skills, Action Research

Full Text:

PDF

References


Aga, F. J. (2017). ‘ Motivating and/or de-motivating environments to do action research: the case of teachers of English as a foreign language in Ethiopian universities.’ Educational Action Research, 25/2: 203-222, at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09650792.2016.1168310, accessed 1 March 2017.

Alshenqeeti, H. (2014). ‘Interviewing as a Data Collection Method: A Critical Review.’ English Linguistic Research, 3/1: 39-45, at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hamza_Alshenqeeti/publication/269869369_Interviewing_as_a_Data_Collection_Method_A_Critical_Review/links/55d6ea6508aed6a199a4fd34/Interviewing-as-a-Data-Collection-Method-A-Critical-Review.pdf, accessed 1 March 2017.

Bailey, J.P. & Williams-Black, T. H. (2008). ‘Differentiated instruction: Three teachers’ perspectives’. College Reading Association Yearbook, 29:133-151, at https://aorakiehsas.wikispaces.com/file/view/teachers+perspectives.pdf, accessed 1 October 2016.

Barimani, S. (2013). ‘On the Versatility of the Competence Acquired through Immersion Program’. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 3/8: 1360-1368, at http://www.academypublication.com/issues/past/tpls/vol03/08/08.pdf, accessed 1 August 2016.

Boonkit, K. (2010). ‘Enhancing the development of speaking skills for non-native speakers of English’. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2/2: 1305-1309, at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042810002314, accessed 1 October 2016.

Bruner, J. S. (1966). Toward a Theory of Instruction. Cambridge: Mass, Belkapp Press.

Bruton, A. (2011). ‘Are the Differences Between CLIL and non-CLIL Groups in Andalusia Due to CLIL? A Reply to Lorenzo, Casal and Moore (2010)’. ResearchGate, 32/3: 236-241, at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274178890_Are_the_differences_between_CLIL_and_non-CLIL_groups_in_Andalusia_due_to_CLIL_A_reply_to_Lorenzo_Casal_and_Moore_2010, accessed 1 October 2016.

Borja, L.A., Soto, S. T. & Sanchez, T. X. (2015). ‘Differentiating Instruction for EFL Learners’. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 5/8: 30-36, at http://www.ijhssnet.com/journals/Vol_5_No_8_1_August_2015/5.pdf, accessed 1 October 2016.

Burns, A. (2010). Doing Action Research in English Language Teaching: A Guide for Practitioners. New York: Routledge.

Cameron, L. (2007). Teaching Languages to Young Learners (9th Ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Carr, W. & S. Kemmis. (1986). Becoming Critical: Education, Knowledge and Action Research. Lewes: Falmer Press.

Cohen, L., Manion, L. & Morrison, K. (2007). Research methods in education. London: Routledge.

Corpus, J. H., McClintic-Gilbert, M. & Hayenga, A. O. (2009). ‘Within-year changes in children's intrinsic and extrinsic motivational orientations: Contextual predictors and academic outcomes’. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, USA.

Council of Europe (2001). Common European framework of reference for languages: learning, teaching, assessment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, at http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Source/Framework_en.pdf, accessed 12 March 2016.

Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. (3rd Ed.). Thousand Okas, CA: Sage.

Cummins, J. (2009). ‘Bilingual and Immersion programs’. In M. H. Long & C. J. Doughty (Eds.), The handbook of language teaching. Singapore: Blackwell Publishing, 161-181.

Dekeyser, R. M. (2009). ‘Cognitive- Psychological processes in second language learning’. In M. H. Long & C. J. Doughty (Eds.), The handbook of language teaching. Singapore: Blackwell Publishing, 119-138.

Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics: quantitative, qualitative and mixed methodologies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Dörnyei, Z. & Taguchi, T. (2010). Questionnaires in second language research: construction, administration, and processing. New York: Routledge.

Ebbutt, D. (1985). Educational Action Research: Some General Concerns and SpecificQuibbles. London: The Falmer Press.

Edwards, R. & Holland, J. (2013). What is qualitative interviewing?. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Elliott, J. (1991). Action Research for Educational Change. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Haradasht, M. A. & Aidinlou, N. A. (2016). ‘A case study on EFL classroom discourse’. International Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies, 2: 1762-1770, at https://www.ijhcs.com/index.php/ijhcs/article/viewFile/1891/1787, accessed January 16, 2017.

Hashemi, M. R. & Babaii, E. (2013). ‘Mixed Methods Research: Toward New Research Designs in Applied Linguistics.’ The Modern Language Journal, 97/4: 828–852, at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2013.12049.x/abstract, accessed 1 March 2017.

Indriani, K. S. (2015). ‘The self-correction of English speech errors in second language learning.’ Lingual: Journal of Language and Culture, 4/1: 1-5, at http://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/languange/article/view/19269/12754, accessed 1 March 2017.

Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice. United States of America: Basic Books.

Gil, M. G., Garau, M. J. & Noguera, J. S. (2012). ‘ A case study exploring oral language choice between the target language and the L1s in mainstream CLIL and EFL secondary education’. ResearchGate, 7/1: 133-145, at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271263049_A_case_study_exploring_oral_language_choice_between_the_target_language_and_the_L1s_in_mainstream_CLIL_and_EFL_secondary_education, accessed 1 October 2016.

Heacox, D. (2012). Differentiating instruction in the regular classroom: How to reach and teach all learners. Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing Inc.

Heugh, K. & T. Skutnabb-Kangas, T. (2010). Multilingual education works: From the periphery to the center. New Delhi: Orient Blakswan.

Hopkins, D. (1993). A Teacher’s Guide to Classroom Research. (2nd Ed.) Buckingham: Open University Press.

Ho Lee, J. (2016). ‘Exploring non-native English-speaking teachers’ beliefs about the monolingual approach: differences between pre-service and in-service Korean teachers of English’. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development , 37/8: 759-773, at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01434632.2015.1133629?journalCode=rmmm20, accessed 1 October 2016.

Jeon, M. (2012). ‘English immersion and educational inequality in South Korea’. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 33/4: 395-408, at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01434632.2012.661438, accessed 1 October 2016.

Johnson, R. K. & Swain, M. (1997). Immersion education: International perspectives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Kemmis, S., & McTaggart, R. (2000). Participatory action research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed., pp. 567-607). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Krashen, S. D. (1982). Principles and practice in Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Pergamon Press.

Lee, H. Y. & Lee, K. (2011). Pre-service Teachers’ Perceptions of Teaching English in English. Studies in Foreign Language Education, 25/2: 25-53.

Lewin, K. (1946). ‘Action Research and Minority Problems.’ Journal of Social Issues, 34-47, at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-4560.1946.tb02295.x/full, accessed 15 January 2016.

Lewin, K. (1958). Group Decision and Social Change. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Lord, G. (2006). ‘Defining the indefinable: Study abroad and phonological memory abilities.’ In C. A. Klee & T. L. Face (Eds.), Selected proceedings of the 7th Conference on the Acquisition of Spanish and Portuguese as First and Second Languages. Somerville: Cascadilla, 40-46, at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gillian_Lord2/publication/239784119_Defining_the_Indefinable_Study_Abroad_and_Phonological_Memory_Abilities/links/00b7d53ac30c656d90000000.pdf, accessed 2 April 2017.

Lord, G. (2010). ‘The combined effects of immersion and instruction on second language pronunciation.’ Foreign Language Annals, 43/3:488-503, at https://people.clas.ufl.edu/glord/files/Lord-CombinedEffects-2010.pdf, accessed 3 November 2016.

Luan, Y. & Guo, X. (2011). ‘A Study on the Application of the Immersion Teaching Model to EFL Learners in Institutions of Higher Learning’. ERIC, 4/1: 152-161, at http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1080317.pdf, accessed 1 October 2016.

Mangubhai, F. (2006). ‘What can EFL Teachers Learn from Immersion Language Teaching?’, Asian EFL Journal, 7/4: 203-212, at http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.544.5629&rep=rep1&type=pdf, accessed 1 August 2016.

May, S. (2008). ‘Bilingual/immersion education: What the research tells us’. ResearchGate, 5: 1483-1498, at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226561353_BilingualImmersion_Education_What_the_Research_Tells_Us, accessed 1 October 2016.

Naci Kayaoglu, M. (2015). ‘Teacher researchers in action research in a heavily centralized education system’. Educational Action Research, 23/2: 140-161, at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09650792.2014.997260?journalCode=reac20, accessed 15 January 2017.

Nunan, D. (1992). Research methods in language learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Nunan, D. & Bailey, K. M. (2009). Exploring Second Language Classroom Research. Toronto: Cengage Learning.

Okpe, at http://www.okpe.gr/okpe/index.php, accessed 17 January 2017.

Oradee, T. (2012). ‘Developing speaking skills using three communicative activities (Discussion, Problem-Solving, and Role- Playing).’ International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, 2/6: 533-535.

Papaefthymiou-Lytra, S. (2014). ‘L2 lifelong learning/use and new media pedagogies’. Research Papers in Language Teaching and Learning, 5/1: 16-33 at http://rpltl.eap.gr/current-issue/table-of-contents/85-sophia-papaefthymiou-lytra, accessed 1 October 2016.

Peap, at http://rcel.enl.uoa.gr/peap/, accessed 17 January 2017.

Παιδαγωγικό Ινστιτούτο (2011). ‘Ενιαίο Πρόγραμμα Σπουδών των Ξένων Γλωσσών (ΕΠΣ-ΞΓ)’, at http://rcel.enl.uoa.gr/xenesglosses/sps.htm, accessed 29 March 2016.

Richards, J. C. (2012). Curriculum development in language teaching (15th Ed.). New York: Cambridge University Press.

Roskvist, A., Harvey, S., Corder, D. & Stacey, K. (2014). ‘“To improve language, you have to mix”: teachers' perceptions of language learning in an overseas immersion environment’. The Language Learning Journal, 42/3: 321-333.

Samuda, V. & Bygate, M. (2008) Tasks in Second Language Learning. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.

Snow, M. A. (1998). ‘Trends and issues in content-based instruction’. Annual review of applied linguistics, 18: 243-267, at https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/annual-review-of-applied-linguistics/article/div-classtitletrends-and-issues-in-content-based-instructiondiv/77CFC53BC282067795CEAAB516F20EE6, accessed 1 August 2016.

Spezzini, S. (2004). ‘English Immersion in Paraguay: Individual and Sociocultural Dimensions of Language Learning and Use.’ International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 7/5: 412-431.

Stenhouse, L. (1975). An Introduction to Curriculum Research and Development. London: Heinemann.

Swain, M. (1996). ‘Discovering successful second language teaching strategies and practices: From programme evaluation to classroom experimentation’. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 17/2-4: 89-104.

Tomlinson, C.A. (1999). The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of all Learners. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms (2nd Ed.). Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Tomlinson, C. A. (2005). ‘Grading and differentiation: Paradox or good practice?’ Theory into Practice, 44/3: 262-269, at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carol_Tomlinson2/publication/249901118_Grading_and_Differentiation_Paradox_or_Good_Practice/links/55e84be408ae3e1218422c9f/Grading-and-Differentiation-Paradox-or-Good-Practice.pdf, accessed 1 October 2016.

Tomlinson, C. A., Brighton, C., Hertberg, H. C. M., Moon, T. R., Brimijoin, K. & Reynolds, T. (2003). ‘Differentiating instruction in response to student readiness, interest, and learning profile in academically diverse classrooms: A review of literature’. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 27/2(3): 119-145, at http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ787917.pdf, accessed 1 October 2016.

Tomlinson, C. A. & Imbeau, M. B. (2010). Leading and managing a differentiated classroom. Alexandria: ASCD.

Tomlinson, C.A. & McTighe, J. (2006). Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design: Connecting Content and Kids. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Thousand, J. S., Villa, R. A. & Nevin, A. I. (2007). Differentiating instruction collaborative planning and teaching for universally designed learning. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.

Tran, T. T. T., Baldauf, R. B. & Moni, K. (2013). ‘Foreign Language Anxiety: Understanding Its Status and Insiders' Awareness and Attitudes.’ TESOL Q, 47/2: 216–243.

Uztosun, M. S., Skinner, N. & Cadorath, J. (2017). ‘An action

research study into the role of student negotiation in enhancing perceived student engagement during English speaking classes at university level in Turkey’. Educational Action Research, 1-21, at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09650792.2016.1270223?journalCode=reac20, accessed 1 March 2017.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Wannarka, R. & Ruhl, K. (2008). ‘Seating arrangements that promote positive academic and behavioural outcomes: a review of empirical research’. ResearchGate, 23/2: 89-93, at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230198454_Seating_arrangements_that_promote_positive_academic_and_behavioural_outcomes_A_review_of_empirical_research, accessed 15 January 2017.

Xu, H. (2010). ‘From EFL to ESL: The influence of context om learners’ motivational profiles’. Arizona working papers in SLA and teaching, 17: 123-142, at http://slat.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/page/6fromefltoesltheinfluenceofcontextonlearnersdegomotivationalprofiles.pdf, accessed 1 August 2016.

Zafiri, M. & Zouganeli, K. (2017). ‘Toward an Understanding of Content and Language Integrated Learning Assessment (CLILA) in Primary School Classes: A Case Study.’ RPLTL, 8/1: 88-109, at http://rpltl.eap.gr/images/2017/08-01-088-Zafiri-Zouganeli.pdf, accessed 1 May 2017.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.23954/osj.v2i4.1240

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Open Science Journal (OSJ) is multidisciplinary Open Access journal. We accept scientifically rigorous research, regardless of novelty. OSJ broad scope provides a platform to publish original research in all areas of sciences, including interdisciplinary and replication studies as well as negative results.