Teacher competencies in supporting reading in English as a foreign language

Melanie Ellis

Abstract


Based on a small-scale survey and discussion with teacher-learners in a postgraduate teacher education program in Poland, this paper aims to investigate their understanding of ‘learning to read in L2 English’ and the current state of their competencies in teaching reading. Descriptors taken from the European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages, EPOSTL, are used are used as criteria to analyze the qualitative data. It is found that while there appears to be awareness and indication of application of some competencies, the participants seem confused as to how to support younger elementary L2 learners in developing basic reading skills and may lack understanding of theories to underpin their practice.


Keywords


teacher competencies; supporting reading; postgraduate teacher education

Full Text:

PDF

References


Advisory Committee on Teacher Education and Qualifications (ACTEQ) (2003). Towards a learning profession. The Teacher Competencies Framework and The Continuing Professional Development of Teachers. Hong Kong: ACTEQ.

Alptekin, C., & Ercetin, G. (2009). Assessing the relationship of working memory to L2 reading: Does the nature of comprehension process and reading span task make a difference? System, 37, 627-639. DOI:10.1016/j.system.2009.09.007.

Beglar, D., & Hunt, A. (2014). Pleasure reading and reading rate gains. Reading in a Foreign Language, 26, 29-48.

Briggs, J., & Walter, C. (2016). Read On! Extensive Reading and Young Second Language Learners’ Motivation and Attitudes. Oxford: University of Oxford Department of Education.

Cain, K., & Oakhill, J. (2012). Reading comprehension development from seven to fourteen years: Implications for assessment. In J. Sabatini, E. Albro, & T. O’Reilly (Eds.), Measuring up: Advances in how to assess reading abilities (pp. 59-76). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education.

Chodkiewicz, H. (2016). Investigating EFL learners’ situational and perceived interest in reading different types of texts. Roczniki Humanistyczne. LXIV(11). DOI:10.18290/rh.2016.64.11-1, 7-24.

Clay, M. (2005a). Literacy lessons designed for individuals. Part One. Why? When? And How? Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Clay, M. (2005b). Literacy lessons designed for individuals. Part Two. Teaching procedures. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Cummins, J. (1979). Linguistic Interdependence and the Educational Development of Bilingual Children. Review of Educational Research, 49(2), 222-251 doi:10.2307/1169960.

Dyszkiewicz, A., Grudniewska, M, Kulon, F., Kutyłowska, K., Paczuska, K., Rycielska, L., & Szpotowicz, M. (2013), Europejskie Badanie Kompetencji Językowych. Raport krajowy 2011. Warszawa: Instytut Badań Edukacyjnych.

Dyszkiewicz, A., Marczak, M., Paczuska, K., Pitura, J., & Kutyłowska, K. (2015). Efekty Nauczania Języka Angielskiego na III etapie edukacyjnym. Raport Końcowy. Badania Uczenia się i Nauczania Języków Obcych w Gimnazjum i Badania Umiejętności Mówienia. Warszawa: Instytut Badań Edukacyjnych.

Ehri, L. (2006). Alphabetics instruction helps students learn to read. In R. Joshi, & P. Aaron (Eds.), Handbook of orthography and literacy (pp. 649-677). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Ellis, M. (2018). Asynchronous online forum discussion as an aide in helping teacher-learners perceive themselves as EFL teachers. Konińskie Studia Językowe, 6(3), 277-298.

European Centre for Modern Languages (n.d.) European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages. Retrieved October 20, 2018, from https://epostl2.ecml.at/Portals/13/documents/EpostlPresentation.DownloadII.ppt.

Grabe, W. (2009) Reading in a second language. Moving from theory to practice. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

Grabe, W. (2014). Key Issues in L2 Reading Development. In CELC Symposium Bridging Research and Pedagogy (pp. 8-18). Singapore: National University of Singapore. Retrieved October 20, 2018, from http://www.nus.edu.sg/celc/research /symposiumproceedings.php.

Grabe, W., & Stoller, F. L. (2011) Teaching and researching reading (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Longman.

Harrington, M., & Sawyer, M. (1992). L2 working memory capacity and L2 reading. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

Koda, K. (2007). Reading and language learning: Crosslinguistic constraints on second language reading development. Language learning, 57, 1-44. DOI: 10.1111/0023-8333.101997010-i1.

Koda, K., & Miller, R. (2018) Cross-linguistic interactions in L2 word meaning inference in English as a foreign language. In H. K. Pae (Ed.), Writing systems, reading processes, and cross‐linguistic influences: Reflections from the Chinese, Japanese and Korean languages. (pp. 293-312). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Melby-Lervåg, M., & Lervåg, A. (2011). Cross-linguistic transfer of oral language, decoding, phonological awareness, and reading comprehension: A meta-analysis of the correlational evidence. Journal of Research in Reading, 34(1), 114-135. DOI:10.1111/j.1467-9817.2010.01477.x.

Mihaljevič Djigunovič, J. (2010). Starting age and L1 and L2 interaction. International Journal of Bilingualism, 14, 303-314. DOI: 10.1177/1367006910367847.

Ministerstwo Edukacji Narodowej (2017). Podstawa Programowa Kształcenia Ogólnego z komentarzem. Szkoła Podstawowa. Język Obcy Nowożytny. Warszawa: Ośrodek Rozwoju Edukacji.

National Reading Panel, (2000) Report of the national reading panel: teaching children to read: an evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction: reports of the subgroups. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, USA.

Newby, D., Allan, R., Fenner, A-B., Jones, B., Komorowska, H., & Soghikyan, K. (2007). EPOSTL European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages. Retrieved October 20, 2018, from http://www.ecml.at/epostl.

Nikolov, M., & Csapó, B. (2010). The relationship between reading skills in early English as a foreign language and Hungarian as a first language. International Journal of Bilingualism, 14, 315–329. DOI: 10.1177/1367006910367854.

Pearson, P. D. & Cervetti, G. (2014). The psychology and pedagogy of reading processes. In W. Reynolds, & G. Miller (Eds.), Educational Psychology, V. VII, of Handbook of Psychology (2nd ed.) (pp. 507-554), New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Pearson, P. D., & Cervetti, G. (2015). Fifty years of reading comprehension theory and practice. In P. D. Pearson, & E. Hilbert (Eds.), Research-Based Practices for Teaching Common Core Literacy (pp. 1-24), New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Pressley, M. (2006). Reading instruction that works: The case for balanced teaching (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Rayner, K., Pollatsek, A., Ashby, J., & Clifton, C. (2012). The Psychology of Reading (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Psychology Press.

Shin, J., Dronjic, V. & Park, B. (2019) The interplay between working memory and background knowledge in L2 reading comprehension. TESOL Quarterly, 53(2), 320-347.

Sparks, R., & Ganschow, L. (1991). Foreign language learning difficulties: Affective or native language aptitude differences? Modern Language Journal, 75, 3−16.

Sparks, R. L., Patton, J., Ganschow, L., Humbach, N., & Javorsky, J. (2008). Early First-Language Reading and Spelling Skills Predict Later Second-Language Reading and Spelling Skills. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100(1), 162-174.

Stahl, S., & Nagy, W. (2006). Teaching word meanings. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Taguchi, E., Gorsuch, G., Lems, K., & Rosszell, R. (2016) Scaffolding in L2 reading: How repetition and an auditory model help readers. Reading in a Foreign Language, 28, 101–117.

Taylor, A., Stevens, J., & Asher, J. W. (2006). The effects of explicit reading strategy training on L2 reading comprehension. In J. Norris, & L. Ortega (Eds.), Synthesizing research on language learning and teaching (pp. 213-244). Philadelphia, PA: John Benjamins.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17951/lsmll.2019.43.3.73-87
Date of publication: 2019-11-14 10:37:29
Date of submission: 2019-03-10 19:59:10


Statistics


Total abstract view - 935
Downloads (from 2020-06-17) - PDF - 467

Indicators



Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2019 Melanie Ellis

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