Research Proposal - E3 Acquisition To L1 Learning - Test

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Paul Gallantry DTLLS ResearchPrcject ProPosal Topic for investigation fnt b"t y Threeheveloneinterfacein an FE context:wlry daesachievementand successdeeline whenstudentsmovefrcm Intermediate(43)groupsto {JpperIntermediate(LI) groups,snd how can this be'improved? The aim of this researchprojectis to investigatethe possiblereasonsbehindthe apparentand whenESOL studentsprogressfrom ESOL entry three recordeddeclinein achisvementand succ,e$s classesto ESOL level one at ThamesValley University,Reading.It $rill alsoinvestigatepossible reasonsasto why fewer studentstendto progressto level one andbeyond,referringto current theoriesconcerninglanguagelearningand acquisition.The investigatiorqwhile focusingon a specificcircumstance,will be setwithin the broadercontextof languagelearning.It will deploya suiteof methodsto collect datA andfrom this seekto understandthe currentsituation,why it occurs,andwhat actionsmay be takento improve the studentexperience,and achievementand successfigures of the ESOL cohort. The investigationwill begin from the currentsituationasit is understood: ^ [^*A o The studentcohort of over 300 full- andpart time studentsin ESOL largely comprises ofthe total cohortbeing learnersat the entrylevels@l,W,and E3),with lessthan25o/o Ir*')n ' studentsatLl otL2' #Fc*" rate.By contrastsuccess o recordsfor exampassesat entry3 indicateavery high success 6 ratesat level one iho* u markedlylower rate. .? A#*{. d* *drg,sb F level one"'n'*r progress at study to r Few ofthe entry threestudentsactuallychooseto r Sfudentswho move on from entry 3 to level onehavea lower prognosticationfor successat the higherlevel of study,whereasthosewho directly enterlevel onefrom placementtests havea greaterchanceofsuccess. . Studentswho achieveentry 3 in Reading,Writing and SpeakingandListening Skills for in TVU may progressto othercoursese.g.HND programmes | ,rP x.pl Life (SfL) examinations Reading,,.rrn thoughthey may not be preparedlinguistically or academicallyto copewith {ry .#FA" u,tJlr*tt the demandsof a coursedeliveredin the mediumofEnglish, meaningthat achievementand .f*,^uu't successis affectedin areasoutsideESOL. 'ff The researchwill first ascertainthe truth or otherwiseof thesestatements.In addition,it will seekto vl./ ^"ar.+innc. /) ^ J -^ -r questions: wer +Lo-o these thesequestions: answer ,/{i u^nnt tn or € e { ca,rlo

level? e Is levelonestudyofEnglishseenasinh6renilfifbre'difficult'thanadentry

o Doesthe style of learningrequiredat level oneplacestudentsfrom certaineducationaland culturalbackgroundsat a disadvantage? t4xn a"* o Do the subjectmatterandthemesexploredat level onediffer significantly froolent{ levels, and do thesethemesmilitate againstthe interestsofthe'average'learner? o Doesacquisitionslow or stopentirelyat Entry 3{o be followed.bya periodof formal. , S.1,"orfon&t f '13 e*r"tt:'$,'*caw;fi$*:il'r1;", atleroel features language learning of certain r Do themajority of studentsneedto progressbeyondEntry 3, or do they feel theyfi6edto progress? o How far do extrinsic andintrinsic motivationsaffectthe needfor studentsto progress,and LearningPlans(ILPs)? arethesemotivationsreflectedin the students'Individual o Would a restructuringof higher level provision alter the numberof studentswho areretained andimprove achievementand success?

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Paul Gallantry Methodology

r*&qgrg a rulo ?ue& * e% #",, primary research,ftfffLn.i*t of severalstrands.In the first instancgtherewill be an investigation 616;* | threeto level of dataheldby the university on examinatigns,achievementandprogressfrom Entry size one,both r*.nt unJhi*tori"ult, alongsidean analysisof historical andpresentdataon cohort andleveloneandtwo. in entrf levelclasses fi"*.rye,#, f * 'rhese *,-^-^ ,"lo,,rt'tf (tTi,," , , It is iniendedthat there shallbe a questionnaireandinterviewsofboth studentlW tt"fi-. inlo the insight and throw teachers, shall investigateattitudesand opinionsof learnersand -- *f8 ':k"e"'f ; r{lu" 'o choos? they study of course which if and to as decisions student behind motivatingiactors '-s^ real,l $rny follow, andwhetherthe students'individual backgroundshavea bearingon percelvecland ;-r*o*t to ascertainwhethertheir ILPg a selection,ofstudents'IIFs will beresearched Subsequently, success. flrn targetsmatchstuden#aims. 4ow *l*ad'* e -'ffi*l ! . ...r,t-^ t^--.^-)^ tornrardsb0.""),€' Fuiher researchwill be conductedin a moreinformal contextto gaugeteachers'attitudes being situation place the to in order one, level to level the issueof the transitionfrom E3 investigatedin the wider contextof English languageteachingandlearning. in Secondaryresearchwill look at the contextualissuesof languageteachingandlearning, role of palticularfocusing on secondlanguageacquisitionandlearningtheories,andthe changing in ESOL in the FurtherEducationcontJxt,*-d dro include a brief explanationof its setting educationfollowing the publicationof the Leitch Review.Further secondaryresearchwill investigateuny pt"iorrs work that haslooked into this samezubjector similar. -lt

Typesof data to be collgcted y' Relevantquantitativedatafrom achievementrecords,focusingon thosestudentswho progressfrom E3 toLl y' Quattt6ivedataresultsfrom questionnairesandinterviews Belevantethical issues heldby the Accessto privileged datais requiredin the form of the Achievementspreadsheet ILPs may require students' of department.rn aiaition, studentand staffinterviews andinvestigation this research' the trandtingof potentia[y sensitivedat4 althoughany suchdatais not the subjectof Ue shall For the p,rrpo*"*of this p-j.o, interviewsandany rilevant casestudies 1o2{id Td Achtevement only underfukenwith thi expresspermissionof the interviewees.Data takenfrom the tt'r^ # f"ytn-; Pfw shallalsoUeanonimiseA. spreadsheet List of references cooke, M & simpson,J (200s)ES0L: A Critical Guide. oxford: 0IJP Teachers Ellis, R (1997)SecondLanguageAcquisition Oxford: OUP (Oxford Handboohsfor Series) Leitch,.S(2006)The Leitch Reviewof Skills' London: HMSO Robson,C e164Real World Research,2"dEdition. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing for Schellekens,f pOOZ;The Oxford ESOL Handbook Oxford: OUP (Oxford Handbooks TeachersSeries)

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