23.664, Diss: Applied Ling/Socioling: Garaverlas: 'Language Teaching in ...'

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LINGUIST List: Vol-23-664. Wed Feb 08 2012. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 23.664, Diss: Applied Ling/Socioling: Garaverlas: 'Language Teaching in ...'

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1)
Date: 07-Feb-2012
From: Konstantinos Garaverlas [kosgar21 at yahoo.gr]
Subject: Language Teaching in Compulsory Education: Communicative competence and written speech


-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:48:32
From: Konstantinos Garaverlas [kosgar21 at yahoo.gr]
Subject: Language Teaching in Compulsory Education: Communicative competence and written speech

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Institution: University of Ioannina 
Program: PhD Prorgam in Language Teaching 
Dissertation Status: Completed 
Degree Date: 2010 

Author: Konstantinos Garaverlas

Dissertation Title: Language Teaching in Compulsory Education: Communicative
competence and written speech 

Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics
                     Sociolinguistics


Dissertation Director(s):
Athanasios Gotovos
Vasso Tokatlidou
Leonidas Athanasiou

Dissertation Abstract:

This research investigates whether and to what extent progress on
communicative competence regarding reading comprehension is differentiated
in relation to factors as sex, place of residence, social position and use
of a language other than Greek at home. It took place in the scholar
seasons 2004/05 and 2005/06 and examined pupils of the 3rd grade of Greek
High school (this point signifies the end of the compulsory education in
Greece). In order to meet this objective I used a sample of 572 Greek High
school students. These students were divided into equal numbers of
participants residing in a Greek city of more than 1000000 residents
(Thessaloniki), a Greek city of about 100000 residents (Ioannina) and Greek
villages of 1 to 5000 residents. I designed a new assessment tool, a
language test, which the addressed questions raised by this research. This
test had to be completed by the pupils within two (2) school hours (two
sessions of forty-five (45) minutes) each and was subsequently collected by
the test administrator to ensure the validity of the research. The
participants retained their anonymity.

The results from the present study show that there is not a main effect of
the variable Use of a language other than Greek at home on student
communicative competence in reading comprehension. In contrast, it was
found that there are students who lag in performance because they live in
rural areas or because they come from a lower social class. In addition,
sex is related with the student's communicative competence in reading
comprehension. This means that language courses in Greek schools do not
seem to be organized in a way that allows all groups of students to develop
the same level of linguistic ability regarding reading competence. Based on
these results, we could argue that there are negative consequences for
students, who share these characteristics.  If we take into account that
the school's role is to help students in future social and professional
choices, something which is decisive for their lives, our results suggest
that there are not equal opportunities for all students in these areas.
   
On the whole, this dissertation supports that evidently the teaching of
language courses in Greek schools needs to be altered. The Greek Ministry
of Education must realize that students come from different backgrounds
and, therefore, they do not have the same needs. Should this happen,
changes in teaching materials and in the monitoring of the teaching
programs must follow. Since the language programs in Greece take into
account these parameters in their original design, the correct
implementation of them could be the answer to the problem. 





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