Strategy instruction for developing the writing skills of tertiary level limited English proficient students

Abstract

The aim of the study was to explore the learning strategies used by learners from mother-tongue medium schools in English as a second language classroom, at the tertiary level. The study was carried out in two phases. A preliminary study and the final study The study was carried out with the first year students of an engineering college, Valliammai Engineering College in Chennai. The main objective was to study whether students from mother-tongue medium schools use strategies to write in English and whether these strategies can be universalized. Chapter 1 traces the role of English at the school level and at the tertiary level in India. It discusses the different education commissions, their policies and implications for the teaching of English as a second language. Chapter 2 is a survey of the literature related to strategies. The available literatures pertaining to the present study have been discussed. The third Chapter serves as a background to the study. The chapter describes the problems related to the teaching and learning of English for the tertiary level English Language Learners (ELLs). The chapter discusses three main issues English as a Second Language (ESL), the teacher of English and the learner of English in relation to each other. Chapter 4 and 5 report on the study conducted. Chapter 4 reports on the preliminary study and Chapter 5 reports on the final study. In the preliminary study the strategies used by the students for improving the writing skills were identified. The final study complemented the preliminary study. Since the final study was conducted with a fresh set of students it was reported in a separate chapter. The concluding chapter of the thesis discusses the summary and findings of the research study. It also analyses their implications for the teaching of English to Limited English Proficient students. Suggestions for further research in the area and the limitations of the present study are also presented. newline