THE EFFECTS OF MOVEMENT EDUCATION ON THE ACQUISITION OF LISTENING COMPREHENSION SKILLS IN SPANISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE FOR THIRD AND FOURTH GRADERS by PIERAS-GARCIA, FERNANDO, Educat.D., Boston University School of Education, 1982, 189 pages; AAT 8300776
Abstract (Summary)
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of teaching Spanish listening comprehension through movement activities to third and fourth graders. The sample consisted of thirty-five (35) third and fourth graders, both boys and girls, who were given the Modern Language Aptitude Test - Elementary (EMLAT). They were subsequently divided by matching aptitude scores into a control and experimental group. Subjects in the control group received Spanish instruction in the classroom without the movement component. Subjects in the experimental group received Spanish instruction through movement activities which took place in an open multi-purpose room and outdoors.
After eleven consecutive school days of Spanish instruction for forty-five minute periods, both groups were given the Common Concepts Foreign Language Test. This test measured the subject's Spanish listening comprehension, and the raw scores were statistically analyzed by a multivariate analysis of variance (2 x 2 x 2 ANOVA). This analysis determined the interaction between grade and gender with Spanish learning with movement and without movement. Also a 2 x 2 x 2 ANOVA was performed on aptitude scores. The correlation of aptitude scores with the Spanish test scores for both groups was analyzed using the Pearson (r) correlation coefficient. An affective evaluation questionnaire was submitted to the subjects and results were tabulated in percentages.
Results and conclusions are as followed: (1) Both groups achieved about the same Spanish listening comprehension. There were no significant differences between any combination of movement and non-movement, grade and gender. (2) There was no correlation in this sample between aptitude and learning. (3) The correlation between aptitude and Spanish test scores in the movement group (r = .09) did not differ from the correlation in the non-movement group (r = .28). In neither group was there a significant relationship between aptitude scores and Spanish test scores. (4) Movement activities did not impede learning in Spanish listening comprehension and subjects enjoyed learning Spanish through movement regardless of foreign language aptitude. (5) A movement activity approach can be used as an alternate method along with other teaching methods.
Indexing (document details)
School: Boston University School of Education
School Location: United States -- Massachusetts
Source: DAI-A 43/09, p. 2886, Mar 1983
Source type: Dissertation
Subjects: Elementary education
Publication Number: AAT 8300776
Document URL: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=749357811&sid=9&Fmt=2&cli
entId=45091&RQT=309&VName=PQD
ProQuest document ID: 749357811Copyright © 2011 ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved.
Databases selected: Dissertations & Theses
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