Findings: 5 Facts Worksheet
Quantitative Data
The quantitative data shows a clear pattern in the retention rate of the students' EIL information. The students remembered the information that was the most shocking to them: one cannot attain a native-accent past the age of six, 70 countries use English for official purposes, and 80% of the world's English speakers are non-native. These are also pieces of information that we discussed at length during class in the True or False Worksheet and in the PowerPoint Presentation. The other fact that was on 80% of the worksheets was that English is spread through technology. I attribute this to it being common knowledge, as most of the students mentioned being exposed to English through the media; movies, TV shows, and the internet. There were a few notable facts that were absent from all of the lists: English is used locally and globally, 20 years ago the U.S. controlled 85% of the world's film market, 80% of the world's electrically stored information is in English, in the 1990's 85% of the international organizations from the Union of International Association's Yearbook make official use of English, and by the year 2100 the total world languages will have been reduced from 6,000 to 3,000. I attribute many of these missing facts to the fact that they are very specific numerically. Also, none of these facts were on both the True or False Worksheet and the PowerPoint Presentation. Perhaps if I had included them in both activities the students' retention rate would have been higher.
The quantitative data shows a clear pattern in the retention rate of the students' EIL information. The students remembered the information that was the most shocking to them: one cannot attain a native-accent past the age of six, 70 countries use English for official purposes, and 80% of the world's English speakers are non-native. These are also pieces of information that we discussed at length during class in the True or False Worksheet and in the PowerPoint Presentation. The other fact that was on 80% of the worksheets was that English is spread through technology. I attribute this to it being common knowledge, as most of the students mentioned being exposed to English through the media; movies, TV shows, and the internet. There were a few notable facts that were absent from all of the lists: English is used locally and globally, 20 years ago the U.S. controlled 85% of the world's film market, 80% of the world's electrically stored information is in English, in the 1990's 85% of the international organizations from the Union of International Association's Yearbook make official use of English, and by the year 2100 the total world languages will have been reduced from 6,000 to 3,000. I attribute many of these missing facts to the fact that they are very specific numerically. Also, none of these facts were on both the True or False Worksheet and the PowerPoint Presentation. Perhaps if I had included them in both activities the students' retention rate would have been higher.
- 100% of the worksheets listed: "If you do not start to learn English before the age of 6 you will not be able to speak like a native-speaker."
- 80% of the worksheets listed: "English is spread through technology".
- 70% of the worksheets listed: "80% of English speakers are non-native".
- 50% of the worksheets listed: "70 countries use English for official purposes".
- 40% of the worksheets listed: "English is a lingua franca".
- 40% of the worksheets listed: "There are three circles of English".
- 30% of the worksheets listed: "English is in the top 5 most spoken languages in the world".
- 20% of the worksheets listed: "Colonization spread English".
- 20% of the worksheets listed: "More books are published in English than any other language".
- 10% of the worksheets listed: "English is destroying other cultures".
- 10% of the worksheets listed: "America is number one in tourism".
- 10% of the worksheets listed: "Migration helped spread English".
- 10% of the worksheets listed: "English spread through colonization".
Qualitative Data & Examples
As seen in Figures 73 - 76, not only did all of the worksheets list the fact that you must be exposed to a language before the age of six to acquire a native-like accent, but many of the pairs recorded this as the first fact. Out of all of the information provided to the students throughout the first intervention, this fact clearly made a significant impression on the students.
As seen in Figures 73 - 76, not only did all of the worksheets list the fact that you must be exposed to a language before the age of six to acquire a native-like accent, but many of the pairs recorded this as the first fact. Out of all of the information provided to the students throughout the first intervention, this fact clearly made a significant impression on the students.