English Foreign Language Literacy Acquisition

לכל קבוצות המחקר

During the last decade, subgroups within this research group have been conducting both research and field activity. We have been attempting to better understand:

1. the connection between first language and English foreign language literacy acquisition

2. cross-language impact on English spelling and reading

3. English language diagnostic assessment

4 individual differences and English language acquisition

5. teacher beliefs, attitudes, knowledge of English orthography

6. the teaching and learning of English literacy

7. effective English foreign language teaching and learning methods

8. textbook analyses

This group will be sponsored by the Oranim Research Authority from October 2023 and aims to develop research collaboration in areas connected to English Foreign Language Literacy Acquisition.

The aims of the group include examining:

• attitudes, perceptions, knowledge and English teacher agency with regards to English literacy acquisition

• individual differences and English literacy acquisition

• the multiple language layers contributing to word knowledge

• the challenge of reading graphemes representing novel phonemes

• acquiring early English literacy

• acquiring multi-syllabic word reading skills

• integrating technology in teaching English literacy

• social emotional learning and English literacy acquisition

• cross-linguistic impact on English reading and spelling

• orthographic mapping of the Bands

• multicultural impact on English literacy acquisition.

Group members:

Dr. Janina Kahn-Horwitz

is leader of the English Foreign Language Literacy Acquisition research group and a senior lecturer at Oranim College of Education. She is vice-rector for international outreach at Oranim International. She teaches in the undergraduate English Language and Literature Department as well as the graduate M.Ed. Language Learning program at Oranim College. Her research interests include individual differences in language learning, English as a foreign language reading and spelling development, the cross-linguistic impact of first language and literacy on English, and teacher knowledge of English linguistic components. She has a B.A. from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Haifa.

Recent publications:

Kahn-Horwitz, J., & Goldstein, Z. (2023). Age related differences in English as a foreign language reading and spelling diagnostic assessments informing teaching and learning. Language Testing. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/02655322231162838

Fuchs, S., Katzir, T., & Kahn-Horwitz, J. (2022). EFL literacy instruction as reflected in elementary school textbooks. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-022-10301-6

Sammour-Shehadeh, R., Kahn-Horwitz, J., & Prior, A. (2022). Cross language influences in spelling English as a foreign language: Effects of distance in writing system, orthography and phonology. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-022-10386-z

Fuchs, S., Katzir, T., & Kahn-Horwitz, J. (2021). EFL Classroom practices in relation to teachers’ self-efficacy, experience and native language. Australian Journal of Teacher Education. 46(1), 89-105. doi.10.14221/ajte.202v46n1.6.

Saban, M., & Kahn-Horwitz, J. (2021). “It’s difficult since there is no rhyme or reason”: Spelling relevance in an EFL context. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-021-10178-x

Vaisman, E. E., & Kahn-Horwitz, J. (2020). English foreign language teachers’ linguistic knowledge, beliefs and reported practices regarding reading and spelling instruction. Dyslexia, 26, 305-322. https://do.org/10.1002/dys.1608.

Kahn-Horwitz, J. (2020). ‘I didn’t even know one of the conventions before’: Explicit EFL spelling instruction and individual differences. Cognitive Development, 55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2020.100880.

Fuchs, S., Kahn-Horwitz, J., & Katzir, T. (2019). Theory and reported practice in EFL literacy instruction: EFL teachers’ perceptions about classroom practices. Annals of Dyslexia, 69 (1), 114 – 135. https://doi: 10.1007/s11881-018-00172-4.

Hanin Beidas

Email: hanin.beidas@gmail.com

I am a certified learning disabilities specialist and didactic diagnostician, who is specialized in remedial teaching of Arabic as a first language, and English as a foreign language. In 2011, I received my master's degree from Haifa University, from the Department of Learning Disabilities. In 2013, I received my Teacher's Certificate in Special Education (Learning Disabilities and Behavioral disorders track), from Haifa University. I currently work as the program coordinator and the main lecturer at the Open University, Haifa Campus. In 2015-2020, I was the program coordinator and main lecturer of the Arabic language remedial teaching program at the Open University. In 2020-2023, I was the program coordinator and the main lecturer of the English remedial teaching program at Oranim College. In 2014-2023, I taught several theory and intervention courses at the English Department, at Oranim College.

I have recently submitted my PhD dissertation to the Graduate Studies Authority at Haifa University. My research contained three longitudinal studies, in which I tested the language and cognitive control skills of Arabic L1/Hebrew L2 and Hebrew L1/Arabic L2 emergent bilingual children with and without Developmental Learning Disorder. The three papers were submitted to the International Journal of Bilingualism and are currently awaiting editors' reviews. I had also published a paper based on my masters' thesis in the Journal of Reading and Writing, which tested the reading and the cognitive skills of Hebrew speaking adult dyslexic students. In 2011, I worked as a research assistant at the Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, in which I participated in a number of ERP studies testing the psycholinguistic and the diglossic nature of the Arabic language in adult Arabic speakers. In 2012, I worked as a research assistant at Oranim College, on a study that focused on teaching English language teachers the basic orthographic rules of English, and tested effect of such literacy knowledge on their spelling performance.

Publications:

• Beidas, H., Khateb, A., Breznitz, Z. (2013). The cognitive profile of adult dyslexics and its relation to their reading abilities. The Journal of Reading and Writing, 26, 1487-1515. DOI: 10.1007/s11145-013-9428-5.

Submitted Publications:

• Beidas, H., Schwartz M., Eviatar, Z. (2023). Morphological Awareness in Bilingual Arabic/Hebrew Bilingual Children: A Longitudinal Study. The International Journal of Bilingualism.

• Beidas, H., Schwartz M., Eviatar, Z. (2023). Morphological Awareness in Bilingual Arabic/Hebrew Bilingual Children with Developmental Language Disorder: A Longitudinal Study. The International Journal of Bilingualism.

• Beidas, H., Schwartz M., Eviatar, Z. (2023). Inhibitory Control Skills in Arabic/Hebrew Bilingual Children with and without Developmental Language Disorder: Two Longitudinal Studies. The International Journal of Bilingualism.

Research Projects:

• The Contribution of Bilingual Arabic-Hebrew Education on the Linguistic Development of Children.

• Language Selection and Language Representation in Arabic-Hebrew Bilinguals: An event-related potential (ERP) Study.

• Teaching English Language Teachers the Basic Orthographic Rules of English. Testing Teacher’s English Literacy Knowledge and Spelling performance. Oranim Academic College of Education.

Dr. Stephanie Fuchs

Email: stephanie@gordon.ac.il

Affiliation: Gordon Academic College of Education, Haifa, Israel

Dr. Stephanie Fuchs has spent 20 years teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in elementary school while working herself as a counselor for the Ministry of Education. She also taught for many more years at both Oranim and Gordon Academic Colleges of Education, still teaching at the latter. She has mentored teachers in EFL programs run by the Hebrew University. Her doctorate research focused on EFL literacy instruction in Israel and her expertise includes teaching students with learning disabilities and understanding the emotional aspects of these students. She is a founding member of the “EFL Literacy for All Advocacy Team”, led by Dr. Janina Kahn-Horwitz. She has a B.Ed. from the Oranim Academic College of Education and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Haifa.

Recent publications:

Fuchs, S., Katzir, T., & Kahn-Horwitz, J. (2022). EFL literacy instruction as reflected in elementary school textbooks. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-022-10301-6

Fuchs, S., Katzir, T., & Kahn-Horwitz, J. (2021). EFL Classroom practices in relation to teachers’ self-efficacy, experience and native language. Australian Journal of Teacher Education. 46(1), 89-105. doi.10.14221/ajte.202v46n1.6.

Fuchs, S., Kahn-Horwitz, J., & Katzir, T. (2019). Theory and reported practice in EFL literacy instruction: EFL teachers’ perceptions about classroom practices. Annals of Dyslexia, 69 (1), 114 – 135. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11881-018-00172-4

הרשות למחקר ולהערכה

English Foreign Language Literacy Acquisition

תכניות הלימודים

רישום וקבלה

מידע כללי

צור קשר