Marsha Bensoussan | University of Haifa (original) (raw)

Papers by Marsha Bensoussan

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Sep 1, 2015

Zeitschrift für Interkulturellen Fremdsprachenunterricht, 2002

The Circassian community in Israel, though one of the smallest in the diaspora (about 3,000), is ... more The Circassian community in Israel, though one of the smallest in the diaspora (about 3,000), is also one of the most successful in preserving its national identity and language, while at the same time integrating into Israeli life. We have recently launched a multi-disciplinary study of this unique community in Israel, which we hope will become part of a broader study of Circassian communities both in the diaspora (Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Germany and other countries) and in the Caucasian homeland (one of the communities is described by Bridges, this issue). Our team consists of an anthropologist, applied linguist, sociolinguist, and a historian. This work, the first in a planned series, presents general background on the Israeli Circassians and then focuses on our recently completed study of Circassian pupils in Kfar Kama, the larger of the two Circassian villages in Israel.

RATIONALE and BACKGROUND The present study examines linguistic and sociolinguistic factors in a W... more RATIONALE and BACKGROUND The present study examines linguistic and sociolinguistic factors in a Webenhanced, advanced course of academic English reading comprehension. Language learning on the Internet involves skills different from those used in the traditional classroom (Darhower, 2003). Another dimension is added when students are multilingual and have different native languages. The course activities include comprehension questions, informal written tasks integrating and evaluating various content areas of authentic reading materials, computermediated communication such as Forums and Polls (individual and group work), as well as usability and attitude questionnaires. Computer-mediated communication (CMC) Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is considered an innovative way to increase foreign language use in the classroom (Gonzalez-Bueno, 1998; Yong, 2003), to improve students' foreign language writing and speaking skills while exchanging email messages (

In view of doubts raised about the efficacy of a reading comprehension course in the case of weak... more In view of doubts raised about the efficacy of a reading comprehension course in the case of weak students, a study was carried out in which students were grouped separately. A comparison was also made of the relative benefits of a year-long course compared with an intensive summer course. The findings showed that students derived approximately equal benefit from both types of course.

Vocabulary and Applied Linguistics, 1992

Reading is a complex process simultaneously proceeding on two levels: readers are constantly abst... more Reading is a complex process simultaneously proceeding on two levels: readers are constantly abstracting meaning from texts and deriving macrostructures or meaning on the global level, and from microstructures or propositions on the local level (van Dijk, 1977, 1980; Kintsch and van Dijk, 1978).

Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 2014

Israeli university students who have difficulty reading academic texts in English are required to... more Israeli university students who have difficulty reading academic texts in English are required to take reading comprehension courses in English for academic purposes (EAP) in order to complete their BA degree. Whereas most students pass the courses, some repeatedly fail. Since Israel is a multilingual country, there is also a question about whether speakers of minority languages feel disadvantaged in comparison to speakers of the majority language (Hebrew). While research has been carried out on university students taking EAP courses, little is known about the connections between students' motivations and their attitudes toward university studies and language learning in a multicultural university context. A questionnaire was administered to 194 students with English as a foreign language (144 women and 50 men) born in Israel and abroad. Native languages (spoken until age 6) included Hebrew (62), Arabic (113), English (3), Russian (10), and Amharic/Tigrit (5), with a good deal of overlap. Results indicated the importance of motivational issues in language learning. Links were found among EAP course grades, attitudes toward university studies, and attitudes toward language learning and English. The differences of EAP course grades across native language did not appear to affect students' attitudes toward university or language study.

Journal of Research in Reading, 1990

English Teachers Journal, 1992

Parallel studies at universities in Israel, Finland, Canada, and the U:dted States used a "select... more Parallel studies at universities in Israel, Finland, Canada, and the U:dted States used a "selected deletion gap-filling test," a variation on the cloze procedure designed to measure reading comprehension by testing the reader's familiarity with cohesive links and grasp of text coherence. The test design responded to the growing demand for a more efficient multiple-choice test of reading comprehension for large numbers of examinees. The study used discourse analysis to select the deletions and to examine their relationships to macro-structures in the text. Pilot testing with the varied university populations revealed the test to be statistically satisfactory. Recommendtionc Luat the test be used as: (1) a diagnostic test or as a test of language proficiency, with its deletions adapted to its function; and (2) part of a battery of tests measuring other aspects of language proficiency. Further research to expand the scope of the test is under way. (Author/Mn)

English Teachers Journal, 1992

A study investigating the influence of certain features of cohesion and coherence on Israeli coll... more A study investigating the influence of certain features of cohesion and coherence on Israeli college students' difficulty in reading English expository teats examined the reader's ability to understand sequences of propositions and familiarity with markers of cohesion. Three methods were used to investigate the problem: application of a readability formula to the texts, several reading comprehension tests of original and altered versions of texts, and discourse analysis. The subjects were 3,600 freshmen at Haifa University attending a required English reading comprehension course. The students' native languages were generally Hebrew and Arabic, and most of them had had seven or eight years of English instruction. The readability formula and discourse analysis were applied to the texts used, and the comprehension tests were administered as a regular part of the course. The findings emphasize the importance of context in reading comprehension by showing that difficulties are not limited to lexical items but are related to the connection between ideas in sentences and paragraphs. Improved instruction in recognition of markers of cohesion and increased focus on relationships between sentences are recommended. (MSE)

Academic Exchange Quarterly, 2013

The fill-in-test, a modified version of the cloze procedure, is relatively easy to construct, is ... more The fill-in-test, a modified version of the cloze procedure, is relatively easy to construct, is easier to score than the cloze procedure, and yields a greater number of questions per line of text than the conventional multiple choice comprehension test. The fill-in-test is constructed by inserting blank spaces into a text and providing a number of alternative responses for filling in each blank. Statistical analysis comparin4 the fill-in test with multiple choice and cloze tests showed that the three formats yield similar results. Four comparisons were conducted of these test formats with Israeli university students and applicants. The fill-in test is intended to provide an additional multiple choice technique as part of a test battery, not to replace conventional multiple choicP tests. The appendices include copies of the tests used in the study. (Author/RW)

A curriculum unit nn English for mathematics students at the University of Haifa is presented. Th... more A curriculum unit nn English for mathematics students at the University of Haifa is presented. The text content concerns mathematics while integrating language principles. Exercises are included that involve comprehension of geometric diagrams, reading comprehension, word meanings, and restructuring sentences. The 12 sections cover: projective planes, infinite matrices and convergent sequences, relations, metric spaces, Peano's postulates for the natural numbers, monoids, matroids, graphs of functions, binomial coefficients, cross products of vectors, generalized inverses of linear transformations, and the Riemann integral. The lessons cover topics such as: when a word ending in "ing" is not a verb, modal verbs, simple sentences, active and passive verbs, verbs used as adjective/expanded forms, sentence function, phrases showing the writer's comments, general versus qualified statements, compound sentences, "since," clauses and phrases, parallel str.Actures and enumeration, changing the subject without markers, language of proof, introduction and transition passages, intensifiers and qualifiers, statements of contrast, logical arguments, markers of emphasis, language of theorem and proof, sentence structure and information, following the argument, and sentence structure review. Appended is the Greek alphabet, including the name of each letter and the upper and lower case symbols for each letter. (SW)

Haifa: Haifa University, 1994

A study at Haifa University (Israel) investigated the feasibility of a diagnostic test for dyslex... more A study at Haifa University (Israel) investigated the feasibility of a diagnostic test for dyslexia at the college level, among students studying English as a Second Language (ESL). This process and the development of remedial ESL reading materials for this population, to be used in the language laboratory as a supplement to regular ESL courses, are described. First, dyslexia is defined and discussed and common reading 'errors are identified. Then the development and testing of a screening and diagnostic test for dyslexia is reported. The pilot test consisted of 96 English words for reading into a microphone, 12 Hebrew place names to be written in English, and four questions on student perceptions of their own reading problems and strategies. Students' taped and written responses were analyzed by multiple examiners. Results suggest the test is useful for screening students for further testing and diagnosis. Development of the language laboratory instructional materials and the resulting nine-lesson module are described briefly. It is noted that due to positive student response, materials development continues for other instructional levels. The screening test, a reading comprehension test and answer key, and an outline of the instructional materials are appended. Contains 15 references. (MSE) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.

TESOL Quarterly, 1990

Book reviewed in this article: Newbury House TOEFL Preparation Kit: Preparing for the Test of Wri... more Book reviewed in this article: Newbury House TOEFL Preparation Kit: Preparing for the Test of Written English Liz Hamp-Lyons.

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Sep 1, 2015

Zeitschrift für Interkulturellen Fremdsprachenunterricht, 2002

The Circassian community in Israel, though one of the smallest in the diaspora (about 3,000), is ... more The Circassian community in Israel, though one of the smallest in the diaspora (about 3,000), is also one of the most successful in preserving its national identity and language, while at the same time integrating into Israeli life. We have recently launched a multi-disciplinary study of this unique community in Israel, which we hope will become part of a broader study of Circassian communities both in the diaspora (Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Germany and other countries) and in the Caucasian homeland (one of the communities is described by Bridges, this issue). Our team consists of an anthropologist, applied linguist, sociolinguist, and a historian. This work, the first in a planned series, presents general background on the Israeli Circassians and then focuses on our recently completed study of Circassian pupils in Kfar Kama, the larger of the two Circassian villages in Israel.

RATIONALE and BACKGROUND The present study examines linguistic and sociolinguistic factors in a W... more RATIONALE and BACKGROUND The present study examines linguistic and sociolinguistic factors in a Webenhanced, advanced course of academic English reading comprehension. Language learning on the Internet involves skills different from those used in the traditional classroom (Darhower, 2003). Another dimension is added when students are multilingual and have different native languages. The course activities include comprehension questions, informal written tasks integrating and evaluating various content areas of authentic reading materials, computermediated communication such as Forums and Polls (individual and group work), as well as usability and attitude questionnaires. Computer-mediated communication (CMC) Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is considered an innovative way to increase foreign language use in the classroom (Gonzalez-Bueno, 1998; Yong, 2003), to improve students' foreign language writing and speaking skills while exchanging email messages (

In view of doubts raised about the efficacy of a reading comprehension course in the case of weak... more In view of doubts raised about the efficacy of a reading comprehension course in the case of weak students, a study was carried out in which students were grouped separately. A comparison was also made of the relative benefits of a year-long course compared with an intensive summer course. The findings showed that students derived approximately equal benefit from both types of course.

Vocabulary and Applied Linguistics, 1992

Reading is a complex process simultaneously proceeding on two levels: readers are constantly abst... more Reading is a complex process simultaneously proceeding on two levels: readers are constantly abstracting meaning from texts and deriving macrostructures or meaning on the global level, and from microstructures or propositions on the local level (van Dijk, 1977, 1980; Kintsch and van Dijk, 1978).

Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 2014

Israeli university students who have difficulty reading academic texts in English are required to... more Israeli university students who have difficulty reading academic texts in English are required to take reading comprehension courses in English for academic purposes (EAP) in order to complete their BA degree. Whereas most students pass the courses, some repeatedly fail. Since Israel is a multilingual country, there is also a question about whether speakers of minority languages feel disadvantaged in comparison to speakers of the majority language (Hebrew). While research has been carried out on university students taking EAP courses, little is known about the connections between students' motivations and their attitudes toward university studies and language learning in a multicultural university context. A questionnaire was administered to 194 students with English as a foreign language (144 women and 50 men) born in Israel and abroad. Native languages (spoken until age 6) included Hebrew (62), Arabic (113), English (3), Russian (10), and Amharic/Tigrit (5), with a good deal of overlap. Results indicated the importance of motivational issues in language learning. Links were found among EAP course grades, attitudes toward university studies, and attitudes toward language learning and English. The differences of EAP course grades across native language did not appear to affect students' attitudes toward university or language study.

Journal of Research in Reading, 1990

English Teachers Journal, 1992

Parallel studies at universities in Israel, Finland, Canada, and the U:dted States used a "select... more Parallel studies at universities in Israel, Finland, Canada, and the U:dted States used a "selected deletion gap-filling test," a variation on the cloze procedure designed to measure reading comprehension by testing the reader's familiarity with cohesive links and grasp of text coherence. The test design responded to the growing demand for a more efficient multiple-choice test of reading comprehension for large numbers of examinees. The study used discourse analysis to select the deletions and to examine their relationships to macro-structures in the text. Pilot testing with the varied university populations revealed the test to be statistically satisfactory. Recommendtionc Luat the test be used as: (1) a diagnostic test or as a test of language proficiency, with its deletions adapted to its function; and (2) part of a battery of tests measuring other aspects of language proficiency. Further research to expand the scope of the test is under way. (Author/Mn)

English Teachers Journal, 1992

A study investigating the influence of certain features of cohesion and coherence on Israeli coll... more A study investigating the influence of certain features of cohesion and coherence on Israeli college students' difficulty in reading English expository teats examined the reader's ability to understand sequences of propositions and familiarity with markers of cohesion. Three methods were used to investigate the problem: application of a readability formula to the texts, several reading comprehension tests of original and altered versions of texts, and discourse analysis. The subjects were 3,600 freshmen at Haifa University attending a required English reading comprehension course. The students' native languages were generally Hebrew and Arabic, and most of them had had seven or eight years of English instruction. The readability formula and discourse analysis were applied to the texts used, and the comprehension tests were administered as a regular part of the course. The findings emphasize the importance of context in reading comprehension by showing that difficulties are not limited to lexical items but are related to the connection between ideas in sentences and paragraphs. Improved instruction in recognition of markers of cohesion and increased focus on relationships between sentences are recommended. (MSE)

Academic Exchange Quarterly, 2013

The fill-in-test, a modified version of the cloze procedure, is relatively easy to construct, is ... more The fill-in-test, a modified version of the cloze procedure, is relatively easy to construct, is easier to score than the cloze procedure, and yields a greater number of questions per line of text than the conventional multiple choice comprehension test. The fill-in-test is constructed by inserting blank spaces into a text and providing a number of alternative responses for filling in each blank. Statistical analysis comparin4 the fill-in test with multiple choice and cloze tests showed that the three formats yield similar results. Four comparisons were conducted of these test formats with Israeli university students and applicants. The fill-in test is intended to provide an additional multiple choice technique as part of a test battery, not to replace conventional multiple choicP tests. The appendices include copies of the tests used in the study. (Author/RW)

A curriculum unit nn English for mathematics students at the University of Haifa is presented. Th... more A curriculum unit nn English for mathematics students at the University of Haifa is presented. The text content concerns mathematics while integrating language principles. Exercises are included that involve comprehension of geometric diagrams, reading comprehension, word meanings, and restructuring sentences. The 12 sections cover: projective planes, infinite matrices and convergent sequences, relations, metric spaces, Peano's postulates for the natural numbers, monoids, matroids, graphs of functions, binomial coefficients, cross products of vectors, generalized inverses of linear transformations, and the Riemann integral. The lessons cover topics such as: when a word ending in "ing" is not a verb, modal verbs, simple sentences, active and passive verbs, verbs used as adjective/expanded forms, sentence function, phrases showing the writer's comments, general versus qualified statements, compound sentences, "since," clauses and phrases, parallel str.Actures and enumeration, changing the subject without markers, language of proof, introduction and transition passages, intensifiers and qualifiers, statements of contrast, logical arguments, markers of emphasis, language of theorem and proof, sentence structure and information, following the argument, and sentence structure review. Appended is the Greek alphabet, including the name of each letter and the upper and lower case symbols for each letter. (SW)

Haifa: Haifa University, 1994

A study at Haifa University (Israel) investigated the feasibility of a diagnostic test for dyslex... more A study at Haifa University (Israel) investigated the feasibility of a diagnostic test for dyslexia at the college level, among students studying English as a Second Language (ESL). This process and the development of remedial ESL reading materials for this population, to be used in the language laboratory as a supplement to regular ESL courses, are described. First, dyslexia is defined and discussed and common reading 'errors are identified. Then the development and testing of a screening and diagnostic test for dyslexia is reported. The pilot test consisted of 96 English words for reading into a microphone, 12 Hebrew place names to be written in English, and four questions on student perceptions of their own reading problems and strategies. Students' taped and written responses were analyzed by multiple examiners. Results suggest the test is useful for screening students for further testing and diagnosis. Development of the language laboratory instructional materials and the resulting nine-lesson module are described briefly. It is noted that due to positive student response, materials development continues for other instructional levels. The screening test, a reading comprehension test and answer key, and an outline of the instructional materials are appended. Contains 15 references. (MSE) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.

TESOL Quarterly, 1990

Book reviewed in this article: Newbury House TOEFL Preparation Kit: Preparing for the Test of Wri... more Book reviewed in this article: Newbury House TOEFL Preparation Kit: Preparing for the Test of Written English Liz Hamp-Lyons.