1. The Dream That Came True: The Voices of My Ethiopian Friends
From the students’ stories to the EFL classroom   ኢትዮጵያ (Ethiopia)-Israel
The Dream That Came True:
The Voices of My Ethiopian Friends

2. The Background of the Research
The background of my inquiry into the issue is my twenty years spent teaching these students, gaining ever-increasing awareness of their academic and social hardships.

3. A model for a learner–based curriculum
“Learners’ Lives” -
A model for a learner–based curriculum
Gail Weinstein

4. Action Research

5. Stages of the Initial Research

6. Stages of the Action Research

7. The Action Research Setting:
“Ariel” State Religious High School

8. Participants – Target Community

9. Research Purposes

10. Research Purposes Investigate factors underlying EFL success
Explore factors impeding EFL accomplishments
Use a text as a mechanism to facilitate learners’ motivation
Use a narrative as a tool to eliminate indigenous students’ bias

11. My Assumptions & Scholarly Research
Scholarly Research: Motivation is the “dominant correlate” in L2/L3 Acquisition .
Masgoret, A. M., Gardner, R. C. (2002) Attitudes, Motivation, and Second Language Learning: A Meta- Analysis of Studies Conducted by Gardner and Associates. Victoria University of Wellington.

12. Assumption: Anxiety in the EFL classroom might impinge on accomplishments
Scholarly Research: A person’s self-identity can be impaired when he/she is involved in L2/L3 speaking
(“Latent Variable”)
Spolsky, B. (1989) Conditions for Second Language Learning. Oxford University Press.

13. Motivation Factor
53% of the Survey participants assigned EFL success to the motivation factor

14. Case Study “Maya”

15. Transforming the story
The stories told by my Ethiopian friends have captured my heart and soul. They might touch your hearts as well. They might make you feel proud of those who endured so much for their dream to come true.

16. Creating the text activities
Look at the pictures below and say what the relationships between these four pictures are

17. Piloting the Unit: The Dream That Came True

18. Reflections