cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.14457/tu.the.2022.1251
title: How content and language integrated learning (CLIL) affects adult learners' motivation in online classes

description: This study outlines the results of a survey which was carried out to investigate the effects of CLIL on adult learners’ motivation, the effects of CLIL on learners’ completion rate, and the correlation between motivation and completion rate in online settings using a questionnaire adapted from Schmidt and Watanabe (2001) and Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS) developed by Keller (2010) within the ARCS Model of Motivational Design framework. 57 Thai B1-B2 adult learners from 25-45 years old were recruited to join an 18-hour online class and randomly assigned to the experiment group (using the CLIL approach) and the control group (using the conventional lecture-based method). The questionnaire was administered twice, before and after the intervention. The data analysis indicated no statistically significant difference between the two groups in their overall score on motivation in learning in an online English course (p = 0.761). However, when examining the specific factors, the findings showed that learners in the CLIL group had greater competitiveness, cooperativeness, and motivational strength than the non-CLIL group. CLIL learners also found their CLIL class more attention-grabbing, relevant, and satisfying than their non-CLIL counterparts. In the meantime, the non-CLIL group had higher expectancy representing more self-confidence, self-assessed aptitude for language learning, and lack of anxiety. In terms of completion rate, the learners’ progress at each unit was recorded and analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U test. The learners in CLIL group recorded significantly higher completion rates than their non-CLIL cohorts (p = 0.017*, effect size = 0.32). Spearman’s Rank Correlation was used to examine the statistical relationship between adult learners’ completion rate based on their motivation. The findings indicated that learners who had higher motivation level after the course tend to be more likely to complete the online course (Spearmen’s Correlation = 0.57, p = 0.0001**). The results and discussions can be taken into consideration for all English instructors and syllabus designers to use when preparing their materials, curriculums, language programs and teaching methods for adult learners in online settings.
DOI: 10.14457/tu.the.2022.1252
title: A survey of students’ attitudes towards applying games-based learning to enhance the learning of grammar

description: This study was conducted to examine students' attitudes towards applying games-based learning to enhance the learning of grammar and investigate the differences among the participants regarding age, gender, major, and academic year. In this study, there were 57 participants who filled out the questionnaire out of 116 students who enrolled in a basic grammar course. The study included participants with a variety of characteristics, such as gender, age, faculties, majors, and academic years. Additionally, the study utilized a mixed-methods approach, meaning that both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed. To collect data, the researchers used three research instruments: a survey questionnaire, interview questions, and an observation checklist. The questionnaire for the survey comprised three separate parts, including 1) students’ backgrounds; 2) guidelines; and 3) students’ attitudes toward learning grammar through game-based learning. A Likert scale was utilized, which is a widely employed research instrument that enables participants to express their agreement or disagreement with a statement by using a scale that spans from strongly agree to strongly disagree. This research used the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software to conduct data analysis and calculation. The objective was to assess the frequency, percentage, average, standard deviation, and significance (P) of the variations in attitudes among the variables. The findings from survey questionnaires and interviews revealed that the participants had positive attitudes towards applying games-based learning to enhance the learning of grammar, and the findings suggest that most participants believed that using games in the classroom made the content more interesting and engaging. Additionally, many participants felt that game-based learning was motivating and helped them become more engaged in the classroom. Moreover, the observation checklist findings revealed that the students’ behavior and feelings revealed that most students enjoyed learning grammar through the use of games. Specifically, the students seemed to take an interest in the games’ rules, enjoyed sharing ideas with their classmates, and found the interactive nature of the games to be engaging. In addition, they review the contents with the teacher's additional explanations during gameplay. The finding also indicates that there were no significant differences in the variables examined, except for the student’s academic year, and that there were no significant differences in the attitudes of first- and second-year students towards the acquisition of grammar abilities through educational games.
DOI: 10.14457/tu.the.2022.1253
title: A corpus-based study of English synonyms: brave, valiant, and daring

description: This study explores the similarities and differences among the synonymous adjectives brave, valiant, and daring, focusing on their meanings, collocations, semantic preferences, and distribution across various genres. The sources of data used in this study were 1) two dictionaries, namely Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English and Cambridge Dictionary (both are online versions), and 2) Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA). The findings revealed that while these words share a common theme of bravery, they possess distinct nuances in meaning and usage. Brave is associated with fearlessness and confronting danger in everyday situations, valiant emphasizes bravery in defending noble causes and facing adversity, and daring conveys a willingness to take risks and pursue bold actions. For this reason, the three words cannot be used interchangeably in all contexts. Understanding the specific contexts in which words are used is crucial for accurate and effective language acquisition. By considering the nuances and appropriate usage of synonyms like brave, valiant, and daring, students can develop a deeper understanding of their meanings and use them appropriately in different situations. This highlights the necessity of contextual comprehension in vocabulary learning and reinforces the need for educators to emphasize context-driven approaches in language instruction.
DOI: 10.14457/tu.the.2022.1254
title: A study of oral presentation difficulties faced by Thai officers at a multinational company

description: This study aimed to investigate the difficulties of oral presentation faced by Thai officers at a multinational company. This study was conducted to survey the significant difficulties of oral presentation, and the needs and suggestions to improve English oral presentation skills. This study conducted purposive sampling where questionnaires were used to collect the data from 40 participants who work at a Japanese multinational company from 3 departments (Designing, Sourcing, and Purchasing) and interviews were used to gain the in-depth information. The finding showed the trend of the respondents in all factors is moderate. The officers think oral presentation is difficult because they have low confidence. Moreover, they find it hard to find suitable words to express their meaning in terms of language skills. However, the officers rarely focus on grammar errors. They focused on the interpretation of meaning. In terms of audiences, they are frightened when a lot of people are watching them. In term of suggestions the officers suggested that the graduated students need further preparation in this working area, the officers suggested practicing basic communication and vocabulary by focusing on the target of communication and learning to prepare presentation material proficiently.
DOI: 10.14457/tu.the.2022.1255
title: A survey study of English reading comprehension problems as perceived by grade 6 students in Thailand

description: The objective of this study investigated the reading comprehension ability of Grade 6 students at a public school. The research focused on identifying the primary students’ reading comprehension problems while completing the English reading comprehension. The data were collected from students about 150 students at school. The research instrument was the questionnaire divided into two parts: the reading comprehension problems and the interview to analyze direct problems. The quantitative results from the questionnaire in the first part were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and reported in the form of descriptive statistics. The second part was the interview of students’ reading comprehension in high-level problems when completing the questionnaire. The results revealed the participants’ reading comprehension problems in qualitative results. In all average mean in the moderate level (X ̅ = 2.02). The highest average mean which illustrated the factors of reading texts problems were reading strategy part (X ̅ = 2.072), vocabulary part (X ̅ = 2.070) and grammar part (X ̅ = 2.015) whereas the last three lowest means which were presented in environment (X ̅ = 1.93), content part (X ̅ = 1.854) and other problems part (X ̅ = 1.854).The results showed on how vital reading comprehension were when they performed a reading comprehension in their study. Even though, the results revealed the significant effects on the English reading comprehension problems, the average means of individual factors were slightly different. From the students’perspective, they considered that English reading comprehension was difficult for them because they did not know enough words to read the texts. However, they believed that they could improve their reading skills if they usually read in English texts and study from the teacher who could improve their English reading skill at school.
DOI: 10.14457/tu.the.2022.1256
title: The effects of data-driven learning (DDL) on the teaching of English phrasal verbs to Thai EFL secondary students

description: English phrasal verbs appear to be one of a major issue for Thai EFL students. Many phrasal verbs have ambiguous meanings and are hard to understand. The study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the data-driven learning (DDL) method with paper-based concordance lines in developing Thai EFL secondary students' English phrasal verbs knowledge. The study also explores the relationship between students' grade level and their learning performance through DDL, as well as the attitudes of the participants towards learning through DDL. The participants were 50 students from grades 7th - 9th of a public school in Chachoengsao, Thailand. In order to analyze the data, the mean scores of the pre-test and post-test were compared using a paired-sample t-test. The results showed a statistically significant difference (p &lt; 0.05) between the pre-test scores and the improved post-test scores. The results indicated that DDL did assist the students in learning English phrasal verbs, but no correlation was found between students' grade level and their learning performance through DDL. Meanwhile, the questionnaire results showed that the participants' attitudes regarding learning through the DDL were not positive, since they found it difficult to read the concordance lines. This study provides valuable insights by demonstrating that DDL can be employed as a supplementary or additional activity to enhance the learning of English phrasal verbs among Thai EFL students. However, it is crucial to consider the language proficiency of the students when designing DDL lessons.
DOI: 10.14457/tu.the.2022.1257
title: Move analysis of acknowledgement sections written by Thai EFL graduate students

description: The study aims to investigate the generic structure, frequency, and patterns of moves found in the acknowledgement sections written by Thai EFL graduates. Sixty acknowledgement sections from Thai EFL graduate students in the disciplines of English Language Teaching (ELT), Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), and English as an International Language (EIL) were selected from Thammasat University's library website or the Chulalongkorn University Intellectual Repository (CUIR). These examples were analyzed according to Hyland's (2004) move structure of acknowledgement. The data analysis was categorized into three parts: (1) move structure and its occurrence, (2) percentage of move frequency and categorization, and (3) move patterns. The findings revealed that the majority of acknowledgement sections written by Thai EFL students contained moves indicated in Hyland's (2004) move structure of acknowledgement. However, students exhibited unique styles in arranging the moves within their sequences. In other words, they often placed the primary move at the end of the acknowledgements or used the last move at the beginning of their sections. Additionally, no Move 3.1 (Accepting responsibility) was found in the corpus, but a newly discovered move, Move 3.3 (Recommending the readers), was identified. Regarding move frequency, the move Move 2 (Thanking) appeared in every acknowledgement section and was considered an obligatory move (100%). Conversely, (1) Move 3 (Thanking for resources) had the lowest frequency in the corpus (6.67%) and was an optional move. Lastly, in terms of move patterns, the sequence M2.1-M2.2- M2.3-M2.4 was the most popular among the 24 patterns analyzed (25%), followed by M2.1-M2.2-M2.4 (16.67%) and M2.1-M2.2-M2.4-M2.3-M2.4 (10%).
DOI: 10.14457/tu.the.2022.1258
title: A study of English language problems and strategies of Thai staff at a European airline call center

description: English proficiency for international airline customer service is important to facilitate effective communication with passengers, meet their needs and provide a positive customer experience. The purpose of this study was to find out the problems of airline call center staff in using English at work and the strategies they employ to solve their problems in immediate and long-term contexts. The participants were 31 call center staff working at an international airline company in Thailand. A questionnaire consisting of five-point Likert scale and open-ended questions was used to collect the data, along with semi-structured interviews with three participants. The results indicated rare to moderate frequency of problems in the four language skills, including understanding caller accents for listening, application of appropriate wording for speaking, distinguishing between literal and implied meaning for reading, and applying acceptable word patterns and grammatical rules for writing. Strategies used for immediately solving problems in using English at work were focusing on key words, using simple words, avoiding jargon, conducting an online vocabulary search and translation, referring to templates, and asking colleagues for help. Strategies used for long-term solving of problems were continuous practicing of skills and the use of media, such as movies, books and music.
DOI: 10.14457/tu.the.2022.1259
title: Developing speaking abilities of Thai EFL learners through problem-based group discussion

description: This study was conducted to explore: 1) the extent to which problem-based group discussion develops Thai EFL learners’ speaking ability; and 2) the opinions of Thai EFL learners toward problem-based group discussion. To achieve these purposes, a quasi-experimental, one-design was implemented. The participants comprised 29 grade 9 learners from Nawaminthrachinuthit Suankularbwittayalai Samutprakarn School with mixed English proficiency. The instruments used in this study were divided into two types: the instructional instrument, which was a lesson plan, and the research instrument, which was an oral test, including a pretest, posttest, and questionnaire. The qualitative data from open-ended questions were analyzed and categorized into small themes. Statistics were used to compute the quantitative data, which was a questionnaire and an oral test. The findings indicate that the use of problem-based group discussions by teachers resulted in significant development not only in Thai EFL learners' speaking abilities, encompassing fluency, vocabulary, grammar, and content, but also in their critical thinking and collaboration skills. Moreover, the questionnaire results demonstrate that Thai EFL learners hold a positive opinion of problem-based group discussion, specifically highlighting its effectiveness in providing opportunities to practice their speaking abilities. For future research endeavors, it is advisable to expand the participant pool to increase the generalizability of the findings. Additionally, extending the treatment period would allow for a more in-depth exploration of the long-term effects of problem-based group discussions. Incorporating a wider range of topics would also enhance the variety and relevance of the instructional materials.
DOI: 10.14457/tu.the.2022.1260
title: Royal Thai Naval officers' perceptions of the English learning situation in active learning classrooms

description: This study explores ways that Royal Thai Naval officers learn English in active learning classrooms and examines their perceptions of active English learning classrooms at a Line Officer School. The quantitative research was conducted with 50 navy students attending the English class in the Line Officer School, together with the interview with 10 navy students. The results revealed that practicing English sound pronunciation, and intonation by listening or watching English contents was the most preferred English learning strategy. However, it appears that students of varying gender, age, and educational backgrounds may have distinct preferences and requirements when it comes to cognitive English learning strategies employed in the classroom. For the enhancement of English active learning, the results suggest that the teacher should gradually adjust the students’ learning styles and encourage them to participate more and more. The teacher should explain the benefit of adopting active learning in English class and set realistic expectation from the learning as in order to motivate the students to participate in the class, even they still have feelings of nervousness, shyness, or even anxiety.
DOI: 10.14457/tu.the.2022.1261
title: A corpus-based analysis of English synonyms: job, career, occupation

description: One of the most common challenges faced by language learners when acquiring vocabulary is understanding the similarities and differences in meaning and usage among synonyms. Learners often replace words with their synonyms to add variety to their writing. However, it is important to recognize that not all synonyms can be used interchangeably in every context. Many English synonyms are near-synonyms, meaning they cannot substitute for each other due to variations in meaning. This study focuses on investigating three synonyms: job, career, and occupation, in terms of their meanings, genres, and verb and adjective collocations. The meanings were sourced from two online learner's dictionaries, namely the Online Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English and the online Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Additionally, the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) was used as a crucial data source, providing information on word frequency, genres, and collocations. The findings reveal that the three target words share a common core meaning of "the regular paid work that you do for an employer". However, job, career, and occupation cannot be used interchangeably in every context due to differences in formality and their tendency to collocate with different verbs and adjectives that have distinct semantic preferences. When teaching synonymous terms, it is important for educators to emphasize these distinctions, as second language (L2) learners often struggle with the use of synonyms. This approach can enhance L2 learners' understanding that not all synonyms can be used interchangeably. Furthermore, incorporating authentic examples from corpus-based data can assist teachers in developing lesson plans and creating vocabulary learning activities for L2 learners.
DOI: 10.14457/tu.the.2022.1262
title: Needs in English skills of non-teaching employees at the faculty of medicine in a Thai university

description: This study investigated the English language needs of non-teaching employees at the Faculty of Medicine in a Thai university. A total of 111 participants from 11 departments completed a questionnaire consisting of close-ended and open-ended questions. The data were processed using Microsoft Excel to calculate frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. The results indicated that there was a moderate level of necessity for using English skills at work. Listening skills were identified as the most necessary, followed by reading, writing, and speaking skills. The participants emphasized the necessity of understanding English vocabulary, reading various English media, writing academic English, and conversing with foreign students. Moreover, the study also highlighted department-specific variations in English skill needs, with General Administration ranking as the most necessary department for English skills, particularly in writing. Other departments emphasized the necessity of reading or listening skills. The findings of this study can be used to develop targeted language programs and training initiatives to enhance the English proficiency and effectiveness of non-teaching employees in an academic organization.
DOI: 10.14457/tu.the.2022.1263
title: แนวทางการบริหารจัดการปัญหาน้ำท่วมในเขตกรุงเทพมหานคร

description: การวิจัยครั้งนี้ใช้ระเบียบวิธีวิจัยเชิงคุณภาพ โดยมีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษาการบริหารจัดการปัญหาน้ำท่วมในเขตกรุงเทพมหานคร รวมถึงปัญหาและอุปสรรคที่พบในการบริหารจัดการปัญหาน้ำท่วมในเขตกรุงเทพมหานคร ตลอดจนเสนอแนะแนวทางการบริหารจัดการปัญหาน้ำท่วมในเขตกรุงเทพมหานครที่มีประสิทธิภาพและประสิทธิผลมากขึ้น ทำการเก็บรวบรวมข้อมูลด้วยการสัมภาษณ์เชิงลึกโดยใช้แบบสัมภาษณ์แบบกึ่งมีโครงสร้างกับผู้ให้ข้อมูลสำคัญ ได้แก่ กลุ่มเจ้าหน้าที่ของกรุงเทพมหานครที่ปฏิบัติหน้าที่ด้านการบริหารจัดการปัญหาน้ำท่วมในเขตกรุงเทพมหานครและกลุ่มนักวิชาการหรือผู้ทรงคุณวุฒิด้านการจัดการภัยพิบัติ จากนั้นทำการวิเคราะห์ข้อมูลด้วยการวิเคราะห์เนื้อหา ผลการวิจัยพบว่ากรุงเทพมหานครควรทำการบริการจัดการปัญหาน้ำท่วมควรทำการถอดบทเรียนจากการจัดการปัญหาน้ำท่วมเพื่อพัฒนาระบบการจัดการความเสี่ยงจากสาธารณภัยที่ต้องทำทั้งระบบ ตั้งแต่ก่อนเกิดเหตุ ขณะเกิดเหตุ และหลังเกิดเหตุ เพื่อให้สามารถลดความรุนแรงของความเสียหายที่จะเกิดขึ้นได้ ทั้งนี้ กรุงเทพมหานครควรทำการบริการจัดการปัญหาน้ำท่วมโดยการใช้ทั้งมาตรการที่ใช้โครงสร้างควบคู่กับมาตรการที่ไม่ใช้โครงสร้าง