ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
&quot;Say You Want a Revolution&quot;: A Call for Participatory Approach in EFL Educational System
Author: Rafiee, Marzieh
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Mixed Methods Research,Educational Practices,Educational Principles,Teacher Attitudes,Teaching Methods,Barriers,Second Language Instruction,Questionnaires,Interviews,Curriculum Implementation,Teacher Student Relationship,High Schools,Foreign Countries

This mixed-method study investigated the language teachers' opinions on the inclusion of the principles of Participatory Approach in language classroom settings in Iran. Applying both quantitative and qualitative approaches of data collection procedures, the study explored the language teachers' attitude, on the perceived importance and use of the principles of Participatory Approach in two settings of high schools and private institutes. The results indicated that although both groups of teachers perceived the importance of inclusion of this approach in language classrooms, language teachers working in schools encounter some insurmountable obstacles in their teaching context. The problems of inclusion of Participatory Approach in both settings were then discussed by the teachers and the solutions were offered. Implication for further research is also suggested.
Declarative Sentence Pattern in &quot;Laskar Pelangi&quot; and &quot;The Rainbow Troops&quot;: A Translation Study of Indonesian to English
Author: Kuswoyo, Heri
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Sentences,Novels,Translation,Indonesian,English,Qualitative Research,Comparative Analysis

This study is entitled &quot;declarative sentence pattern in 'Laskar Pelangi' and 'The Rainbow Troops': A Translation Study of Indonesian to English&quot;. In this study, the present writer discusses about the differences &amp; similarities of declarative sentence between Indonesian novel and English translation novel. Further, the data were taken from Indonesian's novel (&quot;Laskar Pelangi&quot;) as the source language and English translation Novel (&quot;The Rainbow Troops&quot;) as the Target language. In this study, the present writer employs Descriptive Analysis as the methodology and analyzes Indonesian and English declarative sentence, which is categorized into nominal, adjectival, prepositional, and numeral, transitive and intransitive. Then the writer applies Contrastive Analysis method to contrast the patterns. Finally, the present writer concludes that the similarities of declarative sentence patterns between Indonesian and English language found in two categories, those are transitive, and intransitive; however the differences ones found in the nominal, adjectival, prepositional, and numeral category.
The Impact of Time-Series Diagnostic Tests on the Writing Ability of Iranian EFL Learners
Author: Atashgahi, Bahareh Molazem
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Diagnostic Tests,Time,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,College Students,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Writing Assignments,Essays,Pretests Posttests,Scoring,Comparative Analysis,Statistical Analysis,Writing Tests,Writing Skills,Feedback (Response)

This study aimed to show whether administering a battery of time-series diagnostic tests (screening) has any impact on Iranian EFL learners' writing ability. The study was conducted on the intermediate EFL learners at Islamic Azad University North Tehran branch. The researcher administered a homogenizing test in order to exclude the exceptional scores, among all the testers, only those whose scores were nearly within one standard deviation above or below the mean were selected as the participants of this study. After the assignment of the participants to the control and experimental groups--30 students in each group--they were asked to write five-paragraph essays on two topics. Such a pretest was given to both groups to test their initial writing ability. Once scoring of the students' writings (five-paragraph essay) was finished the two means of the groups were calculated and compared with each other through the t-test analysis. The results demonstrated that there was no statistically significant difference between those two groups regarding the variable under investigation. Four sets of diagnostic tests were given to the experimental group every two weeks and after each test both the result of the exam and suitable feedback regarding students' errors were given to them by the teacher, while the Current-Traditional Rhetoric method was administered in the control group. In the posttest which was run after giving the treatment and placebo to experimental group and control group respectively, students took another writing test with the same characteristics in administration, topics and scoring as the one in the pretest. Thereafter, the significance of the difference between the obtained means of experimental and control groups in the posttest was determined through the t-test. The result of the t-test analysis indicated a significant difference between the two groups which consequently rejected the null hypothesis of the study. Therefore, any significant difference between the performance of experimental and control groups was attributed to the effectiveness of treatment which in this study was a set of parallel form diagnostic tests and the related feedback which was given by the teacher. Two matched t-test were also calculated to determine whether students in two groups had any improvements from the pretest to posttest or not.
Language Learner Beliefs in an English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) Context
Author: Naghdipour, Bakhtiar
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Beliefs,Language Attitudes,Dialect Studies,English (Second Language),Undergraduate Students,Prior Learning,Student Characteristics,Semi Structured Interviews,Student Surveys,Learning Experience,Educational Environment,Foreign Students,Likert Scales,Environmental Influences,Student Adjustment,Foreign Countries,Statistical Analysis

With the advent of learner-centered approaches to second or foreign language teaching, the research on learners' beliefs or what learners bring into the classroom in terms of their prior knowledge and experiences, their expectations, and their attitudes towards different aspects of language learning has gained momentum. Learners may, for example, develop core beliefs about language learning that undergo change or otherwise resist change when moving to a new learning context. This study examines overseas Iranian undergraduate students' (n = 160) beliefs about language learning in an English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) context and investigates the impact of the old and new learning environments on shaping or affecting these beliefs. The data from a survey and a semi-structured interview revealed that the students' previous learning experiences and the socio-political factors of the old learning context affected the shaping of the trajectory of their belief development. The results also suggested that the new learning environment hardly affected the students' core beliefs about language learning and in some cases even consolidated them. The paper concludes with a discussion of the main findings and offers several implications for further research and practice.
Translation of the Holy Quran: A Call for Standardization
Author: Halimah, Ahmad Mustafa
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Literature,Translation,English,Islam,Standards,Language Usage,Native Speakers,Semantics,Cultural Influences

The recent increase in the number of English translations of the Quran has led to problematic misrepresentations, misinterpretations and even textual discrepancies in the translations of a number of Islamic concepts, principles and norms. This paper is an attempt to evaluate five different English versions of the translation of the Quran using concepts, principles and norms as parameters for discussion and analysis. Results of discussion and analysis of the samples used in this paper have indicated that there is an un urgent need for a mechanism that will help using the formation of a standardised version of an explanatory translation of the meanings of the Quran that is authoritative in form and content to be used all over the English Speaking world. To achieve this objective, a list of suggestions and recommendations have been made for use by those in authority and for those who are interested in carrying out further research in this field.
Why Is an Application of Multiple Intelligences Theory Important for Language Learning and Teaching Speaking Ability?
Author: Boonma, Malai
Date: 2014-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Multiple Intelligences,Teaching Methods,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Oral Language,Learning Theories,Theory Practice Relationship,Lesson Plans

This article calls for a strong need to propose the theoretical framework of the Multiple Intelligences theory (MI) and provide a suitable answer of the doubt in part of foreign language teaching. The article addresses the application of MI theory following various sources from Howard Gardner and the authors who revised this theory for use in the field of the English speaking improvement domain. In other word, this article combines and summarizes appropriate elements for the person on how to start teaching with this theory. The article also describes sequences and implication of the theory into practice. MI theory with the description of eight intelligences characteristics is presented. Following is the parts of activities catering and the processes of teaching with MI are provided. This article ends with the reviews of the ways for assessment and examples of lesson plan integrated with MI theory.
Attitudes towards Teachers' Motivation, and Classroom Strategy, in English Language Classrooms
Author: Pahlavanpoorfard, Samira
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Student Attitudes,Student Motivation,Classroom Techniques,Language Teachers,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires,Factor Analysis,High School Students,Private Schools

This study aimed at investigating the attitudes of Iranian EFL students towards teachers' motivation and classroom strategy in English classroom. The subjects of the study included a sample of 235 students in their classes. The findings of this study revealed that teachers' motivation and classroom strategy used by teachers have effects on the students' motivation.
Should Humanism Approach Be Applied in English as a Second Language (ESL) Classrooms?
Author: Ling, Lee Yi
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Humanism,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Learning Processes,Student Needs,Student Interests,Teaching Methods,Educational Environment,Foreign Countries,Second Language Instruction,Communicative Competence (Languages)

In the process of learning, many elements fall into place wholly in order to enhance effectiveness. These elements include not only environmental factors but also learners' mentality which involves their feelings, needs and interests. Humanism approach is one which caters these elements required by learners' learning process through emphasis on student-centeredness in class. The paradigm of this approach is mainly on what learners desire to learn, instead of teaching them what is perceived to be essentially acquired. For years, there have been controversial debates concerning the effectiveness of the humanism approach in teaching. With the aim of scrutinizing the relevance and applicability of this approach in the Malaysian teaching context, a humanistic lesson was conducted and recorded in Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN). The lesson was then analysed to obtain some results.
Comparative Analysis of the Concept of Shakespearean Tragedies
Author: Sipra, Muhammad Aslam
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Tragedy,English Literature,Comparative Analysis

In this article, the analysis of Shakespearean tragedies is presented. It reveals that Shakespeare's plays are full of conflicting thoughts, and expression is so convincing that it is not possible to plan a system of philosophy out of them. Each character, from the king to the clown, from the most highly intellectual to the simpleton, judges life from his own point of view and says something that is so deep and appropriate at the playwright's versatility of genius. So is the case with the conception of tragedy.
The Profound Sense of Dissatisfaction: A Comparative Study of Franz Kafka's &quot;A Hunger Artist&quot; and Maulana Jalalu-d'-Din Muhammad i Rumi's &quot;A Man of Baghdad&quot;
Author: Hooti, Noorbakhsh
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Satisfaction,Comparative Analysis,Literary Genres,Medieval Literature,Twentieth Century Literature,Failure

This study delves into investigating Kafka's &quot;A Hunger Artist&quot; and Rumi's &quot;A Man of Baghdad,&quot; in which they have a dramatized sense of dissatisfaction, its causes and consequences in a symbolic manner. In fact, it has utilized the story of Rumi that its main character is in a condition similar to the main character in Kafka's story. In both stories the main characters somehow are imprisoned in their ideals, and what distinguishes between these two stories is the different viewpoints that they adopt in confronting their ideals. Actually, the limited view of human beings and being detached from reality, and actually being detached from themselves, has been considered the main cause of dissatisfaction. So, the flagrant relationship among human ideals, enjoyment, and suffering is resulted from their intangible borders. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to reveal the human choices in searching for happiness, escaping from the sense of dissatisfaction, and manifold encounters with reality, and ultimately attaching to the ideals that are embedded in the themes of the both stories.
From a Post-Traumatic Culture toward the Cultural Trauma of Post-9/11
Author: Jabarouti, Roya
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Trauma,Terrorism,Cultural Influences,Social Influences,Memory,Coping,Posttraumatic Stress Disorder,Psychological Patterns

Over the past decade, the impact of the terroristic attacks of September 11, 2001 on American culture has been the prominent subject of various discussions. This has led to a large body of theoretical and experimental works known as &quot;post-9/11&quot;, which provides evidence for what Smelser's believes to be the cultural trauma of 9/11. This study sets out to present a review of post 9/11 literature, with the perspective of cultural trauma as suggested by Neil J. Smelser, to provide a comprehensive understanding of this collective experience. This analysis highlights the role of the historical background and socio-cultural context in the establishment of cultural trauma. It also indicates the social agents and cultural elements that contributed to the embeddedness and spread of this phenomenon among the Americans. Finally, it indicates the most prominent collective response of the Americans, and as its consequences.
What Does Good Language Learner (GLL) Say about Foreign Language Learning? A Story from an Indonesian Learner
Author: Wahyudi, Ribut
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Second Language Learning,Learning Experience,English (Second Language),Questionnaires,Personal Narratives,Learning Strategies,Profiles,Best Practices,Graduate Surveys

Learning a foreign language could either be problematic or simplistic. For those who have learnt a foreign language (e.g. English) for along period of time but no significant progress it might be discouraging. On the other hand, for the successful learner it might be just an &quot;affordable price&quot; to get through. This paper draws on a successful foreign language learning experience by an Indonesian learner of English. Having no English background, along with the learner's non-linear degree courses makes this success story unique. The data was taken through questionnaire sent through email and Facebook correspondence, in which the respondent answered the set of questions and the researcher clarified for further explanation if the answer was not clear enough. The result of the questionnaire seems to indicate that the respondent characterizes some characteristics of good language learners (Rubin, 1975). However, there are domains in which the respondent's personal narratives do differ with the characteristics of good language learners as has been described in the former studies.
&quot;CityVille&quot;: Collaborative Game Play, Communication and Skill Development in Social Networks
Author: Del-Moral, María-Esther
Date: 2014-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Video Games,Social Media,Simulated Environment,Educational Games,Teaching Methods,Cooperation,Skill Development,Interpersonal Communication,Questionnaires,Online Surveys,Statistical Analysis,Foreign Countries,Likert Scales

This paper has as its aim to analyze how CityVille, a videogame hosted on Facebook and oriented to the construction of a virtual city, can favor collaboration between gamers along with the exchange of strategies, equally contributing to learning transfer and skill acquisition. The first step consists in identifying the opportunities which the said game can offer in order to develop skills and promote learning formats linked with planning and resource management, after which a presentation is made of the opinions expressed by a sample of gamers (N = 105)--belonging to the Fans-CityVille community--about the priorities established by them to communicate with their neighbors and the skills that they believe to have acquired playing this game. 85.7% of them state that they communicate with others to share strategies and expand their city. Unlike women, who value collaboration, men prioritize competition. Designing their city has enhanced a number of gamer skills in different proportions: creative skills (71.4%); organizational ones (68.0%); skills associated with decision-making and problem-solving (67.0%); and interpersonal skills through interaction with others (61.9%). The CityVille game mode favors skill development and helps to create a ludic atmosphere of collaboration and optimal strategy exchange through communication between neighbors by strengthening their mutual relationships. Its formula moves away from the often-criticized competitive practices of other games.
Using Supplementary Readings (Short Stories) in Increasing the Conceptual Fluency, the Case of Idioms in English
Author: Mokhtari, Elahe
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,English (Second Language),Supplementary Reading Materials,Literary Genres,Reading Fluency,Reading Comprehension,Language Patterns,Females,Language Tests,Pretests Posttests,Multiple Choice Tests,Scores,Reading Instruction,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Comparative Analysis,Difficulty Level,Instructional Effectiveness

The aim of this research was to probed whether using supplementary readings (short stories containing idioms) increase conceptual fluency of L2 learners. In line with the goal of the study, first, the researcher selected a sample of 30 female lower-intermediate L2 learners from Sadr Private Language Centre in Isfahan. She selected them based on their scores (75 or higher) in the previous term final exam. The researcher divided them into two groups. Then, she held a pre-test containing 30 multiple choice questions and registered their scores out of 30. Questions were mainly taken from the exercises of the book &quot;Can You Believe It?&quot; Next, she taught idioms to both groups 15 minutes each session and for thirty sessions, but provided only the experimental group with supplementary readings taken from the mentioned book. After that, she held a post-test containing 30 multiple choice questions and again registered their scores. Questions were taken again from book exercises with a higher level of difficulty comparing to the pre-test. Finally, the researcher compared the results obtained from groups' mean scores, frequency of obtained scores, and t-test on pre-test and post-test. The results of the study showed that the experimental group accomplished far better than the control group on the post-test. It also showed that the experimental group development in terms of conceptual fluency was meaningful and reliable. Therefore, it can be concluded that using supplementary readings has positive effect on developing conceptual fluency of L2 learners.
A Study of Power Relations in Doctor-Patient Interactions in Selected Hospitals in Lagos State, Nigeria
Author: Adam, Qasim
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Power Structure,Physician Patient Relationship,Hospitals,Mixed Methods Research,Discourse Analysis

This paper explores power relations in clinical interactions in Nigeria. It seeks to investigate the use of power between doctors and patients during consultations on patient-centred approach to medicine in selected public and private hospitals in Lagos State, Nigeria. The objective is to establish how doctors' projection of power, using the discourse resources of transitivity, affects positively or negatively their relationship with patients. This study employs triangulation as its methodology. A judicious mix of quantitative and qualitative methods has been utilized to give the study a scientific shape. Proportionate stratified random sampling and purposive sampling procedures were employed. The study employs the theoretical and analytical paradigms of Systemic Functional Linguistics and Critical Discourse Analysis. The findings revealed that doctors predominantly use this process to the benefit of the patients. Minimal level of intrusive and cooperative interruptions was also observed. It is expected that this study will give more visibility on the best way patients can be empowered by lessening doctors' use of polar interrogatives and completely avoiding interruptive discourse in clinical interactions.