ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
A Comparative Study of Paper-Based and Computer-Based Contextualization in Vocabulary Learning of EFL Students
Author: Ahmadian, Mousa
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Comparative Analysis,Pretests Posttests,Statistical Analysis,Vocabulary Development,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Computer Software,Computer Assisted Instruction,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,Teaching Methods,High School Students

Vocabulary acquisition is one of the largest and most important tasks in language classes. New technologies, such as computers, have helped a lot in this way. The importance of the issue led the researchers to do the present study which concerns the comparison of contextualized vocabulary learning on paper and through Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL). To this end, 52 Pre-university EFL learners were randomly assigned in two groups: a paper-based group (PB ) and a computer-based (CB) group each with 26 learners. The PB group received PB contextualization of vocabulary items, while the CB group received CB contextualization of the vocabulary items thorough PowerPoint (PP) software. One pretest, posttest, along with an immediate and a delayed posttest were given to the learners. Paired samples t-test of pretest and posttest and independent samples t-test of the delayed and immediate posttest were executed by SPSS software. The results revealed that computer-based contextualization had more effects on vocabulary learning of Iranian EFL learners than paper-based contextualization of the words.
Lexical Bundles and the Construction of an Academic Voice in Business Writing
Author: Mhedhbi, Malek
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academic Discourse,English for Special Purposes,Pretests Posttests,Questionnaires,Business Schools,Phrase Structure,Business English,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Metalinguistics,Foreign Countries,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Grades (Scholastic),Student Attitudes,Positive Attitudes,Scores,Writing Tests,Writing Skills

Most previous studies on disciplinary academic writing focused on the structures in research articles or linguistic realizations of each move (Lau, 2004; Hyland, 2000). Few have been conducted to address the interpersonal aspect of disciplinary discourse texts. The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of lexical bundles' (LBs) awareness on writing enhancement of high-intermediate ESP learners. To this aim, 16 male and female learners studying at Tunis Business School were selected. Their grades of previous academic years underlined the homogeneity of the participants. They were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The control group was taught based on the conventional approaches of writing. The experimental group received a treatment of LBs awareness in the writing of a credible academic prose. The design of the study was based on four phases respectively a pre-test, a treatment, a posttest and a questionnaire. The pre-test was constituted of two short parts aiming at examining the rhetorical features of the participants' writings particularly their knowledge of LBs. Then the treatment phase which comprised three tasks in teaching LBs. After that, a post-test was administrated in an attempt to examine the effect of the treatment on the participants' output. Next, an 8-item evaluation questionnaire, including an open-ended question, was distributed to elicit information about the students' attitudes towards the techniques used to raise their awareness of LBs' use. The findings revealed that there was a significant difference between the writing scores and LBs' use among the participants in the control and experimental groups. The results of the questionnaire also demonstrated students' positive perceptions towards the usefulness of the LBs treatment tasks.
The Effects of Differing Densities of Glossing on Vocabulary Uptake and Reading Comprehension
Author: Majuddin, Elvenna
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reading Comprehension,Vocabulary Development,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Foreign Countries,Pretests Posttests,Teaching Methods,Language Tests,Incidental Learning,Mandarin Chinese,Indonesian,Chinese,Native Language,Reading Strategies,Elementary School Teachers,Reading Tests,Scoring,Achievement Gains,Elementary School Students,Statistical Analysis

This study investigated the effects of differing densities of glossing on the uptake of target words and the comprehension of idea units from a reading text. The focus was whether different densities of glossing would create trade-off effects. Thirty-three Malaysian ESL learners were assigned to three different conditions: high-density glossing, low-density glossing, and no-glossing. Three weeks after a vocabulary pretest the participants read a text under one of the conditions, and took a reading comprehension test and a vocabulary posttest. The results revealed that there were no trade-off effects between reading comprehension and uptake of the target words. However, the glossed words did appear to detract from the uptake of un-glossed vocabulary. The results also hinted at a trade-off effect between attention given to idea units containing glossed target words, and those that did not contain glosses. The findings suggested that teachers should be aware of potential side-effects of glossing.
Joseph Conrad's &quot;Lord Jim&quot;: Reconsiderations
Author: Al-Haj, Ali Albashir Mohammed
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Authors,Novels,English Literature,Literary Devices,Trust (Psychology),Attachment Behavior,Moral Issues

The present study aims at reconsidering critically Joseph Conrad's &quot;Lord Jim.&quot; Joseph Conrad is a great master of English prose who writes normally of the sea, of the Eastern islands, of the English character as seen against a background of the exotic or faced with difficulties. The power of Conrad's feelings for Jim, as well as the force of his judgment against him, are the responses of a man mightily involved on two planes, one personal and one public, with the dynamics of good and evil. The evil in &quot;Lord Jim&quot; is one thing on the surface and another beneath our grasp. It is of course the evil of men who have no sense of loyalty to anything.
A Case Study of Chinese College Students' Attitudes toward Only English-Medium Teaching in EFL Classrooms
Author: Yue, Sun
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Case Studies,College Students,Student Attitudes,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Language of Instruction,Questionnaires,Interviews,Preferences,Teaching Methods,Teacher Qualifications,Language Proficiency,Foreign Countries

Facing the current situation that Chinese students are poor in English productive ability, the mode of only English-medium teaching is put forward to completely improve students' English abilities and comprehensive competence by creating second language acquisition atmosphere. Since few studies have been conducted on students' attitudes toward only English-medium teaching in ELT classrooms especially from the perspective of students themselves, this paper, through questionnaires and interviews, focuses on students' attitudes to figure out their preferences, evaluations and suggestions of teaching modes, and further discusses the practical application of only English-medium teaching in EFL classrooms from five respects: teaching purpose, course design, teacher' qualification, students' language level and teaching effect. It is concluded that only English-medium teaching is not of popularity among students giving their own English levels and the advancement of only English-medium teaching quality depends on the qualified teachers and suitable courses
The Functions of Onomatopoeia in Modern English and Arabic Poetry: A Study in Selected Poems by Lawrence and al-Sayyab
Author: Al-Zubbaidi, Haitham K.
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English,Semitic Languages,Literary Devices,Poetry,Cultural Differences,Poets,Contrastive Linguistics,Language Rhythm,Rhyme,Discourse Analysis

Onomatopoeia has always been a functional poetic device which enjoys a high sound significance in the poetry of many languages. In modern English and Arabic poetry alike, it proves to be vital and useful at different levels: musical, thematic and at the level of meaning. Still, the cultural difference looms large over the ways it is employed by the poets of each. The present paper investigates the employment of onomatopoeia in the poetry of D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930) and Badr Shakir al-Sayyab (1926-1964) who are chosen due to the importance they enjoy in modern English and Arabic poetry and the richness of their poems in onomatopoeias. The conclusions reached are in a sense related to cultural differences which govern the use of onomatopoeia for specific aims rather than for others.
The Effect of Explicit vs. Implicit Instruction on the Learnability of English Consonant Clusters by Iranian Learners of English
Author: Khanbeiki, Ruhollah
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Phonemes,Statistical Analysis,Pretests Posttests,Pronunciation,Pronunciation Instruction,Control Groups,Scores,Language Tests,Comparative Analysis,Foreign Countries

The present study was aimed at providing the English teachers across Iran with a good and fruitful method of teaching pronunciation. To this end, sixty female intermediate EFL learners were put in three different but equivalent groups of 20 based on the results of a pronunciation pre-test. One of the groups received explicit instruction including exposure to the correct pronunciation of consonant clusters, extra examples, and explanations. The kind of treatment for the second group was implicit including only exposure to the correct pronunciation of such clusters. The third group, serving as the control group, received no instruction on pronunciation. After ten sessions of instruction, all the participants were provided with the post-test in which they were to read aloud 50 words containing initial and final consonant clusters while they were recorded. The results of ANOVA showed that although they were all the same in the pre-test, they had performed differently on the post-test, demonstrating that different treatments had various impacts on learning pronunciation. The results of Tukey test showed that although the participants in the implicit group had progressed during the course, the explicit instruction was the best method in improving participants' pronunciation. To compare the groups' mean scores two by two, t-test was also used. The results of this test showed that explicit instruction is better than the implicit instruction which in turn is better than the control group.
A Study of the Relationship between Type of Dictionary Used and Lexical Proficiency in Writings of Iranian EFL Students
Author: Vahdany, Fereidoon
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Questionnaires,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Dictionaries,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Correlation,Writing Skills,Bilingualism,Language Proficiency,Preferences,Interviews,Educational Benefits,Student Attitudes,Quasiexperimental Design,Foreign Countries,Likert Scales,Statistical Analysis,Language Tests

This study aimed at investigating the relationship between types of dictionaries used and lexical proficiency in writing. Eighty TOEFL students took part in responding to two Questionnaires collecting information about their dictionary type preferences and habits of dictionary use, along with an interview for further in-depth responses. They were also asked to write a composition to be evaluated on their lexical proficiency. According to the results, the most frequently used dictionary type was Bilingual (E-P) Desk Dictionary (BDD) and the least favored dictionaries were Bilingual (P-E) Desk Dictionary (BDD2) and Bilingual (P-E) Mobile Dictionary (BMD). Referring to dictionaries in search of meaning during reading-writing, and after speaking-listening were the most common habits of students. Additionally, a significant relationship between the type of dictionary and lexical proficiency in participant's writing was found. There was also a correlation between skill in dictionary use and lexical proficiency in writing. These findings entail some pedagogical benefits to enhance learners' lexical competence by modifying the type of learners' preferred dictionary and their habits in dictionary use.
Weekly Formative Exams and Creative Grading Enhance Student Learning in an Introductory Biology Course
Author: Bailey, E. G.
Date: 2017-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Biology,Introductory Courses,Formative Evaluation,Science Tests,Grading,College Freshmen,Science Achievement,Achievement Gains,Learning,Feedback (Response),Problem Solving,Logical Thinking,Student Attitudes,Student Evaluation

First-year students often become discouraged during introductory biology courses when repeated attempts to understand concepts nevertheless result in poor test scores. This challenge is exacerbated by traditional course structures that impose premature judgments on students' achievements. Repeated testing has been shown to benefit student ability to recognize and recall information, but an effective means to similarly facilitate skill with higher-order problems in introductory courses is needed. Here, we show that an innovative format that uses a creative grading scheme together with weekly formative midterm exams produced significant gains in student success with difficult items requiring analysis and interpretation. This format is designed to promote tenacity and avoid discouragement by providing multiple opportunities to attempt demanding problems on exams, detailed immediate feedback, and strong incentives to retain hope and improve. Analysis of individual performance trajectories with heat maps reveals the diversity of learning patterns and provides rational means for advising students.
Literature in Foreign Language Education Programs: A New Perspective
Author: Abukhattala, Ibrahim
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Semi Structured Interviews,Language Teachers,Qualitative Research,Higher Education,English Literature,Secondary School Teachers,Foreign Countries,Attitude Measures,Language Skills,Program Effectiveness,Barriers,Teacher Education Programs

Many of the studies on the subject of literature as an essential part of the English education programs in Arab universities has concentrated on only professors' views and attitudes to these courses. By contrast, the following article describes a qualitative investigation on how former students and presently in-service English teachers felt about studying English literature during their university years. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with six English-major graduates who teach EFL at high and secondary schools in Misurata, Libya. The study has revealed that participants were not positive about literature courses as they maintain that these courses have contributed little to their language development and teaching careers. They have narrated several factors which limited benefiting from these courses. Some of these factors are the teaching and learning practices in the language classroom, the difficulty and oddness of vocabulary and structures of literature texts and the lack of skills in English. Based on the interviews, reflections and implications of these barriers are made.
The Effect of &quot;GoEnglish.Me&quot;: A Virtual Learning Website on Lower Intermediate Iranian EFL Learners Speaking Ability
Author: Peyghambarian, Farideh
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Web Sites,Language Skills,Native Speakers,Randomized Controlled Trials,Internet,Conventional Instruction,Interaction,Comparative Analysis,Simulated Environment,College Students,Pretests Posttests,Interviews,Statistical Analysis

GoEnglish.Me can provide EFL learners with authentic materials in a variety of topics. In addition to authentic materials, the site can offer an opportunity of learning real Spoken English by American Native Speakers. To achieve the purpose of this study, you can probe the effect of GoEnglish.Me on lower-intermediate EFL learners' speaking ability. 44 female subjects from a language institute in Mashhad were selected and randomly assigned to control (N = 22) and experimental (N = 22) groups. Participants in the experimental group received the internet and were allowed to employ the materials of GoEnglish.Me in order to practice speaking. Participants in the control group practiced speaking traditionally, that is, they did not have any access to computer and internet, and the practice was done through face-to-face conversations, teacher-student interaction and etc. Finally, it was found that the experimental group outperformed the control group in posttest (p&lt;0.05). Also, the finding provides pedagogical implication for employing GoEnglish.Me as an effective virtual environment in order to help EFL students improve their English language skills.
Examining Oral Reading Fluency Trajectories among English Language Learners and English Speaking Students
Author: Jimerson, Shane R.
Date: 2013-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reading Fluency,Oral Reading,English Language Learners,Native Speakers,English Instruction,Achievement Tests,Reading Achievement,Growth Models,Achievement Rating,Achievement Gains,Socioeconomic Status,Predictive Validity,Predictor Variables,Second Language Learning,Longitudinal Studies,Student Records,School Statistics,Elementary School Students,Correlation

Students' oral reading fluency growth from first through fourth grade was used to predict their achievement on the Stanford Achievement Test (9th ed.; SAT-9 Reading) using a latent growth model. Two conditional variables related to student status were used to determine the effects on reading performance--English language learners (ELLs) with low socioeconomic status and low socioeconomic (SES) status alone. Results revealed that both types of student status variables reliably predicted low performance on initial first grade oral reading fluency, which later predicted fourth grade performance on the SAT-9. However, the reading fluency trajectories of the ELLs and monolingual English students were not significantly different. In addition, when both student status variables and letter naming fluency were used to predict initial oral reading fluency, letter naming fluency dominated the prediction equation, suggesting that an initial pre-reading skill, letter naming fluency, better explained fourth grade performance on the SAT-9 than either ELL with low SES or low SES alone. The discussion focuses on how to better enable these readers and how oral reading fluency progress monitoring can be used to assist school personnel in determining which students need additional instructional assistance.
The Effect of English Verbal Songs on Connected Speech Aspects of Adult English Learners' Speech Production
Author: Ashtiani, Farshid Tayari
Date: 2015-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Singing,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Language Tests,Foreign Countries,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Familiarity,Pretests Posttests,Oral Reading,Speech Communication,Statistical Analysis,Scores,Teaching Methods,Language Teachers,Verbal Communication,Language Fluency,Multivariate Analysis

The present study was an attempt to investigate the impact of English verbal songs on connected speech aspects of adult English learners' speech production. 40 participants were selected based on the results of their performance in a piloted and validated version of NELSON test given to 60 intermediate English learners in a language institute in Tehran. Then they were equally distributed in two control and experimental groups and received a validated pretest of reading aloud and speaking in English. Afterward, the treatment was performed in 18 sessions by singing preselected songs culled based on some criteria such as popularity, familiarity, amount, and speed of speech delivery, etc. In the end, the posttests of reading aloud and speaking in English were administered. The results revealed that the treatment had statistically positive effects on the connected speech aspects of English learners' speech production at statistical 0.05 level of significance. Meanwhile, the results represented that there was not any significant difference between the experimental group's mean scores on the posttests of reading aloud and speaking. It was thus concluded that providing the EFL learners with English verbal songs could positively affect connected speech aspects of both modes of speech production, reading aloud and speaking. The Findings of this study have pedagogical implications for language teachers to be more aware and knowledgeable of the benefits of verbal songs to promote speech production of language learners in terms of naturalness and fluency.
The Double in Quest to Save the Protagonist
Author: Maleska, Kalina
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Novels,Literary Genres,Literary Devices,Twentieth Century Literature,Italian Literature,English Literature,Social Isolation,Narration,Ideology,Social Systems,Theories,Comparative Analysis,Figurative Language

This essay explores the theme of the double in Umberto Eco's &quot;The Island of the Day Before,&quot; Joseph Conrad's &quot;The Secret Sharer&quot; and Zivko Chingo's &quot;The Big Water.&quot; While traditionally the double is connected with the evil alter-ego of the protagonist, what brings these three works together (by an Italian, English and Macedonian author) is the fact that the treatment of the double in them is different from those traditional representations. The essay will argue that, even if it seems that the double is some kind of more evil variant than the protagonist, he is actually summoned in the three selected works by the protagonist in order to save him from loneliness or threat. Still, the levels of real existence of the double, his roles and functions are different in all three works and these aspects will come into light in their comparison. Each work is analyzed in terms of several theoretical assumptions established Chatman, Genette or Steiner, among others, and each is compared with the other two, thus producing the points of resemblance in terms of the two narrative structures that coexist in all three works.
Using Material Authenticity in the Saudi English Textbook Design: A Content Analysis from the Viewpoint of EFL Teachers
Author: Alshumaimeri, Yousif A.
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Textbooks,Content Analysis,Reading Comprehension,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,Secondary School Students,Language Teachers,Females,Language Proficiency,Reading Materials,Teacher Attitudes,Statistical Analysis

This study attempts to identify the extent of using authentic materials in the new series of secondary English textbooks (&quot;Flying High for Saudi Arabia&quot;) used currently in Saudi schools. Therefore, a content analysis instrument has been designed to analyze the first secondary English textbook. The instrument has been distributed on 112 EFL female teachers who work in public Secondary schools in Riyadh city. The findings show that the selected textbook focuses to a moderate extent on using material authenticity. The provided materials promote genuine communication among EFL learners, prepare learners for the future uses of the target language and present authentic language in its actual contexts. However, the findings reveal that the used materials are beyond the learners' level and the reading comprehension activities present real life texts at a poor range. These findings suggest to adjust the given materials to fulfill the learners' needs and match their proficiency level.