ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
A Study of Students&apos; Group Dialogues on the Use of High-Level Comprehension Features in an EFL Reading Class
Author: Chen, Hsiu-Chuan
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reading Comprehension,Community Colleges,College Students,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Diaries,Group Discussion,Dialogs (Language),Student Attitudes,Teaching Methods,Reading Ability,Language Proficiency,Discourse Analysis,Chinese,Native Language,Cooperative Learning,Reading Instruction

This study aimed to examine junior college students' group dialogues on the use of high-level comprehension features in an EFL reading class. The participants were one high-ability group and one low-ability group in terms of discussion proficiency. Eight representative discussions conducted in the students' first language served as the major data source, which were analyzed for discourse features linked to high-level thinking and comprehension, based on the criteria identified by Soter et al. (2008). Interviews and students' reading logs were collected to provide supporting evidence of how the EFL learners undertook their group reading tasks. The results revealed that both focus groups, to some extent, were able to incorporate all discourse features that indicate high-level learning and comprehension of texts without regard to discussion proficiency. The major differences were that the high-ability group had more uptake questions, whereas the low-ability group engaged in longer and more numerous episodes of elaborated explanations and of exploratory talk. That the low-ability group exhibited more talk and indicators of quality discussion than the high-ability group could be possibly explained with the genre of reading materials, personal belief about reading stories, and the use of nonverbal information and of personal connections. Despite the differences, the two groups demonstrated the language of high-level comprehension to &quot;interthink&quot; deeply about the text. The study concludes that through incorporating discourse features linked to high-level comprehension, students could guide one another toward deeper engagement with the text in group reading.
Approaches to Crafting English as a Second Language on Social Media: An Ethnographic Case Study from Saudi Arabia
Author: Dahmash, Nada Bin
Date: 2019-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Semitic Languages,Females,Undergraduate Students,Social Media,Computer Software,Telecommunications,Handheld Devices,Web Sites,Assistive Technology,Translation,Spelling,Grammar,Dictionaries,Reading Skills,Writing Skills,Literacy,Foreign Countries

Saudi female undergraduates perform various activities in English, their second language (L2), on social media. They engage in different types of writing and reading on social media in everyday life. But little is known about the material resources and concrete activities they drew on as they read and write in English on their preferred social media. This ethnographic case study aims to examine the material resources and concrete activities of a group of Saudi female undergraduates majoring in English Translation in a university in Saudi Arabia as they use English on social media. This study particularly aims to answer this research question: What material resources and concrete activities do Saudi female undergraduates employ as they read and write in English on social media? A total of eleven female Saudi undergraduates took part in this research. Online observation, focus group interviewing, semi-structured interviews, informal conversations and online logbook of English usage were employed over a three-months period to collect data. This study draws on Literacy Studies (LS), that understand literacies as social practices involving more than technical skills. Analysing the data thematically revealed that these undergraduates drew on three main approaches: English-spelling checking approaches, English grammar-checking approaches and English-meaning checking approaches. The study recommends that language learners are encouraged to use Google app, Google Translate app, Dictionary apps and the COCA website to correct, craft and improve their English. They are also encouraged to utilise the built-in smartphone technologies that supports English spelling.
Taiwanese Senior High School Students&apos; Conceptions of Textual and Visual Elements in English Textbooks: An Exploratory Study
Author: Yu, Wen-Chiao
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,High School Students,Student Attitudes,Textbooks,Textbook Content,Visual Stimuli,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Grade 11,Language Proficiency,Written Language,Vocabulary Development,Reading Comprehension

Conceptual beliefs learners hold may influence learning strategies and outcomes of learning. Little research, however, has investigated English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' views of multimodality presented in the most accessible learning materials, their English textbooks. A total of sixteen 11th graders participated, half from the language gifted (LG) class and half from the regular social science (RSS) class. They were interviewed to investigate conceptions and how proficiency level regulates conceptions. The phenomenographic method was applied to iteratively analyze the students' utterances. Five qualitatively different categories of conceptions emerged, including, from the lowest in rank, &quot;Read for textual information only,&quot; &quot;Read with engaging visual aids,&quot; &quot;Read bi-modally for facts,&quot; &quot;Read bi-modally to comprehend,&quot; and &quot;Read bi-modally and critically.&quot; The results revealed that bi-modal reading has the potential to enhance comprehension as indicated by the greatest number of conceptions, &quot;Read bi-modally to comprehend,&quot; and motivate learning, as in &quot;Read with engaging visual aids,&quot; ranked the second. Next, investigating the tie of proficiency to conceptions suggests that while the LG group was attuned bi-modally in advanced cognitive processing, the RSS group was more divided, in that some heavily relied on text while others were comfortable using both text and images to read critically.
Proposing a Syllable-Based Account of Phonological Processes: Epenthesis and Deletion in Mostaganem Spoken Arabic
Author: Benyoucef, Radia
Date: 2019-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Syllables,Phonology,Semitic Languages,Speech Communication,Native Speakers,Phonemes,Language Variation,Contrastive Linguistics,Foreign Countries

The study at hand explores the crucial position that the syllable holds in phonological analysis and theorizing by highlighting the analytical issues that might follow the exclusion of the syllable from phonological study. Effectively, the present study attempts to answer three main research questions, namely 1. Can rule-based phonology provide a satisfactory account of non-assimilatory processes such as epenthesis and deletion in Mostaganem Spoken Arabic? 2. Can a syllable-devoid account of epenthesis and deletion in Mostaganem Spoken Arabic be satisfactory? 3. Is the syllable indispensable in accounting for epenthesis and deletion in Mostaganem Spoken Arabic? Indeed, the present study demonstrates that a syllable-devoid analysis provides unsatisfactory accounts of certain phonological epenthesis and deletion. In order to attain the aim of this study, instances of epenthesis and deletion in the Mostaganem spoken variety of Algerian Arabic are analysed. Such instances of epenthesis and deletion were obtained from the recorded speech of a randomly selected sample of fifty native speakers of Mostaganem Spoken Arabic. The findings of this study reveal the indispensability of the syllable in describing and explaining epenthesis and deletion in MTG by comparing a syllable-devoid account and a syllable-based account of such processes. Effectively, syllable-devoid account pertaining to &quot;The Sound Pattern of English&quot; (Chomsky &amp; Halle, 1968) tradition proved short of explanations as to why epenthesis and deletion take place in Mostaganem spoken Arabic as contrasted to a syllable-based account which provides adequate and convincing explanations of those processes.
The Joint Effects of Reading Motivation and Reading Anxiety on English Reading Comprehension: A Case of Taiwanese EFL University Learners
Author: Chen, Po-Hsuan
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Reading Motivation,Anxiety,Reading Comprehension,College Students,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Predictor Variables,Reading Difficulties,Incentives,Student Attitudes

The present study aimed at exploring the joint effects of reading motivation and reading anxiety on English reading comprehension in the Taiwanese English as a foreign language (EFL) context. To this end, a total of 140 (26 males, 114 females) EFL freshmen from required General English I courses at a university in southern Taiwan satisfactorily completed the English Reading Comprehension Test, the Motivation for Reading Questionnaire, and the Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale. The results revealed that reading anxiety was found to be the best predictor of reading comprehension, followed by extrinsic reading motivation, while intrinsic reading motivation failed to predict reading comprehension directly. Intrinsic reading motivation had an indirect effect on reading comprehension through the mediation of extrinsic reading motivation. Moreover, EFL learners having high reading motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic motivation together) and low reading anxiety were more likely to receive the best reading results, while EFL learners having low reading motivation and high reading anxiety tended to receive the worst reading results. Finally, for successful reading, high reading motivation tended to compensate for the reading ineffectiveness caused by high reading anxiety, and low reading anxiety had a tendency to compensate for the reading ineffectiveness caused by low reading motivation. To help EFL learners effectively cope with their reading difficulties, EFL instructors should adopt an appropriate teaching methodology to enhance learners' reading motivation and to alleviate their reading anxiety while delivering reading instruction.
Promoting Critical Thinking as a Social Practice: Shaping Students&apos; Voice, Agency and Inter-Subjectivity in a Cohesive Framework
Author: Almashikhi, Khalid
Date: 2019-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Critical Thinking,Teaching Methods,Higher Education,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Task Analysis,Educational Quality,Quality Assurance,Student Attitudes,Personal Autonomy,Instructional Design,Writing Instruction,Brainstorming

Strict outcome-bound approaches and text-books-based instructional practices, prevalent in the pedagogy of most of the colleges and universities in English as an International Language (EIL) contexts, involve language activities, tasks, and tests that predominantly require one right answer or response. Pedagogical practices and related quality assurance mechanisms regulated by such approaches limit students' ability to be original and skeptical in reflecting upon various issues of importance and concern based on their own thinking and experiences. Such a focus, in Sivasubramaniam's (2015) and Nunn and Sivasubramaniam's (2011) view, has entirely centered on bureaucratic efficiency aimed at having a uniform curriculum for the majority of the students and a scheme of research and evaluation based on recalls, think-alouds, cloze tests and multiplechoice questions in standardized texts. In line with the socially-aligned view of competence much needed spontaneity, flexibility, and diversity accrues only through a process-centered pedagogy of voice, agency and response. In the backdrop of this as a premise, this paper aims to demonstrate how Critical Thinking (CT) can be promoted in EIL classrooms as a discursive practice that could shape students' voice, agency and inter-subjectivity in a cohesive framework. The paper shares both theoretical and practical ideas about CT and its importance in facilitating a meaningful education and aims to demonstrate some innovative tasks and activities that could be exploited to shape student's voice and agency and develop their higher order CT skills. The paper culminates in evolving a practically viable prototype pedagogical framework for promoting CT as a social practice in EIL classrooms that is capable of making Wilga River's (1983) notions of 'skill-getting' and 'skill-using' a reality. Such a model will be useful for EIL practitioners in designing similar lessons with innovative tasks and activities and make the EIL class atmosphere stimulating and pedagogically more fruitful.
Coherent and Paradoxical Professional Identities of a Taiwanese English Teacher in Japan
Author: Lin, Shu-Wen
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Asians,Professional Identity,Foreign Nationals,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Language Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Constructivism (Learning),Journal Writing,Foreign Countries,College Faculty,Teacher Characteristics,Language Variation,Student Attitudes,Undergraduate Students,Teaching Experience,Caring,Teacher Student Relationship,Acculturation,Faculty Development,Content Analysis

This self-study research aims to report and reflect on the practitioner-researcher's experience as an English teacher in a Japanese university. The study also aims to explore the dynamics of teacher identity construction. The theoretical perspective of this study is based on global Englishes and social constructivist theories, which discuss autonomy, affect, and identity factors in an English-language classroom. Qualitative data are collected from the reflective journal of the English teacher as well as from the written accounts of the students who completed the first semester of the compulsory English communication course. These data (15 teacher reflective journal entries and 50 student written accounts) are examined through content analysis to answer the following three research questions: What are the professional identities of the Taiwanese English teacher? How do the teacher's classroom practices reflect her professional identities? How are these identities constructed throughout the research period? The results indicate that the differences in the teacher's experiences have led to paradoxical identities and that the teacher and her students have a coherent positive perception of the teacher as a caring partner and acculturator. The implications of this research are expected to yield suggestions for teacher professional development and the researcher's personal growth.
Assessing Pre-Service EFL Teachers&apos; Perceptions Regarding an Online Student Response System
Author: Cancino, Marco
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Preservice Teachers,Language Teachers,English (Second Language),Student Attitudes,Educational Technology,Audience Response Systems,Usability,Instructional Effectiveness,Learner Engagement

Online Student Response Systems (OSRS) are web-based tools that can be used to collect and share language assessment data from students. Although they have been found to improve learner satisfaction, motivation, and learning, students' perceptions need to be taken into account when addressing the contextualized nature of OSRSs. Therefore, 23 pre-service EFL teachers studying at a private university in Santiago were asked to provide their perceptions regarding the Socrative OSRS in terms of its usability, its impact on learning, and its impact on engagement. Findings showed that students held positive perceptions towards the usability of the application, but remained neutral in relation to its impact on learning and engagement. This is explained in terms of the nature and the layout of the application.
The Interplay between English Proficiency and Reading Strategy Use in English Reading: Validating the Linguistic Threshold Hypothesis and the Interactive-Compensatory Model
Author: Chen, Po-Hsuan
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Reading Strategies,Language Proficiency,College Freshmen,Vocabulary Skills,Grammar,Linguistic Theory,Foreign Countries,Measures (Individuals),Predictor Variables,Reading Comprehension,Teaching Methods,Correlation,Language Tests

The present study attempted to validate the linguistic threshold hypothesis (LTH) and the interactive-compensatory model (ICM) in an English as a foreign language (EFL) setting by assessing the relative contributions of English proficiency and reading strategy use to English reading and examining the mutual compensation between these two factors in English reading, respectively. To this end, 166 (55 males, 111 females) EFL freshmen enrolled in General English I at a university in southern Taiwan satisfactorily completed three measurements to respectively assess their English proficiency (vocabulary and grammar knowledge), English reading comprehension, and reading strategy use (bottom-up and top-down strategies). The findings support the LTH by showing that English proficiency was a stronger predictor of English reading comprehension than reading strategy use and that the high proficient learners employed more reading strategies and used them more effectively in English reading than the low proficient learners. Furthermore, the findings verify the ICM by specifying the actual levels at which intermediate English proficiency compensated for low reading strategy use, and high reading strategy use compensated for low English proficiency for successful English reading. The present study concludes with the suggestion that linguistic knowledge should be taught to EFL learners simultaneously along with reading strategy use for the best performance in English reading comprehension.
The Use of English as a Medium of Instruction in Higher Education in Post-Colonial Hong Kong -- Perceived Realities and Issues
Author: Yeung, Marine
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Language of Instruction,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Language Role,Educational Policy,Universities,College Faculty,College Students,Coping,Language Attitudes,Language Usage,Preferences,Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Students,Educational Finance,Mandarin Chinese,Sino Tibetan Languages,Institutional Characteristics

In post-colonial Hong Kong, despite the Chinese government's effort to promote the national language, English is still held to be the most marketable language, particularly in this age of globalization. Most tertiary institutions in Hong Kong therefore continue to adhere to the English-medium instruction (EMI) policy. However, with the changing socio-political environment, the Chinese language has assumed more importance; meanwhile, the general English language proficiency of university students has declined as a result of the democratization of tertiary education. This raises the question of the practicality of the adoption of the EMI policy across the higher education sector, particularly at the self-financing tertiary institutions, where students normally are less academically accomplished. In order to understand how the EMI policy is practised in these institutions, teachers and students from different academic programmes of five self-financing tertiary institutions in Hong Kong were interviewed to explore their perceived realities in EMI classrooms, coping strategies and language preferences. Findings reveal persistent support for the EMI policy, though its actual implementation involves various adaptations which may be harmful to students' English learning. It is argued that efforts be made to address the issues involved so that the EMI policy can be more than an aspiration.
The Effects of Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures in Teaching Subject-Verb Agreement among Rural Sarawak Learners
Author: Chong, Xin Txin
Date: 2019-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cooperative Learning,Learning Strategies,Error Analysis (Language),Teaching Methods,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Rural Areas,Student Attitudes,Positive Attitudes,Feedback (Response),Secondary School Students,Mastery Learning,Sentence Structure,Intervention,Instructional Effectiveness,Grammar,Foreign Countries

Even after undertaking years of formal education to acquire the language in schools, having a poor command of English remains a problem faced by most Malaysians, especially students in rural schools of Sarawak. Based on the error-analysis carried out by recent research, subject-verb agreement (SVA) is one of the most frequent errors committed by students. To overcome this problem, teachers should significantly improve students' mastery of SVA in the English language through effective teaching methods. Therefore, this research was conducted to explore the effects of Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures in teaching SVA among rural Sarawak learners. In this study, 35 Form 4 students were selected from a secondary school in the Belaga District, Sarawak as the research participants. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used as data collection tools. Overall, findings demonstrated that students showed positive feedback after the intervention was implemented. Results of this research will hopefully provide insights to secondary school students, teachers and the community in the cooperative teaching and learning of grammar.
Scholarship, Professional Development, and Community of Practice in Student Affairs Assessment
Author: Biddix, J. Patrick
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Personnel Services,Student Personnel Workers,Educational Assessment,Scholarship,Professional Development,Communities of Practice,Educational Trends

This article traces the professionalization of student affairs assessment through the development of the assessment position and the progression of operations, functions and responsibilities. Evidence includes a review of various publications followed by an empirical examination of data from a professional Listserv. Findings identify how assessment in student affairs has evolved from a skillset to a professional field as well as consideration of the development of the campus professional. Ongoing and future trends are described and ways in which the field has developed and contributed evidence about the impact of student affairs by advancing data collection and reporting is included.
Shared Lessons from Serving Military-Connected Students
Author: Sikes, Deborah L.
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Military Personnel,Veterans,College Students,Student Needs,Student Personnel Services,Academic Advising,Veterans Education

Military and military veteran students enter higher education with a host of challenges related to their military service. As universities and colleges strive to address the needs of military and military student veterans, administrative and educational challenges must be addressed proactively to accommodate the specific needs of student veterans. Student services for military and military veteran students includes providing a veteran advisor, a veteran liaison, military-friendly policies, services, and resources. The authors discuss military-friendly student services supported and implemented through the development of a veteran-specific education track.