ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Core Principles of Extensive Reading in an EAP Writing Context
Author: Park, Jeongyeon
Date: 2015-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English for Academic Purposes,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Writing Instruction,Reading Writing Relationship,Teaching Methods,Educational Principles,Second Language Instruction,Instructional Effectiveness,Reading Materials,Teacher Role,Reading Instruction,Higher Education,Communities of Practice,Group Discussion

In the first part of the discussion forum on extensive reading (ER) in &quot;Reading in a Foreign Language&quot; (&quot;RFL&quot;) (April 2015 issue), many scholars in the field shared views regarding the core features to be considered when implementing ER, frequently referring to Day and Bamford's (1998, 2002) top 10 principles for teaching ER. This discussion piece approaches ER's core features and the 10 principles from a slightly different perspective by considering how they apply in an English-for-Academic-Purposes (EAP) writing context. In line with the theme of this special issue of &quot;RFL,&quot; reading and writing connections, we hope this discussion will draw the attention of ER practitioners and educators to the possibility of expanding the application of ER, particularly to an academic writing context. The principles discussed here may or may not be directly applicable to different educational settings or other language learning contexts. However, we believe this discussion of ER in an EAP writing program will not only provide better understanding of the effectiveness and efficiency of ER as a pedagogic tool for learning second language (L2) writing, but also suggest what principles we, as ER practitioners, need to consider when implementing ER in an EAP writing context, and why. Much of our argument in this discussion piece is based on the first author's insights from her dissertation data (Park, 2015), which were collected in three classes she taught over three semesters. The second author observed Park's classes.
Infer the Meaning of Unknown Words by Sheer Guess or by Clues?--An Exploration on the Clue Use in Chinese EFL Learner's Lexical Inferencing
Author: Yin, Zhaochun
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Inferences,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Asians,Reading Comprehension,Vocabulary Development,Context Effect,Language Processing,Reading Processes,College Students,Secondary School Students,Protocol Analysis,Recall (Psychology),Taxonomy,Foreign Countries,Associative Learning,Morphology (Languages)

Lexical inferencing is referred to as guessing the meaning of an unknown word using available linguistic and other clues. It is a primary lexical processing strategy to tackle unknown words while reading. This study aims to explore the clue use of Chinese EFL learners in inferring the meaning of unknown word in reading. Two types of introspective research methods have been used to achieve the research aim. 55 participants of four levels (tertiary final, tertiary middle, tertiary initial and senior secondary) were asked to read a sample text and infer the meaning of target words through thinking aloud. Additional information of their lexical inferencing was elicited through stimulated recalls. The results show that Chinese EFL learners use a variety of clues in their lexical inferencing. The findings also reveal some discrepancies of clue use across different levels learners in lexical inferencing.
Evaluation of Reading Habits of Teacher Candidates: Study of Scale Development
Author: Erkan, Senem Seda Sahenk
Date: 2016-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reading Habits,Preservice Teacher Education,Preservice Teachers,Teacher Competency Testing,Behavior Rating Scales,Test Construction,Likert Scales,Item Analysis,Test Items,Factor Analysis,Factor Structure,Printed Materials,Electronic Publishing,Questionnaires,Test Reliability,Test Validity,Foreign Countries

The main purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable scale for printed and digital competencies (&quot;The Printed and Digital Reading Habits Scale&quot;). The problem statement of this research can be expressed as: &quot;The Printed and Digital Reading Habits Scale: is a valid and reliable scale?&quot; In this study, the scale development method was employed, and two instruments were used: &quot;The Personal Information Form&quot; (sex, age, university, department, and grade)&quot; and 5 Likert-Type &quot;Printed and Digital Reading Habits Scale&quot;. Five hundred twenty-four teacher candidates (1st and 4th grades) from the departments of Turkish Teaching, Elementary School Teaching, and Pre-School Teaching at Marmara University and Kocaeli University participated in this study. Based on the results of the validity and reliability analyses obtained in the present study, the number of items in the scale was reduced to 18. The KMO value of the scale was found to be 0.904. The coefficient of Cronbach's Alpha of the scale was found to be 0.82. Based on the factor analysis of the scale, it was discovered that it had three sub-factors. The test-retest results indicated that the scale would not change at any time (t: -1.664, p&lt; 0.05). In conclusion, it is possible to describe &quot;The Printed and Digital Reading Habits Scale&quot; is a valid and reliable scale. Keywords: printed reading, digital
Study of the Effective Factors on the University Students' Underachievement in English Language Learning
Author: Ghadirzadeh, Reyhaneh
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Underachievement,Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Students,Scores,Learning Strategies,Regression (Statistics),Factor Analysis,Cognitive Style,Language Tests,Statistical Analysis,Learning Motivation,Predictor Variables,Teaching Methods,Metacognition,Course Content,Group Membership,Questionnaires,Student Attitudes,Engineering Education,Humanities

The present study investigated the effect of university students' demotivational status, language learning strategies and learning style preferences on their underachievement in English language learning. To begin, 260 Iranian undergraduate students were selected through the multi-stage cluster sampling method. They were put into two successful and unsuccessful groups using the median of their General English scores. Then, they answered the questionnaires of language learning strategies, styles and demotivation. On the next stage, the data gathered was analyzed via several statistical analyses. The results revealed that the reliability and validity of all three questionnaires calculated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and Cronbach alpha coefficients were satisfactory. Moreover, the results of the logistic regression analysis confirmed that there is a difference between the successful and unsuccessful groups in English language learning regarding their motivational status and learning strategies. However, their learning style preferences were not significant predictors of their achievement in EFL classroom. It was also found that from among all subscales of demotivation and learning styles and strategies, only the Lack of Perceived Individual Competence, the Lack of Intrinsic Motivation, the Inappropriate Characteristics of Teachers' Teaching Methods and Course Contents and the Metacognitive strategies predicted university students' group membership significantly.
The Relationship between Iranian EFL Learners' Beliefs about Language Learning and Their Use of Learning Strategies
Author: Azar, Fereshteh Khaffafi
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Correlation,Student Attitudes,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Learning Strategies,Predictor Variables,Measures (Individuals),Regression (Statistics),Communication Strategies,Foreign Countries,Institutes (Training Programs)

The present study investigated the relationship between Iranian EFL learners' learning strategies use and their language learning beliefs. A sample of 200 Iranian EFL learners who were all English language learners at different language institutes participated in this study. Two instruments, Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) and the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL), were used to collect data. The data analysis, through Pearson Correlation, revealed a positive significant relationship between overall BALLI and SILL, which indicates that learners with stronger beliefs use more learning strategies. Further, the results of Regression analysis indicated that only the &quot;learning and communication strategies&quot; and &quot;foreign language aptitude&quot; subscales in BALLI are significant predictors of overall strategy use. The findings of the present study suggest that understanding learners' beliefs about language learning is critical to understand strategies used by learners and accordingly plan proper language instructions.
Does Writing Have Any Effect on Mathematics Success?
Author: Dündar, Sefa
Date: 2016-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Writing (Composition),Correlation,Mathematics Achievement,Secondary School Mathematics,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Student Journals,Notetaking,Mathematics Instruction,Content Analysis,Success

In this study, the relationship between mathematics success and the formal properties and contents of the notebooks in which students take notes during mathematics classes have been examined. The exploratory model, in which quantitative and qualitative data are used together, has been used in this study. This study consists of 176 students from 3 different state secondary schools and the notebooks they used to take notes in during math classes, as well as their academic success assessments. It has been found that the properties from the contents of the notebooks of successful students are more remarkable than those who are unsuccessful, and the formal properties of the notebooks are not different from each other according to success rates. With this study, it has become obvious that note-taking in math classes is important in terms of the form and the process. Moreover, it has been concluded that there is no meaningful relationship between the contents and the formal properties of the notebooks. Therefore, it is believed that organizing seminars for students on better note-taking methods at the beginning of the semester will increase mathematical success.
Singular-Plural Distinction in Izon and Its Influence on the Teaching/Learning of Plural Formation in English
Author: Okunrinmeta, Uriel
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Morphemes,Form Classes (Languages),Instructional Effectiveness,Teaching Methods,Bilingualism,Preadolescents,Secondary School Students

This study examines singular-plural distinction processes in Izon and highlights the difficulties these may pose to the teaching and learning of plural formation in English so as to suggest ways in which teachers can design an effective teaching method to tackle the perceived difficulties. The study, which made use of 100 subjects of an average age of eleven years drawn from the Arogbo-Izon community of Ondo State, Nigeria, reveals that Izon inhibits the learning of plural formation in English as the majority of the subjects exhibit the influence of the a-plurality marker and the reflexive pronoun formation process in Izon thereby pluralizing all English nouns through the addition of -s and deriving the reflexive pronoun (their selfs or their selves) through the addition of &quot;self&quot; to the possessive form of the pronoun (their) as against the object form (them) preferred in English. To ensure that the subjects are assisted to overcome these difficulties, the study employs a ten-step contrastive approach which proves very effective as the subjects' performances, after the application of the method, recorded a tremendous rise in the percentage of correct responses from 26 per cent to 94 per cent (plural formation in nouns) and from 46 per cent to 100 per cent (plural formation in pronouns). The method is, therefore, recommended for the teaching of English in the Izon communities in Nigeria and in other similar ESL situations both within and outside Nigeria.
Critical Literacy Practices in the EFL Context and the English Language Proficiency: Further Exploration
Author: Ko, Mei-yun
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Critical Literacy,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Language Proficiency,Correlation,Student Attitudes,Discourse Analysis,News Reporting,Dialogs (Language),Interaction,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Gender Differences,Social Class,Social Differences,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires,Court Litigation,Gender Bias,College Students,Interviews

This paper reports a follow-up study that explored the relationship between EFL learners' critical literacy practices and the English language proficiency. It investigated four focal EFL learners' critical literacy practices in their dialogic interaction and also analyzed 39 students' views on their critical literacy learning. The four focal students' discussion on a gender-related local news article was analyzed based on the concept of critical discourse analysis; the students' views on critical literacy learning were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The findings showed that despite the difference in their English proficiency, the four focal students all demonstrated critical literacy in varying degrees as shown in its previous study, and that critical consciousness of gender and class are raised through dialogic interaction. This study thus corroborates the previous one that English proficiency does not hinder EFL learner's critical literacy practices. Besides, this study had an additional finding; that is, English proficiency levels do affect EFL learners' views on critical literacy learning. Therefore, a critical literacy-based class would be more acceptable to students whose English proficiency is high.
Reiteration Relations in EFL Student Writing: The Case of Moroccan University Students
Author: Hellalet, Nadia
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Essays,College Students,Taxonomy,Statistical Analysis,Language Proficiency,Foreign Countries,Writing (Composition),Form Classes (Languages),Language Usage,Connected Discourse,Vocabulary Skills,Discourse Analysis

This study looks into the use of reiteration relations in EFL student writing. The aim is to determine the extent to which Moroccan college students rely on lexical cohesion to produce native-sounding texts. Twenty essays written by college students from two different levels were analyzed quantitatively using Halliday and Hasan's (1976) and Hoey's taxonomies (1991). The results of the independent sample T-test confirm previous studies, revealing that repetition is the most dominant cohesive relation used by students from both levels. However, the use of synonyms is not frequent in spite of the learners' language proficiency development. Students from both levels are also found to overuse conjunctions to connect their sentences as a result of their weak vocabulary and their lack of awareness of the role of lexis in the creation of continuity and connectedness in their writings.
The Role of Oral Output in Noticing and Promoting the Acquisition of Linguistic Forms
Author: Liu, Dan
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Role,Oral Language,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Quasiexperimental Design,Interlanguage,College Students,Linguistic Theory,Asians,Language Tests,Listening Comprehension,Interviews,Grammar,Scores,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Foreign Countries

Many empirical studies carried out to test the three major functions of the Comprehensible Output Hypothesis proposed by Swain lend some support to the Hypothesis in one way or another. This study aims to investigate whether giving the Chinese EFL learners an opportunity for oral output encourages them to notice their linguistic problems in oral output, how they solve these linguistic problems, whether output promote their accurate use of linguistic forms and whether the resolutions they achieve in the reconstruction are retained in their later production. Results of this study are derived from a quasi-experiment designed for this research and show that output prompts the Chinese EFL learners to notice the gaps in their interlanguage and has a positive impact on the acquisition of language forms. Some suggestions are also made to the EFL teaching and learning.
An Empirical Analysis of the Relationship between Foreign Language Reading Anxiety and Reading Strategy Training
Author: Çapan, Seyit Ahmet
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Anxiety,Second Language Learning,Correlation,Reading Achievement,Reading Skills,Measures (Individuals),Sampling,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Negative Attitudes,Predictor Variables,Second Language Instruction,Reading Instruction,Semi Structured Interviews,Student Attitudes,Reading Strategies,Teaching Methods,College Freshmen,State Universities,Pretests Posttests,Foreign Countries

Anxiety is a psychological factor commonly associated with such feelings as fear, apprehension and uneasiness. It is an individual's affective reaction to a perceived or a real threat (MacIntyre, 1995). Foreign language reading anxiety (FLRA) refers to one's negative attitudes which may, to some extent, account for the inhibition that s/he suffers from while reading a text in a foreign language (FL). Given that anxiety associated with FL has a strong impact on learners' overall achievement (Cheng, Horwitz &amp; Schallert, 1999; Sellers, 2000), FLRA may feature as a potent predictor of success in FL reading courses. Although numerous studies have focused on general FL anxiety, research aiming at unraveling FLRA including its various aspects has been far from being satisfactory. Hence, this study investigates the relationship between FLRA and reading strategy training in FL reading courses. Participants divided into experiment and control groups were selected through convenience sampling. Data were elicited through Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale (FLRAS) (Saito, Horwitz &amp; Garza, 1999) and semi-structured interviews. The study indicates that though there has been a decrease in the control group's FLRA levels, results of the experiment group have revealed intriguing findings. Still, analyses of the interviews with members of the experiment group have yielded divergent remarks regarding their perceptions of their FLRA levels.
A Study on the Functions of Western Cultural Non-Verbal Behavior in English Classroom in China
Author: Wei, Yuehong
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Nonverbal Communication,Asians,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Energy,Universities,Questionnaires,Western Civilization,Language Teachers,Cultural Awareness,Teaching Methods,Learning Processes,Behavior Patterns,Pragmatics,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis

In China, English classroom is the main place of English language acquisition. Therefore, how to improve English classroom teaching effectively has become the scholars' concern. This paper reports a study conducted at North China Electric Power University on the functions of western cultural nonverbal behaviors in English classroom in China. Questionnaires with both close-ended and open-ended questions were distributed to the students. By means of quantitative and qualitative research methods, this paper analyzed the functions of western cultural nonverbal behaviors in English classroom and found that: 1) as a foreign language teacher you need not only to speak foreign language but also transmit cultural knowledge to students; 2) the nonverbal behaviors which reflect the western culture can have the positive effects on second language learning; 3) Non-verbal behavior should be involved in the teaching and learning processes.
A Corpus-Based Study on English Prepositions of Place, &quot;In&quot; and &quot;On&quot;
Author: Arjan, Asmeza
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computational Linguistics,College Students,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Language Teachers,Persuasive Discourse,Form Classes (Languages),Writing (Composition),Second Language Instruction,Language Usage,Error Patterns,Error Analysis (Language),Essays,Foreign Countries

This corpus-based study examined the usage, mastery and developmental pattern (Norwati, 2004) of English prepositions of place, &quot;in&quot; and &quot;on&quot; across three different academic levels namely Form 4, Form 5 and College students. The Malaysian Corpus of Students Argumentative Writing (MCSAW) was used as the source of data in analyzing the use of prepositions of place, &quot;in&quot; and &quot;on&quot; in the students' argumentative essays. In achieving this, the concordance output was utilized to determine the frequency and types of errors made by students. This paper also presents other common errors in relation to the usage of these two prepositions. The findings showed that in terms of mastery levels and developmental pattern, there was no steady progress from Form 4 to Form 5. Yet, the College students managed to show a positive development in the use of prepositions of place, &quot;in&quot; and &quot;on.&quot; The findings also revealed that students are confused between &quot;in&quot; and &quot;on&quot; as well as using them with or without articles correctly. The findings of this study can benefit English teachers in teaching prepositions of place and the use of MCSAW can be fully utilized by teachers for further future researches.
The Effect of Post-Teaching Activity Type on Vocabulary Learning of Elementary EFL Learners
Author: Sadeghi, Karim
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Vocabulary Development,Adult Students,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Comparative Analysis,Statistical Analysis,Statistical Significance,Role Playing,Educational Games,Writing Instruction,Personal Narratives,Oral Language,Measures (Individuals),Statistical Distributions,Gender Differences,Pretests Posttests

Considering the significant role of vocabulary in learning a language, and teachers' great responsibility in providing opportunities to facilitate this learning, many studies have focused on the best means of achieving a good knowledge of vocabulary. This study set out to investigate the effect of four post-teaching activities, namely game, narrative writing, role-play, and speaking tasks on vocabulary gain of elementary Iranian EFL learners across gender. The sample in the study was composed of 111 elementary adult EFL learners assigned into four experimental groups for females and four experimental groups for males as well as two control groups one for each gender, at AVA Talk Institute, Urmia, Iran. Successive to the pre-test, which was meant to measure the learners' prior knowledge of the target words, learners were asked to carry out the required tasks using the words they were provided with. The results of two-way ANOVA analysis indicate statistically significant main effects for vocabulary learning across different activity types with role-play leading to the highest vocabulary gain (M = 19.27, SD = 3.70). Moreover, the gender of participants has a significant [F (1, 168) = 28.40, p = 0.000] impact upon the vocabulary learning of the participants, with female learners outperforming their male peers. The results of the study have implications for EFL teachers and provide them with new insights into implementing task-oriented activities for better retention of vocabulary.