ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Blended Learning on the Intrinsic Motivation of Thai EFL Students
Author: Sucaromana, Usaporn
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Blended Learning,Motivation,Conventional Instruction,Comparative Analysis,Gender Differences,Predictor Variables,Educational Environment,Student Satisfaction,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,College Students,Pretests Posttests,Measures (Individuals)

The aim of this study is to compare the results of blended learning with face-to-face learning among university students studying English as a foreign language. The participants were separated by gender, and the following variables, intrinsic motivation for learning English, attitudes towards English as a subject, and satisfaction with the learning climate, which was either a blended learning environment or a face-to-face learning environment, were analysed. The participants of this research are bachelor's degree students enrolled in English courses. The two class samples were drawn at random. The first class was the control group, and the other was the experimental group. The experimental group was taught using blended learning, and the control group was taught using face-to-face learning. The results of the research did not differ by gender. The students had significantly higher levels of intrinsic motivation for learning English, a better attitude towards English as a subject, and better satisfaction with the learning climate after they were taught by blended learning. Finally, the students who were taught using blended learning had significantly higher levels of intrinsic motivation for learning English and a better attitude towards English as a subject, as well as greater satisfaction with the learning climate than the students who were taught using face-to-face learning.
Morality and EFL Instruction in an Arab Context--Exploring Perceptions and Practices
Author: Abdellah, Antar
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Correlation,Moral Values,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Language Teachers,Muslims,Teaching Methods,Teacher Behavior,Religious Factors,Religion,Questionnaires,Observation,Teacher Attitudes,Foreign Countries,Native Speakers,Religious Cultural Groups,Teaching Styles

This study was conducted to investigate the correlation between moral commitment and EFL teacher standard-based performance. 20 Muslim English native speaking instructors who work at Taibah University Language Centre participated in this study. The following instruments were used for investigating the correlation between teachers' moral spirituality and their practical classroom performance: a scale of religious commitment, an open-ended questionnaire of spirituality and a standard-based observation sheet of the teachers' performance. The present study sheds light on the nature of moral commitment and its correlation to EFL teacher performance based on different personal conceptions about Islam.
On Appropriacy of Thanking: Dynamic Compensation and Adaptation
Author: Liao, Baiqiu
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Speech Acts,Statistical Analysis,Native Language,Language Variation,Diachronic Linguistics,Pragmatics,Asians,Intercultural Communication,Chinese,Language Usage,Context Effect,Memory,Linguistic Theory,Language Processing,Foreign Countries

Appropriacy is the paramount consideration of such an inherently polite speech act as thanking in its use. Traditional study of thanking focuses more on the quantitative investigation of its diverse forms and functions than on interpretation of the process in which it is used appropriately and adequately or not among English native or nonnative speakers. This paper particularly explores how to make the speech act of thanking appropriate and acceptable in dynamic context from the perspective of Chinese EFL learners who tend to respond in mute English or Chinglish in cross-culture thanking situation through analysis of the spoken discourse based on cognitive and cultural comparative approach. It contents that in foreign language learning environment, L2 contextual knowledge also comes into compensation for the lack of authentic context compatible with L2 use in the diachronic process of EFL learning as L1 contextual knowledge does. In a specific communicative situation, the learner has to manipulate his contextual cognition consciously and make an appropriate choice among linguistic or strategic forms activated by the two types of contextual knowledge stored in memory. The choice-making needs considering adaptation to dynamic context like the objects of gratitude, the benefactor's psychological state and the communicative social context as the most important parameters. Only in that way is appropriacy of thanking possible in cross-cultural communication.
The Integration of Quality-Oriented Education and Instrument-Driven Training in Chinese College English Teaching
Author: Jian, Shi
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Humanistic Education,Measures (Individuals),College Faculty,College Students

College English Teaching (CET) plays an important and basic part in the whole college education system in China and whether it should adopt the quality-centered education or tool-oriented training remains controversial in current Chinese CET practices. After comparing several basic concepts and analyzing the existing problems in Chinese practical CET, the paper finds that contemporary Chinese CET is largely influenced by pragmatism and utilitarianism and has an obvious instrument-driven tendency. The cultivation of humanistic quality, however, is weakened and even ignored intentionally or unintentionally. And it holds CET should give full play to the advantage of the language as well as conduct subtle humanistic education for students to achieve the integration of tool-oriented and quality-centered goal in CET.
Using Graphic Organizers to Improve Reading Comprehension Skills for the Middle School ESL Students
Author: Praveen, Sam D.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Middle School Students,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Instructional Materials,Reading Comprehension,Reading Improvement,Reading Skills,Reading Achievement,Academic Achievement,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Comparative Analysis,Statistical Analysis,Pretests Posttests,Student Motivation

&quot;A picture is worth a thousand words.&quot; In a modern-day classroom, students are surrounded by visual imagery through textbooks, notice boards, television, videos, or computers. Many middle school classrooms are filled with colorful pictures and photographs. However, it is unclear how--or if --these images impact the middle school ESL students who are developing reading comprehension. The focus of this article is on ESL middle school language learners' use of these graphics as information organizers while comprehending a passage for main ideas, supporting details, facts, opinions, comparisons and contradictions. This article also examines and proposes different forms of graphic organizers for achieving better understanding of texts. Differences in performance between the students who are exposed to the use of graphic organizers and the students who are not similarly exposed have been analyzed in this article. The experimental and control groups of this research are middle school students in ESL classes. The analytical method, ANOVA, is used to project the performance difference between the controlled and experimental groups. The result of the post-test suggested that the experimental group students have improved in all the five types of reading questions compared to controlled group students. Therefore, using graphic organizers is effective in reading questions like (1) identifying the main idea, (2) finding the supporting details, (3) dealing with vocabulary and (4) fact and opinion &amp; (5) making inferences. Furthermore, the pedagogical implication here is the use graphic organizers during reading comprehension sessions indirectly motivates the students to create their own graphic organizer for the passages they read and comprehend. This improves their creativity.
Listening Text Type as a Variable Affecting Listening Comprehension Anxiety
Author: Kiliç, Mehmet
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Anxiety,Listening,Predictor Variables,College Students,Listening Skills,Engineering,Engineering Education,Rating Scales,Language Proficiency,Correlation,Statistical Analysis

Every foreign language learner feels inadequate, ineffective or helpless at a certain period in the language learning process. Of the main reasons of these feelings, anxiety has been pronounced more frequently than the other affective variables in the literature. The primary concern of this research was to investigate the influence of listening text type on Foreign Language Listening Anxiety (FLLA), which is a skill-specific type of general language learning anxiety. The sample consisted of 130 students in the preparatory English classes of Gaziantep University. As a result of a series of one-way ANOVAs conducted on the data obtained from the FLLA scale and an anxometer (MacIntyre and Gardner, 1991), the current study demonstrated that listening text type is a distinctive factor for Foreign Language Listening Anxiety. Based on a comparison of text types in terms of their effects on listening anxiety, it was concluded that the authenticity of the listening text leads to more listening anxiety.
Research Article Abstracts in Two Related Disciplines: Rhetorical Variation between Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Author: Suntara, Watinee
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Journal Articles,Research Reports,Documentation,Discourse Analysis,Rhetoric,Linguistics,Applied Linguistics,Academic Discourse,Comparative Analysis,Form Classes (Languages),Text Structure

The previous studies on abstracts (e.g., Santos, 1996; Samraj, 2002; Pho, 2008) illustrate that disciplinary variation in research article abstracts is discernible. However, the studies of abstracts from two related disciplines are still limited. The present study aimed to explore the rhetorical moves of abstracts in the fields of linguistics and applied linguistics by investigating 200 abstracts published between 2009-2012. Hyland's (2000) model of five rhetorical moves was chosen as the analytical framework for the rhetorical structure. Findings indicated that there were three conventional moves in abstracts in linguistics, while there were four conventional moves in abstracts in applied linguistics. The findings have significant pedagogical implications for academic writing for novice writers in the two disciplines.
Podcast Applications in Language Learning: A Review of Recent Studies
Author: Hasan, Md. Masudul
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Literature Reviews,Handheld Devices,Audio Equipment,Information Dissemination,Nonprint Media,Computer Assisted Instruction,Educational Technology,Student Attitudes,Student Motivation,Online Searching,Secondary School Students,Undergraduate Students

Many dynamic approaches have emerged due to computer technology in facilitating language learning skills. Podcasting is one such novel tool being exploited by teachers to deliver educational content and to encourage learning outside the classroom. Research on podcasting pedagogy suggests that podcasting greatly helps learners develop various skills of English language. The study reviewed twenty journal articles to determine the effects of podcast on ESL students' language skills and attitude levels. It was found that podcasts greatly support learning not just in speaking and listening but also in other language skills and areas such as grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary.
The Relationship between Iranian EFL Instructors' Understanding of Learning Styles and Their Students' Success in Reading Comprehension
Author: Khademi, Marzieh
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Cognitive Style,Reading Comprehension,Reading Tests,Reading Achievement,College Faculty,Language Proficiency,Teacher Attitudes,Measures (Individuals),Correlation,Individual Differences,Knowledge Base for Teaching,College Students,Language Tests

Many variables reasonably influence teachers' education. One of these considering variables is being aware of the students' learning styles. Dörnyei (2005) maintains that individual differences correlate strongly with L2 achievements. Keefe (1979) believes that learning styles might be thought of as cognitive, affective, and physiological traits that are relatively stable indicators of how learners perceive, interact with, and respond to the learning environment. The present study investigated the relationship between Iranian EFL instructors' understanding of learning styles and their students' success in reading comprehension tests. To achieve this goal, the researchers randomly selected 240 Iranian EFL instructors at tertiary level with more than three years of experience in teaching reading comprehension courses. The Teacher's View over Students' Learning Preferences Inventory (TVSLPI) as well as a test of language proficiency (MELAB) was employed as the study's instruments. The findings revealed a significant relationship (p=0.05) between the Iranian EFL instructors' recognition of learning styles and their students' success in reading comprehension test. Besides, the results of interviews showed that Iranian instructors have approximately similar attitudes toward teaching reading comprehension in Iranian contexts.
An Action Research on Improvement of Reading Comprehension of CET4
Author: Luo, Jian-ping
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Programs,Second Language Learning,Action Research,Reading Comprehension,College Freshmen,Reading Materials,Comparative Analysis,Language Tests,Instructional Effectiveness,Intervention,Student Surveys

This action research is aiming at improvement of reading comprehension of College English teaching and learning, which is a major time-consuming course with low efficiency in colleges and universities in China. The research subjects were 134 first-year college students of science, engineering and liberal arts, who were from either developed provinces or developing ones. The reading materials used for this research were from passages of reading comprehension of CET4 of each year. This action research went through two stages, at the first of which it focused on improvement by skills-based teaching, but with not much improvements obviously, and at the second of which, after a deep analysis, it combined with text-based teaching and introduced linguistic and schematic knowledge, and finally achieved a good improvement of reading ability with the result showing significant difference, compared with that of the first stage.
Study on Correlation of English Pronunciation Self-Concept to English Learning
Author: Tang, Xin
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Pronunciation,Self Concept,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Language Proficiency,College Students,Nonmajors,Anxiety,Correlation,Scores,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires,Tests,Statistical Analysis

English pronunciation self-concept is formed in the process of pronunciation learning, which refers to the learners' self-conception and assessment of one's English pronunciation proficiency and pronunciation (Gimson, A. C. 1980). This paper reports an investigation on 237 non-English major college students into the relationship between English pronunciation self-concept and English performance, global English self-concept, English classroom anxieties; the relationship between global English self-concept and the sub-dimension of it. It was found that a moderate but statistically significant correlation obtained. Furthermore, English pronunciation self-concept correlated significantly to the global English self-concept and the latter exhibited a relatively high correlation to the English performance which is presented by test scores. These results suggest that language learners' pronunciation self-concept is one of the most important factors which facilitate or hinder foreign language learning. Meanwhile, it has a negative correlation to English class anxiety (Arnold, J., 1999). Therefore, conclusion can be drawn that constructive suggestions are supposed to be put forward and endeavor should be made to improve one's English pronunciation self-concept to facilitate the English acquisition.
Cultural Diversity in English Language Teaching: Learners' Voices
Author: Chinh, Nguyen Duc
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Cultural Pluralism,Student Attitudes,Cultural Awareness,Cultural Education,College Graduates,Student Journals

The focus of culture in English language teaching (ELT) has traditionally been on the target culture of English speaking countries. However, the new status of English as international language (EIL) has led to significant changes in the practice of teaching and learning culture in ELT. Rather than relying on the paradigm of native speaker competence and target culture, the culture teaching in ELT now aims at cultural diversity to develop learners as intercultural speakers in a globalised context. Given the need to integrate diverse cultures into the ELT practice as a platform for learners to become intercultural speakers, learners' attitudes towards this issue are of paramount importance. This article will, therefore, discuss learners' perspective on cultural diversity that is integrated into the ELT practice in Vietnam. Based on data collected from learners' reflections, the article discusses the question of whether or not cultural diversity is feasible in the ELT practice in Vietnam.
Linguistic Features of Pidgin Arabic in Kuwait
Author: Salem, Ashraf Atta M. S.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Semitic Languages,Pidgins,Creoles,Qualitative Research,Interviews,Immigrants,Phonology,Syntax,Nouns,Verbs,Vocabulary

This paper sheds the light on Asian pidgin Arabic, particularly linguistic features of pidgin Arabic in Kuwait. The phonology, syntax and lexicon of the language are described on the basis of interviews conducted with forty Asian informants. The data are discussed in its relation to other studies. Also, the researcher discussed the implication of the findings for the study of pidgin as well as Creole languages in general, and on Arabic-based pidgin or contact language in particular.
The Relationship between Iranian ELT Instructors' Beliefs about Language Teaching and Their Practices in Real Classrooms
Author: Mellati, Morteza
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Teacher Attitudes,Educational Practices,Correlation,Student Satisfaction,Questionnaires,Teacher Education,Teacher Education Programs,College Students,College Faculty,Semi Structured Interviews

Teachers play different roles in multidimensional process of language teaching and their beliefs about language teaching might influence their practices. Donaghue (2003) stated that beliefs guide teachers in their practice. However, Argyris and Schon (1978) claimed that there is almost a discrepancy between teachers' beliefs about language teaching and their practices in the classrooms. Therefore, the present study investigated the relationship between Iranian ELT instructors' beliefs about language teaching and their real practices in classrooms. To achieve this goal, the researchers accidentally selected 369 Iranian ELT instructors and 512 Iranian students. To collect the required data, the researchers employed Teacher's Beliefs Questionnaire (TBQ) to elicit instructors' beliefs about language teaching and Students' Satisfaction Questionnaire (SSQ) to elicit to what extent Iranian instructors applied their beliefs in their practices. Besides, to verify the results of questionnaires, the researchers interviewed nine instructors. The results revealed a positive significant relationship (p=0.05) between instructors' beliefs about language teaching and their real practices in classrooms. The findings proposed some applicable implications that can be applied by policy makers and curriculum designers to provide facilities to support reflective teaching and to improve teacher education programs.
Construct Validation of the English Language Teaching Reflective Inventory with a Sample of Turkish University EFL Instructors
Author: Yesilbursa, Amanda
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Construct Validity,Language Teachers,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Factor Analysis,Factor Structure,Teacher Attitudes,College Faculty,Reflective Teaching,Measures (Individuals),Metacognition,Teacher Education,Higher Education,Moral Values,Affective Behavior,Criticism,Teaching Methods

Although Reflective Practice is a popular approach to teacher education, there have been some recent criticisms regarding its effectiveness in students learning. Some researchers have put this down to the fact that the concept has not been operationalised, and it is thus impossible to set up empirical studies. The current study was conducted to examine the construct validity in a Turkish higher education context of a recent inventory which was designed to measure the reflective practice of teachers of English as a Foreign Language. The sample was a group of instructors (n = 173) working on the English language preparatory programs of four state-run universities in Turkey. The original model suggested six factors: cognitive, meta-cognitive, critical, practical, affective and moral. The factor structure of the instrument was examined using exploratory factor analysis with SPSS 13.0, and confirmatory factor analysis with AMOS 16.0. The results of the current study showed similarity with those of the original study. Specifically, the cognitive, meta-cognitive and critical factors remained largely intact, and the affective and moral factors were not validated. However, the practical factor was reduced from 7 to 3 items. The implications of the findings are discussed.
Assessing the Impact of 240-Credit-Hour Programme for Urban Primary School Teachers of English in China
Author: Ping, Wang
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Elementary School Teachers,Action Research,Urban Schools,Teacher Education,Teacher Surveys,Observation,Questionnaires,Statistical Analysis,Comparative Analysis,Interviews,Barriers

This action research explores a 240-credit-hour training programme in urban Chinese primary school educational settings. A survey of 90 primary school teachers of English was conducted via classroom observation and questionnaires focusing on their reflection on the training programme. Analyses of variance were applied by comparison and contrast. Results illustrate that the programme is of help but the improvement of it needs being discussed.