ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Four Radical Panaceas for Reversing Mass Failure in Certificate English Language Examinations in Nigeria
Author: Fasasi, Khabyr Alowonle
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academic Failure,Language Tests,Secondary School Students,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Literature,Educational Improvement,Foreign Countries,Trend Analysis,Academic Achievement

Given the present-day perspectives of Nigerians to the imperatives of qualitative education in the lives of youths, quite a lot of Nigerians have strongly bemoaned and condemned the recurrent woeful performances of students in Certificate examinations. Many research works have therefore concerned themselves with solving the problems of mass failure in public examinations. This paper, with special focus on improving English language teaching and learning in Secondary schools and improving students' performances in public examinations, reviewed the problem, and causes, of mass failure in English language as enunciated by scholars and, proposed four radical panaceas--introducing the reading of prose texts to all students; separating English Language and Literature-in-English in the JSCE curriculum; separating the aspects of English Language for teachers and, moving up the teachers as their students move up from class to class--of improving learners' performances in English language in internal and Certificate examinations. The paper reasoned that given a good background of discipline, the four panaceas would reverse the ugly trend of mass failure in Nigerian schools, improve academic performances in English language in internal and Certificate examinations and help foster improved performances in other school subjects. Presenting some public examination results of a school where the panaceas have been fruitfully practised, the author appealed to the educational planners and administrators, ministries of education, private secondary school managements and teachers to adopt the solutions for the overall improvement of the English language teaching and learning since a good mastery of English enhances improved performances in other school subjects.
A Computational Investigation of Cohesion and Lexical Network Density in L2 Writing
Author: Green, Clarence
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Essays,Computational Linguistics,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Writing (Composition),English,Native Speakers,Semantics,Verbs,Statistical Analysis,Language Proficiency,Connected Discourse,Contrastive Linguistics,Foreign Countries

This study used a new computational linguistics tool, the Coh-Metrix, to investigate and measure the differences in cohesion and lexical network density between native speaker and non-native speaker writing, as well as to investigate L2 proficiency level differences in cohesion and lexical network density. This study analyzed data from three corpora with the Coh-Metrix: the International Corpus of Learner English (ICLE) as an L2 higher proficiency group, the Louvain Corpus of Native English Essays (LOCNESS) as a native speaker baseline, and a collected EFL corpus from Indonesia for the L2 lower proficiency data. Statistical investigation of the Coh-Metrix results revealed that five out of six Coh-Metrix variables used in this study did not detect proficiency level differences in L2 but the tool was consistently able to distinguish between L2 and native speaker writing. Differences included that L2 writing contains more argument overlap, more semantic overlap, more frequent content words, fewer abstract verb hyponyms and less causal content than native speaker writing.
Education as a Practice of Freedom: Reflections on bell hooks
Author: Specia, Akello
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Freedom,Educational Philosophy,Feminism,Progressive Education,Ideology,Holistic Approach,Literacy,Praxis,Race,Sex,Culture,Social Class,Social Change,Foreign Countries

This paper critically analyses the conceptions of bell hooks on education. It focuses on the relevance of hook's ideas to the classroom. It is a theoretical paper based on secondary data that seeks to contribute to the growing body of knowledge in education. The paper is a reflection of hook's reaction to education as a practice of freedom, the feminist theory, progressive holistic education and pedagogy of hope. Hook's ideologies also revolve around her philosophy of the classroom based on race, capitalism, gender, oppression, class domination, liberation, collaboration and praxis in teaching and learning. Freedom in education gives teaching a performative act that offers space for change, invention, spontaneous shifts and can serve as a catalyst drawing out the unique element in each classroom. The transformed and transformative classrooms are a testament to hook's vision of changing the way we think of pedagogy as liberatory for all involved in education, from the teacher to the student and institutions we teach and learn in everyday.
E-Classroom of the 21st Century: Information Gaps
Author: Oluwatumbi, Oso Senny
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Quasiexperimental Design,Pretests Posttests,Technology Uses in Education,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Secondary School Students,Sampling,Achievement Tests,Teaching Methods,Achievement Gains,Instructional Effectiveness,Electronic Classrooms,Hypothesis Testing,Questionnaires,Intermode Differences,Foreign Countries

The introduction of technology into the classroom has revolutionized teaching and learning process. The 21st century learning environment creates exciting learning for students to collaborate and learn at their own pace making them active participants in learning process. The teacher is no-longer a dictator, pouring knowledge into passive learners like empty vessels ready to be filled but a facilitator of teaching and learning process. Teachers need to be well informed about the use technology and the benefits of ICT resources in teaching and learning process. The study investigated E-Classroom of the 21st Century: Information Gaps. The study employed the quasi experimental research of the pre-test, post-test control group design. The population for the study consisted of all secondary school students in Ekiti State. The sample consisted of 80 students selected through purposive sampling technique. A 15 item research instrument titled 21st century E-Classroom Achievement Test (ECAT) was used for the study. The validity of the instrument was ascertained by ICT and test and measurement experts. The reliability was determined using test- retest method. The reliability co-efficient of 0.75 was obtained using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis. The data collected were analysed using t-test and ANOVA. The hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that the students exposed to the ICT package performed better than those from the controlled group who were exposed to conventional method of teaching. Based on the findings, it was recommended that teachers should employ varieties of techniques using technology resources in their teaching repertoire to enhance students academic achievement.
A Closer Look at an English Language Curriculum of a Community College in Saudi Arabia
Author: AL-Murabit, Islam A.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Community Colleges,English Curriculum,College Second Language Programs,Language of Instruction,Course Descriptions,Curriculum Design,Curriculum Implementation,Curriculum Evaluation,English (Second Language)

This study analyzes a foundation year's language curriculum of a Saudi community college which uses English as a medium of instruction with the aim of improving its curriculum. First, both terms &quot;curriculum&quot; and &quot;syllabus&quot; are defined followed by a brief historical account of curriculum studies. Then, theories informing curriculum and syllabus design, implementation, and evaluation are discussed including curriculum formation, development of objectives, different approaches to curriculum and syllabus types, how, where and when they can be implemented. Moreover, a contextual background about the college and its English language program and curriculum is provided. After that, the curriculum is discussed through analyzing several of its aspects including planning, needs analysis, goals, objectives, syllabus, taught materials, skills, teaching and delivery, testing and evaluation. Main curriculum challenges facing the concerned educators and learners are also addressed. The study concludes by advocating the focus on the underlying problems and major deficiencies in the current and similar curriculums instead of only dealing with their symptoms.
A Comparative Washback Study of IELTS and TOEFL iBT on Teaching and Learning Activities in Preparation Courses in the Iranian Context
Author: Erfani, Shiva Seyed
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language Tests,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Testing Problems,Test Use,Communicative Competence (Languages),Teaching Methods,Comparative Analysis,Teacher Attitudes,Interviews,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Computer Assisted Testing,Learning Activities,Foreign Countries,Second Language Instruction,Factor Analysis,Questionnaires,Student Attitudes,Observation

One consequence of test use in the English-language teaching community is the negative washback of tests on teaching and learning. Test preparation courses are often seen as part of the more general issue of washback. IELTS and TOEFL iBT tests, focusing on communicative competence, are anticipated to have positive washback effect on how English is taught and learned. This study was a triangulation research to compare the washback of IELTS and TOEFL iBT on teaching and learning activities in test preparation courses. To this end, questionnaires survey with 40 IELTS and iBT teachers, 220 IELTS and TOEFL iBT students, and also ten class observations and ten teachers' interviews were called upon and the related data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The results showed evidence of both negative and positive washback in the relevant courses. Generally, in both courses the class time was more characterized by the negative influence of the test although IELTS classes seemed to promote more positive washback than TOEFL iBT did on class activities. While the TOEFL iBT preparation courses appeared to address a wider range of activities for academic study, IELTS preparation courses provided more opportunities for learners' interactions and communications in line with the test activities.
Assessment of Management Competencies Possessed by Postgraduate University Business Education Students to Handle Entrepreneurship Business Challenges in Nigeria
Author: Okoro, James
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Graduate Students,Business Administration Education,Entrepreneurship,Business Administration,Business Skills,Student Surveys,Small Businesses

University Business Education graduates, by the nature of their programme, ought to possess relevant management competencies for successful entrepreneurship but casual observation and empirical reports indicate that they are not doing well in this aspect. Therefore, this study assessed the management competencies possessed by the university postgraduate Business Education students to handle entrepreneurship business challenges in Nigeria. One research question and five hypotheses guided the study. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population, also used as the sample, consisted of 388 Business Education graduates who are currently running their postgraduate programme in universities in the south-south and southeast geopolitical zones in Nigeria. The questionnaire was adequately validated by experts in Business Education and measurement and evaluation. The internal consistency of the instrument was determine using Cronbach alpha with a reliability coefficient of 0.93 was used for data collection. The mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while Z-test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The result revealed that Business Education graduates are competent in ability to plan for small or medium scale business, ability to organize small scale business, ability to source funds for the running of a small scale business among others. It was recommended that Business Education graduates should undergo conferences and workshops on how to management small scale businesses.
The Influence of Gender, School Location and Socio-Economic Status on Students' Academic Achievement in Mathematics
Author: Alordiah, Caroline Ochuko
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Achievement,Gender Differences,School Location,Socioeconomic Status,Mathematics Tests,Objective Tests,Questionnaires,Rural Urban Differences,Secondary School Students,Foreign Countries

The study investigated the influence of gender, school location, and socio-economic status (SES) on students' academic achievement in mathematics. The study was an ex-post factor design in which the variables were not manipulated nor controlled. Four research questions and three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The stratified random sampling approach was used to sample 1900 students such that the variables in the study were put into consideration. Two instruments were used for this study namely mathematics objective test (MOT) and socio-economic status questionnaire (SESQ). Experts in mathematics and measurement validated the instruments. The reliability of the MOT and SESQ using the test-retest method of establishing reliability yielded 0.71 and 0.70 respectively. The results of the study showed that students have an average achievement in mathematics. The result also showed that male students performed better than female students, urban students performed better than rural students and students of parents with high SES performed better than students of parents with low SES. One of the recommendations was that teachers should put into consideration the disparities that exist between male/female, urban/rural, and low SES/high SES when teaching mathematics.
Sociolinguistics Inputs and English as Second Language Classrooms
Author: Onovughe, Ofodu Graceful
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Sociolinguistics,English (Second Language),Language Acquisition,Secondary School Students,Questionnaires,Content Validity,Reliability,Statistical Analysis,Correlation,Parent Background,Parent Influence,Language Usage,Socioeconomic Status,Social Class

Sociolinguistic inputs in language acquisition and use of English as Second Language in classrooms is the main focus of this study. A survey research design was adopted. The population consisted of all secondary school students in Akure Local Government of Ondo State, Nigeria. Two hundred and forty (240) students in senior secondary school classes were deliberately selected from six secondary schools randomly sampled. A fourteen-item questionnaire designated to elicit the required information on the sociolinguistic inputs was used for data collection. The face and content validity of the instrument was ensured. A trial test of the instrument was carried out with students in a community senior secondary school in Ekiti State. Split- half reliability was used and a reliability coefficient of 0.9 was obtained. One way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), t-test and Pearson Product Moment correlation statistics were employed for the data analysis. Findings revealed that parents' occupations have significant impact on secondary school students' use of English. Results also revealed that gender, age and religion have insignificant input on secondary school students' use of English. It was concluded that the family still remains a major source and most potent place for language learning; therefore, parents should give more attention to students language use at home and provide all the necessary impetus.
Beliefs about Foreign Language Learning and Their Relationship to Gender
Author: Daif-Allah, Ayman Sabry
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Beliefs,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Student Attitudes,Educational Research,Semitic Languages,English (Second Language),Native Language,Gender Differences,Communication Strategies,Language Aptitude,Learning Motivation,Guidelines,Teaching Methods,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires,College Students,Likert Scales

Learners' beliefs about foreign language learning have been stressed in educational research because they are regarded as fundamental to learners' progress (e.g. Altan, 2012; Russell, 2009; Rieger, 2009; Kormos &amp; Csizér, 2008;). This paper deals with the results of a research project conducted among first-year English language majors studying the Intensive English Language Program at Qassim University. A total of 250 male and female students participated in this study. A modified Arabic version of Horwitz's (1987) BALLI (Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory) was used to explore the overall beliefs of Saudi university students about learning English as a foreign language and to investigate the effect of gender on those beliefs. Results revealed that Saudi university students have positive and realistic beliefs about foreign language in regard to the nature of language learning, communication strategies, and motivation and expectations about learning English as a foreign language. The findings also indicated that overall males and females held similar beliefs about language learning as regard the difficulty and the nature of language learning. However, statistical significant gender differences were found in the areas of English language aptitude, learning and communication, and motivation and expectations. The study recommends an identification of Saudi learners' beliefs on a wider scale, so as to provide guidelines to EFL teachers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to tailor their teaching methods to avoid mismatches between classroom practices and learners' beliefs. Finally, the study suggests that recognition of learners' beliefs and reflection on their possible effect on language learning might increase awareness and even adjustment of their expectations.
On the Effects of Focus on Form, Focus on Meaning, and Focus on Forms on Learners' Vocabulary Learning in ESP Context
Author: Saeidi, Mahnaz
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Vocabulary Development,English for Special Purposes,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Scores,Student Motivation,Grammar,Second Language Learning,Instructional Effectiveness,Teaching Methods,Linguistic Theory,Language Processing,Metalinguistics,Cooperation,Second Language Instruction,Architectural Education,Engineering Education,College Students,Statistical Analysis,Foreign Countries,Pretests Posttests

This study investigated the effectiveness of three kinds of vocabulary instruction. Seventy learners in the classes of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) were divided into three different groups receiving different instructions: Focus on Form Instruction (FoF) (Dictogloss task), Focus on Meaning Instruction (FoM) (Reading and Discussion task), and Focus on Forms (FoFs) Instruction (Word lists). The first two groups were experimental groups, and the last group was control group. The results of this research indicated that learners in FoF group achieved significantly higher scores than those in FoM and FoFs. Also, learners' scores in FoM group were significantly higher than FoFs group. These findings were justified by main features of FoF tasks (dictogloss) including depth of processing hypothesis, discovery learning, pushed output, noticing hypothesis, awareness raising, negotiation, collaboration, and motivation.
An Exploration of Upper-Intermediate Iranian EFL Learners' Perception of Politeness Strategies and Power Relation in Disagreement
Author: Niroomand, Masoumeh
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Power Structure,Language Proficiency,Language Tests,Scores,Foreign Countries,Pragmatics,Second Language Instruction,Taxonomy,Guidelines,Speech Acts,Communication Strategies,Correlation,Textbook Content,Teaching Methods,Cultural Differences,College Students,Student Attitudes,Student Surveys,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis

The present study was designed to examine the ways power relations influence politeness strategies in disagreement. The study was an attempt to find out whether different power status of people influences the the choice of appropriate politeness strategies and speech act of disagreement by Iranian EFL learners, in a university setting. A Discourse Completion Test (DCT) was utilized to elicit the required data. The sample included 20 Iranian upper-intermediate EFL learners who were selected based on their scores on a proficiency test. The DTC consists of five scenarios in which the subjects are expected to disagree with two higher statuses and two with peers and one with a lower status. Selection of disagreement situations in DCT was based on relative power and status of people. The main frameworks used for analyzing data were the taxonomy from Muntigl and Turnbull (1995) for counting and analyzing the utterances of disagreement and Brown and Levinson' (1987) theory of politeness. It was found that EFL learners employ different kind of politeness strategies in performing this face threatening speech act. When performing the speech act of disagreement, they used more direct and bald on record strategies. The findings of this study provide some evidences for the relation between the type and frequency of disagreement and choice of politeness strategies associated with people with different power status. It concludes by arguing that the results can be closely related with learning contexts and textbook contents and some suggestions were put forward regarding the issue. It is also hoped that the findings of this study will provide some worthwhile knowledge into the teaching and training of communication skills in EFL courses. Furthermore, this study may reveal some cultural differences between Iranian societies and others.
A Typological Approach to Translation of English and Chinese Motion Events
Author: Deng, Yu
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Translation,Chinese,Verbs,English,Form Classes (Languages),Second Languages,Phrase Structure,Language Classification,Motion

English and Chinese are satellite-framed languages in which Manner is usually incorporated with Motion in the verb and Path is denoted by the satellite. Based on Talmy's theory of motion event and typology, the research probes into translation of English and Chinese motion events and finds that: (1) Translation of motion events in English and Chinese is a re-lexicalization process; (2) For translation of Path, English-Chinese translators can usually convert Path verbs in English into Path satellites in Chinese and vice versa for Chinese-English translation. Translation of continuous and complex Path is a lexical conversion between pattern [Motion] + [Path[subscript 1]+ Path[subscript 2]…Path[subscript n] in English and pattern [Motion[subscript 1] + Path[subscript 1] + [Motion[subscript 2] + Path[subscript 2]] +… [Motion[subscript n]+ Path[subscript n] in Chinese; (3) For translation of Manner, Chinese-English translation tends to replace the structure of [Chinese adverbial + Motion verb] with the corresponding Manner-conflating verb in English, while English-Chinese translation has to add adverbial to the Chinese verb or use general Chinese Manner verbs to encode the specific Manner verbs in English; (4) Different narrative styles and conceptualization of time and space in both languages should be taken into consideration in translation of English and Chinese motion events.