ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Periodicity and Its Use in Language Teaching
Author: Piriyasilpa, Yupaporn
Date: 2009-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language Usage,Sentences,Grammar,Language of Instruction,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Writing (Composition),Writing Instruction,Guidelines,Discourse Analysis

Writing in English is often a problem for EFL learners in part because students may translate literally from their L1, and also because they may organise their writing by focusing on the grammatical structure at the level of clause or sentence. However, many studies argue that language is meaningful at a unit larger than a clause or sentence (e.g., Halliday, 1994; Ravelli, 2005; Martin & Rose, 2003). To write successfully, students need to be trained to take broader perspectives and learn how to organise the text as a whole. Given that text unity can be created through hierarchies of waves of information ("periodicity"-see Martin & Rose, 2003), this article argues that discourse organisation and grammatical structure are systematically related, and that it is useful for the language teacher to consider both levels when investigating students' use of language, and teaching language in the classroom. Using systemic functional linguistics (SFL), I discuss the relationship of discourse and grammar and examine the implications for the language classroom. (Contains 2 tables and 9 figures.)
Self-Access Centers: Maximizing Learners' Access to Center Resources
Author: McMurry, Benjamin L.
Date: 2009-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Study Centers,Databases,English (Second Language),Second Language Programs,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Surveys,Independent Study,Web Sites,Universities,Educational Resources,Student Attitudes

Although some students have discovered how to use self-access centers effectively, the majority appear to be unaware of available resources. A website and database of materials were created to help students locate materials and use the Self-Access Study Center (SASC) at Brigham Young University's English Language Center (ELC) more effectively. Students took two surveys regarding their use of the SASC. The first survey was given before the website and database were made available. A second survey was administered 12 weeks after students had been introduced to the resource. An analysis of the data shows that students tend to use SASC resources more autonomously as a result of having a web-based database. The survey results suggest that SAC managers can encourage more autonomous use of center materials by provided a website and database to help students find appropriate materials to use to learn English. (Contains 5 tables, 1 figure and 1 note.)
Self-Repair in Oral Production by Intermediate Chinese Learners of English
Author: Liu, Jiangtao
Date: 2009-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Oral Language,Chinese,Native Speakers,Second Language Learning,Error Correction,English (Second Language),Language Patterns,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Language Tests,Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Students,International Trade,Majors (Students)

For various reasons, second language learners modify their speech by means of self-repair. This study, based on a small-scale corpus, shows the patterns and features of self-repairs by intermediate Chinese learners of English. The results suggest that intermediate Chinese learners of English more frequently make repairs than advanced Chinese learners of English do. Within the three overt repair types (same information, different information, and appropriateness), different information accounts for the highest percentage of repairs, and appropriateness repairs the lowest. Same information repairs represent the highest percentage of all the repair types. From a chi-square test, the results indicate that intermediate Chinese learners of English make more significant use of same information repairs than relatively advanced Chinese learners of English do. Some pedagogical implications of this finding are discussed. (Contains 1 table and 5 figures.)
Oral Competency of ESL Technical Students in Workplace Internships
Author: Myles, Johanne
Date: 2009-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English for Special Purposes,Communicative Competence (Languages),Teaching Methods,Oral Language,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Engineering Education,Internship Programs,Figurative Language,Computer Mediated Communication,Second Language Instruction,Computer Software,Corporations,Language Proficiency,Language Usage,Work Environment

In recent years, an increasing number of university students in Canada speak a home language other than English, which can put added pressure on the kinds of linguistic, cultural, and academic support they may require in their tertiary education and in the workplace. Indeed, communication difficulties can surface in the workplace for students during internship placements. This article discusses the challenges that ESL engineering students have and the strategies they use to acquire oral competency while on their internship placements. The students in this study participated in a sixteen-month internship in a research and development unit of a software company. Findings reveal that learning technical language was the main priority. However, challenges revolved around conversational aspects of communication that required the ability to use and understand colloquial language, idioms, and slang, as well as to recognize cultural practices in face-to-face and computer-mediated interactions. Pedagogical implications for English for Specific Purposes (ESP) programs are discussed.
A Preliminary Study of Teacher Code-Switching in Secondary English and Science in Malaysia
Author: Then, David Chen-On
Date: 2009-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language of Instruction,Code Switching (Language),Foreign Countries,Second Language Learning,English (Second Language),Secondary School Teachers,Science Instruction,Second Language Instruction,Indonesian,Language Proficiency,Teaching Methods

This study examines functions of teacher code-switching in secondary school English and science classrooms in Malaysia, where English has recently been implemented as the language of instruction for science. Classroom interaction data were obtained from two English lessons and a science lesson. Analysis of the teachers' code-switching using Gumperz's (1982) semantic model show that code-switching in the two English lessons were vastly different, with little code-switching in the teacher-facilitated lesson. The other lesson, in which English was taught as a content subject was similar to the science lesson in the frequent use and co-occurrence use of code-switching for reiteration and message qualification. The direction of the language switch from English to Bahasa Malaysia as well as the proportion of teacher talk in English suggests that the base language for teaching is still English, even for the science lesson, and code-switching is a necessary tool for teachers to achieve teaching goals in content-based lessons involving students who lack proficiency in the instructional language. (Contains 3 tables.)
EFL Listeners' Task-Based Strategies and Their Relationship with Listening Performance
Author: Chang, Anna Ching-Shyang
Date: 2009-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Listening Comprehension Tests,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Questionnaires,Correlation,Language Tests,Learning Strategies,Student Attitudes,College Students,Foreign Countries,Chinese,Native Speakers,Second Language Instruction

This study examines 75 Chinese EFL learners' test-taking strategies and their relationship with listening performance. It further looks into how students adjust their strategies under four different task conditions. The participants completed a three-phase (before/during/after) test-taking questionnaire and were given a listening test comprising four subtests, each with different forms of support. After each subtest, students reported the strategies used based on a strategy list, and further &quot;wrote in&quot; their own strategies. The results show that all students, regardless of their listening proficiency, favor some strategies. The difference between high- and low-level students is not in the number of strategies used but in the preferential order and frequency of use. Students' listening performance had a strong correlation with the strategy used &quot;before&quot; the test-taking phase. Based on students' reported strategies it was found that: a) students were able to adjust their strategy use according to the change in task conditions, b) the same strategy may be used in different ways and for different purposes by different levels of students, c) some strategies are interrelated and are used concurrently, and d) test-taking strategy involves multiple dimensions, making it difficult to tease out one factor from another. (Contains 10 tables and 4 notes.)
Practical Knowledge Growth in Communicative Language Teaching
Author: Wyatt, Mark
Date: 2009-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Teaching Methods,Second Language Learning,Communicative Competence (Languages),Teacher Education Programs,Second Language Instruction,Interviews,Reflection,Observation,Secondary School Teachers,Knowledge Base for Teaching,Institutional Cooperation,Language Teachers

Communicative language teaching (CLT) is promoted in teacher education programmes around the world, although the appropriateness of this methodology in contexts outside the English-speaking West has been questioned, often from a theoretical perspective. In fact, very little empirical research has been conducted into the practical knowledge of CLT of non-native speaker teachers of English, and there is a lack of such research investigating growth longitudinally in this area. Using observations, interviews, and reflective writing, this study charts the practical knowledge growth in CLT of a lower secondary teacher in the Middle East while she was studying part-time on an in-service BA (TESOL) programme run by the University of Leeds in conjunction with the Ministry of Education in the Sultanate of Oman. Qualitative data suggests that the teacher's practical knowledge of CLT developed considerably during the course. Further research into the influence of teacher education programmes in TESOL on practical knowledge is called for. (Contains 2 tables.)
Morphological Analysis as a Vocabulary Strategy for L1 and L2 College Preparatory Students
Author: Bellomo, Tom S.
Date: 2009-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Students,Pretests Posttests,Vocabulary Development,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Morphology (Languages),College Preparation,Second Language Instruction,Classification,Groups,Language Acquisition,Higher Education,Teaching Methods,Native Speakers

Students enrolled in a college preparatory reading class were categorized based on language origin. Native English speakers comprised one group and foreign students were dichotomized into Latin-based (for example, Spanish) and non Latin-based (for example, Japanese) language groups. A pretest assessment quantified existing knowledge of Latinate word parts and morphologically complex vocabulary; the identical instrument served as a posttest. Two sections on both the pretest and posttest yielded a total of four distinct mean scores that formed the primary basis for comparison. Categorizing students within the college preparatory reading class based on language origin revealed distinct strengths and weaknesses relative to L1 status. The results of this study suggest that college preparatory students enter higher education with limited knowledge of Latinate word parts and related vocabulary. Additionally, the results evince the utility of morphological analysis as a vocabulary acquisition strategy--regardless of language origin. (Contains 4 figures, 11 tables and 3 notes.)
Strategic Management of ELT in Public Educational Systems: Trying to Reduce Failure, Increase Success
Author: Davies, Paul
Date: 2009-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Strategic Planning,Educational Change,Foreign Countries,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Public Education,Educational Quality,Educational Improvement

English as a foreign/second language teaching (ELT) is notably successful in some national public educational systems and unsuccessful in others. Holland, Singapore and Sweden are outstanding examples of great success in the strategic management of ELT in their public educational systems. General failures abound, particularly in countries that rank well below Holland, Singapore and Sweden socio-economically. The focus of this article is on the English language situation in Mexico, one of those countries, and representative of most of Latin America and other parts of the developing world. After providing evidence that the results of ELT in the Mexican public educational system are indeed generally extremely poor, the article addresses two main questions: Why is that so? How could that general failure be shifted to significant success? Two alternative responses to the general failure of ELT in the Mexican public educational system are suggested. They might be worth considering for some other countries' public educational system ELT also. (Contains 3 figures and 5 notes.)
Second Language Incidental Vocabulary Learning: The Effect of Online Textual, Pictorial, and Textual Pictorial Glosses
Author: Shahrokni, Seyyed Abdollah
Date: 2009-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Placement,Vocabulary Development,Incidental Learning,Pictorial Stimuli,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Instructional Materials,Foreign Countries,Language Tests,Learning Theories,Word Recognition,Computer Assisted Instruction,Adult Students

This empirical study investigates the effect of online textual, pictorial, and textual pictorial glosses on the incidental vocabulary learning of 90 adult elementary Iranian EFL learners. The participants were selected from a pool of 140 volunteers based on their performance on an English placement test as well as a knowledge test of the target words in the study. Afterward, they were randomly assigned to 3 groups of 30 and subsequently exposed to the research treatment. During 3 sessions of instruction, 5 computerized reading texts including 25 target words were studied. The participants read the texts for comprehension and, at the same time, were able to consult the glosses attached to the target words. Having read each text under each research condition, the participants were tested on their incidental vocabulary learning through two research instruments, word and picture recognition tests. The results of a one-way ANOVA analysis of the data indicate that a combination of text and still images resulted in significantly better incidental vocabulary learning, confirming the Dual-coding Theory (Paivio, 1971, 1990). (Contains 2 figures and 2 tables.)
Reflections on Foreign Language Education in Iran
Author: Farhady, Hossein
Date: 2010-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Change,Foreign Countries,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Educational History,Social Change,English (Second Language),College Admission,College Faculty

This article reflects upon foreign-language education in Iran. Contrary to its political and historical reputation in the world, Iran has not been well presented regarding its educational system in general and its foreign-language education in particular. Of course, a critical assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the Iranian education system requires an in-depth analysis of its structure that goes beyond the scope of this article. However, I will attempt to provide some basic information about the educational system in Iran before the 1979 Islamic revolution, in order to set the background for a description of the post-revolutionary system of foreign-language education in this country. The article ends with a discussion of the problems in EFL education in Iran, along with some suggested solutions. (Contains 3 tables.)
L2 Teacher Characteristics as Predictors of Students' Academic Achievement
Author: Akbari, Ramin
Date: 2010-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Secondary School Teachers,Teaching Styles,Teacher Characteristics,Achievement Gains,Academic Achievement,Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Language Teachers,English (Second Language),Correlation,Outcomes of Education,Prediction,Teacher Role,Foreign Countries

There is a substantial research base, mainly in mainstream education, acknowledging that teachers have a great impact on student achievement. However, as far as we know, little if any empirical evidence exists to enable us to determine which set of English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher characteristics correlates with positive student learning outcomes. In line with this, our study investigated three teacher-related variables--teaching style, teachers' sense of efficacy, and teacher reflectivity--to see how they relate to student achievement gains in an English-language teaching (ELT) context. Thirty EFL teachers teaching in Iranian junior and senior high schools participated in this study, with the final-exam score of the participating students serving as the dependent variable of the study. The results showed that the study variables can significantly predict student achievement. Individual correlations were also found among the variables. The study highlights teachers' central role in language teaching settings and the need for a closer inspection of teacher-related variables. (Contains 6 tables.)
Surviving as an English Teacher in the West: A Case Study of Iranian English Teachers in Australia
Author: Fotovatian, Sepideh
Date: 2010-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Attitudes,Professional Recognition,Social Integration,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Language Teachers,Second Language Learning,Case Studies,Profiles,Graduate Students,Foreign Students,Self Concept,Intercultural Communication,Qualitative Research,Communication Strategies

This paper provides an account of social integration and professional recognition of non-English-speaking-background (NESB) teachers of English in Australia. The case study profiles two Iranian postgraduate students of English teaching in an Australian university and describes their struggle to construct a social and professional identity. The students' intercultural interaction strategies within their academic and professional community are explored and compared with those of their native colleagues. This paper emerged from a larger-scale qualitative study on identification of second language interaction strategies of postgraduate international students in Australia. The discussions can help Iranian English teachers to gain a foretaste of the ongoing struggles they may face as nonnative English teachers in English-speaking countries.
Dramatic Performance in Teaching Drama in EFL Contexts
Author: Gorjian, Bahman
Date: 2010-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Reading Comprehension,Role Playing,Achievement Tests,Second Language Instruction,Drama,Teaching Methods,Literature,College Students,Protocol Analysis,Student Attitudes

This study began with the supposition that teaching English drama through dramatic performance could enhance English literature students' knowledge of drama at university level. The research was conducted over a whole academic semester with 60 intermediate students enrolled in English drama II courses. They were divided into two groups of experimental and control groups. Throughout the treatment period, the researchers instructed the experimental group how to manage to perform the selected plays through the role playing strategy while devoting little time to reading the contents of the drama in the classroom. The participants in the control group normally surveyed the contents of the same plays with no performance. A final achievement test was administered to both groups and the results indicated a significant difference in the means of the two groups in favor of the experimental group. We can suggest that literature students perform the plays in addition to the traditional comprehension activities or analysis of characters and plot of the story. (Contains 5 tables.)
Toward a Pedagogy of Intercultural Understanding in Teaching English for Academic Purposes
Author: Jund, Anne
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Constructivism (Learning),English for Academic Purposes,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Classroom Communication,Foreign Students,Clothing,Cultural Influences,Cultural Awareness,College Students

This paper takes a social constructivist position of culture, identity, and classroom discourse in exploring the "culture talk" of international students in a university English for academic purposes (EAP) course. The analysis focuses on the interactional work being accomplished by the students as they participate in a classroom task about traditional clothing. Results show how participants used cultural affiliations and disaffiliations systematically in their talk to establish competing discourses and to make available multiple identities, which were then taken up and transformed by co-group members. Implications of this study relate communicative practices that take place in university EAP courses and the possibilities for teachers to move beyond a compare-contrast approach to teaching and learning culture toward a pedagogy of intercultural understanding. (Contains 1 figure and 1 note.)
Motivating and Justifiable: Teaching Western Literature to EFL Students at a University of Science and Technology
Author: Su, Shao-Wen
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Majors (Students),Metalinguistics,Observation,Achievement Tests,Foreign Countries,Writing Instruction,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Chinese,Native Speakers,Questionnaires,Student Motivation,Literature Appreciation

While literature-based instruction has been highly praised for its pedagogical benefits, it confronts entrenched learning hindrances, both linguistic and cultural in EFL settings. Whether the literature instruction in practice is motivating or demotivating is an issue worthy of concern. In response to the issue, this paper examines a literature course design and instruction (&quot;Introduction to Western Literature&quot;) of 43 Chinese-speaking English majors at a university of science and technology in Taiwan, using statistical evidence. Questionnaires, achievement tests, quasi-GEPT tests, and informal classroom observation were the research instruments used in this enquiry. The results of the study indicate that the students were motivated; the course was conducive to students' language awareness and acquisition and contributed to students' growth in literature learning and literary esthetic appreciation. The team spirit of cooperating and sharing among the students prevailed in this literature-language classroom. (Contains 12 tables and 13 notes.)