ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Influence of Instructor Personality on Student Evaluation of Teaching: A Comparison between English Majors and Non-English Majors
Author: Mori, S.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,College Faculty,Personality,Teacher Characteristics,Majors (Students),Nonmajors,Student Evaluation of Teacher Performance,College Students,Course Evaluation,Correlation,Questionnaires,Statistical Analysis,Factor Analysis,Multiple Regression Analysis

160 non-English major students studying at a four-year university and 193 English major students studying at a career college of foreign language in Japan completed a questionnaire regarding instruction and instructor personality. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether the students' instructional and personality ratings predicted their general evaluation of course. This study also investigated whether the relations between instructional and personality ratings and the general course evaluation varied by major. A significant correlation was found between the instructional scale and the overall evaluation of the course regardless of students' majors: The more the students found the class interesting and was appropriately managed, the higher the overall evaluation. However, the findings indicate that while teacher's extroversion, thoughtfulness and neuroticism mattered to the non-English major group when evaluating the overall effectiveness of the class, teacher personality did not influence the English major group. The authors believe the findings of the present study could contribute to a better understanding of the nature of student evaluations that have always been a source of controversy, and sometimes discontent during their history.
The Investigation on Critical Thinking Ability in EFL Reading Class
Author: Zhou, Jie
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,College Students,Critical Thinking,Thinking Skills,Majors (Students),Art Education,Science Education,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Gender Differences,Instructional Program Divisions,Questionnaires,Reading Strategies,Teaching Methods,Mixed Methods Research

The present mixed-method study aims to find out the status quo of critical thinking ability of university non-English majors by investigating 224 non-English majors from a university in China (105 male and 119 female students, 114 art and 110 science majors, 109 freshmen and 115 sophomores were included respectively) through questionnaires and interviews. Specifically, it compares critical thinking ability in English reading between students of different genders, majors as well as grades. The result shows that the critical thinking ability of university non-English majors in English reading is weak, namely, most students lack critical thinking ability in English as a Foreign Language reading class, which requires relevant training urgently. Also, differences of English critical thinking ability lie in gender, major, and grade. Teachers are well-advised to improve their teaching method and put more emphasis on arousing students' awareness of critical thinking. Also, they need to teach students according to their characteristics so as to promote students' critical thinking ability in English reading fully and harmoniously.
A Survey of Acquisition of Transferred Negation of English Syntax &quot;with Reference to Senior High School TEFL in Mainland China&quot;
Author: Fuli, Liu
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,High School Students,English (Second Language),Syntax,Sentence Structure,Second Language Learning,Student Surveys,Gender Differences,Translation,Questionnaires

This study investigates the learning situation of senior high school students in mainland China about acquisition of transferred negation of English sentence structure. Through translation test and questionnaire investigation, a survey is made about this language learning phenomenon among 173 students. From the study it is found that students mainly have problems with the typical kind of transferred negation sentences, the negation caused by the predicative in the matrix clause, the negation of because-clause, the negation of infinitive structure or the objective complements and so on. The language foundation of English has no direct relation to whether students are familiar with transferred negation structure. There exists a very clear difference between students from different schools for some sentences and students from the same class tend to make mistakes in the same kind of transferred negation sentences. Female students have an advantage over male students in the translation test. Some factors like the habits of Chinese expression have great effects on students' understanding of the structure.
CALL, Prewriting Strategies, and EFL Writing Quantity
Author: Shafiee, Sajad
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Prewriting,Writing Strategies,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Pretests Posttests,Statistical Analysis,Comparative Analysis,Quasiexperimental Design,Control Groups,Brainstorming,Teaching Methods,Writing Instruction,Writing Processes,Conventional Instruction,Web Based Instruction,English (Second Language),Foreign Countries,College Students,Majors (Students),Instructional Effectiveness

This study sought to explore the effect of teaching prewriting strategies through different methods of input delivery (i.e. conventional, web-based, and hybrid) on EFL learners' writing quantity. In its quasi-experimental study, the researchers recruited 98 available sophomores, and assigned them to three experimental groups (conventional, web-based, and hybrid groups) and a control group. The control group received product-oriented writing instruction regarding paragraph writing, whereas the experimental groups were taught, though under different learning conditions, to use prewriting strategies pertinent to generating ideas through freewriting, brainstorming, listing, clustering, and asking wh-questions during the planning stage of writing. The learners' writing quantity was measured, both prior to and after the implementation of the experiment, via counting the number of idea units in the writing tasks which were administered to the learners as the pretest and posttest. One-Way between-groups ANOVA was utilized to analyze and compare the collected data and to discern whether and to what extent the participants in each group could gain benefit from their specific type of instruction. The results of this study revealed that writing quantity was indeed under the influence of different treatments, with the learners in the hybrid group outperforming their counterparts in all the other groups.
Using E-Learning and ICT Courses in Educational Environment: A Review
Author: Salehi, Hadi
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Electronic Learning,Role,Information Technology,Technology Integration,Surveys,Computer Science,Higher Education,Teaching Methods,Online Courses

With the quick emergence of computers and related technology, Electronic-learning (E-learning) and Information Communication and Technology (ICT) have been extensively utilized in the education and training field. Miscellaneous methods of integrating computer technology and the context in which computers are used have affected student learning in many different ways. Integration of technology can help to create courses that are easier and more effective for learners, especially if ICT and E-learning are integrated into the educational process. ICT, when used in a sufficient and suitable manner, can help learners to understand IT better. Moreover, it can help learners to use the absolutely necessary skills which can guarantee success in empowering the learners with IT awareness and skills which are essential for success in today's knowledge economy. This study aims to conduct a survey on the role of E-learning and ICT courses in educational environment. By having ICT courses available online via E-learning, every learner will adapt and be comfortable with the continuous upcoming technologies and innovations.
An Investigation of Saudi English-Major Learners' Perceptions of Formative Assessment Tasks and Their Learning
Author: Umer, Muhammad
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Majors (Students),English (Second Language),Student Attitudes,Formative Evaluation,Evaluation Methods,Student Evaluation,Learning Strategies,Student Surveys,Females,Multiple Choice Tests,Instructional Materials,College Students

The effect of standardised and summative assessment on teaching and learning has been explored in various settings. Formative assessment or classroom assessment, however, has not captured considerable attention of washback researchers. The prime goal of the inclusion of formative assessment in the assessment regime of a curriculum is to allow learners to grow as independent learners. This study investigated if learners' perceptions of formative assessment tools influenced their learning strategies, the scope of what they learned, and the depth of their learning. The results of a survey, distributed among 400 Taif University English-major female learners (TUEMFL) showed that the respondents preferred formative assessment tasks to comprise expected questions in the form of multiple-choice questions. In addition, formative assessment tasks narrowed down the scope of the syllabus the learners studied. However, the participants deemed formative assessment helpful in diagnosing and improving their mistakes. Therefore, it is suggested that the nature formative assessment tasks should synchronise with their course objectives to help learners improve their academic skills. This may mean that the assessment tasks should be more authentic in nature and should have a greater consequential validity replacing the multiple-choice questions which often culminate in surface-level learning.
An Integrated Approach to Teaching Literature in an EFL Classroom
Author: Yimwilai, Supaporn
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Literature,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Achievement Tests,Scores,Critical Thinking,Thinking Skills,Student Attitudes,Academic Achievement,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,Majors (Students),Lesson Plans,College Students,Pretests Posttests,Integrated Activities,Instructional Effectiveness

This research studied the effectiveness of the integrated approach in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms and how it related to students' 1) achievements, 2) critical thinking skills, and 3) attitudes toward reading literature. To ensure that the results were accurate and reliable, the experiment was conducted in two different regions. It was found that the results from both locations were similar. Specifically, the achievement test scores, critical thinking skills improvement, and attitudes toward reading literature of the experiment groups were significantly higher than those of the control groups. This indicated that the integrated approach was effective.
Language Learning Strategies Employed by Chinese English-Major Pre-Service Teachers in Relation to Gender and Personality Types
Author: Zhou, Chaoying
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Asians,Learning Strategies,Personality Traits,Preservice Teachers,Gender Differences,Majors (Students),Foreign Countries,Statistical Analysis,Extraversion Introversion,Cognitive Style,Personality Measures,Language Teachers,Teacher Education,Questionnaires,Educational Strategies

This study was intended to investigate the use of language learning strategy employed by English-major pre-service teachers in Midwest China in relation to their gender and personality types. The modified Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) and adopted personality type inventory were used to collect the data. ANOVA and Chi-square tests were performed for data analysis. The results revealed that gender and personality types have some effects on pre-service teachers' strategy use at the overall, category and individual levels. The variation patterns of the strategy use were found in terms of the two variables. The implications of these findings for ESL teaching and learning were also discussed.
Analyzing Idioms and Their Frequency in Three Advanced ILI Textbooks: A Corpus-Based Study
Author: Alavi, Sepideh
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language Patterns,Textbooks,English (Second Language),Statistical Analysis,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,Textbook Content,Content Analysis

The present study aimed at identifying and quantifying the idioms used in three ILI &quot;Advanced&quot; level textbooks based on three different English corpora; MICASE, BNC and the Brown Corpus, and comparing the frequencies of the idioms across the three corpora. The first step of the study involved searching the books to find multi-word idiomatic expressions used in each. Idioms matching criteria for idiomaticity were selected and searched in the three online corpora to find their frequency of occurrence. Chi-square tests were then run to discover whether there were significant differences among the frequencies of occurrence of each idiom across each corpus. Having the number of idioms in each textbook, two other chi-square tests were then run, the first aiming at finding out if there were any significant differences among the three books in terms of idiom types and the second, to compare their tokens. The results showed that the books were different in terms of both number and type of idioms. It was also found that the idioms chosen for these &quot;Advanced&quot; level books did not meet necessary frequency criteria according to the literature, which could be attributed to representativeness issues of the corpora or their scope in terms of language level, genre and speaker's age.
A Cognitive Framework in Teaching English Simple Present
Author: Tian, Cong
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Grammar,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,High School Students,Morphemes,Foreign Countries,Instructional Effectiveness,Teaching Methods,Pretests Posttests,Interviews,Questionnaires,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis

A Cognitive Grammar (CG) analysis of linguistic constructions has been claimed to be beneficial to second language teaching. However, little empirical research has been done to support this claim. In this study, two intact classes of Chinese senior high school students were given a 45-minute review lesson on the usages of the English simple present tense. Instruction for the experimental class was based on Langacker's cognitive grammar analysis that highlighted the common motivation linking various usages, while that for the control class followed traditional teaching method. Results showed that the learners in the CG approach did not perform significantly better than the control group both on a grammaticality judgment and error correction task, and on a fill-in-the-blank task, though the CG approach did improve students' performance considerably. The author argued that four reasons might have diminished the benefits of the CG approach: 1) the selection of the samples was inappropriate; 2) the CG approach ran counter to learners' expectations about grammar; 3) the presentation of the CG treatment was too abstract, and linguistic terminologies new to the students were introduced, which made the lesson hard to follow; 4) instructional time was too limited. Therefore more classroom research is needed to substantiate the claimed pedagogical benefits of the CG approach.
Can Code Switching Enhance Learners' Academic Achievement?
Author: Simasiku, Liswani
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Code Switching (Language),Academic Achievement,Grade 10,Investigations,Native Language,Language of Instruction,English (Second Language),Teaching Methods,Educational Practices,Classroom Techniques,Language Proficiency,Questionnaires,Teacher Attitudes,Teacher Surveys,Instructional Effectiveness,Preferences,Classroom Communication,English Instruction,Foreign Countries,Observation

There has been a high failure rate of Grade 10 learners in the year end examinations in the Caprivi Education Region of Namibia over a number of years. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the use of mother tongue in English medium classrooms enhanced learners' academic achievement.The study investigated 12 teachers at 12 schools in the Caprivi Education Region. The study found that teachers perceived Code Switching as enhancing academic achievement because it enhanced learners' learning of the English language, improved the way learners answered questions, and that it enhanced teaching and learning of English as a second language. It is believed that learners would be actively involved in their learning, understand the subject matter better and the difficult English concepts would be better interpreted by learners in the language that they fully understand.
English for Employability: A Case Study of the English Language Training Need Analysis for Engineering Students in India
Author: Clement, A.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Engineering Education,Higher Education,College Students,English for Special Purposes,English for Science and Technology,Employment Potential,Needs Assessment,Student Surveys,Semi Structured Interviews,Observation,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Learning Experience,Teaching Methods,Self Efficacy,Workplace Literacy,Learning Motivation,Student Attitudes,Feedback (Response),Instructional Effectiveness,Language Proficiency,Language Skills

This article examines the effectiveness of English language courses offered in the engineering colleges in India. Many engineering graduates in India are found to be unemployable due to their poor communication skills and lack of confidence. There have been a lot of research papers that have reiterated the importance of improving engineering graduates' employability skills; however, the problem of poor communication skills grows unabated in India. This study is mainly conducted to understand the reality in English classrooms of engineering colleges to unravel the mystery behind the poor performance of many engineering graduates in India. It has been identified that many third year students are still lacking confidence to face their campus placements that are to take place in their final year of study. Moreover, it has been found that the methodologies of faculty members need to be enhanced as large number of students want more interactive sessions to improve their language skills. The survey results have shown evidence of gap between the English professors' methodology and engineering students' confidence levels and also accentuate the importance of suitable training programs for required for engineering students.
The Relationship between Listening Strategies Used by Egyptian EFL College Sophomores and Their Listening Comprehension and Self-Efficacy
Author: Kassem, Hassan M.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Listening,College Students,Listening Comprehension,Self Efficacy,Language Tests,Questionnaires,Correlation,Statistical Analysis,Cognitive Processes,Metacognition

The present study explored listening strategy use among a group of Egyptian EFL college sophomores (N = 84). More specifically, it aimed to identify 1) the strategies used more often by participants, 2) the relationship between listening strategy use, and listening comprehension and self-efficacy, and 3) differences in listening comprehension and self-efficacy between students with high and low strategy frequency. A Listening Comprehension Test adapted from paper-based Longman TOEFL test was used to assess participants' listening comprehension. Listening strategy use and self-efficacy about listening were assessed by two instruments developed by the researcher based on relevant literature: a Listening Strategy Questionnaire and a Self-efficacy Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients and t-test for independent samples were computed to answer the research questions. Results revealed that cognitive strategies were used more often by participants, followed by metacognitive and socioaffective strategies. Listening strategies correlated significantly with both listening comprehension and self-efficacy. Except for socioaffective strategies, participants with high frequent overall strategy use, cognitive strategies and metacognitive strategies outperformed their counterparts with low frequency in both listening comprehension and self-efficacy. Implications and suggestions for further research are reported.
Cultural Continuity in EFL Teaching in International Higher Education: From a Discourse Perspective of Chinese Learners
Author: Yang, Wenhui
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,College Instruction,Ethnography,Interviews,English Teachers,Academic Discourse,Culture,Educational Environment,Questionnaires,Observation,College Students,Statistical Analysis

This paper presents an ethnographic study of the application of cultural continuity in English as Foreign Language (EFL) teaching in International College, GDUFS China. Based on Holliday's (2001) findings and Brown's (2000) twelve &quot;manifestos&quot; together with interviews of the Chinese learners, the authors investigate the discoursal elements used by both native EFL teachers (NEFLTs) and Local Chinese EFL teachers (LEFLTs) in international programs from a discourse perspective of Chinese university learners. They find that the practice of cultural continuity in classrooms by LEFLTs and NEFLTs demonstrates different preferences and patterns which form an essential feature of cooperative teaching for international higher education. NEFLTs' adaptation to local learning environment and LEFLTs' application of foreign teaching modes may present an integrated mode which displays both cultural continuity and discontinuity of English and local learning culture at the same time.
Saudi EFL Teachers' Readiness and Perceptions of Young Learners Teaching at Elementary Schools
Author: Fahd Al Malihi, Joza
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),English Teachers,Second Language Instruction,Readiness,Teacher Attitudes,Elementary School Teachers,Elementary School Students,Questionnaires,Statistical Analysis

This study aimed to investigate EFL elementary school teachers' perception of their own readiness to teach young learners at Saudi schools as it has been recently introduced at this level. Further, it inspects their major needs that should be considered when developing teacher-training programs. A questionnaire was distributed targeting elementary EFL teachers. 114 responses from both male and female EFL elementary school teachers from different areas of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia mostly from the eastern province were collected. Data was analyzed and computed. The results revealed that most of the EFL teachers were not fully ready to teach at this level since more than half of them did not receive enough pre-service nor in-service training concerning young learners' teaching. Additionally, the teachers' responses showed high enthusiasm towards teaching elementary students and considered it as a necessity. The study also surveyed the teachers' perception of their own needs in terms of teacher training programs for these to be designed based on their personal point of views. Their priorities were mostly centered on using technology in young learners' classrooms, methods and teaching strategies that suits young learners, and choosing and designing materials and activities that are suitable for the developmental stages of children. The study came up with valuable insights to those who are concerned and involved in teacher training.