ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
UAE University Male Students' Interests Impact on Reading and Writing Performance and Improvement
Author: Al Murshidi, Ghadah
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Journal Writing,Recreational Reading,Reading Skills,Writing Skills,College Students,Reflection,Interviews,Teaching Methods,Academic Discourse,Anxiety,Knowledge Level,Student Interests,Reading Material Selection,Thinking Skills,Critical Thinking,Qualitative Research

The study examined the impact of the conjunction of structured journal writing and reading for pleasure on students' reading and writing skills. Forty male students from UAE University participated in the study. The participants are of different academic abilities, majors and nationalities. Many of them have little experience with reading for pleasure and reflective writing. They were advised to select interested academic articles they would like to read and then reflect on the articles in their journals by filling different types of maps and summarizing the main points in the articles. The data includes the students' interviews. The study explored whether the approach positively affects students' academic reading and writing and helps students overcome their reading and writing anxiety. The study results are relating topics to students' major deepen the students' knowledge in their specialization. Selecting topics of students' interests encourages them to continue working on reading the articles even though they face some challenges. Content and organization in reading and writing were improved in students' dialogue journals project and story mapping strategy. The students' awareness of building a large vocabulary is significant. However, students &quot;fear of making semantic errors in their writing delays their work. Knowledge and experience gain, creativity and personality improvement are indicators of students&quot; enjoyment of reading and writing topics of their choices and interest even though they struggled initially.
The Effect of Concept Mapping on L2 Writing Performance: Examining Possible Effects of Trait-Level Writing Anxiety
Author: Machida, Naoko
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Anxiety,Writing Apprehension,Concept Mapping,Teaching Methods,Instructional Effectiveness,Writing Skills,Measures (Individuals),Writing Assignments,Task Analysis,Undergraduate Students,Foreign Countries,Likert Scales,Questionnaires,Statistical Analysis,Scores,Student Attitudes

Research on anxiety in a foreign language-learning context is well-documented; however, few studies have directly focused on anxiety occurring within writing contexts despite the fact that writing anxiety is known to affect students' learning. The present study examined the effectiveness of concept mapping considering students' writing anxiety. Participants completed writing anxiety scales and were randomly assigned to three groups before completing a writing task: concept mapping, idea listing, or an unrelated task. Results indicated that, especially for students with low trait-level writing anxiety, concept mapping positively influenced the quality of writing content. Teaching implications will be discussed in the light of the results of this study.
The Effect of Dual N-Back Task Training on Phonological Memory Expansion in Adult EFL Learners at the Beginner Level
Author: Farvardin, Mohammad Taghi
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Phonology,Program Effectiveness,Intervention,Short Term Memory,Adult Students,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Repetition,Language Tests,Educational Practices,Beginning Reading,Beginning Writing

One of the most influential models of working memory (WM) is the one developed by Baddeley (1986, 2000, 2003) which views WM comprising several components--a central executive, an episodic buffer, the visuo-spatial sketchpad, and the phonological loop. The phonological loop or phonological memory (PM) deals with the temporary storage of verbal and speech-based material. This study aimed to examine the effect of dual n-back task training on the expansion of PM capacity (PMC). One hundred twenty six adult EFL learners at the beginner level were randomly assigned to the control and experimental groups. The participants in the experimental groups were involved in dual n-back task training for six weeks. Nonword repetition and nonword recognition tests were used to measure PMC. The results showed that the training on the dual n-back task had a positive and significant effect on the expansion of the participants' PMC.
Professional Development of Mexican Secondary EFL Teachers: Views and Willingness to Engage in Classroom Research
Author: Roux, Ruth
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mexicans,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Faculty Development,English (Second Language),Needs Assessment,Foreign Countries,Educational Change,Secondary School Teachers,Teacher Education,Teacher Educators,Language Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Program Content,Inquiry,Mentors,Peer Evaluation,Conferences (Gatherings),Networks

The effective implementation of any educational reform is largely dependent on the preparation of teachers. In the case of the National English Program in Basic Education, (NEPBE) implemented in public schools in Mexico in 2009, teacher preparation options have been designed by both public and private higher education institutions in several states of the country. Most options have been based on the needs of teacher trainers and educational administrators, rather than on teachers' needs. This paper presents the partial results of a professional development needs analysis carried out with secondary English language teachers in northeast Mexico. The study examined the teachers' previous professional development experiences; their views on professional development contents and formats; and disposition to engage in inquiry-based professional development. Results indicated that stand-alone and degree courses were the only professional development activities the participants had experienced. Other practices such as mentoring, peer observation, attending conferences, or networking, were unfamiliar to the majority of them. Although most of the teachers considered that training courses had a high impact on teaching, some of them valued the impact of professional development practices that involve autonomy, reflection and collaboration. A high percentage of teachers reported disposition to learn about and engage in classroom research.
Revisiting Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication: Learner Perception and the Meaning of Corrective Feedback
Author: Kim, Hye Yeong
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Synchronous Communication,Computer Mediated Communication,Teaching Methods,Feedback (Response),Second Language Instruction,Public Colleges,Questionnaires,College Students,English (Second Language),Recall (Psychology),Surveys,Coding,Error Correction,Interviews,Syntax,Morphology (Languages)

Effectively exploring the efficacy of synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) for pedagogical purposes can be achieved through the careful investigation of potentially beneficial, inherent attributes of SCMC. This study provides empirical evidence for the capacity of task-based SCMC to draw learner attention to linguistic forms by offering opportunities for corrective feedback and incidental recasts, highlighting learners' errors. The findings open up the discussion on the meaning of feedback considering learners' perceptions and the unique SCMC features. The findings indicate that learners do not attend to corrective feedback that promote &quot;the corrector&quot; and &quot;the corrected&quot; relationships. Rather, they benefit from incidental recasts that coincidentally contrast with their ill-formed L2 production. This study also challenges the previous assumptions regarding certain SCMC features believed to be beneficial to learners. Features like split turns increase learners' cognitive load and make it difficult for learners to follow the flow of the conversation. Considering split turns of SCMC and learners' different perceptions on tasks, this study calls for reframing recasts in SCMC and more sensitive research methods for investigating SCMC interaction.
Teaching Culture and Identifying Language Interference Errors through Films
Author: Argynbayev, Arman
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Student Attitudes,Films,Teaching Methods,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Cultural Awareness,Interference (Language),College Students,Cultural Influences,Language Usage,Translation,Video Technology

This study reflects intermediate level learners' opinion about employing films in the EFL classroom for teaching culture and avoiding negative language transfer. A total of 63 participants, aged 21-23, took part in the experiment in the Faculty of Philology at Suleyman Demirel University in Almaty, Kazakhstan. During the experiment the subjects were demonstrated six extracts with culture laden scenes in a time range of 1-3 minutes. Participants had to detect peculiarities of American and Japanese cultures and compare them with Kazakh traditions. In the second part of the experiment, the subjects had to dub the film clips from Russian into English and compare their work with the original sequence. The study showed that the participants enjoyed both activities, and were ready to do them on a regular basis. Students also claim that Japanese and Kazakh cultures have certain similarities, yet there are significant differences too. The learners also assert that Kazakhs have been affected by globalization. As a result, Kazakhs share beliefs and opinions of American culture in some aspects. The most frequent mistakes in dubbing among the learners were omitting articles, incorrect word order in direct and indirect questions, incorrect use of present perfect and past simple tenses, and word-for-word translation. This work adds to the field of culture, language transfer and using films in the EFL classroom.
A Qualitative Study into L2 Writing Strategies of University Students
Author: Raoofi, Saeid
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Qualitative Research,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Writing Strategies,Metacognition,Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Students,Writing Instruction,Prewriting,Revision (Written Composition),Interviews,Student Attitudes,Writing Difficulties,Writing Processes

This study reports on an investigation into writing strategies of Malaysian university students learning English as a second language. Qualitative data were collected from 21 undergraduate university students aged 19 to 21. The students interviewed reported using a variety of writing strategies. It was also found that all of the participants reported doing some pre-writing activities, and having awareness of their own writing problems. The findings of the study also revealed that the highly proficient student writers reported using more metacognitive strategies such as organizing ideas and revising content than less skilled ones. Limitations of the study are discussed, and suggestions for future research are offered. Implications for writing instruction are also presented.
The Implementation of Project and Research Activities in Working with Gifted Children in Terms of School-University Network Cooperation (Regional Aspect)
Author: Abdrafikova, Albina R.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academically Gifted,Teaching Methods,College School Cooperation,College Students,Second Language Learning,Foreign Countries,Student Projects,English (Second Language),Adolescents,High School Students,Knowledge Level,Skill Development,Questionnaires,Student Attitudes

The article deals with regional experience in using modern strategies in teaching gifted children. The value of project and research activity is actualized as one of the most effective educational technologies in work with gifted children. The article shows examples of organization of combined project and research activities of student-teachers and pupils of specialized classes for gifted children within &quot;school-university&quot; framework. Such concepts as &quot;ability&quot;, &quot;genius&quot; and &quot;talent&quot; are classified according to a single base i.e. success. As a result the nature of giftedness in its current understanding is that it is not seen as static but as a dynamic characteristic meaning a talent existing only in movement, in the development and as a consequence, its development requires certain conditions. In our study, the project-research activity of gifted children is carried out in close collaboration with the students of the department of Russian and foreign philology at Kazan (Volga region) Federal University within &quot;school-university&quot; framework. The special role of this form of cooperation is noted in the program and it is planned to involve the infrastructure of leading universities, innovative enterprises and creative industries to work with gifted children. A project named &quot;Writing letters in English&quot; has been developed to form communicative and socio-cultural skills of students.
Implementing Environmental Culture in the Language Learning Laboratory
Author: Sadykova, Aida G.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Environmental Education,Personality Traits,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Second Language Learning,Secondary School Curriculum,Media Selection,Instructional Materials,Teaching Methods,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Diagnosis,Integrated Activities,Student Projects,Foreign Countries

The article deals with the description of the experimental work aimed at testing the effectiveness of the pedagogical conditions used in the environmental education of senior pupils by means of a foreign language. It is worth mentioning that during the experiment under the detection of the formation of the environmental education of senior pupils were identified the indicators by which we understand the environmental characteristics of the personality traits. The results were derived from the methods used in the process of the experiment, such as: conversation, testing, verification of empirical skills, analysis and synthesis. On the whole the difference in the results of the experimental groups significantly allows us to state the effectiveness of pedagogical conditions of the environmental education of senior pupils by means of a foreign language.
Experiences of Intensive English Learners: Motivations, Imagined Communities, and Identities
Author: Lee, Juyeon
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Intensive Language Courses,Learning Motivation,Self Concept,Asians,Foreign Students,Conflict,Teaching Methods,Communities of Practice,Student Motivation,Sociocultural Patterns,Learning Experience,Native Speakers,Intercultural Communication,Korean,Native Language,Educational Experience

Based on a widely held belief that immersion provides the best language learning opportunities, a large number of Asian students go to English-speaking countries to improve their English language skills. These strongly motivated learners arrive in a new country with a bag of expectations, learner beliefs, and imaginations about the new community they are about to enter. However, learners are often faced with a set of challenges with respect to language learning opportunities and identity negotiations in the new community. Against this background, the present study examined three cases of Korean learners enrolled in an intensive English program (IEP) in the U.S. The aim of the study was to understand distinct struggles experienced by this learner population. The study found that the participants had certain motivations and imaginations about the new communities, but they experienced numerous challenges and struggles particularly with regard to opportunities for authentic communications in English and identity conflicts. The paper discusses pedagogical implications for an effective IEP curriculum to allow students more opportunities for legitimate periphery participation in the target language communities of practice.
Unified (Russian) State Exam in English: Reading Comprehension Tasks
Author: Solnyshkina, Marina I.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reading Comprehension,Reading Tests,Multiple Choice Tests,Test Items,Reading Skills,Classification,Task Analysis,Test Preparation,Foreign Countries,High Stakes Tests,Educational Change,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,College Entrance Examinations

The article summarizes the study of Reading Comprehension Tasks utilized in preparation for Unified (Russian) State Exam. The corpus of reading tasks was analyzed with the use of the classification algorithm developed by Weir and Urquhart (1998), and aimed at determining the level of engagement (local or global) and type of engagement (literal or interpretative) of a reader performing a Reading Task. The analysis demonstrated manifestations of both levels and types of engagement: the majority of Reading Tasks of &quot;Heading-Text Match&quot; type are found to be of &quot;global-interpretative&quot; configuration, Tasks 2 in EGE Reading Section are typically of a &quot;local-literal&quot; configuration, while Multiple Choice Tasks (Task 3) require both careful and expeditious (in rare cases) reading skills and two types of engagement--literal and interpretative.
The Formation of Students' Foreign Language Communicative Competence during the Learning Process of the English Language through Interactive Learning Technologies (The Study on the Basis of Kazan Federal University)
Author: Fahrutdinova, Rezida A.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Communicative Competence (Languages),English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Language Teachers,Teacher Education,Educational Quality,Correlation,Sociolinguistics,Cultural Awareness,Sociocultural Patterns,Cooperation,Intercultural Communication,Foreign Countries,Comparative Analysis,Experimental Groups,Language Tests,Control Groups,Educational Technology,Computer Mediated Communication,Outcomes of Education,College Students

The relevance of this study is determined by the needs of modern society for qualified specialists, which leads to the necessity of improving the system of higher education. This dictates the need for a high-quality preparation of the teacher of English who is able to act as an active subject of the professional activity and who has high levels of communicative competence. A future teacher of English must be fluent in a foreign language and must demonstrate high foreign language communicative competence. However, not all the students of language faculties and specializations reach this level. Thus, there arises the question about a search for new approaches, methods and means of formation of foreign language communicative competence of future teachers of English at the University. At the same time, the student's foreign language communicative competence is an integrative personal quality, it is a tone which mediates along with other kinds of personal and professional development competence and defines its effectiveness in greater or lesser degree. Interactive learning within the English language teaching provides a full communication between the students and the formation of skills of solving communicative tasks. The communicative competence defined as a significant component of the key competencies and the result of modern education includes linguistic, discourse, sociolinguistic and sociocultural competences as well as socio-personal interactive component correlated with cooperation and tolerance of the student.
The Formation of Students' National Self-Awareness in EFL Class
Author: Yarmakeev, Iskander E.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Self Concept,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,High School Students,Comparative Analysis,Role,Cultural Awareness,Cross Cultural Studies,Teaching Methods,Learning Processes,Models,Foreign Countries,Self Esteem,Intercultural Communication,Nationalism

In the epoch of globalization it is urgently important to draw attention to the problem of the formation of national self-awareness of school students. Numerous researches in the Russian Federation show that there is a tendency of cultural level decreasing, according to which a great many school students are not aware not only of the world's cultural heritage, but have a vague idea of their own (national) culture. The authors examine the role of foreign languages learning in the formation of national self-awareness of students in High schools. Language, as it is, reflects the culture and history of the nation. Therefore it can be declared a unique source in the process of national self-awareness formation of school students. The cross-cultural approach and the cross-cultural comparative approach in teaching EFL let both, teachers and students, consider human problems from the standpoint of two or more cultures that contribute to the comparative-contrastive analysis of native culture phenomena and compare the native culture with the culture of the target language. Drawing on literature of teaching and learning EFL, multicultural studies, as well as personal international teaching and learning experience, the authors examine the teaching and learning techniques focused on these approaches and present the authentic model of the formation of students' national self-awareness based on the integration of teaching the language and local lore in EFL classes. The paper discusses issues and practices of the studied model and offers general recommendations for High schools faculty.
Recognition of English and German Borrowings in the Russian Language (Based on Lexical Borrowings in the Field of Economics)
Author: Ashrapova, Alsu
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),German,Russian,Linguistic Borrowing,Economics,Second Language Learning,Word Recognition,Age Differences,Occupations,Language Teachers,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Language Usage,Surveys,Statistical Analysis,Classification

This article is the result of a study of the influence of English and German on the Russian language during the English learning based on lexical borrowings in the field of economics. This paper discusses the use and recognition of borrowings from the English and German languages by Russian native speakers. The use of lexical borrowings from English and German by Russian people is examined across age groups, occupations and knowledge of foreign languages. The main goal of this study is to demonstrate that use and recognition of lexical borrowings vary between age groups, occupation and knowledge of foreign languages. Analyzing the results we found out that the age of an individual influences the degree of recognition of borrowings; people connected with the field of economics by their occupation performed more recognized borrowings; the occupation of the participants had more effect than knowledge of goal languages. Fully assimilated words were difficult to identify. The results may benefit English teachers in terms of emphasizing the signs of distinguishing borrowings to English learners, and contributing to using native words.