ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Construction of New Political Identities through the Internationally Distributed English Learning Textbooks
Author: Varzande, Mohsen
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Textbook Content,Textbook Research,English (Second Language),English Instruction,Instructional Material Evaluation,Political Influences,Political Socialization,Foreign Culture,Foreign Language Books,Foreign Policy,International Education,International Educational Exchange

Today, English education is very important but language learning has long been challenged since learning a second language is not only the mastery of its forms but also a process of identity construction and self-positioning in the second language. A review of recent studies shows that the cultural effects of learning English in the internationally distributed textbooks of English learning has been the main research interest while the construction of new political identities through these book series has not been sufficiently noticed. The present study aimed to investigate the construction of new political identities in learners through reading the internationally distributed English learning textbooks. Paying attention to the variety of subjects in these books have caused the researchers, and readers to ignore some political aspects embedded in these books which try to politically marginalize certain countries through their content and impose political hegemony as well as cultural hegemony on readers.
Does E-Reading Enhance Reading Fluency?
Author: Akbar, Rahima S.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reading Fluency,Electronic Publishing,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Females,College Freshmen,Reading Rate,Student Attitudes,Reading Attitudes,Diaries,Questionnaires,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Foreign Countries

Extensive reading is reading as much as possible, for one's own pleasure, at a difficulty level at which one can read smoothly and quickly. In the domain of reading, this paper investigates the effect of extensive reading from e-books, through utilizing a number of downloadable reading application programs on the students' e-devices, as opposed to traditional book-reading in an ESL context. It aims at providing answers as to how e-book reading affects the students' reading rate, their reading comprehension, and their attitudes to reading. A group of 40 freshman female students studying in the College of Basic Education, in the English Department participated in the study. Students' writing diaries together with two questionnaires made up the tools of the study. The data was analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings indicate that e-reading may accelerate the progress of the students' reading rate, which might be due to the utilization of the reading application features that trains the students to practice faster rates of reading. As for the comprehension level, the students reported lower levels when they read from an e-resource. On the other hand, the students' attitudes towards e-reading tend to be less positive when compared to conventional book reading, due to a number of extraneous factors that were not part of the inherent nature of the e-reading activity. Future studies on e-reading, whereby confounding factors will be rigorously controlled for are highly recommended to reach out more conclusive findings on the matter.
Frequent Errors in Chinese EFL Learners' Topic-Based Writings
Author: Zhan, Huifang
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Error Analysis (Language),Error Patterns,Grammar,Writing Instruction,Writing (Composition),Form Classes (Languages),Morphemes,Verbs,Spelling,Language Usage,Phrase Structure,Nouns,College Students

This paper investigated a large number of errors found in the topic-based writings of Chinese EFL learners, especially provided an analysis on frequent errors, to find useful pedagogical implications for English grammar teaching and writing instruction in Chinese EFL setting. Students' topic-based writings were examined by the author. The findings suggest that misuse of tense and verb form was the most frequent error in Chinese students' writings. Others include those in spelling, use of particular words and phrases, Chinese-English expression, singular and plural form of nouns, parts of speech, non-finite verbs, run-on sentences, pronouns and so on. Teachers should pay due attention to all of the errors, especially those frequent ones, and try to find out what leads to those errors, thus, they may give their students effective grammar and writing instructions to help them with English learning.
The Effect of Virtual vs. Traditional Classroom Instruction on Creative Thinking of Iranian High School EFL Learners
Author: Varzaneh, Soheila Shafiee
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,High School Students,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Conventional Instruction,Electronic Learning,Educational Technology,Teaching Methods,Creative Thinking,Second Language Instruction,Females,Comparative Analysis,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Pretests Posttests,Language Skills,Instructional Effectiveness,Student Attitudes,Hypothesis Testing,Questionnaires,Statistical Analysis

This study investigated the effect of virtual vs. traditional classroom instruction on creative thinking among Iranian High school EFL Learners. One-hundred and forty three female of high and low level of proficiency, who were selected randomly, were assigned to two VLI (N = 60) and TCI group (N = 60) based on their scores in OPT. Then, each group were divided into two sub groups (high and low level) randomly in order to evaluate the effect of proficiency of each group on creative thinking. At first, a pre-test of creative thinking was administered for both groups to identify the amount of creative thinking. Then participants of both groups received 14-sessions same language learning English book 1 but virtual group taking advantage of weblog while the participants of traditional group learned language in traditional environment. At last, all learners of the study were given a creative thinking test as post-test. Also, this test was administered on sub groups separately. Researcher used a pretest-posttest of Gilford (1976) for measuring level of creative thinking of learners. In addition, attitudes questionnaire on different learning situation (Till, 2004) was used to evaluate attitudes of both VLI and TCI groups. T-test was used to analyze the data, which revealed that total gain in creative thinking domain by VLI and also high VLI subgroups was significantly superior to the total gain in creative thinking domain by other groups. Also, the attitudes of the VLI group participants were also higher than the TCI group participants. The findings of the study can be used as guidelines for designing classroom environments that can improve the creativity of learners.
Efficacy of Task-Induced Involvement in Incidental Lexical Development of Iranian Senior EFL Students
Author: Pourakbari, Ali A.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,English (Second Language),College Seniors,Word Lists,Vocabulary,Receptive Language,Expressive Language,Tests,Learner Engagement,Learning Processes,Novelty (Stimulus Dimension),Instructional Materials,Statistical Analysis

One of the most significant current discussions in L2 classroom research has been related to the necessity of vocabulary in language learning.Undoubtedly, EFL learners with high levels of lexical knowledge perform better in writing and oral tasks. Accordingly, the present study sought to investigate the efficacy of Task-induced Involvement in Incidental Lexical Development of Iranian Senior EFL Students. For this purpose, based on the scores obtained from an Oxford Placement &quot;Test&quot; (&quot;OPT&quot;) administered to the population of senior EFL students at Khorasgan University, six samples, twenty five each, were selected and assigned to work with a list of English words by utilizing six different tasks. Each task was gauged by applying a different involvement load. Subsequently, a receptive and a productive vocabulary tests were administered as post-tests to specify the degree of learners acquisition of target words, through the role of incidental Task-induced involvement load. The results revealed that the group doing the task with the highest degree of involvement load obtained the best results on the vocabulary tests. Afterwards, the retention of unfamiliar words was claimed to be conditional upon the amount of involvement while processing these words.
How Proficiency-Pairing Affects Students' Peer-Mediated Revisions of EFL Writing: Three Case Studies
Author: Wang, Weiqiang
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Language Proficiency,Writing (Composition),Revision (Written Composition),Peer Influence,Grouping (Instructional Purposes),College Students,Second Language Learning,Case Studies,Peer Evaluation,Feedback (Response)

The present study reports on a teacher's classroom-based research into the influence of proficiency-pairing on students' peer-mediated draft revisions. Three students of an EFL writing course at a Chinese university, who formed into peer dyads with their classmates voluntarily, participated in the study. Throughout the EFL writing course, they wrote five expository essays at different time points, had their EFL writing assessed by their peers, and revised their drafts based on the peer feedback received. Results showed that 1) When two students of high proficiency formed a dyad, a high-proficiency student's peer-mediated revisions were mainly about the global aspects of EFL writing; 2) When two students of intermediate proficiency formed a dyad, an intermediate-proficiency student's peer-mediated revisions were almost evenly distributed among the global and local aspects of EFL writing; 3) When a student of intermediate proficiency formed a pair with a student of low proficiency, the intermediate-proficiency student's peer-mediated revisions mainly centered on the local aspects of EFL writing. Implications are drawn for using multiple-peer groupings and fine-tuning teacher's feedback on the writing of students of differing proficiency in the Chinese EFL writing context.
Analysis the Effectiveness of Three Online Vocabulary Flashcard Websites on L2 Learners' Level of Lexical Knowledge
Author: Chien, Chin-Wen
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,College Freshmen,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Vocabulary,Web Sites,Knowledge Level,Comparative Analysis,Student Attitudes,Observation,Interviews,Instructional Materials,Case Studies

This study compared and contrasted 64 Taiwanese college freshmen's perceptions of and attitudes toward three online vocabulary flashcard websites, Quizlet, Study Stack, and Flashcard Exchange. Four types of data were collected in two freshmen English classes in a university in Taiwan from February to April 2013. Data included online flashcard websites, classroom observations, participants' online flashcards and learning records, and interview. The study has the following two findings. First, these three online vocabulary flashcard websites mainly offered freshmen with the word knowledge in terms of form and words' meaning. Second, participants held positive attitudes toward learning and improving their vocabulary abilities via online flashcards and their related activities. Suggestions are provided to make online flashcards more effective vocabulary-learning tools: provision of user-friendly guidelines on using online flashcards, provision of flashcards with word meanings and related information, and a variety of easy exercises designed to develop learners' word knowledge.
Identifying Affirmative Beliefs about English Language Learning: Self-Perceptions of Thai Learners with Different Language Proficiency
Author: Wang, Tuntiga
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Language Proficiency,Foreign Countries,College Students,Student Attitudes,Vocabulary Development,Psychological Patterns,Native Language,Study Abroad,Access to Information,Self Efficacy,Questionnaires,Comparative Analysis

Theoretically, beliefs about English language learning have a psychological factor, such as predicting the rate of success or failure among learners in the classroom context. However, learners with different levels of language proficiency may perceive such beliefs in a different way, which may lead to the development of special needs, in terms of emphasizing their sustainable language development. The present study aims a) to investigate self-reported beliefs about English language learning among both low and high proficiency Thai students in university-level Foundation English courses, b) to identify the most prevalent affirmative beliefs among both student groups, and c) to identify the similarities and differences in their beliefs. The findings revealed that for low-proficiency students, vocabulary was an essential aspect of English language learning, while for high-proficiency students, regular practice was the key to their success. They also believed that anybody could speak English, when given the opportunity to practice speaking. The most prevalent affirmative beliefs among both sets of students were a) that anybody can speak English if given the opportunity and the time to practice, b) studying in a country where English is spoken as a native language will increase their language proficiency, and c) they want access to information resources in English. There were ten major differences between their beliefs (i.e. to learn English well, one must know at least one other foreign language, and be good at mathematics and sciences). Such findings would be a valuable resource to assist in the redesigning of English language courses, especially general English at the tertiary level, for learners with different levels of language proficiency.
The Effect of Peer-Assisted Mediation vs. Tutor-Intervention within Dynamic Assessment Framework on Writing Development of Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners
Author: Erfani, Shiva Seyed
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Sociocultural Patterns,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Questionnaires,Student Evaluation,Language Tests,Language Proficiency,Pretests Posttests,Feedback (Response),Second Language Instruction,Intervention,Quasiexperimental Design,Foreign Countries,Tutors,Peer Evaluation,Writing Instruction,Student Attitudes,Comparative Analysis,Writing Evaluation,Multivariate Analysis,Statistical Analysis

Dynamic assessment originates in the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Practicing dynamic assessment necessarily requires the development of ZPD. This study aimed to investigate the effect of peer-assisted mediation vs. tutor-intervention within dynamic assessment framework on writing development and the attitude of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. To do so, a quasi-experimental design and a questionnaire survey were carried out. After conducting a pilot study, a language proficiency test was administered to homogenize the two intact groups with 30 students in each. The writing part of the proficiency test was also considered as pre test. Then, the two groups were asked to fill out the pre-test attitude questionnaire. While in peer-assisted mediation group, the writing assignments were assessed by peers followed by feedback provided by them, in tutor-intervention group, the tutor assessed and provided feedback on the assignments during the instruction. At the end both the post test of writing and the questionnaire were administered. Comparing the post tests indicated that the peer-assisted mediation group outperformed tutor-intervention group. Although, peer-assisted mediation group had significant effect on the writing of the learners, for tutor-intervention, this effect was not significant comparing the pre and the post tests within groups. The study also revealed that both peer-assisted mediation and tutor-intervention significantly changed the attitude of the learners towards writing development between the pre and the post test of questionnaires, though the difference between their effects on the learners' attitude was not significant comparing the post tests of questionnaires.
Project Based Learning: In Pursuit of Androgogic Effectiveness
Author: Ntombela, Berrington X. S.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Active Learning,Student Projects,Andragogy,Adult Education,Higher Education,Transfer of Training,Instructional Effectiveness,Sequential Learning

In an attempt to standardise Foundation Programmes for Oman higher education providers, the Oman Academic Standards for General Foundation Programmes stipulated that higher education providers should offer programmes that ensure androgogic effectiveness. In the light of that, this paper presents attempts by a University College in Oman to introduce project based learning through a 'Project' component offered at Foundation level. However, in establishing the androgogical learning theory it became necessary to consider the seemingly inflated false dichotomy between pedagogy and androgogy by way of highlighting learning theories that underpin project based learning. Furthermore, the paper shows how skills that are thought to be transferable from &quot;Project&quot; to other components fall short due to &quot;Project&quot; being a subject on its own rather than an approach which compromises the envisaged androgogic effectiveness. Nonetheless, benefits of &quot;Project&quot; as a subject component are presented in the form of soft skills which are mainly the expected learning outcomes. Therefore, the paper proposes the implementation of project based learning in ensuring pedagogical relevance and androgogic effectiveness among higher education providers and further demonstrates the extent at which this is realised in the university college where the study was conducted followed by recommendations based on the findings of this study.
The Effect of Explicit Instruction of Textual Discourse Markers on Saudi EFL Learners' Reading Comprehension
Author: Al-Qahtani, Abdulaziz Ali
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Reading Comprehension,Direct Instruction,Instructional Effectiveness,Intervention,Secondary School Students,Reading Tests,Reading Achievement,Correlation,Language Tests,Pretests Posttests,Statistical Analysis

Discourse markers (DMs) instruction is currently receiving an increasing amount of attention in the literature on second language learning. As noted by Al-Yaari, Al Hammadi, Alyami, and Almaflehi (2013), and Algouzi (2014), the use of DMs is insufficient to support the development of the language skills, especially reading, of Saudi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners'. Recurrent reports (e.g., Al Abik, 2014; Al-Mansour &amp; Al-Shorman, 2011) have shown that Saudi EFL learners perform poorly on reading comprehension tasks. Since these studies were generally descriptive, the current study attempted to fill the gap by providing empirical data, particular to low-proficiency learners in the Saudi EFL context, based on an eight-session intervention programme to familiarise learners with DMs. This study hypothesised that explicit DM instruction could improve learners' reading comprehension and that there would be a significant positive relationship between Saudi EFL learners' knowledge of DMs and their reading performance. To test these hypotheses, two classes with a total of 70 Saudi male third-grade secondary students were assigned as control and experimental groups. The experimental group was introduced to the intervention programme, whereas the control group was only taught the prescribed reading lessons. Two forms of tests in both DMs and reading comprehension were administered to the two groups before and after the intervention. A correlation analysis was also run to determine the relationship between learners' knowledge of DMs and their reading performance. Results confirmed, with a large effect size, that explicit instruction in DMs improved low-proficiency EFL learners' reading comprehension. The finding also suggested that knowledge of DMs correlated highly with reading comprehension. In other words, learners who were good at recognising DMs performed better in reading comprehension tasks, whereas those who were poor at recognising DMs performed poorly. Practical suggestions for pedagogy and future research were also identified.
Research and Practice on College English Oral Test--A Case Study of Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology
Author: Yan, Jiaolan
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),College English,Oral English,Speech Tests,College Students,College Entrance Examinations,Correlation,Language Proficiency,Language Tests,Questionnaires,College Faculty,Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Testing Problems,Program Implementation

Based on the description of implementation of College English oral test from the points of the necessity, feasibility, and implementation process, this study analyzed the current situation of university students' oral English, oral English ability, the college entrance examination results, and a band-4 written test and established their correlations according to the data of Test of English Proficiency Oral (TEP oral) in Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology (BIPT). Furthermore, we carried out a requirement analysis through questionnaires on teachers' and students' oral ability. The current research presented the data and the problems of the college English oral test. Finally, we emphasized the issues of the implementation process and elaborated the new implementation idea of TEP oral.
Writing for Learning to Improve Students' Comprehension at the College Level
Author: Alharbi, Fahad
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Students,Writing (Composition),Reading Comprehension,Literature Reviews,Reading Writing Relationship,Elementary Secondary Education

This literature review will illustrate how writing could improve students' comprehension. Writing is one of the most important skills that students need to master for college level work. Therefore, students should be prepared with these skills before moving to the college level because they are required to write numerous papers that tend to be used for learning assessment. Writing not only helps professors to assess students, but it also helps students to enhance their reading comprehension; this is because students' writing is formed based on what they have read. Therefore, this means that reading comprehension is a critical skill for college level success. Reading comprehension is a complex process. In order to understand a text, the reader needs to recognize its words and access their meaning, the reader needs to activate related knowledge must be activated, and the reader needs to generate inferences as information is integrated during the time of reading. Thus, students' writing is affected by their reading, and how they understand what they have read. In this paper on the reading comprehension, the connection between reading and writing and the effects of writing on how students learn content will be discussed in light of the literature to illustrate importance in preparing students for writing they will do in their college classes.