ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Use of English Vocabulary Learning Strategies by Thai Tertiary-Level Students in Relation to Fields of Study and Language-Learning Experiences
Author: Boonkongsaen, Nathaya
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Vocabulary Development,Learning Strategies,Postsecondary Education,Learning Experience,Language Acquisition,Questionnaires,Statistical Analysis,Prior Learning,Intellectual Disciplines,Likert Scales,Use Studies,English (Second Language),English Instruction,Cognitive Style,Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Students

The present study was intended to examine the effects of 1) fields of study (arts, business and science-oriented); and 2) language-learning experiences (whether limited or non-limited to formal classroom instructions) on the use of VLSs among Thai tertiary-level students. The participants were 905 Thai EFL students studying in the Northeast of Thailand. The VLS questionnaire was employed for data collection. Descriptive statistics, an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and the chi-square tests were performed for data analysis. The results revealed that fields of study and prior language-learning experiences affected the students' overall VLS use, use of VLSs by the category and the individual strategy levels. The variation patterns of students' VLS use were found in relation to the two variables.
Spoken Grammar: An Urgent Necessity in the EFL Context
Author: Al-wossabi, Sami A.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Oral Language,Grammar,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Textbooks,Native Speakers,Language Usage,Written Language,Teaching Methods,Comparative Analysis

Recent studies in corpus linguistics have revealed apparent inconsistencies between the prescriptive grammar presented in EFL textbooks and the type of grammar used in the speech of native speakers. Such variations and learning gaps deprive EFL learners of the actual use of English and delay their oral/aural developmental processes. The focus of this research is therefore to highlight the necessity of integrating features of spoken grammar in L2 materials. Abasic comparative analysis is carried out to describe how reported speech, mainly direct speech, is prescriptively presented in Oxford Pocket English Grammar (OPEG) in comparison to how it is descriptively presented in the Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English (LGSWE). The analysis reveals clearly the lack of spoken grammatical features of reported speech in (OPEG). In the light of the analysis, the paper proposes the incorporation of a twofold spoken/written grammar approach targeting primarily EFL advanced learners. Pedagogical implications and considerations for the incorporation of the two-fold grammar approach are thoroughly discussed.
Learning to Read with the Whole Language Approach: The Teacher's View
Author: Huang, Ling-Ying
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Whole Language Approach,Teacher Attitudes,Knowledge Base for Teaching,Early Childhood Education,Preschool Teachers,Curriculum Implementation,Questionnaires,English (Second Language),Emergent Literacy,Teaching Methods,Language Skills,Skill Development,Educational Practices,Decision Making,Educational Resources,Classroom Techniques,Foreign Countries

This project explores the understanding of early year's teachers regarding whole language approach and its implementation. A total of 200 questionnaires were delivered to teachers at nurseries and kindergartens in an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) context. 169 questionnaires were completed and analysed. The findings shows that an overwhelming majority of the participants know idea of whole language approach and know its value and relevance to improving early year literacy teaching. The result showed that teachers' perspective about literacy teaching clustered primarily in the interactive approach which indicated that most teachers prefer neither whole language approach nor skills based approach.
Slovenian Teachers' Elements of Support for Pupils with Learning Difficulties in Foreign Language Teaching at the Primary and Lower-Secondary Levels
Author: Brumen, Mihaela
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Learning Problems,Second Language Learning,Elementary School Students,Elementary School Teachers,Urban Schools,Rural Schools,Secondary School Students,Secondary School Teachers,Statistical Significance,Geographic Location,English (Second Language),Questionnaires,Language Teachers,Team Teaching,Teacher Collaboration,Parent Teacher Cooperation,Portfolios (Background Materials)

The article concerns educational work with students who have learning difficulties with foreign languages in Slovenian primary schools. The aim of the research was to investigate current methodical and organisational elements of teacher's support in foreign language teaching for students (aged 9-15) with learning difficulties, according to the location of the school, being either urban or rural. A non-random sample was taken, which consisted of foreign language teachers who teach in the Slovenian primary and lower-secondary levels (N = 47). An analysis of the results showed that there were no statistically significant differences between rural and urban schools concerning teacher-support for students with learning difficulties in learning English as a foreign language. The research shows that some of the sources of support for children with learning difficulties are relatively underutilized, even though they have proven to be effective when put into inclusive practice internationally.
The Relationship between Saudi English Major University Students' Writing Performance and Their Learning Style and Strategy Use
Author: Alkubaidi, Miriam A.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Majors (Students),English (Second Language),Writing Skills,Cognitive Style,Correlation,Writing Strategies,Undergraduate Students,Essays,Questionnaires,Second Language Instruction,Statistical Inference,Teaching Methods,Females

This study investigates the link between writing tasks, learners' learning style preference, and writing strategy use. It also investigates if students with various proficiency levels stem from different learning style preference and use different writing strategies. This research attempts to answer the following research questions: what are the most common learning style preferences of Saudi undergraduate students majoring in English? what are the most common writing strategies used by Saudi students when writing an essay? Is the choice of writing strategy related to a learner's learning style preference and writing task, and how might they be linked with one another? And finally does the use of writing strategies contribute to students' writing performance? The sample of the study consisted of 74 Saudi female undergraduate students in their final year of their bachelor degree in King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia. Two questionnaires were used: (a) the Perceptual Learning Style Preference by Reid (1987), and (b) a writing strategy questionnaire by Petri and Czárl (2003). Moreover, students were asked to choose one of the two TOEFL writing prompts to write an essay. The data received from the returned questionnaires and writing tests were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS19. Results indicated that Saudi female students were mostly auditory and group learners. As for the writing strategies, Saudi learners used more &quot;'before writing&quot; strategies than &quot;during writing&quot; strategies and &quot;reviewing writing&quot; strategies. Results revealed that there was no correlation between the participants' learning style preference and writing strategies, nor their use of writing strategies and their writing proficiency. As a whole, this study contributed to the ESL/EFL field by providing information on Saudi undergraduate female learners in terms of their preferred perceptual learning style, their level of writing proficiency, and indeed their use of writing strategies.
The Impact of Vocabulary Enhancement Activities on Vocabulary Acquisition and Retention among Male and Female EFL Learners in Iran
Author: Sharafi-Nejad, Maryam
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Vocabulary Development,Second Language Learning,English (Second Language),High School Students,Reading Assignments,Learning Activities,Instructional Effectiveness,Recall (Psychology),Statistical Analysis,Tests,Scores,Gender Differences,Pretests Posttests

In general, incidental vocabulary acquisition is represented as the &quot;picking up&quot; of new vocabularies when students are engaged in a variety of reading, listening, speaking, or writing activities. Research has shown when learners read extensively incidental vocabulary acquisition happens. Many EFL students cannot be involved in reading activities in Iran. For involving students with more reading activities in EFL classroom teaching and likening the results to the vocabulary exercises, the researcher directed a research for about five weeks in an EFL class. The subjects were 120 male and female students at high school level. Half of them (RP group) read chosen passages after which they did different vocabulary activities and exercises. The other half (RO group) received the reading only (RO) treatment, i.e., they only read several reading texts. The significance of the present study lies in the fact that it was able to compare the effectiveness of reading only and reading plus vocabulary enhancement activities on types of immediate and delayed lexical word recall in a single study. The researcher employed the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale to measure students' knowledge of 60 vocabulary items. The results showed that RP group gained better results than RO group on both acquisition and retention tests. This indicates that &quot;Reading plus&quot; method is more effective in increasing knowledge of vocabulary and long term retention in male and female EFL learners in Iran.
Kumaravadivelu's Framework as a Basis for Improving English Language Teaching in Saudi Arabia: Opportunities and Challenges
Author: Ahmad, Afnan Masaoud
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Instructional Improvement,Teaching Methods,Foreign Countries,Native Language,Language Usage,Heuristics,Language Skills,Cultural Awareness,Instructional Innovation,Outcomes of Education

This paper discusses the issues with EFL teaching in Saudi Arabia, including the reliance on traditional teaching methodologies and banning use of first languages in classrooms. As a result, these traditional teaching practices produce less proficient learners who have limited knowledge about proper linguistic use. In order to overcome these issues and have proficient learners who can effectively use the language, however, language teachers should understand an effective change is required. Kumaravadivelu's framework (2006) is an opportunity for teachers to adopt new methods because it relies on global-level strategies, macrostrategies, that are general enough to allow teachers the opportunity to freely adjust their precise implementation in relation to individual teaching demands, along with more particular implementation tactics, microstrategies, that operationalize the macrostrategies in flexible and customizable ways according to perceived needs during the in-context process of teaching.
Lexical Bundles: Facilitating University &quot;Talk&quot; in Group Discussions
Author: Heng, Chan Swee
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Phrase Structure,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Undergraduate Students,Language Proficiency,Computational Linguistics,Group Discussion,Role,Language Rhythm,Teaching Methods,English (Second Language),Foreign Countries,Discourse Analysis

Group discussion forms an integral language experience for most language learners, providing them with an opportunity to express themselves in a naturalistic setting. Multi-word expressions are commonly used and one of them is lexical bundles. Lexical bundles are types of extended collocations that occur more commonly than we expect; they are considered as building blocks in discourse and play a crucial role in creating textual consistency. They contribute to a better understanding of the meaning of particular contexts of language use as well as creating a flow and rhythm in the discourse. This paper investigated the frequency, structures and functions of lexical bundles in a corpus of group discussion of proficient nonnative university undergraduate students, to unravel the application of lexical bundles in managing the talk in group discussion. Results of the analysis showed that lexical bundles accounted for a remarkable proportion of students' lexis in their group discussions; showing a variety of structures and functions that indicate a dexterous yet formulaic automaticity that characterize proficient language use, thus having implications for language learning and teaching.
What Do Teachers Need to Support English Learners?
Author: Gomez, Marjorie N.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Culturally Relevant Education,Grade 8,Middle School Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Teacher Education,Mixed Methods Research,Teacher Qualifications,Knowledge Base for Teaching,Linguistic Competence,Self Efficacy,Cultural Differences,English Language Learners,Instructional Effectiveness,Teacher Effectiveness,Student Centered Curriculum,Teacher Surveys,Teaching Experience,Barriers,Educational Needs,Teacher Competencies

This study explored K-8 teachers' perceptions of their preparation and the challenges they encountered in delivering instruction to culturally and linguistically diverse learners. Using a mixed method research design, data were collected through a web-based survey from teachers in the state of Michigan. Researchers used chi-square tests to investigate the relationship between teachers' preparation and their knowledge of their diverse learners' learning needs. Qualitative comments were examined, organized, and summarized to illustrate key themes in each question under study. Findings revealed that teachers' perceptions of their preparation to teach linguistically and culturally diverse students were correlated with cultural diversity or lack of cultural diversity in their classrooms. Whereas teachers stated they felt prepared to teach heterogeneous classes, they encountered challenges in delivering instruction to English learners. In addition, teachers stated that cultural awareness training did not adequately prepare them to integrate cultural elements in their daily instructional practices.
A Contrastive Survey of Speech Acts in Hong Kong Bilingual Legislative Texts: A Case Study of CO and SPR
Author: Fu, Kefeng
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Speech Acts,Bilingualism,Federal Legislation,Case Studies,Crime,Comparative Analysis,Contrastive Linguistics,English,Chinese,Incidence,Social Indicators

As one kind of the legislative language, the language of bilingual legislation possesses its specific characteristics: the two versions share the same authenticity and effect. Therefore, the contrastive analysis of this kind of language from the perspective of pragmatics is more persuasive and authoritative. In this paper, the author chooses Crime Ordinance of Hong Kong and its subsidiary regulation Suppression of Piracy Regulations as data to explore the similarities and differences in the realization methods of speech acts and the frequency of speech acts indicators between English and Chinese texts. The author hopes to find conversions and translations of the corresponding form in speech acts of bilingual legislation and provide references for legal translation between English and Chinese through this study.
Language-Learner Strategy Instruction and English Achievement: Voices from Ghana
Author: Agor, John T.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Learning Strategies,Control Groups,Longitudinal Studies,English (Second Language),Video Technology,Teaching Methods,Junior High School Students,Foreign Countries,Pretests Posttests,Experimental Groups,Language Tests,Comparative Analysis,Academic Achievement,Intervention,Writing Assignments,Writing Strategies

This paper presents the results of a one-year longitudinal study which sought to investigate the effect that strategy instruction may have on English language achievement. Two classes of junior high school students at Madina in Ghana were involved in an experiment. The experimental class was taught various language-learner strategies both implicitly and explicitly as part of their English lessons. The control class was taught the same contents excluding language-learner strategies. Pre-test and post-test proceedings were video-taped and analysed. During post-test activities, the experimental class displayed 17 different language-learner strategies with facility while the control class deployed 7. At the end of the academic year, the English language results of the two groups were compared: 96.5% of the experimental class obtained Grade &quot;One&quot; while 24% of the control group obtained that Grade. The results suggest that one sure way to attain the desired levels of achievement in English at the basic school level in Ghana is to popularise language-learner strategy instruction.
One Stone, Two Birds: Maximizing Service Learning Outcomes through TESOL Practicum
Author: Yang, Ping
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Masters Programs,Language Teachers,Foreign Countries,Graduate Students,Majors (Students),Service Learning,Critical Thinking,Reflection,Intercultural Communication,Reports,Group Discussion,Electronic Mail,Grounded Theory,Coding,Practicums

This paper examines a good practice for service learning that has been implemented for years in TESOL Internship, a professional unit for students doing Master of Arts (MA) in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at a major university in Australia. The author has investigated and identified three key features of a good practice in service learning, including critical reflection, community engagement and intercultural communication, which are evidenced in student service learning in various English language centres in Great Western Sydney. Data are collected from student reports, supervising teachers' reports and comments, weekly workshop discussions and emails. Using constructivist grounded theory (Glaser &amp; Strauss, 1967), the author conducts thematic analysis to code the data, categorizes them into key themes for critical analysis. The results show that during their practicum period TESOL student teachers critically reflect on their observation experience and participate in curriculum-relevant and extra-curriculum activities, particularly their own teaching practices drawing on relevant TESOL theories and communicating with their peers and mentors. Furthermore they come to understand local communities better as they are actively engaged in interacting with members of local communities. Finally their intercultural awareness is enhanced through regular and active intercultural communication with people of diverse language and cultural backgrounds. Opportunities and challenges for good service learning practices are also discussed.
The Mixed Proportion of Business Knowledge Courses and English Language Courses in Business English Curriculum Design in China
Author: Zhu, Wenzhong
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Majors (Students),English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Business Administration Education,Second Language Learning,Undergraduate Study,Graduate Study,Curriculum Design,Business English

Business English in China has evolved into a degree programme from an ESP teaching programme in the past decades. The degree programme of Business English major intends to cultivate multi-skilled talents of foreign language to better satisfy the real needs of society and economy through curriculum design and teaching method innovation activities. This paper only focuses on reflecting into the mixed proportion of business knowledge courses and English language courses in the curriculum design of Business English major degree programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It concludes that the basic principle of Business English curriculum design in terms of mixture degree of business and English should be: maintaining 60-70% English language courses and 30-40% business knowledge courses, increasing business knowledge courses within the limit, and showing local features, etc. in order to better achieve the education target of such multi-skilled talents.
Analyzing the Effects of Iranian EFL Textbooks on Developing Learners' Life Skills
Author: Khosravani, Mahboobeh
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Textbooks,Questionnaires,Language Teachers,Leadership Qualities,Critical Thinking,Thinking Skills,Decision Making,Problem Solving,Foreign Countries,Textbook Evaluation,Cultural Influences,Self Esteem,Skill Development,Hypothesis Testing,Correlation

Education is not an end, but a means to an end. The ultimate goal of education is to prepare students for their future life. Regarding this fact, English language classes and textbooks can be used as tools for improving learners' life skills. Meanwhile, informative textbooks with rich socio-cultural constructs that foster learners' life skills are needed. To assess the range of the Iranian EFL textbooks richness in these aspects, a life skills questionnaire was distributed among ELT teachers (N = 73) and EFL learners (N = 1112) almost all over Iran. The results originated from data analysis showed that Iranian EFL textbooks don't improve the EFL learners' essential life skills considerably especially leadership life skills, critical thinking life skills, and decision making/problem solving life skills. The findings of this research and the designed life skills questionnaire can be used by educational policy makers, syllabus designers, materials developers, researchers, teachers, etc. to examine and analyze the socio-cultural constructs of Iranian EFL textbooks for considering in the processes of publishing new EFL textbooks for the Islamic-Iranian society of Iran.