ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Critical Role of Apprenticeship Programs
Author: Wonthey, Wanda
Date: 2019-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Apprenticeships,State Boards of Education,Vocational Education,State Legislation,Program Design,High School Students,Education Work Relationship,Workplace Learning,Youth,STEM Education,Foreign Countries

While their authority for program approval may vary from state to state, state boards of education should ensure that the secondary school career and technical education (CTE) programs are part of a continuum that prepares students for further education, training, and the workplace. By expanding apprenticeship programs, state boards can give students opportunities to become successful adults earning family-sustaining wages. &quot;The Atlantic&quot; reported in 2014 that fewer than 5 percent of young people in the United States were training as apprentices, with most in construction trades, compared with 60 percent in Germany. But U.S. participation is growing. The U.S. Department of Labor reports 56 percent growth in apprenticeships since 2013, amounting to 585,000 participants in fiscal year 2018, with 23,400 registered programs. State policymakers' interest has also increased. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 7 states passed 11 related laws in 2016, 14 states passed 20 laws in 2017, and 19 states passed 29 laws in 2018. Most focused on the following: (1) establishing new programs or new requirements for existing programs; (2) new funding in the form of tax credits or grants to employers to incentivize hiring of apprentices or scholarship funds to students who are participating in an apprenticeship; (3) increasing awareness of available programs; (4) allowing apprenticeships to fulfill credits toward graduation and to ensure that credits transfer; and (5) expanding programs to prevent discrimination and ensure diversity. This article explains the different types of apprenticeships: (1) Registered apprenticeships; (2) Youth apprenticeships; and (3) Preapprenticeships and what state boards can do to promote them.
Communication Strategy Use in an Oral Narrative Task among English Learners with Different Hemispheric Brain Dominance
Author: Ka-J, Wilaiwan
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Oral Language,Task Analysis,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Brain Hemisphere Functions,Communication Strategies,Lateral Dominance,Correlation,Undergraduate Students,Measures (Individuals),Pictorial Stimuli,Taxonomy,Student Attitudes,Translation,Language Usage,Error Correction,Code Switching (Language),Narration,Foreign Countries

Certain functions are neurologically indicated to be lateralized to different brain hemispheres. Among numerous studies on impacts of communication strategy use and brain dominance on second language learning, only a small number of them, specifically in the Thai context, comprehensively explore possible relationships between learners' communication strategy use and their brain dominance. This paper aimed at exploring the communication strategy choices in an oral narrative task applied by English learners with different hemispheric brain dominance and discovering their different uses. The sample included 100 EFL Thai undergraduates. The instruments covered the Brain Dominance Inventory (BDI), a 4-picture series, retrospective comments, and semi-structured interviews. The study was based on DÖrnyei and Scott (1997)'s communication strategy taxonomy. Descriptive statistics and Kruskal Wallis Test were applied in data analysis. The findings indicated that the whole-brained learners were the highest users of message replacement, restructuring, all-purpose words, mumbling, self-rephrasing, fillers and verbal strategy markers. All of these belong to achievement strategies. The left-brained learners most preferred message abandonment, which is an avoidance strategy, literal translation, retrieval, omission, and self-repetition. The right-brained learners most frequently used message reduction, which is the other avoidance strategy, circumlocution, approximation, mime, similar sounding words, and self-repair. Code switching was equally highly applied by both the left-brained and the right-brained learners.
A Qualitative Case Study of English Tutorial School in Thailand: Teachers&apos; and Students&apos; Perceptions
Author: Saisoonthornwatthana, Matthanee
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Case Studies,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Teaching Methods,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Teacher Student Relationship,Foreign Countries,Tutorial Programs,Tutoring,Tutors,Second Language Instruction

English language tutorial school has gained currency in the field of English as a Second Language Teaching (ESL), leading to increasing attention in research and practices regarding the language teaching and learning in tutorial schools.The present study addressed two questions: What are the teaching methods employed in an English language tutorial school, and what are the students' and teachers' perceptions towards such methods? By examining the teaching methods in an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) tutorial school in Thailand, and how the teachers and learners perceive such methods; this study found that an orderly eclectic teaching method was employed, and the student's and the teachers' perceptions towards the method varied considerably. The result of this study suggested that there should be a combination of both traditional teaching methods and contemporary ones.
Perception of International Tourists towards Local Vendors&apos; Communication Skills: A Case Study of the Koh Kred Community in Nonthaburi Province
Author: Thanasabkasem, Sathita
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Tourism,Travel,Communication Skills,Vendors,Foreign Countries,Printed Materials,Participant Satisfaction,Communication Strategies,Intercultural Communication,Limited English Speaking,English for Special Purposes,Merchandise Information

Communicating in English is proved to be a difficult task for local people in many local communities in Thailand including Koh Kred Community in Nonthaburi Province. This paper reveals how Koh Kred Community's vendors were assisted to enhance their communication skills in English when interacting with foreign tourists or customers. The main objective of this study was to examine the perceptions of foreign travellers towards the local vendors' communication skills and printed materials and media in English created to facilitate communication between the vendors and the tourists. Survey questionnaires were collected from 200 foreign tourists visiting the community. Data analyses reveal that the foreign tourists participating in this study were very satisfied with the way the vendors communicated using the printed media while trading their products. It can be concluded that communication techniques, accompanied by effective materials, contribute significantly to successful international communication.
Exploring English Language Instruction at a Local Thai Teachers College: A Qualitative Case Study
Author: Soongpankhao, Watcharaphong
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Language Teachers,Foreign Countries,Case Studies,Teacher Attitudes,Teacher Effectiveness,Schools of Education,Teacher Empowerment,Teaching Methods,Instructional Materials,Evaluation,Educational Opportunities,Barriers,Language Attitudes

This qualitative case study investigated how local Thai teachers came to view opportunities and challenges they faced in teaching foundation English to Thai university students. Specifically, this study explored EFL teaching in a provincial university in Thailand by focusing on six Thai EFL teachers, selected by means of purposive sampling. Data was collected through in-depth interviews. The interview protocol consisted of four general domains: the pedagogy, teaching materials, evaluation, and general points of view toward EFL teaching in Thailand. Salient findings revealed that effective pedagogy needed to address local contexts and concerns which encompasses such key components as appropriate teaching approaches, teaching materials, assessment. Last but not least, the participants realized that there is considerable room for improvement as far as their teaching contingencies were concerned.
Relationships between Thai EFL Learners&apos; Competence and Performance in Locating Stress on English Polysyllabic Loanwords
Author: Isarankura, Soisithorn
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Correlation,Linguistic Borrowing,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Phonemes,Oral Reading,Speech Communication,Phonology,Task Analysis,Majors (Students),Second Language Instruction,Undergraduate Students,Communicative Competence (Languages),Mastery Learning,Pronunciation,Foreign Countries,Thai

This paper reports the investigation on the students' competence in identifying stress patterns of English polysyllabic loanwords, measured in the form of stress marking on a written test, in relation to their actual performance in two oral-reading tasks: (1) reading the target loanwords in English sentences, and (2) reading those words in isolation. The 30 target loanwords were classified into 3 categories: two-syllable, three-syllable, and four-syllable loanwords. Participants were 30 Thai students in the English-Major program of a university in Thailand. The results of the three tasks reveal a mid-level relationship between the students' competence of stress and the performance in the oralreading of loanwords in isolation. The correlation is significant at the 0.01 level. The finding indicates that in a more formal style of oral-reading, the effect of L1 transfer plays a less crucial role on the students' speech, resulting in a closer relationship between competence and performance. When investigating the use of stress on loanwords according to the number of syllables, a significant correlation existed between the students' competence and their performance in reading three-syllable loanwords in isolation. This finding suggests that the students possibly did not pay sufficient attention to stress patterns of two-syllable loanwords, causing them to perform inconsistently in different types of tasks. As for four-syllable loanwords, the students tended to locate stress randomly when performing each task due to insufficient knowledge of stress patterns in English polysyllabic words. The findings imply that in order to increase the levels of competence and performance in using stress, both teachers and students should pay more attention to stress patterns in English words with a high number of syllables. Moreover, students should always be careful with correct stress placement if an acceptable mastery of spoken English is a learning goal.
Teacher&apos;s Perceptions and Expectations of Cultural Contents in Fundamental English Coursebooks
Author: Kaewsakul, Wanvisa
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Textbook Content,Teacher Attitudes,Expectation,Foreign Countries,Introductory Courses,College Faculty,Intercultural Communication,English (Second Language),Communicative Competence (Languages),Cultural Awareness,Global Approach,English Curriculum

This study aimed to examine teachers' perceptions and expectations of cultural contents in the Fundamental English coursebooks in Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University, Thailand. Cultural contents were analyzed in terms of two themes of culture--Big &quot;C&quot; and Small &quot;c&quot;, and three sources of culture--Source, Target, and International Culture. The participants of this study were 25 teachers including Thai teachers and native English teachers of the Fundamental English courses in the university. Data were collected through questionnaire administration. The findings of the study show that, as a whole, most of the teachers perceived the themes under Big &quot;C&quot; culture as cultural contents. They expected contents under Big &quot;C&quot; culture to be presented in the Fundamental English coursebooks to a greater degree than those under Small &quot;c&quot; culture. Regarding the teachers' expectations of sources of culture, the findings show that all three sources of culture were expected to be presented in the Fundamental English coursebooks. This study sheds light on the needs for raising teachers' awareness of teaching culture in English classes. In addition, the findings of the teachers' expectations of cultural contents can be used as a guideline for the inclusion of cultural contents in materials, coursebooks and curricula.
The Outcomes of Thai Pharmacy University Students Participating in the Student Exchange Program
Author: Songkasiri, Amporn
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Students,Student Exchange Programs,Pharmaceutical Education,Outcomes of Education,Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Students,Social Development,Cultural Awareness,Educational Benefits,Student Attitudes,Adjustment (to Environment),Self Efficacy,Language Proficiency,Academic Achievement,Employment Potential

This study determined to discover the outcomes that Thai undergraduate pharmacy students gained from participating in the student exchange program. The population in this study contained of 71 Mahidol University undergraduate pharmacy students who participated in the 2014 student exchange program in six host universities in four ASEAN countries for 28 days of the exchange. The research instrument employed in this study was a questionnaire consisting of twenty-seven closed-ended questions and one open-ended question. Furthermore, by using purposive sampling method, semi-structured interviews with six students were also applied to receive in-depth information. SPSS was utilized to analyze quantitative data, and a content analysis was used for qualitative data. The findings revealed that the outcome that the students gained most from participating in the exchange program was in the aspect of social development and culture, followed by personal development, academics and language, and career and higher education, respectively. This study on the outcomes obtained from participating in the student exchange program could be beneficial to the related pharmacy institutions in exploring the value of further developing their student exchange programs and collaborative coordinating as well as designing well-equipped and productive student exchange programs.
Communication Apprehension in L2 among MA Students Majoring in English in Bangkok, Thailand
Author: Rimkeeratikul, Sucharat
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Graduate Students,Majors (Students),English (Second Language),Intercultural Communication,Anxiety,Foreign Countries,Public Colleges,Scores,Vocational English (Second Language),Masters Programs,Communicative Competence (Languages)

As students in a master's degree program move from year one to year two, there is a tendency for them to be more proficient in English as an international language. In addition, since they have been exposed to an environment that allows them to use English in all classes, their anxiety in using L2 (English language) should be reduced. As a result, this study investigated communication apprehension (CA) in L2 of first-year and second-year students in an MA program whose curriculum emphasizes English in international communication. Their CA scores were compared by t-test analysis.
Developing an Interlanguage Pragmatic Competence Test on Routines in a Chinese EFL Context
Author: Xu, Lan
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language Tests,Test Construction,Pragmatics,Interlanguage,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Test Reliability,Test Validity,Foreign Countries,Item Analysis,Item Response Theory,Content Analysis,Translation,Multiple Choice Tests,Undergraduate Students,Majors (Students),Asian Culture,Transfer of Training,Cloze Procedure

Performing routines in interlanguage is vitally important for EFL learners since it can cause embarrassment between speakers from different cultures. The present study aims to 1) investigate the reliability and validity of an interlanguge pragmatic competence test on routines in a Chinese EFL context with multiple choice discourse completion task (MDCT), 2) examine the statistical characteristics of the test, and 3) explore the test takers' strategies used in the process of taking the test. Altogether 390 students from China took part in the study. The data were collected with the interlanguage pragmatic competence test on routines and think aloud protocol. Data analyses methods included the split-half method, item analysis theory, descriptive statistics, an independent T-test and content analysis. The results indicate that 1) the interlanguage pragmatic competence test on routines showed strong reliability and validity in the Chinese EFL context, 2) interlanguage pragmatic routines were not easy for the Chinese EFL learners, and situational routines were easier than functional routines, and 3) three strategies: repeated reading, interpreting or translating, and weighing options or justifying responses, were used in the process of taking the test by the Chinese EFL learners.
On the Socio-Cultural and Context-Based Approach to English Teaching
Author: Saengboon, Saksit
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Sociocultural Patterns,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Linguistic Input,Error Correction,Feedback (Response),Native Speakers,Language Usage,Language Proficiency,Language Teachers,Language Variation,Cultural Pluralism,Foreign Countries

In this position paper, the author argues for the re-conceptualization of English language teaching (ELT) through the socio-cultural and context-based approach (SCA). For a typical English as a foreign language (EFL) situation, SCA takes as a point of departure a thorough understanding of the macro-level components e.g., local classroom contingencies, a realistic expectation; and micro-level components e.g., sufficient good quality language input, and corrective feedback, all of which should enable local English teachers to feel in charge of their own teaching, unencumbered by western-conceived or guru-led teaching recipes. At the same time, the L2 learner is expected to develop reasonable English proficiency, also unrestrained by false expectations that they would pass for native speakers in their use of English. In short, the SCA approach does not consider the ELT business a zero-sum game. The teacher, the L2 learner, and the whole society should emerge triumphant.
English as a Foreign Language Student Productive Conditional Verb Form Errors in Thailand
Author: Katip, Pratheep
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Verbs,Morphemes,Task Analysis,Grade 12,High School Students,Grammar,Sentence Structure,Speech Communication,Error Analysis (Language),Teaching Methods,Foreign Countries,Error Patterns

Which conditional verb forms proved most difficult for Thai secondary school students to produce, and what errors resulted in written and spoken English, were studied. Data was collected from two tasks: 1) a gap-fill task by 68 twelfth-grade students in an integrated English program at a public high school in Bangkok, Thailand and 2) a spoken task to explore the errors made by 20 students from the same group. Results of the gap-fill task were that the majority of participants misused the subject and verb agreement in Factual Conditional; present simple tense in Future Predictive, together with Present Counterfactual; and future simple tense in Past Counterfactual. In the spoken task, the future simple tense was most commonly misused in the target conditional types altogether. Pedagogical implications were provided in the study. For example, teachers of English should have their students effectively master grammatical if-conditional constructions, especially the present simple tense, future simple tense, and even the subject and verb agreement in the production of conditional sentences.
Gender-Based Study of Thai Learners&apos; Metadiscourse in Writing for Journalism
Author: Suksawas, Wannaprapha
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Writing Improvement,Self Concept,Language Proficiency,Literary Genres,Gender Differences,Discourse Analysis,Student Attitudes,Journalism Education,English for Special Purposes,Teaching Methods,Editing,News Reporting,Language Usage,Interviews,College Students,Writing (Composition),Higher Education,Foreign Countries

Many scholars have conducted research into ways to improve EFL learners' writing proficiency by seeking to address several problems related to achieving this goal (Darani, 2014; Lu, 2013; Thomas, Thomas, &amp; Moltow, 2015; Wang, 2013). However, the issues of learner identity in written communication and the role of the language EFL writers use as their linguistic resources to convey their meaning through writing are rarely addressed. Gender-based studies suggest male and female identity may influence linguistic behaviour (Hyland &amp; Tse, 2004; Tse &amp; Hyland, 2008). Therefore, this present article draws insights from Hyland's (2005) metadiscourse model to demonstrate how meaningful metadiscourse markers support male and female writers to accomplish written tasks. The approach highlights the importance of language as both an interactive and interactional device to communicate with readers. This article is an account of a small-scale qualitative oriented study undertaken to examine writing as a social activity among Thai learners. Through interview and linguistic analysis, this study particularly aims to reveal Thai learners' linguistic behaviours while writing letters to the editor and news reports. A linguistic analysis was conducted of thirty-two written texts from sixteen tertiary level learners enrolled in the English for Journalism course. The main finding to emerge from this study is that although male and female Thai writers select metadiscourse markers to communicate with their readers in letters to the editor and news reports, knowledge of metadiscourse and their linguistic resources should be more explicitly taught in the classroom as a way to argue with the readers. In addition, educators should be aware of the metadiscourse items learners of different gender use in their writing for specific purposes in higher-education pedagogy.