ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
English for University Administrative Work: English Officialization Policy and Foreign Language Learning Motivation
Author: Kim, Jeongyeon
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,College Administration,English (Second Language),Official Languages,Second Language Learning,Motivation,Educational Policy,Higher Education,Administrators,Questionnaires,Interviews,Administrator Attitudes,Surveys,Correlation,Language Proficiency,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Reliability

This study examines how the English officialization policy of higher education in an EFL context interplays with administrative workers' motivational orientations towards English learning. The data consisted of questionnaire responses of 117 administrative members with undergraduate degrees and qualitative interviews with 9 who answered the questionnaires. The descriptive and correlation analyses showed that the participants interested in learning English-speaking countries' cultures did not perceive much benefit of the English officialization policy (EOP) in increasing their motivation to learn English. On the contrary, those who appreciated the EOP tended to be motivated to learn English for external rewards. A striking finding was that those who related the EOP to increased motivation also showed a lack of motivation to learn English. Also noteworthy was that their motivation correlated significantly with their own perceived English speaking competence. The results corroborate the significant role of the perception of English speaking competence and the context of English use in language learning motivation at the post-tertiary level. The participants expressed feelings of confusion regarding the role of English in everyday work performance. The implications of these findings are discussed with a view toward the enhanced implementation of EOP policy in an EFL context.
A Case Study on Teaching Business Courses in English or Bilingualism with Guangwai as an Example
Author: Zhu, Wenzhong
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Business English,Bilingualism,Foreign Countries,Language of Instruction,Business Administration Education

Teaching courses in a foreign language was formally promoted by Ministry of Education in China in 2001. Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (Guangwai) as a top 3 Chinese foreign language university has taken the lead in teaching business courses in English instruction or bilingual languages. The paper summarizes and analyzes Guangwai's experiences in implementing this teaching mode, such as the types of courses taught in this mode, the conditions required for teachers, the selection of teaching materials, etc., so as to provide some useful references for the university and other universities
What Can We Learn from Our Learners' Learning Styles?
Author: Lee, Bokyung
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Cognitive Style,English (Second Language),Asians,Preferences,Foreign Countries,College Students,Statistical Analysis,Surveys,Student Attitudes,Generalization,Ethnic Groups,Second Language Instruction

This study aims to investigate Korean university-level EFL learners' learning style preferences. The characteristics of their learning style preferences and implications for effective English learning were examined through the quantitative analysis of 496 subjects' responses to a learning style survey and their English achievement and term-end performances. The findings indicate that Korean learners' auditory style preference is noticeable, and visual and individual learning styles are also considered to be primary learning styles, whereas tactile, kinesthetic, and group learning styles are less favored. This suggests that the learners want to learn English with more emphasis on a visual-driven independent style than on an experience-driven collaborative style. Additionally, a majority of the learners tend to maintain or reinforce their preferences throughout the course, and they tend to obtain relatively better English achievement results than learners who substantially change their preferences. In terms of learners' awareness of their identified learning styles, the findings show that style-aware group performed better than the unaware group. However, any generalization regarding the relationship between learning styles and English achievement or performance should be avoided. Importantly, generalizations regarding ethnic groups' learning style preferences should be discussed cautiously; instead, learning styles should be discussed relative to the learning context.
Pedagogical Implications of Score Distribution Pattern and Learner Satisfaction in an Intensive TOEIC Course
Author: Kang, Che Chang
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Language Tests,Case Studies,Foreign Countries,Pretests Posttests,Scores,Statistical Analysis,Multiple Regression Analysis,Predictor Variables,Student Attitudes,Learning Motivation,Testing Problems,Test Preparation,Course Descriptions,Inferences,Reading Skills,Listening Skills

The study aimed at investigating TOEIC score distribution patterns and learner satisfaction in an intensive TOEIC course and drew implications for pedagogical practice. A one-group pre-test post-test experiment and a survey on learner satisfaction were conducted on Taiwanese college EFL students (n = 50) in a case study. Results showed that the intensive TOEIC course statistically improved students' total scores and listening scores, while its effectiveness in improving reading scores was statistically insignificant. The descriptive score distribution pattern further illuminated the issue of outliers, e.g. those who progress or regress significantly as compared to the whole class. Moreover, the learner satisfaction analysis proposed a multiple regression model that indicated three positive predicting factors for students' satisfaction on the course: articulation, textbook and facility. The findings provided implications in two aspects. First, a more eclectic, individualized teaching approach should be taken to meet not only average but also outlier students' needs in intensive TOEIC courses. Secondly, course designers are provided with concrete directions for improving students' satisfaction on the course, which entails potential values in increasing learning motivation.
Tapping the Potential of Skill Integration as a Conduit for Communicative Language Teaching
Author: Wu, Shu-hua
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Communicative Competence (Languages),Interviews,Teacher Attitudes,Classification,Surveys,Grammar,Teaching Methods,Language Proficiency,English (Second Language),Language Tests,Testing Problems,Language Teachers,Class Activities,Skill Development,Language Skills,Classroom Research,Foreign Countries,Females,Single Sex Schools,Elementary School Students,Elementary School Teachers,Worksheets,Classroom Communication,Task Analysis,Teacher Student Relationship

The purpose of this classroom-based study was to discover the kinds of skill integration tasks that were employed by English teachers in Kuwait and to measure their attitudes toward implementing the skill integration technique in their classrooms. Data collection involved recording 25 hours of classroom-based observations, conducting interviews with the same group of teachers, and distributing a survey to further explore the teachers' attitudes toward the skill integration technique. Data analysis involved categorizing skill integration tasks, analyzing the interview data, and counting the means and standard deviations of the survey data. Findings indicated that the participating teachers performed a wide range of transactional and interactional tasks that involved the simultaneous integration of speaking, listening, reading, and writing in their classrooms. The findings also revealed that even though the skill integration technique was adopted by most of the English teachers, they were ambivalent toward its implementation in their classrooms. This was partly due to the negative washback effect of traditional English tests that measure students' accurate application of grammar rules but not their fluency and ability to use the L2 as a tool for communication. Implications for L2 pedagogy were drawn regarding the need for teachers to expose students of all proficiency levels to both transactional and interactional tasks in the classroom. To counter the negative washback effect of conventional discrete-point tests, English teachers were encouraged to develop communicative tests that involve skill integration and emphasize the development of the four language skills in their daily classroom activities.
Politeness Strategies in Thai Graduate Research Paper Discussions: Implications for Second/Foreign Language Academic Writing
Author: Getkham, Kunyarut
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Graduate Students,Academic Discourse,English (Second Language),Computational Linguistics,Prosocial Behavior,Second Language Learning,Interpersonal Communication

This paper investigates the use of politeness strategies in 32 discussion sections of research papers produced by Thai graduate students at Graduate School of Language and Communication, National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), Bangkok, Thailand. The study reported in this paper adopts Brown and Levinson's (1978, 1987) and Myers' (1989) models of politeness strategies. The project as a whole aims to identify what politeness strategies are most commonly used in the whole corpus, whether differences exist in the use of these politeness strategies and how politeness strategies are employed. The analysis of the data reveals that these student researchers rarely employed politeness strategies in their discussions. However, they used more negative politeness strategies than the positive ones and the differences in the use of these two strategies were highly significant. This study provides some pedagogical implications for ESL/EFL academic writing and syllabus designing.
Research on Writing Samples from the Perspective of Metadiscourse
Author: Shi, Weixuan
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Writing Research,College English,Student Writing Models,Meta Analysis,Discourse Analysis,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Comparative Analysis,Writing Strategies,Literary Styles,Low Achievement,High Achievement,Correlation,English Instruction,Writing Instruction,Discourse Modes

Writing, as an advanced model of output, not only conveys the subject but also realizes the communication between readers and writers. Metadiscourse can help writers arrange and organize the discourse to influence readers' understanding of the text and their attitude towards its content. Taking writing samples of College English Test Band 4 (CET-4) as corpus, the research aims to explore the use of metadiscoure markers in high score writing group (HG) and low score writing group (LG). The research questions to be addressed in the study are as follows: 1) What are the similarities and differences between the two groups in the quantity and the types of metadiscourse markers? 2) What are the similarities and differences between the two groups in choosing metadiscourse markers? 3) What's the overall distribution of the inappropriately used metadiscourse markers in two groups? The research results show that there is a positive relation between proper use of metadiscourse markers and writing quality. This paper puts forward the strategies of improving the students' ability in the proper use of metadiscourse markers in English writing teaching.
Students' Proficiency and Textual Computer Gloss Use in Facilitating Vocabulary Knowledge
Author: Yusuf, Mohamad A.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Vocabulary Development,Language Proficiency,Computer Assisted Instruction,English (Second Language),Achievement Gains,Use Studies,Sustainability,College Students,English Language Learners,Electronic Learning,Conventional Instruction,Intermode Differences,Teaching Methods,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Foreign Countries

Learning vocabulary forms a major part for any language learner. Apart from direct teaching of vocabulary, language teachers are always searching for ways to increase their students' vocabulary to enable them to use the language more effectively. Therefore, this study sets out to investigate whether the use of computer textual glosses can aid vocabulary development. With a sample of 99 English as second language students, this study examines whether a computer-aided textual glosses embedded in a narrative text is able to aid students in developing their vocabulary knowledge. Using ANOVA and descriptive statistics, it was found out that students with different language proficiency levels used the gloss in a similar pattern. The similarity was that there were gains after immediate use of the glosses but the gains were not maintained over time. High proficiency students made the most gains followed by mid and low proficiency students. What can be learnt from this study is that computer textual glosses can be used to develop students' vocabulary knowledge in the short term. However, this should be supplemented with other vocabulary teaching/learning activities for more robust vocabulary knowledge development. The implications of measuring vocabulary knowledge by using vocabulary tests in the study could have resulted in the students having more gain in productive vocabulary knowledge compared to receptive vocabulary.
Subtitling as a Pedagogical Tool for Language Teaching in Journalism Courses
Author: Villela, Lucinéa Marcelino
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Layout (Publications),Second Language Learning,English for Academic Purposes,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,Video Technology,Web Sites,Teaching Methods,Audiences,Course Descriptions,Guidance,Translation,Visual Aids,News Reporting,Undergraduate Students,Audio Equipment

This study was designed to present and discuss some results produced by a research involving the use of English subtitles of some news videos from the webiste Reuters.com (http://www.reuters.com) with pedagogical reasons in a Brazilian context (Academic English for Journalism). We have developed the research during two semesters at UNESP (Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho). The professor in charge of the study has chosen the students of Journalism as the audience to whom the videos were presented. The assumptions of many theorists and experts in Audiovisual Translation were adopted as our Theoretical Sources. The first step of the study was the assessment of the syllabus of each course. This was very helpful as a guidance in order to choose the most relevant and interesting videos for students. After the evaluation of academic and professional interests, we chose some videos to insert appropriate subtitles, according to some strategies suggested by Panayota Georgakopoulou and Henrik Gottlieb. Finally we presented the videos during the English classes. At the first time, they were presented without subtitles just to notice the comprehension level of the students. After that, the videos were presented with English subtitles. As we first assumed, the students haven't had the whole comprehension of specific details during the first presentation, they have just used their previous knowledge and the visual aids to help them in a superficial understanding of the news. As the subtitles appear, the process of communication was finally accomplished.
Primary School EFL Teachers' Attitudes towards Creativity and Their Perceptions of Practice
Author: Al-Nouh, Nowreyah A.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Elementary School Teachers,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Teacher Attitudes,Creativity,Educational Practices,Females,Teacher Surveys,Likert Scales,Demography,Focus Groups,Predictor Variables,Age Differences,Majors (Students),Educational Attainment,Geographic Location,Teaching Experience,Inservice Teacher Education,Citizenship,Measures (Individuals),Reliability,Statistical Analysis,Questionnaires,Interviews

Teachers perform an important job by encouraging creativity in their lessons and among their pupils. Thus, the present study aims to examine primary school EFL teachers' attitudes towards creative thinking and their perceptions of what goes on in the classroom. Participants were 434 female primary school EFL teachers, chosen randomly, teaching all grade levels from six educational zones in Kuwait, namely Al-Asema, Hawalli. Al-Farwaniyah, Mubarak Al-Kabeer, Al-Ahmadi and Al-Jahra for the year 2014-2015. The study used a descriptive survey research design using Likert's five-point scale distributed into three categories: demographic information, teachers' attitudes towards creative thinking and teachers' perceptions of their practice. To triangulate the data, a focus group interview was employed along with an analysis of samples of exam papers. Independent variables measured were age, nationality, degree, major, educational zone, teaching experience and in-service training. Results showed teachers' attitudes and perceptions were high. Significant differences were shown for age, major, educational zone, teaching experience and in-service training. Implications as well as recommendations for future research were discussed.
Perception and Production of Five English Front Vowels by College Students
Author: Lin, Ching-Ying
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,College Students,Vowels,Measures (Individuals),Correlation,Student Attitudes,Pronunciation,Speech,Phonology,Statistical Analysis

This study was to explore whether college students could perceive and produce five English front vowels well or not. It also examined the relationship between English speaking and listening. To be more specific, the study attempted to probe which vowels that learners could be confused easily in speaking and listening. The results revealed that participants perceived the best in /i/-/I/ pair and /e/-/ae/ pair but the worst in /e/-/?/ pair, /?/-/ae/ pair and among /e/-/?/-/ae/ pair. They produced the best in the vowels of /I/ and /?/ but the worst in the vowels of /i/, /e/ and /ae/. Moreover, there was a strong and positive correlation between production and perception of English vowels by college students.
Integration of Task-Based Approaches in a TESOL Course
Author: Chien, Chin-Wen
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Qualitative Research,Case Studies,Teacher Education Programs,Task Analysis,Student Projects,Course Evaluation,Second Language Learning,Second Language Programs,Teaching Methods,Positive Attitudes,Learning Activities,Curriculum Implementation,Process Education,Integrated Curriculum,Integrated Activities,Educational Practices,Scaffolding (Teaching Technique),Problem Based Learning,Foreign Countries,Observation

Under task-based language teaching (TBLT), language learners engage in purposeful, problem-oriented, and outcome-driven tasks that are comparable to real-world activities. This qualitative case study discusses the integration of a task-based approach into a TESOL course in a language teacher education program in Taiwan with regard to 39 participants' attitude and learning in a northern city in Taiwan. The major data in this study included participants' projects, class observations and class PowerPoint slides, and class evaluations. The study has the following findings. First, a total of 20 tasks were designed in order to help participants be familiar with TESOL issues. Second, participants held positive attitudes toward the integration of tasks into this TESOL course because they felt that they learned TESOL issues. They regarded Catherine as a role model in modeling the task-based approach into the class and she clearly explained how each task should be carried out and completed. Moreover, she scaffolded participants while they had problems. Finally, participants learned TESOL issues, different types of task, and research methods through completing the tasks, group discussion, classmates' sharing, reading texts and references, and the instructor's scaffolding.
Feasibility of Building Bridges between School and Homes in Developing ESL Literacy: The SPIRE Project
Author: BavaHarji, Madhubala
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Family School Relationship,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Literacy Education,Story Reading,Reading Programs,Foreign Countries,Oral Reading,Family Involvement,Multimedia Instruction,Parent Participation,Mixed Methods Research,Program Effectiveness,Correlation,Preschool Children,Preschool Education,Childrens Literature,Picture Books

This paper presents a feasible framework for building bridges between schools and homes to develop five year olds ESL literacy skills, using storybooks as a springboard. A reading program, i.e. Smart Partnership in Reading in English (SPIRE) was designed in response to the government's aspiration to raise literacy rates to 100% by 2020 and the Minister of Education's call for both parents and teachers to play a more active role for reading to be developed as part of the Malaysian culture. Evidence of the positive effects of storybook reading abounds in the literature and various successful reading programs that bridges schools and home to develop L1 literacy have been carried out, particularly in the UK and USA. However, a similar approach appears to be not adopted in Malaysia. Hence, the SPIRE project was conceptualised to make schools more &quot;permeable&quot; and to move L2 literacy from the classroom into the L2 naturalistic context at homes. 25 multiracial children, their parents and the class teacher participated in this project. Storybooks and other multimedia materials were frequently and repeatedly read/listened to in school, and were taken home for parents to scaffold their children's ESL literacy development at home. The mixed method approach, using numerous instruments was employed to evaluate the effectiveness of the project. The study found that the children's progress corresponded to the storybook reading experiences at home. The children, whose parents displayed higher levels of involvement made faster progress compared to the children whose parents were less involved. Consequently, 16 children made substantial improvements and were independent readers at the end of the six months project.
Experiential Metafunctional Analysis of Winston S. Churchill's &quot;Speech on Hitler's Invasion of the U.S.S.R.&quot;
Author: Liping, Chen
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Speeches,War,Foreign Policy,Public Officials,Discourse Analysis,Authoritarianism,European History,Foreign Countries,Political Attitudes,Persuasive Discourse,Language Usage,Linguistic Theory

According to Halliday, it is language that enables human beings to form the impression of experience, which consists of &quot;goings-on&quot;--happening, doing, sensing, meaning and being and becoming, either internally and externally. This is the experiential metafunction. With the focus on Transitivity, a political discourse has been studied from the perspective of Experiential Function. More uses of material and relational processes can make the speech more powerful and persuasive.