Level of English Proficiency among Science Students of UKM

This study determined the English Language Proficiency and School Performance in English as well the school performance as a whole. The respondents of the study were both English teachers and grade 10 students in the national high schools in the fifth district of Iloilo, using the descriptive comparative approach. Findings of which served as basis for the enhancement of the existing English manual used in English 101 for the improvement of English language proficiency of the students enrolled in the said subject. Generally, seventy percent of the student and teacher respondents were female. Teachers’ Level of English language proficiency has a significant effect on the level of proficiency of students which has a direct relationship on the school performance. It was also found out that teachers’ performance has no significant relationship with the students’ performance in English and school performance as a whole. Further, student–respondents performance has a significant relationship with their level of English language proficiency which has a direct effect on the school performance as a whole. The English teachers’ performance is related to their English proficiency level, but not associated with the students’ performance in English and school performance. However, the English teachers’ level of English language proficiency significantly affects the students’ level of English proficiency, while the students’ performance has a significant effect on their level of English language proficiency, affecting the school performance as a whole. Enhancement of the English language manual that will be used in English 101 (Study and Thinking Skills) must be adopted. Training & Development Program Design for the Enhancement of English Teachers language Proficiency must be implemented.

The improvement of students’ English proficiency depends on the level of teaching English language and the competency of teachers in teaching career. The purpose of this study therefore, was to investigate the relationship between teachers’ competency in English language and students’ English language proficiency within secondary schools of Karongi in Rwanda. The study adopted correlation research design research design. Data collection tools were questionnaire and interview guide. The target population was 1794 people comprised of 1560 students, 14 Sector Education Officers, 20 Head Teachers, 200 teachers. A simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques were used to get a sample size of 395 respondents. The study findings revealed that majority of the students with a total of 290 (91.2%) agreed that in their school, teachers are not competent enough in English language. Moreover, almost 292 (91.8%) of the respondents agreed that in their school, students English reading, writing, listening and speaking proficiency level is low and 70 (90.9%) of key informants agreed that both in public and private secondary schools of Karongi District, students’ English language proficiency level in reading, writing, speaking and listening is low. The correlation results showed the association between between teachers’ inability to teach in English, teachers’ inability to read classroom interactions in English language, teachers’ incompetency in English language, teachers’ inability to express themselves in English language as well as teachers’ inability to develop English language educational materials) and dependent variables (students’ reading, writing, speaking and listening English language proficiency and students’ English language proficiency (reading, writing, speaking and listening English proficiency) is positive. The study recommended the Ministry of Education through Rwanda Basic Education Board to avail enough English teaching and learning materials, including charts, textbooks and dictionaries which are adequate in enhancing English language proficiency mastery among students at an early age. All stakeholders of the education sector are recommended to support English teaching and learning activities in Rwanda, as it is the only and one shortcut for making Rwandans master the English language. Keywords: Teachers’ competency, English Language, English proficiency, Rwanda

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the formation of sustainable development competencies (SDCs) in future primary school teachers during English for specific purposes classes, and to assess the correlation between English proficiency and the development of SDCs, including Collaboration, Strategic thinking, Critical thinking, Modelling sustainable behaviour, Systems thinking and Future thinking.Design/methodology/approachThe research experiment involved the application of content and language integrated learning and facilitation methods in three higher education institutions in Ukraine. The students’ level of English language proficiency was assessed based on the results of the online Cambridge English Language Assessment test, while the level of SDC formation was measured using research methods adapted to the Ukrainian context.FindingsThe experiment revealed positive changes in the levels of SDCs and English language proficiency through integrated learning and the application of facilitation methods.Originality/valueThe study established a correlation between the level of English language proficiency and the formation of competencies, such as Collaboration, Strategic thinking, Critical thinking, Modelling sustainable behaviour, Systems thinking and Future thinking, all of which are vital for sustainable development.

English learners' achievement in mathematics and science: Examining the role of self-efficacy

BALEAP: Report of the Testing Working Party

EFL(English as a Foreign Language) learners tend to choose translation strategies in their English learning process. This study aims to examine the potential relationship between English language proficiency and EFL learners’ use of translation strategies, displaying the differences in the use of translation strategies between students at higher level of English language proficiency and those at lower level of English language proficiency. An ITLS questionnaire (The Inventory for Translation as a Learning Strategy) designed by Liao Posen (Liao, 2002：159-161)was distributed to 190 students in Southwest Jiaotong University who had taken the national English language proficiency assessment—CET-4(College English Test Band 4). Based on Independent Sample T-test, the results show that significant differences were found between the proficient EFL learners and the limited English proficient learners in some of the uses of translation strategies, and lower achievers were more likely to adopt translation strategies in English learning. According to Pearson Correlation Analysis and Multiple Regression Analysis, this research also found out that the use of translation to enhance English-language abilities was negatively correlated with English language proficiency and could best predict the negative performance of English language proficiency assessment. Implications for the role of translation strategies in EFL learning are discussed.

The expansion of the English Language utilization, the concept of Lingua Franca, and the English language proficiency’s role in children’s social and vocational future, make children’s learning English a vital affair for parents all around the world. Minding the role of parents’ educational level is an understudied issue in children’s English language proficiency level. To address this unexpected topic, the purpose of this study is finding the relationship between parents’ educational level and children’s English language proficiency. For this study, the researcher gave a TOEFL test (for evaluating the children’s English language proficiency) and a questionnaire (for determining their parents’ educational level) to eighty participants both female and male who are in their twenties and thirties. They were students in Intermediate and Upper Intermediate level in Gatt Language Center (GLC) in Tehran. After collecting the data the researcher considered each participant’s score two times: First regarding to their fathers’ educational level, second regarding to their mothers’ educational level. The researcher ran Independent Sample t-Test for differentiation between children whose parents have university education and children whose parents do not have university education. This study showed that children whose mothers have university education have higher level of English language proficiency. But there is no significant difference of English language proficiency level between children whose fathers have university education and those whose fathers do not have university education. In accordance with this study, unlike fathers’, mothers’ educational level, especially university education, could affect children’s English language proficiency level. So all parents especially mothers who desire to have children with high English language proficiency level, should take the prominence of their own educational level into account.

This study identifies the factors that contribute to the students’ English language proficiency among Malaysian Institute of Information Technology (MIIT) undergraduates. It further explores the impacts of the undergraduates’ language proficiency towards their academic performance. A quantitative and non-experimental approach were used for data collection purposes where data were collected through online questionnaire. There were 116 participants from Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) MIIT undergraduates involved in this study. Data analyses were made using inferential and descriptive statistical analyses. Statistical analyses revealed that the undergraduates’ academic achievement was influenced by their attitude towards the use of English and their high school English performance. In contrast, the findings indicated that the undergraduates’ residency did not contribute to their English language proficiency. It was also indicated that there was a significant difference between the undergraduates’ level of English Language Proficiency based on their academic achievement. In brief, the findings of this study provide useful insights on how undergraduates’ English language proficiency is influenced by many external factors that eventually affect their academic performance. It is crucial to be proficient in English language so that not only students are able to perform excellently in school but also in tertiary institutions. After all, graduates who are proficient in English will be in demand specially to cater the need to work in the English medium environment. Thus, this research paper will provide some improvements and recommendations in assisting the tertiary institutions to produce more in demand graduates who are able to compete at the international level.

This study assessed students’ knowledge by looking at their learner autonomy in English language learning, the extent of language learning strategies and their English language proficiency. A descriptive method of research was used in this study. The respondents of this study were senior high school students of Magsaysay District during the second semester of the Academic Year 2022-2023. They were selected through a proportional random sampling technique. Several instruments were used by the researcher including the survey questionnaires about learner autonomy in English language learning, the extent of language learning strategies as well as the students’ English language proficiency. It was found that the senior high school students of Magsaysay District have a high level of learner autonomy in English language learning in terms of cognitive, affective motivational, action-oriented and social while moderate in terms of metacognitive. Senior high school students of Magsaysay District have a high level of language learning strategies in terms of compensation, social, metacognitive, cognitive, memory and affective. They have an average level of English language proficiency in terms of grammar, vocabulary and reading comprehension. Findings also showed that there is a significant relationship between learner autonomy in English language learning and language learning strategies, between language learning strategies and English language proficiency. However, learner autonomy in English language learning does not affect English language proficiency. Furthermore, results indicate that cognitive best predicts learning language strategy, as well as English language proficiency and cognitive strategy best predicts English language proficiency. In conclusion, the higher the learner autonomy in English language learning, the higher the extent of language learning strategies and the higher the extent of language learning strategies, the higher the English language proficiency.

This quantitative study examines the influence of self-efficacy, verbal ability, and the English curriculum on English language proficiency among senior high school students. The research involved 96 respondents who completed questionnaires designed to measure their self-efficacy, verbal ability, perceptions of the English curriculum, and their English language proficiency levels. The data collected were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with Partial Least Squares (PLS) version 4.0 to determine the relationships among the variables. The analysis revealed that self-efficacy, often considered a crucial factor in academic performance, does not significantly impact English language proficiency in this context. This finding suggests that students' beliefs in their own capabilities to learn English might not directly translate into improved language skills. On the other hand, verbal ability was found to have a significant positive influence on English language proficiency. This indicates that students with higher verbal skills tend to perform better in English, highlighting the importance of enhancing these abilities through targeted instructional strategies. Moreover, the English curriculum also showed a significant positive effect on language proficiency. A well-structured curriculum that effectively integrates language learning objectives with practical applications appears to be a key determinant of students' success in mastering English. These results underscore the importance of curriculum development and verbal ability enhancement in educational practices. In conclusion, the study provides valuable insights into the factors that contribute to English language proficiency among senior high school students. While self-efficacy alone may not be a decisive factor, the significant roles of verbal ability and curriculum quality suggest that educational stakeholders should prioritize these areas to foster better English language outcomes. Future research could explore additional variables and longitudinal effects to further understand the dynamics of language learning in educational settings.

Background: While a significant body of research has addressed teachers' evaluations of mainstream English speaking students, there is a dearth of such research focusing on immigrant adolescents. As many immigrant students are in the process of acquiring English language proficiency, evaluating and assigning grades to immigrant youth can pose particular challenges. Grades assigned for oral or written products may underestimate English language learners' knowledge, content skills or achievement. Conversely, relying excessively on effort or class behaviour rather than actual academic performance may inflate immigrant students' grades. Purpose: We examined the extent to which immigrant students' academic achievement indicated by grades is attributable to factors such as English language proficiency, course understanding, classroom behaviours and homework completion. We then examined whether the effect of homework completion on grades varied as a function of English proficiency. In addition, we examined the factors contributing to teachers' evaluation of immigrant students' level of course understanding. Lastly, we investigated whether the effect of homework completion on course understanding varied as a function of English proficiency. Sample: This study examined the final year (2002) data of the five-year Longitudinal Immigrant Student Adaptation (LISA) study. At the start of the original study, the participants were recently arrived immigrant youth (ages 9–14) from Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua), China, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Mexico; they were recruited from seven public school districts in the USA in Massachusetts and California. The present study was a secondary analysis of a subset of final year LISA data, involving data from 273 students and 57 teachers. Methods: Using data collected through structured student interviews and behaviour checklists completed by teachers, we conducted hierarchical regression analyses to identify the factors that contributed significantly to immigrant students' grades and to their course understanding. Further regression analyses were conducted to determine whether English language proficiency was a moderating variable on immigrant students' grades and their level of understanding in a course. Results: There were four main findings. Firstly, the regression results indicated that homework completion and English language proficiency had significant impact on class grades. Secondly, the effect of homework completion on grades was not moderated by students' English proficiency. Thirdly, immigrant students' class behaviours, English proficiency and homework completion largely determined teacher evaluations of students' course understanding. Fourthly, the effect of homework completion on teacher evaluations of students' course understanding was moderated by English proficiency. For students with high English language proficiency, completing homework significantly affected teacher assessments of their course understanding. For students with low English language proficiency, however, completing homework had relatively little effect on teacher assessments of their course understanding. Conclusions: In this exploratory study, grades assigned to immigrant students were largely determined by whether they do their homework and their English language proficiency. Teacher evaluations of immigrant students' level of course understanding were largely determined by students' class behaviours, English language proficiency and homework completion. It is suggested that teachers distinguish between effort and skill and provide separate feedback for each of these dimensions during the process that newcomer immigrant students are concurrently acquiring academic skills while mastering a new language. However, further investigation is needed to determine the generalisability of findings to a larger immigrant youth population.

.The literacy growth of 260 second-grade English learners (ELs) with varying degrees of English language proficiency (e.g., Beginning, Early Intermediate, Intermediate, Early Advanced and Advanced English language proficiency) was assessed with English literacy skill assessments. Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills measures were compared across one academic school year. Growth curve analyses revealed that initial literacy skill status varied significantly by level of English language proficiency, with Advanced EL students beginning the second grade with the ability to read more words than students with lower levels of English proficiency. In addition, students with Advanced English proficiency levels had steeper oral reading fluency slopes across the academic year, more similar to native English speakers. These findings also suggest that it may be important to assess the phonemic awareness skills of second-grade ELs with Beginning levels of English language proficiency.

While many researchers have studied the relationship of socioeconomic status (SES) to adult learners' English language proficiency levels, little is known about this relationship for young learners (i.e., teenagers). In this study, we investigated the degree to which access to English language learning, as reflected by learners' SES, is associated with young learners' English language proficiency as measured by the TOEFL Junior® Comprehensive test. We analyzed data from 3,053 young English learners (aged 10–16 years) from 9 countries. Data included TOEFL Junior scores and self‐reported SES‐related background information indicating starting age of learning English, number of hours spent learning English in after‐school programs, length of stay in an English‐speaking country, and typing in and learning English on a computer. We found that the latter three factors were significantly associated with TOEFL Junior scores, with substantial variations among countries. These findings suggest that disparities in access to and opportunities for learning may have an impact on young learners' English proficiency levels. However, such relationships should be interpreted in the context of particular countries to arrive at more accurate interpretations and effective decisions in relation to English learning policies and practices.

Australia’s population is growing, ageing and exhibiting increasing heterogeneity with respect to birthplace and ethnic composition. Yet, little is understood about the levels of English language proficiency among the next generation of older migrants in Australia. Utilising a modified cohort-component model incorporating detailed language proficiency transition probabilities, we project birthplace populations by levels of English language proficiency to mid-century. Our results show that although Asian-born migrants tend to have lower levels of English proficiency, the majority of older migrants with poor proficiency are currently from a predominantly European background. In the future, we project a strong shift in the population of poor English speakers toward an Asian-born dominance as some European-born migrant groups dwindle in size and cohort flow increases population growth among older Asian migrants. Specifically, most of the population growth among older migrants with poor English proficiency occurs among Chinese and Mainland Southeast Asian migrants. However, we demonstrate that population growth among the total migrant population with poor proficiency is considerably lower than populations with good proficiency or from English-speaking households. Over the projection horizon, the total older migrant population with poor English proficiency increases by under 80,000 compared with an increase of 726,000 with good levels of proficiency and 518,000 in English-speaking households. However, we caution against conflating improved English language proficiency with a policy shift away from ethno-specific aged care services as culture, which is more than language, strongly influences perceptions of quality of aged care.

Purpose of Study: The main purpose of this research was to describe the effect of dialogue in the process of learning Business English. This was experimental research. two experimental and control groups were identified and a pre-test was conducted on their level of proficiency in English. Then, for the control group, English was taught in a normal way and presented for the English language test group using a dialogue. After the end of the course, their English proficiency was examined. The results showed that English language proficiency in teaching through dialogue has been much greater than normal and the difference between the two methods was significant and the English language method was more effective than the dialectic method.
 Methodology: This was experimental research. At first, two experimental and control groups were identified and a pre-test was conducted on their level of proficiency in English. Then, for the control group, English was taught in a normal way and presented for the English language test group using a dialogue. After the end of the course, their English proficiency was examined to determine if English language education would affect English language learning through dialogue. To investigate these results, covariance analysis method was used.
 Results: Results showed that English language proficiency in teaching through dialogue has been much greater than normal. To determine if this difference was statistically significant, the covariance analysis test was performed and the results showed that the difference between the two methods was significant and the English language method was more effective than the dialectic method.
 Implications/Applications: The results of this study can help to teach English both in private institutions and in schools but in order for the teacher to build on the English language learning process based on the dialogue, the teacher should create an environment in which all students can be expressed, and no student is ashamed of the level of ability and fluency in English.