Advanced English Course Research Articles

COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE OF FILIPINO ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS: BASIS FOR A DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Ongoing professional development and implementation of supportive educational policies are important to address the linguistic challenges faced by non-native English language teachers (NNETs). These would enhance educational outcomes for students and improve the quality of basic education. This mixed-method exploration of the communicative competence of NNETs in Arakan, North Cotabato, Philippines, used descriptive-evaluative design, correlation, and In-Depth Interviews (IDIs). The findings showed that predominantly young female NNETs with diverse educational backgrounds had significant deficiencies in phonology and notable inadequacies in syntax, morphology, lexicon, and orthography despite their diligence in lesson preparation. Significant correlations were found between the subjects taught and lexicon proficiency, as well as the number and types of subjects handled and morphology competence. However, no significant correlations existed between their competence and educational attainment, job description, or seminar attendance. Additionally, significant differences were observed in orthographic proficiency by age and syntactic proficiency by gender, while civil status did not significantly impact competence levels. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted professional development for NNETs. Specialized training or advanced English courses are essential to address linguistic shortcomings. With improved grammatical and linguistic skills, NNETs can enhance their pedagogical effectiveness and ensure the delivery of quality basic education.

THE SIGNIFICANCE AND THE CHALLENGES OF THE BLENDED LEARNING IMPLEMENTATION AT HIGHER LEARNING INSTITUTIONS

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) prioritise the development of students who possess intellectual competency in using technology for learning purposes, as well as proficiency in the English language, including abilities in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Despite the considerable efforts made, a significant number of university students continue to struggle with comprehending and completely grasping the English language. Insufficient skill in English may result in individuals being left behind, particularly in terms of completing assignments and progressing to advanced English courses. The problem of insufficient English language competency among students at HEIs is evidently in need of resolution. Accordingly, this research aims to examine the concept of a blended learning approach in the context of English language teaching and learning, focusing on scholars' viewpoints. The objective of this paper is to examine existing literature on the understanding of the concept of blended learning and elucidate the significance and challenges of using the blended learning approach in the context of English language instruction at HEI. Overall, to ensure congruence with this objective, HEIs in Malaysia are progressively transitioning towards implementing integrated learning models, which are an effective way to teach and learn in the current technological age.

Enhancing ESP Learning: Investigating Students' Perspectives on Real-Time Written Corrective Feedback Delivery via Google Docs

The present research aims to investigate the practice of real-time or synchronous written corrective feedback (SWCF) delivery via Google Docs as a platform to deliver feedback, known as a linguistic feedback tool (LiFT) in ESP (English for Specific Purposes) classes, students’ preferences and viewpoints of SWCF. The research employed a qualitative case study involving 15 students from an advanced English correspondence course in a non-English department of a private university in Depok, West Java, Indonesia. Open-ended questionnaires, document analysis, and semi-structured interviews were used to gather the data. The findings revealed that auto-generated and human feedback are used to deliver SWCF via Google Docs, inferring that those features can build students' awareness of language aspects, content, and context in composing professional documents. Direct feedback was delivered more frequently, regarding the learning time efficiency and the students’ ability to identify errors. Further, the students preferred frequent SWCF, direct and indirect feedback, and correcting delivery methods. Finally, they considered that SWCF delivered via Google Docs assists them in improving letter accuracy. Their preferences and viewpoints might allow the lecturer to choose appropriate feedback delivery strategies and material reinforcement. The present research implies a balanced use of auto-generated and human feedback from LiFT in SWCF delivery. Evaluating the effectiveness of SWCF delivery via Google Docs for different levels of achievers in ESP classes might be a potential area of future research. Other LiFTs’ infusion into ESP classes is also worth researching to provide language instructors with alternative applications for SWCF delivery.

An Exploration on the Application of “234” Teaching Model in Advanced English Course Teaching under the Background of Curriculum Ideology and Politics

Based on the 12 units selected for classroom instruction, the author first introduces the ideological and political goals for each unit from five dimensions, and then presents the process of how to apply “234” Model of ideological and political education for humanities into Advanced English instruction, including how to integrate elements for ideological and political education in actual instruction and the measures taken in the author’s school to guarantee teaching effects. Under the background of comprehensively promoting ideological and political construction of curriculum, to carry out the implementation of the “234” Model of ideological and political education into Advanced English course can help achieve the trinity of value shaping, ability cultivation and knowledge imparting in foreign language education.

INCORPORATING CRUCIAL TRANSFERRABLE LIFE-LONG SKILLS IN AN UNDERGRADUATE ADVANCED ENGLISH COURSE AT SOUTH EAST EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY

This paper gives an insight into the practical experience of designing and implementing an Advanced English course offered to first year undergraduate students from all Faculties at South East European University which included a research project as a grading component and resulted in an undergraduate student mock conference. It elaborates on the rationale behind the need for incorporating crucial, transferable, life-long skills that students can put to an immediate use during their undergraduate studies, but also skills they can use long after graduating and leaving SEEU. The paper also offers a detailed account of the practical day-to-day challenges faced by both language teachers and students. The peer- and self-evaluation completed at the end of the course reveal overlooked issues that require more attention, modifications and adaptations in the future. Along the way students were made aware of the importance of choosing the most appropriate research method, meticulously citing every source used, distinguishing between editing (as a process that begins as soon as one starts writing) and proofreading (as the activity left for the very end of the writing process when one double or even triple checks that everything is the way it should be before the research report is handed in), and avoiding plagiarism by summarising, paraphrasing and quoting. The Academic skills and research conference offered students practice in giving a well-structured presentation, whereas the follow-up self-evaluation helped them identify areas of possible improvements.Hopefully, thanks to this long and challenging, but also rewarding process, when asked to conduct research on a certain issue, present the results, draw conclusions and recommend a possible course of action or offer possible solutions, the students’ immediate reaction will be: “A-ha, No problem! Been there-done that! I know exactly what I am supposed to do, and I know how to do it!”

21st Century Skills development among young graduates

This paper presents the results of the project “21st Century Skills: Changing the Approach to Teaching in Higher Education”, which was funded by the Erasmus+ programme between 2019 and 2021. The study involved seven institutions coming from different parts of Europe; mainly these were universities, but there was also one not-for-profit organisation, and one SME. Past and present-day initiatives and studies relating to the development of soft and digital skills among university students are investigated, with particular regard being paid to their perspective when they first have to face the job market. The study design is threefold, involving firstly desk research, where major documents were collected in Bulgaria, Spain, Turkey, Czech Republic, and Italy; then market research, where a sample of corporate professionals and university representatives were interviewed in order to gather additional information relating to the level of development of these skills among young graduates and employees; and lastly, a comparison between two questionnaires filled in by students before and after completing the courses established by the project. Research stages one and two are briefly introduced, with the main focus of the paper being on stage three and a discussion in which the results from various European countries are compared. The results reveal that some European countries prioritise some skills more than others. In addition, in the examined countries, it can be seen that 21st Century Skills are still not widely developed by young graduates and there is a mismatch between the value attributed to the improvement of competencies and the actual content of training provided by European universities. In summary, employers and academics have provided key information relating to the most needed skills in the market today. In addition, they have testified that attention should be paid to university projects, such as internship programmes and advanced English courses in order to better prepare young people for the marketplace. Furthermore, students should be more involved in activities aimed at improving their level of 21st Century Skills, with courses specifically designed to address this need and make them more aware of their current skill level and the abilities they are expected to have. Currently, these courses are rarely organised by Higher Education institutions and even when they are, they are not always effective.

Validating the Paraphrasing Task with the Framework of AUA

This paper aims to justify the Paraphrasing task in the Advanced English course’s final achievement test with the framework of Assessment Use Argument (AUA) and finds out the implications for classroom teaching and learning. By articulating the claims with warrants of collected evidence combining the syllabus, the students’ scores, and their answers in the questionnaire, the research shows that the Paraphrasing task is plausible for the Junior English Majors in their final test, paraphrasing practice could improve students’ reading comprehension and academic writing.

E-portfolio as an academic writing assessment tool in higher education: Strengths and challenges

This study investigated the use of an e-Portfolio for assessment at a Malaysian public university. Prior to the advent of the Internet, paper portfolios are ubiquitous forms of projects and assessments. However, they have limitations in terms of portability, shareability, and delayed two-way communication between instructors and students about progress. In lieu of paper portfolio, the e-Portfolio was introduced in an advanced English language course at a public university in Malaysia. The novelty of the e-Portfolio’s implementation renders it necessary to seek the insights of those who are directly involved in its use. Therefore, this study aims to explore the perceptions of the instructors and students regarding their use of the e-Portfolio throughout the course. This is a qualitative study whereby the main data collection method involved interviews. The data were imported to NVivo 12, and thematic analysis was used as the primary method of data analysis. A total of three instructors and 18 students participated in this study. The findings reveal that the instructors and students perceived the contribution of the e-Portfolio in the aspects of writing stages, digital artefacts, accessibility, personalised writing experience, feedback and communication, and motivation. The results demonstrate that mutually perceived challenges by the instructors and students were poor Internet connectivity and difficulty adapting to the e-Portfolio. The study highlights the benefits and shortcomings of using the e-Portfolio as an assessment tool for academic writing. This will guide practitioners and researchers to better implement the e-Portfolio in higher education institutions.

Examining the Impacts of Florida’s Developmental Education Reform for Non-Exempt Students: The Case of First-Year English and Math Course Enrollment and Success

Objective: In 2014, Florida implemented Senate Bill 1720 (SB 1720), which drastically reshaped developmental education practices across the 28 public state colleges. Under the reform, around two-thirds of students became exempt from developmental education. Yet, many students were still required to take the placement test. If they scored below college-ready, they were assigned to developmental education courses using new accelerated strategies. This study focuses on the policy effects on these non-exempt students that received little attention in existing research but also were affected by the reform. Methods: Drawing on student-level data from two first-time-in-college cohorts who were enrolled in state colleges prior to SB 1720 and two cohorts who were enrolled after, this study uses multinomial logit models to predict non-exempt students’ first-year math and English outcomes. Results: We find that non-exempt students benefit from the policy, with significantly higher percentages of students enrolling in and completing college-level and advanced English and math courses after the reform. In addition, non-exempt English students with the lowest level of college readiness experienced the greatest gains post-reform in the completion rates in college-level and advanced English courses. While in math, non-exempt students who scored college-ready experienced the greatest increases post-reform in completion rates in college-level and advanced math courses. Conclusion: Although non-exempt students are not directly affected by the placement policy changes under SB 1720, they still benefit from the reform because of the new instructional strategies and enhanced academic advising and support services.

Research on the Dynamic Evaluation Mode of Advanced English Teaching

Based on the dynamic evaluation theory, combined with the characteristics of English language teaching and teaching objectives, this paper constructed a dynamic evaluation mode for the "Advanced English" course. The evaluation mode divided Advanced English teaching into four teaching sections: pre-class online self-learning, classroom partner interaction internalization, after-class study notes evaluation and feedback, and subject paper project refinement and improvement; through the establishment of a " curriculum learning portfolio", evaluation runs through the entire teaching process, promotes the organic combination of teaching and evaluation, and realizes the cultivation of students' individual cognitive strategies and the stimulation of their learning potential. The dynamic evaluation mode of Advanced English course plays a positive role in shaping the cognitive structure of students and developing other related course evaluations.

READING DIFFICULTIES AMONG MALAYSIAN UNDERGRADUATE ESL LEARNERS: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

Reading deficiency in reading English texts or materials among ESL undergraduate students has been one of the most significant problems in Malaysia. Educators in Malaysia are currently facing the problem as it reflects on their students’ academic performance. This study aims to investigate Malaysian ESL undergraduate students’ reading difficulties in reading English texts. 25 Malaysian students who are taking advanced English courses in a university, were selected to participate in this study. A quantitative method was employed for this study. The questionnaires were designed to fit the purpose of this study. Data analysis was done using SPSS to analyse the data collected. The result shows that students are weak in grasping the main idea when they are reading, having poor vocabulary, lack of reading habit and interest in reading English texts, and are pressured with the lack of time when reading. It can be concluded that reading deficiency affects their academic performance and their English proficiency. In overcoming their difficulties, students must equip themselves with some reading strategies to help them to comprehend the English texts that they are reading.

Effects of IELTS reading education by using new media learning environments effectively

ABSTRACT New media are used by language learners and teachers inside and outside the classroom to improve basic language skills. This study investigated the uses of new media for enhancing reading skills, stimulating student motivation, and promoting learner autonomy within the context of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). This research project enlisted approximately 200 university sophomore students from the course “IELTS Reading and Writing”, which was run for non-English major 2016 ISEC (International Scholarly Exchange Curriculum) programme in 2018 at a university in Northeastern China. Students’ perceptions of new media applications were investigated, and a pre-test and post-test were used to examine students’ IELTS reading progress. The research findings indicate that new media can be adapted for IELTS reading classrooms and autonomous learning, which offers learning resources connected to IELTS reading knowledge in class and outside class. New media learning environments greatly improved students’ motivation. Their autonomous learning abilities and advanced academic reading skills were also enhanced. Additionally, the research participants provided advantageous feedback on new media for IELTS reading learning. Finally, the research results could be helpful references for those who intend to conduct the flipped teaching or learning research related to the reform of the advanced English courses teaching such as IELTS education by the effective use of modern educational technology in the future.

MUSIC(S) OF THE WORLD AS AN ONLINE EFL RESOURCE: A Japanese EFL classroom experience

This research considers how the study of musical performances from around the world can be drawn upon as a useful resource for language instruction, particularly in EFL Japanese university classrooms. This study shares the insights gained from literature reviews combined with the researcher’s teaching experiences on the advanced English elective course of Computer Assisted Ethnomusicology. This work was carried out over a five-year period between 2013–2018 at a university in the Tohoku region of Japan, based on a course that focused on the music and culture found in Oceania, South East Asia, East Asia, Africa and North America. This study identifies the language resources present within the ethnomusicological content, and identifies the ways it can help awaken learners to the rich variation that exists among the cultures of the world, and highlighting the way local and global features combine in the ‘glocal.’ In addition to digital applications, approaches introduced in the study also include the combination of high and low contact activities based on ethnomusicological resources. This helps to emphasize how Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), and open source multimedia make it possible to approach musical song texts and discourses that surround musical practice and performance and apply these to EFL teaching.

Twitter and reflection: tweeting towards deeper learning

ABSTRACT Student reflection is commonly thought to be associated with enhanced learning, especially when it involves connecting course learning to personal experience. In this mixed-methods study, we viewed 670 reflective tweets from 105 students in advanced English language courses at a private university in Latin America to measure the relationship between the depth of reflection of student tweets and their learning as demonstrated through their exam scores. We also applied a survey to capture students’ self-perceived ability to write deep reflections and the extent to which they believe this helped them succeed in the course. The result of regression analysis revealed a correlation between deeper reflections and better performance on student exams. We also found that students tended to overestimate their abilities to write deep reflections as the majority of tweets were more superficial. Furthermore, many students did not see a direct connection between their reflective practice and their final grade in the course but viewed reflection positively in terms of contributing to their learning.

A brave new world: Teachers’ conceptions of the value of creativity in the new Stage 6 English syllabus

A significant body of research points to the challenges faced by English teachers in balancing creative pedagogy with the demands of high-stakes testing. However, few studies have examined teachers’ conceptions of the importance of creativity in the context of end-of-school examinations. This study addresses this critical gap by exploring the perspectives of secondary Australian English teachers on the value of creative learning experiences when preparing students for the Higher School Certificate (HSC) in the state of New South Wales. Given the recent implementation of the new Stage 6 Syllabus, this article offers insights into the scope for creativity in the revised Standard and Advanced English courses for Year 12 students. Drawing from teacher case studies, the findings indicate that despite teachers’ belief in the importance of creativity, their time for creative teaching and learning has been limited by the demands of the former HSC syllabus. Teachers feel positively, however, about the increased space for creativity within the new Stage 6 English courses. This research will be useful for teachers as they transition into teaching the new English syllabus, prompting them to reassess the scope for creative learning when preparing students for the HSC.

Mind-Map-Based POA Enabling Phase Design of an Advanced English Unit

This paper presents the teaching practice of an Advanced English course for English majors within the framework of POA (Production-Oriented Approach), focusing on the various activities in the enabling stage involving mind mapping. The POA teaching procedure, as a holistic loop involving teaching, learning and evaluation, consists of “motivating, enabling, and assessment” phases. In the enabling stage of this study, mind-mapping is used as a supporting device to help students get the structure for their “production” task. For instance, keywords can be written on the mind map branches as a reminder for an oral task, and complete sentences can be produced on the basis of the key words in the mind map. Then with plenty of enabling activities, students get the language and ideas for their tasks. Eventually the structure, the language and the ideas together assist students with their “productions”. Preliminary evaluation of the research design received positive feedback, evidence primarily in the form of task samples and learner interviews on the pros and cons of this particular teaching methodology. The meaning of this research rests with its attempt to contextualize a new theoretical framework, a classroom practice guided in a principled way, which, in turn, might generate a variety of insights and interpretations from various aspects.

英语专业高级英语课程教学模式探索与研究

英语专业高级英语课程教学模式探索与研究

Flipping the Classroom for English Language Learners: A Study of Learning Performance and Perceptions

Innovative teaching in a form of the flipped classroom was adopted in an English course as a pilot project in a private university. The purpose of this study was to assess how a modified “flipped classroom” had an impact on students’ learning performance and perceptions. The target group involved in a non-randomized experiment was 40 students from one section enrolled in an advanced English course in the summer session of the academic year 2016. They were required to watch the prerecorded lectures before class and then attend class to discuss on the topics, share knowledge, and perform tasks. The instruments consisted of 1) 5 assignments which were administered to the students, 2) a questionnaire investigating the students’ perceptions on the flipped classroom and 3) a questionnaire used to find out their perceptions on autonomy. Data were analyzed by using percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The findings revealed that after the students were taught in the flipped classroom, their English scores were satisfactory. The results showed that most students were satisfied with lecture videos and Edmodo, the learning platform. They demonstrated good perceptions on flipping the classroom. What they claimed to gain the most from this class was becoming a responsible person. In addition, students’ autonomy perceptions were higher than those before they were taught through the flipped classroom approach.

Students and Teachers’ Causal Attributions to Course Failure and Repetition in an ELT Undergraduate Program

This article is the product of a diagnostic research study conducted by two professors from the APRENAP research group at Universidad Surcolombiana from Neiva, Huila, Colombia. The study aimed at looking into the causes for the English courses repetition phenomenon which was evident among many students especially in the advanced semesters at the ELT undergraduate program in the university. The main purpose of this qualitative study that followed the Grounded Theory principles was to determine to which factors the academic community of the program- professors and students- attributed the constant failure and repetition of advanced English courses by some students. Findings gathered from the analysis of a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview evidenced that variables such as a lack of autonomous learning habits, economic, labor and family responsibilities, and few hours of class, among others, affect negatively students’ foreign language learning.

Using Metacognitive Strategies to Raise Awareness of Stress and Intonation

Few studies have analyzed the impact of language awareness and metacognitive strategies for intelligibility in the context of English as an International Language. This qualitative action research study examined the impact of using three metacognitive strategies: overviewing, goal setting, and self-evaluating to raise adult learners’ awareness of stress and intonation at a private language center in Bogotá. Ten participants enrolled in an advanced English course showed lack of awareness of the use of suprasegmentals (stress or intonation) to communicate intelligibly in a preliminary oral interview. The implementation took three cycles. Each one lasted an hour every day for two weeks. During the first week, the participants were trained to use one metacognitive strategy. During the second week, they identified a suprasegmental feature from video or audio input. Finally, they monitored the use of such a feature through the strategy they had learnt in the first week. The data collection instruments were learning logs, recorded artifacts, and field notes. The results showed that students raised awareness in a triadic process that involves metalinguistic, learning, and self-awareness. Results may be useful to revisit the current teaching of pronunciation and to provide insights about the use of elements from the lingua franca core in the Colombian context.