University-level Learners Research Articles

Aptitude, Anxiety, and Success in L2 Speech Development: A Longitudinal Study of Chinese EFL College-Level Learners.

This study examined the second language (L2) speech development of a group of Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) college-level learners (N = 83) and the association between their aptitude, anxiety, and L2 speech development. The performance of the participants' L2 speech, including speech comprehensibility and accentedness, was evaluated using a sentence reading task and a pair of picture description tasks (pre- and post-test). In addition, students completed the LLAMA tests (language learning and aptitude measurement in adults) and the Second Language Speaking Anxiety Scale (SLSAS). The t-test revealed that after one semester of English speaking and pronunciation instruction, the EFL students in the study demonstrated significant gains in their L2 speech performance in terms of accentedness and comprehensibility in both controlled and impromptu tasks. Regression analyses revealed that phonemic coding ability positively predicted gains in comprehensibility but negatively predicted gains in accentedness during sentence reading. In addition, associative memory was positively associated with comprehensibility gains in the picture description task. Anxiety appeared to be a strong predictor of participants' gains in speech comprehensibility and accentedness during the picture description task.

Usage-based approaches to assessing syntactic sophistication in second language writing: Interaction of genre and proficiency

Based on usage-based approaches to language learning, this study investigated how second language (L2) writers use verbs and argument structure constructions across different genres, while also exploring how this genre effect interacts with L2 writing proficiency. We analyzed five previously established usage-based indices using a learner corpus comprising argumentative and narrative essays elicited from 3196 college-level learners. Through a series of mixed-effects regression analyses, we identified a consistent genre effect, with argumentative essays featuring a more sophisticated use of verbs and constructions alongside a greater diversity in construction types. Additionally, a significant interaction emerged between genre and proficiency regarding construction frequency and the frequency of verb–construction combinations. These results indicate that while the previously observed genre effect extends to the L2 use of verbs and constructions, its manifestation varies depending on L2 proficiency. Overall, our study supports the usage-based learning of verbs and constructions in the context of L2 writing.

The Effect of Paper Reading Versus Screen Reading on the Inferential Reading Performance among University ESL Learners

Contemporary ESL education focuses on screen-based reading, specifically in the context of university level learners. Also, a sudden shift from paper bound reading activities to screen-based tasks was inevitable in response to COVID-19 outbreak. In this regard, the case of inferential and advanced level reading among the young ESL learners of developing countries appears researchable because of the general low digital literacy of these learners. This study, therefore, aimed to investigate the effect of reading mode shift from paper to screen on the inferential comprehension performance among Pakistani ESL learners at university level. A total of 426 undergraduate learners were sampled from Bachelor of Science program in a well-known university in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. Inferential reading was conceptualized through Bloom’s higher order thinking skills, that is, Analyzing, Evaluating and Creating skills therefore the reading comprehension test was based on these skills. Adopting sequential test administration, first the paper-based reading test, and later the screen-based reading was given. The obtained data were analyzed using Rendell’s XCALIBRE and SPSS V. 26.0. The logit scale descriptives, learner ability (θ), and mean scores demonstrated that the learners performed significantly higher in the paper test as compared to screen test. Moreover, it was found that the effect of reading mode shift was larger in Creating skill. The findings may have significant implications for reading mode selection, enhancement of digital competence and effect of reading mode shift in developing countries with inadequate IT facilitation and digital literacy among ESL learners.

An Exploration of Bachelor Level Learners' Experiences in Writing Paragraphs

An exploration of Bachelor's level learners' experiences in writing paragraphs aims to investigate how the learners are learning to write paragraphs from their school to university level in the English language. As a university teacher, the author observed his learners often writing less organized paragraphs, and preferred points rather than paragraphs in their assignments and other writing products as well. To explore the curiosity about how the learners are experiencing writing paragraphs, a narrative inquiry was conducted from five purposively selected Bachelor level participants from Surkhet Multiple Campus. Being a teacher, at one level, he informally gathered information on how they experienced writing paragraphs. By taking their oral consent from the informal talk, he managed to take a formal focused interview with the use of guidelines. During the interview, the audio recording was done which was then transcribed. After that, the codes were developed and followed by the categories. Lastly, three main themes were developed as the form of result: the learners felt the input that they got was more focused on writing points rather than a paragraph which encouraged them to write more in points than a paragraph. They also experienced a lack of sufficient input and feedback from teachers during their school as well as college-level learning classes. Similarly, unfamiliarity and overgeneralization were the other forms of experiences in their writing tasks. The article concludes that it needs to provide explicit input not only at the school level but also at university level learners for an organized paragraph to be formed.

Review Of Factors Affecting English Speaking Skills Among Foreign English Learners

Speaking skills, for effective communication, are widely recognized as a formidable challenge for language learners (EFL). In Pakistan, at the university level, these learners face numerous hurdles which hinder the progress of their speaking abilities. The present study is based on a review of articles. The objective was to categorize and pinpoint problematic aspects and linguistic barriers encountered by university students, with a particular focus on applied linguistics students in Pakistan. The scrutinized papers delved into the details of speaking difficulties and weaknesses experienced by university-level learners, primarily those immersed in the realm of applied linguistics. In the previous studies, EFL learners, grapple with challenges spanning linguistic factors, psycholinguistic factors and sociolinguistic factors. Furthermore, problems based on education, such as designed-based courses and the inadequacy of proficiency of teachers, compound predicaments faced by these learners. The key findings from this study serve as a useful path towards resolving the difficulties and issues related to speaking skills.

The Effects of Social Media on Afghan Students Learning English Speaking and Reading Skills

Social media (SM) not only serves as a means of entertainment but also plays a significant role in teaching, learning, and imparting new skills. As a result, a review has been proposed to determine the impact of SM sources on the improvement of English language proficiency at an intermediate level in Peshawar, Pakistan. This will be achieved by examining various articles and research papers on platforms such as Google Scholar and Research Gate. Among EFL instructors who must evolve outside the conventional methods of teaching where teachers used to complete most of the job, social media has garnered much respect and popularity. And speaking still gets less attention in conventional classrooms than writing and reading do. As a result, teaching speaking poses a significant challenge for both EFL teachers and students who exhibit poor oral achievement. Facebook and Google were the social networking sites most commonly used by college-level learners, according to the study's findings. The study also found that these sites had an impact on students' English language proficiency. As a result, the study suggests that its recommendations could benefit English teachers, curriculum developers, and textbook reviewers in promoting performance-based education. It is important to review what has been studied, what conclusions have been drawn, and what requires further attention. The study showed that social media can provide many advantages and functions in language learning, such as authentic input resources, low-stress practice spaces, opportunities for intercultural communication, and improved learner collaboration. However, the study also identified potential limitations of social media platforms, such as distractions and conflicting information. Finally, the study suggests several future research directions.

실생활의 언어사용을 지향하는 행위중심 학습- 유럽공통참조기준 자매 편의 과제에 대한 이론과 실제

The Spanish version of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) Companion Volume, published in 2021, presented an interpretation of the developmental vision of tasks for language learning and use, introducing the concept of action-oriented learning. This study argues that a task enabling action-oriented learning for real-life language use needs to satisfy three criteria―collaboration, interaction, and real-life use―and allow for both situational and interactional authenticity. Based on the theoretical discussion around this concept, this study aimed to analyze the design and execution of an action-oriented learning task in an actual Spanish-language education. First, to explore task design, action-oriented tasks presented in four Spanish textbooks were analyzed to determine whether they satisfied the three criteria. Next, for consideration of the execution of such a task, a case involving the use of an action-oriented learning task that meets the requirements of collaboration, interaction, and real-life use in a conversational Spanish language class at a Korean university is presented and discussed. Through this analysis, the theory and practice of designing and executing collaborative, interactive, real-life tasks based on the communication needs of Korean university-level learners of Spanish is explored .

Goal orientation motivation theory in surgical trainees: a multi-institutional validation study of the GO-ST scale

PurposeGoal orientation is an important psychological construct which describes the nature of an individual’s intrinsic motivation for learning in terms of mastery and performance. Research on goal orientation in primary school through college-level learners has consistently demonstrated a relationship between goal orientation and learning outcomes, test scores, motivation, feedback incorporation and burnout. The aim of this study was to create and validate a novel instrument to measure goal orientation motivation in surgical trainees.MethodsA validation study of a novel survey instrument specific for surgical trainees was conducted at five general surgery training programs across the United States over the course of a single academic year. A 14 item goal orientation in surgical trainees (GO-ST) instrument was developed and responses were scored on a 5-point Likert scale measuring frequency over a month. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed.ResultsA total of 144 residents participated for an 87.8% response rate. Confirmatory factory analysis using 3 domains yielded a final instrument with ten total questions. The Comparative Fit index (CFI) of this model was 0.950, the Goodness of Fit index (GFI) was 0.920, and the Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) was 0.064.ConclusionsUsing the goal orientation theory of motivation, The GO-ST instrument was successfully developed to measure the three domains of goal orientation, mastery, performance approach, and performance avoid in surgical trainees. The ability to distinguish the way in which a learner internalizes educational opportunities in terms of motivation paves the way to understanding a new perspective on wellness, mastery and the clinical learning environment.

Using L2 interactional-pragmatic resources in CMC: A case of Japanese orthography and emoji

Increasingly prevalent use of technologies such as instant messaging and online chat has transformed our traditional ways of learning and teaching pragmatics. This study presents an example of such transformation by demonstrating how computer-mediated communication (CMC) may be employed as a tool to provide second language (L2) learners opportunities to use interactional resources specific to the context of CMC, namely unique orthography and emoji. For the study, we introduced four university-level learners of Japanese to a language exchange messaging application and recorded their online text-based chat interactions with native Japanese speakers over a period of 12 weeks. We followed up the chat data with weekly stimulated verbal recalls (SVR) to investigate L2 learners’ intentions and perceptions surrounding their own and others’ use of unique orthography and emoji (48 SVR sessions total; average 30 minutes per session). Coding and thematic analysis of the chat data revealed learners’ agentive use of orthography and emoji as resources for communication. In addition, the SVR data revealed a variety of personal and interpersonal reasons behind their use, including learners’ concerns over self-presentation, interpersonal relationships, identity, and discourse management. The findings not only demonstrate how CMC can afford learners a unique environment for experimenting with a range of context-appropriate interactional resources to convey pragmatic meaning, but also shed light on the various, sometimes competing, considerations and complex processes underlying learners’ pragmatic choices in CMC.

EFL College Learners’ Expectation on and Experience in Online English-Medium Instruction

This study investigated EFL college-level learners’ expectation on and their experience in an online English-medium instruction (EMI) course focusing on how participants interacted with their classmates and the instructor in their online class (zoom session) based on assumptions and rationales of Interaction Hypothesis and classroom interaction research. Analyses of questionnaire, observation, and interview data revealed that participants’ experience of interaction and their perception of interaction opportunities in the zoom session were significantly related to how they would evaluate the course-taking experience. It was also found that cognitive strategy such as participants’ preparation for each class rather than L2 confidence was more relevant to their level of satisfaction with the course. Results of analyses suggested that an online class could be more effective than a face-to-face class in terms of engaging EFL adult learners in an academic course offered in participants’ L2, English. Based on study results, suggestions on how to increase interaction opportunities in online EMI course are made.

SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW: USING ENGLISH MOVIES TO DEVELOP ESL LEARNERS’ SPEAKING CONFIDENCE

Can English movies improve ESL learners’ speaking confidence? What are the suggested ways to implement English movies in acquiring speaking confidence for ESL learners? The main goal of the review is to study how English movies can aid ESL learners in higher education who struggle with speaking confidence. The search phrases used in these databases were “English movies” AND “confidence” and “English movies” AND “speaking” in order to acquire a list of relevant research. The first aspect that we will discuss in this review is the issue of low speaking confidence that is usually caused by language anxiety, lack of self-esteem and fear of judgement among other reasons. The articles collected represent language learners from different age ranges such as young kindergarten learners until university level learners. In addition to that, we will also investigate further into the research from the databases available for English movies that can be utilized as instructional aid for ESL learners to acquire speaking confidence. To find relevant research publications, four databases were used: ProQuest, Science Direct, Scopus and JSTOR. The review was carried out by using the UMS Library's access to subscribed databases. As part of this systematic review, we devised a search strategy to collect relevant literature. Researchers over the years have differing opinions on the current situation. The majority of the study indicates that language learners often struggled from speaking anxiety and fear of public speaking whether it is due to judgement of others or their own limited speaking abilities. We have mapped the literature to enable readers to understand the lessons from past literature that can be learned as well as provide a future agenda to the issue.

Impact of exercise format and repetition on learning verb–noun collocations

A growing number of studies have probed the effectiveness of certain exercise formats in the learning of multi-word expressions (MWEs) in classroom settings. However, a number of important variables, such as MWE retention over an extended period of time and the role of repetition, have so far not been considered. Furthermore, studies have focused primarily on university level learners, with young L2 learners being almost entirely disregarded. The present study sought to address these gaps with 148 high school students who were randomly assigned one of three fill-in-the-gap exercises: (1) word-format, where participants selected the appropriate verb from a list provided; (2) letter-format, where the first-letter of the missing verb was provided as a clue; and (3) phrase-format, where participants chose an appropriate intact phrase from a list. Participants did the exercise once, twice or three times. The study investigated the effects of exercise format and repetition on the learning of 20 verb–noun collocations, one and eight weeks following the treatment. Results from generalized linear mixed-effects modeling showed that both exercise and repetition had significant impact on the learnability of the target MWEs, but the format had a smaller effect size than repetition. Rasch analysis was also used to examine the potential difference in the difficulty of MWEs, and how this difficulty may interact with the exercise format. The findings largely support previous research, but also underline the importance of repetition and suggest that exercise format does not uniformly interact with the learnability of MWEs.

Using repeated reading for reading fluency development in a small Japanese foreign language program

ABSTRACT Audio-assisted Repeated Reading (RR) is a method which scaffolds L2 readers to build fluency. This study focused on 27 U.S. college-level learners of Japanese comprising three ability groups from mid-beginner to low-intermediate. It aimed to explore whether a modest semester-long RR program facilitates learners’ fluency growth, and see how the learners perceive the method itself using a questionnaire. We found beneficial effects of audio-supported RR in terms of reading rate growth while learners maintained good comprehension. The study showed a significant practice effect, in which learners increased their reading rates while re-reading the same passage. Further, learners in one of the three groups read significantly faster with a new, unpracticed passages representing transfer of the practice effect. Additionally, questionnaire responses demonstrated that learners perceived beneficial effects from RR. Finally, we make a proposal on measuring learners’ reading comprehension in fluency intervention programs such as RR. We proposed that measurement of learners’ reading comprehension have two different purposes, pedagogical purposes and research purposes. Thus the reading comprehension measures would have different designs and cut scores.

Effects of Social Media on English Language Learning Proficiency at College Level, Hyderabad, Sindh

Social media has become pervasive-impacting the man of today like no other thing. It has its applications in, social, psychological, spiritual and cultural fabric of our society. It has revolutionized the way we think, communicate, interact and socialize. Not only is the use of social media limited to entertainment, as it is considered by many, it has played a significant role in the teaching-learning process and imparting new skills. Therefore, the present study was conducted to find out the effect of social media sources on enhancement of English language learning proficiency at intermediate level in the context of Pakistan. Major objectives of the study were to compare perception of learner’s on ranking, utilization of time, and the effects of social media tools on English language learning. The study was followed by null hypothesis. The data was collected from 300 students of public and private colleges through Simple random sampling. The analysis of data includes percentage, mean, standard deviation, independent sample t-test. The finding of the study revealed that the most of students have access to different social media tools. Similarly, the most commonly used social networking site among college level learners were YouTube and Google plus. The findings also revealed that the social networking sites have an effect on students English language learning proficiency. Therefore, the recommendations is given based on the findings of the study that this research may be helpful for English teachers, curriculum developers, textbook reviewers to advocate performance-based education. Keywords: Social media, English language skills, English language proficiency, College level students. DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/80-02 Publication date: June 30 th 2021

Evidence-Based Design Principles for Spanish Pronunciation Teaching

In spite of the considerable body of pedagogical and experimental research providing clear insights into best practices for pronunciation instruction, there exists relatively little implementation of such practices in pedagogical materials including textbooks. This is particularly true for target languages other than English. With the goal of assisting instructors wishing to build effective evidence-based instructional practices, we outline a set of key principles relevant to pronunciation teaching in general, illustrated here via Spanish in particular, drawing on previous pedagogical research as well as methods and findings from experimental (applied) linguistics. With the overall goal of enabling learners to move toward greater intelligibility, these principles include the importance of perceptual training from the onset of learning, a strong prosodic component, the use of contextualized activities, and a focus on segmental and prosodic phenomena with a high functional load as well as those that are shared across target language varieties. These principles are then illustrated with innovative perception and production exercises for beginner, university-level learners of Spanish. We conclude with a discussion of ways in which the pedagogical principles exposed here can be extended beyond the production of individual activities to the design of a broader pronunciation curriculum.

The Affordances of Digital Social Reading for EFL Learners

The goal of this study is to illustrate the affordances mediated by digital socio-literacy practices of university-level EFL learners engaging in collaborative reading of texts from an ecological perspective. For this purpose, a total of 38 first-year undergraduate students taking a compulsory EFL course in Turkey participated in the research. Data collected from learners' digital annotations on a digital annotation tool (DAT) and reflective papers were qualitatively analyzed. As a result, the construct of affordance was operationalized in an EFL digital social reading context through indicators derived from learners' annotations. The findings based on student-reported data showed that digital collaborative reading practices had contextual, social, and linguistic affordances for EFL learners. Following the discussion of the findings, the study invites future research to examine L2 learners' practices in a DAT-mediated environment in relation to affordances for specific language areas such as grammar and writing.

ÉditoPro: français professionnel B1 par Alexandre Holle et al.

Reviewed by: ÉditoPro: français professionnel B1 par Alexandre Holle et al. Camille Meritan Holle, Alexandre, et al. ÉditoPro: français professionnel B1. Didier, 2020. 978-2-278-09627-5. Pp. 240. This French for the professions program offers learning modules geared toward university students and professionals with a CEFR A2 level. It covers the B1 level and is meant to prepare for the DFP, Diplôme de français des affaires B1. Each of the five learning modules follows a similar structure offering three units and covering topics centered around work situations and young professionals. Each unit is task-based, providing a wide range of authentic written and oral tasks that students would encounter in the workplace. Each module starts with a comical cartoon, a quote, and a graphic representation of the 3 units covered so that students are eased in each unit and know what is meant to be accomplished. This first module, for example, focuses on boosting one's career by preparing students to create their CVs and cover letters, or by networking. Another module offers tips and tools regarding everyday life in the workplace, such as asking for advice, handling work-related issues, or negotiating benefits. At the end of each unit, the authors provide one page called Tendance-Monde du travail, which discusses current issues in the professional world. For example, Module 1 Unit 2 discusses innovation in the world of human resources and recruitment. [End Page 276] Module 2 Unit 3 examines the industrial and digital revolutions and their advantages/disadvantages. Case studies can also be found in the last pages of each unit. These case studies are group projects that allow students to use all the technical and interpersonal skills they learned in the unit. It fosters students' creativity and knowledge of the professional world. Grammar, vocabulary, and brief phonetic lessons are also integrated within each unit, making this program well-rounded. The striking innovation of this program is that each concept or objectif is introduced using real entrepreneurs, websites, and situations, which makes them authentic and relevant to students, who can access the resources provided and see for themselves what the Francophone professional environment actually looks like. However, this means that the editors will need to constantly update the book in order to keep up with the ups and downs of the business world. The book also comes with a CD with audio recordings. Transcripts for students to follow along, as well as answer keys to the different activities are found at the end of the book. It also provides a practice DFP, which allows students to familiarize themselves with the exam should they want to take it. Finally, the access to a smartphone application is provided with the purchase of the book. The app contains access to audio recordings, videos, and additional practice activities. It is unfortunately not the most user-friendly, as it requires taking a picture of the textbook's page. Overall, this program is a well-rounded, well-organized tool for instructors and university-level learners of French for the Professions with previous knowledge of French. Camille Meritan Bentley University (MA) Copyright © 2021 American Association of Teachers of French

A Corpus-Based Analysis of Syntactic/Semantic Errors in University Level EFL Learners’ Writing

The purpose of this study is to investigate different types of errors identified from the essays written by 68 Asian EFL learners at a Korean university. The learner corpus containing these essays consisted of 2498 errors; based on the schemes suggested by previous researchers, those errors were analyzed according to error classification, i.e., sentence fragments, run-ons, comma splices, word order, verb tense, verb form, subject verb agreement, word form, determiners, prepositions, and word choice. Of all the error types committed by college-level learners, word choice had the highest error frequency, accounting for around 33%. Word choice issues in EFL students’ writing could be due to a traditional way of English learning such as rote memorization of vocabulary and purely receptive reading skills. Thus, instructor suggestions on practical learning methods concerning word choice in writing can be certainly helpful and teachers would also need to pedagogically utilize EFL written word choice strategies in a more effective way.

EFL Learners’ Perceptions Regarding Whatsapp use in English Language Learning Proficiency Development at University Level.

The purpose of this study was to highlight views of university level learners regarding the use of WhatsApp for English language learning proficiency development. That is why a descriptive study was conducted among the university level mature learners. Self-developed questionnaire was used for data collection and then the collected data was set, coded and then used SPSS version 24 for its analysis. Different statistics like percentage, mean, standard Deviation, t-test, and one way ANOVA was used for data analysis. Results of the study clearly indicated the positive role of WhatsApp use in English language learning proficiency development at university level.

EFL Learners’ Perceptions Regarding Facebook Use in English Language Learning Proficiency Development at University Level

The purpose of this study was to highlight views of university level learners regarding the use of Facebook for English language learning proficiency development. That is why a descriptive study was conducted among the university level mature learners. Self-developed questionnaire was used for data collection and then the collected data was set, coded and then used SPSS version 24 for its analysis. Different statistics like percentage, mean, standard Deviation, t-test, and one way ANOVA was used for data analysis. Results of the study clearly indicated the positive role of Facebook use in English language learning proficiency development at university level.