English As A Second Language Learners Research Articles

Artificial Intelligence in Global World: A Case Study of Grammarly as e-Tool on ESL Learners’ Writing of Darul Uloom Nadwa

Studies worldwide have explored how Grammarly as Electronic Tool (e-Tool) assists English as a Second Language (ESL) students in enhancing their writing. The present study aims to improve Madrasa ESL learners’ writing by minimizing inflectional morphemes related errors at Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama in Lucknow, Northern part of India. The study participants included sixty-eight Madrasa students who were enrolled in Alimiyat (equivalent to 12th) grade and were formed into two separate groups: an experimental group was treated with Grammarly, while the control group got instruction using the communicative language teaching approach. The data was collected from all participants before and after the treatment. A quantitative approach was used to the analysis of the data. A repeated-measures two-way ANOVA test revealed that Grammarly enhanced ESL learners’ writing for inflectional morphemes following treatment in the experimental group relative to the control group. These findings demonstrate how ‘Grammarly’ as and e-Tool may support ESL writers, especially novel writers who find it challenging to write well in English.

Exploring the Linguistic Playground: Investigating Facebook as an Informal Language Learning Hub for ESL Learners

Introduction: In today's digital age, social media platforms like Facebook have emerged as informal language learning hubs for English as a Second Language (ESL) learners. This study aims to explore the role of Facebook in facilitating language learning among ESL learners. Methodology: A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving surveys and interviews with ESL learners to investigate their engagement with Facebook for language learning purposes. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key patterns and themes. Results/Findings: The findings reveal that ESL learners frequently utilize Facebook for language learning through various activities such as reading posts, watching videos, and participating in language exchange groups. Motivations for engaging with Facebook for language learning include convenience, accessibility, and social interaction opportunities. Future Direction: Future research should focus on examining the effectiveness of different language learning strategies employed on Facebook and explore ways to enhance the learning experience for ESL learners. Additionally, investigating the impact of social media literacy on language learning outcomes would provide valuable insights for educators and learners alike.

Noticing Formulaic Sequence through Typographic Enhancement Technique: Using an Online Platform

Knowledge of formulaic language is crucial for second-language learners, where it needs to be applied to engage with others in daily activities. Teaching formulaic sequences (FS) in language classrooms is likely to increase learners’ saliency and awareness of the sequences, promote their usage and achieve fluency. Pedagogically, special attention needs to be paid to teaching techniques of FS in English as a second language (ESL) or English as foreign language (EFL) classrooms, especially now that most classrooms have been moved to online platforms such as google classrooms, WebEx, zoom and many more. It is important to understand if learning through an online platform will have the same effect as in the traditional classroom. Through quasi-experimental approach, this study looks into the effect of typographic enhancement (TE) on learners noticing formulaic sequences from reading. ESL learners in this study read passages from two versions: a) highlighted and bold formulaic sequences, and b) without any highlighting and bold enhancement. Learners were afterwards to identify the FS they remembered encountering in the texts. The findings revealed that there is a positive effect among the low proficiency learners in the experimental group compared to the control group, through an online platform.

A Study on the Usage of the Board Race Game; as a Grammar Retention Strategy for English as a Second Language (ESL) Learners

Language games are often recognized as one of the important components when teaching and learning English, in a Second Language classroom. Conversely, in the traditional classroom setting, playing games is believed to be highly unproductive. Given that, this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of language games as a grammar retention strategy for ESL learners. The study was conducted at All Saints’ College, Sri Lanka using a mixed methods research approach where the sample groups were experimented and observed in two settings: the traditional classroom and the game-based approach. For data collection, all three classes of grade six, with 30 students in each, were classified randomly as the experimental group and the two control groups. While the experimental group was exposed to the game, “The Board Race” when teaching irregular past tense, the control groups were taught the same without the game. According to the results which were achieved from the t-test, through a comparison of the mean scores of the pre-test and two post-tests, the experimental group exceeded the two control groups with higher mean values, during the immediate retention stage and the delayed retention stages, proving that the two teaching methods have different influences on grammar retention. The above results were further confirmed by the positive responses of the experimental group in terms of behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement. Thus, this study suggests the need to incorporate games with text-based instructions in the ESL classroom, which is helpful for the students to retain grammar, in the long term.

The Impact of English Movies with Standard Subtitles on Enhancing the Writing Skills of EFL Students at Cihan University – Duhok

This research paper aims to comprehensively investigate the effects of English movies accompanied by standard English subtitles on the writing skills of English as a second language (ESL) learners. Writing, considered a particularly challenging language skill, presents unique difficulties for ESL learners. Moreover, understanding English movies without subtitles poses further challenges. To address these issues, integrating media and movies into language learning practices has been recognized as highly effective. This study employs a meticulously designed questionnaire as the primary research instrument to collect data from a sample size of 30 participants aged 19-24 enrolled at Cihan University- Duhok. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies is utilized to thoroughly examine the impact of watching English movies with English subtitles on the development of writing skills. Participants provide valuable insights into the effects they experience when utilizing subtitles, including improvements in expressive abilities, as well as the formation of more coherent and sophisticated sentences and phrases. The findings unequivocally demonstrate that a significant majority of participants attribute their enhanced writing skills to the use of English movies with subtitles as a powerful learning tool.

Investigating the Impact of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) on English as a Second Language (ESL) Instruction in the Classroom

This research study aimed to investigate the impact of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) on English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction in the classroom. The integration of CALL had gained increasing attention in language learning due to its potential to enhance instructional practices and learner outcomes. However, empirical research was needed to examine the specific effects of CALL in the ESL context. The study began with a comprehensive literature review to identify gaps and areas requiring further investigation. Specific research questions were formulated to address these gaps. The research design was determined based on the objectives, utilizing an appropriate methodology such as experimental, quasi-experimental, or mixed methods design. Participants consisted of ESL learners from a specific age group or proficiency level, and a suitable sample size and sampling method were determined. Data collection involved various methods such as surveys, observations, interviews, and pre/post-tests to gather comprehensive data. Ethical considerations were addressed, ensuring informed consent and data privacy. The collected data were analyzed using appropriate statistical or qualitative analysis techniques. The results were interpreted to answer the research questions and contribute to the understanding of the impact of CALL on ESL instruction. Visual representations, such as charts and graphs, were included to enhance the presentation of results. The discussion and conclusion provided an interpretation of the findings and their implications for ESL instruction and the integration of CALL. Comparisons with previous research were made, and the limitations of the study were acknowledged. Recommendations for ESL teachers, curriculum developers, and policymakers were provided based on the study's findings. Finally, suggestions for future research were presented to further explore the potential of CALL in the ESL classroom. The research study aimed to contribute to the field of language learning and provide insights that could inform pedagogical practices and instructional design.

First Language Transfer in the Acquisition of English Object Pronouns by Sinhala-Speaking ESL Learners

The current paper reports on an empirical study investigating the unlearning of null object pronouns by twenty-four English as a Second Language (ESL) learners from Sri Lanka. Further, the ESL learners are native Sinhala speakers. One of the main crosslinguistic differences between Sinhala and English is that Sinhala allows null object pronouns, whereas English does not. Previous studies have investigated the acquisition of object pronouns by ESL learners, and they report that the acquisition of object pronouns could be problematic for ESL learners due to first language transfer. However, there have been no empirical studies that investigate the unlearning of null arguments by Sinhala ESL learners. Therefore, the present study intends to fill the gap in the research by investigating the unlearning of null object pronouns by Sinhala ESL learners. The data were collected via an audio acceptability judgement task (audio AJT) and a production task (PT). In the audio AJT, the ESL learners accepted null object pronouns to a certain extent, whereas in the PT, they had a strong preference for null object pronouns. Therefore, based on the overall results, I suggest that Sinhala ESL learners have difficulty in unlearning null object pronouns in English.

THE ROLE OF CHECKING RETELLING IN TEACHING ENGLISH

Retelling is a very important strategy especially in the English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom. This study investigates the effectiveness of retelling as a reading strategy for university students of ESL. Three A2 level, two B1 level and three B2 level students participated in the study. They were divided into two groups (Group A and B) according to their English language competence and other factors. Their retelling outcomes including oral, and written during 2 months period were collected and analyzed. During the study, students were being taught stories and asked to retell the stories orally and/or in writing through creative activities. The results show an improvement in the story structure, length of the retelling, reading comprehension, and confidence. Major improvement in vocabulary growth was found. Self-evaluations and observation indicate that the participants enjoyed story readings, their attitude toward reading became more positive, and they gained self-confidence. The results suggest that retelling could be a potentially useful reading strategy for ESL learners when creative activities are used.

Role of Non-Verbal Communication as a Supplementary Tool to Verbal Communication in ESL Classrooms: A Case Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of non-verbal communication skills in English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms. These skills are used in teaching as well as learning. Non-verbal signs are of great significance for ESL learners and ESL teachers as they help cover the communication gap in form of gestures, eye-gaze, facial expressions, and body language. According to cognitive scientists, non-verbal signs assist teachers maintain attention level of the students that is important for successful teaching and learning. To achieve this goal, a field study was conducted in Lahore Liverpool Lingua. Two main instruments were used to collect data, namely questionnaire and observations. 100 students both male and female were chosen as samples who were observed to understand the importance of non-verbal communication skills in ESL classrooms. Besides observation of the students, 5 teachers at the same college were chosen to document their observations. These documents were used for content analysis. Apart from the documents, teachers’ opinions were also gathered through close-ended questionnaires. The questionnaire data were analyzed quantitatively. Thus, the collected data were analyzed and interpreted according to the principles of both qualitative and quantitative research. The study reveals the significance of non-verbal communication skills for ESL teachers and ESL students.

In-service Middle School Teachers’ Cognition in the Use of Technology in English as a Second Language (ESL) Teaching and Learning Context in Dingxi City, China

Many in-service ESL teachers have low interest in using technology in classrooms on account of complex internal and external factors. Thus, guided by Davis’s (1989) technology acceptance model and Borg’s (2003) language teacher cognition theory, this study, which uses a quantitative descriptive survey, aims to further understand in-service middle school English as a second language (ESL) teachers' cognition in the use of technology in Dingxi city, China. The results show that in-service middle school ESL teachers have general positive cognition toward technology in their classrooms and that these teachers are high-level users of technology. The findings suggest that academic institutions can provide more decent technological support to in-service middle school teachers as this will cater to their needs in ESL teaching and learning.

THE IMPORTANCE AND FACTORS OF ENJOYMENT IN MALAYSIAN ESL CLASSROOM: A MULTISITE CASE STUDY

Affective factors such as emotion and attitudes have long been identified as contributing factors to success and enjoyment in language learning. With the new movement of education in the new norm, a weightage needs to be focused on the affective dimensions among learners. This study aimed to discover the importance and factors of enjoyment in learning English as a Second Language (ESL) among Malaysian secondary school students. This multisite case study took place in five secondary schools in Malaysia. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was held among five ESL teachers and an open-ended questionnaire was distributed to 65 students in the respective schools. The findings reveal both teachers and students think enjoyment is important in learning ESL as it bridges up engagement in learning, enhances motivation and for the usefulness of learning the language. Furthermore, the study also discovers the factors of enjoyment in learning ESL namely teacher-factor, sense of achievement and relationship with peers. This study provides valuable information on the of the understudy topic of enjoyment in Malaysian ESL classroom.

The Impact of Flipped Classroom Instructional Model in Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) Among Lower Secondary Pupils

English is a global language that most people use all around the world. English is the second language vastly used as a communication tool in daily life in Malaysia. It is also a compulsory subject to learn at schools from primary school to secondary school. However, many second language learners may have higher possibilities of facing various challenges in learning English as a Second Language (ESL) in Malaysia. Hence, the purpose of this study was to compare the flipped classroom and traditional classroom teaching approaches in secondary school pupils’ overall English language performance in these particulars: Grammar, Reading, and Writing, as well as to evaluate the perceptions of flipped learning experience among lower secondary pupils in learning ESL. The study was conducted quantitatively with a quasi-experimental method set in pre and post-tests design and consisted of 50 pupils separated equally into control and experimental groups. Seven weeks of lessons were conducted for both control and experimental groups. One-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to adjust the pre-test scores of experimental group and study whether there are any significant differences on the effectiveness by implementing flipped classroom approach in experimental group despite the covariate (pre-test score) exists.After the post-test was conducted in the experimental group, the pupils were given a set of questionnaires containing 14 items to respond to and gauge their perceptions of flipped classroom learning experience based on motivation, effectiveness, engagement, and satisfaction. Findings reveal that the pupils in the experimental group achieved higher scores than the control group on their post-test scores in learning Grammar, Reading, and Writing by implementing a flipped classroom teaching approach. Also, the questionnaire's evidence indicated that most of the pupils had favorable perceptions of flipped classroom learning experience in the experimental group. This study indicates that flipped classroom teaching approaches positively enhanced pupils’ academic performance and learning experience.

Exploring English Descriptive Writing Vocabulary Acquisition through Creative Pedagogical Strategies

Review on previous English as a second language (ESL) interventional programmes in Malaysia has indicated limited emphasis on creative pedagogy. Particularly in writing classes that include descriptive writing, a genre that requires writers to be creative and expressive, a significant portion of learners were found to suffer from poor proficiency. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the impact of creative pedagogical strategies on ESL learners’ descriptive writing. Under classroom research, it adopted the action research design with a single case study to monitor upper secondary school learners’ writing with an emphasis on sentence construction and vocabulary. The data collection involved focus group interviews, written tests, and evaluation of students’ written work. It was revealed that creative pedagogical strategies were effective in improving students’ descriptive writing performance. The main findings derived included five themes as the following: ability to describe pictures using complex vocabulary, learning new words, acquisition of various adjectives and verbs, ability to show emotion or feelings, and acquisition of skill for delivering meaning with precision. We propose a chain of parallel action-related research plans to further investigate creative teaching approaches and to encourage similar creative pedagogical strategies by English teachers in the country. Keywords : action research; ESL writing skills; sentence-construction; vocabulary; creative pedagogical strategies; descriptive writing

The role of explicit teaching of reading comprehension strategies to an English as a second language learner

Background: Reading comprehension is one of the most important skills a learner needs for academic achievement and is something which many South African learners lack. Studies suggest that explicit teaching of comprehension strategies has the potential to improve literacy. Aim: The aim of this article is to determine the role of explicit teaching of reading comprehension strategies to an English as a second language (ESL) learner. Setting: This study was conducted at a dual-medium quintile 5 primary school in the Western Cape. Quintile 5 are affluent schools (fee-paying schools) which receive less funding from the government. This is a single case study with a Grade 4 ESL learner. The medium of instruction was English. Methods: This is a qualitative interpretive study in which the researcher used an observation and interview schedules to collect data. Pre- and post-tests were conducted before and after the intervention programme (IP). Results: It was evident from the findings that the explicit teaching of three reading comprehension strategies and one-on-one interactions and guidance from the teacher enabled the learner, who is in Grade 4, to acquire critical thinking skills. The learner’s literacy improved, which boosted her self-confidence. Conclusion: As the three reading comprehension strategies were constantly and explicitly taught throughout the IP, these collaborative, multitiered approaches began to develop the learner’s habit of thinking in a higher-order manner. She began to develop a mindset of critical thinking, even in her second language.

Pre-task planning effects on learner engagement in face-to-face and synchronous computer-mediated communication

This study investigates the effects of pre-task planning on English as a second language (ESL) learners’ engagement in oral tasks in the face-to-face real-time communication (FTF) and synchronous video-based computer-mediated communication (SvCMC) modes. A total of 36 ESL learners performed two decision-making tasks (with versus without pre-task planning) in dyads in the FTF or the SvCMC mode. Their oral discourse of tasks was analysed via seven indicators in terms of behavioral, cognitive and social engagement. Their emotional engagement was captured via an interview immediately after the task performance. As the results showed, pre-task planning did not significantly affect the learners’ behavioral, cognitive and social engagement in either the FTF or the SvCMC condition. In SvCMC, more negotiations on content were produced when there was no planning time, but such a difference was not observed among the FTF learners. Mixed affective responses were reported on pre-task planning and the two task modalities. The findings yield pedagogical implications for second language (L2) teaching in the face-to-face and online contexts.

Improving Vocabulary and Pronunciation of Secondary Level ESL Learners Through Language and Meaning-Focused Listening- An Experimental Study

Listening plays a larger role in language acquisition and is a critical aim for students in order to receive information generated in the target language. Its successful acquisition requires students to absorb cognitive processes and then use them in their spoken interactions in order to promote understanding in a variety of communication settings. It is the instructor's job to choose the most effective methods for ensuring students' effective learning of this language ability by selecting projects and resources that best meet their unique and linguistic learning requirements and interests. The main purpose of this research paper is to emphasize the critical role of Language-focused and Meaning-focused listening in the process of English as a second language (ESL) learning through an experimental study. Since, listening skill contributes a major part in the enhancement of ESL learners’ language proficiency, the feasible activities and strategies provided in this paper improve the vocabulary and pronunciation of secondary level ESL learners. The paper also discusses the processes of listening skill: top-down and bottom-up methods to emphasize the enhancement of ESL students’ vocabulary and pronunciation. The researcher has chosen grade 9 students of a government school as a sample for the experiment.

Orthographic effects on L2 production and L2 proficiency in ESL learners with non-alphabetic and orthographically opaque L1

AbstractThis study examined the role of first language (L1) transparency in intra-orthographic effects on second language (L2) pronunciation by studying L2 learners with a non-alphabetic and orthographically opaque L1 and an alphabetic L2. Relations between orthographic effects, phonological awareness, and L2 proficiency were examined. Fifty-four Cantonese-speaking English as a second language (ESL) learners participated in Experiment 1 with orthographic effect tasks (homophone and silent-letter read-aloud) and phonological awareness tasks. Thirty Cantonese-speaking and 30 Mandarin-speaking ESL learners participated in Experiment 2 with orthographic effect tasks and an L2 proficiency task. The L2 pronunciation of Cantonese and Mandarin participants was subjected to intra-orthographic effects. Phonological awareness and L2 proficiency were associated with less orthographic effects on L2 pronunciation in Cantonese participants. Mandarin participants did not subject to more orthographic effects than Cantonese participants when controlling L2 proficiency, implying that shared alphabetic scripts between Pinyin and English did not interfere with L2 production. Overall, transferring the L1 reading strategy that relies on orthography to decode phonology to L2 reading seemed not to be the key mechanism behind intra-orthographic effects. L2 graphemes were likely to be decoded with incorrect L2 grapheme-to-phoneme correspondences, resulting in intra-orthographic effects.

A comparative study on lexical and syntactic features of ESL versus EFL learners' writing.

This study analyzes the compositions of Hong Kong English as a second language (ESL) learners and English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in Mainland China in terms of lexical and syntactic features. A program based on the CoreNLP was developed and used to analyze written language texts, and differences in tags of parts of speech and syntactic dependencies between the two groups of texts were compared statistically to examine differences in the lexical and syntactic features of the learners' written language. The results show significant differences in the lexical and syntactic features of learners' writing. Specifically, in EFL learners' writing, there is a salient group pattern of higher lexical diversity, whereas ESL compositions are more flexible in vocabulary use with higher information density, in that they use more syntactic phrases and content words. In terms of syntax, Hong Kong ESL students use more adverbials and adverbial clauses, which is advantageous in syntactic simplicity and readability over their counterparts, whereas Mainland China EFL students prefer using more specific expressions to demonstrate syntactic relations. Compared to EFL compositions, ESL compositions are more informative, coherent, and grammatical in lexical features and more readable in syntactic features, which require more attention and further improvements in terms of EFL teaching.

Moving toward equity literacy in adult ESL teaching through problematizing curriculum and centering student voices

Inspired by Gorski's (2016, 2019) framework of equity literacy and Gulliver and Thurrell's (2016, p. 57) call for more adult English as a second language (ESL) materials that feature the “uninterrupted voices” of immigrant/refugee students, this article proposes considerations for equity‐minded adult ESL teachers. Specifically, the article explores opportunities to move toward equity literacy in adult ESL classes by problematizing survival ESL curriculum and centering voices of immigrant and refugee adult ESL learners. Written by a full‐time high school teacher and volunteer adult ESL teacher, the author offers other teachers frameworks for promoting equity literacy by critically examining curricular materials and critically centering student experiences.

Investigating the efficacy of blended learning in ESL classrooms

The purpose of this research is to check the efficacy of blended mode of learning in ESL (English as a Second Language) classrooms in Pakistan under the theoretical construction of Transactional Distance Theory. For this purpose, the data was collected for pre-test, post-test and self-administered questionnaire from 499 ESL learners of private universities in Pakistan which were offering the blended learning programs. The post-test results indicated significant improvement in student’s English language proficiency. In the same vein, the Partial Least Square (PLS)-Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) techniques results confirmed that most of the factors namely ease of use, computer literacy, need for face-to-face interaction, pre-built learning mechanism and resistance to change have a significant relationship with blended learning except the two factors namely, technical difficulty during the attempt and student assistance in lab.