English Classes Research Articles

İNGİLİS DİLİNDƏ OXUNUN NÖVLƏRİ VƏ ONLARIN TƏDRİSİ

Types of Reading and their Teaching in English Summary The development of reading skills in students plays an important role in the process of mastering the English language, because it is one of the foundations on which literate speech in English is built. It is important that reading instruction is based on teaching new ways of thinking and understanding about reading texts to students who master English as a foreign language. The main goal of the process of teaching reading and its types in English is to acquire important skills such as acquiring information in the language being taught and enriching motivational ideas and concepts. To achieve this goal, different types of reading in English classes should be properly implemented by teachers and the teaching of reading should help students acquire literary skills in English and new ways of thinking about texts. In this article, reading in English and its types, their correct implementation by teachers in classes, etc. issues are discussed. The article also talks about the tasks aimed at developing students' reading and comprehension skills, types of reading such as intensive reading, extensive reading, reading aloud, analytical reading and fluent reading, their implementation methods in English classes, and their theoretical and practical basis. Key words: reading, skills, types of reading, extensive reading, intensive reading, reading aloud, fluent reading, analytic reading, strategies

AŞAĞI KURS TƏLƏBƏLƏRİNİN PRODUKTİV DİL VƏRDİŞLƏRİNİN TƏKMİLLƏŞDİRİLMƏSİ YOLLARI

Ways of Improving Productive Language Skills of Undergraduate Students Summary The presented article states that it is possible to help students engage in effective com-munica¬tion by using methods that improve undergraduate students’ productive language skills. Developing productive language skills in the process of English language teaching is very important in creating interactivity in English classes and activating students. The presented article examines possible ways of improving undergraduate students’ productive language skills, i.e. oral and written communication skills. The article states that teaching productive language skills, i.e. developing communication skills, understanding and sharing information is considered one of the priority issues in foreign language teaching. The process of developing undergraduate students’ productive language skills in English should be directed from simple to complex, from known to unknown in a purposeful and systematic way. Key words: language skills, modern methods, exchange of ideas, oral communication, writing skills

Language Lab Software

This research paper presents research paper presents a comprehensive analysis of Language Lab Software, discussing the challenges faced by students in the language learning process and proposing a solution-oriented approach to optimize traditional methods. Through a case study, various software options are evaluated, considering factors such as features, scalability, user-friendliness, and cost. The research aims to provide valuable insights and recommendations for students to enhance their language skills and knowledge. First-year diploma recipients are required to take an English course. Language is the most widely used medium for self-expression. Learning practical English can provide several problems for first-year college students. These are a few of the most typical ones: Confidence and Anxiety: Students may hesitate or remain silent out of fear of making mistakes or out of concern that their English skills will be evaluated. Insufficient self-assurance when speaking in front of others: For some people, English classes might act as a spotlight, which heightens their fear of public speaking. Language Skills: Since college-level English demands a wider vocabulary, having a limited vocabulary can make it difficult to communicate effectively. Grammar difficulties: Although pupils might understand grammar on a fundamental level, It can be difficult to use it in conversation effectively and naturally. Problems with pronunciation: Certain English sounds may not be recognizable to you, and accents can make it difficult to be understood. Learning Environment and Habits: It might be challenging to locate opportunities for extracurricular English practice, particularly if friends or classmates aren't comfortable speaking the language. Ineffective learning strategies: It's possible that students didn't have good practices for practicing grammar in real-world situations or for picking up new vocabulary. Lack of motivation: Students may find it difficult to muster the will to put in the work if they don't have a compelling purpose to get better in English

Pre-service TESOL teachers’ professional-awareness building through reflecting on reflections of critical incidents

AbstractScholars have questioned the effectiveness of reflective practice for gaining professional awareness or attaining professional development. In addition, the prevalence of inadequate comprehensive framework for pre-service teachers’ reflective practice and insufficient support of teacher educators have been noted in the literature. Against these backdrops, the present study attempted to demonstrate how reflecting on reflections, a form of reflective practice, of Critical Incidents (CIs) contributes to building pre-service TESOL teachers’ professional awareness. The study involved ten pre-service teachers (PSTs) in reflecting on reflections of CIs during the teaching practicum. Following the interpretive phenomenological approach, the study unfolded the CIs associated with pedagogical factors, including passive participation of the students, students’ late arrival in the classroom, disobedience to teachers’ instructions, the chaotic environment in the classroom, students’ rude behavior, and disruption caused by technical glitches, and CIs associated with intrapersonal and interpersonal factors, comprising students’ emotional exhaustion and unprofessional behaviors by senior teachers. Subsequently, it illustrated how PSTs cultivated their professional awareness through reflecting on reflections of CIs. The study presented a reflective practice framework applicable to pre-service and in-service teacher education programs. It also provided practical suggestions for pre-service and novice teachers to address and overcome the CIs. Teacher educators and trainers can harness the findings to prepare PSTs to conduct interactive and productive English language classes.

İNGİLİS DİLİ DƏRSLƏRİNDƏ FRAZEOLOJİ VAHİDLƏRİN TƏDRİSİ ÜSULLARI

Methods of Teaching Phraseological Units in English Classes Summary The presented article examines the history of the transformation of phraseology into an independent branch of linguistics, and also presents examples of research that ensures better assimilation of phraseological units in the course of teaching English. While teaching English, it is very important to deal with phraseology, which is considered one of the young branches of linguistics, since phraseological expressions cause certain difficulties in understanding the reading text, as well as during translation. It is mentioned in the article that the role of phraseology in acquiring any foreign language has been investigated by many scientists. Phraseological units include information about customs, ways of thinking of any nation. It is from this point of view that phraseological expressions are closely related to the history, culture, traditions and literature of the peoples who speak this or that language. While teaching of phraseological expressions in the lesson, those expressions should be explained in English, and then they can be translated in Azerbaijani. In addition, the article also presents exercises that teachers can use. Key words: phraseology, culture, figurative meaning, speech skills, effective methods

The impact of data-driven learning form-focused tasks on learners’ task engagement: An intervention study

Abstract Data-driven learning (DDL) form-focused tasks are a relatively new concept. These tasks involve using concordance lines to teach language in a way that integrates discovery learning, authentic language use, consciousness-raising, and the communicative use of language. Given their novelty, there haven’t been many studies on how they impact learners’ engagement. Therefore, this study sought to study whether DDL form-focused tasks influence English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ task engagement. A total of 114 Iranian EFL learners were randomly divided between comparison and intervention groups in a study that utilized an experimental (comparison group, pretest, and post-test) design within a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design. The comparison group completed 10 non-DDL form-focused tasks, whereas the intervention group completed 10 DDL form-focused tasks. The results of t-tests and repeated-measures ANOVA indicated that incorporating DDL form-focused tasks into English classes enhanced EFL learners’ task engagement in the short run. However, the impact of DDL form-focused tasks on EFL learners’ task engagement was not durable. Moreover, analyzing semi-structured interview data suggested that using DDL-enhanced tasks with a form-focused approach increases EFL learners’ task engagement by triggering their curiosity, improving their autonomy, enhancing their concentration and interest, and facilitating their discovery learning. The present study lends more credence to the application of such tasks. The paper ends with implications for English language teaching and materials development.

Emotions in Language Learning: Understanding Foreign Language Enjoyment and Anxiety in Higher Education

The significant role of emotions in learning was reemphasized during school and university closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, upon returning to campus, cognitive learning outcomes have reclaimed a dominating position in the university curriculum, while affective learning appears to have been disregarded. The present study contributes to the discussion on the significance of social-emotional learning in higher education. Therefore, the primary objective of this inquiry is to trace the perceived levels of foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) in order to understand factors which contribute to their emergence. The research sample comprises 108 Polish university students majoring in English and enrolled in a bachelor’s programme. The findings demonstrate that language enjoyment is more prevalent among participants than language anxiety. The causes of language enjoyment are associated with teacher-student and peer-peer interactions as well as the classroom atmosphere, while language anxiety is reported to be linked to the fear of negative evaluation of students’ academic performance, test anxiety, and communication apprehension. These results suggest that English Department students are not exempt from experiencing language classroom anxiety, and engaging in practical English classes may be a source of a range of positive and negative emotions.

Metacognitive Reading Awareness Among Freshmen EFL Students

Purpose. This study investigated the levels of three different strategies of metacognitive awareness: global reading strategy, problem-solving strategy, and support reading strategy among university students in a Business English class during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 Methods. The methodology is based on a survey, which was conducted among 192 freshman university students in their specialized courses of Business English as a foreign language. The research instrument was a metacognitive reading strategies awareness (MARSI) questionnaire.
 Results. The findings reveal that the students used problem-solving strategies the most, followed by global and support reading strategies the least. The results also indicate a difference between male and female students at individual levels of reading strategies.
 Conclusions. The study proposes a set of recommendations with an alliance of COVID-19 learning environment based on the results such as taking notes while reading and highlighting the most important information with an emphasis on details or showing the importance of previewing the text, asking questions/making predictions about the text, and most importantly paying attention to self-regulation practices in a new school environment.

A SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF VISUAL ELEMENTS ON SLIDE PRESENTATIONS USED IN COLLEGE ENGLISH CLASS

The purpose of this study is to establish that visual elements found in slide presentation used in College English Class convey mean-ing by its interpretation through semiotic analysis. Using the semiotic analysis, fifty-one (51) visual elements were identified and underwent in-depth analysis and interpretation. The study’s findings revealed that the visual elements carry meaning and can be interpreted in various ways. The study obtained significant information that helped derive the semiotic features of the visual ele-ments based on their signifier, signified, denotative meaning, connotative meaning, and myth. Moreover, the signifier interpretation of the visual images provided information on how each visual element were classified into- icon, symbol, and index. It was also dis-cussed in the study the detailed description of the signified meanings of each visual element. Additionally, the relevance to the social context of the college English class were examined intensively by analyzing its denotations, connotations, and myths. Indeed, visual elements carry meaning; thus, there is a need for close monitoring and evaluation of the visual elements used in slide presentations as it could affect the learning of the students. Ultimately, the study suggests that the incorporation of visual elements in instructional materials should be carefully considered because this may affect how students learn and perceive the subject matter and discussion in class. KEYWORDS: Semiotic Analysis, visual elements, slide presentations, signifier, signified, denotation, connotation, myth, Davao de Oro

Metalinguistic awareness in the multilingual EFL classroom: a study of grade 5–7 students in Norway

ABSTRACT This article compares metalinguistic awareness among emerging bilingual and multilingual learners of English in Norwegian primary school. Participants were 120 students in grades 5–7 (aged 10–13) attending mainstream English classes in Norway and were divided into three groups based on a linguistic background questionnaire: an L1 Norwegian group, a Multilingual group without English at home, and an English group with English at home. All participants completed a test of metalinguistic awareness (using sentences in English, with questions presented in both English and Norwegian), and a statistical analysis was then conducted to compare the performance of the different linguistic groups. While a simple comparison of means showed no significant differences between groups, a multiple regression controlling for grade level and academic achievement showed that linguistic group did significantly predict performance once these variables were accounted for, with the Multilingual group scoring higher than the L1 Norwegian group, and the English group scoring highest.

The Digital Transformation of College English Classroom: Application of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science

A major step forward in educational technology is the application of Data Science additionally Artificial Intelligence (AI) into undergraduate English courses. Improving teaching approaches and student involvement in the context of English language acquisition is an important issue that this study seeks to address. Even though there have been great strides in educational technology, conventional English classes still have a hard time meeting the demands of their different student bodies and offering individualized lessons. This is a major problem that prevents English language training from being effective, according to the material that is already available. In this study, we provide an approach to this issue called English Smart Classroom Teaching with the Internet of Things (ESCT-IoT). Utilizing data science techniques, artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, and Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, ESCT-IoT intends to provide a personalized learning environment that is both immersive and adaptable. The fuzzy hierarchical evaluation technique is used to determine the assessment's final result, which measures the smart classroom's instructional impact. To overcome the limitations of conventional education, ESCT-IoT gathers and analyses data in real time to give adaptive material, individualized feedback, and learning suggestions. There are noticeable benefits as compared to traditional methods of instruction when it comes to evaluation metrics like student engagement, learning outcomes, and teacher satisfaction. Furthermore, ESCT-IoT is excellent in encouraging active learning, improving language fluency, and boosting overall academic achievement, according to qualitative comments from both students and teachers.

Cross-language Exploration: a way to explore the use of L1 in the classroom at a Southeastern Mexican University

The place of the First Language (L1), in the classroom has been studied by many researchers in relation to the advantages and disadvantages of the use of the mother tongue in foreign language (FL) courses. This study aimed at uncovering the main reasons for which participants use the L1, in this case Spanish in an EFL course and finding out students’ perceptions of the use of their L1 in an EFL course. This study was carried out at a Mexican undergraduate programme. Participants were 11 students who were enrolled in a basic English course from a business and economics undergraduate programmes during the first semester of 2019. The study used a qualitative method and followed an action research design. Data were collected through observation in situ, a questionnaire and a cross-language exploration assessment task. Findings reveal that the participants have a great acceptance of the Spanish use in the English class. Most of the participants agreed that they use Spanish for different reasons: to translate vocabulary, to socialize, to ask questions, to participate, to compare answers or vocabulary, and to compare similarities and differences between L1 and EFL.  All in all, the use of the Spanish is something that is always present in language courses. Despite the generalized idea of it causing detrimental effects on the target language learning; this study showed that it can render positive effects, at least at early stages of the EFL learning process.

Students’ Attitudes towards the Use of Gamification in English Classes at Dong Nai Technology University

Recently, there has been a noticeable implementation of gamification in teaching and learning. Gamification has proven to help integrate students' educational process by increasing their engagement with instructional materials and increasing their competency level. Therefore, incorporating gamification into the classroom can improve English learning. This study assessed students' attitudes towards the use of gamification in English language classes at Dong Nai Technology University. The data were gathered via online surveys. 120 students participated in this study, and they were given questionnaires. The survey was a closed-ended, Likert-type questionnaire. The research found that most students have a positive opinion of gamification in English language classes. However, there are still issues with gamification technologies that need to be taken into account and resolved.

Afghan EFL Learners’ Perceptions towards Factors Causing Demotivation in Learning English and Strategies to Make Them Motivated

Demotivation is a significant concern for foreign and second language researchers, as it has a direct impact on the academic success of students at various educational levels, including primary, high school, and university. This study aimed to explore the demotivation factors that affect English language learning among EFL students at Jawzjan University, as well as to identify strategies for re-motivating these learners. The study employed a qualitative approach, and an open-ended interview question was conducted to collect data. The findings revealed several demotivating factors that have a negative influence on learners, including a lack of information about the dominance of the English language, insufficient support from teachers and family, economic challenges, an excessive focus on nonprofessional courses, the use of local languages in English classes, and a lack of opportunities to practice English outside the classroom. Based on the findings, the study suggests that English teachers should pay attention to their feedback, incorporate audiovisual materials into their teaching, and consider the students' interests and proficiency levels when selecting teaching materials.

Incidence of lateral thinking in the free development of activities in English classes in university students

Incidence of lateral thinking in the free development of activities in English classes in university students

Ecuadorian Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions of the Challenges Faced When Writing Persuasive Essays

Objective: This study aimed to identify undergraduate polytechnic students’ perceptions of the challenges they face when writing persuasive essays in their English classes. Methods: This research followed a quantitative design utilizing SPSS V.20 to conduct factor and descriptive analysis to answer the three research questions established. One hundred and thirteen students who enrolled in one of the last English courses taught at the university participated in the study. Data were collected using a researcher-designed five-point Likert-scale survey. Results: Data were treated with Factor Analysis to determine the challenges students face when writing persuasive essays. Principal component analysis was used for data reduction, and five dimensions were identified, “Introduction”, “Body Paragraphs”, “Conclusion”, “Sentence Structure”, and “Communicative Achievement”. The top five issues that polytechnic undergraduate students deal with are issues with word order, forgetting to write the call-to-action, not using adequate formality all the time in their sentences, failing to write the claim in the thesis statement, and writing topic sentences that are not related to the thesis statement. Also, the dimension that causes more challenges overall is “Body paragraphs”. Conclusion: This paper contributes to the literature in the following senses. Students recognized that writing their topic sentences usually takes a long time. Also, participants claimed that forgetting to write the call-to-action is a challenge they face when writing their essays. Another issue determined in this paper that contributes to the existing literature regards the poor skills students have in summarizing the essay’s contents when they write the conclusion of their papers. The last addition this paper makes to the literature is that “Body Paragraphs” has been established as the factor that learners believe is the hardest for them to cope with when writing a persuasive essay.

Teachers’ perspectives on effective English language teaching practices at the elementary level: A phenomenological study

This study examined instructional practices and challenges English language teachers face in elementary schools. This study used a phenomenological approach and a mixed-method design. The data were collected through four tools: questionnaires, case studies, interviews, and observations in eight elementary schools in which eight educators and two hundred students participated from schools of three districts in central Punjab, Pakistan. This study aimed to explore the perspectives of teachers and students regarding the current pedagogical and instructional practices employed in English language classes. This study identified issues related to the lack of professional training and qualifications, overcrowded classrooms, cultural and social barriers, limited availability of the latest resources and technology, and a lack of parental cooperation. The findings suggested revisiting teachers’ professional development programs, focusing on innovative teaching methods, incorporating technology into language teaching classes and classroom materials development, and adaptation preparation. It further suggested that teachers with low levels of professional qualifications and training should consider focusing on specific approaches to meet the challenges they face in language classes instead of general teaching approaches.

Exploring the Factors Influencing Student Engagement in University English Classes

Exploring the Factors Influencing Student Engagement in University English Classes

제3국 출생 탈북민 자녀들의 영어 학습 동기: 회고적 모티그래프와 면담을 통한 사례연구

This research aims to explore the factors that influence the motivation and demotivation
 of third-country-born North Korean defectors in their English learning experiences, both before
 and after settling in South Korea. Motigraph and semi-structured interviews were conducted
 with two third-country-born North Korean defectors, and the transcribed interviews were
 analyzed based on Grounded theory. Overall, motivation to learn English significantly
 increased after settlement in South Korea. Prior to settlement, factors such as accessible or
 easy English classes and the aspiration to enter middle school positively impacted motivation,
 whereas memorization-oriented teaching methods decreased English learning motivation.
 Post-settlement, specific learning goals such as employment or university entrance, teacher
 encouragement, and comparison with South Korean students, emerged as motivating factors.
 However, challenges such as learning English grammar and difficulties with English language
 acquisition in a Korean-speaking environment made learning English difficult. Finally, we
 discussed strategies to assist third-country-born North Korean defectors in adapting to English
 education after settling in South Korea, focusing on practical and educational support.

Voices of Korean elementary students with study abroad experience and their parents: A language socialization approach to public school English classes

Voices of Korean elementary students with study abroad experience and their parents: A language socialization approach to public school English classes