English Department Research Articles

Weakness of Fluency in Speech Production Made by Iraqi College Students of English

Based on their investigation, the current research examines the disfluency in speech production produced by Iraqi students at the Department of English - Open Educational College- Fallujah Study Center. The aims of this study are to identify the various kinds of disfluency, as well as the prevalent kinds and similarities and differences between the students' disfluencies. This kind of study is qualitative. The research utilizes disfluent utterances from students in the third and fourth stages as its data source.The researcher gathers data by attentively listening to the audio recording, writing the audio scripts, administering a questionnaire, identifying the data, and choosing the data that deals with various kinds of deficiency. The disfluencies are analyzed by the researcher using the theories of Fox Tree, Levelt, Shriberg, and Clark and Wasow. The findings show that students make three different kinds of disfluencies that were produced by students in the English Department at OEC, overt repair, hesitation, and repetition.The duration of study done by third and fourth-year students is used to analyze them. Hesitancy is the most prevalent type of disfluency that students experience most learners have. The overall number of disfluencies produced by learners in the third and fourth stages then makes a difference. First, the researcher identified commonalities between the three forms of disfluencies: overt repair, hesitation, and repetition. Second, student's hesitancy is the most common form of disfluency.

USE OF CODE-SWITCHING IN HIGHER EDUCATION: WHAT LECTURERS DO AND HOW THEIR STUDENTS PERCEIVE ABOUT IT

The present study aims to describe the rationale of the practice of code-switching, explain to what extent it was used, and explore the students' perspectives on this practice. Through open and closed questionnaires shared with the students majoring in English departments and the lecturers at the School of Foreign Language JIA, the results show that most of the lecturers admitted their use of code-switching in their class, which mainly helped students understand the materials more easily. The code-switching was not only used in the areas of curriculum access but also classroom management and interpersonal relations. In line with this, the majority of the students confirmed a positive view towards this practice since it could assist their learning process and confidence level, so there is a correlation between the rationale of the use of code-switching and the students’ perspectives. Thus, the results suggest the practice of code-switching could be employed by lecturers in the EFL contexts in higher education to enhance students’ understanding towards the lessons.

Promoting Students’ Speaking Proficiency through Communicative Activities. Case Study of Department of English, Faculty of Education, Champasack University

The study was to examine the effectiveness of the communicative activities (CAs), and to explore the students’ attitudes and perceptions towards the application of communicative activities by two groups before treatment and after treatment. The Quasi-experimental design was used. There were 54 total English third-year students at the English Department, Faculty of Education, Champasack University. There were two groups of participants: the “Experimental group” (30 students) and the “Control group” (24 students). The experimental teaching was conducted for 36 hours within a 9-week period in 4 cycles with the uses of the three communicative activities; group discussion, role-play, and debate which including Pre-Posttest, rubric of speaking proficiency, attitude and perception questionnaire, observation checklist, ten sub-commutative activities within 4 debate periods were employed for this study. Pre-posttest and questionnaires were given to students in both experimental and control groups to check the reliability of the test, this research used three senior score raters to measure the students’ speaking proficiency by using the rubric of speaking proficiency. The observation checklist was noted by the researcher in every class within the communicative activities used. The data were statistically analyzed by t-test independent and paired-t test for the dependent sample by comparing the mean scores of the pretest and posttest to determine whether there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups. Moreover, the students were required to respond the attitude and perception questionnaire to explore their attitudes and perceptions towards the communicative activities. Two groups compared the findings of the test; it was found that the CAs were effectiveness to improve students’ speaking proficiency as can be seen through the increasing of the test score of the experimental group, which started from 74.43 to 83.90 (9.47) with the significant level of p < .05. In addition, the majority of the students had positive attitude and perception towards the effectiveness of the communicative activities used.

PROBLEMS AND PRACTICAL NEEDS IN LEARNING SPEAKING IN HIGHER EDUCATION

This research aimed to find out the student's problems and practical needs in learning speaking. It employed qualitative methods that gathered responses from 40 out of 233 students in the second semester of the English Department at the University of Mataram. The questionnaire and interview were used to collect the data needed. The questionnaire consisted of 20 questions and was distributed using Google Forms, and the interview utilized 5 questions to elicit more detailed responses from the respondents. The collected data were analyzed systematically through the data reduction, display, and conclusion stages. The findings of this research showed that the students not only had linguistic problems, such as lack of pronunciation, grammatical knowledge, and vocabulary mastery, but they also faced psychological problems including fear of making mistakes, shyness of speaking in front of the class, anxiety, and not having enough confidence. Further, to improve their speaking skills, the students required more practice and exercises inside and outside the classroom with suitable speaking materials for their level. Additionally, focusing on activities rather than just materials and providing constructive feedback whenever they make mistakes will be crucial for their learning.

Rethinking Teaching Culture in the Classroom: Teaching Culture Through Translation

This article provides an empirical study on rethinking teaching culture and its impact on learning language in second language (L2) teaching classroom. The study sample consists of twenty students majoring in English as participants, randomly selected from fourth year students, Department of English and Translation, AlQalam University, Yemen. The participants’ task was to choose the best translation for twenty English proverbs each. The translation test was constructed on Google.Sheets. The findings indicate that students’ performance has developed considerably through teaching them the culture of the proverbs involved. This was supported by a follow-up survey questionnaire, whose results consolidated the study findings that culture should be taught vis-à-vis language in L2 classroom.

An Analytical Study of the Recognition of Silent Letters in the Pronunciation of English Words by Baghdadi Arabic Speakers

The phonetic system in English differs to some extent from that of Arabic. Novice Baghdadi Iraqi speakers encounter numerous challenges in pronouncing English words as a result of this. As an illustration, it is common to hear English learners articulate "assign” /əˈsaɪn/ as / əˈsaɪgn / or "kneel," / niːl/ as /k niːl/. The objective of this study is to detect prevalent distortions in the pronunciation of silent letters in English words among Baghdadi Iraqi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. The methodology employed in this analysis was a qualitative descriptive study. Utilizing purposive sampling methods, a sample of 5 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) novices was chosen from the 1st level of the English Department, Dijlah University, Iraq. These learners were categorized as novice high-level learners (beginners). Analytically descriptive methodology was employed to analyze the data obtained from tests. The findings of this study indicate that EFL novices make errors when pronouncing words that include silent letters such as b, c, d, g, gh, h, k, l, m, n, p, s, t, th, and w. The writers examine three positions of the silent letters in words (beginning, medial, and final), and, by that understanding, it becomes feasible to create valuable instructional resources and teaching techniques to address this matter.

The use of ai in learning English: a comparative study between Moroccan and Indonesian undergraduate students from the English department

It is generally understood that people’s attitudes influence and shape their behavior. However, there is still a gap in knowledge regarding how undergraduate students from different countries perceive AI in learning English. This paper aims to compare two groups of undergraduate students from the English departments of Morocco and Indonesia. To achieve this, an online structured questionnaire was administered to 240 undergraduate students from these two countries. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 25 and the Mann-Whitney test. The findings revealed that both groups are optimistic about using AI for learning English. They utilize AI tools for feedback, engagement, motivation, personalized learning, and autonomy. However, there is a disparity in how each group uses AI for translation. Additionally, participants expressed concerns about AI related to privacy and security, overreliance and lack of responsibility, critical thinking and creativity issues, and plagiarism. The study suggests that AI can be both beneficial and detrimental. Incorporating AI into the classroom is essential for improving students’ AI literacy and enhancing their academic and language skills. A balanced approach to AI use involves not only providing students with diverse AI tools suited to their academic needs but also raising awareness about the ethical issues associated with AI.

Motivation and English Language Learning: Students’ Perspectives

This study investigates university students’ motivation for learning English language in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The region is a foreign language learning context because English language learners almost entirely learn the language inside the classroom and without regular exposure to the English language outside. Besides English language centers, English Department in private universities is one of the most wanted departments in the region. However, we do not know students’ motivation for their choice. Therefore, a questionnaire was administered to 106 students from English department in a private university with the intention to obtain knowledge about their motivation for learning the English language and more specifically whether it is integrative and/or instrumental motivation. The study found that the level of students’ integrative motivation was different from instrumental motivation. This finding can be used by educators and university lecturers to embed motivation constructs in their teaching practices to keep the students motivated throughout their college years and have the desired outcome in the end.

The European Profiling Grid (EPG) Pre-service Teachers’ Level in Lesson and Course Planning Competence

The quality of teachers significantly influences student performance, making it crucial for educators to possess the necessary competencies to be effective. This study assesses the competencies of prospective teachers from the English Department at Media Nusantara Citra University using The European Profiling Grid (EPG), which mandates that graduates achieve at least the beginner teacher level. The research aims to evaluate these prospective teachers' abilities in lesson planning and teaching according to EPG standards. Using a qualitative descriptive method, the study involved 17 students undergoing Field Practice (PKL), with data collected from their lesson plans and interviews. Results reveal that 13 prospective teachers were at the beginner level, while 4 reached the experienced teacher level. The findings indicate that all participants met the minimum graduation requirements based on EPG, specifically in lesson planning and teaching competencies.

Utilizing Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) Technologies in EFL Classrooms: A Novel Approach to Improve Vocabulary Learning and Retention

This study investigates the potential for EFL courses to benefit from VR and AR technologies to enhance vocabulary learning and retention. The study included 220 English language and literature students from English departments at colleges, including Al Balqa Applied University and Al Yarmouk University in Jordan. The implications and data generated from this study aim to provide insights into how new immersive technologies can be applied, compared to traditional methods, in an educational context to enhance vocabulary acquisition. Pre- and post-tests measured vocabulary acquisition, and the delayed post-test was conducted weeks after the study was completed to measure the acquisition and retention of vocabulary. The study demonstrates significant differences in vocabulary acquisition following the intervention using VR and AR technologies compared to traditional learning methods. The average scores before the pretest were similar in all groups, with VR at 45.2, AR at 46.0, and control at 44.8. The results of the post-test, however, had average scores for VR at 78.5, AR at 75.3, and control at 58.4. The direction of the measures indicated significant improvements in vocabulary acquisition among the students in the English departments at the universities who used VR and AR technologies. The study is prospective; VR and AR technologies significantly improve vocabulary acquisition in EFL learning environments.

EFL Learners' Pragmatic Tolerance of Quantity Maxim Violation

The current study embarks on investigating Iraqi EFL learners' pragmatic tolerance of quantity maxim violations. Additionally, it seeks to shed light on Iraqi EFL learners' pragmatic abilities in deriving pragmatic inferences from utterances that contain violations of quantity maxim. The experimental work in the current study utilized two types of sentence judgment tasks. Binary sentence judgment task for investigating learners' pragmatic tolerance, and ternary judgment task for investigating learners' pragmatic competence. The study included two groups of participants. The first group included 50 participants from 2nd-year students, and the second included 50 from 4th-year students at the Department of English for the academic year 2023-2024; both groups judged underinformative scalar implicature utterances. The results with binary task data indicate that Iraqi EFL learners exhibit tolerance toward quantity maxim violations. However, the ternary judgment task results indicate that Iraqi learners are not competent enough to derive a pragmatic inference. Hence, the current study attempts to provide a comprehensive understanding of EFL learners' pragmatic abilities to derive implied meanings.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BY CHATBOT IN ENHANCING THE STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY

This research aims to find out the effectiveness of artificial intelligence (AI) by chatbot in enhancing the vocabulary students at FKIP Universitas HKBP Nommensen Pematangsiantar. The focus of the research is on the vocabulary skill in teaching English. This research uses the qualitative research methods and used interview and documentation from the students. There are 30 students for the subject of the research out of 70 students in English Vocabulary class of the first semester in English department of Universitas HKBP Nommensen Pematangsiantar. The results of the research are the artificial intelligence application through chat bot enhance the students’ vocabulary in learning English. The students feel enjoy, fun, easy to learn the English words. It can be applied in writing notes diary, essay paragraph in English. The researcher suggests the user of English such as lectures, teachers to use AI chatbot in the classroom instruction because it can be more effective for the students to get the meaning of the words in English. Hopefully the next reseacher can develop the research for more varying language proficiency. The result is that the artificial intelligence affect to the effectiveness in enhancing English vocabulary of the university students. It shows that all participants are enthusiastic, happy, and motivated because this application is still unfamiliar to participants. Participants also know the use of this application, so they can indirectly learn independently whenever and wherever participants

An Analysis of the Challenges Faced by Female Undergraduate EFL Students in Speaking English at ULM

Speaking skills play an important role in daily life conversation through which we express feelings, emotions, and ideas easily and confidently. English has gained the status of a global language as it is spoken and understood all around the world. English is the medium of communication enabling people of different linguistic backgrounds to connect, cooperate, and collaborate. The present study investigates the challenges that undergraduate female EFL students face in speaking English. The present study is an attempt to find out the reason for the challenges faced by undergraduate female students in speaking English at ULM and how we defeat these challenges through some achievable actions. To find out the challenges that undergraduate female students in speaking English at ULM, we used the quantitative method. We collect data through questionnaires from the different semester students of the department of English and Applied Linguistics, and then we analyze it on SPSS software by applying the descriptive statistical analysis method. The finding reveals various factors or challenges including social, environmental, economic, and psychological. Moreover, the study also highlights some possible strategies to approach these challenges and enrich English speaking fluency among female EFL students. Understanding and confronting these challenges is critical for developing English language education for female undergraduate EFL students, thus upgrading their academic and professional avenues.

An In-Depth Analysis of Cohesion Utilization in the English Language: Implications for Effective Communication and Textual Coherence

This study focuses on the link between coherence and the English language notion of cohesiveness. Cohesion is defined as the way in which different elements of a text or speech are linked together to create a unified and integrated whole. The study identifies the challenges in determining the appropriate level of cohesion for a given text and how factors such as audience, purpose, and context can affect cohesion. The aims of the research are to provide learners with a better understanding of cohesion in English and to demonstrate the importance of cohesion in producing clear and effective communication. The paper is divided into three sections: the first section introduces the problem, aims, scope, procedure, and hypothesis; the second section provides a detailed explanation of the definition, general meaning, models, and types of cohesion; and the third section examines lexical and grammatical cohesion in more detail. The theory argues that English language learners typically don't understand the ideas of cohesion and coherence, which leads to poor writing that is illogical and grammatically incorrect. The research methodology involves data collection from English books, analysis, comparison of essays on cohesion, and consultation with instructors of English. Ultimately, this research highlights the importance of cohesion in achieving coherence and producing effective communication in English. The practical study of grammatical cohesion conducted in the English Department of Sawa University's College of Education aimed to assess students' comprehension of linguistic phenomena such as conjunction, ellipsis, references, and substitution. The study involved 54 participants, comprising of 36 females and 18 males, who were presented with 18 different prompts and asked to identify the linguistic phenomenon present in each response. The study's analysis revealed that participants identified these linguistic phenomena differently for each prompt, with some responses predominantly identified as conjunction, while others were predominantly identified as ellipsis or references. These findings provide insight into how individuals interpret and use language and can contribute to the development of linguistic theories and models.

Investigating Iraqi EFL University Students’ Linguistic Proficiency and Literary Awareness : A Comparative Study

Linguistic proficiency refers to students’ ability to use and understand a language in a specific text, while literary awareness relates to students’ specific way of using information and comprehending literature in a particular language. The current study aims to investigate and compare Iraqi EFL university students' level between linguistic proficiency and literary awareness. It also aims at finding whether there is a significant difference between Iraqi EFL university students’ linguistic proficiency and literary awareness at both Tikrit university and Kirkuk University and finding whether there is a significant difference between Iraqi EFL students’ linguistic proficiency and literary awareness at Tikrit and Kirkuk universities according to gender. For achieving the aims and answering the questions, 250 students were randomly chosen from English Department in Colleges of Education at both universities in the second semester of the Academic Year 2022/ 2023 to form the study sample. The tool; that used for collecting data is a questionnaire. The results reveal that there is a significant difference in literary awareness and linguistic proficiency between the students at Tikrit and Kirkuk Universities. The difference is primarily in favor of literary awareness due to students' interest in literary subjects rather than linguistic ones. The gender variable's results indicate that there is no difference in the language proficiency of males and females, there is a difference in literary awareness that favors the female gender. Finally, the study ends with conclusions and some recommendations.

Pembuatan Video Promosi Ekowisata Kampung Manggis, Pauh, Padang

Video profile is a short video designed to introduce an individual, company or organization to the public. It is information about the existence of an object such as product, service, or area which has its own uniqueness, aimed to increase public awareness and trust through a clear picture of the subject being presented. Such video could be published on various media as a part of a marketing campaign. English Department of Politeknik Negeri Padang carried out activity to create a profile/promotional video in one of the thematic villages in Padang City, namely Kampung Manggis, which is located on Limau Manis sub-district, Pauh District. Being potential area in Padang city, this thematic village is the central area of mangosteen fruit in which 80% of the mangosteen productions in the city are from this area. Kampung Manggis is the second-largest mangosteen producer in West Sumatra, providing high-quality mangosteen for both domestic and international markets. Moreover, as an area that is also potential to become one of Padang City's agro tourism destinations, it is necessary to introduce and recommend the place to broader public through right media. There were three stages implemented in creating the video profile; pre-production, production, and post-production. The result was a five minutes-twelve second-video profile, which hopefully, will grade the existence of this thematic village to public after being uploaded to social media

The Role of Web Technologies in Promoting Learner Autonomy among EFL University Students

Technological advancements have brought about several environmental, economic and social challenges for the entire world. Nevertheless, no one can deny that these forces have offered infinite opportunities for progress and development for humanity. The digital revolution has dramatically affected many domains such as work and education. Perhaps one of the main aspects of this revolution in education is online learning which allows students to easily access resources and self-direct their learning. The current paper attempts to examine the role of using Web technologies in fostering learners’ autonomy. It also aims to explore students’ experiences with online learning and how they perceive its relevance to the enhancement of autonomous abilities. To attain these objectives, a mixed-method approach is adopted to collect data utilizing questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The participants are Moroccan university students in the English departments, and data is analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. The results show that the participants display high levels of autonomous behaviours as students value their experiences with online learning. The findings also indicate that most students are willing to be more responsible for their own learning when using online platforms that offer, flexibility, interaction, and interesting autonomous practices of language learning.

The Attitudes of the EFL Students in the Department of English at the Faculty of Education -Tooralbaha, University of Lahj Towards the Impact of Neuro-Linguistic Programming Techniques on the Development of their Oral Fluency

The Attitudes of the EFL Students in the Department of English at the Faculty of Education -Tooralbaha, University of Lahj Towards the Impact of Neuro-Linguistic Programming Techniques on the Development of their Oral Fluency

The Correlation Between the Use of YouTube and Speaking Ability on English Department Students of Riau University

The Correlation Between the Use of YouTube and Speaking Ability on English Department Students of Riau University

Improving students’ reading comprehension by using listen, read, and discuss strategy at 5th semester English education department, IAIN Sultan Amai Gorontalo

Improving students’ reading comprehension by using listen, read, and discuss strategy at 5th semester English education department, IAIN Sultan Amai Gorontalo