English Experts Research Articles

Construction and Application of a Task-Based Teaching Model of College English Based on Random Matrix Theory

Society is in urgent need of English talents with high comprehensive English application ability and strong independent learning ability. Task-based language teaching has always been an effective way to improve English talents, but the shortcomings of traditional task-based language teaching in teaching practice are beginning to emerge, such as insufficient classroom time, lack of real-time monitoring, and scientific evaluation mechanisms. Therefore, the traditional task-based language teaching cannot meet the new requirements of society for the cultivation of English talents. Random matrix theory uses the principles of statistical mechanics to model the interaction of complex systems in multiple mathematical domains to improve the teaching effectiveness. Random matrix theory has been widely used in theoretical neuroscience and optimal control. This paper is based on teaching task-based language and analyzing the data from the teaching process with big data so as to give timely feedback and suggestions to teachers. This paper constructs a model of college English teaching based on random matrix theory using a task-based teaching model. Since the teaching model of college English is a typical high-dimensional nonlinear function problem, a network model of deep confidence network is used to determine the implicit relationship between input and output. To verify the effectiveness of the model, this paper conducts a practical study of the constructed model. The study shows that the task-based teaching model of college English based on random matrix theory improves college students’ English expertise and English language usage ability and also greatly enhances students’ enthusiasm for learning English.

Promoting an Integrated Science and English Pop-Up Book for Primary School Students

After doing an observation and interview with teachers, the researchers found that English and science were taught in a conventional method and were not thoroughly learnt. Hence, the teaching was not effectively conducted, and learning often ended up in boredom, which resulted in ineffective teaching and learning atmosphere. The objectives of this research were to create a combined English language and science pop-up book learning media for animal and human movement organs and to acknowledge its feasibility. The 4D development steps developed by S. Thiagarajan et al. were used in the research design, consisting of four stages: define, design, develop, and disseminate. The participants included in this research were the 5th-grade students of SD N 26 Belinyu, consisting of 35 students. Out of 35, 20 were female, and 15 were male. Two senior female teachers in the same school were also included in the interview. Data were collected by documentation, expert validation sheets, feasibility test sheets and user response questionnaires. Expert validation was conducted by two expert judgments, while language validation was justified by two language experts in Bahasa Indonesia and English. The results showed that the benefits students gain from using pop-up book media include seeing, opening, and shutting images on the pop-up book, which helps strengthen children's motor development.

A Study on the Integration of Business English Teaching and Intercultural Communication Skills Cultivation Model Based on Intelligent Algorithm

With the current prevalence of economic globalization, English is still the international language of choice. The definition of cross-cultural: have a full and correct understanding of cultural phenomena, customs, and habits that are different or conflicting with the national culture, and accept and adapt to it with an inclusive attitude on this basis. Therefore, for Chinese universities, the focus is on cultivating highly qualified talents with intercultural communication skills for the country’s economic development. Intercultural communication skills are an important part of students’ language communication skills. China’s business English teaching has also begun to focus on the cultivation of students’ cross-cultural communication skills, but the effect is not satisfactory. In business English teaching, the most important thing is to improve students’ professional competence and business English expertise, and to cultivate foreign language talents with cross-cultural quality and global awareness. Based on the above reasons, this paper proposes a research on the integration of business English teaching and intercultural communication competence cultivation based on intelligent algorithms. First, this paper adopts the literature method to understand the difficulties in traditional business English teaching and the problems in the process of cultivating intercultural communication competence; then, it adopts the inductive-deductive method of intelligent algorithm and action research method to study the mode of cultivating intercultural communication competence and comprehensive experimental research. Finally, after comprehensive analysis, it was concluded that: the number of domestic literature on intercultural communication competence cultivation increased by 11.98%, and the number of literature was generally on the rise; there were significant differences in test results; the experimental students who were satisfied with the cultivation model studied in this paper reached 45.6%. This article attempts to investigate and analyze the needs of English majors for the cultivation of business English intercultural communicative competence, so as to provide a reference for cultivating students’ intercultural communicative competence. The above data fully indicate that the use of contextual teaching method to cultivate intercultural communication skills in business English courses is effective, attracting students’ enjoyment, cultivating their intercultural communication skills, enhancing their understanding of business etiquette, and improving their ability to conduct business conversations. Intercultural communicative competence refers to the ability to communicate when two parties from different cultural backgrounds communicate in the same situation.

Team Games-Language Learning Model in Improving Students’ Speaking and Listening Skills Viewed from Creativity

Speaking and listening are language skills that are supporting each other. Students who have good speaking competence will have good listening skills as well. Unfortunately, students who have good listening skills do not indicate that they have good speaking skills. To help students in improving speaking and listening, this study applied team games-based language learning (TG-BLL) model. This model was designed with appropriate learning materials and activities, and English experts validated the quality of learning materials. Therefore, this current study was aimed at investigating the use of the TG-BLL model to improve students’ speaking and listening skills viewed from their creativity at secondary schools at Algeria. To attain the research goal, this study employed quasi experimental research with using pre-test post-test control group design. 69 students were involved in this study as research samples. The samples were divided into two groups which are experimental and control groups. The samples were selected using cluster random sampling. The variable of creativity in this study was pointed as a helping variable to see whether the level of students’ creativity come to affect students’ speaking and listening skills. To see the significant effect of team games-based language learning on speaking and listening skills, the researcher applied t-test statistical analysis. Meanwhile, ANOVA statistical analysis was applied to see the interaction between the TG-BLL model and students’ creativity level on speaking and listening skills at the secondary level. The result showed that the TG-BLL model had good effect on speaking and listening skills in the experimental group. It was proven that the score of the t-test was higher than t-table with 0.05 significant level. Moreover, there was good interaction between the GBLL model and students’ creativity level to affect students’ speaking and listening skills at secondary schools. The implementation of the TG-BLL model was useful in improving students’ pronunciation, grammar, and knowledge of how sounds get reduced.

An analysis of elementary school teachers’ perceptions and utilization status on elementary English, reading and writing, using applications and platforms producing improvement plans

The purpose of this study is to examine elementary school teachers’ perceptions and utilization status on elementary English, reading and writing, using applications and platforms proposing improvement plans. A survey was conducted with a total of 50 elementary teachers that taught English, reading and writing, while using applications and platforms. The survey consisted of the following three categories: 1) teacher statistics, 2) teachers’ perceptions and utilization status of implementing applications and platforms, 3) difficulties in applying applications and platforms. Also, four elementary English experts participated in the semi-structured interview in order to discuss the results of the survey. Summarizing the survey and interview results, most of teachers showed a high degree of satisfaction in utilizing applications and platforms. They noticed the advantages of using applications and platforms are customized learning, learning management system and students’ interests. However, while using applications and platforms teachers experienced problematic factors that included lack of budget, deficiency of technology literacy, burden of work and differences in students’ proficiency levels. Based on these results, implications and suggestions for effective utilization of applications and platforms on elementary English, reading and writing, are discussed resulting in improvement plans.

Psychometric analysis and reliability of the dental treatment motivation scale for Indonesian pregnant women.

This study aimed to obtain the results of psychometric analysis and reliability of the dental treatment motivation scale (DTMS), which was adapted cross-culturally for pregnant women in Indonesia. A descriptive survey was conducted with 149 pregnant women at a maternal clinic in Bandung City, Indonesia, in December 2020. Convenience sampling was chosen as the sampling technique after the inclusion and exclusion criteria had been fulfilled. Two English experts initially translated the DTMS questionnaire from English into Indonesian and the translated questionnaire was then reviewed by four expert panels, which were modified afterwards. The validity test was carried out using the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and goodness of fit index (GFI). The internal reliability analysis used Cronbach's alpha, and the test-retest was conducted using Pearson's correlation coefficient. The psychometric analysis results were obtained from four testing stages. The first stage was the initial eigenvalue assessment, and the cumulative percentage value was >60%. The second stage was the exploratory factor analysis, with a loading factor of >0.3. The third stage consisted of the confirmatory factor analysis, forming two components of the factor structure (intrinsic and extrinsic motivations). Finally, the fourth stage was the GFI assessment, which showed the good fit model with a value of 0.903. Very high internal consistency reliability ranged from 0.985 to 0.990; the test-retest p-value of Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.000. In conclusion, the Indonesian version of the DTMS proved to be a reliable and valid instrument to measure Indonesian pregnant women's motivation to seek oral health treatment.

Posledice sukoba u Ukrajini na svetsku ekonomiju

Since the beginning of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, the expert public has been asking an important question: what are the possible economic consequences of this important world event and what could be the response of countries that call themselves the "international community" and are in fact Western countries? Th is paper will give a general picture of the consequences that occurred on world markets in the first two months of the Ukrainian crisis. Among other things, the paper will present a debate of American and English experts organized by the IGM Forum, Chicago Booth, in which relevant opinions on this issue are presented. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has brought unprecedented turbulence to the global economy, which will have deep and long-term consequences. In addition to market disturbances caused by the conflict itself, there are disturbances caused by political decisions: sanctions by Western European countries and the United States against Russia, as well as countermeasures by the Russian state, which is trying to protect itself from sanctions. In the monetary and financial sphere, there are changes in the banks' operations, and Russia is trying to present the ruble on the world currency market as a means of payment in international trade and insisting on paying for its energy exclusively in Russian rubles. The consequences of this conflict are noticeable aft er only two months: an unprecedented rise in inflation, primarily in Europe and America, but also in the rest of the world, then a big increase in food prices (especially cereals and edible oil), shortages of food in supermarkets, and the biggest blow is the energy crisis, which is reflected in the enormous increase in energy prices (oil and gas), which is the locomotive of rising inflation in countries forced to buy energy at too high a market price. With the end of the Ukrainian crisis, great changes can be expected on the world market, and even changes in some previous economic paradigms.

The beginnings of the debate between the Mendelians and the Biometricians in psychiatric genetics: David Heron, Karl Pearson, Abraham Rosanoff, and Charles Davenport 1913–1914

AbstractThe world learned of the heated dispute about the methodology of the early works by Davenport and Rosanoff claiming Mendelian transmission patterns for mental handicap and psychiatric illness in a bold headline in the New York Times on Sunday, November 9, 1913: ENGLISH EXPERT ATTACKS AMERICAN EUGENIC WORK. I here focus on the debate surrounding Rosanoff's 1911 study where he presented evidence that the neuropathic constitution, including, among its manifestations, dementia praecox, and manic‐depressive illness, was an autosomal recessive trait. The “English expert,” David Heron, a student of Pearson's, launched the debate in his 1913 paper which argued that Rosanoff's field work methods were biased, his clinical assessments sloppy, his phenotype far too broad, and his statistical approach flawed. Both Davenport, Rosanoff's mentor, and Rosanoff vigorously defended their methods. Behind this sometimes personal debate was the long simmering controversy about the relative validity of Biometrical genetic (represented by Heron and Pearson) and Mendelian genetic (represented by Rosanoff and Davenport) models for genetic transmission in plants, animals and, especially, humans. A review suggests that most of Heron's criticisms were valid. This episode presages later controversies within psychiatric genetics, for example between twin and linkage researchers in the 1980s and 1990s.

Testing the script-relativity hypothesis: expertise in reading Chinese versus English is associated with better arithmetic skills

Testing the script-relativity hypothesis: expertise in reading Chinese versus English is associated with better arithmetic skills

German translation and pre-testing of Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC)

BackgroundImplementation frameworks may support local implementation strategies with a sound theoretical foundation. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) facilitates identification of contextual barriers and facilitators, and the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) allows identifying adequate implementation strategies. Both instruments are already used in German-speaking countries; however, no standardised and validated translation is available thus far. The aim of this study was to translate the CFIR and ERIC framework into German, in order to increase the use of these frameworks and the adherence to evidence-based implementation efforts in German-speaking countries.MethodsThe translation of the original versions of the CFIR and ERIC framework was guided by the World Health Organisation’s recommendations for the process of translating and adapting both conceptual frameworks. Accordingly, a four-step process was employed: first, forward translation from English into German was conducted by a research team of German native speakers with fluent knowledge of the English language. Second, a bilingual expert panel comprising one researcher with German as his mother tongue and expert command of the English language and one English language expert and university teacher reviewed the translation and discussed inconsistencies with the initial translators. Third, back-translation into English was conducted by an English native speaking researcher. The final version was pre-tested with 12 German researchers and clinicians who were involved in implementation projects using cognitive interviews.ResultsThe translation and review process revealed some inconsistencies between the original version and the German translations. All issues could be solved by discussion. Central aspects of the items were confirmed in 60 to 70% of the items, and modifications were proposed in 30% of the items. Finally, we revised one CFIR-item heading after pre-testing. The final version was given consent by all involved parties.ConclusionsNow, two validated and tested implementation frameworks to guide implementation efforts are available in the German language and can be used to increase the application of agreed-on implementation strategies into practice.

Turkish Adaptation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Colorado Learning Attitudes About Science Survey (CLASS) in Physics

The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) is an instrument to measure student beliefs about physics and learning physics. In this research, Turkish adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the CLASS is discussed. In the first stage, the translation process, which included examination of six experts (four experts in physics education and two experts in English and Turkish languages) for content validity and 13 student interviews for face validity, was described. In the second stage, exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analysis results obtained from 1391 freshman students were discussed for construct validty. The EFA yielded three factors that consisted of 20 items, which explained 39.61 % of the total variance. These factors were named as: Problem Solving Effort, Conceptual Understanding, and Personal Interest and Real-World Connection. Based on the CFA results, the three-factor 20-item instrument showed acceptable fit statistics. Compared to the original CLASS, the proposed version with 20-item model was shorter, easier to administer and easier to score, valid and reliable survey, so feasible to use. The overlapping of the constructs (i.e., violation of the unidimensionality) in the original CLASS was a problem, while in the proposed model none of the items were included in more than one construct.

Integrating Qur’anic Stories Into English Language Teaching: Voices From Indonesia

The Qur’an, which includes Qur’anic stories, has been a primary reading text for Muslim learners. Within the growing concern of contextual learning materials, discussion on how Qur’anic stories may have contributed to the English language teaching (ELT) area is still under research. This interdisciplinary study investigates the voices of English practitioners and experts in Islamic education and Qur’anic studies about the usability of Qur’anic stories in ELT. Their voices were used as the basis for designing a learning material prototype. Seventeen English practitioners from three cities in Indonesia, one expert in the field of Islamic education, and two experts in the field of Qur’anic studies were involved in this developmental research. The findings of the research show that Qur’anic stories deserve a place in ELT when they are equipped with reflective thinking activities, appropriate language level, proper assessment system, self-generated illustration, and proper transliteration of Islamic terms. It is recommended that Qur’anic stories be taught within the approach of teaching literature as a resource stressing the morality aspect of the stories.

An Analysis of English for Palestine- Textbook of Grade Eight Based on Reflective Thinking Skills

The current research aimed to analyze English for Palestine- textbook of eight based on reflective thinking skills. To achieve the study purpose, the two researchers adopted the descriptive analytical approach and designed a content analysis card in order to collect and analyze data. The content analysis was designed in terms of reflective thinking skills and refereed by a number of teaching English language specialists and experts in the field of teaching English language. The two researchers used SPSS (22) to get mean, std. deviation, sum and percentages. The results of content analysis showed that English for Palestine-8 includes reflective thinking skills with variant values. Observing got the highest percentage with (22.651%), followed by proposing with a percentage of (22.483%). Inferring got the third rank with a percentage of (20.134%). Then detecting contradictions got a percentage of (18.792%). However, reasoning got the lowest percentage with (15.939%). Thus, the two researchers recommended that the designers of the Palestinian curricula and specialists should focus on enriching reflective thinking skills when setting objectives, teaching and evaluation strategies, and standards should be built in order to evaluate the availability of reflective thinking skills in the English for Palestine textbooks.

USING GOOGLE SEARCH FOR ENGLISH GRAMMAR LEARNING

Background/Purpose: Second/foreign language learners face problems in different areas such as correct word usage, grammatical accuracy, and pronunciation fluency. This paper responds to one of these problems by investigating the impact of strategic Google Search on Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ grammar learning.
 
 Methodology: Sixty Iranian intermediate EFL learners from a private English language institute in Isfahan, Iran were selected and randomly divided into two groups. To find which areas of grammar are most problematic among the participants, a multiple-choice grammar pretest which was validated by five English experts was given to them. Then 10 questions that most participants answered wrongly were selected as the most challenging ones. During 10 class sessions, the participants were taught how to select the correct choice through Google Search. In fact, each participant in the class had a laptop connected to the internet. The researcher taught them how to search on Google strategically and the participants found out that in Google sites there are some sentences which are grammatically wrong and they should not trust them. They learned how to search strategically for the correct choices. At the end of the sessions they answered a posttest containing different questions but in the same grammatical areas. The pretest and posttest both were conducted while the participants were connected to internet sites.
 
 Findings: Data analysis was done through running t-test using SPSS software and statistically significant difference was revealed. The findings showed that those participants who were taught how to strategically use Google Search performed better in the posttest. Therefore, the results revealed that correct Google Search had improved the Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ grammar knowledge. 
 
 Contributions: This study has several implications for both language learners and teachers regarding the use of Google platform for English grammar learning. In addition, it contributes to the body of knowledge that strategic Google Search does not only improve the Iranian EFL learners’ English grammar but also make them less dependent on teachers thus promoting autonomous learning.
 
 Keywords: Google search, EFL learners, grammar learning, intermediate EFL learners, Iran, web-based instruction.
 
 Cite as: Tavakoli, M. (2021). Using Google search for English grammar learning. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 6(2), 318-339. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol6iss2pp318-339

CONVERSATIONAL ENGLISH FOR TOURIST ESCORTS

This study develops and validate a practical English handbook for tourist escorts. Thirty (30) tourist escorts in the province of Laguna and (10) English Professors of selected HEIs were the respondents of the study. The researcher answers the following questions: (1) What is the mean level of scores given by the local tourist guides in the developed practical English handbook with respect to: usability, consistency, adaptability, appropriateness, aesthetic value? (2) What is the mean level of scores given by the English experts with respect to: usability, consistency, adaptability, appropriateness, aesthetic value? (3) is there a significant difference in the rating among the tour guides and English experts based on the following criteria: usability, consistency, adaptability, appropriateness, aesthetic value? Weighted the mean and standard deviation were used to determine the assessment of the expert evaluators. As observed in the treatment done in this study, the following were evident: The over-all mean of 4.20 revealed that the Practical English Handbook was extremely acceptable in terms of appropriateness given by local tourist guides. And the over-all means of 3.85, 3.99, 4.05 and 3.98 respectively indicated very acceptable in terms of usability, consistency, adaptability and aesthetic value. The over-all mean of 4.40, 4.24, 4.30 and 4.40 respectively revealed that the Practical English handbook was extremely acceptable in terms of usability, consistency, adaptability, appropriateness and aesthetic value as rated by the English experts. The computed t-values of 2.46, 2.16 and 2.26 had p-values of 0.024, 0.042 and 0.035 were all less than the alpha 0.05 level of significance with indicated that there was significant difference on the ratings’ given by the local tourist guides English experts on the usability, consistency and aesthetic value respectively. While the t-values of 0.289 and 0.605 which were greater that alpha 0.05 level of significance were verbally interpreted as not significant based on the ratings’ given by the local tourist and English experts on the adaptability and appropriateness.

‘They have a go at me, that I’m a good English guy. Well, I’m Polish as well’: how bilingual Polish adolescents in the UK negotiate the position of ‘linguistic expert’

ABSTRACT This paper explores the position of ‘linguistic expert’, and how being positioned as an expert affects the linguistic and ethnic identity construction of a group of Polish-English bilingual adolescents living in the UK. Findings indicate that while the participants are often positioned as linguistic experts in English and/or Polish, this may not correspond with their own feelings of linguistic competency. In the UK, the adolescents engage in language brokering, a practice which presumes an expert knowledge of each language that the participants do not always feel they possess. At school, the adolescents resist being regarded as fluent in English; when visiting Poland, they find their knowledge of Polish lacking. Closer examination of the participants’ narratives suggests that the concept of linguistic ‘expert’ is open to negotiation, and that the adolescents both challenge and exploit notions of expertise as they negotiate their own linguistic and ethnic identities.

The 12 items Amharic version WHODAS-2 showed cultural adaptation and used to measure disability among road traffic trauma victims in Ethiopia

BackgroundAdapting and translating already developed tools to different cultures is a complex process, but once done, it increases the validity of the construct to be measured. This study aimed to assess the 12 items WHODAS-2 and test its psychometric properties among road traffic injury victims in Ethiopia. This study aimed to translate the 12 items WHODAS- 2 interview-based tools into Amharic and examine the psychometric properties of the new version among road traffic injury victims.MethodsThe 12 items WHODAS 2 was first translated into Amharic by two experts. Back translation was done by two English experts. A group of experts reviewed the forward and backward translation. A total of 240 patients with road traffic injury completed the questionnaires at three selected Hospitals in Amhara Regional State. Internal consistency was; assessed using Chronbach’s alpha, convergent, and divergent validity, which were; tested via factor analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA); was computed, and the model fit; was examined.ResultsThe translated Amharic version 12 –items WHODAS-2 showed that good cross-cultural adaptation and internal consistency (Chronbach’s α =0.88). The six factor structure best fits data (model fitness indices; CFI = 0.962, RMSEA = 0.042, RMR = 0.072, GFI = 0.961, chi-square value/degree of freedom = 1.42, TLI = 0.935 and PCLOSE = 0.68). Our analysis showed that from the six domains, mobility is the dominant factor explaining 95% of variability in disability.ConclusionThe 12 items interview-based Amharic version WHODAS-2; showed good cultural adaptation at three different settings of Amhara Regional State and can be used to measure dis-ability following a road traffic injury.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the Fat Talk Questionnaire for Brazilian Portuguese language.

To perform the cross-cultural adaptation of the Fat Talk Questionnaire into Brazilian Portuguese with focus on adolescent girls. The steps taken in this research were: conceptual and item equivalence, semantics, operational. The conceptual and item equivalence was performed by researchers in the field of Nutrition and body image; semantics involved translators fluent in English and Portuguese (n=3) and experts (n=19) in body image and eating behavior. Step 3 included 32 female adolescents (15 and 18 years), who answered the translated and adapted version to assess comprehension by the target audience. Of the 14 items, six were considered adequate by the experts and 3 items required minimal language adjustments. Five items needed broader changes for cultural and idiomatic adaptation. The back-translation was approved by the original authors. The average response time by the adolescents was 3.5 minutes, with no queries. The scale was translated and adapted to Brazilian Portuguese aimed at female adolescents, showing satisfactory results in the translation process, conceptual, semantic and operational equivalence. Analyses of external validity, measurement equivalence and reproducibility were also required.

Colonialism, communication and cultural politics: language and the reproduction of caste and class privilege in Goa, India

ABSTRACT Although Goa was subject to Portuguese colonial rule for 450 years, it is now English rather than Portuguese that dominates the linguistic fabric of the state. Using a postcolonial framework drawn from the writings of Said and Gramsci, this article asks what the spread of the English language means in the Goan context. It begins by exploring the ideologies historically used to portray English as an instrument for development, mobility, communication and education rather than as a neo-colonial threat to local languages. As a consequence, it is shown that affluent families with generational expertise in English have greater access to high-quality secondary and tertiary education in Goa, which in turn results in improved professional opportunities. The article concludes that English is a vital component in the construction of a multidimensional European-adjacent identity that indexes superior social status in comparison with Goans who cannot claim fluency or literacy in the language.

Determination of Player Types according to Digital Game Playing Preferences: Scale Development and Validation Study

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to develop a player type determination scale based on Bartle’s taxonomy. In this study, player type determination tests prepared for Bartle’s player types were translated into Turkish by two English experts. The Turkish version of the items was revised by two field experts to best express the point of each item. Next, a scale consisting of 50 items was formed in accordance with the purpose of the study and the level of secondary school students. The scale was administered to 505 secondary school students, and validity and reliability studies were conducted. As a result of a factor analysis, it was decided to remove some items from the test, leading to a measurement instrument of 32 items in total. It was concluded that the scale developed to determine the player type for digital gaming environments was valid and reliable.