English Language Ability Research Articles

Perbandingan Perolehan Bahasa Inggris di Indonesia, Thailand dan Philipina

International cooperation between universities is one of the strategic issues for the internationalization of a university in Indonesia. One form of cooperation is not only manifested in the tri dharma aspect of higher education. The focus of this research is the comparison of students' mastery of English in the three countries. This English language ability aims to determine the ability of students who take part in student exchange programs or internship exchange programs conducted by three universities. This descriptive qualitative research involved students from universities in Indonesia, universities in Thailand, and the Philippines. Data taken from interviews with several English learners were then transcribed, coded, and analyzed to determine the stage of mastery of English according to Processability Theory. The results of this study indicate that although there are differences in the use of English in the three countries, participants from the three countries have the same attainment of mastery of English. Participants in the Philippines were more active in using English, considering that English in this country is a second language. Unlike Thailand and Indonesia, which place English as a foreign language. However, the highest mastery of English achieved by participants in the three countries was the same, namely at Stage 3 in Processability Theory.

Videos versus print materials in incidental vocabulary acquisition: an impact study

Vocabulary constitutes an integral part of second language ability, i.e., English language ability in the context of university education in Sri Lanka. As a result of the advances achieved in mass media and communication technology, today’s second language learners of English have access to thousands of videos representing thousands of interactive situations that they could have experienced while absorbing the kernel language with incidental vocabulary. In contrast, there are print materials that are conventionally accepted to have an impact on incidental vocabulary acquisition. Limited research on the comparative effectiveness of using reading materials and video materials in incidental vocabulary acquisition and retention was addressed through this study that aimed at experimenting with videos and print materials with two parallel fifty-member groups in a reputed private university in Sri Lanka. Ten target words were exposed to the reading class through reading materials and the video class through video materials in a series of lessons that allowed incidental vocabulary acquisition. The results of the immediate tests and posttests of the video-based and reading-based groups were subjected to independent sample t-tests to measure the retention of vocabulary by the two respective groups. The data analysis did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference between the two groups at the immediate test with 0.37 as the P(T<=t) two-tail value. However, there was a statistically significant vocabulary gain in the video group over the reading group at the post-test with the P(T<=t) two-tail value at 0.04. Thus, it was concluded that, while both the video and reading methods supported vocabulary acquisition, the video input contributed to a greater as well as statistically significant long-term vocabulary retention over the reading input mode.

Enhancing EFL students’ participation through translanguaging

Abstract This study explored multilingual students’ attitudes towards translanguaging after the practice was introduced in group activities aimed at improving their English language skills and classroom engagement. A cohort of students taking a pre-sessional English course at a college of technology in Rwanda were initiated into translanguaging. They were then observed while translanguaging in group activities and interviewed later in focus groups to understand their acceptance of translanguaging as a resource for English language learning. Findings show that students engaged in translanguaging and acknowledged its benefits in their group activities. They nevertheless expressed reservations about embracing translanguaging as a formal pedagogy in their L2 classes. They were willing to opt for English-only classes regardless of their level of English language abilities. Students’ mixed feelings about translanguaging appeared to come from a perception of the English language as more relevant professionally and internationally than other local languages that constituted their multilingualism.

Analysis on Teacher-student Interaction with Computer Aid in College English Language Teaching Class

In recent years, College English teaching has made remarkable achievements. Some long-term problems have been properly solved, and students’academic performance has improved to a certain extent. Nevertheless, there are still many problems in College English classroom teaching, which not only hinder the improvement of College English classroom teaching efficiency, but also affect the cultivation of students’English language ability. The author finds that the interaction between teachers and students should be strengthened in the classroom, which has a very good auxiliary role in improving the efficiency of English teaching. Firstly, this paper analyses the problems existing in the current college English classroom teaching. Secondly, it analyses the role of improving teachers’ and students’ interaction ability in College English classroom teaching with the computer aid. Finally, the corresponding solutions are proposed.

Occupational Licensing and Immigrants

This study examines the incidence and impact of occupational licensing on immigrants using two sources of data: the Current Population Survey and the Survey of Income and Program Participation. We find that immigrants are significantly less likely to have a license than similar natives and that this gap is largest for men, workers in the highest education level, and nonnaturalized immigrants. The licensing rate increases with years since migration and shows large variation by immigrants’ region of origin. A lack of English proficiency reduces the probability that an immigrant has a license. The wage premium from having a license is much larger for immigrants than natives, though this may in part reflect licensing status proxying for English-language ability.

A Critical Review of the Oxford Q-Skills Placement Test at a Saudi Arabian University

There is a genuine need to ascertain Saudi Arabian university entrants’ English language abilities upon admission. In order to accurately determine the English language levels of students, this study evaluates the Q-Skills Placement Test (QSPT) designed by Oxford University through the most recent evaluative model in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL); the Cambridge VRIPQ (2013) model. The data used to evaluate the efficacy and predictive power of the QSPT is obtained through both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Quantitatively, the QSPT results are statistically analyzed, whilst from a qualitative approach, interviews, and focus group discussions with teachers and students provide depth and insight. The strengths and weaknesses of the placement test are discussed here from a critical perspective with a view towards the improvement of the test. Although the test proved to be valid, it lacked the acknowledgement of the students’ context and was not able to discriminate accurately for students who scored less than 30% on the test.

English language ability and discursive agency: the case of Canadian adult English language learners on facebook

ABSTRACT This study provides a suggestive reassessment of the extent to which levels of English language ability among adult English language learners impact their ability to get things done in talk and text as discourse in a Canadian context where English is the lingua franca. The data are drawn from a Facebook Group for linguistic minority parents who attend a beginner level adult ESL class. Interpreting the data from within a pragmatics-oriented framework informed by lexical priming, conversation analysis and discursive psychology, microanalysis of a twelve-turn discussion thread is conducted with a view to implications for Canadian citizenship. Findings highlight the capacity of migrants with lower thresholds of English language ability to get substantive discursive work done in English in Anglophone Canada. The study qualifies a prevailing narrative that migrants to English dominant societies are empowered by language ability in English. By focusing on what adult English language learners are able to do rather than on what they cannot say, an implied connection between thresholds of English language ability and discursive agency in English is interrupted. The study advances a vision of Canadian citizenship premised not on benchmarks of English language skills but rather on the actual deployment of rhetorical potential.

Research on the Cultivation of English Language Ability Driven by Competition

Research on the Cultivation of English Language Ability Driven by Competition

A Correlation Study of English Learning Motivation and Learning Strategies of Student Pilots

English language ability plays the significant role in the career development of pilots. English learning motivation and strategy determine the effectiveness of language learning. This paper mainly explores the characteristics of student pilots’ learning motivation and learning strategies under the current environment, and the possible correlation between them. Subjects are 260 undergraduate student pilots of Civil Aviation University of China. The research findings may help the aviation English teachers be aware of the characteristics of their students’ learning motivation and learning strategies so that they could adjust teaching methods accordingly to help their students get better results of English learning. The result of study shows that English learning motivation and learning strategies are in positive correlations.

Analysis of Learning Strategy on the Improvement of the Listening Comprehension Ability of Non-English Majors in Engineering Colleges from the Perspective of CSE: A Case Study of NCEPU

In today’s world of increasingly frequent global cooperation and communication, English has become an indispensable communication tool. In the process of communication, listening comprehension skills are especially important to have an oral output. For a long time, the public English courses in engineering colleges and universities don’t have enough listening course settings for non-English majors, which cannot meet the needs of non-English learners since they also have to obtain cutting-edge scientific information, such as from relevant scientific lectures. In 2018, China’s Standards of English Language Ability (CSE) was officially released, which provides a comprehensive, clear and detailed description of the characteristics of each listening comprehension level(Guo Xiaoting, 2018). In December 2019, the scale was officially docked with TOEFL scores, highlighting the scale’s role as an ability assessment standard for English learners (Qiu Chenhui, 2019). In this paper, a questionnaire survey was conducted on the English listening comprehension ability of non-English majors of North China Electric Power University, using CSE as the assessment standard. It tries to draw out existing questions and proposes relevant strategies for practical research, and then test these strategies’ effectiveness through Eviews software.

THE IMPROVEMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ABILITY FOR INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS THROUGH NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE COURSES AT UNIVERSITY OF POTENSI UTAMA

English language ability is very important in globalization era. Especially if someone want to work in multinational companies, English language ability is the most important requirement. Among students at University of Potensi Utama, there is a lack of awareness indication English learning, especially the Industrial Engineering study program. The aims of this research is to identify students' motivation and their abilities in English by learning process. Another purpose is to develop their English ability. The subjects of this research were second semester Industrial Engineering students. This research was carried out from February 2020 to August 2020. Type of this research is descriptive qualitative. Technique of data collection by using a questionnaire and document review of teaching materials, questions and exams to reveal how the improvement of non-language students' English ability and their motivation in the use of English. The data analysis model that used by researcher is the triangulation technique model. The research result shows an increase in students' motivation and English ability. The value of the increase in high students’ motivation from 30.19% to 64.05%, the increase in high students’ ability from 15.03% to 39.21%, this is also evident from the change of the pretest average score of 50.49 to the average value of posttest 71.09.

Assessing preschool English learners’ receptive and expressive language ability to inform instruction

ABSTRACT This study explores how preschool educators could assess dual language learners’ (DLLs) English language abilities using formative instruments in school settings. It specifically examines (1) DLLs’ receptive and expressive language proficiencies measured using the instruments and (2) educators’ perceived usefulness of them for informing instruction. Participants were 139 preschool DLLs (M = 4;9) and 37 preschool educators from four countries (Argentina, Chile, China, and US). DLLs’ families completed a questionnaire on the child’s language background, indicating the child’s home language and English abilities. Educators measured DLLs’ English proficiency using adult–child co-play activities and language observations. Afterwards, educators completed a survey regarding the usefulness of these instruments. Findings show that DLLs’ receptive English language ability was higher than and significantly correlated with their expressive ability in their home language and English. Also, parents’ estimate of their children’s English language ability was similar to that of educators. The correlation between DLLs’ home language and English proficiencies was statistically significant, but low, indicating that the two languages do not necessarily develop together. Educators found the formative instruments helpful in understanding DLLs’ language proficiency and believed that such an understanding could inform their instruction. Results provide implications for assessing DLLs’ English language ability using age appropriate instruments.

Going Global: The Successful Link of IELTS and Aptis to China’s Standards of English Language Ability (CSE)

The development of a common language proficiency scale is essential to language teaching, learning, and assessment. While some general English proficiency scales already exist, no such scale is available in an Asian context. China&amp;rsquo;s Standards of English Language Ability (CSE), as the first scale of its kind, promises to address this deficiency with a clear focus on the student population, grounded in the well-established framework of communicative language ability. As such, it not only illuminates the learning patterns of English language learners at different stages, but also provides a benchmark for curriculum design, student evaluation, and the improvement of educational programs. More importantly, its recent link with such international tests as Aptis and IELTS marks a significant step towards the internationalization of this scale, making student grades on different tests more comparable. The official mapping of CSE to the international examination system opens China&amp;rsquo;s education further to the rest of the world, and would facilitate student exchanges and deepen educational ties between countries in the future.

Development and Validation of a Diagnostic Rating Scale for EFL Writing in China

Diagnostic assessment of EFL writing ability is useful yet seldom adopted for Chinese EFL students. In line with this urge, this study intends to design and validate a diagnostic rating scale for EFL writing in China. This rating scale is adapted from China&amp;rsquo;s Standards of English Language Ability (CSE in short) for an argumentative writing assignment of College English III students at a key university in Eastern China. To collect data for validation, four raters were asked to score 67 compositions utilizing the rating scale. A multi-facet Rasch analysis was employed to investigate the validity of the rating scale. Three facets&amp;mdash;examinee, rater, and criteria&amp;mdash;basically accord with the ideal requirements. Comparing our validated rating scale and rating scales for writing assessment designed in other contexts, the importance of setting rating scales in a specific context is demonstrated. Additionally, our context-specific, CSE-based rating scale once again corroborates the versatility of CSE. This study provides a meaningful examination of the appropriate form of a rating scale for diagnostic assessment in China.

THE STUDY OF TEACHERS’ FEEDBACK IN ONLINE WRITING ASSESSMENT

Writing is regarded one of the most pivotal English language abilities. Different researchers agree that writing in English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) environment is a challenging process involving social, environmental, motivational, and perceptive concerns. This is really appropriate for the teachers to give some feedbacks to the learners who learn writing using online as the teachers can control and treat the learners based on the ability they have. teacher feedback is an essential part of the process method since it helps students discover their strengths and weaknesses while also motivating them during the writing process. The focus of this research is on the teacher’s feedback during the writing evaluation, as demonstrated by the form, types, platform, and reactions of the students and the reason for the feedback provided. A survey with a quantitative methodology was used in this study. This survey included English teachers from Blitar's vocational high schools. In this study, the purposive sampling approach is applied. Because of their diverse goals and techniques, the researchers chose eight vocational high schools to study. As a result, such schools’ student demographics were diversified. They also required the services of more than one English teacher. Twenty English teachers participated in the poll. Teachers were asked to fill out a questionnaire in order to submit the data. The researchers created closed-ended and open-ended surveys with Google Forms.

The Relation Between Academic Word Use and Reading Comprehension for Students From Diverse Backgrounds.

Purpose The aims of the current project were twofold: (a) to describe the use of academic words in written language samples by fifth-grade students and (b) to examine the predictive relation between academic word use in academic writing and reading comprehension. Method Investigators utilized written expository responses of 1,128 students in fifth grade who differed in English proficiency and language ability. The sample included 214 students who were English learners (ELs) and 144 students with identified language learning disabilities (LLD). Group differences in the use of academic words from the Coxhead word list were examined. Results ELs and students with LLD used academic words less frequently than their peers and demonstrated less variety in their academic word use. There was a significant relation between students' use of academic words and reading comprehension. Academic word use accounted for 16% of the variance in reading comprehension, which was not significantly different for ELs or students with LLD. The relation was moderated by economic advantage, with the strength of the relation being lower for students who were eligible for free/reduced lunch. Conclusions Findings support the need for additional research on ways to improve academic vocabulary skills to minimize achievement gaps. The relation between academic word use and reading comprehension warrants further consideration.

Identifying English Language Use and Communication Challenges Facing \u201cEntry-Level\u201d Workplace Immigrants in Canada

Canada has one of the world’s largest immigrant populations, with one in five people in Canada born outside the country. Among these immigrants, a great majority started their lives in Canada working in entry-level jobs. This study examined the English language use and communication challenges among these new Canadian immigrants in entry-level workplace settings. Fourteen participants were interviewed. The results showed four distinct patterns of categories: topical knowledge, language knowledge, personal attributes, and communication strategies. These patterns of language use and communication challenges were narrated in each workplace where these immigrants survive and thrive using English. This study addresses the research gap of entry-level workplace immigrants in Canada and provides a nuanced understanding through work and life stories in reference to their English language ability.

CAMPUR KODE BAHASA INGGRIS DALAM TUTURAN BERBAHASA INDONESIA PADA PROGRAM PW BANGET RADIO ELRIA BUANA JAMBI

This research is aimed at describing two things, 1) the forms of English code-mixing in the Indonesian utterance on the program PW Banget by Radio announcer Elria Buana Jambi, 2) the factors of code-mixing of English into Indonesian language by Radio announcer Elria Buana Jambi. This research is qualitative descriptive with content analysis technique. The data of this research was acquired from the broadcast record of Radio Elria Buana Jambi and interview with announcer of Radio Elria Buana Jambi. The result of this research are. 1) the forms of code-mixing in the form of word, phrase, and clause are as follows: there are 38 quotations in the form of word pieces; there are 15 quotations in the form phrase pieces; there are 2 quotations in the form of clause pieces; and the most dominant of code-mixing code occured is word pieces. 2) The dominant factor which causes the code-mixing by announcer of Radio Elria Buana Jambi is the identification of role which covers social and registral which is derived from three causes: a) the choice of language is adjusted with the condition of broadcasting program; b) the lack of English language ability of the announcer; c) the use of uncommon English language by the youth (unconventional).

Talking about emotions: Effects of emotion-focused interviewing on children’s physiological regulation of stress and discussion of the subjective elements of a stressful experience

This is the first study to examine the effect of questioning children about emotions and cognitions versus facts on children’s stress reactivity and regulation, as well as children’s abilities to discuss their subjective experiences, in the context of adult–child discussions about a stressful event. A total of 80 8- to 12-year-old children participated in a stressful laboratory task (i.e., Trier Social Stress Test). Following the task, half of the children were engaged in an emotion-focused conversation with an adult interviewer about the event, and half were engaged in a fact-focused conversation. Electrodermal and cardiac preejection activity and respiratory sinus arrhythmia were derived at baseline, during the laboratory stressor, and during the conversation to index stress reactivity and regulation. Children’s narratives were coded for indicators of emotion processing (i.e., positive and negative emotion words, cognitive words [e.g., think, know]). Children’s English language abilities, self-reported stress, and several parent-report measures (demographics, child life stress, and children’s emotion regulation strategies) were also obtained. Results indicate that the emotion-focused interview facilitated children’s discussions of their subjective experiences without increasing their stress reactivity and that children showed enhanced physiological stress regulation during the emotion-focused interview. This research will be of interest to those in the fields of child narratives, stress, and social context as well as to parents and practitioners interested in improving children’s understanding, reporting, and recovery after stressful experiences.

Connective Use in Academic Writing by Students With Language Learning Disabilities From Diverse Linguistic Backgrounds

The aims of the current project included to (a) describe the use of connectives in written language samples by fifth grade students, (b) examine differences in connective use between groups who differed in English proficiency and exceptionalities, and (c) examine the predictive relationship between connective measures and writing quality ratings. Investigators utilized written expository responses of 1,128 students in fifth grade who differed in English proficiency and language ability. The sample included 214 English learners and 144 students with language learning disabilities (LLD). Group differences were examined in the use of advanced connective words in academic writing. Regression analysis was used to examine connective measures as predictors of overall writing quality rating. Students with LLD used advanced connectives less frequently than their peers and demonstrated less variety in their connective word use. Two connective measures (total number of advanced connectives and the ratio of connectives) were significant predictors of writing quality. Findings support the need for additional efforts to improve the use of cohesive devices in academic writing for students with LLD to minimize achievement gaps.