English Language Teaching Department Research Articles

Exploring the impacts of academic writing instruction on the use of academic writing norms and conventions: A qualitative study

This study aimed to investigate postgraduate students’ perceptions regarding the impacts of academic writing instruction on the use of academic writing norms and conventions. Another purpose was to find out the students’ difficulties in the use of academic writing conventions when they write a research paper. The study was conducted adopting qualitative research design with a semi-structured interview format and textual analysis. The participants consisted of the postgraduate students in English Language teaching department at a state university. A 14-week course was delivered to teach the accurate use of academic writing conventions. The students were asked to write a summary of an article chosen by the instructor at the beginning and end of the semester. After the instruction, the data were obtained by interviewing the participants. The analysis of pre- and post-test summaries was used to support the interview findings. The results revealed that the participants benefitted from the academic writing instruction. They had generally positive attitudes toward receiving instruction in this respect. Based on the findings, it can be suggested that the postgraduate students have difficulties in academic writing; therefore, they need to receive comprehensive instruction, particularly to learn how to use academic writing conventions in their own disciplines.

Exploring how translanguaging and multimodal learning improve EFL students’ enjoyment and proficiency

Many studies have shown that translanguaging promotes inclusive and dynamic learning environments. However, little is known about multimodal techniques to improve student engagement and satisfaction. The present study aims to examine the impact of these combined strategies on student understanding, motivation, and identity construction in language acquisition. The study involved twenty students in the second semester of the English Language Education Department at a university in Bekasi, West Java, Indonesia. The data were garnered through a quantitative method using a questionnaire and a qualitative method using in-depth interviews. Out of the total number of participants, five students were selected for in-depth interviews to explore rich data on students' emotional, motivational, cognitive, and expressive responses to translanguaging. The data obtained from the questionnaire were analyzed statistically while the data obtained from the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results suggest that adding translanguaging and multimodal strategies to the learning environment promotes a more engaging and inclusive atmosphere, thereby enhancing student satisfaction and language proficiency. Conversely, complications were identified for students with diminished proficiency requiring further assistance. The research emphasizes the potential of translanguaging to enhance linguistic competence, student confidence, and motivation, indicating that it is a valuable pedagogical tool in EFL classrooms.

STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION OF DIGITAL TEXTS READING: A CASE STUDY AT THE ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF STKIP PGRI BANGKALAN

This study investigated what students' perceptions of reading digital texts and students' preferences for digital text reading. Data was gathered through observation, interviews, and documentation to accomplish this purpose. The interview aims to gather qualitative information about the participants' motivation and interests, the effectiveness of reading digital texts, any difficulties they may have had reading them, and whether they preferred reading print or digital texts. Four students enrolled in five semesters of the English Language Education Department at STKIP PGRI Bangkalan during the academic year 2023/2024 participated in this study. The results showed that the participants had a favorable opinion of reading digital materials because digital texts are more engaging and inspiring, and follow the standard reading format. The main obstacle for students in using digital texts is the less text displayed at once due to the limitations of smartphone screens.

THE VOICE OF ELT STUDENTS AT ISLAMIC COLLEGE ON ACADEMIC LIFE

Research shows that student voice might be an influencing factor in the future transformation and innovation of English language teaching (ELT). The voice has long been believed to be an instrument that could provide ELT practitioners and policymakers with meaningful feedback for the betterment of curricula, materials, and classroom practices. However, there are limited discussions exploring ELT student voice in such particular educational contexts as Islamic colleges. This article aims to contribute to our understanding of that rarely discussed voice with a particular focus on: (a) the students‟ best experience as English education students at an Islamic college; (b) the students‟ perceptions related to dress code and exams; and (3) the students‟ self- assessment of English language skills. This study presents a survey study on 278 students in the English language education department at an Islamic college in Lampung province, Indonesia. The data are drawn from a survey consisting of open-ended questions distributed to the respondents at the end of the semester. Data analysis was conducted qualitatively, ranging from preparing and organizing the data to interpreting the meaning of the data in line with the research questions and theoretical review. The findings reveal that among the students' best experiences were the Islamic atmosphere, affordable tuition fees, religious education, professional lecturers, and scholarship availability. The majority of students agreed with the dress code regulation and had problems with cheating on the final examinations. The findings also show that more than half of the respondents are not sure about their English competency. This study offers important implications for English teacher education in Islamic educational contexts.

BETWEEN TEACHING STYLES AND ENGLISH SUBJECT: A GENDER-BASED ANALYSIS.

The problem of this research is to examine the differences in teaching styles of female and male lecturers. This research discusses the differences in male and female lecturers teaching styles from the perspective of EFL students in the English Language Education Department at Universitas PGRI Adi Buana Surabaya. . This study is qualitative study because this research is phenomenological-based analysis from a case in gender teaching style of lecturers.male lecturers were characterized having a firm character by EFL students during the interviews. The female instructors ask college students if the content they are given is clear and acceptable, and they do it in a flexible and friendly style. There may be differences in the pedagogy employed by male and female instructors. Studies indicate that female instructors are often more systematic thorough, and patient. In contrast, male instructors typically tie general knowledge to their lessons in an authoritative, firm, yet enjoyable manner, making learning more engaged.

A Holistic Needs Analysis for Developing Critical Reading Material to Enhance EFL Reading Proficiency

This study delves into the development of critical reading material for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) reading classes through a comprehensive need analysis. Employing the Four D model encompassing defining, designing, developing, and disseminating, the research process unfolded in distinct phases. The initial phase involved a preliminary investigation at the English Language Education Department of Muhammadiyah Purworejo University to discern students' challenges within real-time learning contexts. Subsequently, a prototype of the needs analysis was formulated based on the findings from the preliminary study. Validation of this needs analysis occurred through consultation with two experts and field testing to ascertain the questionnaire's efficacy. The validation process revealed a high feasibility rate (85%) in assessing students' needs. Additionally, a preliminary field test involving 30 students from the English Language Education Department at Muhammadiyah Purworejo University was conducted to evaluate the questionnaire's practicality. The outcomes of the needs analysis served as a foundational framework for the development of critical reading materials, subsequently utilized in EFL reading classes.

Investigating Alumni Performances and Stakeholder Feedback of English Language Teaching Department, IAIN Syekh Nurjati Cirebon: A Tracer Study

Investigating Alumni Performances and Stakeholder Feedback of English Language Teaching Department, IAIN Syekh Nurjati Cirebon: A Tracer Study

Cognitive Test Anxiety and Academic Performance of Undergraduate Students in Istanbul

Test anxiety has become a grueling burden, especially for students in the competitive world. As a result, contextualization of anxiety in education has been retaining the attention and demands of educators and psychologists so far. A student’s GPA in academic life is one of the crucial and numerical indicators of academic achievement. This present study endeavors to investigate the potential distinctions between the level of cognitive test anxiety of students in English Language Teaching (ELT) and English Language Literature (ELL) departments and their cumulative GPA (out of 4,00). Also, the second goal of this investigation is to delve into the possible significant differences marked between gender and students’ cognitive test anxiety levels. This investigation presents some sources to explicate test anxiety and students’ GPAs before presenting the main data results from a variety of studies. Finally, the Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale was employed by the researchers, so 60 English Language Teaching students and 46 English Language and Literature students showed their participation (N= 106) on Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale items. Following this part, this research is finalized with the conclusion, which includes an analysis of data results and an examination of relevant research findings. In the conclusion part, it can be seen that Cognitive Test Anxiety scores and students’ departments showed salient differences; however, Cognitive Test Anxiety and participants’ genders have similar points to each other. Moreover, there was no correlation detected between their GPAs and their levels of Cognitive Test Anxiety. However, both students’ GPAs scores and their departments and their GPAs’ and genders show some differences.

LMS-supported HyFlex clinical supervision model: Illuminating perspectives from teacher candidates in the department of English language teaching

This study presents a HyFlex Clinical Supervision Model supported by a Learning Management System (LMS). The model is designed to facilitate a seamless transition from face-to-face to remote education, particularly in unforeseen circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary aim is to understand the mode preferences of teacher candidates for various aspects of the teaching process, including receiving feedback on lesson plans, structuring teaching sessions, observation, being observed, and receiving feedback after teaching sessions during mentoring activities. The study included 58 fourth-year teacher candidates who were enrolled in English Language Teaching departments across six state universities in five regions in Turkey. Data was collected through an online questionnaire using Google Forms and interviews conducted via Zoom. The study uncovered diverse preferences among teacher candidates with regards to teaching sessions, observation methods, and feedback. The HyFlex clinical supervision model proposed is adaptable to both traditional and remote practicum settings.

EFL Student-Teachers’ Perception Toward Teaching English Vocabulary Through Poetry

Poetry has been reported to promote language awareness and authentic learning sources. As poems are composed in carefully arranged words to form rhyming sounds with beautiful rhythm, the present study aimed to reveal EFL students' perceptions of using poetry to teach English vocabulary. Conducted qualitatively, the present observed eighty-seven short essays on using English poems for improving students' vocabulary written by student-teachers from an English Language Education Department in Bali. It was revealed that the student-teachers perceived poetry to help improve students' acquisition of word form, use, and meaning. Forty-four students wrote poems that could improve students' understanding of English word forms: twenty-three students argued that poetry could improve students' pronunciation. Twenty-one participants believed poems could improve students' spelling. In terms of word meaning, a total of thirty vouched for the use of poetry for introducing figurative languages (twenty-three students), enhancing students' acquisition of colloquial vocabulary (eleven students), and familiarizing students with unfamiliar words (eleven participants). A total of nine students insisted that poems could be used to improve students' word use, whereas six students believed poems could display grammatical functions. At the same time, three participants recognize the use of poems for acquainting students with collocations. These results imply that future EFL teachers recognize the potential of bringing English poetry as a medium for improving their EFL students'' vocabulary, hinting at the need for further research on the systematic procedure of how to implement poetry into EFL classrooms.

Analyzing The Speaking Anxiety of The Sixth Semester Students of English Language Education Department

In our globalized era, English has become the predominant language for communication. While mastering English speaking is essential, many students grapple with speaking anxiety. This research paper delves into the challenges students face in acquiring speaking skills and the strategies employed for overcoming them. Using a qualitative approach with a descriptive study method, the aim is to comprehend and articulate these issues. Data collection involved student questionnaires. Results reveal varying levels of speaking anxiety at Universitas Tanjungpura, with prevalent strategies for mitigation including increased practice, self-control, and preparation. These findings hold implications for educators and institutions, suggesting a need to tailor support and interventions to enhance students' English-speaking proficiency. Recognizing and addressing these challenges can contribute to more effective language education strategies in a globalized academic environment.Keywords: English language education students, speaking anxiety

Breadth or depth: The perceptions of Turkish ELT academics in terms of academic specialization: A qualitative analysis of challenges and affordances

The constant accumulation of knowledge forces academics to branch out into further sub-domains within a specific scientific area, requiring more specialization. The same is true for English Language Teaching (ELT) departments, especially in Türkiye, since some twenty years ago ELT academics were expected to know all about the process of language teaching ranging from testing to methodology. Türkiye has experienced an explosion of universities with the ‘one university in each province’ initiative. This brought about a huge number of universities and newly-opened ELT departments. Another factor that triggered the present study is the increasing competence of ELT professionals in Türkiye which is reflected in the increasing number of publications in internationally acclaimed platforms including journals or edited books. This expansion calls for an examination of how ELT professionals view specialization. Therefore, in the present study, I report on the eleven semi-structured interviews conducted with ELT professionals with varying degrees of experience in Türkiye on the topic of specialization. The ELT professionals in the study listed publication / academic output, thesis supervision, and practical application as merits of specialization. The ELT professionals stated that collaboration should be increased, and a meticulous needs analysis and planning process should be conducted to ensure specialization. Finally, the ELT professionals stated that we need experts in testing and evaluation as well as language teaching methodology.

Exploring student perspectives in amplifying students' speaking skills on English for hospitality internship

This research focuses on the experiences of hospitality internships in amplifying speaking skills. In particular, the objective of this research is to examine the students’ perspectives in the hospitality program on enhancing speaking skills as well as the challenges they face and their solutions to these challenges. Qualitative research methods, including questionnaires and observations, were used to gather data from students in the English Language Education Department at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang, Indonesia. There were 28 students enrolled in COE English for Hospitality Program, who participated in the study. The results showed that students' opinions about their experiences with speaking education during their hospitality internships varied. Additionally, challenges in hospitality internships encompass three main areas: delivery, language, and interaction. Some strategies were also provided to assist in overcoming the difficulties identified. It is accordingly advocated that teachers and students need to prepare better in terms of delivery, language, and interaction. hospitality internships can be implemented in the class and Internship programs.

Rhetorical Styles of the Theoretical Framework in Thesis Reports of English Language Education Students: Problems and Suggested Actions

This paper began with concerns about the lacks of sharp rhetorical styles in writing, the methods of citing references, and the formulations of theories and arguments within the conceptual framework in thesis reports written by students of the English Language Education Department. The study was carried out to explain the rhetorical styles of students’ theoretical framework in their thesis report, to reveal weaknesses or the lack of strong arguments in conveying ideas in a straightforward and structured manner, and to suggest actions to prevent the problem form reoccurring in the future. The data were collected from the final project manuscripts written by students of the English Education Study Program, totaling 110 works. The analysis followed the stages of data collection, data display, data reduction and drawing conclusions. The general results of the research showed that the students did not include too many elements of critical thinking in their thesis literature review. In general, they used attribution quite excessively (78%), followed by elements of establishing links between sources (15%), and comparing their own findings or interpretations with other sources 4%. Meanwhile, the elements of application, evaluation, and statement of use had the smallest portion, each 1%. Problems found in the sample were listed based on the comparison between the data and the standard commonly used to regulate the procedure of writing a scientific paper. Recommendations were then formulated which can be used as guidelines for final project writers or any other parties related to writing scientific papers in general; they are training students of the importance of using all rhetorical styles in their citation when preparing a strong conceptual framework.

An Analysis of Turkish EFL Students’ Writing Errors

Various errors come out during writing as it is a highly complicated skill and requires higher-order thinking skills to activate the cognitive processes. Determining these errors is crucial for eliminating them. Mostly preferred way for determining them is performing an Error Analysis (EA). Hence, employing a screening model, the study aimed to reveal types, categories, and sources of errors in Turkish EFL students’ writings as well as to explore potential differences in error frequencies based on their departments and genders by performing an EA. The data obtained from the research were analyzed through document analysis. The sample of the study included 42 students studying at ELT and ELL departments of a state university in Türkiye. All of them were in English preparatory classes and at B2 level. They were asked to write an essay in 150-250 words about one of the given topics. The error analysis revealed a total of 962 errors in Turkish EFL students’ writings. The errors were gathered under three types: grammatical, semantical, and mechanical errors. Among these, grammatical errors were the most prevalent, encompassing a wide range of categories including verb/tense errors, article errors, preposition errors, and others. Semantical errors, involving word choice, coherence, and ambiguity, followed next in frequency. Mechanical errors namely spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and contractions, were also prominent. The current study sought to explore whether there were statistically significant differences in error frequencies between students majoring in English Language Teaching (ELT) and English Language and Literature (ELL), as well as between female and male students. The analysis demonstrated that there were statistically no significant differences between the error frequencies of ELT and ELL students. On the other hand, a statistically significant difference was observed between error frequencies of female and male students. Female students produced less errors compared to the male ones.

SÖZCÜK DAĞARCIĞI BÜYÜKLÜĞÜ, SÖZCÜK ÇEŞİTLİLİĞİ, SÖZCÜK YOĞUNLUĞU VE İNGİLİZCE YAZMA PUANLARI: KESİTSEL BİR ÇALIŞMA

Vocabulary plays a crucial role in language learning, especially in the context of second language (L2) acquisition. Understanding a word involves grasping its form, meaning, and usage, making vocabulary knowledge pivotal for both receptive and productive L2 skills. This study aims to assess vocabulary size, lexical density, and lexical diversity in argumentative essays written by Turkish English Language Teaching (ELT) students and explore their correlation with writing scores. The data, comprising 309 essays from 165 first-year and 144 fourth-year students at Anadolu University's ELT Department, were analyzed using the LFP to estimate students' productive vocabulary size, vocd-D for lexical diversity, and a lexical density formula. The results revealed that only lexical diversity had a significant correlation with first-year students' essay scores, explaining 7.8% of their performance. However, in the case of fourth-year essays, no significant effects of the variables were observed. Additionally, while the variables accounted for 8.7% of vocabulary scores in first-year essays, they did not significantly explain fourth-year essays' vocabulary scores. Therefore, this study suggests that while lexical features are important, they are not the sole determinants of writing scores.

The Students’ Perception towards the Use of Icebreakers, Warmers, and Energizers in EFL Classrooms: A Tertiary Study

This study examines first-year students’ perceptions in the English Language Teaching Department at Tishk International University regarding using icebreakers, warmers, and energizers in the classroom. The research aims to assess the effectiveness of these activities in enhancing student engagement and participation, as well as their impact on the overall learning experience. The study contributes valuable insights into the practical applicability of these techniques in an educational setting. Additionally, the positive perceptions of the students underscore the potential of these activities in establishing a favorable and comfortable learning environment. Data were collected through surveys and interviews, employing both quantitative and qualitative methods. For the quantitative aspect, 32 participants (10 males & 22 females) were surveyed, while the qualitative segment involved interviews with 10 students (five males & five females) at Tishk International University. The study’s results indicate that the overwhelming majority of students hold a positive perception of the use of these activities. They view them as beneficial for creating a relaxed and comfortable learning atmosphere, fostering interaction and collaboration among classmates, and boosting motivation and interest in the language. The study suggests that incorporating these activities into EFL classrooms can significantly enhance the overall student learning experience and contribute to a more dynamic and interactive classroom environment. The findings are consistent with existing literature in the field.

Students’ Perception of LINE Webtoon Application and Its Impact on Their English Reading Habits and Skills

Reading is one of the basic English language skills that has not been mastered by all students. On the other hand, reading media determines the frequency of reading habits and the improvement of reading skills. LINE Webtoon application, one of the digital literacy platforms, allows for comfortable and enjoyable reading on computers, tablets, and mobile devices. However, unfortunately, the LINE Webtoon application as a reading medium has not been widely used in the process of teaching and learning English reading. This study investigated students’ perceptions of using LINE Webtoon and how it influenced their English reading habits and skills. Six students from the English Language Education Department at a private university in Yogyakarta were involved. The qualitative design was applied with interviews for the data collection process. The interview results described students’ reading experience using LINE Webtoon. The findings revealed students’ interest in reading content in the app due to the attractive illustrations, the use of easy-to-understand and simple language, and the correlation of story with everyday life. The interview results also presented changes in students’ reading habits as things go about reading stories on LINE Webtoon: increasing their reading routines, reading duration, vocabulary collection, and grammar knowledge. Reading English stories through the LINE Webtoon app has positive effects on enhancing students’ reading habits and reading skills. This research implies that the development of English reading curriculum should involve various innovative and effective digital literacy platforms for the enhancement of English reading habit and skills.

Preservice English teachers’ burnout levels and motivations to choose the teaching career

This study aims to investigate preservice English teachers’ motivations for choosing the teaching career, and their student burnout levels. The correlation between these variables, and the participants’ perspectives about student burnout reasons in English Language Teaching departments were examined. The sample consisted of 466 preservice English teachers at two different state universities in Türkiye. This study adopted a concurrent mixed method study design, and the data were gathered via a questionnaire, an inventory, and a structured interview. The quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive and correlation analyses, while qualitative data were subjected to qualitative content analysis. The findings suggested that the participants’ most frequent motivations for choosing the teaching career were intrinsic motivations, yet their burnout levels were high. The participants’ career motivations correlated negatively with their burnout levels. Participants mostly reported assignments, difficulty of courses, and oral presentations as their burnout reasons. At the end of this paper, the individuals desiring to study ELT were recommended to have strong motivations to study ELT and be aware of its heavy workload.

Lecturers’ Perception of Moodle-based LMS in Speaking Class

Background: 
 Many Indonesian universities use Moodle-based LMS as suggested by the Ministry of Education. The study aimed at examining English Speaking course lecturers’ perception of Moodle-based LMS. Two important questions to dig out lecturers’ perceptions included supporting features in Moodle LMS preferred by lecturers in Speaking courses and how they perceive Moodle as the main LMS for Speaking courses.
 Methodology: 
 Qualitative descriptive was utilized. Three Speaking course lecturers of English Language Education Department were selected based on some criteria. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. The interview questions covered benefits of Moodle-based LMS in speaking class, support of LMS in learning speaking and learning autonomy, and possible problems during the use of LMS. The data were then transcribed into textual forms and analyzed narratively.
 Findings: 
 Several menus preferred by lecturers were assignment, page, and quiz. There were also less preferred menus on Moodle, including video conference, attendance, and writing-oriented activities (i.e., chat and forum) menus. It is also found that participants held both positive and negative views towards Moodle.
 Conclusion: 
 Major findings of the study suggest that Moodle offered a number of menus that were considered beneficial for the participants in conducting their classes. Generally, they also held positive perceptions towards the LMS and suggest some room for improvement for the LMS.
 Originality: 
 Little attention has been paid to Moodle-based LMS is carried out and the lecturers’ perception on its implementation in the speaking classes. Thus, the current study is deemed necessary.