English Language Learning Experience Research Articles

English Language Learning Experience Among Iban Secondary ESL learners in A Rural Area

English language learning has become a rising topic in the Malaysian Education system as it is unable to develop fluent users among Malaysians. This leads to a question on what are the reasons behind the retardation of Ministry of Education Malaysia regarding the learning of English as a Second Language (ESL) in the country. Hence, this study was carried out to explore English language learning experienced by Iban secondary ESL learners in Saratok, Sarawak, as the ethnic is one of the majority population in Malaysia. This is a case study, and the data were gained through semi-structured interview sessions. A set of interview questions comprise of 2 sections were distributed. English language learning and the process involved while acquiring and learning the language at school were explored among three Iban secondary ESL learners. the finidgins revealed that the Iban learners had a positive attitude towards English language learning by applying various strategies while learning the language in supportive and convenience classroom’s environment. The findings of this study benefit the language teachers as their source of reference in planning their lesson by selecting appropriate approaches and strategies that cater to learners’ needs and preferences to facilitate their learning of English language.

Second Language Anxiety Among Undergraduate Learners of English Language in Sri Lanka: A Gender Based Study

Second language anxiety is a common phenomenon among English language learners of different native languages. Beliefs regarding English language and learning English as a second language have been a major cause of anxiety for many language learners. The goal of the study is to identify whether gender of the learners has an impact on their anxiety levels when learning English as a Second Language. The secondary objective of this study is to investigate the causes of anxiety among the learners. To inspect whether learners’ beliefs in language cause second language anxiety, Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory (BALLI), introduced by Horwitz in 1983, was distributed among fifty female and fifty male first year undergraduates of University of Kelaniya. Twenty participants from each gender group were randomly selected for unstructured interviews, to gather further information regarding their English language learning experience. The findings of the study have been analysed through a mixed approach which consisted of both qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods. The analysed data revealed that the anxiety levels of female undergraduate learners and the male undergraduates have no substantial difference; however, it was also disclosed that female learners were more enthusiastic in learning English as a Second Language when compared with the male learners. The study reveals that the learners from the both gender groups possess a significant level of anxiety due to the requirements of the job market and as most of the courses in Sri Lankan universities are carried out in English.

EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION AND LANGUAGE IMPROVEMENT THROUGH P2P INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS

In order to meet the needs of employers and to make students more employable Laurea University, Finland has developed an “experiential” educational model through project-based learning in English based around real business projects linking theory studied. The programme is a bachelors degree conducted with international exchange students from many different countries (including Turkey, Germany, Romania, Spain, China, Holland, Mexico, Japan, and Italy) within project teams. English is a second language to these students, but it is not known as to how and if their language develops during the programme. The study considers the “experiential” nature of both the programme and the language from a literature perspective then focusing particularly on the learning of English by the students without any formal teaching classes. The students participated within projects for one semester (via an exchange programme) during an academic period from August 2018 to May 2020. There is a quantitative empirical approach (using a written questionnaire) which was qualitative in nature (including open questions) which related to the assessment of the English language learning experience of 29 international exchange students. Their feedback via answers to written questions forms the basis of the study. Findings reveal that such an approach to language learning can be successful and was positive in the sense of flexibility, relevance and enjoyability as well as the easy access and help of technology. The students generally felt their language level had improved through informal discussions and by use of a language app connected to the project work. Also, some students felt that the “learning by doing” (through the projects) improved their language authenticity and application. However, some students felt their language learning would have further increased by the use of a “weekly relevant noun/adjective list” during the project meetings. The research overall shows that some language improvement can be achieved informally within an “experiential” educational model through project-based learning. Additionally, that can be within one semester and by students from different countries with different educational systems.
 
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Emotions in second language poetry writing: a poetic inquiry into Japanese EFL students’ language learning experiences

ABSTRACT Purpose: This poetic inquiry investigates second language (L2) learners’ experiences of English language learning and examines the role of emotions in the language learning process. Design/methodology: The methodology chosen in the current study is qualitative, case-study research through which 209 English poems written by twenty-one Japanese EFL college students were coded and categorized into several thematic issues. Findings: This study reveals fourteen different thematic issues and twenty-two different emotional responses regarding their English language learning experiences. Poetry illustrated here not only expresses their positive and negative emotions but also represents their challenges, desires, hardship, and failure in their language learning journey. Originality/value: This study also exemplifies how poetry writing as a form of ‘meaningful literacy’ (Hanauer 2012) can transform the traditional EFL classroom and provide some pedagogical and methodological implications for L2 poetry writing in the EFL context.

An Interviewer’s Reflection of Data Collection in Building an Archive of Language Learner Experiences

Interviewing is one of the most common data collection tools in qualitative research. It is widely discussed in research methods classes and literature and considered as an invaluable tool for gathering facts and feelings. In this paper, I reflect systematically on the first 270 interviews conducted for a large-scale investigation into the English language learning history of Hong Kong university students. I discuss how existing literature served as a guide to interviewing but once in the field, I reflect on how I adapted and improvised to improve my interviewing skills. I also analyze and discuss the strategies I employed to encourage undergraduates in Hong Kong universities to reveal aspects of their English language learning experiences and the methods that I used to limit personal influence. I benefitted from recording my progress and reflecting on the interview process internally and with peers and supervisors. I hope my autoethnographic-like style will give fellow researchers the freedom to reflectively explore themselves and their interviewing techniques.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF INSTRUMENT TO ASSESS STUDENTS' AFFECTIVE DOMAIN BASED ON SCIENTIFIC APPROACH IN ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (EFL) CLASSROOM

Purpose of the study: The objective of this research was to explain the results of the development of instruments to assess the students' affective based on scientific approaches in the EFL class.
 Methodology: This study used the ADDIE method that consists of five steps: (1) analyzing, (2) designing, (3) developing, (4) implementing, and (5) evaluating. There were some instruments of the research used to gather the data such as the expert's validation sheet and questionnaire. Statistical analyses used in this research were Alpha Cronbach, the test of normality Kolmogorov-Smirnov, the test of homogeneity Levene, the test of linearity, the test of correlational Pearson, test of regression, and Wilcoxon test.
 Main Findings: The result showed that the development of an instrument to evaluate students' affective based on scientific approach was considered by some items, e.g. phases in scientific approach, skills in English language teaching, learning experiences, affective aspects, and indicator of assessment. Finally, it can be stated that (1) the instrument was valid with the mean Score in rank between 1-124 is 114.8; (2) the instrument reliable with the Score is 0.754; (3) the instrument was tested with the Asymp. Sig score of 0.042.
 Applications of this study: This study proved that the instrument of affective assessment was valid, practice, and effective to be used by the English teachers in assessing the students' affective during the teaching and learning process at the EFL classroom.
 Novelty/Originality of this study: The success of a student is not only measured based on the cognitive aspect but also based on the affective aspect.

Challenging discourses of deficit: Understanding the vibrancy and complexity of multilingualism through language trajectory grids

The ‘multilingual turn’ has opened up a variety of creative, participatory methods for researchers and educators to explore language learners’ linguistic repertoires, language practices and resources, and linguistic experiences. In this article, we draw on data from the English as an additional language (EAL) secondary school classroom context where we use what we call ‘language trajectory grids’ to make visible EAL students’ English language learning experiences. The grid activity involves plotting learners’ emotions, practices, relationships, and life circumstances with their resources, practices and historical events onto a chronological grid. Using a narrative structure to make sense of learners’ grids and the ‘small stories’ (Barkhuizen, 2009) participants shared during the activity, we discuss the affordances of such devices in opening up space for teachers and learners to critically reflect on the complexities and vibrancy of contemporary multilingual language journeys; to recognize situational factors that influence dispositions towards language, language learning and identity; and as a powerful starting point for students and teachers to engage in ‘collaborative relations of power’.

An emergent English-mediated identity and a Chinese variety of WE

Abstract This paper will document an English-learning influenced transformation of self, as a shared experience amongst a community of its Chinese users. The study examines 84 English narratives on the English language learning (ELL) experience of undergraduate L1 speakers of Mandarin at three proficiency levels: Year II, Year III and Year IV. Identity, expressed in learners’ positioning on ELL, is assessed in its explicit, propositionally represented form, and its linguistically marked implicit counterpart. Implicit positioning is examined at the macro-discoursal level by acknowledging the choice of the narrative configuration, and therefore the perceptual mould, adopted for the capture of the ELL experience. It is also assessed at the micro-discoursal, sentential level in (1) the registered sense of agency over the learning, (2) the assumed responsibility for statements about the learning, and (3) the character of definition given to the learning. The cross-proficiency level assessment will show that overt and implicit positioning are in consonance in capturing a gradual adoption of an English-mediated access to the world, with resulting altered affiliations, affinities, and sense of being. The study traces the emergence of a Chinese community uniquely defined, in its own perception, by the use of the English language; hence its significance to the World Englishes enterprise.

A novice TESOL teacher’s professional identity and evolving commitment

Identity development is a challenge facing novice TESOL teachers that can threaten their commitment to teaching. This case study looks at multiple identities (Gee, 2000), situated activity systems (Engeström, 2015), and multiple components of organizational commitment (Meyer & Allen, 1991) to explain the identity development of a novice Iranian woman teacher of ESOL in a private language institute in Iran. Over a 12‐month period the researchers collected multiple spoken, written, and observed data sets on the teacher’s English language teaching and learning experiences. Influences on and turning points in the development of identity and commitment in the workplace are analyzed. The findings show that contradictions in the teacher and the activity system were transcended through actions that developed her identity, which in turn promoted her commitment. Implications and further studies are suggested about the interrelationships among identity, activity systems, and commitment, the kinds of activities that can promote identity development, and women language teachers in the Middle East and Muslim world.

The Use of WhatsApp in Collaborative Learning to Improve the Reading Skill Among University Students: A Case Study of Saudi Students of English at the University of Jeddah

Researchers have advocated collaborative learning and largely reported its evidenced advantages in learning a language. They have emphasized that students working collaboratively tend to learn language better and retain knowledge longer than when learning through any other instructional format (Johnson, Johnson, & Holubec, 1993). In addition, these researchers questioned which tool is most effective in the successful implementation of this kind of learning. In this respect, technology has been recommended as an effective tool that leads to higher language achievements (Almekhalfi & Almeqdadi, 2010). In more particular terms and given its popularity, the WhatsApp messenger application has been strongly advocated and highlighted as one of the most effective media for instruction that significantly contributes to the success of language learners (Cakir, 2015, as cited in Ta’amneh, 2017).Aiming to add to the growing literature about the integration of WhatsApp in education, this paper measures the impact of this application’s use for improving the reading skill of 30 Saudi male learners of English as a foreign language, as well as identifying their perceptions towards the English languagelearning experience after implementing WhatsApp in their learning. Data were gathered via pre- and post-tests as well as through a focused group interview. The findings proved the significant association between the use of WhatsApp and the improvement of the reading skills of the participants, who articulated a favourable attitude towards the use of WhatsApp as a tool for language learning.

Autobiographies: a Tool to Depict English Language Learning Experiences

This article contains a description of a research project carried out with a group of English Language Pre-service Teachers (ELPTs) of a state University in Bogotá, Colombia. The purpose of the study was to portray the experiences the ELPTs went through as English language learners, their feelings and insights as such. The main source to collect data was the autobiographies. The results show that the English language learners’ process of learning has a strong influence of the language policies connected to the National Program of Bilingualism. They also show that it is necessary to create a cumulative program of English for each phase of schooling in order to avoid overlapping and to provide a more motivating learning process.

Podcasts and English-Language Learning

There are three ways to use podcasts in education: accessing podcasts created by others, teacher-created podcasts, and student-created podcasts. This chapter focuses on the use of teacher-created and student-created podcasts in an English as a second language (ESL) class. Existing literature on the use of podcasts in learning primarily focuses on formal educational settings, while nontraditional students in freely available language programs provided by non-profit organizations (NPOs) remain unexplored. Thus, the authors examine how podcasting enhances immigrants' English language learning experience in an ESL course offered by an NPO that provides community services to immigrants in Canada. This chapter addresses pedagogical and organizational affordances and challenges of using podcasts in language learning and provides recommendations for their implementation in NPOs.

THE LINGUISTIC EXPERIENCES OF BI/MULTI-LINGUAL ACADEMICS AT A UK UNIVERSITY

With the internationalisation of higher education in the past decade, there have been dramatic changes in the profiles of staff and students in UK universities. These changes have brought about an increasing trend in research on “international” students and teachers who are speakers of English as an additional language (EAL) especially in TESOL. Nevertheless, there are few studies into the experiences of the academic staff as speakers of EAL who are working at a UK university. Therefore, my doctoral research examined the linguistic, professional and intercultural experiences of fifteen bi/multi-lingual academics from different disciplines in the internationalising contexts of higher education in the UK, and in this paper, I present their language-related experiences and challenges; particularly their perceptions of being an EAL speaker in the past and during their current teaching in the UK. The participants were interviewed with a semi-structured format through a phenomenological research journey which I have undergone as a first-person experience philosophically and which also enabled me to explore the participants’ experience per se from their perspectives methodologically. First, their views on English language learning (ELL) experiences, “native” and “non-native-like” use of English and the positioning of their own language use will be explored through their linguistic background. This will help understand how their attitudes and previous language experiences affect their perceptions of being an EAL speaker and interactions with people. Lastly, expressing their views on ELL experiences, I will elucidate the problems which impacted their use of language and ways of communication with other people, and their teaching among a mixed group of students from different sociocultural and linguistic backgrounds like themselves. These people included students, staff and local people, be they ‘English as a first language’ speakers or EAL speakers. Academics’ accounts revealed that their previous experiences of ELL played an important role in the linguistic, socio-cultural, psychological, intellectual and academic aspects of their lives. Their lives were affected by the view of English as a matter of gaining prestige and status. The quality of the English language education in the country of origin was another factor affecting their lives. These factors caused some to feel the fear of not being able to learn English and the attrition of the proficiency in the mother tongue. The academics’ views (except for Paul) showed that “nativeness” is not an important factor which puts them at a disadvantage while communicating; in contrast, being an EAL speaker may be quite an advantage to establish rapport and empathy with the international students they teach. Further language-related issues were associated with familiarity with colloquial language and vocabulary use, expressing emotion, humour and identity in L2, having different cultural expectations about communication and meaning-making/ being (un)able to read between lines. All in all, this paper accounts for the reasons behind the participants’ language performance and provides insights into their experiences and encounters in the early part of their transition to the life and university teaching in the UK. Article visualizations:

Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Resourcefulness in English Language Classrooms: Emerging possibilities through plurilingualism

Reports on refugee and migrant women in Australia show these women have low literacy in their first language, limited English language abilities, and minimal formal schooling. With major funding cuts to the adult migrant education sector and persistent public ‘deficit views’ of immigrant and refugee’s levels of literacy, approaches to teaching and learning in this sector require flexible views of language that embrace plurilingualism as a valuable resource within and outside of the socially-orientated ESL classroom. In this article, we present and discuss our findings from a study in which we co-taught English to immigrant and refugee women in a housing estate in Melbourne, Australia, and investigated the effects of a plurilingual view on the women’s English language learning experience and communication skills. Drawing on recorded classroom dialogues, observation notes, and worksheets produced by the women, we demonstrate the extraordinary plurilingual resourcefulness immigrant and refugee women bring to the challenge of learning to communicate in English. Our aim is not to promote a particular teaching approach, but to suggest the value of ongoing critical reflection on the underpinning ideas of plurilingualism for immigrant and refugee learner groups such as those we experienced in our own classroom interactions.

Students' Evaluation of their English Language Learning Experience

In the field of English language teaching and learning, there is a long history of investigating students’ performance while they are undergoing specific learning programmes. This research study, however, focused on students’ evaluation of their English language learning experience after they have completed their programme. The data were gathered from 20 semi-structured interviews with 10 ‘good’ students and 10 ‘weak’ students emphasizing on factors which contributed to their proficiency level, preferred teaching approaches and learning strategies as well as their overall learning experience. The qualitative analysis indicated some different views between the ‘good’ and the ‘weak’ students in terms of their proficiency level and the contributing factors to their success (or lack of) in learning English. They however, shared similar opinion on preferred teaching approaches, learning strategies and classroom experience. The results have implications for pedagogy as they highlight some insights which may facilitate success in English language learning.

A language teacher’s agency in the development of her professional identities: A narrative case study

ABSTRACTThis narrative case study examined how a Hispanic language teacher invested agency while developing professional identities in different contexts. A recursive analysis of interviews and journal entries indicated that the participant’s English language learning experience, the discrimination and marginalization in the work environments, and the knowledge gained through graduate studies all shaped her agency and professional identities development. The findings highlight the complex links among and significant roles of ethnic and racial background, past experience, and power differentials in shaping the dynamic nature of teacher agency and identities.

EXPANDING THE MICROSYSTEM IN THE ECOLOGY OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT THEORY BASED ON THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING EXPERIENCES OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN MALAYSIA

Bronfenbrenner’s (1977; 1986; 1994) Ecology of Human Development Theory has placed a few groups of people in the microsystem level (the innermost circle) to have influence on the development of a person. This paper puts forth a proposition of altering the groups of people in conjunction with globalization. This is so due to the movement of people to other countries in the pursuance of knowledge. Through a qualitative paradigm, the data from a study on the international students’ English language learning experiences show that for these students, the groups of people who have been helpful in their quest to learn the English language are their friends, teachers/lecturers, other international students and even anyone who is able to converse in the English language. The interviews and online postings of 9 international students studying in Malaysia reveal that the family members, who have been rated as playing the biggest role in the development of a person in Bronfenbrenner’s theory, are considered as ‘unhelpful’ in the students’ journey to learn the English language. Thus, globalisation is a phenomenon that can bring in various elements that might cause alteration – expansion to even a long withstanding theory. This brings only richness to the education world.

The Need for Ability Grouping in English Classes in Public Schools in the UAE

"Lack of English proficiency among secondary school graduates is a significant issue in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as English is the medium of instruction in federal universities. Due to this, one-third of the UAE government’s university budget is spent on remedial courses that seek to develop the English-language skills of incoming university students (Salem & Swan, 2014). This policy paper examines research conducted in 2014-2015 on the English language learning experiences of female students enrolled in the remedial Foundation program at a federal institute in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. The results of the study indicate that the UAE’s current class grouping policy at the secondary school level disadvantages lower-performing students and needs to be reexamined. This paper recommends that the current policy be revised to group students in English classes according to their English-language abilities."

Connections between learning and teaching: EFL teachers’ reflective practice

ABSTRACTThis study explores six Vietnamese, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ reflections on their experiences of English language learning during the early 1980s to the late 1990s. Data collected in narrative interviews with the participating teachers revealed a wide range of issues that arose during their EFL learning, central to which was the prevalence of grammar-focused practices in all EFL classes. From their perspectives as EFL teachers today, the participants see their learning experience as a way of learning to teach. In particular, they pinpoint the negative aspects of language teaching at that time in the hope that their teaching practice today will not repeat the same mistakes. However, they also reflect on positive aspects, especially their influential teachers, to inform their teaching. Based on the findings, the study suggests that language teachers’ experience of language learning should be considered part of reflective teaching as well as of teachers’ trajectories of learning to teach.

A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK TO EXPLORE THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING EXPERIENCES OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN MALAYSIA

This conceptual paper addresses the information lacuna in the amalgamation between the areas of language learning strategies and international students in Malaysia. Malaysia is considered a hybrid or mixed setting environment where English as a Second Language (ESL) meets English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Thus in dissecting the big areas of language learning strategies and international students in relation to Malaysia, it gives rise to four notions – hybrid environment, agency, out-of-class language learning strategies and acculturation strategies. Underpinned by tenets derived from four flagship theories/model – Experiential Learning Theory by Kolb, Sociocultural Theory by Vygotsky, Social Cognitive Theory by Bandura, and Second Language Acquisition Model by Ellis – a framework is conceptualised. The conceptual framework elucidates the interplay of the four notions and their connections which will inform the main purpose of the study that is to explore the English language learning experiences of the international students in Malaysia.