English Language Practices Research Articles

A Personalized Teaching System for College English Based on Big Data and Artificial Intelligence

In the ultra-modern digital age, the schooling sector is experiencing a transformative shift driven by the convergence of massive records and artificial Intelligence (AI). This paper offers a singular initiative—a ”personalised teaching machine for university English” that harnesses the electricity of these technologies to revolutionise how English language practice is delivered at the college level. The system is designed to address the various ways of gaining knowledge of the desires of students and adapting dynamically to their talent degrees, styles, and possibilities. The centre of this device lies in its capability to collect, technique, and analyse extensive amounts of records associated with students’ language acquisition journey. By leveraging massive statistics techniques, the machine captures and interprets college students’ interactions with direct materials, assignments, exams, and peer interactions. Concurrently, the latest AI algorithms, which include herbal Language Processing (NLP) and gadget learning (ML), are employed to create a responsive and smart learning environment. The system tailors mastering pathways for personal college students, ensuring they get hold of content material and sporting events aligned with their cutting-edge scalability stages. Ordinary formative checks are performed to gauge college students’ progress, taking into consideration timely interventions and changes in teaching techniques. This progressive customised coaching device for university English now not only enhances language proficiency but additionally promotes self-directed getting-to-know and empowers educators with information-pushed insights. The amalgamation of large facts and AI promises to reshape English language education’s panorama, paving the way for an extra personalised, green, and effective pedagogical method in university settings. In conclusion, this study illuminates the transformative ability of harnessing massive records and AI in schooling, with precise relevance to language instruction. The machine is a pioneering model for personalised, adaptive, and information-centric teaching methodologies in higher training.

Growing up bilingual through a pandemic: Children’s language exposure, proficiency, social identities, and competences pre- and post-lockdowns

Aims and objectives: There were already calls for more longitudinal research on younger bilinguals before the COVID-19 pandemic, which added another layer of complexity to their development. This study followed the language and social-developmental outcomes of primary-school pupils before and after the pandemic lockdowns, specifically examining changes in language exposure and proficiency and social identities and competences. Design and methodology: Eighty-eight mostly British-born English-dominant pupils (initial ages 4–9), including a subset ( N = 19) who attended heritage language (HL) complementary schools (CS), were assessed in 2019 (Time1), and reassessed in 2021 (Time2) after a 2020 time point was interrupted by school closures. Data and analysis: Individual interviews, at each time point, used measures for perceived language proficiency and exposure, ethnic/heritage and British/national identities, social competences and family affluence (FA), for exploring changes over the pandemic. At Time2, measures on pandemic-period learning engagement were included to explore their possible effects. Findings and conclusions: Controlling for age and FA, children reported lower social competences at Time2 compared with Time1. At both time points, CS-attendees reported higher HL proficiency than did non-attendees, who reported a larger Time1–Time2 decline in HL exposure. Pandemic-period HL learning hours were associated with change in cognitive competence. Hierarchical regression models showed that Time1–Time2 change in heritage identification was individually explained by change in HL proficiency, and change in British identification by change in English proficiency, which also contributed to changes across all social competences. Originality: There has been little systematic research on how the pandemic impacted HL, with most studies focusing on English skills or family language practice. This research indicates the longitudinal trajectories of bilingual children’s social development over a period of unprecedented education and homelife disruptions. Significance and implications: While the pandemic variables did not directly contribute to outcomes, findings implicate challenges in maintaining HL exposure, which supports proficiency and identity formation. Recommendations for school-based practice with educators and communities are discussed.

Application of Clustering Algorithm in the Evaluation of College Students' English Reading Ability Under the Framework of Big Data

In recent years, China has accelerated the process of internationalization and made more and more achievements in transnational communication and cooperation. English learning is very important for contemporary college students. And English reading is an important means to acquire English language knowledge, understand external information and improve English language practice ability. Therefore, cultivating college students' English reading ability is a pivotal element in college English teaching. This study will focus on the application of clustering algorithm based on big data framework in the evaluation of college students' English reading ability, aiming at exploring and establishing an effective evaluation model to promote the improvement of college students' English reading ability and academic achievement.

Teachers’ Perception and Practice of English Language Teaching Following CLT Approach in Times of Crisis

The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of teachers’ perception and their perceived practice of instructional strategies in the implementation of English language teaching following Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach online in two Chinese universities amid the Covid-19 pandemic crisis. The mixed methodology of quantitative and qualitative approaches in crisis management was employed in this study. The data was collected from forty college English teachers through survey questionnaire, a case study, and semi-structured phone-call interview. The findings revealed that almost teachers’ perception and practice had a noticeably positive correlativity with the characteristics of CLT approach, directly manifesting that the three intricate characteristics of online CLT approach: learner-centered approach; four English language skills linked together in teaching process; and authentic materials promoted. Additionally, online group discussion; pair work; and presentation to whole class they’ve experienced are prominently tied. Nevertheless, some online problems and obstacles were likewise illustrated in the crisis management, which probed to be difficultly operated in prolific English language teaching class online: large online class size; lack of students’ active participation; and little time to prepare teaching materials. Pedagogical Implications for the study are that teachers’ perception and practice within the characteristics of CLT approach amid the crisis have meaningful effects on online ELT development in higher education as well as the exhibited issues in class operation profoundly requires consideration to be kept from in college class.

Perspectives Of Elf Students Towards the Listening Skill

This study aimed to describe EFL students' difficulties in listening skills in a public high school in Ambato, Ecuador. The sample involved 52 participants who are in the second year of baccalaureate with a majority of A1 English level learners. The instrument for collecting data was a survey that answered a Likert-type scale applied to know their current academic situation and their difficulties in listening. Results showed the listening difficulties and displayed that students could improve their language competencies from their perspectives. Moreover, students answered questions where findings showed that learners worked consciously about listening activities development. Finally, students' perspectives presented in the survey determined their second language acquisition and development difficulties. Outcomes have demonstrated that research is significant for EFL teachers, investigators, and students. Thus, this investigation is beneficial for subsequent innovations to apply it in lesson plans and improve their listening competencies' English language practice.

Literacies in the English classroom: leveraging and extending the linguistic repertoire of all students

In countries such as Australia, the bi/multilingual student demographic is increasing. Bi/multilingual students are commonly learning alongside monolingual students and also Indigenous and first-and-second-generation immigrant students who have a great range of exposure to heritage languages. In this article, we explore how literacies and language variation can be drawn together in order to support teachers’ navigation of linguistic diversity in the English classroom. More specifically, we discuss how linguistic variation can be an explicit focus, and how extending students’ linguistic repertoire can be an end in itself. If home language resources are solely considered to be a scaffold for standardised English language practices at school, or a way to transition students to English, they are not applicable to monolingual (in English) students nor students who have grown up speaking English as well as another home language. This orientation does not do justice to the learning potential related to linguistic diversity. We propose that the embedding of language variation in literacies and multimodality, digital multimodal composing in particular, is a way to address the intrinsic value of developing students’ linguistic repertoire as a whole.

Lack of Self-confidence in Speaking English language Fluently of English Language Teachers at Public Basic Schools in Erbil

This research investigates the pivotal role of self-confidence in fostering success in acquiring a second language, with a specific emphasis on the proficiency in the English language exhibited by elementary school English teachers in Erbil, Kurdistan. The study seeks to identify the impediments that hinder language educators from attaining fluency in spoken English and delves into the ways in which self-confidence exerts influence over their journey in language acquisition. Employing a quantitative research approach, a questionnaire was administered to a cohort of 41 elementary school English teachers hailing from diverse backgrounds and representing 41 distinct public schools during the academic year of 2021. The analysis of the data hinged on Likert scales applied to assess various variables, ultimately revealing several noteworthy barriers. These barriers encompassed a dearth of motivation, the practice of code-switching between Kurdish and English in classroom communication, inadequate opportunities for English language practice, both within and outside the classroom setting, alongside challenges linked to grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.

Teachers’ Perception and Practice of English Language Teaching Following CLT Approach in Chinese Higher Education - A Study of Two Higher Educational Institutions in China

the purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of teachers’ perception and practice of English language teaching in the implementation of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach in two Chinese universities, which was conducted with three pragmatic purposes: 1). to investigate teachers’ perception on the characteristics of CLT approach used in English language teaching; 2). to identify teachers’ perceived practice of instructional strategies with CLT approach in helping students develop their communicative language skills; 3). to explore the problems and obstacles in the midst of English language teaching with it. The mixed methodology of (Quant +qual) approaches was employed in this study. The data was collected from forty college English teachers who were working at the Department of Applied English through survey questionnaire, a case study, and semi-structured phone-call interview. The findings revealed that almost teachers’ perception and practice had a noticeably positive correlativity with the characteristics of CLT approach in ELT, directly manifesting that the three intricate characteristics and instructional strategies of CLT approach in practice as they’ve frequently perceived highly related to the improvement of students’ English language communication skills, respectively. Nevertheless, some problems and obstacles were likewise illustrated, which probed to be difficultly operated in prolific English language teaching class within CLT approach. Implications for the study are that teachers’ perception and practice of ELT with the characteristics of CLT approach have meaningful effects on ELT development in Chinese higher education as well as the exhibited issues in class operation profoundly requires consideration to be kept from in college class.

Developing Online Laboratory as an English Learning Media for Muhammadiyah Schools in Bantul Regency

The Online Language Lab is an innovation aimed at revitalizing English language practice activities in schools, replacing the analog language labs that have long been abandoned by many schools in Indonesia. It is known that English language learning focused only on materials such as reading, pronunciation, and speaking without practice can hinder students' ability to communicate effectively in English. We have successfully developed an internet-based Online Language Lab by combining several supporting technologies, including Learning Management System (LMS), speech to text converter, text to speech converter, p5 JavaScript library, Moodle app, and SCORM, to create an interactive online language lab. Students can learn English independently with learning modules tailored to their respective abilities. Our Online Language Lab system has been tested in a school to measure its usability, and the results were very positive. In addition, we also conducted experiments to assess the feasibility of our system and the results showed that it can be implemented widely in various schools in Indonesia. It is expected that with the Online Language Lab, students can significantly improve their English language skills and be better prepared to face global challenges in the future. This is a crucial breakthrough in improving the quality of English language education in Indonesia.

PBL Using AI Technology-based Learning Tools in a College English Class

This study aims to develop and implement a PBL framework using AI technology-based learning tools, namely, Naver Papago, Google Translate, and Grammarly. The six-week framework was embedded into a General English course at a university, and a total of 20 students participated in the study. After collecting 19 students’ questionnaires and 4 sets of group journals in which 20 students participated in four groups, the data were analyzed in order to investigate the students’ English learning experiences through the General English course. The findings are as follows. The students had positive English learning experiences in terms of cognitive factors, affective factors, satisfaction, linguistic factors, knowledge construction, and reflective practices. On the other hand, the students had negative learning experiences in relation to the inadequate quality of AI technology-based tools and the rather over-reliance on the tools. The study concludes with some pedagogical implications: the inclusion of a student-initiated grammar session involving feedback provided by Grammarly, and English language practices involving speaking and writing, both of which should serve to lower the over-reliance of the technology-based tools.

Students Evaluation of Faculty: Linguistic and Axiological Perspective.

The article considers a speech genre borrowed from American and Western European educational tradition, which is an axiologically oriented text of a student’s comment on the teacher. The article continues the study of evaluative speech genres of educational discourse, considering the problem of speech genre borrowing from an axiological perspective. The aim of this study is a linguistic and axiological analysis of students’ public evaluative utterances commenting on their attitude to teaching. Speech borrowing is one of the least studied problems in linguistics, which determines the relevance of the present study along with the importance of the sphere of education itself for the culture of society as a whole. Based on the communicative and semiotic concept of speech genre, the author identifies and analyzes the value aspects of student evaluation of teaching quality, identifies general and national specific features of English- and Russian-language evaluation texts, identifies and describes factors of conflictogenic evaluative statements of this genre, distinguishing features of functioning of pragmatic category of categorization in Russian- and English-language evaluative texts. The article reveals the absence of clear speech-genre criteria in Russian students’ evaluative comments unlike in English-language practices, which can be explained by the fact of speech genre borrowing and the lack of relevant speech-genre competence in the Russian-language educational discourse. The article considers the linguistic and ecological aspect of this speech genre from moral and ethical and legal points of view. The article reveals the dependence of the linguistic form of conceptualization of negative evaluation on communicative and ethical competence, the formation of which depends on the conceptual certainty of the speech genre. The author concludes that the utilitarian and pragmatic borrowing of communicative patterns from a foreign culture can be a threat to the spiritual and moral state of society.

English Language and Communicative Proficiency of Saudi Tourism and Hospitality Students: A Present Situation Analysis

This study investigates the level of proficiency of Saudi tourism undergraduates in various language skills and sub-skills, grammar, and tourism vocabulary. It also evaluates the present teaching materials used at the colleges of Truism and hospitality. A mixed-methods approach has been used in this study. A Likert-scale questionnaire was administered to two hundred nine (n=209) STU to gather quantitative data. The qualitative data was generated by interviewing one vice dean of academic affairs, one head of the English department, and 10 teachers. Both instruments were self-developed and standard procedures were followed to determine their content validity and reliability. The descriptive analyses were run to interpret the quantitative data whereas the qualitative data were presented through verbal responses of the participants. The results have informed that speaking and listening skills are the weakest followed by writing and reading skills respectively. They are also weak in English grammar, tourism-related vocabulary, and various language sub-skills. The teaching materials presently taught at the colleges of tourism and hospitality in Saudi Arabia do not suit their specific tourism needs. It is strongly recommended that indigenous teaching materials should be developed to meet the professional needs of Saudi tourism undergraduates taking into consideration their present proficiency in various language skills, sub-skills, tourism-related vocabulary and grammar. Furthermore, the local and cultural requirements and preferences of Saudi tourism undergraduates should be considered while developing the teaching materials to ensure effective English language practices.

The role of home language environment and parental efforts in children’s English development in an EFL context

ABSTRACT Despite the unique status of English as a super-power among foreign languages in Korea, and researchers’ increasing interest in Korean parents’ zeal for achieving their children’s early bilingualism and willingness to invest heavily in private English education outside of school, insufficient attention has been paid to the role of parental involvement and English-friendly home environments in Korean children’s early bilingual education. Accordingly, this case study of one Korean family provides an in-depth exploration of how the home language environment, family language policy, and parental investment affected the children’s bilingual development as well as other aspects of family dynamics. The results show that such family capital as parents’ English language proficiency, ability to support and sustain English language practice at the home domain in an ELF context, and access to learning resources can support their consistent efforts to provide a rich linguistic environment with positive psychological support in the home domain. Pedagogical implications for Korean parents with high aspirations for their children’s bilingual development are discussed.

Community of Inquiry Perspectives in English Language Practice and Social Media

Community of Inquiry Perspectives in English Language Practice and Social Media

The use of audiovisual aids and web resources for conducting English language practice classes for students of higher educational institutions

The use of audiovisual aids and web resources for conducting English language practice classes for students of higher educational institutions

Students’ Motivation of, and Engagement in Reading with Stories

A number of factors may affect the practice of teaching and learning English language. Amid them, the motivation of, and engagement in learning can have significant impact on learning achievement in English, however, a qualitative study is required to examine the role of motivation and engagement in reading particular content. In this regard, this study aimed to explore the issues related to a reading intervention with a growing concern about English language learners’ reading achievement focusing upon learners’ participation in learning activities. Based on the data from the interviews with instructors and a focus group of students, this study revealed a significant impact of motivation of and engagement on reading activities. High-interest, yet challenging reading materials, an interactive and collaborative learning environment, and the quality of instruction and attitudes proved to be critical for students’ engagement in reading. Furthermore, English language learners faced challenges in oral reading and participation in making predictions.

Standardization of English language spellings used in textism: A viewpoint of undergraduate learners in Pakistan

The purpose of this quantitative research is to explore the perspective of students in Pakistan if they prefer the English language standard spellings to be changed in accordance with the texting spelling structures for properly matching pronunciation with spellings. A sample size of 100 students was randomly selected from among the undergraduates of colleges in Lahore; 50 male students and 50 females. Using a questionnaire, students were asked about their opinion if a particular set of spellings used in texting becomes formally accepted; which spellings they would prefer if given a choice; if learning and mastering the English language be improved with this advancement; and if they find the same spelling and pronunciation mismatch in their own language too. The texting word forms included words from the category of short forms and vowel deletion. Using SPSS, the responses were evaluated and the hypotheses were tested. The results show that students hold the same firmness as the other language trainers and researchers i.e. the preservation and correct practice of standard English language, and that SMS slang does not interfere with the standard norms of English language.

The language ideologies of multilingual nannies in London

AbstractIn the globalized economy, multilingualism is increasingly perceived as a way of maximizing competitiveness, even in the family home. In the United Kingdom, multilingualism has become an asset for nannies, granting privileged access to a niche job market. Adopting the theoretical lens of language ideology, we identify sites and forms of language evaluation within the nannies’ discursive construction of their language work. Using thematic analysis of interview and focus group data with nannies, we examine how nannies represent their English and L1 language practices, verbalizations, and embodiments. Findings suggest that, rather than language practices, it is the verbalization of the symbolic value of multilingualism (normally through the medium of English) that grants nannies an advantageous position in the market. This market is made possible by upper‐middle‐class families, whose privileging of specific languages and speakers perpetuates eliteness, gendered language work, and problematic approaches to second language learning.

EFL TEACHERS' AWARENESS, PRACTICE AND CHALLENGES OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE INTEGRATED SKILLS TEACHING: FOUR SELECTED ALETA WONDO CLUSTER SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN FOCUS

The main objective of this research was to investigate EFL teachers’ awareness, practice and challenges of English language integrated skills teaching in Aleta Wondo Cluster four selected secondary schools, Sidama Regional State. The researcher employed descriptive survey design involving both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The participants of the study were secondary schools EFL teachers. Multi-stage sampling technique that moves from a broad to a narrow sample using a step by step process was employed to select the four secondary schools and their all teachers who have been teaching English. Cluster sampling technique used to cluster the secondary schools in to three geographical districts. Simple random sampling technique used to choose Hula District of these districts. Comprehensive sampling technique used to select 42 EFL teachers. The researcher gathered the data through questionnaire, interviews and classroom observations. The researcher utilized descriptive statics SPSS V20, frequency, percentage, mean, grand mean and standard deviation for the quantitative data. The qualitative data analyzed qualitatively. The result of analysis revealed that the sample schools English teachers had moderate awareness about English language integrated skills teaching. In addition, the result showed that teachers rarely taught two language skills: reading and writing, listening and speaking, and listening and writing in integration lessons; but they hardly taught any three or four language skills in integration. Moreover, the result of the study showed that there were challenges related to students, to teachers, to schools, and to the national exam. The researcher recommended that awareness creation training should be given to teachers.

English Speaking Difficulties Encountered by Tourism Department Students’ in EFL Public Interactions: A qualitative study

Mastering English facilitates students’ preparation for professional job applications. In the context of tourism school, learning the language, therefore, is a must. The study reported in this article explores the difficulties in speaking English encountered by a group of Indonesian learners of English and how they anticipated their perceived difficulties. A qualitative research approach was employed for data collection and analysis. Participants were from a Tourism Department of a university in the Province of Gorontalo, Indonesia, who voluntarily agreed to join in the interview sessions. Findings showed that most participants struggled to communicate in English, particularly when interacting with foreigners. The difficulties include a lack of vocabulary and comprehension of certain accents. In addition, it was found that in anticipating those difficulties, students employed regular English use practices, gestures, and information technology assistance. The study suggests that frequent meaningful English practices in and outside the English classroom should be facilitated, and the use of relevant technological tools for fostering English language practices be promoted.