Level Of English Language Proficiency Research Articles

Grammar Competence and Writing Performance: A Correlational Study in Higher Education

This research paper examined the relationship between grammar competence and writing performance among first year students studying in the second semester at Ibn Tofail University in Kenitra in Morocco. The main concern of this study is to investigate whether there is a correlation between grammar proficiency and writing. The researcher used two tests as instruments for the purpose of verifying the correlation between the two variables; one test was in grammar and the other was in writing. The participants were 37 male and female students at Ibn Tofail University who were chosen on the basis that they are in the same level of English language proficiency. They constituted an intact group. The results of the study indicated that there is a significant relationship between grammar and writing. It is also found that there is 14.7% of relationship between the two variables. These findings help university students to improve their writing skills and also assist teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) to design their courses, choose their teaching materials, and teach and assess writing and grammar.

A needs analysis for an english for occupational purposes (EOP) accounting course

The teaching of English for occupational purposes relies on the insights that a detailed needs analysis on the student-client population provides. The following paper reports the findings of a Needs Analysis conducted on the occupational purposes of accountants in Golfito county in the southern region of Costa Rica, describes the participant population, and narrates the historical development of this academic project. Some NA theoretical principles have been considered during the design and implementation of questionnaires, interviews, a desk analysis, and a focus group. The main objective has been to identify the communicative target situations that accountants and accounting employees face in their workplaces in this rural area. Therefore, adult learners with diverse English language proficiency levels enriched this NA by answering three questionnaires, providing two interviews, and contributing in a focus group. The main findings include the participants’ needs to explain financial statements in English, boost their L2 accounting vocabulary, and describe Costa Rican tax procedures to their stakeholders, especially those who are foreign business owners. In brief, this paper yields promising insights on their occupational needs that would support the language curriculum design process of a twelve-week EOP accounting course.

English Language Proficiency of Science and Mathematics Teachers: A Basis for English Enhancement Program

The study was an attempt to assess the English language proficiency of Mathematics and Science teachers. The respondents of the study were 38 Mathematics teachers and 34 Science teachers from a Higher Education Institution. The data were gathered using self-constructed test as the research instrument. Its validity and reliability using index of discrimination and Spearman Brown Prophecy Formula, respectively. As the study employed the quantitative non-experimental design, analysis and interpretation were made using frequency, percent, mean standard deviation, Pearson product-moment coefficient of correlation r. analysis of variance and t-test. Nearly 2 out 5 Mathematics and Science Teachers were master’s degree holders and almost the same number were baccalaureate degree holders. Both groups of teachers were found to have average level of English language proficiency in reading and writing skills, but below average level in grammar, specifically subject-verb agreement, preposition, and vocabulary. In all these skills, the Mathematics and Science teachers have the same level of proficiency. Among the three skills, those of reading and writing were significantly higher than grammar.Teachers with higher educational attainment, longer teaching experience and have passed licensure examination were those with higher level of English language proficiency in general, and in trichotomized component of reading skills, writing skills, and grammar. As an output of the study, an English enhancement program, focused on grammar was developed which can be accessed on-line.

Leveraging Flip, a Video Discussion Platform, to Support the Needs of International ESL Pre-Service Teachers

International students, particularly international English as a Second Language (ESL) students who come to the United States with relatively lower levels of English oral language proficiency, are often reluctant to participate in academic discussions. In a graduate-level TESOL program with a majority of international ESL students, a video recording, sharing, and discussion platform, Flip, was utilized in the program's teaching innovation. Flip is widely adopted by educators of all grade levels worldwide, as it enables educators to create a less formal online space to meet the holistic needs of international ESL students, including both academic and social needs. The article explains the teaching context of the practice, four stages of course integration with Flip, reasons for the integration, reflections, and future pedagogical directions. Incorporating Flip in this program promotes linguistic benefits, teacher identity and skill development, a community of belonging, and increased equity in assessment. Practical pedagogical considerations are also provided at the end of the article.

Automated speech scoring of dialogue response by Japanese learners of English as a foreign language

ABSTRACT Purpose: This study builds a new system for automatically assessing learners’ speech elicited from an oral discourse completion task (DCT), and evaluates the prediction capability of the system with a view to better understanding factors deemed influential in predicting speaking proficiency scores and the pedagogical implications of the system. Methodology: We developed a system with a tripartite structure using an automatic speech recogniser, a set of modules that compute a number of speech features, and a scoring model. In total, 210 participants with intermediate English language proficiency level were administered a multi-turn oral DCT, a task which closely resembles discourse in real-life situations. The collected speech and transcribed files were eyeballed and rated by human raters first. Eighty percent of the original dataset was then used to train and examine our prediction model against the remainder of the dataset. Findings: The exact agreement between human and machine scores was 72%, moderately high, and comparable to the literature on automated speech scoring. It could provide a basis for deploying the system in a low-stakes practice environment. Originality/value: This study makes a unique contribution to the wider scholarship, where the use of single-turn DCTs remains prevalent, by presenting a new reliable scoring system for learner speech using an automated DCT with multiple turns. It offers useful insight into ways in which the system could be used in a low-stakes environment, including foreign language classroom settings.

Studying challenges faced by international students enrolled in English Medium Instruction programs at Russian University

Introduction. The article examines the problem of integrating international students pursuing English Medium Instruction (EMI) programs into the academic environment of the Russian University. The study aims to identify the discrepancies in the attitudes of international students and their professors to the challenges faced by international students that intervene with the successful integration. Materials and Methods. In order to identify the main groups of challenges faced by international students, general scientific methods were used: analysis, synthesis, and generalization of the existing research. To determine the consistency in the views of international students and their professors a diagnostic method was applied: a survey in the form of Likert scale. The reliability of the data obtained was verified using triangulation approach in its two forms: method triangulation (literature analysis on the research problem and the survey method in the form of a Likert scale) and data triangulation (answers to a survey were given by two different groups of respondents). Results. It was revealed that the successful integration of international students into the academic environment of the Russian University is aggravated by four groups of challenges: linguistic, academic, social and cultural ones. Analysis of the research findings showed a number of inconsistencies in the views on the challenges of international students demonstrated by international students and their EMI professors. The attitudes of international students and their EMI professors do not match on the following issues: the level of English language proficiency; the level of analytical skills of international students; the degree of adaptation to a new cultural environment; the perception of culture shock; the communicative abilities of international students in social and academic interaction; the level of awareness of the social and cultural life demonstrated by EMI professors. Conclusions. The authors summarize the differences in the views of international students and their teachers on linguistic, academic, cultural and social difficulties. It is concluded that increasing the degree of consistency between the views of teachers and international students will make it possible to adjust the design and implementation of EMI programs and support the successful integration of international students into the academic environment of the Russian University.

Exploring Turkish EFL pre-service teachers’ perceptions of critical thinking and reading

The process of critical thinking (CT) plays an important role in enhancing English language proficiency levels of learners, especially the reading and writing proficiency levels. Since there are not many studies focusing on the relationship between CT and critical reading (CR), the current study intended to measure Turkish EFL pre-service teachers’ CT disposition levels and CR self-efficacy levels together. 118 students studying at the department of English Language Teaching at a state university participated in the study. 36 of them participated in the semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data were analyzed via descriptive and inferential statistics. The qualitative data were analyzed through inductive content analysis. Findings of the study demonstrated that the students’ CT disposition and CR self-efficacy levels were found to be at moderate level. Results of the relationship between CT disposition levels and CR self-efficacy levels revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between them. As for the results of the semi-structured interviews, the students were aware of the concept “critical”; however, their CT and reading skills needed to be developed. Results of the study overall indicated that more importance should be given to CT and reading skills in the field of foreign language teacher education.

The Role of Filial Piety in Dyadic Recruitment of Chinese American Parents With Type 2 Diabetes and Their Adult Children.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is prevalent among Asian Americans, yet limited health care studies report on the recruitment and retention of this population. This study focuses on recruiting Chinese American dyads for family support of T2D management. This is a descriptive study using active and passive recruitment strategies. Dyads consist of parents with T2D and their adult children without diabetes. All materials are culturally tailored and available in Chinese. The final sample included 54 dyads. There were characteristic differences among parent participants in English language proficiency and education levels. Filial piety manifested as respect and care for one's parents among Chinese American families contributed to recruitment success. This article shares strategies for recruiting Chinese American dyads to explore family support dynamics for T2D self-management. The findings potentially add to current knowledge about culture, nursing, and health care.

English Proficiency and Academic Performance of College Students

The present study aims to identify the relationship of the Level of English Language Proficiency along Stress/Intonation, Verbal Abilities, Correct Usage, Reading Comprehension, Spelling and Punctuation, Identifying Error and Logical Organization and their Academic Performance of the 251 college students. Moreover, it aims to determine if their is a significant difference of the respondents’ Level of English Proficiency when they are grouped according to their profile: course, age, sex and dialect spoken. The result reveals that in terms of profile course, there is no significant difference in stress and logical organization. However, in Verbal Abilities, Reading Comprehension, Correct Usage, Identifying Errors and Spelling and Punctuation, there is a significant difference. As to profile age,there is no significant difference in Stress/Intonation, Verbal Abilities, Correct Usage, Spelling and Punctuation, Logical Organization. But in Reading Comprehension and Identifying Errors, there is a significant difference. Respondents aging 18 are better than the rest in Reading comprehension and Identifying Errors. Along profile sex, there is significant difference. Female are better than male in Reading Comprehension, Correct Usage and Identifying Errors. In terms of profile Dialect Spoken, there is no significant difference in English Proficiency Level of the respondents. As to the Academic Performance of the respondents, they are within the average level with 176 or 70.1%. The result reveals that there is significant relationship between the respondents’ Level of English Proficiency and their Level of Academic Performance.

РОЛЬ ЗВОРОТНОГО ЗВ’ЯЗКУ В АВТОНОМНОМУ НАВЧАННІ ПРОФЕСІЙНО ОРІЄНТОВАНОГО АНГЛОМОВНОГО СПІЛКУВАННЯ

Introduction. The article presents the results of experimental training on the role of feedback in autonomous learning of professionally oriented English communication. The purpose of the experimental study was to investigate the impact of feedback on the results of autonomous learning of prospective teachers studying the two-year university course «English for Professional Communication», as well as the interdependence of the level of students’ awareness of feedback and their existing level of learning autonomy. Methodology. In order to determine the level of students’ awareness of feedback and the level of learning autonomy, adapted questionnaires were used: 1) «Main Features of Student Feedback Literacy» according to four main groups of features (understanding the nature of feedback; forming opinions; controlling emotions; and responding); 2) «English Students’ Autonomy Competence» according to the main components (beliefs in autonomous learning; determining the language learning objectives; implementing appropriate language learning strategies; monitoring the process of autonomous learning; evaluating the effectiveness of autonomous language learning). To determine the level of English language proficiency and to study the relationship between the level of learning autonomy and the level of English language proficiency, control testing with the Preliminary English Test was conducted. Results and Discussion. The results of the study indicate the importance of using feedback in the process of learning English for professional communication, which helps students identify mistakes, improve skills. The use of feedback motivates prospective teachers, and helps adapt learning to their needs. It makes the learning process more efficient and helps to achieve a higher level of English language proficiency. Students who received constant feedback in the learning process demonstrated better achievement results in the discipline «English for Professional Communication». At the same time, the results of the study confirm that a higher level of students’ awareness of feedback is observed among prospective teachers who have a higher level of learning autonomy.

Hurricane stress, cultural stress, and mental health among hurricane Maria migrants in the U.S. mainland.

Hurricane Maria (2017) caused great damage to Puerto Rico, undermining people's quality of life and forcing thousands to migrate to the U.S. mainland. Identifying individuals at elevated risk of suffering mental health problems as a function of being exposed to hurricane and cultural stress is crucial to reducing the burden of such health outcomes. The present study was conducted in 2020-2021 (3-4 years postdisaster) with 319 adult Hurricane Maria survivors on the U.S. mainland. We aimed to (a) identify latent stress subgroups, as defined by hurricane stress and cultural stress, and (b) map these latent stress subgroups or classes onto sociodemographic characteristics and mental health indicators (i.e., symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety). We used latent profile analysis and multinomial regression modeling to accomplish the study aims. We extracted four latent classes: (a) low hurricane stress/low cultural stress (44.7%), (b) low hurricane stress/moderate cultural stress (38.7%), (c) high hurricane stress/moderate cultural stress (6.3%), and (d) moderate hurricane stress/high cultural stress (10.4%). Individuals in the low hurricane stress/low cultural stress class reported the highest household incomes and levels of English-language proficiency. The moderate hurricane stress/high cultural stress class reported the worst mental health outcomes. While postmigration cultural stress, as a chronic stressor, emerged as the most important predictor of poor mental health, hurricane stress, as an acute stressor that occurred several years earlier, emerged as less influential. Our findings might be used to inform mental health prevention experts who work with natural disaster survivors forced to migrate. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Gender Effect in Using Strategies for Learning English Language: A Context of Aliya Madrasa Education in Bangladesh

Language learning strategies can be referred to a number of effective techniques, conscious behaviors or steps for proper acquisition of a second language. Several studies reported that females use more language learning strategies than males do, while some other research opined that there were no significant differences in the usage of learning strategies across genders. In Bangladesh, Aliya Madrasa students learn English language as a compulsory subject from Ebtedayi level that is equivalent to primary level and continues until Dakhil level which is equivalent to secondary school certificate level. However, from the very recent report of BANBEIS and World Bank of 2015 it has been observed that the English language proficiency level of the students of Aliya madaras are far below the acceptable level. The English language proficiency of the female Aliya madrasa students are more disappointing. Therefore, the researcher endeavors to identify weather differences exist between male and female English language learners of Aliya Madrasa in using different strategies to learn a second language. This study was conducted through a questionnaire survey and telephone interviews in which the researcher has made efforts to find out the various learning strategies applied by male and female learners ( at madrasa ) for successful acquisition of a second language. 160 learners of four different Aliya Madrasas participated in the study. Data were collected using a questionnaire adapted and modified from SILL (Oxford 1990) i.e., Strategy Inventory of language learning. Besides identifying the different kinds of strategies, the researcher also provides suggestions and recommendations for improving English language learning at Dakhil level, which will facilitate updating the education system in question and help the stakeholders to bring qualitative changes in the students’ learning outcome.

Autonomous Learning as a Pedagogical Tool: Exploring the Perceptions of Teaching and Learning Practices at Writing Hub

Even though there are incredible number of schemes to create EFL curricula, textbooks, and a range of professional development courses, Saudi Arabian EFL students’ level of English language proficiency still has to be raised (Khadawardi, 2022). It has been determined that learner autonomy (AL) is an effective method for promoting learning. This study explores how EFL instructors and students view the value and efficiency of independent learning strategies for improving writing. What do EFL teachers and students think about the writing hub’s learning strategies for enhancing autonomous learning as a teaching tool to assist EFL writing? And to what extent is the significance of autonomous learning noticeable in EFL writing classrooms? These questions were addressed by this study, which evaluated the optimal data of 77 female students and their eight instructors at Applied College for Girls at King Khalid University to get actionable implications and desirable outcomes. The results indicated that learners’ autonomy could be achieved practically. The writing exercises practiced at writing classes; ‘Writing hub’ proved successful in enhancing autonomy among the learners. The t-test scores reject the null hypotheses, and the data was strongly normal and optimal to support the study. However, the findings also showed that the concept and notion of autonomy and students’ role in it must be introduced before executing it to the students. In addition, most teachers indicated that learners’ autonomy is helpful and achievable in EFL settings. They identified four main factors vocabulary, mind- map, the process approach, and peer feedback; and technology-based strategies worked best for composing writing and inculcating autonomy among the learners. In the future, more approaches can be applied to enhance and boost autonomy among learners.

Students English Language Proficiency and their Academic Motivation

There have been a great number of empirical studies undertaken on student academic motivation and its potential antecedents; However, in the context of studying English as a second language (ESL), the significance that English Language Proficiency plays in academic motivation is largely ignored. As a result, the purpose of this study was to investigate the impact that ESL students' level of English Language Proficiency had on their level of academic motivation. This study involved the participation of 311 students from secondary schools in Multan city. By employing a quantitative research method, the findings indicated that English Language Proficiency plays a significant role in enhancing students' academic motivation.The findings further followed by the discussion, implications and the constraints of the study.

Учебно-методический потенциал пособий по домашнему чтению в практическом курсе основного иностранного языка

The authors of the article share their experience in teaching philology students of Saratov State University Home Reading aspect as part of Practical English Course. The article highlights the teaching and methodological potential of the Home Reading guides in the course of studies. The Home Reading guides are made to be used as a series of original readers in the form of workbooks for the students of four different language proficiency levels: Elementary + (A1+), Pre-Intermediate (A2), Intermediate (B1), Upper-Intermediate (B2). The above guides contain groups of tasks on pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, reproduction and speaking to improve the needed competence. The guides develop phonetic competence (transcribing, preparing a passage for good reading with the correct pitch-and-stress structure, learning a passage by heart and reading it out), lexical and grammatical competence (looking up in dictionaries and giving English and Russian equivalents to the active vocabulary, doing tasks on translating the active vocabulary into English and Russian, on rephrasing it, and on searching for mistakes of different type), retelling competence (drilling the needed structures to improve indirect speech skills to use while retelling the stories), speaking competence (preparing reports to answer the given questions for discussion of the stories). The guides for Intermediate (B1), Upper-Intermediate (B2) levels contain the tasks to develop text analysis skills, skills in looking for different types of realia in texts with their further analysis. The article shows different forms of assessment of the provided tasks and introduces some possible types of tasks and forms of assessment of the students with different English language proficiency levels.

Distinctions between mobile-assisted and paper-based EFL reading comprehension performance: reading cognitive load as a mediator

Previous research has documented that students’ reading comprehension performance in learning English as a foreign language (EFL) differs greatly between mobile-assisted and paper-based reading. The present study extends previous work by investigating whether reading cognitive load differs between mobile-assisted and paper-based EFL reading processes and exploring whether cognitive load mediates the relationship between reading medium and EFL reading comprehension performance. The instruments used are reading comprehension tests and questionnaire surveys administered to a sample of 191 first-year college students. A repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicates that cognitive load is significantly greater for mobile-assisted EFL reading than for paper-based EFL reading. In addition, structural equation modeling analyses indicate that cognitive load fully mediates the relationships between medium and reading comprehension performance; these mediation effects are independent of the level of English language proficiency. These results imply that cognitive load is a pivotal factor influencing students’ reading comprehension across media. Reasons for differences in reading cognitive load and its role as a mediator are discussed. Recommendations for promoting students’ reading experience on mobile phones are provided.

LEARNER NEEDS ANALYSIS OF FUTURE JOURNALISTS THROUGH THE PRISM OF PERSONAL-ORIENTED AND PRAGMATIC APPROACHES TO INTEGRATED LEARNING OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

The presented study reveals the theoretical prerequisites for the expediency of applying personally oriented and pragmatic approaches to the integrated learning of English for special purposes, in particular, when studying the learner needs of future journalists. The necessity to explore the specific learner needs in the field of professionally oriented English communication (POEC) of future journalists is determined by the requirement to adapt the language policy in higher education institutions in accordance with the demands for interrelated vocational and professional English language training of a future specialist. The formation of the secondary professional English-speaking personality of a future journalist depends on support of communicative interaction in English at classes; strengthening of conscious language learning; providing the journalism contextualized input; integrated development of POEC skills; compliance with the social and cultural norms of English-language communication in the professional field of journalism and the development of intercultural tolerance. Understanding of the specifics of the POEC is facilitated by the involvement of linguistic and social categories of pragmatics in the context of foreign language learning, especially in the integrated learning of English for the special purposes (ESP) of future journalists, where the social dimension is equally significant as the cognitive one. Based on the consideration of the concept of learner needs and description of the main types, a questionnaire was drawn up for the analysis of the specific learner needs of future journalists in ESP. The questions relate to the objective and subjective educational needs, shed light on the peculiarities of students' perception of the necessity to develop English proficiency for successful journalism career, the frequency of performing specific types of job-related activities at ESP classes, awareness of preferred style, channel and medium of communication, and as well as pragmatic functions of journalist's speech. Levels of English language proficiency and knowledge of journalism terminology are taken into account, as well as the main challenges of learning and the relevance of the possibility of formation of particular skills of POEC within the traditional and integrated ESP.

Promoting language development in physically disabled adults through sports: The content and language integrated learning method

This study reports on the outcomes of a qualitative study which explores the perceptions of ten wheelchair basketball players of the implementation of a content and language integrated learning (CLIL) program. The participants were all members of the official wheelchair basketball team of the Sports Federation for the Disabled in North Cyprus. They were all young adults (18-35 years old) and their level of English language proficiency ranged from elementary to beginner. After a 4-month CLIL intervention period, the data were elicited through individual interviews from the participants. A qualitative analysis of the textual data revealed the themes such as improved self-image, high motivation, developed social skills, and better speaking skills in the target language. The results have a few practical implications for English such as foreign language teachers, sports coaches, and local disability committees.

Academic literacy skills and the challenge for Australian higher education

ABSTRACT This article reports on recent research which found that academic communication skills are a problem for a surprisingly large proportion of English-speaking Australian students. Despite the widely-held recognition of the importance of academic literacy instruction in Australian higher education, literacy skills have previously been largely concerned with the English-language proficiency levels of international students. However, this article reports on research conducted at a university in Australia, which found that many Australian-born students report serious difficulties in mastering the academic communication skills necessary for optimal engagement in their tertiary studies. The data for this study was collected through a large-scale survey of the academic communication needs and communication practices of students within a university-wide academic and professional communication course at the institution. The findings point to the rather urgent need to promote informed policy that aims to improve the teaching of academic literacy skills of students at Australian universities.

Language for Specific Purposes in academia vs. Labor Market Needs: the Trends and Perspectives in Montenegro

The present paper outlines the key findings of a study that was carried out in Montenegro with the aim of getting an overview of the current state of play in language for specific purposes teaching and the actual needs from the perspective of students, university staff members (both academic and nonacademic) and employers. To this end, an online survey was designed and distributed among the target groups with an overall total of 1,985 participants. Furthermore, an online English placement test was conducted among the first year students at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Montenegro with an overall number of 853 respondents, in order to compare the language proficiency entrance levels to the curriculum expectations. The results suggest the high level of need for LSP proficiency, both for academic and occupational purposes, the general dissatisfaction with the English language proficiency level of the prospective employees that apply for job posts, the need to master an additional foreign language apart from English and the need to enhance the policy of LSP teaching at HEIs in Montenegro, which are seen by employers as a key partner in terms of quality control and assurance in language teaching. The paper concludes with recommendations for LSP teaching and planning at HEIs in Montenegro.