English Language Proficiency Skills Research Articles

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS’ CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OBSTACLES

The goal of this study was to investigate the needs for and barriers to the ongoing professional development of elementary school English language teachers. Data collection techniques included surveys, interviews, and classroom observations. Surveys of 64 randomly chosen English language teachers in primary schools were used to get the quantitative data. In order to verify the information gathered from the surveys, interviews were done with principals, trainers, and volunteer English language teachers who took part in the surveys, which included surveys, interviews, and classroom observations. Surveys of 64 randomly chosen English language teachers in primary schools were used to get the quantitative data. In order to verify the information gathered from the surveys, interviews were done with principals, trainers, and volunteer English language teachers who took part in the surveys. The data were analyzed using a Quan-qual approach. The statistical analysis of the data was primarily concerned with calculating descriptive statistics, specifically the means and percentages of the survey items. The results revealed that primary school EFL teachers need in-service professional development trainings to improve their English language proficiency skills and pedagogic knowledge. The interviews with principals and trainers supported the results found in the surveys. Moreover, the teachers encountered obstacles in engaging in a continuous professional advancement schemes.

SPEAKING ENGLISH POLICY: IMPACT ON THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY OF THE ESL

Learning English for different purposes, especially in the workplace has drastically changed. English increases the chances of getting a good job in any local or multinational company. It is also the language of communication, it is used in the media and the internet community, so learning English is important for socializing and entertainment as well as work. It is essential for individuals and future professionals to have profound knowledge and understanding of the English language that is used in any respective field. The study was conducted to weigh up the English language proficiency skills of a selected private school in the City of Malolos, particularly the grade ten (10) students who implement the English Only Policy and another secondary government school in the same city of Bulacan who do not implement the English Only Policy. The impact and factors of the English-Only Policy on students were measured and identified. The researcher utilized an English proficiency test from Cambridge University as the research instrument, which was given to the 80 respondents. The study is comparative that utilized an independent t-test in analyzing the data gathered. The results showed that there is a significant difference in the English language proficiency skills of the students who come from schools that have an English-only policy and those students who come from a school that does not implement the said policy. The research recommends that the students be more engaged and motivated to increase their English language proficiency skills. The teachers should also motivate their students to not only use the English language but also encourage them to use their L1.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0059/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

English Language Proficiency Skills Among High School Students: Basis for an Intervention Program

Speaking proficiency has special value anywhere in the world. It needs to be possessed by every individual to bring change to society. This clenches the amplified direction of the current study, where its primary objective is to assess the speaking skills of the SHS-HUMMS students of the DNHS. This study envisioned identifying the speaking factors in terms of grammar, vocabulary, aspects of discourse, pronunciation, and interaction. It utilizes the quanticorrelational descriptive method, which uses the purposive sampling procedure. Standardized rubrics for speaking skills were utilized, tabulated, and interpreted using the appropriate tools. This was further validated by the concurrent opinions of two language experts in the area of linguistics. Overall, the findings revealed a speaking peculiarity in proficiency. This surfaced after the data were treated with statistical measures using frequency and percentage, Kruskal-Wallis H-value for pairwise comparison, ANOVA, and Shapiro-Wilk for multi-variant normality. This was explained using a contingency table. Furthermore, the results showed no significant difference between the levels of indicators affecting speaking skills. Two factors that affected the respondents’ speaking skills, however, were pronunciation and interaction. Overall, an intervention program was put in place in order to address the speaking problem of the respondents.

Continuous Professional Development of Primary School EFL Teachers in Ethiopia: Needs and Challenges

This study intended to examine the continuous professional development needs and challenges of primary school EFL teachers in Ethiopia. A mixed methods design was employed to gather data from teachers, principals and trainers in the study. Survey and interview protocols were employed to collect pertinent data to answer the study’s research questions. Fifty (50) randomly selected primary school English language teachers participated in the survey. Meanwhile, four English language teachers, four principals and three trainers were interviewed to corroborate the data collected from the survey. The quantitative data from the survey were analysed using SPSS version 21. Statistical analysis was carried out on the data, focusing on computing descriptive statistics to determine the mean values of the questionnaire items. The survey data indicated that the participating primary school EFL teachers needed in-service professional development training to improve their English language proficiency skills, particularly their speaking skills and pedagogical knowledge. Additionally, teachers faced personal and institutional challenges while participating in ongoing professional development activities. On the other hand, the qualitative data were analysed thematically and corroborated with the results of the survey. Based on the findings, this study suggests that Ethiopia’s Ministry of Education addresses the specific needs of primary school English language teachers by preparing and implementing continuous professional development activities.

On the Role Played by Project-Based Learning in Teacher Training Online

This work investigates the perceptions on the role played by Project-Based Learning (PBL) in English as a second language (L2 English) participants who are receiving teacher training online. The participants in this study were enrolled in the Psycholinguistic Analysis of English Acquisition module at xxx-removed for blind review. They were given the choice of two projects: (a) an L2 English learner linguistic profile and (b) a grammatical structure analysis and its L2 English teaching application. The participants’ opinions about PBL were then collected in a questionnaire that included the following variables: motivation and attitude towards L2 English learning before and after the project, perception of the development of English language proficiency skills, content acquisition, and other issues related to PBL such as L2 learning reflection; and, autonomy and real language use. They reported having learned by doing and, as a consequence, believed that they had learned autonomously because they were responsible for their own learning. Likewise, they claimed PBL facilitated critical thinking, creativity, language awareness, and professional development through the project completion. They also showed a positive attitude towards the integration of the four language skills and the building of content knowledge by gathering and planning information using authentic resources.

Practising English through out-of-class language learning activities (OCLLA): EFL preparatory year students perspectives

The current study investigated the insights and perceptions of the EFL preparatory year students at Al-Baha University in Saudi Arabia concerning improving their English language proficiency, namely, vocabulary and grammar learning, speaking skills, listening skills, reading skills, and writing skills, through out-of-class language learning activities. The instruments of the study were pre/post-English language proficiency skills test (ELPT) and the student's weekly reflective journals (SWRJ). The study participants were 100 male students aged 18 to 20 years old. The application of the study program, Five Phases Out-of-Class Language Learning Program (FPOCLLP) lasted for three months. Paired samples t-test and the effect size were employed to collect data for the quantitative analysis. Moreover, the student's weekly reflective journals were employed to get qualitative interpretations. The findings of the study indicated that the participants' English language proficiency skills were enhanced as a result of the study program application. Finally, the study identified some recommendations and suggestions based on its results for further future research.

STRENGTHENING OF LANGUAGE SKILLS IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Introduction: english language proficiency in Spanish-speaking countries has gone from being considered a luxury in the last century to a current need for professional growth. Objective: To consolidate the skills in the English language proficiency of university students. Methods: an emerging program was developed in 143 university students in the first to fifth semesters of the forest engineering and agronomy courses of the Faculty of Natural Resources of the Polytechnic School of Chimborazo. The intervention consisted of initially identifying the students' English language proficiency skills and, based on the results obtained, an emerging program was applied to increase English language proficiency. The McNemar non-parametric test was used to identify changes in English language management skills. Results: average age of 22.62 years with a predominance of students between 18 and 21 years (71.33%), male (51.75%), urban origin (60.14%) and without previous studies of English (69.23%). At the beginning of the investigation, low skill levels predominated, which increased mid-level after the application of the emerging program. Writing and speaking were the skills that showed the most progress, while interpretation proved to be the ability with the most discrete results. Conclusions: the application of the emerging program raised the level of skills of the students of the forest engineering and agronomy careers of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, related to the management of the English language

Transforming English Language Learners’ Work Readiness

This qualitative study examined the impact of a six-step framework for work-specific vocabulary instruction in adult English language learners (ELLs). Guided by research in English as a second language (ESL) methodology and the transactional theory, the researchers sought to unveil how these processes supported the acquisition and application of work-specific vocabulary in three adult ELLs. Data were collected in two levels, before and after training. The first data analysis identified and used two themes to develop training modules’ curriculum: (a) policies and procedures related to state and federal regulations and (b) customer service. After participants completed training, the second data analysis identified two additional themes transcending across the three cases: (a) employees’ views in English language proficiency skills and (b) growth in writing within their own continuum of English language development. Data revealed how an explicit, work-specific vocabulary instruction approach has the potential to increase ELLs’ varying levels of English language proficiency, acquisition, and application of work-specific vocabulary, and, simultaneously, confidence in how they view and use English in the workplace.

Manufacturing Industry Employers’ Perception of Graduates’ English Language Skills Proficiency

Proficiency in English language skills among graduates that create advantages for the organization is preferred by prospective employers as one of the main criteria for employability. This article provides an overview of undergraduates in higher education and also workplace literacy from the perspective of the employers in the manufacturing industry. The result from the research demonstrates that Malaysian manufacturing industry employers perceive that the graduate employees’ English language proficiency skills are still below their expectations. Therefore, this study recommends that there is a need for intervention into language teaching to improve the English language syllabus level of English proficiency at primary, secondary and tertiary level. At the same time, emphasis on the importance of English in everyday use should be inculcated without neglecting the national language of Malaysia. This will ensure that the teaching of English will be in line with globalization and current workplace demands.

Does Critical Thinking Enhance EFL Learners‘ Receptive Skills?

This study explored the effect of Iranian EFL learners’ critical thinking abilities on their receptive English language proficiency skills. With this purpose in mind, the researchers administered the Persian version of Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA) and the Interchange Objective Placement Test (Lesley, Hansen, & Zukowski-Faust, 2005) to 96 Intermediate EFL learners, and correlated the scores obtained from the two tests to see whether there is any significant relationship between critical thinking and proficiency. Results from Pearson product-moment correlation showed significant correlations between WGCTA subscales and proficiency scores. Furthermore, while logical interpretation was the only important variable in predicting both reading and listening comprehension scores, a stepwise multiple regression consisting of Watson-Glaser subscales 1 (drawing inferences), 2 (recognizing assumptions), and 4 (logical interpretation) successfully predicted total proficiency test scores (R = .43). To see to what extent total scores for critical thinking may affect English language proficiency, three groups of High, Mid, and Low were formed based on critical thinking scores. The mean proficiency scores of the three groups were compared. One-way ANOVA indicated significant differences in the mean proficiency scores among the three groups. The results of the post-hoc Scheffe test revealed that there was a significant difference between the proficiency scores of the high creative group and those of the two other groups. The implications of the results were discussed.