English Language Teaching Program Research Articles

FACTORS THAT AFFECT EFL STUDENTS' DIFFICULTY IN READING COMPREHENSION

This study aims to discover the internal factors that affect EFL students' difficulty in reading comprehension. The research participants in this study were five English as Foreign Language (EFL) students who could not achieve the grade standard in a Reading class at the English Language Education Program (ELEP) in a small town in Central Java. The Interviews were used as the instruments to collect the data. In the interview, 5 participants were asked about the internal factors that affected students' difficulties in reading comprehension. The thematic analysis revealed that students' difficulty in reading comprehension is affected by two primary internal factors. The first factor pertains to students' ability, encompassing their grammatical and vocabulary knowledge in English. The second factor encompasses students’ perceptions including feelings of interest, boredom, anxiety, sickness, and personal problems.

Students’ Ability in Writing English Argumentative Essay

Learning to write has a significant impact on determining the ability and quality of students in academic activities. One form of essay featured in academic writing is the argumentative essay. Writing an argumentative essay leads students to explore their opinions or arguments to convince the reader. Nevertheless, some studies show that college students face some difficulties in writing argumentative essays. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate the students’ ability to write argumentative essays in terms of essay structure. A qualitative case was used in this study. The data was taken from the final test of the Advance Writing course written by 36 fourth-semester students of the English Language Education Program. The research findings showed that most students’ ability to write an argumentative essay is well developed, with a result of 31%. The result indicated that the students knew how to write an argumentative essay based on its structure, but they still made some mistakes dealing with sentence structure and the credibility of the references used.

Investigating English for Specific Purpose (ESP) Learners’ Perspectives towards Factors Causing Demotivation in ESP Classes

Abstract This article discusses the importance of motivation in teaching and learning English as a foreign or second language, particularly in the context of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) classes. The study aims to identify demotivating factors affecting ESP learners at Kabul University of Medical Sciences (KUMS) and provide recommendations for improving the quality of English language teaching programs at higher education institutions level. The findings suggest that outdated teaching methods, a lack of relevance to learners' fields of study, and insufficient teachers’ support are one of the main demotivating factors. However, teachers’ enthusiasm and learner autonomy were identified as positive factors that enhance undergraduate students’ motivation. The article, further, recommends that teachers and administrators address the identified demotivating factors and promote positive factors to develop a more motivating and engaging learning environment for ESP learners at KUMS.

Çevrimiçi ve yüz yüze eğitimde uygulanabilecek bir model: Problem temelli kuantum öğrenme modeli

This study aims to determine the effect of the problem-based quantum learning model in distance education on the cooperative learning, self-efficacy beliefs, and metacognitive thinking skills of pre-service teachers and their views on the model. In this research, an experimental research method was used. The participants were English Language Teaching program students studying in the 2nd class in a state university in Turkey. The data were collected by Student Letters, Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale, Metacognitive Thinking Skills Scale, and Attitude Scale for Cooperative Learning. In the analysis of quantitative data, t-test from parametric tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank test from non-parametric tests were used and in the analysis of qualitative data, the content analysis method was used. According to the data obtained from the research, it was concluded that the problem-based quantum learning model positively affected the attitudes of pre-service teachers towards cooperative learning and group work, their self-efficacy perceptions, problem-solving, thinking, research, and decision-making skills. Also, it was concluded that this model was effective in learning the content of the course, learning the information, and increasing the desire to learn, their attitudes towards the model changed, and the model was effective and fun.

Evaluation of the Intensive English Language Teaching Programme for the Fifth Grade according to Students Views

In the academic year 2017-2018, the Ministry of National Education in Türkiye launched intensive English as a foreign language program specifically designed for fifth-grade students in middle school. This study, employing a quantitative research design methodology, aims to assess the program's effectiveness from the perspective of fifth-grade students and include sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade students who have previously undergone this program. The study adopts the CIPP (Context, Input, Process, and Product) evaluation model developed by Stufflebeam (2003) to achieve this goal. Data were collected through a comprehensive questionnaire consisting of 31 questions, administered to 208 students enrolled in a secondary school in Diyarbakır, Türkiye. Statistical analyses, encompassing both descriptive and inferential methods, were conducted using the SPSS software. The findings indicated an overall positive attitude among students towards the program, with female students expressing more favorable opinions than their male counterparts. Furthermore, it was observed that fifth and sixth-grade students held more positive views compared to seventh and eighth-grade students. Consequently, the study suggests that certain adjustments and refinements may be necessary for the program.

Teaching English with Movies

This study looks into the benefits of employing movies as a pedagogical tool in English language teaching programs. The objective is to explore potentials of movies in enhancing English language teaching and gauge some teaching challenges related to using them in English language teaching. A quantitative approach is employed, and data is collected using a questionnaire given to teachers of English in order to find out what they think about this technique of instruction and to investigate some frequent issues that arise when using movies as teaching resources. The study concludes that incorporating movies into EFL instruction can be an effective strategy for enhancing students' language skills and fostering a more engaging learning environment. The findings imply that movies provide students with contextualized language input, foster cultural awareness and stimulate their enthusiasm in learning English. Furthermore, the study recommends two methods for creating movie-based teaching materials: worksheets and interactive video quizzes using the Edpuzzle platform.

Belajar Kosa Kata Bahasa Inggris Melalui Lagu Dengan Aktivitas Stereophonic Styrofoam: SD IT Nurul Fikri Palangka Raya

The initiative "FUN ENGLISH LISTENING FOR KIDS" at SD IT Nurul Fikri aims to enhance the English language proficiency of young learners through innovative methods. This project utilizes stereophonic styrofoam to introduce and reinforce English vocabulary among elementary school students. Under the guidance of fifth-semester students from the English Language Teaching Program at IAIN Palangka Raya, the project involves stages of introducing vocabulary, using styrofoam to associate sounds with vocabulary, and interactive sessions. This engaging learning method has successfully improved the English skills of elementary students at SD IT Nurul Fikri, demonstrating the potential of creative methods in language education.

PRE-SERVICE ENGLISH TEACHERS’ BELIEFS ON READINESS OF TEACHING SPEAKING SKILLS

In recent years, researchers have focused on how students and teachers perceive language learning and teaching. However, few studies have been conducted on pre- service teachers’ and teachers’ beliefs about teaching speaking skills. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine pre-service EFL teachers’ beliefs about their readiness to teach speaking skills. In particular, the researcher aimed to find out which speaking skills pre-service EFL teachers felt ready or unprepared to teach, and to what extent pre-service EFL teachers perceived themselves as ready to teach speaking skills. The participants of the research are 61 undergraduate senior students enrolled in the English Language Teaching program at Khoja Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University in Turkestan. A mixed-method research design approach was used and samples from both quantitative and qualitative sections were utilized. Factor analysis was performed for the validity of the scale developed in this study, and the reliability of the scale was determined by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (0,92). The results of the study showed that the majority of the participants gave positive responses to the belief statements about teaching speaking skills. However, some participants stated that they did not agree with some statements of belief. Several interpretations and suggestions were derived from the results of the present study.

Google translate in academic writing class: How EFL learners use and perceive it

The study of the use of Google Translate (GT) in ELT classroom has been an interesting issue to be discussed. Researchers noted that GT’s translation quality has significantly increased as a result of utilizing an Artificial Intelligence (AI) technique which studies languages through examples. The employment of GT as a tool to help students in ELT classes seems to be advantageous for them. However, many language teachers continue to question the value of this translation machine. This study investigates the learners’ perspectives towards the use of GT in their Academic Writing class; whether they think it is helpful in assisting them in the learning process or not. The researchers attempt to answer the research question of “What are the learners’ perceptions towards the use of GT as a learning support in Academic Writing class?” because there are still very few studies that have examined the use of GT as a learning support tool in Academic Writing class. The study uses a qualitative approach through the use of interviews as a data collection instrument. The interviews were conducted with five participants from the English Language Education program of the Faculty of Language and Arts in one private university in Central Java. The participants are the students who have just taken Academic Writing (AW) class in the previous semester before the research was conducted. The findings of the study show that all participants agree that GT has its own positive and negative impacts in their learning in the classroom.

English Prospective Teachers' Views on Using Poetry to Enhance Reading Skills

Exploring the role of poetry in language education, this study seeks to understand its impact on reading skills from the perspective of EFL students preparing to become English teachers. With the increasing globalization of English, the techniques for teaching and enhancing its comprehension are evolving. Poetry, with its rhythmic and metaphorical nuances, offers a unique avenue to tap into this development. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, the research engaged ninety-one English Language Education program participants. The findings reveal multifaceted benefits: a significant majority viewed poetry as an avenue for vocabulary enhancement, emphasizing its rich and varied lexicon. Others associated poetry with improvements in literal comprehension, attributing this to the layered meanings often found in poems. The attributes of critical thinking, interpretation of figurative language, grammar refinement, and reading fluency were also highlighted, reflecting poetry's comprehensive influence on reading dimensions. These insights underscore the pedagogical value of poetry in language development, suggesting that integrating authentic poetic materials not only enriches the language repertoire but also amplifies the depth and relevance of the learning experience for students.

Pre-service Teachers' Perspectives on Discourse Analysis and Its Implications for English Language Teaching

This study aims to investigate the perceptions of pre-service English teachers regarding discourse analysis (DA) and its potential impact on English Language Teaching (ELT). The participants of the study included 198 second-year pre-service teachers (126 females and 72 males) studying at a Turkish state university. The study adopted a qualitative descriptive research design. Data were collected through written reflections, and qualitative content analysis was employed to analyze the data. The results of the study revealed that pre-service English teachers expressed positive perceptions towards DA, recognizing its potential contributions to their professional development and future teaching careers. Participants reported that the course helped them to understand the importance of language use in different contexts and situations, and provided them with practical tools for analyzing and teaching language. The findings suggest that ELT programs can consider incorporating DA into their curriculum to help pre-service teachers develop a deep understanding of language use and its implications for effective teaching. By doing this, teacher education programs may support the growth of proficient language teachers and ultimately raise the standard of language instruction

Ungrammatical Construction: An Analysis of the Causes and Types of the Ungrammatical Construction

The present research is about analysis on ungrammatical constructions encountered in the texts written by the 3rd semester undergraduate students of English Language Education Program of Tanjungpura University. The objective of the study is to describe the types of the ungrammatical constructions and the causes of the ungrammatical constructions. The method of research is descriptive. The research participants were 34 students of the 3rd semester undergraduate students of English Language Education Program of Tanjungpura University. The data were collected from corpus written by the students. The ungrammaticalities occurred in the students’ text. They were 496 errors encountered by the students. 312 errors related to phrasal errors and 184 related to clausal errors. The phrasal-related errors affected the area of noun phrase (37%), gerund phrase (13%), verb phrase (17%), infinitive phrase (12), prepositional phrase (12%), adjective phrase (7%), and adverb phrase (2%). The clausal-related errors were alternating form (49%), omission (33%), simple addition (15%), double marking (2) and misplaced subject and verb (1%). The sources of these errors were interlingual (2,9%) and intralingual (97,1%).

An Evaluation on the Design and Content of a General English Textbook from the Students and Teachers’ Perspectives

It cannot be denied that textbooks have a crucial role in ensuring the success of English language teaching and learning programs. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct evaluations to maintain the quality of the textbooks. This research aimed to find out the results of the evaluation on the design and content of the Intermediate level textbook for a General English course at a university in Purwokerto from both the students and teachers’ perspectives. This is a quantitative research with a survey procedure. Questionnaires were employed to obtain the data, and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics method. The results show that the students were generally satisfied with the design and the content aspects of the textbook. On the contrary, the teachers expressed some dissatisfactions on some of those aspects. From the teachers’ perspective, the textbook needed some improvements in order to be categorized as a good textbook.

In Pursuit of Queer Inquiry with Turkish EFL Preservice Teachers

AbstractBased on queer critical literacies framework, this study describes an intervention that aimed to help preservice teachers identify and deconstruct heteronormative discourse in Turkish social and educational contexts. Through a local documentary that narrates the experiences of a Turkish transgender individual, preservice teachers critique the normal/abnormal binary as conditioned by social practices, power relations, and religion in Turkey. The study further explores the attitudes of preservice teachers towards incorporation of sexuality issues in the English classroom and in English language teaching programs with data from in‐class discussions and individual interviews conducted at three Turkish state universities. Certain methodological challenges I encountered during data collection are also presented to hopefully give insights to future researchers interested in exploring sexual diversity issues in similar settings. As for the findings, the study revealed that participants’ lived experiences of queer conversations with teacher educators enabled them to successfully identify and deconstruct heteronormative discourses in their programs. Their experiences as trainee teachers additionally showed that queer discussions, considered a taboo in the Turkish society, are inevitable in the English classroom. However, preservice teachers revealed certain reservations about how or whether they would adopt a queer friendly discourse in their future classrooms considering the strict government policies and high levels of religiosity in society. It is thus critical that (preservice) teachers in conservative communities be pedagogically prepared for future encounters of queer discussions to offer a respectful classroom environment for all learners. Queer critical literacies might be a useful framework for teacher educators to increase awareness of teachers about how dominant discourses may reinforce heteronormativity and how teachers could be agents of change by identifying and deconstructing such discourses to create a safe classroom environment for learners of diverse sexual identities.

BENGKAYANG STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS ON THE DIFFICULTIES OF SPEAKING ENGLISH IN SPEAKING FOR SOCIAL PURPOSES CLASS

This study focused on Bengkayang students' difficulties in improving their speaking skills in the Speaking for Social Purposes class as their first speaking class. The study aimed to find out ELEP (English Language Education Program), especially Bengkayang students’ perceptions on the difficulties of speaking English in the Speaking for Social Purposes class at the Faculty of Language and Arts in Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana, in Salatiga, Central Java. The participants of this study were 21 Bengkayang students from batch 2019 who had taken the Speaking for Social Purposes class. A closed-ended, open-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interview were used to collect the data. The findings revealed that all of the students’ encountered some difficulties in speaking English such as a lack of vocabulary, nervousness, poor grammar, poor pronunciation, and less confidence. They were afraid because they had to use grammar correctly and pronounce some words in English correctly. There were also some strategies that students used to improve their English speaking ability such as speaking in front of the mirror, practicing making sentences, speaking with their friends, listening to English music, and watching English movies

English language teacher trainers’ capacity building in sustainable development goals through MOOCs

PurposeThis study makes an enquiry of the existing sustainable development goals (SDGs) knowledge of English language teacher trainers (ELTTs), who remain an overlooked stakeholder in education for sustainable development. Despite the literature on SDG integration into traditional teacher education curriculum, how massive open online courses (MOOCs) can help with capacity building of ELTTs is unclear. This study aims to further explore how the knowledge and capacities of ELTTs on SDGs could be promoted through MOOCs.Design/methodology/approachFor the study’s action research approach, data of 28 ELTTs from higher education institutions in Ankara, Türkiye, were collected for six weeks using a survey, reflective reports and focus group interviews.FindingsELTTs with no previous training experience have a partially fragmented understanding of SDGs. MOOCs proved to be highly practical and cost-effective in building ELTTs’ capacity for building knowledge of and improving motivation to address SDGs in training programs. Further findings are drawn from ELTTs’ reflections on the lack of pedagogical content knowledge and collegial interactions in MOOCs.Originality/valueThere is little to no literature on ELTTs’ existing knowledge of SDGs and whether MOOCs can be used for their capacity building to achieve SDGs. The present findings may encourage higher education institutions to launch professional development programs that will equip ELTTs with the competencies to apply education for sustainable development in in-service English language teaching and teacher training programs.

An analysis of students difficulties in public speaking skill of the sixth semester students of english education study program at muhammadiyah kotabumi university academic year 2021/2022

In general, there are four important skills in English: listening, speaking, reading and writing. All these skills are very important for students to master in order to be able to communicate well. Among these skills, speaking is one of the most important. Because not only do students need to know aspects of the language, but they also need to master other aspects such as: Having high self-confidence, getting rid of fear, getting rid of shyness, getting rid of fear, etc. fear. The problem with this study is the difficulty faced by public speaking students, especially those in the sixth semester of the English Education Program at Muhammadiya University Kotabumi. The purpose of this study was to analyze the difficulties faced by public speaking students, especially those in the 6th semester of the English Language Education Program at Muhammadiya University Kotabumi. The method used in this study is descriptive qualitative research. Thesubjects of this study were sixth semester students of the English Language Education course. Researchers identified six students as study subjects. The tool used in this study is an interview. In this study, the data collection technique used by researchers was the interview technique. The results of this study indicate that there are two aspects to the problems that lead to language impairment in students. Her two sides to the problem are language issues and non-verbal/psychological issues. Language problems include pronunciation, lack of vocabulary, and lack of grammar. Non-verbal/psychological problems consist of lack of self-confidence, fear, embarrassment, and lack of motivation.Keyword : English, Speaking, Difficulties

Postcolonial Bangladesh and neocolonial assimilative literacy practices: the case of private schools and English language programmes

This paper explores the ways in which neocolonial and assimilative literacy practices colonise the psyche of students through private schools and English language teaching programs in Bangladesh. Colonialist education in British India was designed to produce collaborators and not critical thinkers and to create a new breed of Indians who were Brown in the skin but British in the mind. This paper attempts to understand the impact of neocolonial literacy practices in the psychic colonisation of present-day Bangladeshi students. The research involved conducting a critical discourse analysis of pedagogic materials like syllabi, the Norwood Report of 1943 (a key policy document of British colonial educational policy), and seven institutional websites involved with current literacy practices in Bangladesh. This paper shows that schools following British curricula are creating eclectic identities of students whereby they are compelled to contend simultaneously with an embodied ‘superior’ English cultural capital against an ethno-national ‘Brown’ and ‘inferior’ Bangladeshi ethos. Suggesting possibilities for resistance, the paper thus exposes the colonial elements embedded in literacy practices and developing English language proficiency among Bangladeshis.

Should English Language Teaching Undergraduate Programs in Turkey be Restructured? Views of Pre-Service English Language Teachers

English language teachers in Turkey are officially entitled to teach at any level (from kindergarten to university) and any age group; however, it has been repeatedly argued that teaching English to young learners is different from teaching English to teenagers and/or adults as they require diverse skills, competences, qualifications and expertise (Bland, 2019; Enever, 2014; Gungor, 2020; Linse, 2005; Öztürk Aydın, 2019; Rich, 2019). Moving from this line of reasoning, this study, first of all, aims to investigate whether ELT undergraduate programs in Turkey need to be restructured from the perspectives of pre-service English language teachers. Closely related to this aim, this study also intends to identify the degree to which their undergraduate training prepares pre-service English language teachers (PSTs) for the different school levels they are to work at. With these two complementary aims in mind, this study has employed a qualitative research paradigm. 192 senior pre-service English language teachers who take practicum courses and study at the English Language Teaching (ELT) programs of 14 different state and private universities in Turkey have participated in this study. The data for the study has been collected via an online survey form and a focus group interview. The findings show that ELT undergraduate programs prepare PSTs satisfactorily to work at primary and secondary level schools from the perspectives of PSTs. However, PSTs believe that their undergraduate program cannot prepare them as satisfactorily to work at pre-primary school, high school and university levels. Furthermore, almost half of the PSTs agree that ELT undergraduate programs within Education Faculties should be restructured as ‘ELT for young learners’ and ‘ELT for teenagers/adults’.

Public presentation anxiety: studies cases concerning public presentation anxiety of students prospective English teacher

Anxiety with a reasonable intensity can be considered a positive value as motivation. Still, if the power is high and adverse, it can cause harm and can interfere with the physical and psychological state of the student concerned, even his learning achievement. This research is focused on semester II students of the 2023 FKIP Unwir English Language Education Program anxiety during public speaking or presentations. This study used a qualitative approach. The type of research used is a case study. Data collection was carried out by distributing questionnaires to 20 students. The study is presented in the form of a descriptive analysis. The results of this study indicate that the anxiety of students presenting in public is caused by, among others: (1) the innate nature of not being able to speak and being nervous when doing it, (2) lack of confidence, (3) lack of understanding of the material to be presented, (4) fear what was conveyed was wrong, (5) Getting questions that were difficult to answer, (6) Breaking out in cold sweat and tremors, (7) Watched by many people, (8) Brain fog for no reason, (9) There is painful criticism, (10). Fear of being laughed at by friends.