ESL Lessons Research Articles

A Case Study On the Adoption of Digital Storytelling in ESL Classrooms to Induce Learning Motivation Among School Children in Rural Kelantan, Malaysia

This paper discusses the adoption of digital storytelling (DST) in ESL classrooms within rural settings in Malaysia. The general aim of this study is to explore how and to what extent engagement in DST activities would induce learning motivation towards ESL, both from the learners’ and instructors’ points of view. The study employed a case study approach, whereby semi-structured interviews and non-participant observations were conducted to gather qualitative data. 35 pupils and seven ESL teachers were involved. The results revealed that the pupils perceived DST activities as fun and interesting and would like to experience it again as they concurred that their learning motivation towards ESL was induced after being involved in DST-related activities. The teachers’ responses were in parallel with the pupils’ responses. Factors affecting pupils’ engagement and participation during ESL lessons as well as factors affecting rural teachers’ preference in adopting DST were also comprehended. The study provides insights to the education stakeholders in finding ways to meet the needs of rural school communities in Malaysia.

Language Learning Strategy: Comparison of Online and Face-to-Face ESL Classrooms

Awareness of students’ LLS is highly useful for teachers to make informed decisions in their teaching practice. Although numerous researchers on LLS have been done, there has been no research comparing Malaysian students’ LLS in online lessons and face-to-face lessons. It is of great importance to explore this because the practice of incorporating blended learning that combines both online and face-to-face lessons has been on the rise. As such, this study explored Malaysian students’ language learning strategies during both online and face-to-face lessons. Mixed-method research approach was employed in which the first is a 5-point Likert scale survey questionnaire that was adapted from Oxford’s (1990) SILL questionnaire. 60 upper form ESL students were selected through convenience sampling to respond to the questionnaire. Aside from that, semi-structured interviews were carried out on 6 respondents from the questionnaire survey in order to obtain comprehensive responses from the participants. The research instrument aims to answer two research questions; 1) What are the language learning strategies used by Malaysian ESL learners in online classrooms? 2) What are the language learning strategies used by Malaysian ESL learners in face-to-face classrooms? The data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 27 and the findings were analysed descriptively by interpretation of mean scores and standard deviation. The findings suggest that students mostly use metacognitive and cognitive skills in both online and face-to-face classrooms. However, students use more direct learning strategies including memory and compensation strategies in online classrooms. Whereas, in face-to-face classroom, students generally lean more towards indirect learning strategies such as affective and social strategies. These findings implied that both online and face-to-face classrooms allow students to employ different learning strategies which can be beneficial for their language development. Hence, learning and teaching instructions that include both traditional and technologically enhanced ESL lessons would positively impact students. Future research of wider scale that includes diverse populations particularly from the quantitative view point would greatly help in adding onto the findings of this research.

Debriefing in Online Primary ESL Classrooms During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study

The meaningfulness of the current educational landscape, where online learning is heavily practised, is often questioned. Experiential learning focuses on the learning process that learners undergo. It is believed to help them to make sense of the learning process through active participation and meaningful reflective practice. Debriefing is an experiential learning strategy that requires learners to reflect on their learning experiences and connect them to real-life situations. However, only a limited number of studies have investigated the use of debriefing in the English language teaching and learning context. To this end, this case study aimed to explore the effects of debriefing in online ESL classrooms and the challenges of online debriefing. The case study was conducted in Bintulu, a town in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, and involved two teachers who were actively conducting online ESL lessons during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection was conducted through in-depth interviews and observations of recorded online ESL lessons with a focus on the debriefing sessions. The findings indicated that debriefing has positive effects on active English language learners as it helps to improve their critical thinking ability as well as their oral and written language proficiency. The challenges of debriefing in online ESL classrooms include learners being hesitant to talk during lessons, teachers facing difficulties in using appropriate debriefing questions, as well as various technical problems.

Motivation to Read Authentic Narrative Texts: A Focus on Pre-University Students in an ESL Class


 
 
 
 
 
 
 Second Language (L2) instructors often use authentic text, although it is designed for real-world communication among speakers of a target language. However, it is criticised for being too complex for L2 learners. This study explores the level of acceptance of 85 pre-university students of authentic narrative text in their ESL lessons and the factors that influence their reading motivation. The quantitative data were collected using a 9-item questionnaire. The findings show that the students had a high acceptance of reading authentic narrative texts in the classroom. Their motivation was positively correlated with the length of the text, level of interest, relevance and appropriateness of the storyline. This study supports the use of authentic narrative texts in ESL classrooms.
 
 

CHALLENGES OF ESP CLASSES IN WARTIME CONDITIONS

The realities that Ukraine faces today, namely, the full-scale war with the imposition of martial law on the territory of the whole country, led to a number of discussions arising around the effective but safe conducting of the education process at universities and other educational establishments and concerned the organization and proper management of the students` learning process. Despite the previous experience of distance and blended learning modes implemented during the Covid 19 period, it should be noted that some aspects of the organization of the educational process require reconsidering, taking into account the new experience of studying in wartime and the need to regard the emotional tension of students, especially those caught up in the temporarily occupied territories. A survey was conducted among the students of the National Technical University of Ukraine "I. Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute" with the aim to reveal and analyze the level of technical students` adaptation to learning a foreign language in extreme conditions and the relevance of tools and methods the teachers have been applying on their ESL lessons. Among the outcomes, it`s worth mentioning the non-fading motivation of students to learn foreign language, increased cross-cultural communication, and mostly high-level accommodation to distance learning mode. It was interesting to find out that students expressed unwillingness to discuss war and relevant news in the ESL lessons and are having issues with managing their academic study time. All the results obtained provide the ground for further reconsidering of the curricula to better meet the students' educational needs. Keywords: education in wartime; ESL classes; distance learning; open online courses; synchronous learning; asynchronous learning; teacher’s empathy; cross-cultural communication.

Using Twitter to Enhance Writing Skills among ESL Undergraduates: A Casual Learning Approach

Writing is a fundamental skill in language learning yet it is the biggest challenge for students these days. Students are discouraged to write their own thoughts and it leads them to become demotivated. Students' involvement is limited in any learning process, however, with the implementation of a casual learning approach, it could be possible to get students to participate in the classroom. In this 21st century era, educators have been using various techniques and materials to enhance students’ writing. Therefore, educators believe that using social media as a platform for teaching and learning might be helpful to make the lessons fun and interactive. Thus, this paper aims to investigate the use of Twitter as a casual learning approach in enhancing students’ writing skills. A study was conducted among 20 undergraduate students to investigate if Twitter makes any difference in enhancing their writing skills and their motivation to write. ESL lessons via ZOOM were conducted with the integration of Twitter’s threads as the casual learning approach to help students to be more interested in writing, which in a way will help to enhance their writing skills. A questionnaire was later distributed to the students to investigate their feedback on the use of Twitter as a platform to help them to enhance their writing skills. Findings have shown that students are more comfortable to have Twitter as one of the platforms to help them to enhance their writing skills. It can be seen that the students participated more when Twitter was used in the lessons as part of the writing activity. One of the reasons might be because of the flexibility and the casualty. The end result of this study shows that utilizing Twitter in ESL teaching and learning gives a positive impact for both educators and the students.

Debriefing Strategy in Online Primary ESL Classroom during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study

The meaningfulness of the current educational landscape where online learning is heavily in-practice, is often doubt. Experiential learning which focuses on the learning process undergone by learners is able to help learners to make sense of the learning process via active participation and meaningful reflective practice. Debriefing is one of the experiential learning strategies that requires learners to reflect their learning experience and make connection of the experiences to real life situations. In regards, this case study aimed to explore the effects of debriefing in online ESL classroom. The case study was conducted in Bintulu, Sarawak involving two teachers who are actively conducting online ESL lesson during the pandemic. Data collections were done through in-depth interviews and observation of recorded online ESL lessons. Based on the findings, debriefing has positive effects on English language learning as it helps improve critical thinking ability and enhance language proficiency, orally and written.

Planning and Conducting ESL Lessons for Older Preschoolers Based on their Psychological and Pedagogical Characteristics

Planning and Conducting ESL Lessons for Older Preschoolers Based on their Psychological and Pedagogical Characteristics

Raising the Curtain: The Impact of Drama in Developing the Speaking Skills of ESL learners in Mongolia

The study utilized drama-infused lessons in English language classes as a tool to develop the speaking skills of adult ESL learners in Mongolia. The descriptive-developmental method was utilized in this study, which went through the process of development, infusion, and try-out of drama-infused language lessons to develop the speaking skills in English of adult ESL learners. The development of the participants’ speaking skills as they went through the lessons as described. It was discovered that drama-infused ESL lessons effectively develop the speaking skills of learners. It made them more confident when it comes to speaking in front of the class and expressing themselves in English. Hence, the drama-infused ESL lessons helped develop self-confidence and fostered active participation inside the ESL classroom. Drama-infused activities also provided an ideal opportunity for timorous learners to overcome their inhibitions; it sturdily guided inactive learners to some awareness of others' feelings and led to the more creative use of the English language in speaking.

A quasi-experiment on using guided mobile learning interventions in ESL classrooms: Time use and academic performance.

This quasi-experimental study examined a guided learning approach towards the use of mobile devices and investigated the performance of language learners who were guided in the usage. A total of 419 students from two faculties were invited to participate in this 8-week intervention, 155 participants in the control group and 264 in the experimental group. In the experimental group, the researchers incorporated guided activities Module Intervention Model (MIM) using mobile devices into the ESL lessons whereas the control group lessons were without guided activities. Participants from both groups were asked to record their daily mobile device use for activities related to English language learning using an online form. These data were compared to the results of the tests conducted pre- and post-treatment. At the end of the study, students who received guided language activities utilizing the mobile devices had significantly higher levels of language performance than control group students. However, treatment group students who spent more time using mobile devices to learn the language did not display better performance compared to those who spent minimal time. This finding re-established the importance of guided activities as intervention to facilitate students’ learning and points to the need for curricular modernization and faculty development in the instructional use of technology. Due to the increased need for online instruction precipitated by “social distancing and isolation’ required to overcome the coronavirus pandemic, the need for faculty to acquire skills in guided use of mobile devices for school-related learning is anticipated to be greater than ever.

Pupils’ Motivation and Perceptions on ESL Lessons through Online Quiz-Games

Some scholars believe that the English proficiency and literacy level among the pupils in this country is deteriorating alarmingly and to overcome this issue, many measures have been taken by the government. Research showed that this issue could be caused by lack of motivation among learners to use English in their lives. This study examined pupils’ motivation and perceptions of ESL lessons through online quiz-games namely Kahoot! and Quizizz. There were 60 primary school learners involved in this study. Data were collected using a survey questionnaire, and were analyzed and discussed quantitatively in descriptive analysis. The findings revealed that these learners had an elevated motivation and positive perceptions on the inculcation of online quiz-games in English lessons. The positive responses shown by the pupils have reflected their positive motivation, perceptions and acceptance towards learning English with the integration of online quiz-games like Kahoot! and Quizizz. This is because the elements of fun, enjoyment and competition in games can make students more motivated and interested in learning English.

Project Based Learning as Social Strategy in Enhancing Students’ Vocabulary

English is a second language taught in all Malaysian schools. It requires a broad of vocabulary among students in acquiring the second language. However, the lack of vocabulary among students leads to obstacles in language acquisition. This made the students left behind the outperform students in listening, speaking, reading and writing. In order to develop vocabulary among students, project-based learning as social strategy is seen as a medium that could assist students in acquiring the language. The aim of this paper is to investigate how project-based learning could benefit the students in the acquisition of English vocabulary in ESL lessons. 30 students of age 10 had been selected from a school in Pahang, Malaysia to see their performance in enhancing vocabulary through a survey using questionnaire. The post-survey result showed improvement in students’ vocabulary and project-based learning as social strategy demonstrated students’ achievement in enhancing students’ vocabulary. In conclusion, this finding evidently gives a different approach in conducting the teaching and learning during ESL lessons.

ВЛИЯНИЕ ТЕХНОЛОГИИ WEBQUESTS НА УСПЕШНОСТЬ ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ НАВЫКОВ ЧТЕНИЯ И ПИСЬМА СТУДЕНТОВ УНИВЕРСИТЕТА

WebQuests are increasingly becoming popular in teaching English as a foreign language since they provide learners with authentic and collaborative tasks. The aim of this study was to explore whether using WebQuests is effective in enhancing writing and reading performance of students at a university level. The experimental groups were taught through traditional instruction with the elements of WebQuests as additional reading and writing activities. The control groups had the traditional ESL lessons only. Significant differences occurred in the experimental groups in reading and writing performance in the post-tests.Comparing these results with those of the pre-tests, the authors draw a conclusion that using WebQuests can enhance students’ reading and writing performance. The findings of this study indicate that WebQuests have potential in enhancing reading and writing abilities of students.

Scaffolding thinking in ESL lessons: Negotiating challenges

The main focus of second language teaching is developing basic language competencies to help learners to communicate in another language. ESL teaching in many developing countries is an area that needs further development to provide best opportunities for students to engage in learning English. Recent research suggests the positive impacts of embedding thinking skills to enhance ESL learning. The Sri Lankan secondary school ESL curriculum emphasises the need for developing students’ competency of extracting necessary information from various types of reading texts but it does not explicitly recognize the need for developing students’ thinking skills. Therefore, this study examined teachers’ perspectives of incorporating thinking focused activities in reading. It employed 20 semi-structured Skype interviews with experienced ESL teachers to discuss how they scaffold thinking in reading lessons in grade 11 textbook prescribed for all state schools. The informants of this study found only simple and interesting themes helped students to think beyond creatively, but unfamiliar topics made students less engaging with the content. Teachers also encounter challenges in scaffolding thinking in multi-level language classrooms because of students’ limited knowledge of English vocabulary and general knowledge. Teachers also think cultural factors such as students’ inbuilt respect for teachers made students less interactive. This paper proposes a few strategies such as bilingual approaches to activate students thinking in ESL acquisition poor environments.

The Effects of Using Multimodal Approaches in Meaning-Making of 21st Century Literacy Texts Among ESL Students in a Private School in Malaysia

In today’s globalised digital era, students are inevitably engaged in various multimodal texts due to their active participation in social media and frequent usage of mobile devices on a daily basis. Such daily activities advocate the need for a transformation in the teaching and learning of ESL lessons in order to promote students’ capabilities in making meaning of different literacy texts which students come across in their ESL learning activities. This paper puts forth the framework of Multimodality in the restructuring of the teaching and learning of ESL with the aim of investigating its effects and students perspectives on the use of multimodal approaches underlying the Multiliteracies theory. Using focus group interviews, this qualitative case study examines the effectiveness of ESL teaching and learning using the Multimodal approaches on literacy in meaning-making among 15 students in a private school in Penang, Malaysia. The results confirm the need to reorientate the teaching and learning of ESL with the focus on multimodal pedagogical practices as it promotes positive learning outcomes among students. The implications of this study suggest that the multimodal approaches integrated in the teaching and learning of ESL have the capacity to promote students’ autonomy in learning, improve motivation to learn and facilitate various learning styles. Keywords: Multimodal Approaches; Multiliteracies; Monomodal; Flipped Classroom; Literacy; Multimodal texts; Ipad

Differentiation Practices among the English Teachers at PERMATApintar National Gifted and Talented Center

PERMATApintar National Gifted and Talented Center is Malaysia’s very own school for Malaysian gifted andtalented students, established since 2011. The center provides differentiated teaching and learning across allacademic subjects that require teachers to modify lessons according to learners’ learning preferences. However,initial implementation of differentiation raised challenges faced by the teachers. Specifically, this study exploredthe practice of differentiation in ESL classroom among the English teachers at PERMATApintar and its effectson the English language learning of Malaysian gifted and talented students. Three English teachers participatedin this qualitative study exploring their experience in providing differentiated lessons for the gifted and talentedstudents. This study found out the English language performance of the gifted and talented students was not asexpected even though differentiated ESL lessons were provided. This study also revealed that English teachersfaced challenges in preparing and implementing differentiated teaching and learning, and that a guideline forpreparing a differentiated lesson for ESL classroom is needed for a better implementation of differentiatedteaching and learning among the gifted and talented students. Further studies should investigate the moreappropriate differentiated classroom strategies in the teaching of English language that suit the Malaysian giftedand talented students, and develop a differentiation procedure especially for the gifted and talented students inMalaysia.

A buddy reading programme in Hong Kong schools

This article looks at Year 9 (age 13) ESL learners in a secondary school in Hong Kong producing—with minimal input and support from their teachers—their own story books, these being the final task outcome in a series of lessons focusing on creativity. Over a period of two months, as an integral part of their ESL lessons, groups of students designed, wrote, and illustrated their own story books. They then visited nearby primary schools where they read their story books to primary level ESL pupils and did follow-up tasks with them. The article describes the process from the perspective of one pioneering teacher and her class. The programme's success has since led to it being implemented across the board at Year 9 level in the school, with a subsequent expansion in the number of primary ‘buddies’ reached by the programme. The article examines the place of authentic reading and writing as they are situated within the domains of creativity and task-based learning in the school's ESL programme.

Uptake in Incidental Focus on Form in Meaning‐Focused ESL Lessons

Uptake is a term used to describe learners’ responses to the provision of feedback after either an erroneous utterance or a query about a linguistic item within the context of meaning‐focused Language activities. Some researchers argue that uptake may contribute to second Language acquisition by facilitating noticing and pushing learners to produce more accurate linguistic forms. This study investigated the occurrence of uptake in 32 hr of meaning‐focused lessons in 12 English as a second Language classes in Auckland, New Zealand. It also examined which characteristics of incidental focus on form predicted uptake and successful uptake. The results indicated that uptake occurred in these classes and that characteristics such as complexity, timing, and type of feedback influenced both the production of uptake and the successfulness of it.

Language learning

Language learning

Learner Uptake in Communicative ESL Lessons

This article examines incidental and transitory focus on form. Learner uptake was studied in focus‐on‐form episodes occurring in 12 hours of communicative ESL teaching. Learner uptake was generally high and successful—to a much greater extent than has been reported for immersion classrooms. Uptake was higher and more successful in reactive focus on form and in student‐initiated focus on form than in teacher‐initiated focus on form. The level of uptake was also influenced by whether meaning or form was negotiated and by the complexity of an episode. This study indicates that focus on form can occur without disturbing the communicative flow of a classroom and that the classroom context can affect the amount of uptake.