ESL Setting Research Articles

The Use of an Interactive Online Tool (Plickers) in Learning Vocabulary among Young Learners in ESL Setting

Technology is proven to be one of the factors supporting teaching and learning in the classroom in this digital age. Teachers are also encouraged to use technical resources to enhance the language skills of students in ESL classrooms. The aim of this research is to reveal the perceptions and motivation of students about the use of Plickers in learning ESL vocabulary. Embedded design from mixed method research was selected as the research method to achieve this aim. The survey questionnaire was answered by 50 primary students from different ages and proficiency levels, and 20 of them had face-to-face interviews. The technology acceptance model (TAM) was adapted to construct the survey questionnaire as the basic model to explore students’ perceptions. Using descriptive analysis such as frequency, percentage and mean score, the quantitative data of the study wasanalysed. Meanwhile, an iterative process involving coding, categorization and theme identification was used to evaluate the qualitative data. According to the results obtained, it is seen that Plickers makes a positive contribution to students’ perceptions. They were also intrinsically motivated towards the use of Plickers in learning vocabulary.

Emotive responses to the language learning experience across contexts

Over recent decades, research into motivational and cognitive aspects of language learning has been plentiful, providing valuable insights into the psychology and learning capacity of the language learner. However, the emotions of language learners have been the victim of significant neglect (Dornyei, 2009). Emotions lie at the centre of human experience, and their impact on learning cannot be underestimated, let alone ignored. The current study draws on qualitative interview data collected from Thai learners of English in university contexts in both Thailand and Australia to investigate what kinds of emotional experiences the learners encounter in their learning, and to observe the differences in these experiences across the differing EFL and ESL contexts. The interview results revealed that the situated context of the participants played a discerning role in determining the emotional experiences they encountered. This was largely due to the greater intensity and frequency of emotional experiences encountered by learners outside of the classroom in Australia compared with the much more limited classroom environment in Thailand. Important implications to emerge from the study are the need to create more authentic experiences and opportunities for social interaction in EFL settings, and provision of greater support for international students in ESL settings.

From EFL to ESL Context: The Impact of Sociocultural Environment on Teachers’ Professional Identity Development

Teachers, like other professionals, are sometimes bound to change places of living, particularly when such a change takes the teachers to an entirely different country with a distinctive culture. This paper aims to trace three Saudi EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers who moved from Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to pursue their professional careers further. The main objective of the paper is to examine how the sociocultural context influences the professional identity formation of EFL teachers. The data of the study were collected through classroom observations and in-depth interviews that were then analyzed thematically. Findings of the study led to the emergence of four distinctive themes that include language-related identity, context-related identity, practiced and responsive teaching skills, and membership in Communities of Practice. Findings underscore the dynamic nature of language teacher identities as participants find themselves in different English language teaching contexts. Additionally, the findings highlight the important role of professional settings in supporting teachers’ professional identity development. Keywords: professional identity; community of practice; sociocultural environment; ESL setting; Saudi schools

MALAYSIAN TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION AND CHALLENGES TOWARDS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF FLIPPED LEARNING APPROACH

Flipping the classroom has given a lot of attention by many studies nowadays. Driven in by the technology widespread and its fast development, the flipped classroom is one of the recent trending in teaching practices. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate teachers’ perceptions and challenges towards the implementation of flipped learning approach. Several research studies showed that using flipped learning approach increases students’ understanding and confidence in learning. Flipped classroom allows students to have their own time of video-based (Vodcast) lecture session following with in-class exercises and practices. This paper briefly discusses on the history of flipped classroom, teachers’ perception and challenges issues of flipped learning approach to ESL/EFL teachers. A structured questionnaire was carried out to find out teachers’ perception and challenges in flipped learning approach to ESL/EFL teachers. The sample in this study consists of 50 respondents which are 9 males and 41 females. The results show that most teachers agreed that they find teaching through online is useful. It can be said that the biggest teachers’ challenge in implementing flipped learning approach as they feel teachers’ feedback is very important in the flipped learning classroom. Meanwhile, there is no significant relationship between teachers’ perception and teachers’ challenges.
 Keywords: ESL setting, Flipped Classroom, ICT in education, Teachers’ perception, Vodcast

The Effect of Graphic Organizer (KWL Chart) on Young Learners’ Reading Comprehension in an ESL Setting

KWL is a pre-reading strategy used to improve reading comprehension. This paper aims to discover the effectiveness of the Know-Want-Learn (KWL) strategy in improving year-4 pupils’ reading comprehension is one of the elements assessed in the UPSR Examination in Malaysia. This study reports quasi-experimental research on the use of a KWL chart (graphic organizer) on year 4 pupils’ reading comprehension in an ESL setting. Thirty pupils were chosen using purposive sampling in a primary school at Kuala Lumpur. The test was conducted with 30 ESL pupils of the same age group. A pretest of reading comprehension was then administered to evaluate the participants’ comprehension skills. The Quasi-experimental research design used to carry out this study. Participants were separated into two different groups: an experimental group and a control group. The participants of the experimental group used the KWL Chart to answer comprehension questions; the control group received the conventional method of teaching to answer reading comprehension questions. At last, all the participants answered a post-test on reading comprehension. This innovative strategy can be used to develop pupils’ reading comprehension not only for pupils in year-4 but also for pupils at other levels.

THE EFFECTS OF CAPTIONED VIDEOS ON PRIMARY ESL LEARNERS’ VOCABULARY ACQUISITION IN A MALAYSIAN RURAL SETTING

ESL instructors across the world acknowledge the importance of vocabulary among their students which led them to experiment with many teaching approaches and language stimuli to find ones that are effective. In line with global technological advancement, the captioned video has become a key stimulus in facilitating vocabulary acquisition among second language learners. The use of technology is highly encouraged in the Malaysian education system to promote meaningful and active learning to accommodate, particularly, the young learners’ needs. By using highly interactive and visually stimulating materials, Malaysian teachers are expected to improve the alarmingly low proficiency in English among primary school learners. This study aims to investigate the effects of captioned videos on English vocabulary involving 44 participants of Year Four (age 10) and Year Five (age 11) at a rural school in Kapit, Sarawak. Using a pre-test-post-test quasi-experimental research design, the participants were divided into a treatment group and a control group. The data were analyzed using SPSS and it was demonstrated that participants from the treatment group outperformed the control group which suggests the effectiveness of captioned videos on vocabulary acquisition in an ESL setting. The results of the study serve as empirical evidence to guide policymakers in their professional decisions and as insights to other ESL practitioners in expanding their teaching repertoire.

Cognitive processing of second language idiom comprehension: A comparative study

This study examines the cognitive processes underlying the comprehension of L2 idiomatic expressions by using two different visual instructional techniques – pictorial representation of literal meanings versus pictorial representation of figurative meanings of each idiomatic expression – considering two settings (EFL vs. ESL), two different types of idioms (opaque vs. transparent) and two different proficiency levels (intermediate vs. advanced). The treatment included common pedagogical practices that use Dual Coding Theory as two different visual techniques with verbal support to teach different types of idioms. 67 ESL and 63 EFL learners attended the study. Idiom Comprehension Test was used before and after the treatment. Results of repeated-measure ANOVA based on pre- and post-test comparisons revealed that the comprehension of L2 idioms differed with respect to the learning setting, instructional technique, and idiom type. Nevertheless, proficiency level did not seem to have any effect on comprehension outcomes of any group. The results showed that in the ESL setting, the figurative technique was more successful than literal technique; while in EFL setting the literal technique resulted in better scores compared to figurative technique. ESL learners were better at learning idioms with opaque meanings than learners in EFL settings whereas EFL students were better at learning idioms with transparent meanings. The results of this study support the view of the Dual Idiom Representation Model stating that ESL learners activate their existing idiom entry and they comprehend figuratively whereas EFL learners must decompose idioms. Â

An Evaluation of the Pragmatics in the "Cutting Edge" Intermediate Textbooks

Regardless of the prodigious impacts of today’s technologies and the substantial influence of language learning through the mediation of computers the world over, coursebooks undeniably have an important role in ESL settings. Accordingly, regular evaluation of textbooks’ materials is a vital task for experts in the field. The evaluation not only can contribute to the learning and teaching process, it also warrants its suitability for the contextual and individual usage. Evaluation is regarded as an inherent section of the teaching and learning procedures. As such, the current study intends to evaluate the pragmatic content of Cutting-Edge int ermediate text books (Sarah & Peter 2007), which are currently used in most ESL language colleges. Specifically, it analyzes the conversation sections of all Cutting-Edge intermediate books based on the two pragmatic variables: language functions and speech acts. , The study also investigates the provision of sufficient data with regard to context and meta-pragmatics included in these textbooks. The pragmatic taxonomies, Halliday’s (1978) and Searle’s (1976) models were employed in data analysis. The findings illustrated that pragmatic materials were not sufficient to develop learners’ second language pragmatic features. Furthermore, the conversation parts were not efficient and functional from the pragmatic point of view. Keywords: Cutting-Edge intermediate series; Development; ESL textbooks; Evaluation; L2 pragmatic competence

A Qualitative Investigation of Pragmatic Development in Foreign and Target Context

The effects of learning environment on language development in general and pragmatic competence have received increasing attention in the last few decades. The existing studies examined the effects of ESL and EFL settings on pragmatic development from a variety of standpoints. Taking these studies as the basis, this comparative case study aimed to investigate the effects of target context and foreign context on the pragmatic development of two groups of learners, one learning a foreign language (English) and the other learning a second language (Turkish). What differentiates this study from the previous ones is that it compares the cases of learning foreign and second languages (by two different student groups) in the same country (Turkey) The participants, selected on purposeful sampling, were one group of Turkish learners of English in an EFL department in Turkey and the other group was learners from different nationalities learning Turkish in Turkey. The data were collected through participants’ self-reports, interviews and in-class observations by the researcher. The content analysis mainly revealed that the foreign context did not offer learners adequate chances for exposure to and practice in the target language, which negatively influenced their pragmatic development. However, the target context provided ample chances of natural and authentic communication in which learners of Turkish could develop their pragmatic knowledge and production. Based on these results, some pedagogical and practical suggestions are provided.

Teaching Oral English in an ESL Setting: Some Challenges Observed by Teachers in Upper-West Ghana

This study sought to establish from teachers of English in Senior High Schools in the Upper-West Region of Ghana what they considered to be the main challenges confronting their students in the Oral English course. Thirty-four (34) teachers participated in the survey, which used questionnaire and personal observation for data gathering. The study found that there was a high tendency for features of the L1 of students to affect their learning of L2, especially in the areas of phonemes, morphemes, words, sentences and discourse structures. This was not surprising, as English was the L2 of majority of high school students in the region. The study acknowledges the need for language teachers to understand the linguistic systems of the second language of the student and how they function and be able to differentiate between the first and second language of the learner. It further concedes that a teacher’s ability to speak and understand a language is not a guarantee for attaining the requisite technical knowledge for understanding and explaining the system of the language. It was observed that the challenges of pronunciation were not limited to students but affected the teachers too. The study recommends the teaching of pronunciation at basic level in an ESL context like Ghana’s and also the provision of relevant teaching and learning materials for schools as well as periodic training for subject teachers.

The Impact of Sequence Map, Answering Question, and 3-2-1 Techniques on EFL Learners’ Summary Writing Ability

Considering the challenges inherent in learning and teaching of summary writing in EFL/ ESL settings, it is crucial to look into various instructional techniques thoroughly. This study investigated the relative effectiveness of three summary writing techniques: Sequence map, answering question, and 3-2-1 technique. To this end, 60 language learners from an English language institute in Ahvaz participated in the study. Before implementing the instructional techniques, a pre-test was administered to gauge the participants' fundamental knowledge of L2 summary writing. Three experimental groups were instructed through the already-mentioned techniques for ten weeks while the control group was given no such treatment. Finally, a post-test was administered to ascertain the effectiveness of such techniques in improving EFL learners' summary writing. The TOEFL-iBT scoring rubric was adopted to score the summaries holistically. Paired sample t-test and ANOVA were run to analyze the data. The findings revealed that the sequence map group outperformed the other three groups in terms of the written summaries. The study further implies that the employment of graphical or spatial representation of textual concepts reduces the complexity and ambiguity of the presented information.

Verbal Dramatisation of Words: Incidental Vocabulary Learning via Readers’ Theatre

Although explicit teaching of vocabulary is often practised in language classrooms, it has been proven to be rather ineffective since words are not taught in context. This leads to the increasing use of incidental vocabulary learning approach, which emphasises on repeated readings as a source for vocabulary learning. By adopting this approach, this study aims to investigate students’ ability in learning vocabulary incidentally via verbal dramatisation of written texts. In this case, readers’ theatre (RT) is used as a way to allow learners to engage in active reading so as to promote vocabulary learning. A total of 160 diploma students participated in this case study and they were divided equally into two groups, namely classroom reading (CR) and reader’s theatre (RT) groups. A proficiency test was first conducted to determine their vocabulary levels. Based on the test results, a story was selected as the reading material for the two groups. The CR group read the story through a normal reading lesson in class while the RT group was required to verbally dramatize the text through readers’ theatre activity. Then, a post-test based on vocabulary levels was carried out and the results were compared. The findings revealed that incidental learning was more apparent in the RT group and their ability to learn words from the higher levels was noticeable through higher accuracy scores. Although not conclusive, this study has demonstrated the potential of using readers’ theatre as a form of incidental vocabulary learning activity in ESL settings.

Complementary Theoretical Perspectives on Task‐Based Classroom Realities

Tasks are viewed as a principled foundation for classroom teaching, social interaction, and language development. This special issue sheds new light on how task‐based classroom practices are supported by a diverse range of principles. This introduction describes current trends in classroom practice and pedagogic research in relation to task‐based language teaching (TBLT), offering a rationale for revisiting the TESOL profession’s understandings of the uses of tasks in language classrooms. It then summarizes the contributions appearing in this issue, which address topics including: interaction in task planning and completion, the use of tasks to support writing development, learner perceptions and interpretations of tasks, and the relationship between autonomy and TBLT. Collectively, these contributions advance complementary theoretical perspectives on classroom learning and teaching in diverse EFL and ESL settings. Overall, they reflect the broadening scope of second language acquisition theory while maintaining a tight focus on classroom realities.

The Sequence of Acquisition of Personal Pronoun Case and Person Reference among 6 Year Old Children in Two Selected Malaysian Kindergartens

Pronoun case and person reference refer to the position of the pronoun in the sentence and the person the pronoun refers to respectively. Examining the acquisition of pronoun case and person reference among young children can be insightful as, besides their obvious relevance to language development, both these constructs can have implications on other aspects of child development. Attention given by children to these various constructs may indicate the importance children place on the concept of ego and self as well as on social relations. The sequence of acquisition of personal pronouns among these children is therefore an important phenomenon to be examined as it can reflect linguistic and socio-cognitive development. This largely descriptive study examines the sequence of acquisition of the English pronouns among forty 6 year old Malaysian children learning ESL in two kindergartens. The children in the study were presented with 33 drawings to assess their familiarity with case and person reference expressed through English personal pronouns. They were required to select the correct pronoun from three pronouns that were used to describe each drawing. This paper reports on the accuracy rates for each pronoun and assumes that high accuracy rates indicate a more complete acquisition of the pronoun. Error forms by the children were also be identified and examined. Data obtained were compared to acquisition sequences in the literature and general implications related to the acquisition of personal pronouns among children in an ESL setting in Malaysia will be discussed.

Pragmatics in EFL Teaching: Building Meaning beyond Words through the Use of Videos

Pragmatics, a seemingly unexplored area by most EFL teachers nowadays, offers a number of language competencies in order to convey and understand meaning successfully. It is worth mentioning that an EFL setting does not usually provide the same availability of opportunities to practice pragmatics as an ESL setting does. Thus, contextual cues, for this particular study, will be provided by audio-visual aids. This authentic material certainly displays the connotative meaning of words and phrases and the degree of appropriateness that have currently been downplayed in EFL scenarios by the over teaching of syntactic knowledge, mostly. Grounded on these premises, this qualitative study emerged. It was conducted with freshman and junior students of the English majors at Universidad Nacional of Costa Rica, Brunca Branch as an attempt at identifying the treatment pragmatics has received in the oral expression courses, and devising several techniques on how to help students grasp the connotative meaning of words and phrases derived from contextual factors found in authentic audio-visual aids.

The Effect of Using Automated Essay Evaluation on ESL Undergraduate Students’ Writing Skill

<p>Advances in Natural Language Processing (NLP) have yielded significant advances in the language assessment field. The Automated Essay Evaluation (AEE) mechanism relies on basic research in computational linguistics focusing on transforming human language into algorithmic forms. The Criterion® system is an instance of AEE software providing both formative feedback and an automated holistic score. This paper aims to investigate the impact of this newly-developed AEE software in a current ESL setting by measuring the effectiveness of the Criterion® system in improving ESL undergraduate students’ writing performance. Data was collected from sixty-one ESL undergraduate students in an academic writing course in the English Language department at Princess Norah bint Abdulruhman University PNU. The researcher employed a repeated measure design study to test the potential effects of the formative feedback and automated holistic score on overall writing proficiency across time. Results indicated that the Criterion® system had a positive effect on the students’ cores on their writing tasks. However, results also suggested that students’ mechanics in writing significantly improved, while grammar, usage and style showed only moderate improvement. These findings are discussed in relation to AEE literature. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of implementing AEE software in educational contexts.</p><p><span><br /></span></p>

Students’ Perceptions about the Importance of Communication Skills: A Case Study of EFL Learners at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia

The graduates of Jazan University (Saudi Arabia), like anywhere else in EFL or ESL settings, require effective oral communication skills in English language for a highly competitive and expanding market economy of the country, and the worldwide too. The study was taken to evaluate the students’ perceptions about the need of speaking skills and the urgency to participate in language enhancement activities keeping in view the generally unsatisfactory position of the Saudi students in speaking English language. The sample population for this research was taken from three colleges, i.e. the first grade students from Engineering, Business and Computer Science of this university. A survey method technique was adopted in which data was obtained using a structured questionnaire about students’ responses on multiple items indicating their understanding of the importance of speaking skills, their existing level of oral communication and the need to participate in the extra coaching programs offered by the university. The quantitative data were analyzed by using SPSS 17. The data shows the participants’ understanding of the importance of communication skills for social needs, personality development, attaining and survival in the job market, and their needs for attending extra language training sessions other than their normal routine courses.

Enhancing Willingness to Communicate: Relative Effects of Visualization and Goal Setting

This article examines the relative effects of two treatments—goal setting and visualization—on enhancing Willingness to Communicate (WTC) among a group of 373 Japanese university EFL learners. Although longitudinal studies in both EFL and ESL settings have been conducted to examine the developmental aspect of WTC, no solid results of enhancing WTC through instruction have been found in EFL settings. Based on Dörnyei's (2005) concept of the Ideal L2 Self, lessons were designed for the two treatment groups so learners could visualize themselves as future specialists in their field, discussing global issues and presenting their creative ideas for solving these global problems. For the second treatment group, a goal setting activity was introduced in which students articulated their speaking goals in each class. The nontreatment group, the visualization group, and the visualization plus goal setting group had approximately the same amount of communicative activities. The ANCOVA results suggest that the visualization treatment alone was not effective in enhancing learners' L2 WTC over the nontreatment group. However, when visualization was combined with goal setting, the increase in learners' L2 WTC was significantly larger compared to the visualization group, and by implication, significantly larger compared to the nontreatment group. Additionally, the impact of visualization and goal setting on learners' WTC was qualitatively explored.

Implementing a Listening and Speaking Curriculum in a Linguistically Homogenous English for Academic Purposes Program

Linguistic homogeneity in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programs can be a challenge to curriculum design and implementation. In university EAP programs where the majority of students share an L1 with classmates, instructors sometimes struggle to balance the use of the L1 and L2 in class. Despite the potential for immersion, students in these settings may also socialize primarily in their L1 rather than English, the target language. These factors demand special consideration in courses focused on oral production and comprehension where sustained interaction and negotiation of meaning is crucial. Ninety percent of the students in the Intensive English as a Second Language Program at Michigan Technological University come from China and share an L1. In this context, the classroom provides important opportunities for interaction and negotiation of meaning in the target language. The program recently redesigned, piloted, and evaluated a new curriculum. Using examples from the curriculum and the classroom to present this case, I argue that linguistically homogeneous classrooms focusing on oral and aural communication require different curricula than more diverse EAP settings. Examples from the development and delivery of the new listening and speaking curriculum are potentially applicable in both ESL and EFL settings. Keywords: Curriculum development, EAP, EFL, oral communication, higher education

“Quick-chatting”, “smart dogs”, and how to “say without saying”: Small talk and pragmatic learning in the community

In this paper we focus on the perspectives and practical needs of a group of adult immigrants from language backgrounds other than English as they encounter the pragmatic demands of communicating in the workplace and in the community. Drawing on a subset of data from a large-scale longitudinal study of recent adult immigrants with low levels of English, we explore what they notice about the pragmatics of communication in Australia and the sociopragmatic and pragmalinguistic skills they need to ‘fit in’ and function successfully through English. The pragmatic issues they identify encompass a range of sociopragmatic and pragmalinguistic issues not normally addressed in interlanguage research, including the importance of small talk and how to participate in it, the role and interpretation of informality and indirectness, different perceptions of sociability and the ‘need to be nice’, recognition of the need to be pragmatically flexible, and differences between the language taught in the classroom and that used every day in the community. We consider the implications for language classes in an ESL setting and suggest some activities designed to help immigrants prepare for the transition from classroom language learner to competent language user in the community.