Undergraduate ESL Research Articles

IMPACT OF BLENDED LEARNING ON ACQUISITION OF ENGLISH AS SECOND LANGUAGE AT UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL IN PAKISTAN

Blended Learning (BL), is a teaching approach that integrates face-to-face instruction with interactive online tools and resources. The research study was conducted to analyze students’ satisfaction with approach of Blended Learning in the second language learning classrooms. The research study’s objectives were to find out the impact of blended learning on the students’ speaking practice and to find out impact of Blended Learning on students’ listening practice. The simple random sampling technique was used in this study. In this regard, the data was collected from 317 undergraduate ESL students of different private and government universities in Lahore. After collection, data was encrypted in SPSS software version 22. The descriptive analysis of the collected data shows that most of the ESL students found BL supportive and helpful in learning English language and shows a positive attitude toward BL. The results offered important information from results of current investigation in reaching the conclusion wherein findings show that varying percentages of the students expressed their diverse sentiments regarding the blended learning as compared to the traditional classroom environments.

Evaluating the efficacy of computer games-based learning intervention in enhancing English speaking proficiency

The use of learning games in education, particularly for second language (L2) acquisition, has gained significant traction recently, establishing game-based learning as a notable academic discipline. This study examines how computer game-based learning influences ESL undergraduates’ speaking abilities, comparing traditional teaching methods with game-based teaching techniques. The study employed action research utilizing a control-experimental groups technique with a sample of 60 learners. Data were collected through observation sessions, interviews, as well as pre-tests and post-tests on English speaking skills. Upon comparing the scores of the control and experimental groups, the experimental group showed greater improvement in speaking skills. This study provides significant insights into the area of game-based learning using computers, particularly among international students in ESL contexts.

‘Even (if) I choose the right answer, that goes wrong’

While studies on second language academic discourse socialization are increasing, how less academically prepared undergraduate multilingual students, such as RBSs, negotiate literacy challenges across the curriculum is still under-researched. As part of a larger qualitative study, which explored how three Bhutanese/Nepali youths negotiated the discursive, interactional, material and perceptual challenges they faced across their undergraduate curriculum in a US university, this article focuses on assessment-related textual challenges across the curriculum in a research university. Initiated as a teacher research-based study in an undergraduate ESL writing class, this longitudinal multiple-case study followed three RBSs for five years during their undergraduate study. While all three participants persistently struggled throughout their degree in various academic literacy events, they managed to graduate within five years because of various kinds of support they received. While there was no formal support tailored to RBSs at the university, this article illustrates how some literacy sponsors were able to create informal support mechanisms for these students. It also highlights how the most common literacy support at the university – that is, teaching of essayist literacies, was inadequate for preparing RBSs well in successfully negotiating academic literacy challenges.

Exploring the Relationship Between Creativity and Narrative Writing Proficiency of Pakistani Undergraduate ESL Learners

The study aimed to explore the relationship between creativity and narrative writing proficiency level among ESL undergraduate learners of a public sector university in central Punjab, Pakistan. The study adopted a version of Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT) as a framework. TTCT and IELTS written test rubrics were utilized for analyzing the data of 30 participants. The primary objective of the study was to measure the level of creativity exhibited in the narrative writing and its relationship with English proficiency. A significant positive relationship (r = .84) was found between creativity and narrative writing proficiency using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The results showed that the students who demonstrated higher level of creativity also exhibited stronger writing proficiency levels. To compare the results, a paired sample t-test was used to confirm, and it was found that there was a significant difference between the scores of writing test and creativity. The effect of gender was also investigated, and females outperformed male participants. The study emphasized the importance of fostering creativity in narrative writing instructions to improve writing abilities among ESL learners. The study suggested that educators and institutions should integrate creative writing exercises and techniques into language instructions, acknowledging the potential advantages of increasing students’ imaginative abilities to improve their language proficiency.

Model text as corrective feedback in L2 writing: the role of working memory and vocabulary size

Abstract Recent research highlights model texts as a form of written corrective feedback (WCF) for enhancing L2 writing skills. This study, conducted at a South Asian university, assessed the impact of model texts on the argumentative writing skills of 71 undergraduate ESL students. Divided into treatment and control groups, assessments at various stages employed an analytic rubric and CALF metrics (complexity, accuracy, fluency, lexical richness). Additionally, regression analysis was used to gauge the effect of working memory capacity (WMC) and vocabulary size on the success of the method. The findings revealed that the treatment group exhibited significant improvements, particularly in vocabulary use and structural aspects of their writing. Both WMC and vocabulary size were found to influence the efficacy of model texts. This study underscores the potential of model texts in WCF and highlights the role of individual learner attributes in determining its effectiveness.

Correlations Between Motivation and Language Proficiency: A Stimulus Appraisal-Based Study on Indian Undergraduate ESL Learners

understood as a product of the stimulus appraisal system, and writing proficiency in English among undergraduate Indian ESL learners. The principal objective of the study was to analyze the correlation between the undergraduate Indian ESL learner’s motivational sub-checks/constructs, constituted using the stimulus appraisal (SA) theory of affect, and their writing proficiency in English. Additionally, it also attempted to understand the influence of sex and academic disciplines on the correlations. An ESL motivation survey was conducted using a modified version of the Attitude and Motivation Test Battery (Gardner, 1985) on students (N>350) studying in undergraduate programs in the academic disciplines of engineering, humanities, and medical sciences selected using criterion-based sampling, followed by a writing proficiency test in English. It was observed that need/compatibility factors did not significantly correlate with ESL writing proficiency in any of the three subsamples. ESL classroom-related factors within the pleasantness/novelty construct, on the other hand, significantly correlated with ESL writing proficiency. It is hoped that the insights obtained in the study should potentially help design more empirically informed pedagogical methods of ESL teaching.

Impact of First Language (L1) on Second Language (L2) Pronunciation: A Case Study of Undergraduate ESL Learners in Pakistan

Language pronunciation is an indispensable part of the language learning process. It plays a substantial role in enhancing the communicative competence and performance of sound language learners. The learning of pronunciation is a very sensitive and complicated aspect of the English language classroom. However, all L1 students are not equally good at learning pronunciation. The research aims to explore the phonological features of L1 that influence the pronunciation of L2. Similarities and differences between the phonological systems of the L1 and L2 are also part of this study. The study discusses theory and personal observations that classify the influence of L1 on L2. This research is significant because it highlights importance of acquiring the pronunciation of a second language. This study assesses the impact of L1 on the pronunciation of L2 using a quantitative data analysis approach and Transfer Hypothesis Theory. The Transfer Hypothesis Theory suggests that the skills and knowledge acquired in one language can transfer and influence the learning and use of another language. The result of this analysis provides valuable insights into the relationship between L1 and L2 and contributes to our understanding of the Transfer Hypothesis Theory.

Exploring English Language Anxiety Among Undergraduate Female ESL Learners in Mewat Region of Haryana, India

The study aims to investigate English language anxiety among Mewat female ESL learners and the causes and sources of anxiety. It also seeks to investigate if the differences in their demographic profiles shape their anxiety levels differently. As the study deals with how certain independent variables (e.g. level/year of study, parents’ educational level, and their employment profile) shape the dependent variable (English language anxiety), a descriptive quantitative approach was adopted, and the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale developed by Horwitz et al. (1986) was utilized to collect the data from respondents. 214 study participants were selected through a simple random sampling method from the population of undergraduate ESL learners studying at different levels of the graduate program at Government Women’s College, Nuh, Mewat, Haryana, India. The findings revealed that the study respondents experience moderate levels of anxiety. However, their anxiety levels differ concerning different aspects/sources of anxiety. Communicative anxiety is the highest followed by classroom anxiety, test anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation respectively. One-way ANOVA analysis revealed statistically significant differences in the means of the responses of study participants based on level/year of study and parents' educational level. However, no difference of any statistical significance was found in the means of the response of the respondents based on their parents' professional profiles. The study findings would be useful in addressing anxiety, understanding its causes and consequences, and uncovering ways to help students overcome anxiety and learn English properly.

The Cognitive Processes of ESL Writers Responding to an Integrated Argumentative Writing Task

Integrated writing tasks, whether used for teaching or assessment, are designed to engage and gauge the actions, skills, and strategies that students need to become efficient writers able to identify, extract and synthesize information from multiple source material in their writing appropriately. Consequently, it is critical to verify that such tasks do engage the cognitive processes and strategies that theory and research indicate are essential elements of successful source use in writing. This study used a mixed methods approach to describe the cognitive processes that ESL learners engage in when responding to an integrated writing task and examine how these cognitive processes vary depending on the students’ English language proficiency (ELP). Each of 51 undergraduate ESL students at two levels of ELP (high and low) completed an integrated writing task that involved listening to a lecture, reading a passage about a related topic, and writing an argumentative essay using ideas from both sources and then responded to a questionnaire about their cognitive processes. Additionally, another eight participants were video recorded while completing the writing task and provided stimulated recalls about their writing processes immediately after completing the task. The findings reveal the various cognitive and metacognitive processes and strategies that the participants engaged and the language and discourse aspects they attended to. Additionally, participants with higher ELP tended to interact with the sources and task and to engage in planning and organizing, generating and retrieving, and revising and editing more frequently than did participants with lower ELP. The findings and their implications for the teaching and assessment of source-based writing are discussed.

Impact of ChatGPT on ESL students’ academic writing skills: a mixed methods intervention study

This paper presents a study on the impact of ChatGPT as a formative feedback tool on the writing skills of undergraduate ESL students. Since artificial intelligence-driven automated writing evaluation tools positively impact students’ writing, ChatGPT, a generative artificial intelligence-propelled tool, can be expected to have a more substantial positive impact. However, very little empirical evidence regarding the impact of ChatGPT on writing is available. The current mixed methods intervention study tried to address this gap. Data were collected from tertiary level ESL students through three tests and as many focus group discussions. The findings indicate a significant positive impact of ChatGPT on students' academic writing skills, and students’ perceptions of the impact were also overwhelmingly positive. The study strengthens and advances theories of feedback as a dialogic tool and ChatGPT as a reliable writing tool, and has practical implications. With proper student training, ChatGPT can be a good feedback tool in large-size writing classes. Future researchers can investigate the impact of ChatGPT on various specific genres and micro aspects of writing.

Comparative Analysis of Reading Strategies among Tertiary ESL Learners: A Case Study

In comprehending a text, the use of relevant reading strategies by the students is essential in order to assist them in understanding the reading material which subsequently improves their academic performance. However, insufficient comparative studies have investigated the reading strategies used by ESL learners at tertiary level based on their academic achievement. The aim of this study is to investigate the type of reading strategies employed by tertiary level ESL learners during the three phases of reading which are during pre, while and post reading for both high and low achievers. A total of 60 undergraduate ESL learners from a private university in Malaysia answered a set of reading strategies questionnaires adapted from Strategy Of Reading Skills (SORS). It was found that high achievers use metacognitive strategies more frequently as compared to ESL low achievers who are inclined to use bottom-up strategies. The findings suggest that to be a successful reader, the use of appropriate reading strategies should be encouraged to help students to comprehend the reading text. The data obtained is useful for teachers who provide variation in reading activities targeting both high and low achievers ESL learners.

Testing Speaking Skills in an Undergraduate ESL Classroom in Pakistan

Testing Speaking Skills in an Undergraduate ESL Classroom in Pakistan

Teaching English to Undergraduate ESL Learners through Task-Based Learning

Teaching English to Undergraduate ESL Learners through Task-Based Learning

Language Learning Anxiety in Online Learning: Malaysian ESL Undergraduates' Perspectives

The pandemic has changed the dynamics of the educational system, which has drastically turned toward remote learning. This sudden shift from conventional classroom instruction to online learning has affected the students' performance as second language learners. This study focuses on how undergraduate students perceive language learning anxiety when widespread online learning is implemented. This study used a quantitative approach through an adapted questionnaire to gather perspectives from 168 undergraduate students enrolled in online English language courses at a public institution in Malaysia. An analysis of the items was carried out using SPSS software. The findings showed that communication apprehension and fear of negative evaluation are the most prominent factors contributing to students’ language learning anxiety. Test anxiety, on the other hand, was reported to be the least important element. This study suggested that the implementation of online learning may influence the students’ language learning anxiety, and this was further examined along with recommendations for future research.

ESL Students Anxiety in English as a Second Language Learning from The Perspective of Linguistic Skills

The present research primed to divulge the state of ESL students’ anxiety while learning linguistic skills in the scenario of ESL classrooms in Pakistani context. The one hundred fifty ESL undergraduates were selected from three well-known private universities of the Lahore city. For ethical concern institution and contributors’ information was concealed. The researchers visited the concerned department of the universities with the permission of their head of the departments and collected data by using random sampling. The questionnaire was divided among these ESL students which was contain on three parts, first part comprises demographic information of the participants, the sconed part contains on six close ended questions, while the third part contains on one open ended question. Data was composed through the instrument of questionnaire and congregated data was later analysed by using SPSS software and presented in figures, graphs and tables. The findings exhumed that ESL undergraduates undergoing anxiety owing to lack of motivations, interactions from instructors and fellows and unsupportive environments. The researchers suggested some recommendations to decrease the anxiety related to the four skills of English language. Key Words Foreign language anxiety, ESL classrooms, ESL undergraduates, Anxiety in productive skills, Anxiety in receptive skills.

Investigating the Metacognitive Online Reading Strategies Among ESL Undergraduates

Investigating the Metacognitive Online Reading Strategies Among ESL Undergraduates

A Study on Social and Cultural Factors involved in L1 Attrition among Undergraduate ESL Learners in Pakistan

Aim of the Study: This study delves into the intricate interplay between second language (L2) proficiency, social, and cultural factors, and their collective influence on first language (L1) attrition among undergraduate ESL learners in a predominantly L1-dominant environment. In a world where English often takes center stage as a global lingua franca, this research scrutinizes the experiences of ESL learners in Pakistan, a context where Urdu is the native language and English holds a dominant position in academia and society. Methodology: Employing a qualitative approach, this study used semi-structured interviews to collect data from ESL undergraduates. The research population was selected from various disciplines in Pakistani universities to ensure diverse perspectives. The qualitative approach employs thematic analysis to uncover rich narratives and insights into participants' experiences. Findings: Through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews, social and cultural factors contributing to L1 attrition were explored. Several key themes emerged from the qualitative data, including the pressure to prioritize English over Urdu, the impact of language exposure, and the perceived societal value of English proficiency. Notably, participants report experiencing social pressure to prioritize English in both academic and social settings, which can lead to feelings of embarrassment when using Urdu. Exposure to English in media, advertising, and education also emerges as a significant contributor to L1 attrition. Conclusion: This study underscores the need for balanced language approaches that preserve cultural identity. Findings provide insights for educators and policymakers, enhancing our comprehension of socio-cultural aspects affecting L1 attrition among ESL students.

Investigating the Metacognitive Online Reading Strategies Among ESL Undergraduates

Investigating the Metacognitive Online Reading Strategies Among ESL Undergraduates

Investigating the Attitudes of ESL Learners toward the English Language

The study aims to understand the attitude of undergraduate ESL learners toward English in the Mewat region of Haryana. It is also concerned with investigating how differences in demography govern ESL learners' learning patterns and habits. For this purpose, 400 students (which makes 10%) of the total population of 4000 students in various colleges of Mewat region were selected randomly to understand the patterns and their behaviour toward learning English. To carry out the research, a questionnaire was developed to gather data and collect the responses and attitudes of the ESL learners. The quantitative analysis was employed with the help of descriptive statistics, and one-way ANOVA. The analysis demonstrated that most of the participants have a high degree of motivation to learn English. It also suggested that there is no significant difference in their attitudes based on family income, the education level of their parents, and gender. As positive attitudes act as an important means of motivation for ESL learning, these findings will be of immense help to teachers to reinvent their teaching strategies and design their study material accordingly.

ESL Undergraduates’ Perspective on Online Learning Mode during the Pandemic

ESL Undergraduates’ Perspective on Online Learning Mode during the Pandemic