Female English Language Learners Research Articles

Gender Effect in Using Strategies for Learning English Language: A Context of Aliya Madrasa Education in Bangladesh

Language learning strategies can be referred to a number of effective techniques, conscious behaviors or steps for proper acquisition of a second language. Several studies reported that females use more language learning strategies than males do, while some other research opined that there were no significant differences in the usage of learning strategies across genders. In Bangladesh, Aliya Madrasa students learn English language as a compulsory subject from Ebtedayi level that is equivalent to primary level and continues until Dakhil level which is equivalent to secondary school certificate level. However, from the very recent report of BANBEIS and World Bank of 2015 it has been observed that the English language proficiency level of the students of Aliya madaras are far below the acceptable level. The English language proficiency of the female Aliya madrasa students are more disappointing. Therefore, the researcher endeavors to identify weather differences exist between male and female English language learners of Aliya Madrasa in using different strategies to learn a second language. This study was conducted through a questionnaire survey and telephone interviews in which the researcher has made efforts to find out the various learning strategies applied by male and female learners ( at madrasa ) for successful acquisition of a second language. 160 learners of four different Aliya Madrasas participated in the study. Data were collected using a questionnaire adapted and modified from SILL (Oxford 1990) i.e., Strategy Inventory of language learning. Besides identifying the different kinds of strategies, the researcher also provides suggestions and recommendations for improving English language learning at Dakhil level, which will facilitate updating the education system in question and help the stakeholders to bring qualitative changes in the students’ learning outcome.

'Integrative' or 'Instrumental'?: Motivation that works closely during the adolescence days of Female English Language Learners of Different Universities of Bangladesh

From my experience of four years of teaching basic English language skills development courses in two different Universities of Bangladesh, I found that – students with a tendency to be 'integrated with' the culture that comes with the language being taught, have a higher motivation to perform better than other students in classroom communication, as well as in formal exams. In this gender specific case study, focusing on the female students who have done basic English skill development courses with me in two specific universities of Bangladesh, I have attempted to figure out - whether their integrative motivation towards the target language (English) culture is the main driving force to learn English better, or whether is it their instrumental need to learn that particular language that makes them better learners of English. Through personal interviews with my research participants, who showed better competence and obtained better grades than others in my Communicative English class - I tried to figure out their root of motivation to master linguistic competence. In this case study, I have considered Gardner and Lambert's (1972) distinction of integrative and instrumental motivation as my primary source.

Complaint Responses in Business Emails: An Interlanguage Pragmatic Study of Thai EFL Learners

The study's primary objective is to investigate how Thai EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners use politeness and complaint response strategies similarly or differently in email communication. Email data are collected from 30 male and 30 female Thai EFL learners. The learners' complaint response strategies for handling complaints include gratitude, apology, explanation, offer, appeal, and guarantee. The study shows that complaint response strategies differ among Thai male and female EFL learners. Compared to the female group, the male group uses the offer and appeal complaint response strategies more frequently. More often than the male group, the female group opts for the complaint response strategy of guarantee. Additionally, the chi-square analysis reveals that the use of the politeness strategy of the hedge is significantly different between the male and female Thai EFL learners with varying levels of English proficiency. The employment of the indirect politeness strategy is another crucial difference between male and female students in the high group. However, there is no significant difference in how male and female English language learners with high and low competence levels utilize the direct politeness strategy.

Role of Code-Switching and Code-Mixing in Improving L2 Leaners’ Target Language Speaking Skill in Multilingual Settings

The core purpose of the research was to explore the conceivable factors that can assist English language learners to expand their speaking skills while using code-switching and code-mixing in multilingual settings. The respondents of this research article were male and female English language learners, learning English at BS level enrolled in public and private universities and colleges of the district of Multan. Structured questionnaire was the tool for data collection in which the respondents were invited to stipulate their level of confirmation or disparity on four-point rating scale model. The results and findings of the study data indicated that all the foreign language learners were consistently approved and said “Yes” on all the proposed statements of the questionnaire. The evaluated data disclosed that L2 learners think that with the help of code-switching and code-mixing they can speak out English language lessons easily, their mother tongue can help them in communicating and understanding the difficult questions and answers reported in their syllabus easily, code switching can assist L2 learners during the communication with teachers and students, L2 learners tremble when they have to speak in English in front of big gathering without using mother tongue, they have strong inclination towards code-switching for improving their pronunciation, code-switching and code-mixing can assist them in group discussion in foreign language classroom and that code switching can assist them to comprehend the themes of the stories proposed in their L2 syllabus

ELLs in Higher Education: Learning Strategy Use and Goal Orientation

This study examined language learning strategy and goal orientation of college-level English Language Learners (ELLs) by using a questionnaire survey. It analyzed the relationship between goal orientation and demographic characteristics and further explored the correlation between learning strategy use and goal orientation. The results of the study show that non-Asian ELLs had a greater performance goal orientation tendency than Asian ELLs. ELLs who had bachelor’s degree had a higher level of mastery goal orientation, as well as performance-approach goals than those who had master’s and doctoral degree. Female ELLs had a higher level of mastery goal orientation than male ELLs. Mastery goal orientation is positively related to all types of strategy, and it possessed the beneficial role in strategy use. Effective instructional methods for ELLs were provided to promote their adopting of mastery goals.

Perceptions and Application of Learner Autonomy for Vocabulary Development in Saudi EFL Classrooms

This qualitative case study explored how female English language learners in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) realize learner autonomy, especially in the context of the learner’s meaning development via purposeful vocabulary acquisition. EFL students’ perceptions and applications of autonomous learning strategies for English vocabulary development were investigated, and their adapted methods for learning English. Data collection included face-to-face semi-structured interviews of 8 students from two different classrooms, classroom observations, participants’ reflections on specific English coursework, and English learning autobiographies. The findings revealed the students’ appreciation of the English language showed how various autonomous learning methods developed their sense of self-possession, self-confidence, and learning outcomes. This study brings to light the necessity for further review of the role of EFL learners in developing the required skills for the English language.

Test Anxiety: A Case of ESL Vocabulary Testing Using Multiple-Choice Items and Error Identification Tests

The current study seeks to discern the impact of test anxiety on English language students’ test performance. The major instruments which helped gathering data were two different formats of vocabulary test and a questionnaire survey which identified the level of anxiety. Participants were fifty female English language learners who were studying at intermediate and upper-intermediate levels of English. These students were grouped into two groups of MC and EI according to their scores in the examinations they were given in the pre-test phase, multiple-choice test and error identification test. The survey after the pre-test indicated the level of anxiety these tests have brought. During a span of twenty-week period students received different teaching plans respectively. The same tests in pre-test were administered in the post-test phase and the questionnaire illustrated the level of anxiety after each student has received particular treatment. The findings showed that the level of test anxiety is higher in the group which received and tested on error identification format of vocabulary knowledge test. This increase of test anxiety was by definition significant in comparison with the other group, MC. The other important part of this study was coming to this conclusion that while students were given their particular teaching plans, debilitative anxiety still impedes them from having a strong and high performance which in turn needs more considerations from their teachers and examiners.

Learner Autonomy and Vocabulary Development for Saudi University Female EFL Learners: Students’ Perspectives

This qualitative case study examined how female English language learners in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) realize learner autonomy, especially in the context of the learner’s meaning development via purposeful vocabulary acquisition. EFL students’ perceptions and applications of autonomous learning strategies for the purpose of English vocabulary development were investigated, as well as their adapted methods for learning English. Data collection included face-to-face semistructured interviews of 8 students from two different classrooms, classroom observations, participants’ reflections on specific English coursework, and English learning autobiographies. The findings revealed the students’ appreciation of the English language and showed how various autonomous learning methods developed their sense of self-possession.

On the Differential Effects of Individual and Collaborative Written Corrective Feedback on the Accuracy of Iranian Female EFL Learners’ Writing

This paper aimed at examining the differential effects of individual and collaborative written corrective feedbacks on EFL learners’ writing accuracy. To this end, 60 female English language learners were selected from among 80 students of intermediate EFL learners in private language institute in Urmia (West Azerbayjan, IRI). The participants were randomly divided into two groups namely, ‘individual feedback group’ and ‘collaborative feedback group’. Two different correction procedures were provided for both groups. For the first group, the assignment papers of the participants was gathered by the instructor in order to be provided with explicit written corrective feedback for their writings in terms of grammar and mechanics, while for the second group, six participants wrote on a topic and each composition was corrected by four EFL learners. Finally, a post-test on writing was conducted for both groups, and a t-test analysis was used to compare the mean scores of both groups. The findings of the study revealed that there was a significant difference between the individual and collaborative corrective feedback groups in terms of their writing accuracy.

Investment in L2 learning among Iranian English language learners

Drawing on Norton Peirce's (1995) theory of investment and Darvin and Norton's (2015) expanded the model of investment, the present study aims to research investment in second language (L2) learning among Iranian English language learners. The participants included 852 male and female English language learners belonging to different age groups and English language proficiency levels. A 42-item questionnaire, developed and validated by the present authors (forthcoming), was administered online and by hand. The results showed that Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners moderately invested to learn English language and that there were significant differences in the extent of investment between male and female participants and different language proficiency levels (low- and high-proficiency learners). Moreover, the results of the study demonstrated that there was no significant difference in the extent of investment between different age groups (teenage and adult ones). The study concludes with suggestions for future research on investment in L2 learning and a discussion of how such research can impact language education policy in EFL contexts.

The Impact of Structured Input and Consciousness Raising Tasks on the Acquisition of Implicit and Explicit Knowledge of EFL Learners

During the past decades, the distinction between implicit and explicit knowledge and how they could be developed through instruction have always been controversial issues for cognitive psychologists and second language acquisition (SLA) researchers. The present study was aimed at investigating the effects of two different input-based tasks (Structured Input and Consciousness Raising) on the acquisition of implicit and explicit knowledge of English active causative structure by EFL learners. Seventy three female English language learners participated in this study. Participants were divided into two experimental groups, one was provided with structured input activities and the other with consciousness raising activities. The participants’ implicit and explicit knowledge of the target structure was assessed through Timed Grammaticality Judgment and Untimed Grammaticality Judgment respectively before and after the treatment. The results of Paired and Independent Samples t-test analyses revealed that both C-R tasks and SI tasks resulted in the acquisition of both implicit and explicit knowledge, with C-R having more significant impact on the explicit knowledge. The findings provided indirect positive support for the interface hypothesis.

MARS OR VENUS? GENDER DIFFERENCES IN LANGUAGE LEARNING: A SOCIOLINGUISTIC STUDY ON LANGUAGE AND GENDER

The question of how men and women learn and produce a foreign language differently has been a striking area to examine in the fields of Sociolinguistics and ESL. Foreign language teaching should aim at helping both genders acquire and improve skills to produce language effectively rather than merely concentrating on learning target grammar structures and vocabulary. Learning strategies used by male and female learners identify and shape the way they learn and acquire real-life skills. This paper addresses the differences in strategies used by male and female English language learners. The research question I will be discussing and elaborating on will be: How can we help learners succeed language learning process by considering gender differences and how can we raise awareness of these differences in language acquisition in order to plan and design courses to better meet learner needs and interests? In this project, I will be looking at the popular stereotypes and the Women’s Movement starting in the 1970s together with the Feminist Linguistic Activism to reveal and clarify more effective ways to help learners improve language skills. I will also present and discuss Sexism in educational materials and language practices to explore the commonalities across speech communities and to minimize the effects of the differences in language teaching. My research is an empirical research which concentrates on the classroom applications. I hope to help instructors choose non-sexist alternatives to increase the effectiveness of teaching both genders and assist them in designing more effective courses.

The Effectiveness of PAVE Strategy on Developing University Students’ Vocabulary and Self-Efficacy

<p><em>The present study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of the “PAVE” vocabulary learning strategy on developing a group of students’ vocabulary and self-efficacy while studying English as a foreign language at the College of Languages and Translation, at Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University. The research sample consisted of sixteen Saudi female English language learners. A pre/post vocabulary test and a self-efficacy scale were administered to the study participants before and after the treatment. The participants were introduced to one of the vocabulary learning Strategies “PAVE strategy”, which has been used. The results provided support for the hypotheses of the study and showed that the students performed significantly better on the post administration of the vocabulary test as well as on the self-efficacy scale. Thus, it can be said that the PAVE vocabulary learning strategy had a large impact on developing students’ vocabulary and self-efficacy. The study recommended that the use of vocabulary learning strategies should be given enough attention to develop students’ vocabulary and self-efficacy.</em></p>

Exploring Gender-based Language Identity Among Iranian EFL Learners

The purpose of this study is examining the language identity among male and female language learners in Iran. 1268 English language learners from different parts of the country from different ages and Iranian ethnicity and English language proficiency levels participated in this research. Validated and reliable scales of measuring language identity was used. The results of this study revealed that male and female English language learners are significantly different in their language identity and Iranian English language learners are in a moderate level of language identity. Moreover, the majority of the participants in each gender (male: 35.52%, and female: 50.88%) chosen American English as their favorite pronunciation kind, females (41.04) prefer Persian English more than males (20.94), and the lowest percent among male learners is related to Australian English (7.05) and among female learners is related to Canadian (1.54).

The Relationship between English Language Learners’ Perceptions towards Classroom Oral Error Corrections and Their Pronunciation Accuracy

<p>Inevitably, language learners make mistakes, and teachers correct them. It is, also, crystal clear that language learners have different attitudes towards error and error correction strategies. Needless to say, language teachers’ awareness of language learners’ perceptions towards error and error correction strategies can heighten the quality and the quantity of language teaching and learning process. This study based on the findings of a questionnaire and a test given to 82 male and female English language learners in Iran Language Institute (ILI) investigates: 1) whether ILI English language learners have positive or negative attitudes towards classroom oral error corrections; 2) whether there is a relationship between ILI English language learners’ perceptions towards classroom oral error corrections and their pronunciation accuracy; 3) if there is a relationship between ILI learners’ gender and their attitudes towards classroom oral error corrections. The findings of this study show that ILI English language learners have absolutely positive attitudes towards classroom oral error corrections, which means they want to be corrected. The findings, also, show that there is not any significant relationship between ILI English language learners’ perceptions towards classroom oral error corrections and their pronunciation accuracy. The findings, also, show that there is not any significant relationship between ILI English language learners’ perceptions towards classroom oral error corrections and their gender.</p>

Iranian Female Language Learners' Listening Strategy Preferences in Multimedia Environment

Listening skill has been recently paid great attention comparing with the other three language skills since having communication is the first and most essential need. Language learners have been using the three different listening strategies (Cognitive, Meta-cognitive, and Socio-affective) to improve their listening skills in multimedia environments in particular. The main focus of this study is to determine the most preferable listening strategies employed in improving listening skills in multimedia environment by female Iranian English language learners. To achieve the goals, thirty female English language learners – twenty to twenty five - out of sixty were selected. In order to collect data IELTS test as pre-test and post-test questionnaire and interview were used. The result indicated that these language learners mainly employed meta-cognitive strategies the most in the multimedia environment. Thus, it is implied that the findings would be beneficial to the classroom practice, guide learners and lecturers as well as syllabus planners and material designersKeywords: Multimedia environments, Listening strategy, Meta-cognitive, cognitive, Socio-affective strategy

Social Capitals and English Language Learning in an Iranian Language Institute

This study aimed to 1) explore the social capitals of students who had registered in the three branches of Khorasan Language Institute (KLI) to learn English, 2) establish their factorial validity and 3) explore their relationship with English language achievement. To this end the 40-item Social Capital Scale (SCS) developed by Khodadady and Alaee (2012) and validated with grade three senior high school students in Mashhad was modified and administered to 493 female English language learners (ELLs) in the KLI. The application of Principal Axis Factoring and Varimax with Kaiser Normalization to the collected data showed that the SCS consisted of seven factors, i.e., Social Attachment, Parental Supervision, Parental Expectation, Helpful Others, Social Contact, Religious Activities, and Parent Availability. When the SCS was correlated with the ELLs’ scores on oral and written examinations, no significant relationship could be found between social capitals and English language achievement. Out of seven factors, only Helpful Others correlated significantly but negatively with ELLs' English achievement. The results are discussed from both empirical and theoretical perspectives and suggestions are made for future research.

Revisiting the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS): The Anxiety of Female English Language Learners in Saudi Arabia

With the increase in globalization, the study of English has become common in Saudi Arabia, but students’ experiences of foreign language anxiety (FLA) have been underexamined. Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries are culturally distinct from the Western world, where the most popular assessments of FLA were developed. Through a qualitative and then quantitative study, the current research examined the suitability of the most popular existing FLA questionnaire, the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), for use with students of English in Saudi Arabia. In Study 1, Arab women studying in an English preparatory program at an English medium college in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, responded to a single-item, open-ended questionnaire prompting them to list the situations in which they experience anxiety while trying to learn English. A new questionnaire drawing on the women’s responses and the FLCAS and incorporating new items pertinent to the context was then created. In Study 2, the AFLAQ questionnaire was administered to a new sample of Arab women studying in the English medium college, and their responses were analyzed to determine whether the situations described were actually common causes of anxiety, and to identify the most common causes of anxiety. The new questionnaire, called the Arabic Foreign Language Anxiety Questionnaire (AFLAQ), presents a modified version of the FLCAS that was designed to identify and understand specifically what the female Arab students studying in Saudi Arabia experience. A particular emphasis on concerns about self-presentation and embarrassment is fundamental to the AFLAQ due to the importance of honor and respect in Saudi Arabian culture, a concern that does not play as significant of a role in the FLCAS or in Western culture.

An Investigation into Reticence and Vocabulary Knowledge of Iranian EFL Learners

A growing body of research has indicated that students of ESL/EFL are reticent and unwilling to be engaged in oral activities in English lessons. Communicative language ability includes speaking ability, so vocabulary knowledge plays an integral role in speaking a language. However, there have been few studies examining the degree to which vocabulary knowledge affects speaking ability. The present study aimed to explore the degree of reticence in Iranian EFL learners and to find out the roles that productive vocabulary knowledge and gender may play in their reticence. To accomplish this, 56 male and female English language learners participated in the study. Unwillingness-to-Communicate Scale and Vocabulary-Size Test of Controlled Productive Ability were used. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics, Pearson Product-moment Correlation and an independent t-test were used. Results of the study revealed a relatively low level of reticence among Iranian EFL learners. However, it seems that learners mostly avoid communication rather than have a negative attitude toward class participation. In addition, it was found that the learners’ vocabulary knowledge had a significant relationship with their reticence; while, no significant difference was found between Iranian male and female learners in terms of reticence.