First-year Students Research Articles

Students' Perception of Using Quizizz Gamification for English learning in Islamic Education

Gamification, or the use of game qualities outside of a game setting to influence learning-related behaviors or attitudes, is seen as a novel approach to meeting the various requirements of students with learning or behavioral issues. Quizizz, a game-based online exam that enables engaging multiplayer teaching activities and allows learners to practice with their devices, is one of the most popular digital educational games. The purpose of this study was to find out how Quizizz, a formative assessment tool, was perceived by students at the "State Islamic Institute" Ponorogo (IAIN Ponorogo) in English class. The participants of this study were first-year Islamic education students studying English who were given a formative test using Quizizz for a half of first semester. This study employed a descriptive qualitative research approach, gathering data via questionnaires to understand the ways in which Quizizz impacted the areas of motivation, engagement, satisfaction, and enjoyment. All of the questionnaire's questions had a strongly positive response, according to the results, which were supported by the secondary data from the interview, demonstrating how positively students felt about Quizizz in the classroom. The excellent reception of Quizizz in English language learning suggests that it could be utilized more broadly as a formative evaluation tool in language acquisition. The findings indicate that gamification can be an effective strategy to engage and motivate students to learn. As a result, educators may wish to consider incorporating further gamified tools and strategies into the classroom to create a more pleasurable and engaging learning environment.

Appraisal of Transition Challenges and Adjustment of First-Year Students at a Nigerian University

Advancement in educational pursuit seems to be an ideal dream for the majority of students preparing to leave secondary school to enter university. Students at this stage have conceptualized courses and professions they would like to follow, the types and names of universities they would like to attend, and are mostly overwhelmed by the euphoria of leaving secondary school for university without the knowledge of the demands, the challenges and the expected behavior awaiting them in their envisioned dream of an institute of higher learning. Purpose: This paper appraised the transition challenges and adjustment strategies of first-year students in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Methodology: A descriptive survey research design was employed. A simple random sampling technique was used in selecting five of the eight departments in the Faculty of Education. A convenience sampling technique was used in selecting 200 participants in the departments selected for the study. A questionnaire titled ‘First Year Students Transition Challenges and Adjustment Questionnaire’ (FYSTCAQ) made up of four sections was used to obtain data from the sample. Results: The findings showed that first-year students experience transition challenges among which are cultural, social and economic. Separation, identification, and integration into the university lifestyle were coping strategies employed by the first-year students. Conclusion: Raising the consciousness of the university community (management, lecturers and non-teaching staff, and even older colleagues) to render necessary assistance, provide necessary support, and motivate first-year students to develop workable strategies that will help them cope with the university demands were recommended.

Implementing Technology-Enhanced Support for First-Year Students on Blackboard: Lessons Learned.

Technology Enhanced Learning has become one of the key components of teaching and learning in the current environment and mainly because of Covid-19, hence the introduction of the Technology Enhanced Learning Programme. The Technology Enhanced Learning Student Assistants (TeL Assistants) programme supports students in the university with Blackboard (University choice of LMS). The programme was established in 2021 since there was a need to assist students in the use of Blackboard. With Covid, the university moved to strictly online and that became a challenge to the students. With most undergraduate students coming from disadvantaged high schools and backgrounds, there was a need for the programme. The TeL student assistants undergo training by the Teaching and Learning Consultants. The aim of this study was to evaluate how the TeL student Assistants supported the students of the University of Fort Hare on how to navigate Blackboard. This study examined the benefits of TeL student Assistant’s support in first-year students navigating their modules using Blackboard as an LMS. A purposive sample of undergraduate students that were trained by TeL student assistants submitted data through a qualitative survey in which they narratively conveyed their perspectives on support provided for Blackboard by the TeL Student Assistants. Data was analysed through coding, which were then assigned to themes and categories. The significant aspect of the TeL student assistants which enabled students to use Blackboard was the submission of assignments and tests, the facilitator’s knowledgeability and the patience students received from the TeL student assistants. The findings of the study directly benefit the university and higher education because they will provide information upon which we can take action to improve the support, retention, and throughput of students at the University of Fort Hare (UFH).

Analysis of the Effectiveness of Using Digital Technologies in Teaching 1st Year Medical Students

In the modern world, the amount of knowledge has increased significantly, and therefore, there is a constant need to acquire and update it. Medicine is a rapidly developing field, and it is important for the future and working doctor to constantly improve their professional skills using modern technologies. The purpose of this study is to determine the most effective modern information technologies and the level of their effectiveness in the study of the subject "Medical Biology," as well as the attitude of students to their use and the impact on the ability to perceive educational material. Methodology. The study employed a complex set of research methods, including theoretical (such as analysis of scientific sources, pedagogical and teaching materials, and comparison) and empirical (such as summarizing teaching experience and interviewing) methods. First-year students (130) of the medical university were involved in the survey. Results. From our experience, using problem lecture technology in the learning process is more appropriate. It is based on a problematic presentation of the material in the form of contradictions, certain contradictions, the discussion of which makes it possible to keep students active, encourage them to dialogue or even debate. Problem presentation of the material stimulates the mental abilities of students and develops critical thinking, scientific, and cognitive activity. For data visualization, in addition to presentations and videos, mind maps were created, which made it possible to direct students not to memorization, but to reflection and awareness of cause-and-effect relationships and connections. The most effective way to create a mental map is to use the "brainstorming" technology. Students offer several variants of ideas for solving a specific problem; everyone expresses their own opinion and then combines the information into one collective solution and depicts it in the form of a diagram. To combine theoretical training and practical skills (simulating biological processes), we used the Labster platform covering different topics in biology, such as genetics, ecology, and cell biology. When studying Medical Biology, the most popular platform used by students was edX (53.1%). Regarding the forms of education, 37.9% of respondents chose the form, 38.6% the mixed form, and the rest were undecided. Conclusions. Modern information technology has become an integral part of the learning process in medical higher education, improving the quality of students' preparation for the requirements of modern medicine. The most effective methods for teaching "Medical Biology" include problem-based lectures with presentations, electronic resources, videos, virtual labs, websites, and mind maps. A blended approach that combines multiple technologies enhances the learning process and helps develop essential professional skills in future doctors.

Integrating Gender-Affirming Care in a Medical Spanish Endocrine System Curriculum.

With a growing Hispanic population in the United States, medical education is adapting to provide the necessary language skills and cultural competence for effective health care. However, the incorporation of gender-affirming care in the context of medical education for Hispanic populations requires further emphasis. This curriculum presented a 3-week medical Spanish endocrine system module designed for first-year medical students. The module aimed to enhance students' ability to communicate effectively with Spanish-speaking patients about endocrine health while integrating principles of gender-affirming care. It included classroom sessions, standardized patient practice, and clinical practice with peer tutors. Pre- and postmodule surveys and assessments were conducted to evaluate the module's effectiveness. Out of 76 participants, 72 completed the postmodule evaluation. Survey results indicated significant increases in confidence levels across various aspects of patient interaction in Spanish, with statistically significant gains observed in all assessed areas. Knowledge test outcomes revealed enhanced proficiency in Spanish terminology related to the endocrine system, with scores increasing from an average of 22.3 premodule to 25.7 postmodule (p = .002), as measured by the paired t test. Additionally, students performed well in the diabetic consultation objective structured clinical examination station, with a high mean score of 86%, surpassing the satisfactory threshold. This curriculum highlights the success of a comprehensive educational approach in expanding medical students' language proficiency and ability to provide gender-affirming care to address health care disparities and improve patient outcomes among diverse populations.

What am I looking at? Graduate student accuracy in identification of anatomic structures/landmarks on swallow imaging.

Speech-language pathologists need to accurately identify structures/landmarks on swallow imaging. Foundational learning begins in graduate training. This study aimed to determine graduate student accuracy at identifying anatomical structures/landmarks during swallow evaluations and to determine if accuracy was predicted by type of imaging, anatomical structure, case type (i.e., normal/abnormal). Researchers recruited first-year graduate speech-language pathology students. Each participant reviewed five static images from lateral radiographic swallow studies and five static images from endoscopic swallow studies across 10 cases. Participants identified key anatomic structures and landmarks by clicking on the structure/landmark within a web-based platform. Two experienced speech-language pathologists reviewed and coded participant responses for accuracy. Sixteen graduate speech-language pathology students participated in a within-subjects design. Overall participant accuracy in identification of structure/landmarks was 69% (range 46%-88%). Binomial logistic regression was performed to study the effects of anatomical structure, case type (i.e., normal/abnormal), and image type on likelihood of participant accuracy in identifying anatomical structures (X2(4) = 143.65, p < 0.001). Only anatomical structure was statistically significant (X2(4) = 187.729, p < 0.001). The model explained 23.2% (Nagelkerke's R squared) of the variance in accuracy and correctly classified 78.4% of cases. Sensitivity was 92.1%, specificity was 47.3%, positive predictive value was 79.84%, and negative predictive value was 72.50%. The area under the ROC curve was 0.754, 95% CI [0.716, 0.791]. Graduate student's ability to correctly identify structures/landmarks overall was lower than desired and accuracy varied per structure. Results have implications for improving graduate student training for identification of structures/landmarks on swallow imaging.

Axiological Approach in Pedagogy in the Context of the Problems of Semiotics of Culture

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the value consciousness of students with the aim of finding out to what extent they have assimilated spiritual values ​​and thanks to which authoritative sources these values ​​have penetrated into their mind. Theoretical Framework: The study is based on the principles of cultural semiotics. Lotman claimed that in the symbolic type of culture, the part is homeomorphic to the whole. This principle is applied to education. It is considered as a part reflecting the processes occurring in society as a whole. Method: The article is written on the material of a survey of first-year students of The Kosygin State University of Russia. Results and Discussion: Students assess themselves as knowing the commandments, even if they do not know their wordings. Family communication has become the main source of moral ideas for them. According to the laws of semiotics formulated by Lotman, axiology in school is homeomorphic one to state ideology. In developed countries there are no state axiology and state ideologies, because they are perceived as the source of civilizational catastrophes of the twentieth century. This gives rise to a crisis in the field of pedagogy. Research Implications: The results of the research can be applied in pedagogy. The empty niche of state axiology is incompatible with the laws of semiotics. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the pedagogical literature. by. The relevance and value of this research are evidenced by the need to overcome the crisis in the field of pedagogy.

The relationship between cyberchondria and health literacy among first-year nursing students: the mediating effect of health anxiety

BackgroundFirst-year nursing students are at a critical juncture in their education. They are transitioning from laypersons to healthcare professionals, and students are frequently exposed to medical information in academic settings and through personal research. This exposure can sometimes lead to cyberchondria; improving health literacy and managing health anxiety are critical strategies for reducing the incidence of cyberchondria.AimInvestigate the mediating effect of health anxiety on cyberchondria and health literacy among first-year nursing students.MethodsA cross-sectional correlational research design was used in this study. The study was conducted with 475 students in October 2023 during the first semester of the academic year 2023–2024.ResultsCyberchondria and health literacy levels were both moderate. In addition, the degree of health anxiety among first-year Nursing Students was mild, too. The results showed that the association between Cyberchondria and Health Literacy was partially mediated by health anxiety.Conclusion and implicationsThis study highlights the sophisticated relationship between cyberchondria, health literacy, and anxiety among first-year nursing students. It demonstrates that lower health literacy can lead to increased health anxiety, which in turn exacerbates cyberchondria. To mitigate these issues, it is essential to enhance health literacy and provide support for managing health anxiety within nursing education programs. By doing so, we can help nursing students navigate online health information effectively and reduce unnecessary health-related anxieties, promoting better educational outcomes and overall well-being.

Effects of an Interactive Handwashing Lecture on First-Year Thai Nursing Students: A Pretest-Posttest Study

Background: Hand hygiene is essential in healthcare to prevent infections and ensure patient safety. The World Health Organization highlights hand hygiene as a key measure to reduce healthcare-associated infections. However, adherence to hand hygiene protocols is often inadequate, with a low compliance rate. First-year nursing students are at a critical stage in developing foundational practices. Traditional teaching methods have shown limited success in achieving long-term adherence, necessitating the need for more interactive and engaging teaching methods. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effects of an interactive lecture on the handwashing knowledge of first-year nursing students. Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design involving 60 first-year Thai nursing students at Boromarajjonani College of Nursing. After four weeks of interactive lectures, participants completed a pretest and posttest to assess changes in hand hygiene knowledge and understanding of WHO Five Moments for Hand Hygiene. The intervention included visual demonstrations, hands-on practice, and real-time feedback. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-tests to determine the intervention’s effectiveness. Results: The study showed significant improvements in both handwashing knowledge and understanding of WHO Five Moments for Hand Hygiene post-intervention. The mean score for handwashing knowledge increased from 5.41 (SD = 1.06) to 6.62 (SD = 1.10) (t(59) = 7.154, p &lt; 0.001). Similarly, the mean score for understanding WHO Five Moments for Hand Hygiene improved from 4.32 (SD = 0.68) to 4.97 (SD = 0.84) (t(59) = 5.60, p &lt; 0.001). Correct responses to specific handwashing questions also increased significantly. Conclusions: The interactive handwashing lecture intervention significantly improved nursing students’ knowledge and understanding of hand hygiene practices. These findings support the integration of interactive educational strategies in nursing curricula to improve hand hygiene compliance and patient safety. Future research should address study limitations, such as sample size and long-term knowledge retention, to further validate these results.

Communicative Skills in Medical Students

Positive interaction between the doctor and the patient affects the treatment outcome, as well as the level of satisfaction with healthcare services. Many young doctors experience communicative issues that can lead to negative consequences for all stakeholders. The research featured various problems in shaping communicative skills in medical students. It involved a review of scientific publications, a survey of first-year medical students (n = 20), and an analysis of 40 negative feedbacks from patients. The communicative issues included: lack of eye contact / active listening, misleading mimics, inappropriate intonation / voice volume, violation of private space, insufficient or excessive amount of information, lack of bedside manners / respect for patients. The list of communication skills to be mastered by medical students in order to improve the quality of medical care included: eye contact, self-presentation, active listening, conflict management, strategies of delivering bad news, and conclusion phrases. The data obtained make it possible to identify key aspects that affect the formation of communicative skills in future doctors, as well as to propose methods for its improvement at university level. The authors emphasize the importance of developing communicative skills in future doctors to provide high-quality medical care and prevent emotional burnout in young professionals.

Academic Opportunities of Gamification at University

Gamification is a powerful tool of modern education, but its successful implementation requires careful planning that takes into account the academic context and the individual needs of students. The authors tested a new narrative model of gamification, which integrated game elements and storylines to create a more interactive and motivating learning environment. The model involved stories and scenarios that linked various tasks and activities to immerse students in professionally relevant situations. The model was based on gamification principles, game mechanics, interactive tasks, social interaction, and adaptive feedback. The narrative contextualized learning, thus enhancing students’ engagement, motivation, and professional identity. The experiment (September-December 2023) gamified a course of Professional Ethics and involved first-year students of Clinical Psychology (n = 31), Voino-Yasenetsky Krasnoyarsk State Medical University. The narrative model of gamification fostered a more positive attitude towards the future profession, increased students’ engagement, and enhanced their interest in the academic process. Storylines, roles, personages, problematic situations, and unpredictability ensured students’ deep immersion in professional situations and contributed to the development of important ethical and professional qualities. Gamification has a great potential for improving the quality of higher education, making the learning routine more exciting and effective.

APOS Framework Didactize Equivalence Linear Simultaneous Equations in Senior High School Mathematics

Many students followed rote-learned procedural rules without thinking about the meaning of quadratic equations, and the Chief examiners’ reports attributed the trend to poor teaching methods. In certain instances, candidates cannot use even the conventional methods to factorize quadratics equations due to a lack of understanding of the zero-product property in graphing, factorizing, and completing the squares or quadratic formula. In the worst circumstances, the candidates failed to scaffold higher-order quadratic equations using the Conjugale and Equivalence Linear Simultaneous Equation methods. However, the action, process, object, and schema theory which came out of the constructivist learning theory and created by Dubinsky can be applied to teach mathematics. With the aid of the APOS framework, this study sought to digitize the Equivalence Linear Simultaneous Equations in senior high schools. In this mixed-method embedded design, there were 286 first-year students selected from one school. All the students received four phases of the APOS framework. The four phases were collected based on the Actions for Factorization, Processes for Quadratic Formula, Object for Conjugale, and Schema for ELSE method. The data, which was both qualitatively and quantitatively, was analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 26) deterministic analytics software. The data collection covered four contact periods of a total duration of four hours. The results showed that students in the Actions and Processes were not statistically significant. However, the results were statistically significant at the Object and Schema phases. It was concluded that students’ learning through the APOS framework improved their academic performance. The positive effect was the triumphant mental constructions involving encapsulation and interiorization in the conjugale and ELSE methods. It was, therefore, recommended that the framework be promoted to find solutions to many other complex mathematics problems.

Student scientific and theoretical conference as a way to discover the research potential of students within the framework of the concept of Zhana Kazakhstan

The purpose of the study. To consider a student scientific-theoretical conference, organized within the framework of the concept of Zhana Kazakhstan, as a way to unlock the scientific potential of students, as one of the effective means of forming key values of the new development model and as a tool for improving communicative competencies in a non-native language within the framework of the scientific style of future professionals. To offer a number of methodological recommendations for organizing and holding such conferences, which will increase the research potential of future specialists and more effectively form the value system of the new concept of Zhana Kazakhstan.Materials and methods. The article presents the experience of holding two student scientific-theoretical conferences by the Center of Languages Development within the framework of the concept of Zhana Kazakhstan with the participation of first-year students of the Karaganda medical university NC JSC.Results and discussion. The article proposes effective ways to motivate students to scientific activity, the most effective methods of revealing their research potential. The ways of forming such Zhana Kazakhstan values as creativity, creation, innovation, professionalism and others are indicated. Methods for improving communication skills in a multilingual and multicultural communication environment are described. As examples of areas of research, some topics of student reports, material and methodological basis of their research are given.Conclusions. The experience of holding a student scientific conference, in which the concept of Zhana Kazakhstan is implemented, allows us to assert that the process of developing research competence will be effective if students are involved in such a form of research activity as a scientific conference.

ChatGPT versus human essayists: an exploration of the impact of artificial intelligence for authorship and academic integrity in the humanities

Generative AI has prompted educators to reevaluate traditional teaching and assessment methods. This study examines AI’s ability to write essays analysing Old English poetry; human markers assessed and attempted to distinguish them from authentic analyses of poetry by first-year undergraduate students in English at the University of Oxford. Using the standard UK University grading system, AI-written essays averaged a score of 60.46, whilst human essays achieved 63.57, a margin of difference not statistically significant (p = 0.10). Notably, student submissions applied a nuanced understanding of cultural context and secondary criticism to their close reading, while AI essays often described rather than analysed, lacking depth in the evaluation of poetic features, and sometimes failing to properly recognise key aspects of passages. Distinguishing features of human essays included detailed and sustained analysis of poetic style, as well as spelling errors and lack of structural cohesion. AI essays, on the other hand, exhibited a more formal structure and tone but sometimes fell short in incisive critique of poetic form and effect. Human markers correctly identified the origin of essays 79.41% of the time. Additionally, we compare three purported AI detectors, finding that the best, ‘Quillbot’, correctly identified the origin of essays 95.59% of the time. However, given the high threshold for academic misconduct, conclusively determining origin remains challenging. The research also highlights the potential benefits of generative AI’s ability to advise on structuring essays and suggesting avenues for research. We advocate for transparency regarding AI’s capabilities and limitations, and this study underscores the importance of human critical engagement in teaching and learning in Higher Education. As AI’s proficiency grows, educators must reevaluate what authentic assessment is, and consider implementing dynamic, holistic methods to ensure academic integrity.

Financial education and responsible consumption in undergraduate management students

In recent years, many countries have implemented policies to promote Financial Education (FE) among citizens as a mechanism for boosting economic development and social prosperity. Since 2008, Spain has had a national FE strategy that primarily promotes basic FE among students in compulsory education. This study analyzes first-year university students’ perception of the FE acquired in earlier educational stages and its practical application in their personal lives through the acquisition of responsible consumption habits. A survey is carried out in which students are asked how certain basic financial attributes (savings, investment, budgeting, expenses, income and quality of life), translate into everyday life, and their relationship is analyzed with their perception of the importance of FE, and certain values such as honesty, responsibility and solidarity, by applying a PLS-SEM methodology. The results allow us to extract proposals for improving public policies on FE in university studies and in earlier stages.

Dominant Strategies for Solving Sensorimotor Tasks in Students with Different Cognitive Resource Experience

The article introduces a new method for diagnosing the preferable cognitive resource strategy in university students. One’s personal experience of using cognitive resources defines the dominant strategies for solving sensorimotor tasks. Cognitive resource patterns can be described by using particular psychological indicators in order to select the optimal analysis method. The new method made it possible to model the situation of solving sensorimotor tasks and develop criteria for determining the strategies employed by university students to solve cognitive tasks in experimental conditions. The research involved 127 first-year students (18 y.o.) of Psychology, Tomsk State University. The strategies used by the students to solve sensorimotor tasks ranged from scarcity and heterogeneity to positive experience in cognitive resource application. Sensorimotor tasks proved to be an effective diagnostic marker of the cognitive development level during university education. The method also proved applicable as a cognitive simulator to develop optimal strategies in solving sensorimotor tasks of various levels of difficulty, as well as to reduce the existing deficiency in cognitive experience.

Assessment on Maritime Students' Awareness, Perceptions and Needs in Career Planning in Tertiary Education

Although seafaring is seen as an attractive profession for prospective students in terms of having the opportunity to see different parts of the world while working and earning more money in less time compared to other professions, the harsh conditions of duties onboard sometimes overshadow this attractiveness, which may lead students to question their choices and seek different career alternatives. This study aims at assessing maritime students' knowledge, perceptions, and needs regarding career awareness and career planning at the tertiary level. The study also seeks to understand students' awareness of career-related activities and the role and responsibilities of the career centre. The research component of the study involves administering a questionnaire to 381 first-year students at a maritime-focused university. The questionnaire comprises twenty questions based on a five-point Likert scale and has been electronically distributed. The data collected has been analysed using parametric methods based on four variables: career anchor, career awareness, career centre awareness, and career planning awareness. The study has revealed that most of the students are aware of their own characteristics and the sacrifices required by their future profession, but they had not yet decided which career path to follow after graduation. The study has also revealed that students are interested in developing their skills through extracurricular activities and consider entrepreneurship as a future career option. The results suggest that career offices in maritime universities should create more opportunities to provide students with adequate information about their future careers and to enable them to make correct and realistic decisions about their career paths. The next study on this topic can focus on how to raise awareness of the functions of career officers and how to develop maritime-oriented career planning courses so that the students can make more realistic and satisfying career choices.

The Prevalence of Specific Learning Difficulties in Higher Education: A Study of UK Universities Across 12 Academic Years.

Specific learning and attention difficulties are often first identified in childhood, but they can cause lifelong academic and occupational challenges. We explored the prevalence of these difficulties and the representation of sex and ethnicity amongst all first-year students in UK higher education across 12 years-almost 5.7 million students-and compared course preferences and University destinations of those with and without difficulties. Students declaring learning/attention difficulties were more likely to be White or of Mixed ethnicity and least likely to be Asian. They were more likely to attend specialist HE institutions or newer universities, and more likely to study courses in creative arts and design, agriculture and architecture than law, languages, computer science, and mathematical sciences. The number of students declaring difficulties has increased year on year, in actual terms and as a proportion of the student body, suggesting that efforts to increase diversity and inclusion have been successful. However, differences remain between students with and without learning/attention difficulties in terms of ethnicity, subjects studied, and HE institutions attended, so more needs to be done to identify and address reasons for this. While this paper reports data from UK students, it addresses an international question and invites similar explorations of other national datasets.

An interactive and adaptive learning resource for teaching first-year human anatomy

Anatomy is a particularly challenging unit in many first-year university courses, however adaptive learning resources provide an opportunity to engage students in practical-based units such as anatomy. Here, the impact on student engagement, student learning and exam preparedness of implementing 21 interactive online adaptive lessons was evaluated. A total of 276 first-year students, enrolled in allied health undergraduate degrees from 2016 to 2020, consented to participate in this mixed methods study. Our findings suggest a positive correlation between the number of lessons a student completed and a positive performance in each of the three assessment items in the unit (p&lt;0.05). We also identify an increase in students perceived understanding of anatomy after completing the lesson (p&lt;0.0001). Students worldwide appreciate individualised, flexible and engaging nature of learning technologies. Here, we evidence that students appreciated online adaptive lessons to learn anatomy and exhibited a high level of satisfaction.

A STUDY ON THE PERCEPTIONS AND PRACTICES OF ENGLISH-MAJOR STUDENTS ON AFFRICATE AND NASAL SOUNDS AT A UNIVERSITY IN THE MEKONG DELTA, VIETNAM

This study investigates the pronunciation challenges faced by first-year English major students at the School of Foreign Languages, Can Tho University, Vietnam, specifically focusing on affricate sounds (/dʒ/ and /tʃ/) and nasal sounds (/n/, /m/, and /ŋ/). Utilizing pronunciation recordings analyzed through the Elsa Speak Application, the research involved 31 proficient EFL students. They provided insights into their difficulties with 20 selected English words from their learning materials that included these phonetic elements. The findings reveal widespread mispronunciations, with many students struggling significantly with both affricate and nasal sounds. Based on the data, the study presents targeted recommendations for EFL students, teachers, and curriculum developers to enhance pronunciation instruction and address these specific challenges. This research contributes to understanding the phonetic obstacles faced by EFL learners and emphasizes the need for improved teaching strategies that focus on sound production. By identifying specific difficulties and offering actionable solutions, the study aims to facilitate better pronunciation outcomes for students, ultimately enhancing their overall language proficiency, particularly in listening and speaking English effectively.&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/soc/0723/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;