General English Classes Research Articles

ESP (english for specific purposes) vocabulary to improve reading at an a1.2/ a2.1 english level

The aim of this research was to investigate the use of ESP vocabulary in general English classes to improve English, by using the student-centered learning approach, concentrating mainly on reading skills. For the study case, 123 students of different careers offered at Central University of Ecuador, English A1.2, A2.2 levels, constituted the population studied, during the period May-November 2018. A teacher- made pre-test of basic technical vocabulary knowledge was administered. ESP vocabulary was taught to complement General English structures and grammar. At the end of the semester, a post-test was given to the students to determine the influence of the technical vocabulary in their proficiency. Data analysis showed that the student-centered approach using basic technical vocabulary in general English learning was effective. Furthermore, the results showed that when focusing to student’s needs, degree program students are more motivated to learn and read more academic literature related to their careers.

TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF QUESTIONING AS PRE-TEACHING STAGE IN GENERAL ENGLISH CLASSES

<p>Research into questioning, a form of inquiry to engage students in active and purposeful responses has witnessed its crucial role in teaching English as a foreign or second language. In particular, questioning, from the Socratic philosophy, is an interactive process that involves student thinking and communication of ideas and knowledge for effective learning. However, teacher questioning has not received much attention in English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom context in higher education in Vietnam. Moreover, classroom questioning and teachers’ perceptions of this instructional practice facilitating students’ higher-order skills in non-English majored classes remained scarce. This study therefore examines such perceived use of questioning within non-English majored classes at tertiary context. This paper focuses on the interview data, which explored how seven teachers perceived their respective use of questioning related to active learning of students in General English classes. The findings reveal how teachers perceived questioning as effective in several ways. The findings extend the literature on questioning strategies by providing insightful views into how teachers used questions to promote active learning of students, tailor their existing practices, and make informed decision-making processes for their future undertakings. The paper concludes by presenting implications for teachers and students for the quality instruction and professional growth.</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0880/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

CODE- SWITCHING AS AN EFL INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY: AN INSIGHT TO INDONESIAN LECTURERS’ PRACTICES

Studies on code-switching (CS), particularly in Indonesian EFL context have a proclivity for the occurrences i.e., its types and forms being produced by the speakers, few on their motives of practising it. This study aims to fill the void by examining Indonesian EFL lecturers’ practices of CS in General English classes for first-year university students from typological and functional points of view. Involving participant observation and interview as the instruments for data collection, the results reveal that the two lecturers participated in this study employed three types of CS, namely inter-sentential switching, intra-sentential switching, and tag-switching (ordered accordingly from the mostly to the least used type). Furthermore, it is also found that the lecturers’ practises of CS served three pedagogical functions: 1) to enhance students’ comprehension; 2) to scaffold students’ learning; and 3) to encourage students’ participation. Findings suggest that strategic use of CS in instructional practices may enhance EFL teaching as well as maximize learning efficacy.

코로나19시대, 비대면 교양영어수업의 문제점과 개선방안 -D대학의 핵심역량을 중심으로

본 연구에서는 코로나19 시대에 비대면 교양 수업의 문제점을 검토하고, 교양영어 수업의 운영전략에 대한 시사점을 도출하기 위한 방안을 고찰하였으며, D대학의 학습자들의 설문 조사와 핵심역량을 기반으로 이루어질 것이다. 본 논문은 다음과 같은 주된 이유로 해결책을 제시하고자 한다. 우선, 교양교육과정에 핵심역량을 도입한 이유에 대해 초점을 맞출 것이다. 둘째, 핵심 역량의 상호 연계성에 대해 평가할 것이다. 셋째, 핵심역량을 기반으로 교양교육과정의 완성도를 높이는 방안을 밝힐 것이다. 더욱이 핵심역량을 중심으로 대학의 교양교육과정의 연계성 강화를 위해 핵심요소와 구성 요소를 측정할 것이다. 그러나 일부 연구 결과는 2015년 개정판에 국가수준 교육현장에서 밝힌 내용도 포함될 것이다. 결론적으로 본 연구는 비대면 수업의 질을 높이고 자기주도 학습을 통해 창의적 융합사고력을 높일 수 있는 좋은 기회가 될 것이다.

QUESTIONING STRATEGIES AND STUDENTS’ PREFERENCES

This study was set to investigate questioning strategies employed by lecturers and students’ preferences on the strategies. The study involved two lecturers of general English classes of two different institutions and 80 students. The data were collected using observation and questionnaire. The researchers conducted the observations four times online to get the data on lecturers’ questioning strategies. The observed classes were recorded to help the analysis. Questionnaire was distributed to all students to get the data on students’ preferences regarding questioning strategies, but only 72 students responded the questionnaire. The findings of this study showed that probing and redirecting strategy were most frequently employed by the lecturers. Repeating was the strategy employed the least. On students’ side, most students chose prompting as their favorite. Students also agreed that types of questions also matter in determining their responses to the questions.

Exploring Perceptions of EFL Learners Toward Blending Aesthetic Experience Pedagogical Design

English language skills have long been a core competence in formal and informal education in Taiwan. Yet, given the lack of exposure and the necessity of the language, English is still treated as a subject to master, instead of a skill to be applied to express oneself. In an attempt to shift this phenomenon, the purpose of this research aims to adopt aesthetic experience as a vehicle to enhance language expression skills while also enhancing the satisfaction of language learning. Aesthetic experience is believed to have the potential to unlock the imagination of learners and break the barrier of language differences. Nonetheless, the connection between aesthetic education and second language learning remains underexplored. This research aims to observe how adopting aesthetic experience in an English course could affect college language learners in overall learning satisfaction and perceptions. The participants consisted of 88 freshman students from two General English classes at a university located in central Taiwan. The research adopts four major aesthetic related group projects blended with language learning. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected via surveys to obtain a holistic perspective of how aesthetic education can affect language learning satisfaction. The findings of the research confirm the positive outcomes of the learners’ satisfaction, self-perceived language performance, aesthetic appreciation skill, observation skill, cross-disciplinary learning experience as well as peer learning via group projects.

The Effects of Group Work on Interaction and Learning Outcomes in Non Face-to-Face Synchronous General English Classes in the EFL Setting

The effects of group work with assigned roles on learner-instructor interaction (LII), learner-learner interaction (LLI), and task achievement were investigated in non-face-to-face general English classes to determine implications for non-face-to-face online group work. The participants were 128 university students in South Korea. Zoom was employed for the synchronous classes (SC), and the university’s LMS (Learning Management System) was utilized for the asynchronous classes (AC). The participants were divided into three groups: Group A were assigned designated roles in SC, Group B were not assigned specific roles in SC, and Group C were assigned designated roles in AC. The students were required to produce two English presentation videos. The participants exchanged feedback and comments about the content and structure of the presentation script. The video production and editing through group work, a pre- and post-questionnaire, and task results were employed as analysis data. The results revealed that group work in which roles were assigned had a positive effect on LII and LLI. It should be noted that group work differs from face-to-face instruction. Thus, it is imperative that techers design detailed plans in advance and monitor student participation closely. Pedagogical implications and recommendations for future studies are outlined.

INDONESIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ VISUAL LEARNING STYLE: LEARNERS’ AND TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate Indonesian undergraduate non-English department students' visual learning style and their and teachers' perspectives on the uses of visual aids to promote learning. It was conducted to fill the gap in the literature on the scarcity of empirical studies in the field of learning style in the Indonesian context despite the potentials of instruction accommodating learners' learning styles. 127 students participated in the study through a survey and descriptive analysis, this study found that the participants, in general, had a high level of visual learning style, suggesting that class instruction should provide visual media and activities reported to be effective by the participants. Four participants with the highest visual learning style levels along with three teachers of General English classes were interviewed. Through Thematic Analysis of the interview results, the study found that both the students and teachers reported that teachers used certain visual media for certain purposes, for example, pictures for brainstorming activities, videos for providing input for further discussions, and writing on the boards to explain grammar. Based on the findings, possible implications and contributions are mentioned along with limitations and possible future studies.

A MODEL OF AUTHENTIC TEACHING MATERIALS FOR GENERAL ENGLISH SUBJECT

Designing teaching materials for General English at higher education has become a foundation of language teaching practices. The students at tertiary level should delineate the needs of the English language skill in the 21st century. This study aimed to conduct need analysis to create a model of teaching materials that can accommodate university students to improve English proficiency skill. This study focused on the realm of designing teaching materials based on authentic materials in the area of reading skill supplemented with listening skill. The initial need analysis investigated students' needs of reading text, the needs of multimodal texts, the problems in reading and listening skill. The study also invigoratedthe level of critical thinking for critical reading, and the perspectives of lecturer in General English class. A sample of 230 students at Management Program was selected to participate as the sample represented the nature of the homogenous language skill. The results of the study revealed that students prefer to get exposure on authentic materials with multimodal images. They need to read materials that can catalyze critical thinking skill in critical reading. Also, listening materials can serveas an additional material to enrich the reading materials on the basis of sources of authentic materials

A study on learners’ perception and preference for reading and writing activities in level-based college general English classes

본 연구는 2019ë „ 2학기에 수준별 읽기와 쓰기 통합 교양영어 강좌를 총 423ëª ì˜ 학생이 참여한 설문조사 결과를 바탕으로 수준별 ìˆ˜ì— ì—ì„œ 학생들이 경험한 다양한 학습방식과 활동에 대한 학생들의 인식과 ì„ í˜¸ë„ë¥¼ 분석하여, íŠ¹ì • 학습 활동이나 ìˆ˜ì— ë°©ì‹ì„ 수준별로 학생들이 어떻게 ë°˜ì‘í•˜ê³ ìˆ˜ìš©í•˜ì˜€ëŠ”ì§€, ê·¸ë¦¬ê³ ê° 수준별 학습패턴에 íŠ¹ì§•ì ì¸ 차이가 있는지를 조사하였다.학습자의 읽기활동 ì„ í˜¸ë„ì™€ 수준별 차이 분석 결과를 ë³´ë©´, 가장 도움이 ë˜ì—ˆë‹¤ê³ ìƒê°í•˜ëŠ” ìˆ˜ì— ë°©ì‹ì´ ëª¨ë“ ìˆ˜ì¤€ì—ì„œ ‘교수님의 해석과 ì„¤ëª â€™ìœ¼ë¡œ ë‚˜íƒ€ë‚¬ê³ , ê·¸ 다음으로 초급은 â€˜ì¡°ë³„ë í•´ì™€ 발표’ 활동을 중급과 ê³ ê¸‰ì€ â€˜ë í•´í•˜ê³ ê°œë³„ë¡œ 요약’ 활동을 ì„ í˜¸í•˜ëŠ” 것으로 나타났다. 읽기활동 ì „ë°˜ì— 대해 개별과 조별활동 ì„ í˜¸ë„ì— 있어서는 ëª¨ë“ ìˆ˜ì¤€ì—ì„œ 조별활동을 ì„ í˜¸í•˜ëŠ” 것으로 나타났다.학습자의 쓰기활동 ì„ í˜¸ë„ì™€ 수준별 차이 분석 결과를 ë³´ë©´ 초급에서는 ‘쓴 글에 바로 피드백을 받을 수 있어서’, 중급과 ê³ ê¸‰ì—ì„œëŠ” ‘혼자 ì˜ìž‘í• ìˆ˜ 있는 기회가 있어서’ 쓰기활동이 도움이 되었다는 응답 비율이 가장 높았다. 학습자들의 수준이 올라 갈수록 쓰기활동에서 ë ë¦½ì„±ì´ ì¦ê°€í•˜ê³ , 피드백에 대한 의존도는 ìƒëŒ€ì ìœ¼ë¡œ 줄어드는 것으로 보인다. 쓰기활동에서 가장 ì–´ë ¤ìš´ ì ì€ 초급과 중급의 경우 ‘처음 영작을 해봐서 혼자 쓰기가 ì–´ë ¤ì› ë‹¤â€™ì˜ 응답비율이 가장 ë†’ì•˜ê³ , ê³ ê¸‰ì˜ 경우 ‘영작을 í• ìˆ˜ 있는 시간이 충분하지 않았다’와 ‘처음 영작을 해봐서 혼자 쓰기가 ì–´ë ¤ì› ë‹¤â€™ëŠ” 응답이 동일한 비율로 나타났다. 쓰기활동의 ìœ í˜•ì— 따른 ì„ í˜¸ë„ë¥¼ ë³´ë©´ 초, 중, ê³ ê¸‰ ëª¨ë“ ìˆ˜ì¤€ì—ì„œ ‘주어진 ì£¼ì œë¡œ 개별 ìžìœ ì˜ìž‘í•˜ê¸°â€™ë¥¼ 가장 ì„ í˜¸í–ˆìœ¼ë©° 또한 조별보다는 개별활동을 ì„ í˜¸í•˜ì˜€ë‹¤. ê³ ê¸‰ì˜ 경우는 개별로 혼자 써보는 것이 ì˜ìž‘ì‹¤ë ¥ 향상에 더 도움이 ëœë‹¤ê³ í•˜ì˜€ì§€ë§Œ, 초급은 ìžì‹ ì˜ ì˜ìž‘ì‹¤ë ¥ì´ 부족하여 ìžì‹ ê° 결여로 쓰기의 경우 조별활동을 ê¸°í”¼í•˜ê³ ê°œë³„ë¡œ 쓰는 것을 ì„ í˜¸í•˜ëŠ” 것으로 나타났다.본 연구 결과는 수준별 ìˆ˜ì— ì˜ 만족도와 효과를 높이기 위해, 학생들의 필요와 눈높이를 반영하는 ìˆ˜ì— ìžë£Œ, 방식, 활동을 개발하는데 ìœ ìš©í•œ 기초자료로 활용이 기대된다. ì£¼ì œì–´: 수준별 ìˆ˜ì— ; 읽기; 쓰기; 학습활동; 조별활동; 개별활동

The Effect of Teacher, Peer, and Self-Assessment on Subsequent Learning: The Case of Oral Presentations

There has been a burgeoning of research in teacher, peer, and self-assessment in terms of reliability and validity, the use of rubrics, the implementation of these kinds of assessments in different academic settings, the effect of demographic variables in these assessments, and the benefits of these assessments. However, the effect of these assessments on subsequent learning has rarely been explored. To fill that void, this study set out to examine the effects of these kinds of assessments on subsequent learning as evidenced by students’ final exam scores. Two intact classes were chosen and teacher, peer, and self-assessments were employed in a general English class. The scores achieved on the students’ oral presentations exhibited a statistically significant correlation between the teacher awarded scores and those on the final examination of general English proficiency as a course. Peer awarded scores could also predict final exam scores, though not as good as teacher awarded ones. Self-assessment failed to correlate significantly with final exam scores and teacher/peer assessments. The reasons for the findings are discussed further in the paper.

Understanding EFL students’ use of listening strategies in watching English captioned movies

Through the years, investigation into English captioned movies has been the subject of many studies in language teaching and learning. Most of these studies have found that listening strategies play a crucial part in enhancing students’ listening skills. Focusing on the same subject but with a new perspective, this research aimed at exploring the frequency use of listening strategies in watching English captioned movies in five general English classes at Ho Chi Minh City Industry and Trade College (HITC). One hundred and fifty college freshmen participate in answering the questionnaire and twenty-five students in responding the semi-structured interview questions. The data gained from the questionnaire was analyzed by SPSS in terms of descriptive statistics and ANOVA test. The results of the study indicated that a vast number of students employed listening strategies at different levels of frequency in which the cognitive strategy was used more frequently than meta-cognitive and socio-affective strategies. The results further proved that there was no significant difference of non-English majors’ listening strategies in watching English captioned movies in terms of majors.

STUDENTS PERSPECTIVES IN COVID-19 OUTBREAKS TIME: LEARNING ENGLISH IN ONLINE CLASS OR IN FACE-TO-FACE CLASS?

After two months of online learning, students of Sai Gon University in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam could gain recognition of benefits and drawbacks of online learning in comparison with face-to-face learning. This article shows which learning mode was preferred more and the reasons by students of the university through a survey of 180 undergraduates from six general English classes. As a result, the number of participants who chose face-to-face mode was the same as that of who preferred online learning. The explanations of face-to-face learning voters were face-to-face interactions, less distraction factors, better environment for communication skill practice and more various learning activities. Flexibility of learning place and time, comfort and accessible online materials and lecture notes were the reasons for the online learning voters. A few participants could not decide their favorite mode of learning since both had their own outstanding benefits.

Sequencing inquiry tasks and video modeling examples to enhance L2 willingness to communicate

This article reports on a study which aimed to see how different sequencing strategies for video modeling examples and inquiry tasks influenced EFL learners' willingness to communicate (WTC), anxiety, and communication competence. To this end, four general English classes (N = 80) were randomly assigned to video-task, task-video, video-video, and task-task conditions. Quantitative analyses showed that specific sequences of videos and tasks significantly and positively change learners' WTC, anxiety, and communication competence. Moreover, statistical analyses indicated that video-video condition significantly increased WTC and competence and lowered learners' anxiety. However, the results showed that task-task situation decreased WTC and communication competence and increased anxiety. Finally, some recommendations for facilitating WTC in L2 classrooms are presented.

Examining Korean Students’ Self-Directed English Learning Practices in General English Classes at College

This case study examines Korean college students’ self-directed English learning practices performed outside of the classroom. In particular, the current study investigates what learning activities the students choose and carry out for their self-directed learning (SDL) and how they respond to the project as part of a general Englishc ourse. Based on Knowles’ (1975) conceptualization of the process that autonomous learners go through, the self-directed English learning project proceeded in five phases: reflecting on students’ own previous Englishle arning experience, researching information about how to study Englishand what Englishlearning materials to use, designing their own Englishlearning plans, executing the plans, and reflecting on their SDL practices. Students from two general English classes engaged in the SDL project for 13 weeks during the Fall semester of 2019, and a total of 51 students participated in this study. The main source of data was survey questionnaires administered during the project, which consisted of multiple-choice, 5-point Likert scale, and open-ended questions. As supplementary data, the students’ study logs and the instructor's teaching materials were also collected. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze and display responses to the multiple-choice questions and Likert-scale ratings. Qualitative analysis was used for students’ responses to the open-ended questions to identify common themes among students. Analysis of the data revealed that the students most often chose input-oriented activities focusing on listening and reading as opposed to speaking, which was the area of English they most wished to improve. Depending on the area of English, learning materials were chosen differently, and speaking/writing activities were mostly conducted individually. In general, smartphones were preferred, but for those who used English learning sources designed for educational purposes, traditional tools like print books were preferred. The students showed overall positive responses to the SDL project and reported that it allowed them to have a new experience with English learning, to discover various English learning methods, and to improve their English ability. However, some difficulties carrying out the project were mentioned by the students, including the time to make for the project and the overall effectiveness regarding their English learning activities. The findings of the study indicate that the SDL project can positively impact students’ English learning by preparing them to be more autonomous English learners. The findings also suggest that bothi ndividual instructors and institutions should provide students with further assistance and scaffolding to support their self-directed English learning. Instructors are recommended to take advisory roles and offer appropriate assistance and guidance for their students to have successful SDL experiences and develop their SDL capacity in sustainable ways. In addition, institutional level supports such as various Englishlea rning environments, one-on-one consultation services, and extracurricular programs are suggested as effective ways to facilitate students’ self-directed language learning.

Enhancing metacognition through thinking instruction: A case study in a Taiwanese university

This study investigated the impact of thinking instruction on students’ metacognition and thinking behavior. Higher-order thinking occurs when individuals use their underlying metacognitive strategies which increase the probability of achieving a desirable result. The study was designed as a case study of an intervention and a posttest-only control group design was adopted. Participants consisted of students with a variety of majors were recruited from a medium-size university located in southern Taiwan. Two classes of the Developing Thinking course, totaling 78 students, comprised the group receiving the intervention, while 196 students in six General English classes comprised the comparison group. The intervention students were introduced to thinking skills, facts and opinions, question stems, and thinking from different perspectives. The quantitative results show strong evidence that the thinking instruction exerts statistically significant positive effects on students’ metacognition. Qualitative evidence also shows improvements in cognitive awareness with students demonstrating a more consistent application of thinking skills, an increased ability to think critically with thinking dispositions cultivated, and most importantly, a transfer of thinking behavior across the curriculum and in their personal lives. The researcher suggests the value of introducing thinking instruction to promote critical thinkers.

A Survey of Elementary and Intermediate Learners’ Attitudes towards the use of Vietnamese by Teachers in General English Classes

A Survey of Elementary and Intermediate Learners’ Attitudes towards the use of Vietnamese by Teachers in General English Classes

IMPROVING CLASSROOM MATERIALS DESIGN FOR VOCATIONAL ENGLISH TEACHERS AT SAMPANG VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS

Improving the content and classroom materials design for English Classrooms at any vocational high school level is a tough job. English teachers at SMK levels found it challenging to integrate their classrooms materials to fulfill the vocational needs of their students. No denying to the fact that Vocational English has set a different framework compare to general English classes at the similar level of education. This study aims as a joint research partnership and as well as a platform to improve and create variety of English Vocational Materials for SMK classes in Sampang area. Around 7 public vocational high schools were involved in this study, providing a thorough information of its students’ needs for ESP purposes. The materials included knowledge about syllabus writing and the creation of independent teaching materials in the classroom as well as the implementation of reading, writing, and listening and speaking which are targeted to two different goals, UNBK and ESP improvements. The activity of developing English teaching materials is also expected to improve the final results of UNBK Students in English subjects. The study has resulted in the findings of challenges of teaching and developing materials for ESP classes, learning and teaching weaknesses triumph with the models, and the possible future solutions for ESP teaching at SMK level. The study also resulted in the initiative project collaboration with MKKS SMK in Sampang area to pioneer Sampang Vocational Camp 2020.

State Polytechnic Students’ Perception on General English Subjects

This paper discusses the Bandung State Polytechnic Students’ perception towards General English classes (General English 1 and General English 2). The research is aimed to investigate the students’ perception towards the materials given in General English 1 and General English 2 classes. The survey was carried out to 110 students from 2 engineering classes and 2 non-engineering classes. This research applied quantitative method that used questioners to gain the data. Thus, the data were analyzed by applying SPSS, and the result shows that students’ perception on General English1 subject is different from their perception on General English 2 subject.They perceive thatGeneral English1 subject provides important basic skill for communication in English, however it needs improvement in some materials for there are some students doubt about it. On the other hand, students think that the materials in General English 2 do not reach their needs and expectations. Accordingly, General English in Bandung State Polytechnic needs to be developed. Keywords: English, General English, Polytechnic Curriculum

대학 교양영어 수업의 조별활동에서 학업 수준별 만족도에 관한 연구

대학 교양영어 수업의 조별활동에서 학업 수준별 만족도에 관한 연구