Group Of EFL Learners Research Articles

THE EFFECT OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK TYPES ON L2 WRITING ACHIEVEMENT AND EFL LEARNERS’ VIEWS ON THESE FEEDBACK TYPES

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of direct and indirect corrective feedback types on a group of EFL learners’ writing achievement. It also aimed at investigating their views on these feedback types. The participants of the present study included 40 preparatory school students studying English at a state university in Turkey. The writing instructor, also the researcher of the current study, provided the participants with both direct and indirect corrective written feedback types which were investigated in this study. The study adopted a pretest - posttest design to measure the effects of direct and indirect CF types. The overall findings of the current study revealed that the participants who were provided with direct corrective feedback attained higher test scores compared to the indirect corrective feedback group participants. The participants also mentioned a number of benefits for the feedback types they received during their writing courses.

Function and Accuracy of Lexical Bundle Use in English as L3 Learners" Essay Writings: A Learner Corpus-Based Study

This study aims to investigate English features of lexical bundles used by English L3 group of learners, focusing on the function and accuracy. English L3 learners are Chinese Korean ethnic college students who acquired Korean and Chinese before learning English. In order to carry out a comprehensive comparison, Korean L1 and Chinese L1 students are also involved. Thus, EFL leaner corpora of Yonsei English Learner Corpus (YELC), Chinese Korean English Learner Corpus (CKELC), and Chinese Han English Learner Corpus (CHELC) are examined and compared, with Louvain Corpus of Native English Essay (LOCNESS) as a reference. By comparing those corpora, this study produced the following findings: (1) among the most frequently used bundles, English L3 learners used over 50% of the same bundles as Chinese L1 learners; (2) English L3 learners have the same preference as Korean L1 learners in overusing stance-expression bundles; (3) three groups of EFL learners had a better grammatical correctness than semantic appropriacy in terms of bundle use, but none of them had gained a satisfying performance; (4) with respect to the overall quality of lexical bundles, English L3 learners were the worst among the three EFL learner groups. The results of this study may provide pedagogical implications for EFL teachers to improve learners’ essay writing.

The Impact of Language Aptitude on Grammar Attainment of EFL Learners with Different Ages of Onset in the Chinese Context

The effect of language aptitude on grammar attainment of second language learners with different ages of onset became one of the hot topics in the last decades. However, most previous studies were conducted in a second language context with inconsistent results, and few studies were conducted in a foreign language context. To fill this gap, the current study investigated the impact of language aptitude on grammar attainment of EFL learners with different ages of onset in the Chinese context. A Timed Grammatical Judgment Test and an Untimed Grammatical Judgment Test, a Metalinguistic Knowledge test, and a Language Aptitude test were used in the study, and 112 participants were sampled. The results show that the aptitude scores of the three groups of EFL learners with different ages of onset have no significant difference; language aptitude moderates performance on the Untimed Grammatical Judgment Test and the Metalinguistic Knowledge test, which was mainly reflected in the earlier starters; and higher aptitude learners outperform lower aptitude learners in all three grammar tests. Overall, this study provides evidence to support the impact of language aptitude on EFL learners in the Chinese context.

How EFL Learners Maintain Motivational Factors and Positive Attitudes during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

The present study aims to analyze how a group of EFL learners in Indonesia maintained their motivation and positive attitudes toward English learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. The present study applied a qualitative study by conducting semi-structured interviews with ten respondents. The results suggest that the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the respondents significantly. At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, most respondents were demotivated but they were able to motivate themselves again by reminding themselves of the reasons they learned English in the first place. Those reasons are mostly dominated by extrinsic factors such as their need to get jobs, studying overseas and the benefits of mastering English for their future also motivated the respondents. However, some are still motivated to learn English because they are intrinsically motivated. The results suggest that both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are needed to maintain learners' motivation and positive attitudes toward language learning. In addition, maintaining personal communication with students during tough times such as the Covid-19 pandemic seems important to be conducted by teachers. By keeping personal communication, teachers can help maintain students' motivation. Besides that, the findings of the present study indicate that the respondents used various methods to maintain their motivation such as using social media to learn English and constantly reminding themselves of their language learning goals. In regards to this, teachers should help students by integrating social media into the lessons and providing affirmations that remind students of the benefits of English language mastery.

Exploring EFL learners\u2019 inferential reading comprehension skills through a flipped classroom

This study presents the results of a mixed-methods approach in finding the effects of the WebQuest-based flipped classroom on the EFL learners’ inferential reading comprehension skills. A group of EFL learners attending an IELTS course participated in the study. T-test and one-way repeated measures ANOVA were used to analyze the quantitative data. The results showed that the WebQuest-based flipped classroom effectively developed the learners’ inferential reading comprehension skills, and its long-term effect was also confirmed through the delayed post-test scores. The participants’ attitudes towards the WebQuest-based flipped classroom effects were also explored by conducting semi-structured interviews analyzed by utilizing thematic analysis through which the participants’ perspectives were coded and categorized. The findings revealed the EFL learners’ mainly positive attitudes towards the effectiveness of this innovative approach in developing their inferential reading comprehension skills. The pedagogical implications of using WebQuest-based flipped instruction as an efficient and effective alternative to traditional classroom practice are discussed.

The Effect of Positive Psychology Intervention on EFL Learners’ Listening Comprehension

This study applies positive psychology to improve EFL learners' listening comprehension ability. To this aim, two groups of EFL learners (N = 45) participated in the study. The learners in the experimental group received the positive psychology intervention based on four components of positive psychology including hope, gratitude, emotion regulation, and empathy and those in the control group received the usual listening comprehension activities. The results including listening comprehension scores along with the analysis of the semi-structured interviews and class observations showed the effectiveness of the intervention, highlighting an increase in the students' listening comprehension scores. It was found that the experimental group experienced a range of positive and negative emotions, with positive emotions more than twice as frequent as negative emotions. The findings also showed that the intervention informed the instructor regarding specific areas where the learners encountered difficulty and in so doing, it allowed for applying appropriate strategies to help them overcome such problems. Finally, the theoretical and pedagogical implications of integrating positive emotions in foreign language teaching are discussed.

The Virtual Synchronous Zoom On and Zoom Off : Combined with Engaging Media toward EFL Learners' Vocabulary Development

Abstract
 
 Due to the popularity of online learning using zoom application which has been implemented by several educational circles in pandemic era, has showed several issues related to their virtual zoom learning. This study is aimed to investigate the efficiency of learning vocabulary using virtual synchronous zoom in collaboration with engaging media, by turning learners’ video on and off. Pre-test and post-test with the same item and form of multiple choice questions were given to two different groups of 30 participants with the same duration of time, media and topic to measure EFL learners’ vocabulary development using experimental design and was analyzed using several quantitative tests. 25 items of instruments used were tested based on their validity and reliability. Questionnaires of Thai and English language versions were filled in by EFL learners with the total of 10 items. The results showed that the 2 groups of EFL learners showed positive results in enhancing their vocabulary mastery, but the EFL learners’ group who turned their video on had higher results compared to those who turned their video off. In addition, the EFL learners of zoom on group also experienced less difficulty and inconvenience during the virtual learning process.
 

Extending language learning beyond the EFL classroom through WhatsApp

WhatsApp is a powerful tool for L2 learning because of its capacity to promote interaction between teacher and student, as well as among students. Its use has also been shown to support ubiquitous learning. In an attempt to extend language learning beyond the classroom, this study reports on the use of instant messaging through WhatsApp by a group of EFL learners (n = 23) who were regularly sent optional language-learning tasks by their teacher during an intensive summer course. By the end of a five-week-period, 764 messages had been produced, which are explored through a qualitative analysis in the present study, with particular attention to changes of participation as a result of time. Most of the messages in the WhatsApp group were produced by the students in the context of the teacher-initiated tasks and through them students had the chance to practice the language as well as engage in real communication, even though student participation tended to decrease over time. The WhatsApp group was also used for informal communication among the students and with the teacher (a total of 289 off-task messages) which, in contrast to on-task messages, grew over time. The nature of the interactions also tended to be more spontaneous and symmetrical, at times with more of a presence of textese. Negotiation of form and content was scarce, but both on-task and off-task messages turned out to be equally productive in engaging students to use English beyond the walls of the classroom.

INVESTIGATING EFL LEARNERS’ READING SKILLS USING THE COOPERATIVE TEACHING METHOD IN A SAUDI ARABIAN CONTEXT

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the reading skills using a comparative account of two groups of EFL learners’ reading achievements. Methodology: Two gatherings of understudies were chosen and dispersed into a control and a test gathering. The benchmark group was 50 blended capacity middle level 104 understudies who were presented to the regular educator drove procedure of instructing perusing. The exploratory gathering was 50 blended capacity middle of the road level 104 understudies who were instructed with the jigsaw understanding philosophy. The students' age go was between 17 – 21 and studied Arts, Mathematics, and Biology. Result: The discoveries of the quantitative examination indicated the positive effect of the jigsaw procedure as a successful helpful learning technique. Contrasted with the ordinary instructor drove showing strategy, the jigsaw method improves the advancement of the understudies' perusing abilities all the more proficiently. Applications: The results can be used in group work for reading strategies, positively sharing ideas, the participation of each learner in a group as an individual, cooperation, and showing good social skills for sharing knowledge. Novelty/Originality: The T-test was performed on data-independent samples, which showed a significant difference (P = 0.000) between the data collected from the experimental and control groups. These results have not been observed in the results of other articles so far. This is due to the accuracy of the method used in this method.

EFL learners’ lexical availability: Exploring frequency, exposure, and vocabulary level

Lexical availability studies have a great potential to explore and contribute to a better understanding of productive vocabulary knowledge in a second or foreign language. The present study compared the lexical availability output of two groups of EFL learners in order to ascertain whether the different prompts used in the lexical availability task or the different amount of English exposure had any quantitative or qualitative effect on learners’ lexical availability output. The study also aimed at determining if there was a relationship between receptive vocabulary knowledge and lexical availability output. A sample of 85 EFL learners, distributed into incoming and outgoing groups, completed a lexical availability task and the New Vocabulary Levels Test (NVLT). Results showed that the prompt and the amount of English instruction influenced the number and quality of learners’ word responses. There was also a positive, although moderate, correlation between the scores on lexical availability task and NVLT, predicting vocabulary level to some extent.

TEACHING SPEAKING: EXPLORING METHOD OF TEACHING AND ORAL CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK IN EFL LEARNERS’ CLASSROOM

This study investigates teaching speaking in EFL learners' classroom as teaching speaking is a vast area of research. This study, however, limits the focus to types of methods and oral corrective feedback. This study involves two groups of participants, namely a group of EFL learners and an English teacher. This qualitative study employs observation. Afterward, the unstructured interview with the English teacher is conducted to give further data. Through the observation, it is found that the teacher does some particular activities in teaching speaking. The lesson is opened by group work and the teacher conducts a dialogue and chain drill. The lesson eventually is closed by pair work and role play. The analysis shows that the teacher uses several methods in doing those five activities. Those are communicative language teaching, audio-lingual method, and cooperative language learning. From those three, the audio-lingual method dominates the class activities. Additionally, this study finds that the teacher employs several types of oral corrective feedback. Those are recast, explicit correction, clarification requests, and elicitation. These findings indicate that there is a relationship between methods and oral corrective feedbacks used by the teacher.

“The Song of Words”: Teaching Multi-Word Units with Songs

The need to integrate songs into English Language Teaching (ELT) has been recognized on numerous occasions. Song lyrics host multi-word units which learners can reuse as building blocks in their English, thereby reducing language processing time and effort, and improving their fluency as well as idiomaticity, thus bringing them closer to the native speaker norm. We report on two studies into the effectiveness of using songs for teaching multi-word units to high-school Polish learners of English. The same items were taught to two groups of EFL learners, but only one of the groups heard them in a song. Learners’ vocabulary recall was measured at three points in time relative to the teaching: before, immediately after, and a week after. The group taught with songs showed a significant recall advantage over the other group, especially when tested a week from teaching. The results suggest that songs can be an effective vehicle for teaching English multi-word units. Keywords: song; English; vocabulary learning; multi-word units; formulaic language; positive psychology

A Comparison of Lexical Richness in L2 Written Productions

Indeed research has shown that vocabulary acquisition is one of the chal-lenges of a language learner; even more so for productive vocabulary. Thus this study intends to investigate the lexical richness of 2 groups of EFL learners. This was done through a content analysis of 139 essays of entry-level university students and 140 essays of third-year university students studying at an English medium university. Both these groups of students scored at least a band 6 or 550 in TOEFL. Specifically, the objective of this study is to find out if there are differences in the lexical richness of these two groups of essays in the type-token ratio. This study also intends to find out if there are differences between the two different groups of essays in the use of the 1,000, 2,000, word levels, the AWL as well as the use of the words not-in-the-list. The RANGE programme developed by Nation, Heat-ley & Coxhead (2002) was used to carry out the above procedure. Findings of the study showed that the two groups of essays show a statistically significant difference in the use of the 1,000, 2,000, word levels and the AWL by the two groups of learners. There was also a difference in the not-in-the-list category. This research has pedagogical implications for the teaching of vocabulary in the language classroom with a specific focus on the development of lexical richness in EFL learners’ written production.

Investigating the Difference in Demotivation Factors: A Case Study of Two Groups of Indonesian EFL Learners.

Investigating demotivation factors of two different groups of EFL learners might provide more insights to reduce demotivation among students. Nevertheless, there is lack of studies toward demotivation, especially ones that analyze demotivation of Indonesian’s EFL students. Adara (2018) analyzed demotivation factors of a group of EFL students in Bekasi. However, her study only focused on one group of learners and did not compare demotivation factors which may affect different group of learners. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the differences in demotivation factors of two groups of Indonesian EFL learners. Whereas one group consists of 44 English literature college students, another group is 41 students major in communication study. Applying a mixed-method approach to obtain the results, the present study distributed a set of questionnaires adapted from Sakai and Kikuchi (2009) to two groups of college students whereas the interviews were administered to six of them. The results indicate that both groups of learners were mostly demotivated by teachers’ incompetence and teaching styles, lack of intrinsic motivation, and inadequate school facilities. The results of present study suggest the importance of teachers’ roles in providing appropriate teaching approach for learners as well as learning content and materials to avoid students’ demotivation.

Classroom Interaction in Oral Language Learning Events Created by EFL Storytelling-based Games

The paper aims at discussing some examples of classroom interaction in the context of playing “One Word/Sentence at a Time” and “Story Cubes” games by Polish secondary school students of English. First, it gives an overview of definitions and major types of classroom interaction. Second, it presents the opportunities for classroom interaction offered by a game-like environment. Then, the action research study conducted with a group of EFL learners is presented. The participants were recorded in the course of storytelling-oriented lessons and their stories were transcribed. Summing up the data gathered throughout the study, it is evident that the games offer a highly interactive FL classroom environment in which various categories of student-talk intertwine with teacher-talk.

Colours as a Form of Corrective Feedback in EFL Learners’ Writing

The study aims to explore the effect of colours as a form of corrective feedback in EFL learners’ writing and how the foregrounding of such feedback is related to the learners’ performance in EFL acquisition. Data were collected from a group of EFL learners, in which majority of them came from the Middle East countries. A pre-test and a post-test were conducted to determine the types of grammatical errors that they committed the most. The result of the study revealed that colour corrective feedback was found to be effective in increasing learners’ awareness which had improved learners’ performance in writing. After receiving corrective feedback in the form of colours, it was found that grammatical errors, specifically mechanical and morphological errors committed by the learners had decreased tremendously whereas in terms of semantic errors, the number of errors had increased. This result supports the notion of Noticing Hypothesis whereby learning is effective when the errors are noticed. The use of colours in highlighting specific errors was also found to assist learners to progress further and faster in the learning process as the types of errors committed can immediately be identified. This study enlightens the usage of colour-coded system as a form of indirect corrective feedback for language instructors specifically in EFL context. Thus, the pedagogical implication of this study is that colours could be used as a form of indirect corrective feedback due to its ability to immediately direct students’ focus towards specific grammatical errors.

English learners' voices on integrating poetry through a transactional approach in an EFL classroom

This case study examined how a group of EFL learners at a University in Colombia were encouraged to read and discuss several American poems for the first time in their lives through the reading transactional approach. Participants' reading experience and critical reactions to poetry constituted the core data that were collected through field notes, learners' artifacts (written essays), and one questionnaire. Data were analyzed through grounded approach and content analysis. Findings revealed that learners first focused on vocabulary and language structures and then on meaning. This research concluded that the incorporation of poetry as content in EFL education can help learners improve their communicative competence and critical reading skills.

Lexical Complexity on Descriptive Writing of Indonesian Male and Female EFL Learners

This study was aimed to find out the effect of gender on linguistics properties of academic writing abstracts of Indonesian Male and Female EFL Learners. Therefore, the linguistics properties of 40 essays from EFL learners (20 males & 20 females) were analyzed on the lexical complexity (diversity and density). The participants were selected from a homogenous group of EFL learners who were sitting for Writing 1 (one) subject in the English Department Universitas Negeri Medan—Indonesia. A computerized text analysis program (Word Smith Tools) was employed to measure the lexical complexity of the EFL learners’ essays (descriptive writing). As a result, females indicated to write more lexical density way than males in their descriptive writing but no significant different on lexical diversity.

Incorporating Computers into Classroom: Effects on Learners’ Reading Comprehension in EFL Context

Owing to the importance of computer-assisted reading and considering the prominent role of learners in this respect, the present study investigated: (1) the effects of computer as a supplemental tool to support and improve the Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension in comparison with equivalent non-technological or traditional print-based treatments, (2) EFL learners’ attitudes and perception towards the computer-assisted reading course.To this purpose, 111 randomly selected groups of EFL learners participated in the study. The subjects were divided into two groups of control and experimental. Both groups received 10 reading lessons either through computers or through an instructor-led method. The statistical analysis revealed no significant difference between the learners who had access to reading supports on computer screen and their counterparts in the traditional reading classes. Learners were also allowed to express their ideas on a 5-point Likert Scale. The purpose of the attitude questionnaire was to find out more information about the participants and their experiences with computer-assisted reading. Results of attitude questionnaire supported the conclusion that computers may enhance EFL learners’ motivation and interest towards learning but they do not enhance comprehension. The findings of this study support the view that technology should supplement not supplant teachers and that people read less accurately and less comprehensively on screens than on paper.

Multilingual effects on EFL learning: a comparison of foreign language anxiety experienced by monolingual and bilingual tertiary students in the Lao PDR

ABSTRACTForeign language anxiety is common among adult learners, especially those who lack exposure to the language that they are learning. In this study, we compared the foreign language anxiety experienced by monolingual and bilingual tertiary students in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) who were learning English as a Foreign Language. The monolingual students were learning English as their L2, while the bilingual students were learning it as their L3. In general, both groups of EFL learners reported moderate to high levels of foreign language anxiety in relation to EFL learning. In comparison to the monolingual students, the bilingual students were reportedly feeling more comfortable to be with the native speakers of English and had increased self-confidence in using English. This finding was noteworthy since the bilingual students actually received less encouragement from their English teachers in the learning process and they also used less English in their everyday communication. Together, the findings highlighted positive multilingual effects in linguistic self-confidence, which could be useful in reducing foreign language anxiety among multilingual individuals.