High English Proficiency Research Articles

Disciplinary Faculty Needs and Qualified Tutors in an EFL University Writing Center

This study investigates postgraduate (PGs) and faculty needs concerning academic writing (AW) tutors’ qualifications in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. Tutors are the core element of a writing center (WC) (Hays, 2010). These professionals listen to (Burns, 2014), advise, and exchange information (Reid, 1993, in Hays, 2010) collaboratively so students can resolve their writing issues (Hays, 2010). However, in EFL contexts, scant research exists about WCs, writing programs (Molina & López, 2019), and qualifications to recruit tutors (Özer, 2020). Thus, to plan a WC, 24 participants in chemistry were interviewed and surveyed. Findings reveal that EFL PGs expect specialized tutors in target fields, with high English proficiency, experience in teaching, and in writing scientific articles. However, recruitment is challenging as candidate tutors also need support in AW and to help their tutees as writers. Thus, the tutors can be scientists, teachers, or PG students with English, but must be trained in specialized and general English writing and tutoring approaches. The study contributes to knowledge concerning needs in WCs and tutors’ qualifications, and it offers possible suggestions to accommodate the PGs’ preferences in an EFL context. However, the small sample size and homogeneity of the participants make the results nongeneralizable.

The Use of Memory Strategies Training in Enhancing Speaking Skill among Year 6 ESL Learners

Speaking skill is an intrinsic part of communication among humankind. Undeniably, speaking fluently requires people to have a vast amount of vocabulary as it is important for message interpretation and communication as a whole. In Malaysia, it is undoubtable that learners are able to achieve high proficiency in English in spite of being non-native speakers but the same does not apply to all. The number of learners that struggle to acquire English certainly outnumbers high proficiency level learners. The fundamental problem to this situation leads to the very basics itself, lack of vocabulary knowledge, thus hindering learners from speaking English efficiently. Therefore, this study aims to investigate whether Memory Strategies Training (MST) could help Year 6 ESL learners in speaking skill by enhancing their vocabulary. A quantitative approach was carried out with the participation of 40 Year 6 learners from a primary school in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan. The 15 speaking strategy items questionnaire were adapted from Cohen & Oxford's Young Learners' Language Strategy Use Survey. The outcome of this study shows that this memory learning strategy is crucial in raising the learner's competency to an ideal level. Henceforth, the study was able to identify an appropriate language learning strategy for improving the Year 6 learners’ speaking skill thus aids in elevating their confidence in using English in their daily conversation

Online Assessment of Speech Perception and Auditory Spectrotemporal Processing in Spanish-English Bilinguals.

There is limited access to audiology services for the growing population of Spanish-English bilinguals in the United States. Online auditory testing can potentially provide a cost-effective alternative to in-person visits. However, even for bilinguals with high English proficiency, age of English acquisition may affect speech perception accuracy. This study used a comprehensive test battery to assess speech perception and spectrotemporal processing abilities in Spanish-English bilinguals and to evaluate susceptibility of different tests to effects of native language. The online battery comprised three tests of speech in quiet (vowel and consonant identification and words in sentences), four tests of speech perception in noise (two for intelligibility and two for comprehension), and three tests of spectrotemporal processing (two tests of stochastically modulated pattern discrimination and one test of spectral resolution). Participants were 28 adult Spanish-English bilinguals whose English acquisition began either early (≤ 6 years old) or late (≥ 7 years old) and 18 English monolingual speakers. Significant differences were found in six of the 10 tests. The differences were most pronounced for vowel perception in quiet, speech-in-noise test, and two tests of speech comprehension in noise. Late bilinguals consistently scored lower than native English speakers or early bilinguals. In contrast, no differences between groups were observed for digits-in-noise or three tests of spectrotemporal processing abilities. The findings suggest initial feasibility of online assessment in this population and can inform selection of tests for auditory assessment of Spanish-English bilinguals.

Design of English Translation Model of Intelligent Recognition Based on Deep Learning

In the context of globalization, the international common language is English and it is more and more widely used. However, there is a shortage of talents with high English proficiency in all industries. According to the demand of the Chinese market, we should pay attention to students’ English language ability. Deep learning is a machine learning method based on feature learning and feature hierarchical structure, which simulates the analysis and learning of the human brain, carries out feature transformation layer by layer, trains a single-layer network each time, and transforms the features of samples in the original space to a new feature space, thus making classification or prediction easier. There are still some defects in the current machine translation (MT) results of online MT, especially the disadvantages of low efficiency and low accuracy of MT when the full-text range uses the server to compare the data of different languages to obtain the grammar and text-related rules among different languages. Therefore, other modern intelligent recognition technologies should be adopted to achieve accurate English MT. Generally speaking, the closer the training data is to the domain of the target text, the higher the quality of sentence alignment and the more sentence pairs, the more helpful it is to learn more accurate translation rules, so as to obtain a more robust translation.

Fungible Citizenship

Fungible Citizenship

Merit payment for elementary, middle, and high school teachers: analysis of its effects on student academic achievement

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to empirically analyze the influence of merit payment on student achievement in South Korea, specifically the proportion of students with above-average test scores and the proportion of students with below-average test scores over six years (2011–2016). EduData Service System (EDSS) school-level panel data was utilized for analysis, which included pooled OLS, a fixed-effects model, and a two-way fixed-effects model. The results of the fixed-effects model showed that merit payment in Korea likely increases the proportion of students with high proficiency in Korean and English, but tends not to reduce the proportion of students with low proficiency in Korean, English, and math. However, the results of the two-way fixed effects model indicated that merit payment has no statistically significant effect on the proportion of students with above-average or below-average test scores in Korean, English, and math. Recommendations for policymakers, researchers, and educators are provided.

Teachers’ English Level Proficiency: Do Students Perceive It as a Threat or a Chance?

This study examines students’ expectations regarding teachers’ English proficiency level at Muhammadiyah Malang University (UMM), Indonesia. The concepts of proficiency are various among scholars and educators. Scholars vary in their concepts of proficiency; they also have multiple dimensions and methods when assessing teachers’ proficiency. However, students are rarely asked about their expectations of teachers’ English Proficiency level due to their supposed incapability and irrelevance in assessing the tutors. This study utilized an interpretive approach that explained the subjective reasons and meanings underlying social actions and viewed the world from specific individuals’ standpoints and experiences. Focus group discussion (FGD), and an open-ended questionnaire to gather the data, was employed. The FGD led to rich data because participants interacted at the same time about the topic being raised. The second-year students of the English Department at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) were invited to participate. Regarding the teachers’ proficiency, students’ expectations fell into three parts. Firstly, teachers were expected to use mixed languages as the classroom language of instruction. Secondly, students expected teachers to possess sufficient level of English proficiency since this will potentially help students to have a better level of communication. Third, students are expected to have both native-speaking teachers and local teachers as a model of their communication. This study implicates teachers with high English proficiency are supposed to be vigilant to apply it across different settings and situations. This behavior hopefully leads to the felicitous decision of the classroom communication types

The Effect of English Language Proficiency and Glossary Provision on Personality Measurement

Research on English language learners suggests that language proficiency can affect the validity of standardized test scores. This study examined whether the provision of a glossary as a test accommodation during personality test completion influences the measurement of personality. Using an experimental research design, participants recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk and Prime Panels (n = 206) were first categorized as having limited or high English language proficiency and then randomly assigned to a glossary condition. The results indicate that providing a within-text glossary does not impact the construct validity and reliability of personality measures. The results also suggest that participants who received glossaries found them useful. However, those who were not provided with one disagreed that they would benefit from the provision of a glossary.

The Impact of English on the Economic Development of the Philippines

English is commonly used as an official language, a second language for business and commerce, as well as a medium of instruction in Outer Circle countries, including the Philippines. There have been studies about the impact of the English language on the economy of certain Outer Circle countries; however, no existing research has presented a comprehensive picture of its impact on the Philippines, which is renowned for excellence in industries that have developed based on Filipinos’ high English proficiency, such as English-speaking call centers and both online and offline schools that teach English as a second language (ESL). Therefore, this article comprehensively describes the relationship between the English language and the economy of the Philippines and explores its associated problems. First, the article briefly explains the history of English education in the Philippines to demonstrate why a large proportion of its population is proficient in English. Second, it focuses on Filipinos’ English proficiency by examining their average scores on international standardized English tests and the Business English Index. Furthermore, it reviews the literature that investigates their evaluation of their own English as well as their awareness of the importance of English in their workplaces. Third, it examines English-based industries: call center and ESL industries. Finally, it discusses the problems of using English as a medium of instruction and the exploitation of the Philippines’ inexpensive labor force in these English-based industries by developed countries.

Trends in Health Care Access Disparities Among Asian and Pacific Islander Health Fair Participants in Los Angeles, 2011-2019.

Given several efforts to improve health care access in California and nationally, we studied whether linguistic and socioeconomic disparities in health care access changed from 2011 to 2019 among Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) people in Los Angeles, California. We analyzed survey responses from APIA health fair participants (n = 5032) in the Greater Los Angeles area from May 15, 2011, through October 20, 2019. To assess the effect of socioeconomic factors on and shifts in health care access (ie, health insurance status/regular doctor), we used a logistic regression model. Covariates included English proficiency, year, age, sex, ethnicity, income, employment, and education. We also ran an interaction analysis between English proficiency and year. Health insurance access increased and doctor access remained stable throughout the study period; however, disparities in health insurance status widened by a factor of 1.08 per year between participants with high English proficiency (HEP) and participants with low English proficiency (LEP) (P = .01). People with HEP were 2.02 times more likely to have a regular doctor than people with LEP (P < .001), and this disparity persisted from 2011 to 2019 (P = .58). Participants who were young (P < .001) and male (P = .005) were significantly less likely to have health insurance and a regular doctor (P < .001) than participants who were older and female. Chinese participants were significantly more likely than Thai (P = .002) and Korean (P < .001) participants to be insured but not more likely to have a regular doctor, when controlling for health insurance. Policy changes targeting language and cultural barriers to care for APIA people with LEP may address the disparities observed.

Correlates of mental health literacy among first-generation Korean American immigrant women

ABSTRACT Korean American immigrants historically have and continue to underutilize mental health services and treatment. A lower level of mental health literacy has been found to account for low rates of mental health services. This study examined mental health literacy and its correlates in a sample of first-generation Korean American immigrant women (N = 243) from a large metro area in the Southeast U.S. Those with higher English proficiency, social support, and lower depression levels were more likely to have higher mental health literacy levels. Strategies to increase mental health literacy among Korean American immigrant women are discussed.

Manifold code-mixing in computer-mediated communication: The use of English in Dutch youths’ informal online writing

The pervasiveness of the English language in society and education in the Netherlands, as well as its status as online lingua franca, has caused concerns. English is a manifest aspect of oral youth language, as reflected in online written messages, but has in no way replaced the Dutch language. This paper presents a large-scale corpus analysis of computer-mediated communication by Dutch youths. These social media messages (392,169 words in total) were studied for the presence of code-mixing with English, in terms of amount and manner. They contained 7,528 English elements: (parts of) words, interjections, textisms (typical of ‘digi-talk’), phrases, and sentences. We argue that the concept of ‘manifold code-mixing’, consisting of four pathways – discourse framing, insertion, alternation, and integration – is necessary to truly comprehend the complexity and social meaning of code-mixing. These pathways relate to the SUPER-functions of textisms (speechlike, understandable, playful, expressive, reduced) and reveal Dutch youths’ high proficiency in English.

Abstract PO-272: Factors associated with HPV vaccine uptake: Insights from those who receive the flu shot

Abstract Introduction: While vaccine hesitancy is well-known, it remains unclear what factors influence individuals to obtain some vaccinations but not others. In the US, influenza vaccination rates are much higher than HPV vaccination rates. We sought to determine, among individuals who receive the influenza vaccine, factors that influence the uptake of HPV vaccination. Methods: The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is the largest source of health information for Americans and is designed to represent the entire civilian non-institutionalized US population. We utilized the 2018 NHIS to determine the proportion of the population who received HPV vaccination, influenza vaccination, or both. Further, amongst those who took the flu shot (and therefore were not vaccine-hesitant), we evaluated factors that influenced HPV vaccination. Results: There were 16,958 people, representing 184,361,526 in the population, between the ages of 18-64 who responded to questions as to whether they had ever received the HPV vaccine and whether they had received the influenza vaccine within the past year. 54.79% of these individuals had received neither vaccine, 32.42% received the flu shot but not HPV vaccination, and 5.76% received both vaccinations. Among those who received the flu shot in the past year, females (19.13% vs. 9.78% for males, p&amp;lt;0.001), those who were married (36.61% vs. 9.43% for singles, p&amp;lt;0.001), and those with high English proficiency (15.52% vs. 2.34% and 6.44% for those who spoke English “not well” and “not at all,” respectively, p&amp;lt;0.001) were more likely to report having ever received an HPV vaccine. Race (p=0.029) and education level (p=0.002) also influenced HPV uptake in this population; family income relative to the federal poverty level was of borderline significance (p=0.0623). Region of residence in the US (p=0.116), health insurance status (p=0.127), and years living in the US (p=0.281) were not significant. On multivariate analysis, individuals who were female (OR: 2.78 vs. male; 95% CI: 2.25-3.43, p&amp;lt;0.001), spoke English well (OR: 7.50 vs. not well; 95% CI: (2.45-22.96, p=0.002), and were married (OR: 6.61; 95% CI: 5.33-8.19, p&amp;lt;0.001) were more likely to get the HPV vaccination; education and income relative to poverty were not significant in the model. In addition, after controlling for other factors, Black individuals (OR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.52-0.98) and those who identified as “Other” race (OR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.15-0.88) were less likely to get the HPV vaccination compared to Whites (p=0.010). Conclusions: Over 50% of individuals in the US report never receiving the HPV vaccine and not receiving the flu shot within the past year. Only 15% of the nearly 40% of individuals who had taken a flu shot within the past year also reported having received the HPV vaccine. People who are male, single, with low English proficiency, and/or who identify as Black or Other race may be a group of non-vaccine hesitant individuals who may be amenable to taking the HPV vaccine if appropriately targeted for the same. Citation Format: Philip P Ratnasamy, Anees Chagpar. Factors associated with HPV vaccine uptake: Insights from those who receive the flu shot [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: 14th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2021 Oct 6-8. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-272.

HPV vaccination and factors influencing vaccine uptake among people of Indian ancestry living in the United States.

Approximately one-quarter of annual global cervical cancer deaths occur in India, possibly due to cultural norms promoting vaccine hesitancy. We sought to determine whether people of Indian ancestry (POIA) in the USA exhibit disproportionately lower human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination rates than the rest of the US population. We utilised the 2018 National Health Interview Survey to compare HPV vaccine initiation and completion rates between POIA and the general US population and determined factors correlating with HPV vaccine uptake among POIA. Compared to other racial groups, POIA had a significantly lower rate of HPV vaccination (8.18% vs. 12.16%, 14.70%, 16.07% and 12.41%, in White, Black, Other Asian and those of other/mixed ancestry, respectively, P = 0.003), but no statistically significant difference in vaccine series completion among those who received at least one injection (3.17% vs. 4.27%, 3.51%, 4.31% and 5.04%, P = 0.465). Among POIA, younger individuals (vs. older), single individuals (vs. married), those with high English proficiency (vs. low English proficiency), those with health insurance and those born in the USA (vs. those born outside the USA) were more likely to obtain HPV vaccination (P = 0.018, P = 0.006, P = 0.029, P = 0.020 and P = 0.019, respectively). Public health measures promoting HPV vaccination among POIA immigrants may substantially improve vaccination rates among this population.

Is There a Cognate Effect in Bilingual Children With Developmental Language Disorder?

Cognates, words in two languages that share form and meaning, can be used to support vocabulary development in bilingual children. Typically developing bilinguals have shown better performance on cognates versus noncognates. Of key interest is whether bilinguals with developmental language disorder (DLD) also show a cognate effect and, if so, which factors are related to their cognate performance. Thirty-five Spanish-English bilingual children (5-11 years old) with DLD completed the Expressive and Receptive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Tests, third edition, in English (EOW, ROW) to measure cognate performance. Test items were divided by difficulty level (easy, medium, and hard) and classified as cognates or noncognates using the Cross-Linguistic Overlap Scale for Phonology. On average, children showed clear and robust cognate effects on EOW across difficulty levels with medium-to-large effect sizes. Results on the ROW showed minimal effects that varied by difficulty. Individually, 80% of participants (28 of 35) demonstrated a cognate effect in EOW, whereas only 31% (11 of 35) showed an effect in ROW. A cognate effect in ROW was positively correlated with age and English proficiency, whereas no factors correlated with the EOW cognate effect. Bilingual children with DLD show higher performance on cognates than noncognates, at least in expressive vocabulary. Participants who did show a receptive cognate effect tended to be older and have higher English proficiency. Further investigation is needed to identify factors underlying cognate performance in order to tailor intervention strategies that promote bilingual vocabulary development.

Study Abroad in Sweden: Japanese Exchange Students’ Perspectives of Language Use in University EMI Courses

With the availability of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) courses, an increasing number of international students have been joining Swedish universities. However, the language use in Swedish EMI courses may display unique features; while many Swedish students have high English language proficiency, code-switching between Swedish and English is reported as a common practice by both lecturers and students, even when international students are present. Moreover, the term “international students” is often used to include students of various statuses and linguistic abilities, and the experiences and perspectives of short-term exchange students towards the language use in Swedish EMI courses are rarely documented. The current study investigates the perspectives of short-term exchange students from Japan enrolled in EMI courses at a university in Sweden. Questionnaire and focus group interview confirmed previous studies regarding the language-use practices in the classrooms. Moreover, the rate of speech, turn-taking, and background knowledge were found to hinder the learning and participation of the exchange students. The findings suggest the need to raise awareness of the language practices in Swedish EMI courses to students, lecturers, and other universities in order to support the learning experience of short-term exchange students.

Factors Associated With the Use of Telehealth in Middle-Aged and Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has promoted the adoption and use of telehealth, particularly in the early months of the pandemic. However, people with diverse characteristics may, or may not, be able to use telehealth, presenting digital divide in health care and potential health equity-related issues. This study aimed to assess the use of telehealth among middle-aged and older adults during COVID-19, and to explore factors associated with their telehealth utilization. We used publicly available data from the California Health Interview Survey collected during January 2019 and December 2020 (N=15, 279; mean age= 64.23±11.59; female: 52.7%). Approximately 11.0% of the sample used telehealth at least once. Bivariate and multivariate logistical regression analyses found that, compared with non-users, telehealth users were more likely to be having higher numbers of chronic conditions, with self-reported mental distress, living in urban areas, born in the US, with higher English proficiency, higher education, and having higher incomes. Age, race/ethnicity, and gender were not significantly correlated with telehealth usage. Logistic regression revealed that having mental distress (OR=1.48, 95% CI=1.29-1.71, p<0.01), more chronic conditions (OR=1.48, 95% CI=1.29-1.71, p<0.001) and living in an urban area (OR=1.93, 95% CI=1.36-2.74, p<0.001) were independently related to telehealth use. These findings suggest that telehealth, while being beneficial during the pandemic, might also introduce new challenges that exacerbate existing health inequity and disparities. Policy and community-based interventions are needed to promote the use of telehealth among middle-aged and older adults with diverse characteristics.

How should time abroad be spent? Effects of social interaction and out-of-class study time while abroad on foreign language proficiency and use

ABSTRACT We investigated the effects of social interaction and out-of-class study time on foreign language proficiency and use among two hundred students from a Japanese university who studied abroad for one month. Participants’ use of English and English proficiency were measured before and after the programme. Interaction with people from other cultures and out-of-class study time while abroad were also reported. Based on social interaction and out-of-class study time, students were grouped into four clusters: an Unengaged cluster, with low levels of interaction and out-of-class study time; a Balanced cluster, with average levels of both interaction and study time; a Studious cluster, with high out-of-class study time but low interaction levels; and a Communicative cluster, with high interaction levels but low study time. Analyses of clusters’ main effects revealed that overall, the Studious group had higher English proficiency, and the Balanced and Communicative groups reported higher use of English than the Unengaged group. While English proficiency increased to the same degree in all four groups, the Balanced group gained more in English use compared to the Unengaged group after study abroad. The results suggest the importance of how students spend their time abroad in promoting foreign language use.

Cross-sectional Study of Colorectal Cancer Screening Barriers in a Latino-Serving Federally Qualified Health Center.

Compared to other races/ethnicities, the Latino population has a lower rate of adherence to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening guidelines. Previous studies have identified a variety of barriers to CRC screening in Latino populations but have not explored factors associated with barriers. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers to CRC screening and associated factors in a Midwest Latino population visiting an urban Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). We conducted a cross-sectional investigation of 68 Latinos at a FQHC from June to October 2017. We examined factors associated with scheduling, psychological, and financial barriers using t-test, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analyses. Our participants reported low educational level, low income, and limited access to insurance or a primary care provider. Scheduling barriers are the highest barrier compared with psychological and financial barriers. Being married or coupled was the only predictor of higher scheduling barriers (P < .05). Being married or coupled was associated with higher psychological barriers in both univariate and multivariate analysis (P < .05). Higher education level was associated with higher psychological barriers in univariate (P < .05) but not multivariate analysis. Participants with lower vs. higher English proficiency had a higher financial barrier score in univariate (P < .05) but not multivariate analysis. Despite interventions targeting CRC screening barriers, including the provision of free at-home testing, perceived barriers persist. Bilingual patient navigators may help address needs for those with limited English proficiency to find and schedule free or reduced-fee colonoscopy services. People who are well educated are also at high risk of psychological barriers and should be targeted and given more education on the importance of CRC screening.

Study on the relationship between college English and global citizenship

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between college English education and global citizenship, and to present the meaning and future direction of English curriculum as college English. To achieve the research goals, a questionnaire survey was conducted on 190 college students who are taking a compulsory English course. The collected data was analyzed through t-test and ANOVA. The result of the analysis showed that first, the group with high English proficiency had higher level of global citizenship than the group with low English proficiency; second, the group with high interest in English had higher global citizenship than the low group; third, the group with high interest in foreign languages had higher global citizenship than the low group’ fourth, the start time of English learning did not lead to differences in level of the global citizenship; fifth, the students who had experience in staying abroad more than one month had the higher level of global citizenship than the ones who had visited abroad only one or two times. These results imply that English education is closely related to global citizenship. Lastly, the direction of future college English courses was discussed based on the results.