Initial Proficiency Level Research Articles

IMPROVEMENT OF THE STUDENTS MOTIVATION IN FORMING PROFESSIONAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE COMPETENCE

The article deals with the issues of students’ motivation for foreign language learning in non-linguistic universities. Motivation is regarded as a factor giving focus to educational activities, dynamic character and determinant of its success. The paper presents a theoretical analysis of methods to improve students’ motivation in learning foreign languages and results of the research carried out at the medical university. During the research we studied students’ foreign language level: knowledge and skills, willingness to learn a professional foreign language with the use of an interview and a placement computer test. A survey of the 1st year students in order to find out the motives for learning foreign languages with the help of a special questionnaire developed by us was conducted. Such diagnostics made it possible to obtain information about students’ level of motivation in foreign language learning, their initial level of proficiency, and understanding the purpose of learning foreign languages. To improve students’ motivation a model of professional foreign language communicative competence development in e-learning environment was designed and introduced into the educational process of the medical university. The content-procedural module of the presented model includes technologies of foreign language virtual communication: e-mail, webinars, videoconferencing, an LMS Moodle. The authors believe that the students’ motivation in foreign language learning is associated with the prospective personality development, namely the formation and development of professional competencies, mastering new knowledge and skills, getting experience.

Developing arithmetic skills in kindergarten through a game-based approach: a major issue for learners and a challenge for teachers

ABSTRACT Early arithmetic skills, and in particular the understanding of the part-whole relationship, are currently considered crucial for future arithmetic achievement. They are complex skills extending far beyond the mastery of counting procedures. In order to develop these arithmetic skills in kindergarten children, we developed a game-based approach using conventional card and board games adapted to the targeted mathematical objectives. The present study examines the effects on the arithmetic skills of this game-based approach. Individual pre-and post-tests were administered to 194 children (5–6 years old) from four countries (play-based group n = 104 and control group n = 90). Our findings show that the learning outcomes of the game-based group were significantly higher than those of the control group after the intervention. The game-based group showed improvements in arithmetic skills, and in particular those relating to the part-part-whole relation. The intervention also resulted in all pupils, regardless of their initial proficiency level and including those regarded as ‘at risk’, making more progress than those in the control group. These results demonstrate the possibility of developing complex mathematical learning effectively in preschool in a manner consistent with the needs and interests of young children.

Role of Social Networks, Attidude, and Motivation in Informal Foreign Language Learning: A Case Study of the Tourism Industry in Mombasa County, Kenya

The current paper investigates the predictive values of five independent variables including attitude, motivation, social networks, and problems encountered during the process of informal language learning. These values were calculated based on the dependent variable, that is, the scores on Test de Niveauenfrançais (TNF) of the informal learners of French working in the tourism industry in Mombasa, Kenya. A quantitative descriptive survey design was used. Data was collected through a set of three questionnaires and TNF was administered to 45 informal learners of French working in different tourism sectors in Mombasa County. The results revealed that instrumental motivation and interest in the language were the most significant predictors of the TNF score of the respondents. A multiple linear regression model was used to estimate the predictive value of social networks, attitude, and motivation in informal language learning. The results revealed a significant combined effect of variables on foreign language mastery. Furthermore, the results also revealed that the sum effect of the remaining social network variables on the respondents’ mastery of French was not significant. We discovered a highly positive correlation between learners’ social networks and their mastery of the language. Network density was found to be the most significant predictor when all the social network variables were factored into the model. In the first step, it was determined that the respondents’ initial proficiency level and the percentage of native French speakers in their network were the most significant predictors of French language mastery. The second step added overall size and density in the model and they were found to be significant as well. Finally, it was concluded that informal foreign language learning seems to be a viable model of language learning that should be given attention by stakeholders in the tourism industry.
 Keywords: attitude, French language competence, motivation, informal language learning, social network

Results of wheelchair skills training among the disabled persons with lower limb loss of vascular origin

BACKGROUND: Wheelchair skills training is an essential part of rehabilitation of the disabled persons with lower limb amputation (LLA) due to peripheral artery disease (PAD). However, nowadays this issue is poorly addressed in our country, there are no standardized technologies.
 AIM: Investigation of dynamics of the extent of wheelchair usage among disabled persons with LLA due to PAD during adjustment to the wheelchair using the Wheelchair Skills Program (WSP, Canada).
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: Altogether, 350 patients with lower limb stump [unilateral tibial stump ― 116 (33.1%), hip stump ― 223 (63.7%), bilateral tibial stumps ― 6 (1.7%), hip stump ― 5 (1.4%)] were examined in clinical settings at the Federal State Budgetary Institution Novokuznetsk Scientific and Practical Centre for Medical and Social Expertise and Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Russian Federation. Male ― 268 (76.6%), female ― 82 (23.4%). Mean age 63.10.52 years. Cause of LLA: obliterative PAD (lower limb atherosclerotic arterial disease) ― 226 (64.6%), type 2 diabetes mellitus ― 124 (35.4%). WSP effectiveness was assessed in 227 disabled persons. Wheelchair skills retention in 1.1 (0.591.87) years was assessed in 48 persons, 25 persons have undergone training second time.
 RESULTS: It was found that 86% of the disabled persons with LLA needed the wheelchair skills training. Upon the completion of the course the level of individual wheelchair skills was increased in all participants. This contributed to an increase in their activities and participation, which was indirectly evidenced by 1.8 fold increase in the proportion of those using the wheelchair outdoors by the time of second hospitalization.
 CONCLUSION: The program provides an individual approach to training, based on the results of a study of the initial level of proficiency in wheelchair skills, the wishes of the user himself, his physical, somatic and psychological condition. Thanks to this, novice users were able to master basic skills, and relatively experienced ones ― more complex, and thereby increase their level of safe use of the wheelchair, as well as the degree of independence and everyday activity, which can indirectly be evidenced by a significant increase in the share of wheelchair users outside the house.

Problems of teaching foreign students in mixed groups

The article analyzes the problems associated with teaching foreign students in mixed groups. A mixed group is a formally isolated part of the educational institution cohort that possesses such characteristics as: 1) a fixed heterogeneous ethno-cultural composition, 2) a different level of preparation of students for mastering the disciplines of the general educational program, 3) common cognitive interests and a single educational content in the current period of time; 4) joint educational activities under the guidance of the same teachers, 5) a single period of study. This article aims to highlight the range of language problems that hinder the development of general education programs by foreign students when studying as part of a mixed group. Since the structure of language difficulties varies for different categories of foreign citizens (foreigners with an initial level of proficiency in Russian, foreign speakers, bilinguals), it is important to have a differentiated approach to regulating the educational process and specially organized training taking into account the ethnic and linguistic needs of all members of the group. A differentiated approach to learning, building an individual way of each group member development allows mobilizing cognitive interests and motivating participants in the educational process. The development of specific recommendations to overcome the possible negative impact of a mixed group on the process of obtaining subject knowledge by foreign students is an important methodological task that requires further study.

Engineering students' perceptions of the role of ESP courses in internationalized universities

Recently there has been a trend towards English-medium instruction (EMI) with increasing numbers of programs taught in English (Wächter & Maiworm, 2014). At the same time, there has been a long tradition of ESP courses aiming at preparing students for effective academic and professional communication. In an increasingly internationalized context, it is necessary to reappraise current ESP courses in order to find out the extent to which they are adapted to the ever-changing needs of engineering graduates in a globalized world. Within this context, this study looks at the impact of ESP courses on university students of engineering in two European universities (Spain and Austria). Specifically, our research was based in three campuses: two campuses from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Spain), UPC-Vilanova (n = 52) and UPC-Barcelona (n = 26), and a third campus at FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences (FHJ) in Austria (n = 17). This research set out to track participants' perceptions of how ESP courses prepared them for academic communication in general and EMI in particular (N = 95). Data stem mainly from surveys administered both at the start and at the end of an ESP course. Students were asked about their perceived initial level of proficiency, their expectations, and their learning objectives (first survey, T1) as well as their perceived development in the different skills, the degree of fulfilment of their initial learning objectives, and their evaluation of the ESP course as preparation for international academic and professional communication (second survey, T2). These data were complemented with qualitative diary entries from students (n = 7) who reflected on their learning at different stages of their ESP course. Results point to overall satisfaction with ESP courses and greater awareness of the nature of specialized communication and yield deeper insights into students' strategies and areas where ESP can contribute to better student preparation and empowerment.

Adult second language learners’ social network development and perceived fluency gain in an intensive English program abroad

Abstract This study investigated the social networks developed by language learners during 14 weeks of an intensive English as a second language (ESL) program using the Study Abroad Social Interaction Questionnaire (Dewey, Bown, Baker, Martinsen, Gold, & Eggett, 2014; Dewey, Bown, & Eggett, 2012). It also utilized native speaker judgments to evaluate ESL fluency development. Results showed that participants were successful in developing complex social networks, that their oral fluency increased significantly, and that fluency gains were related to L2 social networks. Density (average number of people in a social group) was the most important predictor of fluency gain when only social network variables were considered. In a hierarchical regression, initial proficiency level and percentage of native English speakers in one’s network were the most significant of the established variables in the first step, and overall network size and density were the most important of the added social network variables in the second step.

Interindividual differences in gray and white matter properties are associated with early complex motor skill acquisition.

Brain circuits mediate but also constrain experience-induced plasticity and corresponding behavioral changes. Here we tested whether interindividual behavioral differences in learning a challenging new motor skill correlate with variations in brain anatomy. Young, healthy participants were scanned using structural magnetic resonance imaging (T1-weighted MPRAGE, n = 75 and/or diffusion-weighted MRI, n = 59) and practiced a complex whole-body balancing task on a seesaw-like platform. Using conjunction tests based on the nonparametric combination (NPC) methodology, we found that gray matter volume (GMV) in the right orbitrofrontal cortex was positively related to the subjects' initial level of proficiency and their ability to improve performance during practice. Similarly, we obtained a strong trend toward a positive correlation between baseline fractional anisotropy (FA) in commissural prefrontal fiber pathways and later motor learning. FA results were influenced more strongly by radial than axial diffusivity. However, we did not find unique anatomical correlates of initial performance and learning to rate. Our findings reveal structural predispositions for successful motor skill performance and acquisition in frontal brain structures and underlying frontal white matter tracts. Together with previous results, these findings support the view that structural constraints imposed by the brain determine subsequent behavioral success and underline the importance of structural brain network constitution before learning starts.

To the issue of vocational english syllabus design for sustainable foreign language education

The article considers English language syllabus design for non-linguistic faculties on the basis of positive experience of some European countries. Current vocational foreign language education is determined by the global context of education and employment on the whole: labour force mobility, life-long learning and sustainable social and economic development. Communicative competence in a foreign language has become a prerequisite of sustainable education nowadays. In order to establish effective foreign language education, Ukraine must bring the quality of its education to the European standards, taking into account positive foreign experience. Analyzing English language teaching at non-linguistic universities of our country, we see the problems related to the curriculum and syllabus design. The absence of integration of foreign language teaching at secondary school and the requirements to the communicative competence in English of non-linguistic students fail to provide the sufficient level of foreign language education in the country and as a result, the quality of higher education. The discrepancy between the low initial level of proficiency in English of first-year students alongside with the syllabus designed for mastering this foreign language for specific purposes is a problem, hard to cope with both for teachers and students. Windows User decision alongside with gradation of coursesWindows User according to their level, so that the students can attain the necessary communicative skills to be able to learn English for professional purposes, read specialized literature sources, participate in discussions and make presentations or communicate business ideas in a written form. The analysis of the syllabi of some European universities shows differential approach in teaching FL, taking into account the students’ needs so that they actively and effectively participate in the study process and show sufficient performance.

Investigating the Factors Influencing Students' Intention to Adopt E-Learning in a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) Economy: Evidence from Mauritius

Abstract This study is designed to investigate the factors influencing students' intention to adopt electronic learning (e-learning) in a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) economy. The overarching theory underpinning this study is the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) which has been extended to include the learner's computer self-efficacy, the course flexibility and the instructor's attitude dimensions. Constructs from this extended TAM were used to design a questionnaire that was administered among 494 students using a survey method. Relevant hypothesis were formulated and tested using multiple regression analysis. The results indicate that gender, type of course, Internet experience, prior experience in e-learning/mixed mode courses and initial proficiency level in e-learning significantly impacted on student's intention to enroll for a fully online degree programme. Furthermore, computer self-efficacy, course flexibility and the instructor's attitude were found to be pertinent antecedent to the Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) and Perceived Usefulness (PU) while (PEOU) and (PU) were both found to be predictors of attitude towards e-learning. These results have managerial implications for higher education institutions which need to pay a close attention to the factors influencing students' attitude towards e-learning.

Heritability of motor control and motor learning.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the relative contribution of genes and environment on individual differences in motor control and acquisition of a force control task, in view of recent association studies showing that several candidate polymorphisms may have an effect on them. Forty‐four healthy female twins performed brisk isometric abductions with their right thumb. Force was recorded by a transducer and fed back to the subject on a computer screen. The task was to place the tracing of the peak force in a force window defined between 30% and 40% of the subject's maximum force, as determined beforehand. The initial level of proficiency was defined as the number of attempts reaching the force window criterion within the first 100 trials. The difference between the number of successful trials within the last and the first 100 trials was taken as a measure of motor learning. For motor control, defined by the initial level of proficiency, the intrapair differences in monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins were 6.8 ± 7.8 and 13.8 ± 8.4, and the intrapair correlations 0.77 and 0.39, respectively. Heritability was estimated at 0.68. Likewise for motor learning intrapair differences in the increment of the number of successful trials in MZ and DZ twins were 5.4 ± 5.2 and 12.8 ± 7, and the intrapair correlations 0.58 and 0.19. Heritability reached 0.70. The present findings suggest that heredity accounts for a major part of existing differences in motor control and motor learning, but uncertainty remains which gene polymorphisms may be responsible.

Plasticity in human motor cortex is in part genetically determined

Brain plasticity refers to changes in the organization of the brain as a result of different environmental stimuli. The aim of this study was to assess the genetic variation of brain plasticity, by comparing intrapair differences between monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins. Plasticity was examined by a paired associative stimulation (PAS) in 32 healthy female twins (9 MZ and 7 DZ pairs, aged 22.6±2.7 and 23.8±3.6 years, respectively). Stimulation consisted of low frequency repetitive application of single afferent electric stimuli, delivered to the right median nerve, paired with a single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for activation of the abductor pollicis brevis muscle (APB). Corticospinal excitability was monitored for 30 min following the intervention. PAS induced an increase in the amplitudes of the motor evoked potentials (MEP) in the resting APB, compared to baseline. Intrapair differences, after baseline normalization, in the MEP amplitudes measured at 25-30 min post-intervention, were almost double for DZ (1.25) in comparison to MZ (0.64) twins (P =0.036). The heritability estimate for brain plasticity was found to be 0.68. This finding implicates that genetic factors may contribute significantly to interindividual variability in plasticity paradigms. Genetic factors may be important in adaptive brain reorganization involved in motor learning and rehabilitation from brain injury.

The Role of Input and Scholastic Aptitude in Second Language Development

This semi-longitudinal/cross-sectional study explores the role of two possible variables in the L2 development of Dutch high school students: scholastic aptitude (operationalized as CITO score) and the amount of input, both in school (two hours a week versus 15 hours a week) and out of school. First grade participants were followed for two years and third grade students for one year. At the beginning of the study, all students filled in an extensive questionnaire on motivation, attitude, and out-of-school contact and took a proficiency tests consisting of a receptive vocabulary and a productive writing task. At each subsequent measure point, the language proficiency test was repeated. The results show that out-of-school contact with English made a significant contribution to their English proficiency, even with the presence of predictors of CITO score, grade (1 or 3) , instructional group (2 versus 15 hours) and interaction between grade and group. The analysis also revealed a significant effect of aptitude (operationalized as CITO score) on the learners' general English proficiency, revealing that students in both conditions with a higher CITO score have a higher English proficiency level as well. We conclude that in-school input helps: the learners who receive 15 hours a week of English input score significantly higher on the writing scores than the two other groups during and at the end of the third year, even when we take other factors such as initial proficiency level, scholastic aptitude and out-of-school contact into consideration. The data also shows that the CITO score is a strong predictor of language development, even within the narrow bandwidth of about 540-550. However, we need to be careful in interpreting what this means. Perhaps general aptitude only affects the rate of acquisition rather than the ability to become very proficient.

Second language retention: Language use as a contributing factor.

Using data collected by Wesche (1993), this study examines the effect of the use of French as a second language on the performance of subjects in receptive skills (listening and reading comprehension) and productive skills (speaking and writing). The results establish a link between the use of the language after learning has occurred and the difference between pre- and post-test measures. A number of specific independent variables are examined, the most influential of which seem to be the number of university courses taken in French and the number of books read in French. The results also seem to confirm earlier findings that the initial level of proficiency promotes maintenance and even improvement.

Genetic and environmental contributions to the acquisition of a motor skill.

Practice, with feedback, is a fundamental variable that influences the aquisition of motor skills: with it, everyone improves, but some improve more than others. This simple fact has led to frequent debate over the relative importance of genetic and environmental influences on motor learning. In principle these factors could influence subjects' initial level of proficiency, their rate of improvement or their final level of attainment. The problem has been investigated using the rotary pursuit (RP) task, in which subjects learn to track a rotating target with a stylus; this is a factorially pure task which is relatively unaffected by cognitive or verbal factors. Earlier studies of twins reared together indicated that heredity was the primary factor responsible for individual differences in motor skill. Here we have studied learning in a sample of monozygotic (MZA) and dizygotic (DZA) twins who had been reared apart. Heritability of performance was high even in the initial phase, and increased with practice. The rate of learning was also significantly heritable. We propose that the effect of practice is to decrease the effect of environmental variation (previous learning) and increase the relative strength of genetic influences on motor performance.