Knowledge Of English Research Articles

THE MAIN REQUIREMENTS OF THE UKRAINIAN LABOR MARKET FOR THE TRAINING OF SPECIALISTS WITH HIGHER EDUCATION

Modern society and the labor market in particular recognize the relevance of higher education for two main reasons: professional development and personal growth. Many employers consider a university degree to be an indicator not only of knowledge, but also of the ability to learn, critical thinking, analytical work, adaptation and self-development. Among the main trends currently observed in the labor market in Ukraine, which have a negative impact on the country’s economic processes in general, were economic, migration crises, mobilization, and demographic losses. At the same time, the rapid development of new technologies and digitalization processes in society was dictating their own rather high requirements for the qualifications and competencies of specialists. This was also confirmed by the World Bank's study «Skills for Modern Ukraine» conducted among employers. The study emphasized the changes in employers' demands for modern specialists to possess the latest competencies. For example, such skill as «complex problem solving», which was ranked first in 2015 and 2020, was projected to fall to third place in 2030, giving way to the relatively new skill of «emotional intelligence» (which appeared only in 2020 at 6th place) and the ability to work in a team (a similar skill, «interaction with people», was also ranked 2nd in 2015). It was predicted that by 2030, employers may significantly change the requirements for potential applicants, adding such skills as «quick learning ability», «analytical thinking», «project management», «strategic thinking» and «initiative/change management». The most popular vacancies in the Ukrainian labor market, including remote work, were outlined. The main requirements for specialists in the most popular positions were summarized, among which are: knowledge of English, digital literacy, design and engineering knowledge. It was been established that the training of specialists competitive in the labor market should be based on such basic principles as a high-quality theoretical foundation supported by practical skills, as well as individual, social and general cultural development of the individual.

Challenges faced by EFL Adult Learners from the Accounting Specialty at a Professional Technical Night High School in Guanacaste, Costa Rica

This action research describes the challenges that adult learners at Professional Technical Night High School (CTP) in Liberia face as they learn a foreign language. The project involved ten participants interested in pursuing a technical career, in addition the program in technical education includes learning a foreign language, which enhance their communication skills, broaden their career opportunities, and prepare them for globalized work environments. This study found that English knowledge background, motivational attitude towards English classes, the motivational perception about English and age, were some facts that adult learners were facing during this learning process. On the other hand, the results also suggested awareness of learners about the influence of the English language in a globalized world.

Studying Gains and Losses at the Grammatical, Lexical and Stylistic Levels in Three Notable Qur'an Translations From the Context of Translation Theories

This study explores gains and losses at the grammatical, lexical, and stylistic levels in three eminent Qur'an translations from the context of translation theories. It also utilized the descriptive qualitative research method, Hervey and Higgins' (1992) concept of loss, and Nord's (2005) paradigm of textual analysis in the translation. The results implied that losses occur at grammatical, lexical, and stylistic levels due to the imprecision of chosen words when translating the meaning of some Qur'anic Arabic terms, expressions, and structures into English. Additionally, the intended translators subjected to inquiry on occasion seemingly grasp the meanings and subtleties of the lexemes; thus, they pick out lexemes that are appropriate and usable in their grammatical, lexical, and stylistic contexts. Such fidelity in choosing words and varied expressions resulted in gains at the grammatical, lexical, and stylistic levels. Also, the three translators espoused verbatim and loan translation strategies, which led to grammatical, lexical, and stylistic losses. Finally, it elaborates that profound linguistic repertoire, broad cultural knowledge, language proficiency, and thorough understanding of both Arabic and English, besides greater understanding of good books on exegesis and linguistics, are crucial in offering a proper translation of the Holy Qur'an generally and Qur'anic Arabic words particularly.

Utilizing ChatGPT to integrate world English and diverse knowledge: A transnational perspective in critical artificial intelligence (AI) literacy

Utilizing ChatGPT to integrate world English and diverse knowledge: A transnational perspective in critical artificial intelligence (AI) literacy

How English orthographic proficiency modulates visual attention span in Italian learners with and without dyslexia

Abstract Visual attention span (VAS) refers to the number of visual elements processed simultaneously in a multielement array. It is causally related to reading skills and may be impaired in readers with dyslexia. VAS is influenced by orthographic depth with opaque orthographies boosting it. Such orthography-specific VAS modulations are subject to crosslinguistic interactions in early biliterates, leading to advantages associated with learning to read in an opaque orthography. However, little is known about potential VAS bootstrapping effects in late biliterates. This study investigates potential VAS modulation in late biliterates with and without dyslexia. Participants were first language (L1) Italian native speakers (transparent orthography) learning English as a second language (L2). Our results show that the VAS capacity of typical readers is modulated by English orthographic knowledge, providing the first evidence that experience with a nonnative orthography boosts VAS skills also in late biliterates. This effect was reduced in dyslexic learners, possibly due to a VAS deficit.

Why Some Arab Parents Speak to Their Children at Home in English (L2)

This study sought to find out why Arab parents speak to their children at home in English (L2), the effects of this on Arabic (L1) acquisition, and misconceptions about L1 and L2 acquisition. Results of surveys with 150 parents showed academic, pragmatic, sociolinguist, and psychological reasons such as making it easy for children to master English, to help them practice it, learn new vocabulary and pronounce words correctly. Their children go to an international school and are more fluent in English than Arabic. Some were born in an English-speaking country. Many consider English more important than Arabic for future college study and future jobs. English is a global language, and it is useful and needed everywhere. Children need it to communicate with the foreign housemaid and other English-speaking foreigners in the community. All parents believe that speaking English is prestigious, a sign of high class and like to brag about it. Some suffered because they did not speak English well when they were young and do not want their children to suffer as they did. This status quo created a gap between children’s knowledge of English and Arabic. Some children do not speak L1 at all, respond in English to questions and conversations in Arabic, have difficulty reading the Quran and communicate with grandparents and relatives. Results revealed misconceptions about L1 and L2 acquisition and that learning English at an early age has no negative effects on Arabic and has positive effects on academic achievement. Results are discussed in the light of L1 and L2 acquisition research, the optimal age for learning L2, the effect of learning English on children's L1 language skills and academic achievement and factors that lead to successful L1 and L2 language learning.

Interactive virtual reality environments for English language learning: Immersive technologies to enhance language acquisition and communication skills

Interactive virtual reality (VR) atmospheres are progressively being implemented in language learning to their immersive capacity, making language acquisition much more attractive and productive. Combining immersive knowledge with English language knowledge intends to improve acquisition and speaking abilities by presenting dynamic and interactive situations for learners. This investigation suggests a machine learning (ML) technique named Redefined Harries Hawks optimized Intelligent Support Vector Machine (RHH-ISVM), listening to improve English language learning in a VR atmosphere. A data collection comprising student connections with the VR learning surroundings was focused on communication patterns, language difficulty, and learning development. Noise filtering and the Min-Max normalization approach were applied to the dataset to make certain the quality of the data was preserved. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is being employed to extract meaningful features, such as communication fluency, vocabulary usage, and appropriate consideration, from the data collection. The suggested construction is by collecting user data during communications in VR surroundings. The RHH-ISVM technique researches these features to support an adaptive learning process. VR environments are leveraged to enhance immersive language acquisition and speaking abilities with personalized feedback and tailored content. RHH-ISVM uses an optimized RHH algorithm fused with ISVM to efficiently categorize and assess learner ability. The proposed technique had the greatest performance accuracy (98.56%), VR score (97.69%), training gain (98.49%), and detection scores (89.74%). The suggested approach dispatches promising consequences, with enhanced learner outcomes in language acquisition and English-speaking ability. This approach demonstrates how immersive VR technologies combined with an intelligent ML model can effectively support language learning by providing personalized and engaging experiences.

Black Marxism and the English working class

This article engages with the theoretical contributions of Cedric Robinson’s book Black Marxism by arguing that racialised differentiation played an important role in capitalism’s emergence in England. Drawing on the methodologies of critical historiography used by Robinson in Black Marxism, the author discusses how the medieval social order in England was marked by both colonialism and racialism, and the dynamics of these fundamentally influenced the development of agrarian capitalism. She argues that in the context of developments in English historical knowledge since Black Marxism was published, fresh applications of Robinson’s theoretical and methodological approach to English historiography give important new insights into the emergence of capitalist social relations. For, as Robinson points out, the destruction of the past and the rewriting of history is a fundamental part of the creation of the other, and the endeavour of racial capitalism. Rescuing history from national myth is an important political and emancipatory act, which Robinson’s approach empowers us to undertake.

Exploring Potential Factors Affecting Reading Comprehension in EAL Learners: A Preliminary Corpus-Based Analysis

This article presents a study examining the vocabulary knowledge of English as an additional language (EAL) learners in two international schools in Japan in relation to the vocabulary profiles of the textbooks they are required to use in the classrooms. The vocabulary knowledge of 139 participants from two international schools was assessed using either the New Vocabulary Levels Test (NVLT) or the Updated Vocabulary Levels Test (UVLT). These results were compared to a 15 million-word corpus compiled from representative subject-specific textbooks to estimate the vocabulary coverage participants are likely to achieve. The findings revealed that EAL learners consistently scored lower than a combined group of their first-language English (FLE) and proficient L2 (PL2) peers, with fewer than 25% of EAL learners mastering the AWL before Grade 12. Furthermore, even the most frequent 5000-word bands provided only 91–93% coverage for subjects like biology and chemistry, leaving many EAL learners struggling to comprehend these texts. This analysis highlights the potential difficulties EAL learners may face in understanding the textbooks that are being used in EAL classrooms, underscoring the need for better vocabulary scaffolding and support for such learners in the international school context.

Individual differences modulate prediction of Italian words based on lexical stress: a close replication and LASSO extension of Sulpizio and McQueen (2012)

Abstract This study closely replicates and extends Sulpizio and McQueen (2012)’s Experiment 1, which examined how acoustic information and abstract knowledge about lexical stress are used during Italian spoken word recognition. This visual world paradigm study simultaneously presented trisyllabic Italian words visually and auditorily. The target and competitor overlapped segmentally during the first two syllables but differed in penultimate or antepenultimate stress. We replicate the original in-person eye-tracking study by using webcams to test a larger and more diverse sample (N = 47). Our findings corroborate the original study by demonstrating listeners use stress information as early as the first syllable to recognize spoken words. We found that first syllable spectral tilt and F0 information are predictive of eye-movements to antepenultimate stressed targets. We did not find overall evidence of listeners using abstract knowledge to recognize penultimate stressed words. We further extended the original study by testing participants’ individual differences in auditory sensitivity to pitch, duration, risetime, and formants, along with their working memory, lexical proficiency in English and Italian, and autism spectrum quotient. Our exploratory results showed that individuals vary in their reliance on cues and the timing of cue integration, that stress cues are integrated for recognition of both penultimate and antepenultimate stressed words, and that L1 Italian and L2 English lexical knowledge can affect eye-movements.

Saudi Students’ Perceptions of the Influence of Social Media New Vocabulary on English Language Proficiency

This study explores the Saudi students' perspectives regarding the influence of social media on their understanding and use of English vocabulary. As social media platforms have become integral to communication, they introduce a dynamic lexicon that often diverges from traditional language norms. Through qualitative interviews and surveys, the research examines how students perceive the Impact of the New Vocabulary of social media on their Knowledge of English. It focuses on three key areas: the extent of students' exposure to social media vocabulary, its impact on their comprehension and application of standard English, and their views on the benefits and drawbacks of integrating social media language into their learning process. The findings indicate that social media significantly impacts vocabulary acquisition among Saudi students, offering both opportunities and challenges. While social media provides exposure to contemporary language and cultural expressions, it also presents challenges related to the informal nature of its vocabulary. Understanding Saudi students' perspectives on this influence can inform educational practices and support more effective language learning strategies. This study contributes to the broader discourse on language acquisition in the digital age, highlighting the need for educational strategies that bridge traditional language instruction with contemporary communication trends.

An evaluation of English Medium Instruction on content learning and language knowledge and recommendations for practice

Driven by the perception that English Medium Instruction can lead to gains in both content learning and English language knowledge, the number of EMI courses in institutions worldwide has proliferated in recent years. However, an examination of research on EMI shows that outcomes in both these areas are unclear, due to methodological errors or studies that neglect individual learner differences. Recommendations at both practitioner and institutional level, such as specialised pre-sessional courses for EMI students and EMI teacher training, are given to ensure that students can achieve in both subject knowledge and English language ability.

Situational Teaching of College English from the Perspective of Constructivism

From the perspective of constructivism, the concept of situational teaching of College English has changed significantly. It emphasizes student-centered and guides students to use the accumulated knowledge to actively construct an understanding of English knowledge. Teachers create teaching situations that are consistent with the actual situation by combining online and offline methods, such as simulating workplace exchanges and foreign tourism scenes, to stimulate students’ interest and participation in learning. Situational teaching mode can better stimulate students’ interest in learning, improve students’ autonomous learning ability, students’ autonomous exploration, cooperation, and communication in the situation, improve their language useability and communicative ability, help to cultivate their innovative thinking, and create a good atmosphere for better mastering college English knowledge and skills.

Need Analysis Of English for Specific Purpose (ESP) for Nursing Students at Stikes Eka Harap Palangka Raya

This research aims to describe the English language needs of Nursing students at STIKES Eka Harap Palangka Raya. Needs analysis in English language teaching and learning focuses on targets and learning needs. To teach and learn nursing English, it is very important to be aware of the needs of the students, their background knowledge of English, especially in the context of nursing and the demands of the target where students will work professionally as nurses. ESP is an English language teaching approach with a focus on the needs of English language learners. With ESP, learning and teaching English is expected to facilitate students to be more focused and easier to communicate in the field of they are studying. The data collection techniques used were questionnaires for 42 students, and direct interviews with English lecturer and Nursing lecturer. The analysis results of English language needs for nursing students: The importance of learning English to improve and do communication that can be applied in conversation or practice contexts. English material related to English terms relevant to the field of nursing was the learning target. Other materials that were applicable in improving listening and speaking skills were also learning priorities. Various learning methods of teaching English for nursing students were options that must be designed by the lecturer. It was hoped that the research results would become a reference for the syllabus design and development, especially for English courses.

The Research on Strategies of Cultivating Senior High School English Autonomous Reading Ability from the Perspective of Key Competence

In the context of core literacy teaching, high school is a critical period for students’ learning and development. While teaching students English knowledge, English teachers in high schools should pay more attention to the cultivation of their autonomous learning ability. English reading is an important part of English teaching in senior high school, and English teachers need to cultivate students’ good autonomous reading ability in teaching. Therefore, to effectively develop and improve students’ autonomous reading ability and encourage them to form a good reading habit in the process of learning, English teachers in senior high schools should change their traditional educational ideas in time, and constantly seek more scientific, reasonable, and interesting teaching methods in the process of teaching, to stimulate students’ reading interest, improve their English reading ability and effectively improve their English comprehensive literacy ability. Based on this purpose, this paper briefly analyzes the effective ways to cultivate English autonomous reading ability in senior high schools in literacy idea.

Identifying English Language Needs of Yemeni Medical Students: An ESP Study at Dhamar University

The present study aims to find out the English language needs of the medical, undergraduate students at Dhamar University from an ESP perspective. More specifically, it seeks to address the following questions: what are the English language needs of the medicines students at Faculty of Medicines, Dhamar University in Yemen?; to what extend do the current ESP courses meet the students' actual needs in the Faculty of Medicine, Dhamar University?; what are the most important recommendations to address the medical students needs in the Faculty of Medicine, Dhamar University?; and what do the medicines students think about the actual needs of medical students in the Faculty of Medicine, Dhamar University? The total number of 48 medicine students participated in the study to answer the prepared questionnaire. The population of the questionnaire is the selected students from the fourth and fifth academic years. The questionnaire data were analyzed quantitively and designed to comprehend the ESP context. The research work investigates the English-related problems the students face while they are studying medicines and, thus, presents solutions and recommendations to overcome such obstacles, bridging the gap between the students' low level of English and the required level at the university where English is used as the language of instruction. The main findings show that the special needs of the medical students such as their limited narrow knowledge of English at Dhamar University are taken into account. The research work shows that the medical students in Dhamar university have low level of English proficiency. Their low, limited knowledge of the English language constitutes an obstacle most students face either in their study or in their occupational careers. The need analysis was figured out to show that all skills and sub-skills are important for the students’ academic studies and target career with special attention to scientific terms and reading aspects. This research study, based on its findings, ends with some recommendations and suggestions to the people concerned of teaching and learning English to the medical students at Dhamar University. It is generally recommended that there is a need to increase the class hours, provide technological equipment, and appoint ESP trained instructors for the efficient teaching of medical English.

Stand-up comedy in Finland: the local Adaptation of a global genre

This paper presents an anthropological study of stand-up comedy in Finland as a particular case in the global spread of stand-up to ask, how is the genre adapted to local contexts? In recent decades not only the consumption but also the performance of stand-up comedy has become a global phenomenon; numerous countries have local comedy scenes and stand-up is performed in various languages and different cultural contexts. Based on archival sources and original ethnographic research I discuss the 30-year history of stand-up in Finland and how widespread knowledge of English and consumption of international media have contributed to its development. Stand-up in Finland is performed in Finnish and Swedish, as well as English, which has become the lingua franca for many comedians when performing abroad or to international audiences. I also look at the particularities of language and culture that have both challenged and enabled embracing stand-up in a nation known for its reticence.

The Idiomatic Translation of Lugwere Proverbs into English

This study sought to explore the idiomatic translation of Lugwere proverbs into English. Twenty-six Lugwere proverbs were identified from Lugwere written literature. The objective of this study, was to examine the idiomaticity of translating these proverbs into English. The study was guided by the Skopos theory of translation, cultural theory and the interpretive theory. The latter mainly informed the study explaining the representation of the source text (ST) messages in a target text (TT) with a real sense and meaning. Although this study is a qualitative one, some quantitative analysis of the information was essential to make sense of incidences of happenings of certain kinds of data. Within theme, certain references occurred oddly often, so that a “quantity” of such features in the data could be used to supplement the qualitative descriptions. Thus a more concrete understanding of the information than otherwise could be created, portraying trends and delivering a more reliable interpretation of the data. Questionnaires highlighting specific Lugwere proverbs were administered to three community translators/interpreters with good knowledge of Lugwere and English. Accordingly, the study, indicate that the translation of Lugwere proverbs into English took different dimensions. Whereas there are points to observe in the translations, the purpose of this specific paper was to examine the idiomaticity of the translated Lugwere proverbs into English. The study recommends that researchers ought to start publishing Lugwere proverbs and their translated versions in order to enhance communication between the Lugwere and non - Lugwere speakers

English Language Students’ Familiarity on English Slang Words

This study examines the extent of English slang knowledge among students enrolled in English language programs and their perceptions of using films as a tool for enhancing their understanding of slang. A total of 98 participants were surveyed, comprising 58 students from the Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies (AB-ELS) program and 40 from the Bachelor of Science in Education Major in English (BSE-English) program. The results indicate that students from the AB-ELS program achieved a familiarity rate of 93% with English academic slang, while those from the BSE-English program reached a perfect score of 100%. This outcome suggests a strong overall understanding of common academic slang among participants, though familiarity with specific slang terms ranged from moderate to low, depending on the vocabulary presented. The study also highlights the positive role of films in facilitating slang acquisition. Most participants agreed that regular exposure to movies has significantly contributed to their understanding and retention of slang vocabulary. This result underscores the importance of contextual and visual media in language learning. Furthermore, the analysis reveals a strong correlation between the respondents’ demographic profiles and their knowledge of English slang. However, no significant relationship was found between their demographic characteristics and their views on using films to improve slang knowledge. These results have meaningful implications for teaching practices and curriculum design. Both groups’ strong familiarity with slang suggests the potential of integrating slang-oriented lessons and materials into language programs. Additionally, the positive reception of films as a learning tool supports the use of multimedia resources to foster language acquisition. Educators may enhance students’ engagement and proficiency in modern English usage by incorporating film-based activities and assessments.

Teachers’ Scholastic Achievement Test and Students’ National Achievement Test in English: Basis for Proficiency Training Design

This study investigates the relationship between the English content knowledge of secondary school teachers and the National Achievement Test (NAT) performance of Grade 10 students in Northern Mindanao, Philippines. Specifically, the study aims to identify how teachers’ Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT) results influence students’ NAT scores, assess teacher profiles, and determine the need for a tailored English proficiency training program. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, quantitative data were gathered through standardized SAT and NAT results, and qualitative insights were obtained from in-depth interviews with high-performing and low-performing teachers. Findings revealed that teachers exhibited an average mastery of English, with a mean SAT score of 41.34%. Similarly, students achieved an average mastery level in the NAT, with Region 10 surpassing the national average by 1.06%. Statistical analysis indicated a significant relationship between teachers’ SAT performance and students’ NAT outcomes (t = 2.45, p = 0.016), underscoring the impact of teacher proficiency on student achievement. Furthermore, qualitative responses highlighted teacher training gaps, particularly in applying Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) strategies and alignment of classroom assessments with NAT standards. The study concludes that while teachers’ content knowledge significantly influences student performance, other factors such as student engagement, teaching methodologies, and school support also play crucial roles. Based on these findings, the study proposes an eight-day English proficiency training program to enhance teachers’ critical reading and writing competencies and pedagogical strategies aligned with the NAT framework.