Lack Of English Proficiency Research Articles

Co-journeying with ChatGPT in tertiary education: identity transformation of EMI teachers in Taiwan

ABSTRACT This paper responds to the prevalent discourse on the ‘lack of English proficiency’ among EMI teachers in contexts where English is used as an additional language. It explores how AI-powered tools, particularly ChatGPT, enable EMI teachers in Taiwan to leverage their expertise and teach in English with more confidence. This study first describes the training of an EMI PD programme. Then it reports on the challenges and strategies, and the extended and innovative use by EMI teachers after the training. By reporting on the experiences of three EMI teachers, this study shows how collaborating with ChatGPT contributes to developing an empowered EMI teacher identity. This study fills a research gap, shedding light on the transformative potential of collaborating with ChatGPT to transform content teachers’ identities into an EMI teacher identity.

‘If I Knew How to Speak English…’: How language shapes refugee mothers’ perceptions of past, present, and future in Canada

Abstract What role does language learning play in refugees’ memory-construction on the one hand, and imagining of the future self on the other? Using a temporal perspective on migration, I extend scholarship examining the role of language in the space-time continuum of resettlement. With three waves of semi-structured interviews with twenty Syrian refugee mothers (N = 60) who have recently arrived in Canada, this article examines how their experiences with time and future projections are influenced by their experiences of language learning in the host country. First, mothers’ lack of English proficiency and struggle to learn leads to a sense of nostalgia towards the past, where their proficiency in Arabic is associated with past feelings of comfort, security, and mastery. In addition, mothers find themselves ‘stuck’ in the present, where multiple structural barriers (e.g., absence of extended kin; limited government support) and individual challenges (e.g., health issues; having children with disability) significantly slow down their language acquisition process and prevent them from achieving other goals. This leads to a clear conflict between government expectations for the long-term future and the mothers’ immediate priorities. Finally, despite those government temporal expectations building on newcomers’ language acquisition, mothers do not want to envision the future due to past experiences of uncertainty, belief in divine control, and a foreclosure of the future. This article demonstrates the ways in which language, space, and time co-construct notions of the future, and a sense of potential ‘stuckness,’ well beyond the temporal limits of intensive state intervention in refugee lives.

Two-Case Study of Rural Migrant TVET Female Students in Western China: Aspirations of Learning English

This study is an investigation of the English language learning aspirations and deprivations of female rural migrant youth in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) schools in two locales in western China. This study adopted basic interpretive research focused on individual voices and experiences. The capability approach provided the conceptual framework. Participants in this research primarily aspired to learn English for instrumental purposes: to pass exams, earn higher degrees, find better jobs in cities, and support their children in learning English. A lack of English proficiency, economic situation, and living environment greatly limited their aspirations. Participants showed a spectrum of levels of aspirations of English learning. For participants with low levels of English proficiency, their English could neither support their educational and employment goals nor inspire them for greater future plans. Participants from the TVET–university joint program formulated a stronger and wider range of aspirations when compared to those encapsulated in secondary TVET. Recommendations include increasing opportunities for exposure to English, reforming exam-oriented English learning, enriching the prevailing culture of learning and the perceived value and social uses of English, increasing TVET school and university cooperation, and adapting the TVET English curriculum to economic imperatives.

Patient Satisfaction With Telemedicine Among Vulnerable Populations in an Urban Ambulatory Setting

ObjectiveTo compare patient satisfaction between telemedicine and in-person visits for historically vulnerable groups at risk of worse experiences with telemedicine. Patients and MethodsIndividuals seen at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Department of Medicine ambulatory practices from April 23, 2020, to March 7, 2023, who completed a post-video or in-person appointment survey. Primary outcomes were: satisfaction with ability to get appointments, quality of time with doctor, explanations from care team, and likelihood to recommend practice. Patients were subdivided by age, gender, English proficiency, and clinician type. ResultsAmong 8948 in-person and 1101 telemedicine visits, telemedicine scored lower in how the clinical team explained care to patients in the first year, but differences diminished thereafter. Within subgroups, those who were older than 65 years, non-English speakers, and seen by a faculty physician had a lower satisfaction with telemedicine that improved after the first year. Lack of English proficiency was a predictor of lower satisfaction in both types of visits, whereas older age and faculty physician were predictors of higher in-person visit satisfaction, and medicine subspecialties were linked to better telehealth visit satisfaction. ConclusionThese findings suggest improved patient satisfaction with time after the initial COVID-19 expansion, both broadly and within subgroups, but overall differences between in-person and telehealth visits do not appear to be clinically significant. There appear to be differences among certain populations that warrant further study and may require targeted intervention to maintain quality of care.

Parental involvement in English as foreign language learners’ education: Challenges and solutions in a post-pandemic era

The role played by English language young learners’ parents in enhancing literacy skills has become central since the outbreak of COVID-19 which imposed the online mode of education. This increase in the magnitude of the parents’ involvement in their children's education has called for the exploration of the new role mandated on the parents to take the lead in their children's learning of English. The current study seeks to investigate the challenges, solutions and recommendations as seen through the lens of 28 parents of elementary school children in the UAE who reflected on their role in improving their children's performance in the English language subject during and after the pandemic. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews that consisted of three main questions on the parents’ challenges, solutions and suggestions regarding their involvement. The study adopted a mixed method approach that incorporated Grounded Theory Approach for the qualitative data, and descriptive statistics for the quantitative data. Findings show that most parents indicated that the most significant challenges they had were their lack of English proficiency and their children's lack of motivation. The strategies that were implemented by the parents were mainly using audio-visual resources and hiring tutors. On the other hand, they suggested that teachers and schools should provide support for the children and the parents. The implications of the study are significant for language educators, policymakers, and parents. For example, the findings of the study show that there should be a division of labour between schools, teachers and parents by having schools provide training for the parents, and effectively communicate with them. Curriculum developers should design content that targets the children's independent learning.

Factors in Immigrant Children's Use of Physician and Dentist Visits, Hospital Care, and Prescribed Medication in the United States.

Applying the behavioral model of health services utilization to data from the United States, this study examined immigrant children's use of physician and dentist visits, hospital care, and prescribed medication. We employed data describing 9759 immigrant parents and children who participated in 2021's National Survey of Children's Health. Logistic regression results negatively linked physician visits to child health, child age, Asian children, fathers, lower parent education, lower family income, uninsured children, and parent's U.S. residence under 5 years. Dentist visits were positively associated with child age, girls, Hispanic children, parent education, family income, public/private health insurance coverage, and U.S.-born children, but such use was associated negatively with Asian children. Hospital use was positively associated with poor child health, Black children, children of "other" race/ethnicity, younger parent age, enrolled in health insurance, and parent's U.S. residence under 5 years. The use of prescribed medication was negatively associated with Asian children, younger child age, lower parent education, uninsured child, and lack of English proficiency. The paper's conclusion suggests policymakers expand Medicaid and CHIP eligibility among immigrant children and suggests community education to foster awareness of children's physical and oral health needs and of Medicaid, CHIP, and prescription assistance programs. The conclusion calls for healthcare providers and social workers to accommodate and respect immigrants' traditional health-related beliefs, showing cultural competence.

Predictors of Success in the National Physical Therapy Examination for Hispanic Doctor of Physical Therapy Students.

Hispanic/Latino students often underachieve in higher education programs in the health professions and have shown lower first-time pass rates on the National Physical Therapy Examination than their White peers. A plausible explanation for this difference is the lack of English proficiency. The purpose of this study was to determine predictive academic variables for passing licensure examination on the first attempt for Hispanic/Latino Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students. Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the factors that predict success on the National Physical Therapy Examination; however, there is a scarcity of literature on the predictors of success for Hispanic/Latino DPT students, particularly on the influence of English proficiency. A nonprobability convenience sample of 67 Hispanic students from a single DPT program was used. A retrospective, predictive, correlational study was conducted. Data collection was performed by secondary analysis of student academic profiles. Predictor variables included proficiency in the English language; undergraduate grade point average; verbal, quantitative, and written skills; and first-year and third-year grade point average while enrolled in the physical therapist education program. The first-time pass rate was 59.7% (n = 40). Results showed that students who passed and those who did not pass on their first attempt differed in first-year and third-year program grade point average with large effect sizes of d = 1.13 and d = 1.48, respectively; however, third-year grade point average was the only significant independent predictor of success. English proficiency and preadmission variables did not predict first-time success. The results suggest first-year and third-year grade point average may be used to identify at-risk students. Use of these variables is encouraged to monitor the progression of students. The study highlighted the need to identify additional predictors of performance.

Deciphering Descriptive Text Challenges: Seventh-Grade Students' Writing Difficulties

This qualitative descriptive research explores the challenges faced by seventh-grade students in writing descriptive text and identifies their underlying causes. The study, conducted at SMP PGRI 16 Sidoarjo, employed students' writing exercises and interviews with an English teacher and first-grade students as data instruments. The analysis revealed three key areas of difficulty: generic structure, grammar (including the use of nouns, pronouns, conjunctions, prepositions, and simple present tense), and spelling. The identified causes encompassed inadequate English proficiency, insufficient knowledge of descriptive text material, disinterest in learning English, as well as internal and external factors such as family background and students' skills and capabilities. The findings shed light on the specific areas of difficulty and their root causes, providing valuable insights for educators and curriculum developers aiming to enhance students' proficiency in writing descriptive text.
 Highlights:
 
 Students' difficulties in writing descriptive text: The study identifies challenges in the generic structure, grammar, and spelling faced by seventh-grade students.
 Causes of difficulties: The research uncovers factors such as English proficiency, knowledge gaps in descriptive text material, lack of interest in learning English, and internal/external influences.
 Implications for educators: The findings offer insights to enhance instructional approaches and curriculum development for improving students' proficiency in descriptive text writing.
 
 Keywords: descriptive text, seventh-grade students, difficulties, causes, qualitative research.

Revisiting Pre-Service Education for Secondary EFL Teachers in Indonesia

In recent decades, English has gained prominence in Indonesia. However, due to instructors' lack of English proficiency, English instruction at the secondary level shows a significant failure. Today, amid the COVID-19 epidemic, which has pushed remote education, the challenge of teaching English as a foreign language in Indonesian secondary schools becomes more severe. Due to in-service teachers' lack of English proficiency and ICT abilities, future Indonesian English teachers' pre-service education at the secondary level should be revisited. This qualitative study investigates the extent to which teacher education programs (PPG) equip prospective EFL instructors to use Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) in their classroom instruction. It also explores the viewpoints of pre-service EFL teachers (student teachers) and teacher educators on EFL pre-service teacher education programs at several Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) in West Java, Indonesia. Results of surveys and semi-structured interviews as the primary data sources underline the importance of preparing future English teachers by utilising TPACK and providing teacher educators with all the skills and materials required to train their students properly. A key finding of this study is the insufficient English competencies of teacher educators and pre-service teachers. This research is vital for improving English teacher education in Indonesia.

‘The Genome Is the Brain of the Cell!’ How Japanese English Learners Mediate Understanding of Academic Content through Metaphor

ABSTRACT This study investigates metaphor in its role to mediate concepts in academic textbooks and promote content understanding in the English-medium instruction (EMI) context. Of particular interest is how the language of the discourse affected and possibly hindered metaphor comprehension. Drawing on the theoretical insights found in sociocultural theory and cognitive linguistics, a stance was assumed in which language is treated as embodied and contextual, and verbalizing thoughts (languaging) assists understanding. Three pairs of Japanese students with varying English proficiency levels were invited to participate in online group-based think-aloud protocols where they read and discussed selected paragraphs taken from two social and two natural science textbooks written in English. After accessing the participants’ general knowledge about the main topic of each paragraph, content understanding was accounted for in form of prompts during the think-aloud sessions and a 3-week delayed posttest. In total, over 8 hours of video data were collected, transcribed, and treated with the metaphor identification procedure MIPVU. Qualitative inspections of charged moments in discourse pinpoint metaphor as an important tool for compressing abstract entities or processes into meaningful, dense bundles of information. Participants also created their own analogies and expanded on found metaphoric expressions in textbooks when attempting to make sense of abstract phenomena in science. Further, this study confirms that the lack of English proficiency or schematic knowledge can result in non-understanding, misunderstanding, or partial understanding of metaphoric expressions which has implications for the EMI context.

Determinants that hinder the practice of teaching-learning English speaking skills in group work: Althawra secondary school for Boys babel, Iraq in focus

The main objective of this study was to identify variables that affect how well AlThawra Secondary School pupils in Babel, Iraq's grade twelve students practice speaking in groups. This study employed a descriptive survey design that combined quantitative and qualitative techniques. The formula developed by Taro Yemane (1967) was used to determine the sample size. Using a straightforward random sampling selection strategy, 274 students and five teachers were chosen based on the available sample method. Other statistical analyses, such as frequency and percentage, were produced from the data by entering the survey data into SPSS. The results of the statistical study are presented in the tables. The interview data was also transcribed and organized.”Personal traits like low self-esteem, language anxiety, a lack of proficiency in English, and culture are some of the obstacles to productive speaking practice in group work, according to the findings. The results also showed that teachers' failure to fulfill their duties and situational elements such group size, composition, cohesiveness, speaking assignments' quality, seating arrangements, are all obstacles to effective speaking practice in group work. The results show that teachers' divergence from their duties and students' personal and contextual characteristics are some of the factors that affect effective speaking practice during group work. Because of this, course designers, especially English teachers, should take these factors into account and do all possible to ease students' concerns during group discussions in English classes.

Patient-reported experiences in primary health care access of Nepalese immigrant women in Canada

Purpose Canada has a globally recognized universal health-care system. However, immigrants experience a number of obstacles in obtaining primary health care (PHC) that may differ within various communities due to the intersection of culture, gender and other identities. To date, no research has been done on the difficulties Nepalese immigrant women in Canada may face accessing PHC. The purpose of this study was to learn about their perceptions of barriers to PHC access and to share the findings with a wide range of stakeholders, including health-care providers and policymakers. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a community-engaged qualitative study in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. A total of six focus group discussions (FGD) among 34 participants (each FGD consisted of 5–7 participants) were conducted. The authors collected demographic information before each focus group. The FGDs were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcriptions were coded and analysed thematically. Findings The focus groups identified long wait times as a major barrier to receiving PHC services. Long wait times in emergency rooms, unable to see family doctors when they were sick, tedious referral procedures, long waits at the clinic even after scheduling an appointment, family responsibilities and work all impacted their access to PHC. Further, a lack of proficiency in English was another significant barrier that impeded effective communication between physicians and immigrant women patients, thus compromising the quality of care. Other barriers mentioned included lack of access to medical records for walk-in doctors, insufficient lab/diagnostic services, a lack of urgent care services and unfamiliarity with the Canadian health-care system. Originality/value Accessible PHC is essential for the health of immigrant populations in Canada. This study recognizes the extent of the barriers among a relatively less studied immigrant population group, Nepalese immigrant women, which will help effectively shape public policy and improve access to PHC for the versatile immigrant population fabric in Canada.

Ensuring quality of offshore programmes: views and expectations of key stakeholders in Oman

Developing offshore programmes provided by private higher education institutions through affiliation agreements with international university partners is a key strategy to assure the quality of programmes in the Sultanate of Oman. However, there is limited research on these programmes from the perspectives of Ministry of Higher Education officials, managers, academics and students of private higher education institutions. This study uses gap analysis to explore these key stakeholders’ expectations and perceptions of the quality of offshore programmes in Oman. It reveals that dependence on International University Partners to monitor their offshore programmes compromises quality because local academics have limited involvement in developing programmes and students get limited feedback on their coursework. Students’ lack of English proficiency also makes them struggle with offshore programme requirements. Key stakeholders argue for embedding Omani cultural values in the offshore programmes without compromising their academic qualification credentials and enhancing students’ learning experience to become global citizens.

The Effectiveness of CLIL-based Global Telecollaborative Learning on Upper Elementary School Students’ Key Competencies

With the emphasis on four key competencies specified in 2015 Revised English Curriculum, the study was implemented to investigate how CLIL(Content-Language Integrated Learning)-based global telecollabo- rative learning(GTL) influnenced on developing Korean upper elementary school students’ four key competencies, communication competency in English, self- managementcompetency,civiccompetency,andknowledge-informationprocess competency. To achieve the study’s purpose, the mixed method including students’ self-assessment, teachers’ evaluation, and interviews with students and teachers was employed in the study. First, the statistical analysis was done with the survey responses from 250 upper elementary school students’ self assessment and those from their six English teachers’ evaluation of their students. A qualitative analysis of interview with 53 students and the six teachers was also used in examining the effects of CLIL-based GTL. The study found that CLIL- based GTL influenced on promoting upper elementary school students’ compe- tencies of the self–management, the civic, and the knowledge-information process. Both the students and the teachers considered the experiences of communication with their partners in English to be pleasant and exciting. However, they also felt some challenges caused by technical issues and lack of English proficiency.

Barriers to Evidence‐Based Colorectal Cancer Care in Ukraine

The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is increasing in many low- to middle-income countries, including Ukraine. Ukraine reports high mortality rates in CRC patients. To identify potential areas for targeted interventions to improve CRC care in Ukraine, we investigated Ukrainian clinician perspectives on evidence-based CRC treatment guidelines. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods study design was used. A survey was administered to attendees of a regional surgical conference. Semi-structured interviews were subsequently performed with practicing clinicians in Ukraine. Interviews were coded to identify prominent themes. Quantitative: 105 clinicians completed the survey. 76% of respondents reported using guidelines in daily practice. Lack of English proficiency was cited by 28.6% of respondents as a barrier to guideline use. Improved knowledge and additional financial resources were reported as factors that would be helpful in providing evidence-based care. 15 clinicians were interviewed. Two major themes were identified: limitations in access to the medical literature resources (language barriers and financial barriers), and sense of clinician initiative and willingness to learn despite hardships. Clinicians in Ukraine have positive perspectives on utilization of evidence-based CRC treatment guidelines. However, they face major barriers in accessing resources needed to keep up-to-date on the current literature. Fortunately, there exists both willingness and initiative on the clinician level to pursue continuing education. Efforts should be made on the international society level to improve open-access and foreign language translation availability to support physicians in Ukraine and other low- to middle-income countries.

Language representation in the Spanish, Italian and French versions of Xiaolu Guo’s A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers: On the translation of ungrammatical idiolect and language-based jokes

AbstractXiaolu Guo’s A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers is a novel in which language has a special protagonism. The main character, Z, is a Chinese girl who goes to London to improve her basic English. Her idiolect is thus characterised by a great quantity of linguistic errors of different types. This lack of proficiency in English makes cross-cultural communication really difficult. Therefore, language becomes in this novel not only a characterisation tool, but also an essential aspect of the plot. Moreover, it is also a paramount source of humour, since there is plenty of jokes based, for instance, on puns, many of which derive from Z’s lack of linguistic competence. The main objective of this paper is to analyse language representation in the source text as well as in the Spanish, Italian and French versions of the novel from the perspective of relevance theory. Out of the three versions, the Spanish one reflects the highest interpretive resemblance in this regard, whereas the Italian one occupies the opposite pole of the scale. With regard to the translation of wordplay, the pragmatic scenario is normally maintained in the TT, although there are statistically significant differences between the three versions and across different types of puns.

Aligning perceptions with reality: Lebanese EMI instructor perceptions of students’ writing proficiency

With the rise of English as the language of global communication, English is increasingly being adopted as the Medium of Instruction (EMI) in countries where it is not the first language. When implementing EMI, a primary concern is students' lack of English proficiency and the impact this has on teaching content (Bradford, 2016; Hu & Lei, 2014; Kim, Kim & Kweon, 2018; Macaro et al., 2018). One country where EMI has been widely adopted across both secondary and higher education is Lebanon. While research has documented Lebanese EMI instructors' perceptions of their students' proficiency and their perceived role in the classroom, research into Lebanese EMI students' academic writing proficiency remains limited (Khachan & Bacha, 2012). The present study seeks to build on this research by examining the challenges Lebanese EMI students face when writing for academic purposes through an analyses of students' assignments in a discipline course and triangulating them with teachers' perceptions of students' writing challenges. This comparison revealed that the instructors' perceptions aligned with students' performance on two of the three perceived challenges noted in the interviews. These conclusions may serve to inform EMI policy and curriculum design by reconciling instructors' perceptions with the reality of their students’ linguistic proficiency and learning needs.

The Implementation of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in Teaching English

This research was aimed at finding out the way of the teacher in implementing of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in teaching English at class of SMPN 1 Enrekang, exploring the media, problems, and types of CLT activities that students prefer. The population of this research was the teachers and the students of SMPN 1 Enrekang. The sample was three teachers and two classes. In this research, the data were obtained through three kinds of instruments namely, observation checklist, interview, and questionnaire. The result showed the ways of teacher in implementing of CLT were the teachers used principles of CLT methodology stated by Richards (2006:13). Moreover, the researcher found two other ways. Firstly, the teacher always tried to use creative ways/activities in applying Richards’s principles of CLT methodology in order not only to motivate and interest but also to decrease the boredom of students in learning English. Secondly, the teacher showed her sympathy, sensitivity, and understanding to their students’ needs and problems. Generally the problems encountered by the teachers were the students rarely communicated with others using English in daily life so they are lack of English proficiency. The media used by teacher were authentic materials, non-authentic material, listening exercises, internet, and computer based program. The result of questionnaire calculation is about 49.71. This result is in like categories as stated in Liker scale. Based on the data, the top rank of CLT activities that students prefer was task completion activities (100% of students).

Education during Surgical Outreach Trips in Vietnam: A Qualitative Study of Surgeon Learners

We conducted semistructured interviews of 18 surgeon learners participating in a visiting educator trip to 2 hospitals in Thai Nguyen, Vietnam. Each interview was conducted in Vietnamese, translated into English, and transcribed. Narratives were content coded using thematic analyses. We identified 3 main themes. First, participants noted the value in surgical outreach and believed that these trips provided a thorough understanding of surgical care from patient evaluation to complications management. Second, participants described key barriers to education. Participants desired to focus on "learning one topic in depth" rather than learning in breadth. Furthermore, they described the paucity of translated resources, a lack of English proficiency, and rudimentary translator services. Finally, participants provided substantive guidance in improving surgical outreach education, specifically regarding the limited nature of current international partnerships to foster long-term, sustainable relationships. Although Vietnamese surgeon learners felt that visiting educator trips were beneficial, they recognized important areas for improvement. The language barrier was a major impediment to effective learning with materials and lectures commonly provided in English, highlighting the need for improved language concordance. Additionally, participants desired continued relationships with the visiting surgeons to build long-term collaboration.

‘English proficiency matters’: ESL learning as a vocational behavior among former korean college student-athletes on dropping out of athletic programs

ABSTRACT This study utilizes a critical phenomenological approach and adopts concepts of linguistic hegemony and linguistic capital, to explore the life course stages of former Korean college student-athletes who dropped out of athletic programs and who faced vocational challenge but obtained successful careers in their ideal career fields through improving their English proficiency. The three primary scholarly themes include: (a) typical English level and vocational challenges due to the lack of English proficiency; (b) the journey to gain English proficiency; and (c) English proficiency as a vehicle for entering desired career fields. Although this study identified the ways in which participants found avenues through gaining linguistic capital, linguistic hegemony is deeply ingrained into the Korean social structures and into their education systems, society, and culture. Therefore, this study critiques these ongoing structural problems to promote positive social change in the future.