Language Competence Research Articles

Overcoming the language barrier among students in the development of communicative competence in a foreign language

Importance. This study is devoted to the communicative aspect of learning foreign languages and one of the most acute problems on the way to mastering oral foreign language speech – language barriers. The relevance of this study lies in the fact that in recent decades communicative competence has often been displaced from foreign language classes in non-linguistic universities, even despite the current competence approach, giving way to grammar and vocabulary, as well as foreign language for specific purposes. As a result, students are experiencing more and more problems with oral communication, most of which are related to the language barrier. Despite many scientific papers on this topic, their authors touch upon the theoretical aspects of the problem and, as a rule, do not offer specific methods for developing communicative competence with overcoming the language barrier.Materials and Methods. The paper uses methods of analysis of both domestic and foreign studies, empirical methods of long-term observation, system analysis, survey and pedagogical experiment.Result and Discussion. The main difficulties faced by students in the development of communicative competence in learning a foreign language can be divided into three groups: linguistic, psychosocial and organizational. The proposed scheme for the development of communicative competencies "Presentation – Reproduction – (Semi)controlled tasks – Communication" allows to prevent the occurrence and overcome the language barrier among students at different stages of language learning.Conclusion. The principles underlying learning with overcoming the language barrier consist in the naturalness of communication within the framework of training sessions, the gradual complication and relevance for students of educational materials for the development of oral communication.

Formation of language competence of a child in many preschool and early school years

Artykuł określa podstawowe koncepcje rozwoju mowy dziecka. Analiza poszczególnych jego etapów połączona jest z przedstawieniem sposobów stymulowania poprzez działania rodziców, opiekunów, a następnie nauczycieli edukacji przedszkolnej i wczesnoszkolnej. Opanowanie przez dziecko elementów języka stanowi o jego kompetencjach komunikacyjnych, a tym samym o skuteczności porozumiewania się w sposób adekwatny do zastałych warunków czy określonej sytuacji. Nieodłącznym elementem nabywania kompetencji językowych przez dziecko jest więc nie tylko bierne słuchanie i powtarzanie zasłyszanych słów czy zwrotów, ale także umiejętne włączanie dziecka w tworzenie własnego języka, budowanie słownika poprzez poprawianie i wzmacnianie wypowiedzi. W artykule zwrócono również uwagę na konieczność stymulowania potrzeby mówienia dziecka, zwłaszcza w początkowej fazie kształcenia. Sposób i jakość przekazu informacji, kontaktu werbalnego z dzieckiem już od okresu prenatalnego ma dla jego rozwoju istotne znaczenie i może dać wymierne efekty w późniejszym czasie. Istotą artykułu jest przekazanie najważniejszych informacji związanych z kształtowaniem mowy u dzieci. Publikacja stanowi formę pomocy naukowej dla studentów pedagogiki oraz nauczycieli z zakresu edukacji przedszkolnej i wczesnoszkolnej. Zawarte w niej treści służą także edukowaniu przyszłych rodziców, których wiedza dotycząca tak zaawansowanego i złożonego procesu, jakim jest rozwój mowy, powinna odgrywać znaczącą rolę w procesie wychowania i kształcenia nowego pokolenia.

Enhancing media literacy skill building in pedagogical universities: Our view and experience

The article presents a review of the integration of media literacy content in foreign language courses at pedagogical higher education institutions. This study is aimed to share and present for academic discussion some of the authors’ perspectives that proved to be successful in mastering media literacy skills as well as in developing language competencies in EFL learners. A particular focus has been made on the methodological base, the principles and strategies of media literacy skill building as well as on the criteria for the selection of learning materials and techniques that ensure the effective implementation of media literacy programs into the existing syllabi. The use of contemporary teaching methods such as flipped classroom, problem-based learning, group projects, capitalizing on higher order thinking skills and interactive classroom activities is viewed as an integrated approach aimed to develop critical perception of media products alongside with a range of sociocultural and communicative competences in students of pedagogy. One of the main objectives of integrating media literacy content into a variety of tertiary courses is to enhance emotional resilience to manipulative influences of the media which is achieved through activating critical thinking skills referring to information flow as well as to students’ own media consumption habits. The pilot implementation being conducted in the terms of the international project “Learn to Discern”, preserved its original methodological constituents which included media literacy as such, information literacy, critical thinking, digital and visual literacy and fact checking skills. Acknowledgements The study is supported by the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), the Embassy of the United States of America and the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Ukraine, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Press Academy. Disclosure Statement The authors reported no potential conflicts of interest. * Corresponding author: Svitlana Buchatska, 0000-0001-6063-5858 sbuchatska@vspu.edu.ua

Developing Academic Language Competence of Chinese English Leaners: From the Perspective of Activity Theory

Developing Academic Language Competence of Chinese English Leaners: From the Perspective of Activity Theory

The Role of Authentic Materials in Building Foreign Language Competencies

The Role of Authentic Materials in Building Foreign Language Competencies

Sakha Language in a Northern Industrial Monotown: Linguistic Distribution in Speech Repertoire of Sakha People

This study explores the functioning of the Yakut language in the conditions of the northern industrial monotown Mirny (Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)). The study identifies the features of linguistic distribution in the speech repertoire of ethnic Sakha based on data from a sociolinguistic survey and interviews (n=279). Descriptive statistical methods and content analysis are employed. The results reveal an asymmetric nature of Yakut-Russian bilingualism with Russian language predominance in public communication. While Sakha individuals exhibit a high level of language competence in the Yakut language, its application is limited. In familial and friendly communication, the Yakut language maintains significant positions; however, its demand is minimal in the professional-business sphere, especially in industry. Among individuals with higher education, the percentage of Russian speakers at work reaches 68.34% compared to 55.77% among those with only secondary vocational education. Russian language dominates in management, service sectors, and law enforcement (75—100%). Only in fields such as healthcare, education, and culture does the Yakut language maintain strong positions. The native language is primarily perceived by Sakha as a symbolic marker of identity, yielding to Russian in social prestige and communicative power. The vitality prospects of the Yakut language in the city are assessed ambiguously and are linked to the effectiveness of language policy in key institutional contexts (education, media, government).

Identifying the language of global competence and global citizenship in the education policies of Punjab, Pakistan

In 2015, Pakistan committed to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4’s provision of quality education for all. Target 4.7 of this Goal acknowledges that delivering quality education means ensuring that students develop a set of attributes characterised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in terms of global citizenship, and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development using the nomenclature of global competence. There is ongoing debate regarding the agendas of the United Nations and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; however, from a pragmatic perspective, both are already influencing domestic education policies. This article explores the extent to which this is the case in Punjab, Pakistan. A deductive thematic analysis of relevant education policies was undertaken to identify language reflective of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Programme of International Student Assessment Global Competence Framework. The analysis, based on meta themes identified by Vaccari and Gardinier, revealed the inclusion of language from these international agendas, as well as the reflections of local culture. Although this research was specific to Punjab, the findings may provide insights into how countries are adopting and/or contextualising these international agendas.

Experienced Learners from Generation Z and the Traditional Vision of the Good Language Teacher: On The Issue of Teacher Authenticity

Different societies have their own perspectives on the definition of a good language teacher, as their members attach varying degrees of importance to the different skills and personal qualities required for effective teaching. While available studies have identified numerous desired language and pedagogical competencies among educators, the dynamic post-pandemic reality has brought increased attention to the importance of building and maintaining relationships with students. This process inevitably involves emotional engagement from both educators and students. Consequently, there is a growing call for both groups to accept their true selves and act authentically in their educational interactions. In response to the promotion of these values in education, this article aims to present the results of a study that sought to examine how experienced language students, representing Generation Z in Poland, define and evaluate authentic behaviours of their foreign language teachers. The participants of the study were asked to complete an online questionnaire containing both open and closed questions about their perceptions of their teachers’ authenticity. The thematic analysis of the qualitative data revealed a one-sided, unequivocally positive perception of authenticity, both in the general sense and in relation to the educational context. Numerous positive traits, such as sincerity, openness, sense of humour and didactic expertise were recognised as characteristics of authentic language teachers.

What is required to foster transformational inclusion in journal article publications?

Empirical studies show a clear geographical bias in journal publications that invisibilizes Africa. This primarily conceptual article – which adopts a philosophical analytical method – builds on these studies by drawing on two key sites of internal exclusion (language of competence and epistemological capture) in African scholarships to explain why such geographical bias is immoral. Furthermore, the article uses these concepts and integration – described as deliberative iterations – to articulate what concretely needs to happen and the specific actions to be taken to foster transformational inclusion in bioethics publications.

Implementation of Learn to Play Therapy for Children in Special Schools.

Play is the primary occupation in childhood and fundamental to occupational therapy practice. To evaluate a play intervention in special school settings. Pre- and postinvolvement of a 7-mo play program. Four special schools in Victoria, Australia, for children with IQs < 70. Thirty-eight children with diagnoses including intellectual disability, autism, and global developmental delay, 7 teachers, 2 speech pathologists, and 2 occupational therapists. Learn to Play Therapy for 1 hr per week over a 7-mo period. Pre-post outcome measures included children's pretend play skills, language, social skills, emotional regulation, and academic competence. Mean age of 38 children (15 girls and 23 boys) at baseline was 5 yr 7 mo (SD = 0.46 yr). Results showed significant changes in children's pretend play (p = .03), ability to recall sentences (p = .02), social skills (p = .022), and academic competence (p = .012). Learn to Play had a large effect on children's narrative skills (d = 2.72). At follow-up, object substitution at baseline influenced expressive language (p < .001), narrative mean language utterance (MLU; p = .015), social skills (p < .001), and academic competence (p < .001); elaborate play at baseline plus time influenced social skills (p < .001); and elaborate play at baseline influenced narrative MLU (p =. 016), sentence recall (p = .009), and academic competence (p = .001). Embedding pretend play within practice positively influenced children's language, narrative, social, and academic skills. Plain-Language Summary: This study adds to the limited research on play-based therapy programs in special school settings for children with an IQ of less than 70. Children participated in Learn to Play Therapy, during which an occupational therapist, who has observed and assessed the child's play and understands the child's play abilities, played beside the child. Learn to Play Therapy is a child-centered therapy that is used to increase a child's ability to self-initiate and enjoy pretend play. The positive impacts of supporting the children's pretend play ability were highlighted by increases in their pretend play, language, social skills, academic competence, and narrative language after participating in Learn to Play Therapy in their special schools.

Implementing Content-Based Instruction in Online ESP Course within the System of Professional Training of Future Officers

The article examines the capabilities of content-based instruction (CBI) within the system of professional training of future officers of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, specifically within the online English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course. The authors argue that nowadays, due to the quarantine restrictions and ongoing war initiated by Russia, it is crucial to enhance the border guards’ foreign language competence through a distance learning system. The study showed positive results in applying the CBI strategy to deliver an ESP course. This approach contributes immensely to developing context-appropriate language competence, boosts motivation-driven engagement, and increases retention and long-term academic success rates. The course content includes such topics as intercultural communication, illicit trafficking of radiological and nuclear materials, human trafficking, and fundamental rights. To deliver the content of the CBI course, the authors had to consider its online format and work out such learning activities as reading and listening to authentic job-related content, completing online interactive activities, and engaging in case-studying and problem-solving activities. The course results showed a considerable improvement in learners’ ability to effectively communicate in English within the professional border guard context, use the foreign language to build knowledge and skills around human values, recognise, analyse, and solve various border-related incidents involving topics covered in the course. The effectiveness of the online ESP course studied based on CBI has shown that implementing this approach in online education deserves recognition and acceptance.

The Outcomes of Competency-Based Program About Language for Communication for Early Primary School Students

This study aims to achieve three primary objectives: firstly, to develop a competency-based program tailored for communication purposes; secondly, to examine developmental strides in language proficiency for effective communication; and thirdly, to compare the language proficiency among early primary school students, both pre-and post-implementation of the program. The sample consisted of third-grade students from Anuban Chantarat School, Sahatsakhan District, Kalasin Province, Thailand, who were enrolled in the second semester of the academic year 2022. The total number of participants was 20 by cluster random sampling. The data collection instruments used in this study were: 1) a program usage manual, 2) a lesson plan, and 3) a language communication competence assessment test. Data analysis involved basic statistical measures, including frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and hypothesis testing using the t-test (Dependent Samples). The study findings revealed that: 1. Competency-based program for early primary school students&amp;rsquo; language communication, comprising six components: 1) Principles, 2) Objectives, 3) Content, 4) Development Processes, 5) Teaching and Learning Materials, and 6) Assessment, underwent quality assessment by seven experts. The results indicated a high level of conformity and appropriateness. 2. Students who participated in the language competency-based program demonstrated enhanced language communication competence across all learning units. 3. The language communication competence of students after using the program was statistically significantly higher than before using the program at a significance level of .05. The language competence was found to be at a developing level of A2 proficiency.

Language for Specific Purposes and Audio Description Tasks: A Case Study

In the Foreign Language (FL) classroom, video description and dubbing have recently been introduced for the development of communicative skills in various types of didactic methods (Vermeulen and Ibáñez 2014, 2017; Talaván 2020; Ávila-Cabrera and Rodríguez-Arancón 2021). This paper offers an innovative didactic proposal of Audio Description (AD) in the English for Tourism (ET) classroom. It supports the hypothesis that authentic tasks enhance communicative skills in LSP (Language for Specific Purposes) education (Melnichuk et al. 2017). It presents a quasi-experimental study of student performance in two different productive tasks (writing and speaking). The study follows a Task-Based Learning (TBL) approach and addresses a group of 119 students within an undergraduate program of ET (B2 level) at a Spanish distance-education university (UNED). As a post-task, a twofold rubric, designed in a previous teaching project, scored and analyzed student writing and speaking responses to an AD script of a mute video about a touristic place of their choice. Results show that implementing an AD task in the LSP classroom had a positive effect on students’ marks in their final test. In addition, the number of students who completed the writing task was around 50% greater than those who completed the speaking task. Introducing ICT tools in the LSP classroom seems to be positive, and it will be argued that developing digital technologies, such as mobile apps, may be a necessary step to foster future professionals’ language performance and competences.

The Chaotic Academic Integration for Chinese International Students in Australia

There is a cultural distance between Australian and Chinese sociocultural practices, especially academic practices, which could be problematic for Chinese international students studying in Australia. This situation presents affective and cognitive challenges in transitioning from a familiar Chinese context to an unfamiliar Australian academic environment which is akin to academic “culture” shock. This paper will use a mixed methods approach, through the combination of two back-to-back studies, to explore issues Chinese students faced during the initial phases of their academic sojourn in Australia. Our findings suggest that a combination of language competency deficit coupled with unfamiliarity with academic practices had caused initial problems with Chinese international students’ academic adjustment in an Australian setting. This problem was exacerbated by poor intercultural awareness and empathy from Australian educators to adjust their teaching practices in such an intercultural dynamic.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY OF EARLY GRADE IP LEARNERS: BASIS FOR A BRIDGING PROGRAM

The general purpose of this study is to look into the language proficiency level of the Early Grade IP learners which eventually be the basis of a bridging program that will be designed.This study employed the non-experimental descriptive survey research design in investigating the research problem. It is descriptive because the data are presented in quantitative descriptions on the “Language Competence of IP Learners: Basis for a Bridging Program. According to Good (2020), this method of research shows merely description of tasks presenting the conditions regarding the nature of the group of persons or class of events that involved procedure of analysis, classification, and measurement. It involves varied information regarding the current or present condition (Deauna, 2021). This study was conducted in the schools of Sulop district. The respondents in this study were the 210 IP learners of the research locale. The respondents answered a researcher made assessment test on their oral and comprehension skills. This study makes use of the universal sampling procedure considering the manageable number of respondents in the research locale. This revealed that Early Grade IP learners display basic skills in reading which means that their reading skills need to be developed further so that when reading stories, they do not comprehend the stories literally but they will read between the lines in order to have a broad understanding of the literary piece that eventually brings lesson and new insights. KEYWORDS: english language, proficiency of early grade, learners, basis for a bridging program

An Analysis of Arabic Language Curriculum Development in Indonesia

Curriculum development must be considered according to the times, the development of science, the needs of students, and the needs of society. In Indonesia, curriculum development from the Learning Design Curriculum (1947) is currently being implemented. The purpose of this paper is to understand the approaches used in curriculum development, and to analyze the development of the Arabic language curriculum in Indonesia. The results of this study indicate that the approaches used in curriculum development are both the administrative and grassroots approach, while the development of the Arabic language curriculum in Indonesia begins with the 1964 curriculum, spanning all the way to the 2022 independent curriculum. Curriculum changes over time have been carried out in a balanced and proportional manner. This is reflected in the teaching of Arabic language skills, which are taught to continue to experience development and refinement. In addition, the orientation of learning Arabic is not only for studying religion, but also oriented toward the realization of Arabic language competence, communicative competence, and cultural competence.

Innovative methodology for teaching English using the online-platform YouGlish and the Alias format (based on interdisciplinary neologisms in the field of digital healthcare)

The article is devoted to the author’s innovative integrated method of teaching English, which provides effective memorization of new interdisciplinary lexical units for three personality types of students according to the way they perceive information – audialists, visualists and practitioners. The relevance of the study is provided by the creation of new interdisciplinary programmes in the higher education system, which contributes to the emergence of interdisciplinary neologisms that reflect the latest social transformations in society and should be included in language training courses. The aim of the study was to develop an innovative integrated methodology to improve the efficiency and longterm effectiveness of learners’ memorisation of new interdisciplinary lexical categories in English that have emerged in the context of the digitalisation of the modern healthcare system. To search for and identify neologisms of the English language in the field of digital medicine, a content analysis of relevant scientific studies published in March 2024 in the peer-reviewed medical academic journal “The Lancet Digital Health” (Elsevier publishing house) was conducted. Based on the results of the content analysis, 16 new interdisciplinary lexical nominations were selected, using the example of which the features of the application of an innovative integrated methodology for teaching English, including the consistent use of the YouGlish online platform and the Alias game format, are revealed. The use of this methodology is effective both in the study of English neologisms by students in universities and in the development of their language skills and competencies in accordance with the challenges of rapidly changing social reality. The results of the author’s trial use of this complex methodology among students at the Faculty of International Journalism at MGIMO-University, showed that the innovative approach allows one to accelerate the memorization of English lexical units by students with different types of human thinking, as well as promotes the development of teamwork skills and increases learning motivation. The results of the author’s research can be used by teachers of language departments of higher educational institutions in the development and writing textbooks and teaching materials, as well as in the language training of future specialists, for whom interdisciplinary language knowledge, skills and competencies are in demand in the context of widespread digitalisation of key spheres of society and the transformation of the modern system of higher education.

Additive and Causal Connectives in GFL Argumentative Writing

The main objective of foreign language learning and teaching is the development of communicative language competence. One of its key components is discourse competence which consists of three main elements: cohesion, coherence and text composition (Bagarić Medve and Pavičić Takač 2013). The development of writing skills is acknowledged as one of the main challenges in foreign language learning and teaching, which includes the appropriate usage of cohesive devices in order to tackle the semantic relationships within a text. In German, explicit cohesive devices refer to coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions and adverbial connectors. While a bulk of previous research has focused on English as a foreign language, the studies conducted among the learners of German are still scarce Earlier studies (e.g. Breindl 2016; Vaakanainen and Maijala 2022) pointed to a limited range of variations within the same semantic group and an inappropriate use of connectives when comparing their usage between native speakers and learners of German as a foreign language (GFL). The aim of the present study is to analyse the frequency, variation and errors of causal and additive connectives (coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions and adverbial connectors) in GFL argumentative writing. The corpus consists of 43 argumentative essays written by Croatian GFL students at B2 level. The findings concerning frequency show that additional connectives are most frequently used within the whole corpus, whereas causal connectives take third place. The additive coordinating conjunction und is the most frequent additive item, the subordinating conjunction weil is the most frequently used causal item. The results connected to variation point to a wider range in the use of additional connectives in comparison to causal, but also reveal more error recognition within the additive semantic group. The most common types of errors concerning connectors detected in the corpus are as follows: syntax, meaning, spelling/punctuation, redundancy and register. In order to utilize these research findings aiming at improving the writing skills of GFL students in the learning/instructional process, practical implications are presented at the end.

Breaking Barriers, Elevating Performance: Microsoft Teams and the Writing Proficiency of EFL Jordanian Students

Microsoft Teams is a popular educational online communication and collaboration software. Microsoft Teams centralizes interactions, information, and applications. It lets students and instructors interact and exchange material in real time. Thus, this research examines how Microsoft Teams affects EFL Jordanian writers. Microsoft Teams' collaborative learning, feedback, and practice may enhance EFL Jordanians' writing abilities. The research divides students into control and experimental groupsObjective: In Jordan, Language learning and writing abilities are evolving in tandem with advancements in educational technology. Microsoft Teams, a popular online communication, and collaboration software is at the forefront of this transformation. Thus, this research examines how Microsoft Teams affects Jordanian EFL writers.Methods: Separating 30 EFL Jordanian students into two groups: a control group and an experimental group, the study employed (Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory and Davis’s Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Then a Quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test control group design has been conducted to compare the traditional teaching methods with Microsoft Teams-assisted collaborative writing.Results: The experimental group outperformed the control group in content and grammar. Microsoft Teams may help Jordanian EFL writers improve. The research reveals that Microsoft Teams might help EFL Jordanians write better. Thus, instructors should use Microsoft Teams to increase students' writing abilities. Technology-enhanced learning's long-term impacts on language competence require more study.Conclusions: In conclusion, this research examined how Microsoft Teams affects EFL Jordanians' writing. Microsoft Teams users had much better writing performance than non-users. The experimental group outperformed the control group in content and grammar. Microsoft Teams may help Jordanian EFL writers improve. Based on socio-cultural theory, the research stresses social interaction and collaborative learning in language acquisition. Socio-cultural theory supports student cooperation and communication using Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams' ability to allow students to interact with classmates and instructors and get feedback boosts writing skills.

The influence of instructional leadership on learning motivation and student activity

&lt;p&gt;In the context of acquiring foreign language competence, motivation plays an important role in determining the outcome of the learning process. This study explores the influence of instructional leadership on the motivation and learning activity of students in language learning at the Tanjung Berulak Islamic Madrasah Tarbiyah Pondok Pesantren (PPMTI). The study uses a quantitative correlational approach, with a population of as many as 620 students from PPMTI Tg. Berulak. The sample size of 71 respondents was determined using proportionate stratified random sampling. Data analysis includes validity testing of research instruments and regression analysis to measure the impact of instructional leadership on student motivation. The regression analysis resulted in a coefficient of 0.870, which indicates that the improvement in instructional leadership by one unit was linked to the increase in student motivation by 0.870. In addition, the study also found that motivation significantly affects student learning activity, with a significance rate counted below 0.05. The findings highlight the important role of instructional leadership in enhancing the motivation and active participation of students in language learning environments.&lt;/p&gt;