Language Competence Research Articles

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’ 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

<p>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.</p>

Factors Influencing the English Language Competency of Filipino University Students

This study explores the factors influencing English competency among Filipino university students to develop effective strategies for improvement using Descriptive- Qualitative Design. Findings indicate that the factors that influenced the students’ English competency are their commitment to improvement, aspirations to become future teachers, and engagement in hobbies; while the negative factors include cognitive processing difficulties, external determinants, and affective factors. To overcome the challenges in English competency, educators should foster a supportive learning environment, reduce anxiety by managing cognitive load, implement activities that build confidence, and strengthen students' self-belief. This holistic approach can enhance students' attitudes towards language learning and improve their English competency.

The Tundra Yukaghir Language in a Multilingual Environment

Abstract The article presents the results of a longitudinal study of the language situation in a multilingual village of Andryushkino (northeast of the Sakha Republic). It is one of two localities where the endangered Tundra Yukaghir (TY) language is still used. Data on TY proficiency were collected in this village by one of the authors in 1987 and then, 35 years later, by the other author in 2022. In both cases, the same methodology for assessing the degree of language competence (DLC) with the help of experts was used. Comparison of data from 1987 and 2022 shows a significant decrease in DLC in younger and middle-aged generations. Our data include 13 people whose DLC was assessed in both studies. The degree of TY competence in six cases out of thirteen has increased over 35 years. The article provides several possible explanations for this growth against the background of linguistic biographies of the speakers and the multicultural and multilingual environment of the village of Andryushkino.

Functional organization of language competence from the point of view of the metasystem approach

Functional organization of language competence from the point of view of the metasystem approach

DECODING GAY LINGO: A MORPHO-SOCIOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF SWARDSPEAK AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS

The dynamic and creative nature of a language can lead to the development of linguistic deviations, such as the use of gay language. Gay language engages people of different ages, genders, and sexuality – inevitably including students. Thus, the study aimed at decoding morpho-sociolinguistic features of the gay language as used by college students. It used an explanatory sequential research design, utilising questionnaires and interviewing to gather data. Results revealed that there are more student swardspeakers than non-swardspeakers. Significantly, all LGBTQIA+ and “Prefer-Not-to-Say” groups are swardspeakers, while female swardspeakers outnumbered male swardspeakers. This study found most students use swardspeak in public places, in social media, and in texting. Morphological derivations of swardspeak include but are not limited to addition of the “j” phoneme, change of the final phoneme, clipping with affixation, code-switching, connotation through images, and eponymy. Finally, building relationships, concealment, and self-expression are some of the common reasons why students use swardspeak. Thus, the study recommends that a sociolinguistic primer of swardspeak can be developed to encourage students in learning a language. This can promote language competence among students.

Survive, thrive and transform: African international students’ lived experience of monolingual Chinese higher education

In addressing the two problems within the existing literature – an over-emphasis on English as the medium of instruction (EMI) in the internationalisation of higher education and the under-explored, yet important, ‘default’ common language for communication beyond university classrooms – this article presents findings of a qualitative study on African international students’ lived experience of surviving, thriving and transforming at a provincial university. Drawing upon data collected from semi-structured interviews, the findings reveal that monolingual ideologies and Chinese-only practices were dominant at university. Whilst the participants expressed confusion, anxiety and perceived difficulties and challenges both in pursuing academic studies and social life at the initial stage of study in China, their ensuing self-identified easiness and confidence in making use of Chinese and building social relationships also means Chinese was increasingly considered as a norm and a ‘natural’ choice for them. It was also found that the participants moblised their agency towards their preferred language competency, which was a response to survival and living needs in the monolingual host community. As China is emerging as an education hub and actively promoting its official language, the article also calls for more nuanced understandings of monolingual, bilingual and multilingual experiences in different categories of universities.

The essence and structure of mathematical language competence of a future teacher

The essence and structure of mathematical language competence of a future teacher

Self-Assessed VS Demonstrated English Language Skills: Exploring the English Language Competency of Filipino University Students

Self-Assessed VS Demonstrated English Language Skills: Exploring the English Language Competency of Filipino University Students

Exploring the Nexus Between English Language Competency in Listening Skills and Emotional Social Development

Exploring the Nexus Between English Language Competency in Listening Skills and Emotional Social Development

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CLIL FOR YOUNG LEARNERS: A PRISMA SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

The purpose of this study is to review the implementation of CLIL to young learners. The database Scopus was examined and 5 articles in all were examined for this purpose. The research methodology employed was a PRISMA systematic review. A content analysis technique was used to assess the articles. The study’s findings revealed that the trend of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) research for young learners is in elementary level, aged 5-12 years. The results indicated that CLIL impacts students' motivation and language competence, particularly in vocabulary enrichment, the receptive aspect rather than the productive aspect.

Conceptual Bases of Foreign Language Competence Development by Means of Technologies

Conceptual Bases of Foreign Language Competence Development by Means of Technologies