Language Learning Activities Research Articles

THE APPLICATION OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING IN SPOKEN ENGLISH TEACHING FOR COLLEGE EFL LEARNERS

Problem-based learning offers an efficient method of teaching spoken English to EFL students at colleges. By utilizing communicative and problem-solving techniques, learners are able to acquire the language through immersive exercises. Students would have the chance to collaborate while studying and customize the curriculum to fit their unique needs and objectives. They can learn a language more deeply by combining real-world discussions and language learning activities.

LANGUAGE AND GENDER: EXPLORING SOCIO-CULTURAL FUNCTION


 There have been numerous studies investigating the relationship between language and gender. Some of the studies aim at analyzing language differences used by men and women on some features such as syntax, lexicon, phonology, and conversation analysis. Meanwhile, the others focus on the leverage of gender differences related to establishing and controlling the power inequality. This paper attempts to explore socio-cultural function inclusion in language development studies. This study was ethnographic classroom in nature, observing two student classes of Cirebon Invada High School. For detailed analysis, their mixed-gender classroom conversations were thoroughly chosen employing dynamic approach for a more inclusive socio-cultural function. The result of the study reveals that power cannot be built through gender differences without social aspects between both genders. Social dimensions namely functionality, economic status, power, network, and identity significantly affect language users in mixed talks. The respect for each other is salient, meanwhile, talk dominance is moderately declining. This indicates that gender is not the key factor in language uses differences, there is also another determinant factor such as social dimension. In pedagogy, these findings made a mojor contribution to an educational institution and all language learning activities particularly to the English language teaching activity by providing a balance treatment to both gender.

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ READINESS IN USING TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE LANGUAGE LEARNING

Abstra ct This research aimed to investigate students’ readiness in using technology in the learning process, especially for English learning. 21 st century has brought the development of various areas, especially for Information and Communication Technology (ICT). ICT is beneficial for various fields including education. Educational technology is the study and ethical practice of encouraging education by designing, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and improving performance. The use of technology has become the perfect complement to master or gain control of a language and English courses are supported by the most efficient and attractive technology in the learning process. This research used qualitative method conducted in Senior High School to explore the views of participants in using technology into language learning activities known as Technology Enhance Language Learning (TELL). Based on the data analysis, the highest result of students’ readiness in using technology shows that there are 19 of 20 students who have capability to use technology to finish English assignments. Keywords: : TELL, learning English, students’ readiness, senior high school

USE OF RESOURCES AND ACTIVITIES FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM BY ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS AT A UNIVERSITY IN VIETNAM

This paper was part of a large-scale research into the use of resources and activities for English language learning after class time by English-majored students at a university in Vietnam. To explore the range of resources and activities frequently used by the researched students, a survey questionnaire was delivered online to 200 respondents via Google Form. The results revealed that online/computer-based/mobile-based and traditional broadcast materials were the most preferred resources for English language learning outside the classroom, whereas Watch YouTube, Listen to songs, Surf the Internet, and Use social media were the activities with the highest frequency of use. In addition, the self-directed naturalistic language learning activities were prevalent among the subjects, followed by self-instruction ones. By contrast, the studied participants tended to avoid taking part in activities that involved naturalistic language learning.

Performative education inside and outside the ethics of care

Inspired by the provocations raised in Cañas’s RISE Manifesto (2015), this essay argues that language learning, language teaching, and performative activities are caring acts. They are qualitative offerings that manifest themselves as embodied, relational, and artful events concerned with fostering fairer and caring societies. I refer to them as qualitative acts of care. The essay also voices concerns regarding the structural constraints faced by language educators and educational practitioner-researchers when they seek to enact language learning, arts practice, or practice-based research as caring and ethical work. Qualitative care is an ever-changing process that is often difficult to capture (both conceptually and experientially) in the flow of practice, which raises epistemological questions about the way qualitative care is measured and deemed to be self-sufficient and self-contained. Paradoxically, measurement and evaluation turn qualitative care into practices that are referred to here as quantitative acts of care. The essay does not provide readers with answers to the problems raised by Cañas (2015). Rather, from the reflexive standpoint of a language teacher and practitioner-researcher, it suggests the need to leverage the qualities of performative learning and teaching by making any work of care a continual endeavour.

Incorporating Digital Corpus Analysis Technology into English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Lesson Design for the Sri Lankan Tertiary Context: A Self-experimentation by a ‘Novice’

This paper reports on an observational case study conducted to investigate the possibilities available to language teachers, non-expert, or novice in corpus analysis, in integrating corpus analysis technology to design language learning activities. Despite the availability of corpus analysis technology and large amounts of studies in corpus analysis of texts, studies on corpus-based language teaching and learning, development of language teaching-learning material incorporating corpus analysis technology and techniques by teachers who are non-experts in the field of corpus analysis for classroom teaching has remained an exception. This paper records the personal experience of the researcher as a language practitioner using corpus analysis technology in designing teaching learning material to achieve the objectives of a language course for undergraduates of low English proficiency (LEP) studying in an English medium instruction (EMI) context. Although this exercise posed challenges for the language teacher who is a ‘non-expert’ to the field, the researcher documents its positive and promising outcomes as proof to support more extensive ‘non-expert’ teacher-driven, student-participatory corpus based English language learning methodologies.

Effectiveness of Communicative Language Learning Activities on Students’ Communicative Competence

This quasi-experimental study investigated the effectiveness of communicativelanguage learning activities (CLLAs) in developing college students’ communicativeCompetence (CC) as opposed to the traditional approach. The study respondents weresecond-year college students of a local higher education institution in North Cotabato,Philippines. The control group was taught using the traditional approach, while theexperimental group was exposed to CLLAs. The piloted CC test was then used for thepretest and posttest of both groups. Scores obtained from the tests were then analyzedusing a t-test. The investigation findings revealed that the CCLAs are effective inimproving the communicative competence of the students. The study recommends the useof communicative language learning activities, specifically at the tertiary level, to achievecommunicative goals in language classes. This paper provided language pedagogicalimplications and recommendations.

CODE SWITCHING AND CODE MIXING IN THE ARABIC LEARNING OF 'EGYPT SANDWICH PROGRAM 2019'

This study discusses the types of code switching and code mixing occured in the utterances of Egypt Sandwich Program 2019instructors. It also explores the factors that cause the two language phenomena and their effects toward non-Arabic speakers. In research design, participatory observational study was applied in which the researchers participated in the Arabic language learning activities in the program. The results showed that both internal and external code switching occurred in the speech of the instructors. Meanwhile, for code mixing, intersentential and intrasentential process were found in this study. The code switching and code mixing found in this study only occured among Arabic fusha, Arabic ‘amiyah, and English. In general, the main factor that drove the speakers to perform code switching and code mixing in the program was the speaker’s habitl. Misunderstandings sometimes happened between the instructors and the students due to the emergence of code switching and code mixing in the event.

Teaching Strategies of Georgian Colloquials and their integration in Georgian as SL Class

In the process of learning a foreign/second language, students should learn spoken/colloquial language in addition to formal language. This is important for successful communication in a reallife situation. Spoken/informal language occupies a significant part of everyday communication. Moreover, colloquial language and face to face interaction represent the essential aspects in both learning and teaching process and plays an important role in terms of linguistic and cognitive development of learner (Hinkel, 2006). According to Engkent, students “are wellequipped if they can handle a basic formal! informal distinction and understand the principles of register use” (Engkent; 1986). Georgian as a second language teaching resource does not include materials discussing this part of the language. As a result, language learners do not have the appropriate skills and knowledge to select the correct forms and expressions, taking into account the quality of language formality and the actual communication situation, speaking, as well as obstacles in understanding the information received in everyday speech, which also requires specific knowledge. The aim of the article is to study the situation in Georgian higher education, to identify the level of students' knowledge and learning activities and approaches, and to develop relevant recommendationsto address the above-mentioned problem. The research was conducted on the basis of Georgian higher education institutions, foreign students who speak Georgian as a foreign language took part in the research. Finally, 35 students of different nationalities participated in the study. The paper is mainly based on qualitative research. In addition, the interview method was used in the study; informants were 35 students who completed the questionnaires with open-ended and closed- ended questions. The observation method was also used in the research. We looked at the components of teaching speaking and reading. We conducted an experiment during the research process. Students were given a text with the same content in formal and informal style to read. In addition, we offered them the task of participating in a conversation situation on the same topic in a different context in terms of formality/language register and the results in both activities were observed. The study involved a relatively small focus group, which prevents a more in-depth and generalized picture from being displayed and the results obtained. Observations of the lesson process have shown that students understand the formal text more easily than informal style language. Even when the teacher provides spoken language forms, students find it difficult to comprehend such material. This is due to the fact that spoken language learning activities are more spontaneous, less systematic and do not reinforce such knowledge in the audience. Student surveys and questionnaires completed by them revealed the following: At a certain level of language proficiency they find it relatively easy to learn information from university-created texts in literary language, but in everyday situations, it is difficult to establish successful communication and comprehend information due to ignorance of spoken forms. In addition, such activities are less covered in the curriculum as well as in the textbooks and in thisregard, the experience of both teachers and students is relatively scarce. The experiment revealed that students understand the text of a formal genre more easily and correctly than spoken, informal information. The same goes for building a talking situation. In order for the student to realize the similarities and differences between formal and informal languages, it is necessary to carry out a variety of activities in the learning environment, including 1. Identify formal and informal distinguishing marks, which is achieved by reading, processing and comparing different texts according to different levels, genres and formality levels. 2. Use of lexical activities: Identify lexical items (slang, language contractions, acronyms, etc.) in texts, create a dictionary and perform relevant exercises. 3. Conversational activities on different topics: The teacher presents and discusses a particular form with a student, after which the students build the spoken situation in different language registers and make a presentation through role-playing games. 4. Use of authentic recordings and multimedia to master natural, informal language forms and structures.

MYENGLISHLAB AS ONE OF THE GROUNDBREAKING BLENDED LEARNING TOOLS

Online learning is one of the most rapidly growing trends in educational use of digital technologies. The article touches upon the importance of MyEnglishLab as one of the newest tools for blended English language learning. Due to the pandemics of the 2020 many learners began to implement different tools of digital technology to an increasing extent. An effective and appropriate tool for learning English aimed at developing communication skills allows to increase individualization of educational activity, to optimize mastering language structures and grammatical rules, and also to overcome some obstacles of both oral and written competences of the students. An interactive platform is one of the newest blended learning tools that combines different English language learning activities in a variety of formats. It is a web-based system providing learners 24 hours a day, 7 days a week online access to the teacher-managed course content, supports different learning styles, provides students with a large number of supervised practices. The platform MyEnglishLab contains lexical and grammatical tasks, audio materials listening and reading as well as watching videos. Tasks are performed in three stages: the formation of lexical and grammatical skills; improvement of language skills and using those phrases and sentences that were consolidated in the first stage in the dialogue with a computer; development of skills to use lexical and grammatical knowledge acquired during the previous two stages. The platform has options for choosing the number of attempts to perform both test exercises and training. In this article we present a research carried out among the freshmen of Yerevan State University Faculty of European Languages and Communication.

Packing and Unpacking Grammar – Towards a Communicative Approach to Teaching Language Structures

Abstract Creating classroom activities which really get students to communicate in a natural and meaningful way remains a timely challenge when it comes to teaching a foreign language. This article sets out to revisit the traditional trifecta based on the three Ps (presentation, practice, production) and reincorporate it in a set of specific elements that ensure a successful outcome of language learning activities. With particular focus on grammar, the paper aims to deconstruct the steps and procedures behind five important aspects to be taken into consideration when planning and conducting activities that target structures of language and their practice in a communicative manner, with the ultimate goal of linking the often sterile theory of grammar with contextualized models and tasks.

Fluency development in an EFL setting: A one-semester study

Language learning activities involving time-pressured repetition of similar content have been shown to facilitate improvements in fluency. However, concerns have been voiced about whether these gains might be offset by reduced levels of grammatical accuracy. This descriptive study tracked the oral proficiency of 32 Japanese university students enrolled in English as a foreign language (EFL) classes over one academic semester during which they regularly completed 3/2/1 fluency development activities. Measures of complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) were analysed to investigate whether any developmental patterns could be identified. The results indicated that over the semester, the students made small, but significant gains in two fluency measures, the mean length of pause and the phonation/time ratio. Despite the relatively small size of the gains, expert ratings of perceived fluency suggested that these fluency improvements were detectable to the human ear. Furthermore, a significant relationship emerged between three of the four CAF measures over the semester. These results suggest that the activities moderately impacted students’ speaking fluency without negatively affecting accuracy or complexity levels; however, further longitudinal research is needed to determine which factors might influence this development, as class performance measures did not account for any of the variation detected.

The cognitive-conceptual, planning-organizational, affective-social and linguistic-discursive affordances of translanguaging

Abstract The translanguaging turn in language education offers a new perspective on multilingualism by positing that multilingual learners have one linguistic repertoire rather than two or more autonomous language systems (García, O. & L. Wei. 2014. Translanguaging: Language, bilingualism and education. Palgrave MacMillan). When learners engage in translanguaging, they draw on all the features from their repertoire in a flexible and integrated way (Otheguy, R., O. García & W Reid. 2015. Clarifying translanguaging and deconstructing named languages: A perspective from linguistics. Applied Linguistics Review 6(3). 281–307. DOI:10.1515/applirev-2015-0014). While much of the current literature on language teaching advocates teachers’ use of pedagogical translanguaging, less research has focused on the pedagogical affordances of student-led translanguaging, especially in contexts with dominant monolingual norms. This paper presents the results of a case study exploring the affordances of translanguaging in two multilingual Grade 5 English language classrooms in Malaysia where English-only policies and practices were enforced by the teachers, but where translanguaging was used agentively by learners during their peer-to-peer interactions. The primary data sources for this six-month-long study included 100 30–90 min-long video recordings of 55 learners working together in small groups on various collaborative language learning activities, and member-checking interviews with the learners. The study was grounded in sociocultural theory and translanguaging, and employed a methodology of sociocultural discourse analysis. The results of the analysis revealed that in both classrooms, learners resisted the English-only policies and practices by using translanguaging widely and strategically throughout their collaborative peer-to-peer interactions. The use of translanguaging fulfilled 100 important cognitive-conceptual, planning-organizational, affective-social and linguistic-discursive functions that supported their individual and collective learning. The results of this study provide us with a view of translanguaging as collaborative and agentive, socioculturally situated and culturally responsive, and a resource for learning as well as a process of learning. The study makes recommendations for a language learning pedagogy that creates opportunities for learners to move language policies from the ground up through their collaborative use of translanguaging.

Exploring language teachers’ lesson planning for corpus-based language teaching: a focus on developing TPACK for corpora and DDL

The use of corpora for the purposes of language teaching and learning, commonly known as “data-driven learning” (DDL), is gaining popularity across a range of CALL contexts. However, how trainee teachers attempt to develop the technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) to integrate corpus tools and DDL pedagogy into classroom practice has received little attention from a language teacher education perspective. This qualitative study focuses on Indonesian pre-service secondary school teachers’ initial attempts to integrate corpus consultation activities into EFL lesson plans following an extensive DDL training regimen, including a short private online DDL training course, live online DDL lesson planning workshops, and a DDL expert’s detailed suggestions on integrating corpora into lesson planning practice. Trainees then produced a sample lesson plan including elements of student-led corpus consultation, which was rated by teacher educators for the level and ‘fit’ of TPACK displayed within the lessons’ objectives, target language focus, and teaching and learning activity instructions. We analyse elements of these lesson plans for the corpus-based activities adopted, while discussing elements of the plans that represent low, medium and high levels of TPACK for DDL. We conclude with the implications facing teacher educators in the Indonesian context and beyond regarding how DDL may successfully be integrated into classroom practice at the lesson planning level. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.1995001 .

Andragogy Principles In Arabic Learning At Diniyyah Putri Lampung

This study aims to describe the Andragogy Principles In Arabic Learning at MTs Diniyyah Putri Lampung. This research uses a qualitative approach with a case study method. This method is used because the researcher wants to explore carefully and in-depth the work or activities of individuals or all individuals at MTs Diniyyah Putri Lampung. With this approach, researchers will obtain in-depth data or information related to the purpose of this study. From the data analysis that the author did, it was concluded that there are Andragogy Principles in most of the Arabic language learning activities at MTs Diniyyah Putri Lampung. This can be seen in several aspects of learning, for example, the provision of motivation in the introduction to learning that contains useful values, the practice of providing the material that provides experience, and the material is also related to daily problems, in assignments, there are practices assigned by the teacher. . The learning process is as needed, and interesting. Students participate actively, cooperate, so as to make the learning process not rigid and the teacher uses varied learning methods that eliminate the fear factor in Arabic subjects. besides that, there is also a process of Directing and motivating but not telling (guiding and asking; not telling), and teachers and students showing enthusiasm in learning Arabic

Some myths of modern Ukrainian methodology of foreign language teaching as a science


 
 
 
 The paper gives evidence that the modern Ukrainian theory and methodology of foreign language teaching is quite rapidly developing as a science; however, its onward progress is somewhat “braked” by certain ungrounded convictions (“myths”), some of which originate from the times of the former Soviet Union. Three such myths were analyzed in the article as the ones that to the greatest extent retard the progressive development of the Ukrainian methodology: the myth that “methodology is exercises,” this is why every methodological research must necessarily be completed with elaborating a system (or subsystem) of relevant exercises; the myth that whatever is developed in a methodological study should be within the borders of one, and only one, broad, substantiated, and more or less universally recognized methodological approach; and the myth that only the most recent professional literature should be quoted and serve as the foundation for whatever methodological research. In the paper the distinction is drawn between learning activities in language learning and exercises as standardized and auxiliary components in the relevant teaching / learning system, and it is proven that every methodological research has to be completed with some practical result to be used in this system but that result may not necessarily be a system of exercises or even of learning activities. It is also demonstrated that the approaches elaborated in a methodological study do not obligatorily have to be within the framework of only one broad and recognized approach but, on the contrary, may combine the features of different approaches, even opposing each other, as long as they meet the principles of the principled pragmatism theory - those principles that allow to combine such features harmoniously. Finally, it is proven that the theory and methodology of language teaching is a science in which new knowledge does not abolish the preceding knowledge as obsolete. New knowledge is “built into” the preceding knowledge, thus creating a new system together with it. That is why in all the methodological studies it is impossible to use as the foundation only the recent research. The works published even decades ago must be taken into account (and quoted). The conclusion is made that getting rid of the existing “methodological myths” will considerably accelerate and improve the development of the Ukrainian system of language education.
 
 
 

Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) Activities and the Students’ English Oral Proficiency

The study aimed to determine the impact of Computer Assisted Language Learning Activities to the oral English Proficiency of JEEP 1 students. The students' pre and post mean scores were compared to determine the significant improvement in their oral English proficiency. This research made used of the experimental research design with pre and post-test design with 58 randomly selected students from different year levels who were enrolled at Mindanao State University- Maguindanao and currently taking the subject JEEP 1 of the S.Y. 2014-2015. The instrument used covered four specific areas as Sentence Reading, Reading and Pronunciation, Comprehension and Structure, and Sentence Repetition. The following are the summary of the findings: 1. Before the CALL Activities in JEEP 1, the students’ oral English proficiency is lower elementary as indicated by the mean of 0.60; After engaging to the CALL Activities, the students’ oral English proficiency is still lower elementary as proven by the mean score of 0.79; and After comparing the results, it was found out that there is a substantial transformation in the students' oral English proficiency level before and after Computer Assisted Language Learning Activities in JEEP 1 as indicated by the t-Value of 2.84. Based on the results of the study, it was determined that CALL Activities have contributed slight improvement to the student’s oral English proficiency score. However, the said activities did not improve their oral English proficiency level possibly due to some unknown factors that might have affected them during the duration of the study.

Penanaman Karakter Siswa Melalui Ragam Bahasa dalam Kegiatan Pembelajaran Bahasa Indonesia

[STUDENT CHARACTER BUILDING THROUGH VARIOUS LANGUAGES ​​IN INDONESIAN LANGUAGE LEARNING ACTIVITIES]. This study aims to describe character planting through the variety of languages used in Indonesian language and literature learning activities in schools. Learning activities are activities that are dominated by the delivery of material by the teacher. In delivering the material, the teacher uses a variety of languages. Therefore, the use of various languages can also be used as a way to instill student character. The research method used in this research is descriptive qualitative. The location of this research is Triguna Utama Senior High School with the research subjects of class XA on Indonesian Language and Literature learning. The method of data collection was carried out by direct observation in learning activities and in-depth interviews with students and teachers as well as several parties involved in learning activities. Based on the analysis carried out, it can be concluded that in learning activities, the use of formal (formal), consultative, relaxed, and familiar modes are found. The use of various languages by the teacher is able to create various situations and contexts that take place in learning. The variety of languages used can also be used to instill student character both in the classroom environment and outside the classroom. When the teacher uses language with a polite choice of words, students will also follow. Likewise in other contexts when the teacher chooses to use a variety of familiar languages, students will also follow the familiar language choice.

Oral Communication Strategies Preferences in Arabic Debate among Non-Arabic Speakers

Debate is a language learning activity that requires the debater to choose effective oral communication strategies to weaken the opponent. Thus, this study was conducted to identify the oral communication strategies preferences among Arabic language debaters consisting of non-native speakers. The respondents were the champions of the Higher Education Institutions level debate, while the data were obtained from video recordings of the debate competition and interviews. The data were then analysed using Communication Strategies Theory. The results showed that the debaters preferred the strategies of message abandonment, topic avoidance and appeal for assistance when short of time and approximation and word coinage when faced with language constraints. Literal and contextual translation and language switch strategies were chosen for debate preparations, while circumlocution and mime strategies were preferred for reinforcing arguments. A new strategy was also found, which is named as repetition strategy. The findings proved that the preference of these strategies help the debaters to organize ideas, articulate and confidently present arguments despite their own shortcomings and interruptions from opponents. This study contributes to the structure of debate training activities focused on more systematic oral communication strategies that can be applied to debaters in Arabic language learning classes.

A domain specific language notation for a language learning activity generation tool

Globalization has increased the need for society to master new languages. This need has encouraged the launch of many applications dedicated to language learning. This paper presents a graphical notation for a domain specific language to represent language learning activities. It describes how this notation enables developers to represent language learning activity characteristics using workflow, presentation, content, media and activity model conforming a metamodel that defines the abstract syntax of the domain specific language. This notation is implemented as part of an integrated development environment to build model-based applications. Finally, this proposal is evaluated with a framework that uses the cognitive dimensions of notations for notational systems. The proposed graphic diagram editor exceeds the experience that the user has with the reflexive model editor. In relation to the creation and editing of workflow models and presentation/activity models, the proposed graphical notation its more intuitive and easy to maintain visually than the traditional reflexive tree notation used by many model-based development frameworks.