Language Proficiency Of Students Research Articles

Modern model of foreign language education: Principles of ecosystem approach

Introduction. The paper investigates peculiar features of the ecosystem approach to teaching foreign languages at university. The aim of the study is to summarize the ideas about the ecosystem in modern educational conceptions and language research, in the practice of implementing models of effective foreign language teaching. Materials and Methods. The author applies a systematic approach to the analysis of the concept ‘ecosystem’ being under consideration in modern educational research investigations, a scientific approach to substantiating the ecological views on investigating language skills, and an empirical approach to describing conditions of effective foreign language learning environment. Results. Summarizing the data obtained, the author has formulated the main principles of the ecosystem approach to foreign language teaching at university. Firstly, the educational ecosystem is centered around the learning situation with actively interacting students and their teacher. Secondly, the learning situation is gradually modeled by the teacher for each type of speech activity, taking into account the language proficiency and experience of students. Thirdly, teacher’s didactic and organizational competence contributes to interactions among students with indirect teacher’s intervention, as well as to learner autonomy and development of students outside the classroom. Fourthly, learning materials, corresponding to abilities and interests of students and mobile devices help students construct and navigate informative educational language environment. Conclusions. The article concludes that principles of ecosystem approach should be the basis of creating a new educational environment and designing a new educational model of teaching foreign languages at university.

РОЗВИВАЛЬНЕ НАВЧАННЯ – ОСНОВА ЯКІСНОГО ЗАСВОЄННЯ МАТЕРІАЛУ НА ЗАНЯТТЯХ З ІНОЗЕМНОЇ МОВИ

The article analyzes and clarifies the need for a certain change in the vector of foreign language teaching in Ukrainian higher education institutions, considers the influence of innovative technologies on the development of the internal potential of students of Ukrainian higher education institutions for their acquisition of foreign language competences. The study, in particular, showed that the use of elements of developmental learning in the process of teaching foreign languages ​​accelerates the process of assimilation of foreign language vocabulary, which creates a basis for a creatively oriented class, which in itself stimulates students to self-develop, self-improve and promote the emergence of a new creative personality as such, which in its the professional future will have significant achievements, success and even triumph. Actual methods of developmental training are highlighted. The article also focuses on the special importance and role of developmental education, which involves the continuous development of the student's personal abilities. At the same time, the relationship between the student's ability to learn a foreign language and the result of mastering it has been established. The article substantiates the effectiveness and correctness of the use of modern multimedia technologies to increase the level of foreign language proficiency of students of Ukrainian higher education institutions. The need to change the approach to the application of new forms of teaching the subject, which is determined by the need for future specialists to have a high level of foreign language vocabulary, as well as to have the skills of fluency in a foreign language, in general, within the limits of their professional activity, is proved. The study suggests to use such active learning methods (interactive methods) that would contribute to the transformation of learning into a successful creative process, and the student into a bright personality, into a great specialist in the future.

THE INFLUENCE OF ANIME ON JAPANESE LITERATURE STUDENTS AT BUNG HATTA UNIVERSITY

This research aims to determine the influence of anime on the cultural knowledge and language proficiency of Japanese Literature students at Bung Hatta University. The research method used is descriptive qualitative with data collection techniques in the form of questionnaires and interviews. The results of the study indicate that watching anime can have a positive influence on students, especially in terms of knowledge and understanding of Japanese customs, traditions, religion, values, and norms that are part of Japanese culture, as well as improving Japanese language proficiency such as vocabulary, conversation, and listening skills.

Teaching english using mobile applications to improve academic performance and language proficiency of college students.

The purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness of mobile applications in conjunction with the students' online collaboration in the educational environment of Chinese colleges (the context of learning English). The students were selected from all those who study English in their educational programs. At the first stage, they passed a test on the level of language knowledge and among 423 students 140 were selected who had a level of B2 and below. Then they were divided into control and experimental groups. Each had 70 people. The experimental group was trained using the following mobile applications: Busuu, Lingoda, LinguaLeo, BBC Learning English. The results showed that the participants in the experimental group scored higher on the final test (74.71) than the control group participants (65.9). It suggests that mobile learning technologies can improve student achievement. The preliminary test determined the level of knowledge of the experimental group students in this way: 85% of students know English at the B2 level, 14% - B1, and 1% - A2. These figures improved significantly in the second test: the number of students who reached the C2 level was 7%, C1-79%, and 14% of all students remained with the B2 level. For the control group students, these indicators remained unchanged. Most of the students found this format of education suitable and interesting for online collaboration. These results may be useful for teaching practice, because they provide evidence base with the experimental research for the introduction of mobile technologies in the modern educational process. It solves the problem of using the certain mobile applications (Busuu, Lingoda, LinguaLeo, BBC Learning English) that have not been explored before.

Integrated foreign languages teaching: development of learning outcomes for IT majors

Introduction. Design of descriptors for achieving objectives of foreign language education in case of non-language majors at tertiary level on the basis of the existing scales of the Common European Competences in Foreign Language (CEFR) promotes the policy of cultural diversity and multilingualism implemented by the Council of Europe. The motivation for the research lies in the fact that Russian universities lack a clear and transparent system of criteria that can be used for planning and assessing foreign language competences for non-language majors. The paper presents a developed scale of descriptors for planning learning outcomes and assessing language proficiency of undergraduate students majoring in information technologies in the context of Russian education at tertiary level. With regard to federal state educational standards for higher education, foreign language competence is described as integrative foreign language professional communicative competence which combines professional and linguistic constituents. Materials and methods. The exploration adopted combined methods of analysis of previous studies, CEFR descriptors, interviews with master and bachelor students of IT majors (Togliatti State University, Russia), and foreign language communicative needs analysis in the IT industry. The obtained data were then processed in the backward design of targeted learning outcomes following the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages format. Research results. The study elicited cross-cultural communicative needs in the industry in question, and then there were selected appropriate CEFR descriptors for their subsequent modification. The choice of the CEFR format was justified by its high adaptability and the author’s previous successful experience of elaborating such scale descriptors for automotive engineering majors. The author designed a scale for A2, B1 and B2 levels, where learning outcomes are presented as descriptors of communicative language activities with CEFR level distinctions being combined with activities involved in on-the-job cross-cultural communication. Conclusion. The initiated research should be helpful to investigate ways of devising and testing adequate sets of CEFR-based descriptors to improve the quality of university syllabi. The proposed scale of descriptors has certain limitations, therefore, further exploration directions are outlined. Keywords: integrative foreign language professional communicative competence, learning outcomes, CEFR-based descriptors, assessment, IT majors

Understanding Student Attitudes toward Delivering English Oral Presentations

Delivering English oral presentations is deemed a prevalent activity of language learning in the university setting. Given that students’ attitudes have a substantial impact on the outcomes of language learning through delivering oral presentations, this study examined the attitudes of 153 third- and fourth-year students enrolled in an English major at the Department of Foreign Languages at a university in Southern Vietnam toward delivering presentations in English. The study has also focused on investigating what factors affect their attitudes toward the presentations. The study used quantitative and qualitative methods in gathering and analyzing the data. The findings revealed that most of the students had positive attitudes toward the presentations although they encountered some impediments in the course of the delivery. Student language proficiency, learning styles, and factors related to teachers and audience are the key factors that are instrumental in students’ attitudes toward delivering their oral presentations; familiarity with the topic and public speaking anxiety also affected their presentations. Pedagogical implications were suggested to most benefit students of different proficiency levels and learning styles with regard to English oral presentations.

Critical Discourse Analysis of ESL Teachers' Oral Feedback Practices

This study conducts a critical discourse analysis of verbal feedback patterns used by teachers in English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms. The research focuses on four types of feedback: explicit corrective feedback, implicit corrective feedback, clarification-based feedback, and interactive feedback. The study finds that explicit corrective feedback, where teachers directly point out errors, is critical for students who may struggle with error recognition. Implicit corrective feedback and clarification-based feedback, on the other hand, guide students towards self-correction, fostering learner autonomy and deepening their understanding of English language rules and conventions. Lastly, interactive feedback, which promotes a dialogue between the teacher and the student about the student's performance, encourages active participation and self-reflection in students. These different feedback patterns, when employed judiciously and in balance, can greatly enhance language proficiency, confidence, and self-directed learning in ESL students. The study underscores the importance of effective verbal feedback strategies in shaping language learning experiences and outcomes in ESL classrooms.

CRITERIA-BASED ASSESSMENT MODEL IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM OF KAZAKHSTAN

The article deals with the problems of using the Criteria-based Assessment Model in Kazakhstan's education system. The Criteria-based Assessment Model uses specific quantitative indicators of students' understanding of the curriculum, an objective and reliable assessment of students' knowledge and achievements. This assessment system enables teachers to identify and evaluate each student's strengths and weaknesses, assess their learning needs and achieve educational goals. Additionally, it allows for targeted learning, feedback, and compliance with international standards. The Criteria-based Assessment Model aims to enhance student motivation and engagement through formative and summative evaluations. The formative assessment provides ongoing feedback and support while the summative assessment evaluates the overall curriculum at each stage of academic study and at the end of the year. The research uses a quantitative approach to assessing criteria. The Criteria Assessment Model demonstrates the quality of English language proficiency of secondary school students in the second quarter through formative and summative evaluations. It helps teachers in Kazakhstan's education system to achieve students' academic success and the objective of controlling and evaluation.

English Language and Communicative Proficiency of Saudi Tourism and Hospitality Students: A Present Situation Analysis

This study investigates the level of proficiency of Saudi tourism undergraduates in various language skills and sub-skills, grammar, and tourism vocabulary. It also evaluates the present teaching materials used at the colleges of Truism and hospitality. A mixed-methods approach has been used in this study. A Likert-scale questionnaire was administered to two hundred nine (n=209) STU to gather quantitative data. The qualitative data was generated by interviewing one vice dean of academic affairs, one head of the English department, and 10 teachers. Both instruments were self-developed and standard procedures were followed to determine their content validity and reliability. The descriptive analyses were run to interpret the quantitative data whereas the qualitative data were presented through verbal responses of the participants. The results have informed that speaking and listening skills are the weakest followed by writing and reading skills respectively. They are also weak in English grammar, tourism-related vocabulary, and various language sub-skills. The teaching materials presently taught at the colleges of tourism and hospitality in Saudi Arabia do not suit their specific tourism needs. It is strongly recommended that indigenous teaching materials should be developed to meet the professional needs of Saudi tourism undergraduates taking into consideration their present proficiency in various language skills, sub-skills, tourism-related vocabulary and grammar. Furthermore, the local and cultural requirements and preferences of Saudi tourism undergraduates should be considered while developing the teaching materials to ensure effective English language practices.

DaF, COVID‐19, and newer technologies: Experiences from an Indian University

DaF, COVID‐19, and newer technologies: Experiences from an Indian University

Implementation of English for Biology Based on CLIL Student Handbook to Improve English Proficiency of Prospective Student Biology Teacher

The ability to communicate using English is an important pillar in establishing international cooperation in the era of Society 5,0. The Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) serves as one of the faculty that must facilitate prospective educators. This study aims to examine the contribution of the implementation of English for Biology: Student Handbook through a Content Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)-based learning approach to improve the English proficiency of prospective teacher students in the Biology Education study program, FKIP. The research was carried out with a quasi-experimental approach (quasi-experimental research) with a multiple-group pretest-posttest pattern. The test subjects and the unit of analysis are all second-semester students who take English for Biology lectures at the Biology Education Study Program, FKIP in the 2021/2022 academic year with a total of 6 classes (A, B, C, D, E, and F). The results of the analysis show that there is an increase in students' English proficiency which is in the quite effective category with the acquisition of N-gain scores for classes A, B, C, D, E, and F of 68, 58, 60, 62, 58, and 61. The average value The average N-gain of the English language proficiency of biology education students is 68 with a fairly effective category. Therefore, the use of English for Biology: Student Handbook through a CLIL-based learning approach is quite effective in increasing the English proficiency of prospective educators in the Biology Education Study Program, FKIP, University of Mataram.

THE ROLE OF LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN THE GLOBALIZATION PROCESS OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

The article substantiates the expediency of globalization of higher education institutions andthe role of foreign language learning in this process. Four main justifications for globalization areoutlined: academic, socio-cultural, political and economic. Current trends in the internationalization ofhigher education in European countries have been identified, and aspects of the institute’s activitiesrelated to the development and implementation of the globalization strategy have been investigated.Factors determining its successful implementation and factors hindering this process are determined. Theimpact of globalization on the competitiveness of Ukrainian universities and the professional risksassociated with a low level of language proficiency are described. The role of the institute’s languagepolicy in the implementation of the internationalization strategy is defined. The regulatory and legaldocumentation in the field of development and reform of higher education is studied. The prerequisitesfor reforming the English language teaching methodology are considered. The method of globalization ofhigher education in foreign language classes is proposed. It is concluded that the process of globalization,the main goal of which is to improve the quality of education and scientific activity, has become thestrategic direction of higher educational institutions. In this regard, considerable attention is paid tosupporting the provision of pedagogical conditions for the formation of all intercultural competences ofstudents. The results of the empirical study indicate that the key areas of activity of universities in thecontext of internationalization are the development of students’ academic knowledge, mobility, creationof joint educational programs with foreign universities, development of international scientific activity. Itis found that the main factors that stimulate these processes are the development and monitoring of theimplementation of the globalization strategy. The problems of implementing this strategy, as before, areof a financial nature and are associated with a low level of foreign language proficiency and insufficientmotivation of students and teachers to participate in academic mobility programs and internationalscientific projects.

English Language and Communicative Proficiency of Saudi Tourism and Hospitality Students: A Present Situation Analysis

English Language and Communicative Proficiency of Saudi Tourism and Hospitality Students: A Present Situation Analysis

Sex-based Learning Approach: Innovation in Teaching English Pragmatics in Single-sex Education

What approach is applied in teaching English in single-sex education (SSE) and Islamic boarding schools in particular? Some studies report that the language proficiency of Islamic Boarding School students remains unimproved. Although it is apparent that SSE makes teachers apply instructional strategies more readily and effectively than in mixed-sex groupings, the suitability of approaches or methods applied by English language teachers in Islamic Boarding Schools remains unanswered. The order of the male’s factors affecting listening difficulties: Speaker, Content, and Listener (Potential for Men’s Islamic Boarding Schools), and female; Listener, Speaker, and Content (Potential for Women’s Islamic Boarding Schools) (Potential for Women’s Islamic Boarding School), and mixedsexes or co-education (Speaker, Listener, and Content) (Potential for Public Schools) potentially answers the phenomenon. Pedagogically, the orders of sex-based factors affecting listening difficulties are potentially applied as an innovative approach to the pragmatics of pedagogy in SSE, particularly in Islamic religious schools in which socio-cultural and religious content are the priority. Lack of direct communicative interactions with different sexes and limited exposure to the real situation of language use might lead to difficulty in pragmatic understanding. A preliminary prospective solution is available. The santri or santriwati need not visit hotels or tourist objects to improve their auditory pragmatic understanding. As another alternative, the students may read “Pragmatics-based Listening for the TOEFL: Innovation in Independent Learning.” English teachers are suggested to try to apply a gender-based listening approach in English language teaching. Finally, a moral message, “Do not let Islamic boarding schools think alone!”.

A Sociolinguistic Correlational Study of University Students’ Social Background and English Proficiency Development: Issues and Implications

English is a worldwide medium of instruction, and it is gaining fundamental recognition in a wide variety of countries globally. In Pakistan, English is being used in most academic institutions as their medium of instruction. Different factors restrict or influence the students and instructors from speaking in English and gaining English proficiency. Therefore, this study analyses the major contributing factors impacting the English language proficiency of Pakistani university students. This study also provides theoretical background by reviewing the published articles and journals related to the English language education. Furthermore, this study employs a mixed-method approach and conducts both surveys of the students to gain insights into the student's perception of the factors that influence language proficiency. Moreover, the study also conducts semi-structured interviews with four English language professors to understand the teaching approaches. The findings of the results demonstrate that some key factors such as socioeconomic status, educational background, educational environment, and parental role influence the language proficiency of university students. To add further, this study is beneficial for policymakers to review the barriers that limit the use of the English language and ultimately decrease English language proficiency among students in Pakistan. It provides critical insights to educators and teachers to develop strategies that can positively influence students' English language proficiency.

PENGARUH FAKTOR INTERNAL TERHADAP KEMAHIRAN BERBAHASA INDONESIA PESERTA DIDIK PADA JENJANG SEKOLAH MENENGAH DI DKI JAKARTA (The Influence of Internal Factors towards Indonesian Language Proficiency of Students at the High School in DKI Jakarta)

Indonesian language proficiency is a person's ability to use Indonesian, both orally and in writing, as measured by a test instrument called Uji Kemahiran Berbahasa Indonesia (UKBI) Adaptif Merdeka. UKBI Adaptif Merdeka is a user-friendly application that has been tested en masse to 160,450 junior and senior high school students through Giat UKBI Adaptif Merdeka program in 2021. UKBI scores and predicates achieved by students indicate their level of proficiency in Indonesian. This study aims to examine the influence of internal factors on the scores and predicates of Indonesian language proficiency for junior and senior high school students who are participants in Giat UKBI Adaptif Merdeka in DKI Jakarta. The method used is quantitative method. The instruments used are UKBI Adaptif Merdeka and questionnaire about internal factors that affect language proficiency. The results showed that UKBI scores and predicates obtained by students varied. A total of 1.3% of participants obtained scores and predicates above the standard, 46.3% according to the standard, and the rest below the standard. The results also show that internal factors, namely interest, motivation, and talent have a simultaneous effect on the score/predicate of Indonesian language proficiency of students in DKI Jakarta. Keywords: Indonesian language proficiency, UKBI Adaptif Merdeka, Giat UKBI Adaptif Merdeka, internal factors

ФОРМУВАННЯ ТЕХНОЛОГІЙ КРИТИЧНОГО МИСЛЕННЯ ПРИ НАВЧАННІ АНГЛІЙСЬКОЇ МОВИ В НЕМОВНОМУ ВУЗІ

The article analyzes the need for the formation of critical thinking technologies for students of non-native high schools while learning English. It has been established that the formation of students' critical thinking is a necessity dictated by modernity and the rapid development of the latest technologies. The article discusses the concepts of "critical thinking" and "criticality". The main three stages of the technology of forming critical thinking are described: challenge, comprehension, reflection. It is clear that the challenge stage purpose is to actualize previously acquired knowledge. The comprehension stage consists in acquiring new knowledge on one or another scientific problem, and the reflection stage is designed to generalize the acquired knowledge, as well as to form the student's own point of view, to encourage the continuous search for new sources of information and its analysis. It has been proven that the methodology and technology of teaching English in language and non-language high schools, although it has many common features and similarities, but also has significant differences. The article analyzes the problems that an English language teacher in a non-speaking university may face, such as: low level of foreign language proficiency of students, low level of motivation of learning English, passivity of students in classes, as well as concentration only on specialized subjects. Several technologies for the formation of critical thinking in English language classes at non-language high schools are proposed: "K-W-L" tables, interactive recording systems while reading the text. At the reflection stage, the following types of work are offered: writing various types of argumentative essays on the topic that is studied, creating conceptual tables in which students can compare three or more aspects of one or another scientific problem that is studied; discussions, expressing somebody's point of view.

Gallery Walk technique in enhancing reading comprehension and oral English language proficiency of junior high school students

The study used quasi-experimental research with pre-test and post-test design approach to analyse the effectiveness of using the Gallery Walk technique in enhancing reading comprehension and oral English language proficiency among junior high school students. Cluster sampling technique was used in determining the respondents who experienced the Gallery Walk teaching technique and those who experienced the conventional teaching technique. Pre-test result showed no differences in the level of reading comprehension and oral English language proficiency prior to the experiment. After the implementation of the study, post-test was given, and results revealed differences in the students’ performance. Findings revealed that the students who were taught using the Gallery Walk technique showed improvement in reading comprehension and oral English language proficiency as compared to those who underwent the conventional teaching technique. In addition, students had positive feedback about the implementation of Gallery Walk. Finally, the study recommended the use of the Gallery Walk technique in teaching English 8 for enhancing reading comprehension and oral English language proficiency.

INTERNATIONALIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION: INTERNATIONAL VECTORS OF UNIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

Internationalization of higher education is entering a new phase. There is a shift from external internationalization with a strong focus on a small elite of mobile students, faculty, and programs to internal internationalization open to all members of the academic community. The purpose of the work is to determine the current trends in the internationalization of higher education in European countries, to examine in detail the aspects of the University of Bologna's activities in the development and implementation of the internationalization strategy, and to identify factors that contribute to its successful implementation OR restrain this process. The article examines the peculiarities of the implementation of the policy of internationalization of higher education in Germany, Great Britain, Italy, and Poland. The European experience of implementing internationalization strategies is considered using the example of the University of Economics and Humanities in Warsaw (AEH) (Poland). The main documents regulating the process of internationalization at the interstate level have been analyzed. The author substantiated concepts that determine the internationalization of higher education in various discourses and the concept of internationalization in the field of higher education in international practice. The mechanism of internationalization of higher education is determined, the prerequisites for its implementation are revealed. Particular attention is paid to the consideration of the specifics of implementing internationalization of higher education in the EU countries (including Poland) in the context of globalization. In the course of the work, the main changes in the process of internationalization in Europe that took place in recent decades were highlighted and described. It was concluded that the process of internationalization, the main goal of which is to improve the quality of education and research activities, is becoming a strategic direction of higher education institutions; close attention begins to be paid to ensuring the conditions for the formation of intercultural competences in all students. The results of the empirical research indicate that the key directions of the university's activity regarding the development of this process are the development of academic mobility of students, the opening of joint educational programs with foreign universities, the development of international research activities. One of the factors stimulating these processes is the development and monitoring of implementing the internationalization strategy. Difficulties in the implementation of this strategy, as before, are of a financial nature, and are also associated with a low level of foreign language proficiency and insufficient motivation of both students and teachers to participate in academic mobility programs and international research projects. The material presented in the article can be useful to employees of international departments of higher education institutions and persons engaged in theoretical and practical research in the field of internationalization development. The results of the study can become the basis for the development and implementation of the strategy of internationalization in domestic universities.

A study on the effects of language and visual art integrated teaching on language learning performance and satisfaction of ethnic minority students in China.

Innovative technological products are present in students' environments. Information explosion and popularity are affecting their thoughts, and there is a large amount of information fuel in life through the Internet, television, movies, and advertisements. This phenomenon transforms reading from pure words into image. The current study was conducted using an experimental design model. A total of 188 ethnic minority students in the Hebei Province participated in the experimental study. The experimental group went through language and visual art integrated instruction, while the control group underwent traditional teaching. The experimental study lasted for 20 weeks (3 h per week). The research results showed that (1) spoken and written artistic conception was displayed through artistic expression. Ethnic minority students' differences in language skills and artistic expression were found to be the major factors that were effective in the production process. These aspects made the work richer and even more diversified. (2) After joining the classes and covering several lessons, ethnic minority students were found to be getting increasingly better in terms of integrating art vocabulary into their conversation. (3) Language and visual art integrated teaching input was a story content, which was received through "listening", while the outputs were individual opinions through "speaking". Their thoughts were presented through "painting". The creation process operated in the brain and reflected differences in terms of their thinking skills, vocabulary organizational skills, language use, and creativity. Based on the results, this study is expected to improve the language proficiency of ethnic minority students, enhance their artistic culture, and pave the way for their understanding and attitude toward language and literature.