Lower-intermediate Level Research Articles

Speaking Performance of Maritime Students: A Pre-Experimental Study

The Philippines provides several workers all over the world, particularly in the Maritime industry. The need to train graduates who are proficient in the English language is a must. However, academic institutions need to identify ways that can facilitate enhancing the students' speaking skills. This pre-experimental study determined the speaking skills of 38 Maritime students enrolled in an English Proficiency class in one of the Higher Education Institutions in Ozamiz City. The Speaking Test performance of the participants and the intervention materials were taken from the DynEd courseware. The data were analyzed using Mean, Standard Deviation, and t-test. The study revealed that the participants' pretest performance for the Speaking Test was categorized at the elementary level, while their post-test performance was at a lower intermediate level. There was a significant difference in the participants' speaking test performance after the intervention was conducted. The use of computer-based instruction as facilitated by teachers could improve the English-speaking performance of language learners. It is recommended that institutions utilize computer software that can enhance the speaking skills of college students.

Iraqi Students' English Consonant Pronunciation Mistakes: An Analytical Study

In order to determine what kind of training is required for second language (L2) learners, it is helpful to diagnose the challenges they have with pronunciation. This study aimed to fill a gap in our understanding of Arab students' English pronunciation challenges by determining which English consonant phonemes and clusters Iraqi EFL students struggle with, and by exploring the ways in which the students' degrees of language proficiency impact their performance on these tests. The research included forty Iraqi female college students, twenty from each of two groups with varying degrees of English ability (20 from lower-intermediate to intermediate). A four-part productive pronunciation exam helped them see where they were going wrong while pronouncing certain clusters of consonants in different word positions. The participants' largest proportion of mistakes while pronouncing the following sounds were found in the data analysis: /ŋ/, /ʒ/, /p/, /ɹ/ and/ʧ/; /t/ and /d/ of the regular past tense morpheme -ed; and the three and four consonant clusters. In addition, students at the lower-intermediate level were more likely to make a mistake when pronouncing clusters and consonant sounds than those at the intermediate level. What's more, mistakes made by learners were more likely to vary in initial positions than in medial or final ones in words. According to the research, consonants which are located at the beginning or end of words are more likely to be problematic for pronunciation than those that are located in the middle of words.

The Importance of Ethical Values in Explicit Music in English from a Parental Perspective

Given the significant influence of the English language in most Spanish educational centres in Spain as well as on main top popular music charts in this country, and considering the current crisis of ethical values on a global level, the aim of this study was to primarily assess the level of parental concern related to explicit language in songs in the English language and relate its connection with own ethical values. The instrument used to collect data was a Likert-scale based questionnaire (with 5 response-options) following the hypotheses of this study (Behaviour and emotions of minors; Level of English and understanding of the language, explicit music broadcasted globally and modification of ethical values if in a foreign language), which were defined through the structural equation model (SEM-PLS), a method recommended for studies in social sciences. A total of 160 responses were collected from parents/tutors claiming they had a lower-intermediate level of the English language and with children/students who were enrolled in different bilingual schools in Extremadura (Spain). Results actually revealed a relaxed attitude towards ethical values compromised by explicit language, should these be in a foreign language, therefore evidencing a different personal ranking of values in a foreign language.

Technology-mediated teaching vocabulary: exploring EFL learners’ depth and breadth of lexical knowledge

Drawing on Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, the present study aims to examine the effectiveness of technology-mediated teaching vocabulary in the form of multimedia glosses on EFL learners’ depth and breadth of lexical knowledge. The study was conducted with 91 male and female undergraduate students at a lower-intermediate level of English proficiency in Iran. Participants of the study were randomly assigned into two-variable group contrasts, experimental (text + visual) and control (text-only) groups. They attended 16 reading sessions once a week during which the experimental group practiced computerized reading texts with pop-up text and picture glosses and the control group practiced reading similar texts with pop-up text only. The relative efficacy of teaching activities in vocabulary learning was assessed by using the Word Associates Test for measuring lexical depth and the Updated Vocabulary Levels Test for measuring the lexical breadth before and after the intervention program. To scrutinize the data, ANCOVA and t-test have been done. Results of ANCOVA revealed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in both tests, and the result of the t-test specified that participants kept the scores in the Vocabulary Levels Test significantly higher than the Word Associates Test in the outperforming group. This means that using multimedia glosses in teaching vocabulary has a significant effect on improving both the breadth and depth of lexical knowledge of EFL learners. However, the effect is more significant on breadth than depth of lexical knowledge. The study by analyzing separate measurements of the breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge of EFL learners provided original research in vocabulary teaching and learning and offered pedagogical implications for language teaching.

Examining the Dependability and Practicality of Analytic Rubric of Summary Writing Using Multivariate Generalizability Theory: Focusing on Japanese University Students with Lower-Intermediate Proficiency in English

English teachers, especially those who teach summary writing to students with relatively lower proficiency in English face difficulty in teaching summary writing and while assessing their students’ performances. In the classroom context, an analytic rubric is pedagogically more helpful than a holistic rubric because the teacher can confirm the strengths and weaknesses of their students’ summary performance and the students can receive constructive feedback (Yamanishi et al., 2019). This study examined the practicality of the analytic rubric which consisted of four rating scales, including language use, by investigating seven in-service English teachers’ honest assessment of 160 summaries of Japanese private university students who are inexperienced in writing English summaries and have lower-intermediate proficiency of English. Furthermore, this study examined the dependability of the analytic rubric using multivariate generalizability theory (Brennan, 2001). The results showed that assessing language use and judging summaries, copied, to a lesser or greater extent, from the source text was difficult because of diverse linguistic errors and the use of paraphrasing was lacking. Therefore, it is necessary to define the gravity of language errors and that of copying in more detail to develop a rubric that suits to assess the summaries written by English learners with lower-intermediate level of English.

Effectiveness of Collaborative Strategic Reading Instruction for Tertiary level English as a Second Language (ESL) learners

In the process of language learning, Reading is considered a fundamental skill as it is the only means of access to written documents in a language (Alderson, 2000). With sound proficiency in reading, learners, especially at tertiary level, can achieve their academic and professional goals. This study was carried out in order to investigate the effectiveness of Collaborative Strategic Reading Instruction Approach (CSR) which is a learner centered reading approach closely related to cooperative learning theory (Klingner and Vaughn ,1996; 1998; 2000). The informants of the study were 67 lower intermediate level undergraduates from the University of Peradeniya. Data was collected through the mixed method approach. The qualitative data of the experiment demonstrated that collaborative work during the reading activities lead the learners to learn and think significantly more and better. However, the statistical analysis did not prove this method as a better method than the traditional teaching method. Thus, pedagogical implications for English instruction at university level in Sri Lanka and suggestions for future research based on the findings to further validate the impact and effectiveness of collaborative learning are proposed.

Effect of Teachers’ Corrective Feedback on Learners’ Oral Accuracy in English Speaking Lessons

Corrective feedback plays a vital role in contributing to the success of English language teaching and learning at all levels owing to its essential functions in developing learners’ English capacity. However, the ongoing debate on how effective corrective feedback is still remains controversial among educational scholars. This empirical study examined the effects of teachers’ corrective feedback on learners’ English oral accuracy at a higher education institution. The study used a before-and-after approach with the involvement of 47 law major sophomores at lower intermediate level who were divided into control and experimental groups. Specifically, the experimental group included two batches, including 16 participants companions receiving the explicit correction and metalinguistic feedback, and 15 learners provided with recast and clarification requests. In addition, there were 16 participants in the control group who were given no form of corrective feedback during English speaking lessons. The results indicate that the efficacy of corrective feedback is clearly acknowledged thanks to the contrastive analysis of the outcome in the learners' performance on the post-tests. In particular, the results of the explicit corrective feedback slightly outweighed the results of the control group receiving implicit feedback in terms of improving learners’ accurate usage of grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. The findings emphasise the importance of teachers’ corrective feedback in helping students improve their English competency.

Investigating the Interplay of Emotional Intelligence and Interlanguage Pragmatic Competence in Iranian Lower-Intermediate EFL Learners

Despite the significant role of emotions in any aspect of language learning, including its pragmatic aspect, there have been few research studies on this topic. As a stride toward narrowing this research niche, the objectives of this research were threefold. Firstly, it aimed to examine the two face-threatening speech acts of request and apology as indicators of learners’‎ interlanguage pragmatic competence (ILP) and its relationships with learners’ Emotional Quotient (EQ). Secondly, it sought to investigate ‎whether gender as an intervening variable would have any significant relationship with ILP and EQ, and thirdly whether EQ could predict ILP ‎development. To this end, 72 (50 females and 22 males) Iranian lower-intermediate level learners ranging ‎in age from 17 to 25 from two universities took part in this research. A multiple-choice discourse completion test ‎‎(MDCT) (Liu, 2004) and Bar-Onʼs ‎(1997) EQ scale were used and correlation analysis was done to search for any linkage between ILP and EQ. The Pearson product-moment correlation outcomes ‎revealed no significant relationship between EQ and ILP. However, a significant relation was found between Independence as a component of EQ and ‎EFL learners’ ILP competence. The independent samples t-test outcomes indicated ‎that female participants had a higher level of (ILP) competence than male participants; however, male and female participants did not differ significantly regarding their EQ level. The findings indicate that ‎EQ, in general, is not influential in EFL learners’ ILP competence. The paper concludes by providing pedagogical implications for EFL learners and instructors.

The Effect of Reading Comprehension Strategies Instruction on EFL Learners’ Reading Anxiety Level

This experimental study, using pretest-intervention-posttest design, investigated whether or not teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) learners to use comprehension strategies when they read English passages, decreases their English reading anxiety. The participants were 55 EFL learners in Turkey who were at lower-intermediate level based on the results of the Oxford Quick Placement Test. Data were collected via Saito, Garza, and Horwitz’s (1999)Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale (FLRAS). The whole treatment/control period lasted for 11 weeks during a reading course. The experimental group (n = 28) received instruction in reading comprehension strategies (i.e., previewing, scanning for details, skimming, identifying the topic and main idea, finding supporting details, making inferences, understanding the author’s purpose, making predictions, dealing with unfamiliar words, using context clues, and summarizing). The control group (n = 27) received instruction by traditional teaching methods (i.e., reading, paraphrasing, translating, and answering the exercises).The results of the Mann-Whitney U Test indicated that instruction in English reading comprehension strategies had a positive effect on EFL learners in terms of reducing their English reading anxiety.

Instructing Reading Comprehension Strategies: Effects on EFL Learners’ Self-Efficacy in Reading

This experimental study, using pretest-intervention-posttest design, investigated whether or not teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) learners to use comprehension strategies when they read English passages, increases their self-efficacy in reading. The participants were 55 EFL learners in Turkey who were at lower-intermediate level based on the results of the Oxford Quick Placement Test. Data were gathered via a Reading Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. The whole treatment/control period lasted for 11 weeks during a reading course. The experimental group (n = 28) received instruction in reading comprehension strategies (i.e., previewing, scanning for details, skimming, identifying the topic and main idea, finding supporting details, making inferences, understanding the author’s purpose, making predictions, dealing with unfamiliar words, using context clues, and summarizing). The control group (n = 27) received instruction by traditional teaching methods (i.e., reading, paraphrasing, translating, and answering the exercises).The results of the Mann-Whitney U Test indicated that instruction in English reading comprehension strategies had a positive effect on EFL learners in terms of increasing their self-efficacy in reading.

Future or Movement? The L2 Acquisition of Aller + V Forms

This study aims to advance the understanding of the impact of the discursive context in the form-function mappings of aller + V forms by native speakers (NSs) and learners of French (NNSs), and to further knowledge about the developmental patterns of use of such forms at three proficiency levels (lower intermediate, upper intermediate, and advanced). While aller + V is often referred to as a periphrastic future form, i.e., a way to express temporal reference, it also takes a range of diverse semantic values (including spatial, aspectual, and modal values), and discursive functions. We therefore set out to examine data from a cross-sectional oral narrative and a longitudinal semi-guided interview task to find out to what extent aller + V forms are used by NSs and NNSs in a study abroad context. Our main results show that at lower intermediate level, spatial values dominate, while temporal and modal values emerge at upper intermediate and advanced levels. As regards the discursive functions of aller + V, learners make context appropriate choices (among others, narrative function in oral narratives, and stance-marking in interviews), but even at advanced level, their range of semantic values and discursive functions is more restricted than native speakers’.

TOOLS FOR CHILDREN FITNESS IN THE PHYSICAL EDUCATION OF PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS

The results of pedagogical experiment that lasted from 2017 to 2018 are published in this research. 82 children took part in the experiment, among them were 42 boys and 40 girls. The actual age of children was nine years old. The purpose of the work was to discover the influence of fitness tools on physical development, physical preparation, psycho-emotional condition on younger school-age pupils. There was noticed a significant improvement of results of physical development according to Kettle index. In particular, it is about high level (from 16,9% to 43,1%), decreasing the average (from 54,4% to 46,8%) and especially the low level of physical development (from 28,7% to 10,1%),(p<0,05). Probably, positive changes appeared in the result of Ruffier Dickson tests, improvement indicators of intermediate level (from 4,8% to 14,1%),(p<0,05), decreasing in indicators of lower-intermediate level (from 38,4% to 16,7%),(p<0,05). The stable dynamics was noticed in the results of physical preparation (p<0,05), in particular after “30m run” exercise. Boys have got the result from 6,2±0,7sec to 5,4±0,5sec, girls - from 6,9±0,5sec to 6,1±0,5sec. The exercise “tilting torso forward from sitting position” represented result 3,9cm among boys and 5,5cm among girls; the exercise “long jump from place” represented 14,7cm among boys and 22,5cm among girls; in the exercise “shuttle running” boys got result from 11,7±1sec to 9,2±0,9sec and girls – from 12,1±1,2sec to 10,2±1 sec. What is more, positive and statistically important changes (p<0,05) where in results of pupils’ psycho-emotional condition evaluation. We have noticed increasing in levels of well-being, activeness, mood.

University students’ digital competence in three areas of the DigCom 2.1 model: A comparative study at three European universities

This study analysed the digital competence of 1,073 students at one Italian and two Spanish universities using the COBADI 2.0 (Basic Digital Competences/Registered Trademark 2970648) questionnaire. A quantitative methodology was applied to university students’ use of, and competence in, three areas of DigCom 2.1: information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, and digital content creation. The results showed that these future graduates had an upper intermediate level of competence in information and digital literacy, and communication and collaboration, but a lower intermediate level in terms of digital content creation, particularly in the creation and dissemination of multimedia content using different tools. Two student profiles were identified for time spent online: those who dedicated a lot of their time to gaming or interacting on social media, and those who used most of their online time to searching for information and completing academic work.

Diagnosing Saudi Students' English Consonant Pronunciation Errors

Diagnosing the pronunciation difficulties second language (L2) learners encounter assists in identifying their training needs. Since a clearer profile of Arab students' English pronunciation difficulties is yet to be reached, this study tried to identify which English consonant sounds and clusters Saudi English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) students have difficulty in pronouncing, and examine how students' language proficiency levels may influence their English consonant pronunciation performance. Forty Saudi female university students with two different English proficiency levels (lower-intermediate versus intermediate) took part in the study (20 students in each group). They completed a 4-section productive pronunciation test diagnosing their errors in pronouncing problematic consonant sounds and clusters in varied word positions. The data analysis showed that the participants' highest error percentages were in pronouncing: /ʒ/, /ŋ/, /p/, /ɹ/ and/ʧ/; /t/ and /d/ of the regular past morpheme -ed; and the 4- and 3-consonant clusters. It was also found that the lower-intermediate level students made more errors than the intermediate ones in pronouncing the majority of the consonant sounds and clusters, and that the variance between their errors is generally higher in the word-initial positions than the word-medial and -final ones. The study indicates that the consonants in the word-initial and -final positions are likely to cause more pronunciations difficulties than the ones in the word-medial position.

Diagnosing Saudi Students' English Consonant Pronunciation Errors

Diagnosing the pronunciation difficulties second language (L2) learners encounter assists in identifying their training needs. Since a clearer profile of Arab students' English pronunciation difficulties is yet to be reached, this study tried to identify which English consonant sounds and clusters Saudi English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) students have difficulty in pronouncing, and examine how students' language proficiency levels may influence their English consonant pronunciation performance. Forty Saudi female university students with two different English proficiency levels (lower-intermediate versus intermediate) took part in the study (20 students in each group). They completed a 4-section productive pronunciation test diagnosing their errors in pronouncing problematic consonant sounds and clusters in varied word positions. The data analysis showed that the participants' highest error percentages were in pronouncing: /ʒ/, /ŋ/, /p/, /ɹ/ and/ʧ/; /t/ and /d/ of the regular past morpheme -ed; and the 4- and 3-consonant clusters. It was also found that the lower-intermediate level students made more errors than the intermediate ones in pronouncing the majority of the consonant sounds and clusters, and that the variance between their errors is generally higher in the word-initial positions than the word-medial and -final ones. The study indicates that the consonants in the word-initial and -final positions are likely to cause more pronunciations difficulties than the ones in the word-medial position.

A Study of Relationship Between Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge and Semantic Set in Iranian EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Used in Writing

This study investigated the Relationship between Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge and Semantic Set in Iranian EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Used in Writing. The purpose of this study was to see the role of depth of vocabulary knowledge in making appropriate choices among words in a semantic set in EFL learners’ writing performance. 70 lower-intermediate and upper-intermediate learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) from the language learners of English institute in Bandar Abbas, Iran participated in this study. Instruments for the data collection include Word Association Test (WAT), Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS), and four writing tests. In the first phase, using MANOVA statistical procedure for data analysis, the role of depth of vocabulary knowledge in writing performance and appropriate use of words in a semantic set in overall writing quality was investigated. The second part of the study attempted to explore the role of appropriate use of words in a semantic set in the participants’ overall writing performance using independent sample t-test. Finally, attempts were made to identify the role of depth of vocabulary knowledge and appropriate use of words in a semantic set in the overall use of words in the participants’ writings using a two-way ANOVA as the data analysis technique. The results of the data analysis provided empirical evidence supporting that: a) depth of vocabulary knowledge played a fundamental role in appropriate use of words in a semantic set in lower-intermediate level but not in upper-intermediate level, b) depth of vocabulary knowledge has a significant role in overall writing performance only in upper-intermediate level, c) using words appropriately in a semantic set played a significant role in writing performance of the lower-intermediate participants, while the opposite was revealed for the upper-intermediate group, d) the upper-intermediate learners could benefit from their knowledge of depth of vocabulary in using words, in general, correctly and appropriately. The findings promise some pedagogical implications for vocabulary and writing curriculum development, material development, and course designing.

Tungsten mineralization in the Tien Shan Gold Belt: Geology, petrology, fluid inclusion, and stable isotope study of the Ingichke reduced tungsten skarn deposit, western Uzbekistan

The Ingichke reduced W skarn deposit (100Kt WO3, with the average grade of 0.58% WO3) is the largest one among W deposits known in the Tien Shan Gold Belt. It is associated with an Early Permian multiphase granitoid pluton that comprises ilmenite-series to ilmenite-titanite-bearing, medium- to high-K, metaluminous to peraluminous I-type granitoid (monzodiorite-granodiorite to granite-leucogranite) rocks. The pluton is related to crustal accretionary-type reservoirs of granitoid magma likely formed in response to an ascent of asthenospheric material at the post-collisional stage. It is part of the continuum of plutonic suites related to reduced W-Au-polymetallic deposits, with further links to reduced intrusion-related Au deposits. The deposit comprises abundant pyroxene (mainly hedenbergitic) skarn, and a minor garnet skarn (mostly grossular-rich garnet with elevated almandine and spessartine contents). Hydrosilicate (propylitic) alteration (amphibole-chlorite-calcite-quartz with abundant pyrrhotite and minor chalcopyrite) partially overprints skarn and is in turn overprinted by zones of phyllic alteration (quartz-sericite-Fe-carbonate, locally with albite, scheelite, and sulfides, Bi and Au minerals).Prograde and retrograde skarns were formed from aqueous, dominantly magnesian-sodic-chloride, moderately-saline (10–14 to 4–7 wt% NaCl-eq.) hot fluid, with its progressing enrichment in Ca. Hydrosilicate (propylitic) and phyllic alteration assemblages were formed from boiling low salinity, carbonic-aqueous, magnesium-sodic-calcic fluids at moderate (330–355 °C) to lower (250–265 °C) temperatures, respectively, with separation of carbonic (with varying CO2/CH4 ratio) and aqueous-chloride fluids. Trapping pressures ranged from ∼2000 to 1500 bars, indicating a lithostatic depth of some 6 to 8 km, i.e., a lower-intermediate level in an integrated model of reduced W skarn deposits. The stable isotope data indicate an influence of a sedimentary (limestone) source of oxygen and carbon at the retrograde skarn stage (δ18OH2O = +8.1 to +9.0%, δ13CCO2 = −2.5 to +0.3%), and a dominantly magmatic (mantle- to crustal-derived) source of water (δ18OH2O = +7.0 ± 0.5%) at the hydrosilicate (propylitic) and phyllic alteration stages and carbon (δ13CCO2 = −7.8 to −4.7%) at the hydrosilicate (propylitic) stage. At the phyllic alteration stage, a strong enrichment in the light carbon isotope (δ13CCO2 = −10.1 to −9.4%) indicates a possible influence of a reduced organic carbon source. A magmatic source of sulfur is envisioned for the hydrosilicate (propylitic) (δ34S = +2.0 ± 0.5%) and phyllic (δ34S = −1.0 ± 0.3%) alteration stages.

The Effect of Bottom-up/Top- down Techniques on Lower vs. Upper -Intermediate EFL Learners’ Listening Comprehension

Listening is regarded as an interactive process involving decoding of information. This study was launched to find out the impact of bottom-up (BU) and top-down (TD) techniques on Iranian lower and upper intermediate learners’ listening comprehension. We selected a total of 120 participants in six intact classes, three lower intermediate and three upper intermediate. The proficiency level of the groups was further verified and groups at each proficiency level were randomly assigned as a BU group who were engaged in BU activities during the pre-listening stage of each lesson throughout the eight-session treatment, a TD group who performed TD activities, and a control group (CG) for whom no pre-listening attention focusing activities were used. The One-way and Two-way analysis of variance of the listening post-test scores indicated that the lower-intermediate BU group and the upper-intermediate TD group did significantly better compared to the other groups. The findings suggest that BU processing activities were more effective at lower intermediate level while TD processing activities played a more facilitative role for upper intermediate participants. The findings support the interaction between proficiency level and information processing techniques and imply a number of pedagogical implications.

Comparison between Peer Feedback and Automated Feedback in College English Writing: A Case Study

As written feedback is an indispensable component of instructing and learning process, the implementation of effective feedback plays a key role in improving non-English majors’ writing skill. Peers and automated writing evaluation systems are new, main sources of feedback providers in college English writing. This paper compares three feedback conditions: individual and group modes in peer feedback and automated feedback. Analysis is made on distribution features from feedback types, dimensions of assessment rubric, aspects of organization and linguistic performance, and reflected attitudes. The findings indicate automated mode and group mode take turns dominating in non-corrective feedback and corrective feedback; group mode takes the lead in both direct and indirect feedback; individual, group and automated modes underemphasize global feedback. Dimensions are found to centre on linguistic performance, followed by organization, content and format, differences and similarities of specific aspects and attitudes are also found in all three modes. Further investigations are undertaken into students’ perceptions towards peer feedback and automated feedback, with their respective merits and demerits summed up. On the basis of all the findings, key elements of sociocultural theory are explored to provide multi-dimensional feedback scaffolding for students of lower-intermediate level in facilitating college English writing.

The role of L2 learner goal differences in task-generated oral production

In light of the growing interest in the cognitive approach to task in second language (L2) research, comparatively little has been done to examine such effect over time and the role of individual differences (IDs). The present study was designed to verify some longitudinal evidence for the role of tasks in L2 production and whether IDs, in the example of goal orientations, may have a bearing on that role. Thirty lower-intermediate level undergraduates performed narrative tasks during a five-month period and some were subsequently interviewed. Analysis of the data suggests that goal orientation and task conditions have a combined effect on speaking performance and development. In view of that, this paper questions the validity of findings disregarding learner variability and argues for the necessity to direct future research focus at how IDs may interact with tasks in different ways to influence L2 production.