non-English Major Students Research Articles

A Survey Study on English Vocabulary Learning Strategies by Non-English Major Students at University of Transport and Communication Ho Chi Minh City Campus

The research was conducted based on theoretical frameworks, previous research findings, and the English learning situation of non-English major students at University of Transport and Communication Ho Chi Minh City Campus (UTC HCMC). This study is a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. Survey results from over 400 non-majored students at UTC HCM campus from February to May of the year 2023 showed that they are aware of the importance of English communication skills in general and English vocabulary in particular. However, their actual learning practices do not fully reflect this awareness. Furthermore, the experimental study results demonstrated the effectiveness of two proposed methods: (1) vocabulary flashcards and (2) repeated writing of words, both of which are proven to be effective and widely applicable for learners at UTC HCMC.

The Effects of Blooket oThe Effects of Blooket on Motivation in Learning English among First-Year Non-English Majors at A University in Ho Chi Minh Cityn Motivation in Learning English among First-Year Non-English Majors at A University in Ho Chi Minh City

This study reviews Blooket's impacts on 51 non-English major university students' vocabulary and reading skills through their intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in comparing when teachers use traditional and technological methods in teaching based on Ryan and Deci's self-determination framework (2020). The research conducted by Shliakhtina et al. (2023) has indicated that old-fashioned approaches, like the Grammar Translation Method with appropriate teacher support, can also enhance students' motivation. However, students sometimes need more support learning vocabulary and reading skills because it is a learned-by-heart process. The study gathered data on students' motivation levels when exposed to different teaching approaches by conducting action research. This data can help identify the effectiveness of Blooket in enhancing students' intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, according to the research of Tran (2022) and Thu & Dan (2023). The results indicate that incorporating elements of extrinsic motivation, such as points or badges within Blooket, also contributes to overall motivation. Students may feel a sense of achievement and be further motivated to participate actively in language learning activities. The interactive nature of Blooket, along with its ability to create a supportive learning environment, fosters a sense of learning and self-awareness among learners. This, in turn, allows students to understand their strengths and weaknesses and take ownership of their learning process.

EXPLORING PROSPECTS OF WEB-PUBLISHED ACADEMIC ENGLISH COURSEBOOK FOR NON-ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS

This study explores opportunities for web-published academic English coursebook to be applied as primary learning resource for non-English major students in Indonesia. Large scale social restriction due to Covid-19 pandemic that disallows regular face to face meeting to be conducted and the fact that English coursebook has not been developed yet at locus of the study lead the authors to set this phenomenon as important and urgent. The data were gathered from a total of 68 non-English major students at a state university in Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan, Indonesia. Data were obtained through interview, observation, and document analysis. This publication entails on (1) the perceived importance and the urgency of academic English coursebook; (2) participants’ internet self-efficacy; and (3) participants’ perception on faculty readiness in terms of infrastructures. This study contributes to English as a foreign/second language domain that it sheds light on how to begin the design and development of web-oriented academic English coursebook for non-English major students.

THE EFFECTS OF PRACTICING KET LISTENING TESTS ON PREPARATION FOR VSTEP LEVEL 2 LISTENING TESTS

In recent years, English has assumed a greater and greater significance in the teaching and learning of languages in Vietnam. Nowadays, most students want to find better jobs with a certificate in a foreign language. As a result, students enroll in the English Center to study VSTEP to reduce career competition. The fact is that teachers create their documents and employ a variety of resources. Nevertheless, the Cambridge Key English KET Test paper is more reliable because it has been accepted by the Ministry of Education and Training (2014) as being similar to the VSTEP level 2. Therefore, the current study intends to investigate whether using KET listening tests can improve listening performance in level 2 VSTEP. This is a quasi-experimental qualitative study with only post-test design. The survey was carried out on 30 non-English major students at a university in An Giang province. Data were then analyzed by using Descriptive Statistics Tests, One-way ANOVA, and One Samples T-Tests in the SPSS software, version 20. The findings showed that students have a positive perception of the effects of using the KET Listening Tests in preparation for VSTEP Level 2 Listening Test. Pedagogical implications and suggestions for further studies are also included.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0758/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

The Importance of Cohesion in Academic Writing

This paper aims to help the flow of writing of academic pieces of work. As it is known, it is difficult to define what academic writing is because it depends on the purpose of the writer and the reasons that they are writing. Therefore, there are many different forms of academic writing pieces. This paper focuses on pieces written by international university students for education, teaching or social studies. It could help, for example, with an essay, an assignment, a report, or research. Correspondingly, cohesion is crucial; it helps the academic work to be more understandable and worthy to read. In addition, it enables the writer to express their idea coherently in writing. Consequently, this paper illustrates some authors’ advice and views that should help students and researchers improve their academic writing skills. It also analyzes some academic essays written by non-English major Libyan students.

EXPLORING PRONUNCIATION CHALLENGES: INDONESIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' PRODUCTION OF ENGLISH FRICATIVE SOUNDS

Abstract: This study investigated the production of English alveolar and post-alveolar fricatives by 40 Indonesian university students who are not majoring in English study. The research instruments were a questionnaire, which was used to obtain information about the participants, and a word list, which was comprised of 16 English words with alveolar and post-alveolar fricatives and 9 tricky words. The results revealed two main findings. The first was that most Indonesian non-English major university students who participated in this research were not proficient in producing voiced post-alveolar fricative /ʒ/ which resulted in the substitution of the sound with /z/, /s/, and /ʃ/. The participants, however, were quite great at producing the voiceless post-alveolar fricative /ʃ/ and had no difficulty in producing alveolar fricatives /s/ and /z/. The second was that the results indicated that the participants’ problems in pronouncing English fricatives were mainly attributed to native language interference, the absence of the target sound in the sound system of their native language, and limited knowledge of English phonetics. This research recommends that EFL teachers give a special portion of time to train their students to pronounce fricative sounds in English that do not exist in the students' native language and provide them with English sound phonetic knowledge. Both of these things are strongly believed to improve the students’ proficiency in English pronunciation.

ENHANCING WRITING SKILLS OF EFL LEARNERS THROUGH AUTOMATED FEEDBACK: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION

This study examines the effectiveness of an automated writing evaluation (AWE) tool in improving the writing skills of lower-proficiency EFL learners. The study involved 34 non-English major university students who received AWE feedback from the WhiteSmoke Writing Assistant during their writing practice sessions. The quality of their writing was evaluated using pre-and post-tests, and their perceptions of the feedback were gathered through a questionnaire. The results showed a significant improvement in the quality of students' writing after using AWE feedback. Additionally, the students perceived the AWE feedback as positively impacting the quality of their writing. These findings suggest that AWE feedback is a promising tool that can be incorporated into the writing class program to enhance the quality of students' writing. Writing teachers can use the tool to evaluate students' compositions and provide targeted feedback to help them improve their writing skills. Overall, the study highlights the potential of technology-based writing tools to facilitate language learning and improve EFL learners' writing proficiency.

Challenges in ESP Vocabulary Acquisition: A Study of Vietnamese Non-English Majors

This study investigates the challenges encountered by Vietnamese non-English major university students in their pursuit of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) vocabulary proficiency. Employing a survey-based research methodology, the study collects data from a representative sample of students, with a primary focus on identifying the key difficulties experienced during ESP vocabulary acquisition. The findings reveal significant obstacles in the process, including limited exposure to ESP terminology, difficulties in comprehending and retaining specialized terms, as well as a lack of practical application opportunities. These results emphasize the critical need for tailored teaching strategies and resources to enhance ESP vocabulary learning for non-English majors. Furthermore, the implications of this study extend to language teaching practices, highlighting the necessity for curriculum adjustments that better align with the specific requirements of these learners within the Vietnamese educational context.

Language learning beyond the classrooms: Experiences of Vietnamese English major and non-English major students

Research increasingly shows that the rapid growth of digital technology has added unprecedented affordances for many English as a foreign language (EFL) learners to advance their English proficiency beyond the classrooms. However, it is not yet well understood if Vietnamese English major (EMajor) students (who have English as their discipline), and non-English major (NEMajor) students (who have English as a minor curriculum component), differ in their language learning beyond the classrooms (LLBC). Drawing on the LLBC framework, this qualitative study reports on the LLBC experiences of Vietnamese EMajor and NEMajor students. Data were obtained through LLBC diaries using the Diaro application and stimulated recall interviews and coded thematically according to the LLBC dimensions. The findings showed that LLBC was predominantly mediated digitally. The EMajor students had higher levels of LLBC engagement and selected English-only resources more frequently than did their NEMajor peers. However, many students from both cohorts faced challenges using English-only resources; in contrast, they learned more effectively with bilingual resources. This study suggests that it is essential for researchers, educational policymakers and teachers to understand the characteristics of EMajor and NEMajor students’ LLBC ecologies to enhance their language learning experiences inside and outside the classrooms.

Understanding non-English Major’s Students’ Motivation in Learning English via Photovoice: Insights from Tertiary EFL Students

Despite various studies on the motivation in the ELT context, there is a lack of study that centers on the learners’ motivation of non-English majors through photovoice research. The current study attempts to fill this gap. This study was conducted in a private university in Indonesia, involving five non-English major students. A photovoice study was utilized so as to capture and understand their learning motivation. It was found that the photographs the students took illustrated that the students have now been learning English in much more critical ways. Various reasons for their learning English include the ideas that English is a beautiful and a useful language. They also perceived that learning English can help us get a better job; traveling is much easier with a good knowledge of English; and having knowledge of English can help you study abroad. They perceived that they should study English harder to achieve such goals. The findings also show that they belong to non-English majors. Suggestions for future studies are also offered in this paper.

EFFECTIVENESS OF POWERPOINT PRESENTATION ON VOCABULARY RETENTION OF EFL FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION

Vocabulary learning plays an important role in language learning. To many language learners, lack of vocabulary is one of the biggest obstacles that prevent them from mastering the language. Moreover, there have been a lot of studies conducted to find out the way to help language learners acquire and retain learned vocabulary. Among them, PowerPoint is suggested by many researchers as one good way to help learners learn vocabulary retention through reading comprehension. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of PowerPoint on vocabulary retention in reading comprehension of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) first-year students at Long An University of Economics and Industry (DLA), Long An Province, Vietnam. Besides, this study investigates learners’ attitudes towards the use of PowerPoint in learning vocabulary. The participants were 60 non-English major students at DLA. Two instruments were (1) the tests on English vocabulary, (2) the questionnaire on the participants’ attitudes towards the use of PowerPoint in teaching and learning vocabulary, were investigated. The results demonstrated a significant difference in learners’ vocabulary retention: the participants in the experimental group remembered vocabulary longer than those in the control group. The study showed that the learners had positive attitudes towards the use of PPT (PowerPoint Presentation) in learning vocabulary retention.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0053/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Application of Corpus Analysis Software and Error Analysis Theory on Non-English Majors’ Chinese-English Translation Features

This research focuses on non-English major students’ Chinese-English (C-E) translation features. It aims at annotating and summarizing the features and error types in students’ C-E translation by applying to corpus analysis software Readability Analyzer. This study first collects students’ C-E translation texts from a computer-based exam, then forms a self-constructed corpus and a reference corpus. The translation materials in the target corpus and the reference corpus are first analyzed and compared by Readability Analyzer to figure out the features of students C-E translation texts from the perspectives of sentence length, word length, percentage of difficult words, Flesch Reading Ease, Dale-Chall Score, Fry Readability Grade Level. After that, different types of errors in students C-E translation are labeled and analyzed based on statistical analysis and Error Analysis (EA) theory. According to Readability Analyzer, students C-E translation texts have the following features. From passage statistics, it shows that translation texts that get lower scores tend to use shorter sentences and easier words. In addition, from readability scores, Flesch scores, Dale-Chall Scores shows and Fry Readability Grade Level are taken into consideration. Flesch scores shows that compared with the reference corpus, students’ translation which get lower scores are harder to understand since there are more language errors than higher-score translation. Dale-Chall Scores indicate that translation materials which score 8-9 are very close in the difficulty of word-using with the reference corpus. Fry Readability Grade Level shows that texts of lower scores are simpler and more accurate than texts of higher scores. According to Error Analysis (EA) Theory, students’ errors are further classified and discussed on lexical level, sentence level and textual level. The conclusions of this research are expected to make contributions to the improvement of C-E translation teaching and help college students, especially non-English majors, to enhance their C-E translation competence.

Research on the Reform of Higher Vocational English ESP Teaching Mode Oriented by Vocational Needs

Abstract Based on the theoretical knowledge of ESP teaching, this paper constructs a vocational demand-oriented ESP teaching model for higher vocational English and analyzes the structure and implementation principles of this teaching model in depth. The non-English major full-time higher vocational students enrolled in 2022 at a regional higher vocational college are selected as the research sample, and they are experimentally grouped. A questionnaire was used to obtain the data for analyzing the effect of the ESP teaching model of the study, and the mean IUT and standard deviation F test in the significance test method were used to test the significance of the collected data. Data summarization: compared to the English interpreting pre-test scores, the mean interpreting score of the experimental group increased by 0.469, and the mean interpreting score of the control group increased by 0.223. The t-statistic of the interpreting post-test scores was 4.105, and the corresponding p-value was 0.003<0.05. There was also a mean score of the experimental group’s English translation post-test scores that was higher than the control group’s score of 5.923, and the value of the p-value was 0.036. Overall, there is a significant difference between the control group and the experimental group in both English translation and English interpretation scores. In order to improve the final ESP teaching model, a reform strategy based on vocational needs is proposed.

Intercultural Competence of Chinese College Students of Non-English Majors: A Linguistic Study

Intercultural Competence of Chinese College Students of Non-English Majors: A Linguistic Study

Flipped classroom with gamified technology and paper-based method for teaching vocabulary

While gamified technology integration in vocabulary instruction within a flipped classroom has yielded beneficial teaching outcomes, specific studies have raised concerns about potential adverse effects linked to this approach. As a result, conducting a comparative analysis between gamified technology and conventional paper-based methods within the flipped classroom framework has become essential. This analysis aims to foster the development of a targeted teaching approach that adeptly addresses the unique needs of students. This study employed a sequential explanatory research design to examine the effectiveness of flipped classroom with gamified technology and paper-based method in teaching vocabulary to students with different proficiency levels. Quantitative data was gathered from a pretest and a posttest, whilst qualitative data was collected through teachers’ guided reflection. Using Academic Word List (300 target words), control groups employed a paper-based, while experimental groups applied gamified technology (Quizlet, Kahoot!, Quizizz, Socrative, and Google Form), which lasted 10 weeks. The participants were 144 non-English major students who took a general English course in the 2nd semester of 2023. Quantitative data analysis ran in SPSS 25 using Paired Sample t-Test and One-way ANOVA. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic progression. The results showed that gamified technology did not affect students’ learning outcomes, while the paper-based method resulted conversely. It revealed that the paper-based method is more effective than gamified technology for students in general, with low proficiency and high-proficiency level. Further, teachers’ beliefs admitted distinctive issues that gamified technology was more effective for high-proficiency learners, whereas paper-based was more effective for low-proficiency learners. The difference analysis of quantitative and qualitative data sheds light on discussing threats while implementing gamified technology and possible solutions.

An Analysis of Negative Transfer Made by Chinese Non-English Major Students in IELTS Writing Task 2

The phenomenon of negative transfer between languages has been a hot topic in second language acquisition. It can have an important impact on students' second language acquisition. Understanding the phenomenon of negative transfer through errors that occur during language learning can better regulate language acquisition in the process of second language learning and improve students' cognition of second language acquisition. The writing part of the IELTS test is a major difficulty for Chinese non-English majors to overcome. Then understanding the negative transfer phenomenon that occurs in their writing process is particularly important for them to improve their scores. This research is dedicated to the research and analysis of the types of errors and the reasons why Chinese non-English major students make mistakes in IELTS writing task 2. The study found that Chinese non-English major students experienced negative transfer between languages in IELTS writing task 2, which resulted in four main types of errors, namely errors in subject-verb agreement, double-predicate errors, and errors in tense of verbs and incomplete sentence structure. By summarizing and analyzing the types of errors caused by these negative transfers, this research hopes to provide corresponding guidance and inspiration for IELTS writing teaching and English writing for non-English major students.

Use of motivational regulation strategies and its relations to motivational beliefs in a college English course context

While motivational regulation strategies (MRSs) both as a core facet of self-regulated learning and as a pedagogical issue have attracted increasing attention from researchers and practitioners, what motivational regulation strategies learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) or English as a second language (ESL) tend to use and how these strategies may be associated with learner motivational beliefs in English learning remain under-researched. To fill this research gap, this study aims to contribute to a holistic understanding of Chinese EFL students’ use of MRSs and its relations to English learning motivational beliefs. Data were collected from 638 non-English major undergraduate students through two self-report questionnaires in a College English Course context. Results showed that students reported high frequency use of performance-enhancement or interest-related strategies while reporting using other types of regulation strategies (e.g. performance-avoidance self-talk) to a lesser extent. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses suggested that among the four types of motivational beliefs investigated in this study, control of learning beliefs, intrinsic goal orientation, and extrinsic goal orientation were the top three most powerful predictors of the students’ use of MRSs in English learning. Pedagogical implications and directions for future research were also discussed.

Enhancing Speaking Skills of Non-English Major Students: Evaluating the Impact of Sociodramatic Games

This study examines the efficacy of sociodrama games as a method for improving English speaking skills among EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students in Indonesia, specifically in accounting and financial institutions departments. The research utilizes a descriptive qualitative design to explore the implementation of sociodrama games by an English teacher and assess their impact on students' speaking abilities. Participants include one English teacher and three eleventh-grade students specializing in accounting and financial institutions, selected through purposive sampling. Data were gathered via observations and interviews and analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s interactive and continuous techniques for qualitative data analysis. The results reveal that sociodrama games significantly enhance students' motivation, self-confidence, active participation, and speaking skills in English language learning. Particularly noteworthy is the progress observed at SMKN 1 Rejotangan. The study concludes that sociodrama games are a compelling and effective teaching strategy, substantially benefiting students' development in English speaking proficiency.

Examining the association between peer support and English enjoyment in Chinese university students: the mediating role of regulatory emotional self-efficacy.

As positive psychology is imported into second language acquisition, we witness the increasing interest in the research of English enjoyment. Therefore, investigating the antecedents of English enjoyment is of paramount importance. Although internal and external factors have been scrutinized by researchers, scarce studies have explored the effect of peer support and regulatory emotional self-efficacy on English enjoyment. Thus, this study was designed to further clarify the association between these two constructs and English enjoyment. A questionnaire involving the three variables of peer support, English enjoyment, and regulatory emotional self-efficacy was administered to 324 non-English major undergraduate students at a comprehensive university in Eastern China. Correlation analysis and mediation effect tests indicated that peer support and regulatory emotional self-efficacy positively predicted English enjoyment, and regulatory emotional self-efficacy played a mediating role between peer support and English enjoyment. This study highlights the significance of peer support and positive emotions in second language learning and extends our understanding of enhancing students' learning enjoyment through teachers' positive intervention to facilitate peer support and regulatory emotional self-efficacy.

The Impact of Automated Evaluation Feedback on Students’ Writing Revision

To make essay scoring more manageable, Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) programs have been developed and widely used in China. It makes immediate feedback possible and helps students do self-revision instantly. This study attempts to explore the influences exerted by automated scoring feedback on students writing revision and analyze their revision process. with Juku. Pigai AWE system as an example, the research involves 45 non-English major students in Northwestern Polytechnical University and adopts their writing samples to build a small corpus. With careful study of their modification process and detailed analysis of their writing, the results shows that apart from providing holistic ideas on the article, Pigai system provides a specific review from 6 aspects as well. Besides, students can actively respond to the feedbacks and constantly revise their writing according to the feedback points, but mostly in technical details, morphemes, words, and phrases, short sentences. Online modification expands knowledge input, reduces language errors, improves students’ writing quality, and effectively promotes autonomous learning in students’ interaction with machines. However, limitations existed as well, such as lack of effective feedback on the content. Finally, the researcher proposed a “four-step” writing and evaluation model for future improvement.