non-English Majors Research Articles

IMPACTS OF USING INSTAGRAM TO PRACTICE SPEAKING IN ENGLISH: PERSPECTIVES OF INDONESIAN NON-ENGLISH MAJOR LEARNERS

The present study was the continuation of a preceding survey study involving 102 Indonesian non-English major learners who were active Instagram users. The preceding survey study revealed that the participants had generally positive attitudes towards using Instagram to practice English speaking. Nonetheless, they were slightly less motivated to use it for learning purposes. Of the 102 survey participants, four were randomly selected to be invited for interviews for the present study. The interview data were analysed using Thematic Analysis and three recurring themes emerged on the perceived impacts of using Instagram to practice speaking. First, Instagram impacted learners’ learning at different magnitudes. Second, Instagram allowed for an interesting and flexible learning of speaking. Third, Instagram motivated learners to develop their speaking fluency. Despite the seemingly positive results, some excerpts indicated that some learners’ learning experiences using Instagram were somewhat superficial, unstructured, incidental, and fairly minimal. Based on the findings, teachers are suggested to capitalise on the popularity of Instagram among learners by incorporating it in explicit second/foreign (L2) language instruction. Possible limitations are stated alongside suggested directions for future studies.

Connecting in-class and out-of-class learning: Integrating online resources and blog writing for EFL proficiency enhancement

The paper presents a study that addresses common issues in the EFL context, specifically the lack of student engagement and limited exposure to the language. The study implemented a flipped classroom approach to enhance learner engagement and improve language learning outcomes. This study involved 32 non-English majors and utilized 6 Minute English Podcasts and TED Talks as core materials, supplemented by blog writing assignments to connect in-class and out-of-class learning. Students engaged with online course materials before attending in-class discussions and worked on their blog assignments after class. Research tools included pre- and post-language proficiency tests, an end-of-semester questionnaire, student blog writings, and their reflection papers.
 The results of the Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicated a significant improvement in students' listening skills (z=-4.099, p<0.001). Regarding their performance in speaking and writing, the results of the paired t-tests showed that students demonstrated varying levels of improvement, with the most significant improvements in the writing test (p<0.001) with a large effect size (d=1.94). The findings highlight significant progress in listening, writing, and listen-to-write skills, resulting from the synergistic integration of high-quality online audio and video resources, blog writing assignments, and the flipped teaching approach. This research offers valuable insights for practitioners seeking to enhance language acquisition, particularly within the EFL context.

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.

Unveiling learning regulations through reflective notes

While self-regulated learning (SRL) has been studied in various disciplines, insufficient attentionhas been paid to how formative assessment/assessment for learning (AfL) promotes students’ SRL in learning English as foreign language (EFL) context. The present study attempted to address the gap. Forty four non-English majors in the second year of an undergraduate program at a Chinese university participated in the research. They completed 5 writing tasks, performed peer assessment, and wrote reflections to record their perceptions of the experience. Scoring rubrics was developed based on China’s Standards of English Language Abilities (CSE) for the participants to use in peer assessment and complete a peer assessment report for essay revision. Analysis of the reflections suggests that CSE rubrics referenced peer assessment involved extensive SRL processes of planning, monitoring, regulating, reflecting, and resource management, which were closely related to three contextual artifacts: rubric, peer assessment report, and essay script. These are important factors in support of the participants’ SRL engagement from a social cognitive perspective. Implications are discussed with reference to language teaching and learning with a view to developing EFL learners’ SRL capacity.

An Investigation into First-year Students’ Autonomous Learning in Class and Outside Classroom at the English for Specific Purposes Department, Hanoi University

For a smooth transition from high school setting to university environment students who are enrolled in the English for Specific Purposes Department (ESPD), Hanoi University need to practice essential study skills. Since English is used as a medium of instruction to non-English majors, many freshmen have been struggling in despair. In response to students’ needs the ESPD have introduced different components to help students build effective study habits. In their first term students undergo a 10-week course called Learners Training which is designed to empower students in taking charge of their studies. To evaluate the implication and effectiveness of the named course the writers of this paper conducted research in order to explore students’ practice of self-study within and beyond the classroom context. This paper attempted to examine students’ awareness, their practice and teachers’ role in the whole process of developing learners' autonomy. The author group employed survey questionnaires to probe into the research issues. The findings indicated that students were cognizant of the benefits of autonomous learning and their English learning activities exhibited richness and diversity. However, there was still room for improvement in students' demonstration of self-directed learning activities in class. These findings will hopefully provide lecturers with a precise understanding of students’ autonomous learning. This understanding, in turn, can aid in fostering autonomous learning among students through tailored and recommended teaching activities.

English Writing Block among Chinese Non-English Majors

Most Chinese college students have been experiencing writing block in their English writing. In this paper, Chinese non-English majors’ English writing blocks were examined based on the quantitative data and the descriptive research method by a survey questionnaire. The respondents were first and second year students and those majoring in both science and liberal arts. The respondents identified language block as the most significant block in their English writing. Structure block and mental block followed closely with means of 2.72 and 2.71, respectively. In addition, the differences in responses when grouped according to profile were tested. It was found that male students and those majoring in science exhibited higher evaluations in terms of structure block compared to their counterparts. Students from rural areas showed greater assessments in language block when compared to students from urban areas. Accordingly, in terms of the language block, an intervention plan was formulated in order to enhance to English teaching and writing.

Exploring Nuanced Errors in Bangladeshi Tertiary EFL Students’ Writing Mechanics: A Pedagogical Implication

Background: Top of Form In order to enhance tertiary EFL students' formal writing skills, it is crucial that they develop proficiency in writing mechanics alongside their syntactic maturity. It is crucial because weaknesses in writing mechanics can significantly impact the overall quality of the content. Purpose: the present study aims to examine the nuances of the sub-categories of three major writing mechanics and thus bring up some implications for EFL teachers, syllabus designers, and material designers. Methodology: This study is qualitative in nature and collected 42 narrative essays from 42 tertiary students. The participants comprised both English and non-English majors from seven private and public universities in Bangladesh. The collected data were analyzed using Hsieh and Shannon's (2005) summative content analysis. Findings: The findings of the analysis indicate that the most error-prone mechanics for students are the correct usage of ending punctuation marks (specifically the full stop) and non-ending punctuation marks (such as commas), while the second most challenging mechanics are the correct spellings of di- and polysyllabic words. Further, in capitalization mechanics, they encounter difficulties in the appropriate use of uppercase letters. Research implications: The study concludes with pedagogical implications that tertiary EFL teachers, syllabus designers, and material designers should put more emphasis on the sub-categories of writing mechanics while designing writing tasks for tertiary EFL learners.

Vocabulary Learning Style, Strategy and Attitude of Chinese Non-English Majors

Vocabulary learning is a critical aspect of English language acquisition, serving as the foundation for developing essential language skills. For Chinese students, mastering a second language poses various challenges, making vocabulary acquisition of utmost importance. Insufficient vocabulary can hinder language proficiency and impede students' overall language development. To address this issue, this study explored effective learning styles, strategies, and attitudes for enhancing vocabulary learning of Chinese non-English major students. They were chosen from three universities in China as research subjects to determine the respondents’ vocabulary learning styles, learning strategies, and learning attitudes. A total of 442 non-English College students in China were surveyed via questionnaire. In this study, the descriptive correlational method were employed to give a description and explanation of the variances in participants’ responses to the three variables. Based on the findings derived from the collected data, it was concluded that participants generally agreed with the three variables. Furthermore, participants prefer visual and auditory learning compared with kinesthetic learning. Moreover, an enhanced program was proposed to help university students achieve effective vocabulary learning. Thus, it is advisable to include more participants and other variables in future research to enhance more effective vocabulary learning.

Relationship Between Chinese Non-English Majors Students Identification of Negative Transfer of L1 in C-E Translation and Their CET-4 or CET-6 Scores

College English Test Band 4 (CET-4) and College English Test Band 6 (CET-6) are administered nationwide, which is of great significance to non-English major students in China. English is the second language of Chinese college students, so it will inevitably have some negative transfer of L1 (first language, the same as mother tongue) in their second language output, but the relationship between negative transfer of L1 and their CET-4 and CET-6 scores is still lack of a unified explanation. Therefore, this study takes 91 Non-English Majors students identification of negative transfer of their mother tongue in Chinese to English (C-E) translation and their CET-4 or CET-6 scores as the research objects and uses SPSSAU to analyze the data. The results show that: there is a significant negative correlation between the behavior and thinking mode that may lead to negative transfer and CET-4 (CET-6) total score; CET-4 (CET-6) total score and the identification of negative transfer of L1 in translation are significant positive related. Therefore, colleges and universities should teach non-English majors students the phenomenon of negative transfer in mother tongue, and guide students to think and express in the way of second language native speakers when producing second language; Similarly, students should enhance their awareness of the negative transfer of their mother tongue in translation, in order to improve their translation quality, second language ability and CET-4 and CET-6 scores.

A Study of Emotions and Attitudes of Non-English Majors toward Online Writing Assessment System

This paper takes non-English majors as the research participants to explore the characteristics of their emotions and attitudes, the influencing factors, their coping strategies, and the impact of the above aspects on their English writing learning during the online English writing assessment. Through conducting semi-structured interviews, the study found that: first, when non-English majors use online English writing assessment, their emotions and attitudes are affected by multiple subjective and objective factors, and are mainly positive; Second, the strategies used by non-English majors are mostly aimed at the lexical and grammatical errors in the text, and cover the skills of English writing; Third, the above aspects have played a certain role in promoting students’ English learning and improving their English learning and application ability.

Students' Perspectives on Using M-Reader to Support Extensive Reading Initiatives for Non-English Majors

This research aims to explore the perspectives of non-English major students on the use of M-Reader as a tool for supporting extensive reading initiatives. The study investigates the effectiveness of M-Reader in enhancing reading skills, vocabulary acquisition, and fostering a love for reading in the target language. The research also examines students' experiences, satisfaction, and challenges faced while using M-Reader. By understanding students' perspectives, the study provides valuable insights for educators and curriculum developers to optimize the use of M-Reader in supporting extensive reading initiatives for non-English majors. The study adopts a quantitative descriptive research methodology to collect data and analyse the perspectives of the students. Surveys or questionnaires were employed to gather quantitative data, enabling a systematic and structured approach to acquire information about the participants' attitudes, perceptions, and experiences concerning the usage of M-Reader. The survey instruments are designed to elicit quantitative responses, such as ratings on a Likert scale or multiple-choice questions, thus producing numerical data that can be statistically analysed. This quantitative approach empowers the researchers to identify trends, patterns, and correlations within the data, facilitating a comprehensive comprehension of the students' outlook on the effectiveness and usability of M-Reader in supporting their extensive reading programs. The findings from this research contribute to the existing knowledge on the impact and utility of digital tools like M-Reader in language learning contexts.

A Qualitative Study of Non-English Majors’ Cognitive and Affective Strategies in Peer Review in Online Writing Assessment—Taking Iwrite as Example

With the development of modern information science and technology, online writing assessment emerges. Some platforms, like iwrite, are widely used by language teacher and learner. Peer review is an important issue in English writing teaching. In recent years, there are a lot of studies relevant to it. Besides, learning strategy is also significant in language teaching research. However, it hasn’t been known which cognitive and affective strategies that learners would like to use in peer review on iwrite. Therefore, this study tried to do some investigation. By carrying out the study, it is evident that due to personality and value orientation, different learners adopt various cognitive strategies for the purpose of completing various tasks. The choice and use of certain strategies will have impact on learner’s performance in writing. Besides, learners prefer to use positive affective strategies to encourage their partner to behave actively in peer review as well as build up confidence for English writing.

A Reflective Practice of Intensive Teaching of EFL to Non-English Majors in a Hybrid Mode: Insights from an EFL Class from Eastern Siberia

The article discusses the intensive English language training for non-English major students at the North-Eastern Federal University, Russia’s Far East region. This study checks out the efficacy of an intensive hybrid teaching model in undergraduate students. The intensive method of teaching is aimed at creating an activating environment for the concurrent development of English skills in non-English major students. The theory of the intensive methodology in the EFL field has been studied in Russian and international research. The intensive hybrid training model combining digital and face-to-face instruction is presented in this article. During the intensive training, 100 undergraduate non-English major students took part in experimental learning. Placement test for students was conducted at the start of the academic year and the final test upon completion of the academic year. The results of the test in the control and experimental groups are also presented. Moreover, the problems in using the intensive hybrid training model are identified.

Grade variations across EFL, CLIL, and EMI platforms: A longitudinal case study in an English language teaching department

Fluctuations and distortions in grade point averages (GPAs) can affect its usefulness as a measure of achievement. Against a backdrop of increasing internationalisation in higher education, such instabilities may be exacerbated by heterogeneous student populations and the varying role of language on English as a foreign language (EFL), content and language integrated learning (CLIL), and English as a medium of instruction (EMI) platforms. Accordingly, using descriptive and inferential statistics, we explored the distribution patterns of 58,324 grades awarded over a 10-year period at a major university in Bangkok, Thailand. We found evidence of longitudinal grade increase, grade compression, and grade disparity—all of which suggest the presence of grade inflation. Specifically, across the three teaching platforms, mean GPAs increased significantly as lettered grades compressed upwards, clustering around C and C+ levels. Grade disparity, meanwhile, decreased between courses and levels but increased between student populations (i.e., English majors were awarded significantly higher grades than non-English majors were). Based on our findings, we argue for more standardised assessment practices to tackle grade censorship and saturation, as well as potential elevations/reductions in graduating GPAs of admixed student populations. We also propose a new method to quantify and track mean GPAs through quartile measurements.

Examining the impacts of learner backgrounds, proficiency level, and the use of digital devices on informal digital learning of English: an explanatory mixed-method study

In Computer-assisted language learning (CALL), the relationship between learner background and classroom-based digital language learning has been widely studied; however, little attention has been directed to informal digital learning of English (IDLE), a crucial subdomain of inquiry of CALL. Building on our prior IDLE study, this explanatory mixed-method study set out to examine and explore the relationships between IDLE and learners’ demographics by drawing on questionnaire responses collected from 1080 Chinese university EFL learners and interview results from nine selected survey respondents. Quantitative results revealed the variance in IDLE that can be accounted for individually and in concert with learners’ demographic information, socioeconomic backgrounds, proficiency levels, and their use of digital devices and the predicting power of these factors. The results indicated that gender, university type, students’ self-rated speaking skills, standardized test results, and the number of digital devices in use contributed to the variance of IDLE. Learners’ majors, writing skills, devices using time, ethnicity, family income, and regional backgrounds predicted their engagement in IDLE activities. Qualitative results further explained these findings by highlighting how learners of various backgrounds engaged in IDLE practices in specific settings. Cross-case content analysis of the interview results provided interpretations and an in-depth understanding of learners’ situated IDLE experiences. Future studies are suggested to focus more on ethnic minority groups, students from less developed regions and ordinary universities, and non-English majors, who are less likely to benefit from IDLE activities. More attention should also be paid to how students of various sociocultural backgrounds actually engage with IDLE activities in various settings across time to address IDLE dynamics.

Challenges Faced by Libyan Students from Non-English Majors in Speaking English

The aim of this research is to analyze the problems faced by non-English speaking students in speaking skills in English at the College of Medical Technology, Derna, Libya. The research methodology used includes surveys and interviews with a representative sample of students. The research findings indicate that there are several problems faced by students regarding speaking skills in English, which encompass linguistic and non-linguistic issues. In terms of linguistic issues, many students feel a lack of vocabulary mastery, inaccurate pronunciation, and grammar. In terms of non-linguistic issues, problems related to low motivation, habits, and mother tongue were found. Therefore, this research highlights the challenges faced by non-English speaking students in developing their speaking skills in English. These challenges include linguistic issues such as vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar, as well as non-linguistic issues such as motivation, habits, and the influence of the mother tongue. By addressing these challenges, appropriate interventions can be implemented to improve the speaking skills of non-English speaking students at the College of Medical Technology, Derna, Libya. One effective way to improve speaking skills in English is by regularly practicing speaking with others. This can be done by finding friends or English learning groups to actively discuss, debate, or engage in dialogue in English. Additionally, watching English movies or TV shows with subtitles and then attempting to repeat or mimic the dialogue is also a good way to practice pronunciation and expand vocabulary.

Acquisition of English liaison among Chinese EFL learners from the perspective of language transfer

This study aimed to investigate the acquisition of liaison in English by Chinese-speaking learners. Ten second-year postgraduate students of non-English majors in Tongji University, China, were invited to take part in an experiment. They were asked to prepare recordings of a set of English materials, including phrases, dialogues, and a talking topic, before and after a self-study training on liaison. To examine every type of liaison in their speech, the study analysed the recordings using the speech analysis software Praat. The results showed that before the training, the students negatively transferred the native language (L1) pattern to the target second language (L2). This kind of negative transfer of L1 Chinese to the acquisition of liaison in L2 English could be explained by the differences between English and Chinese syllables. After the training, the students showed substantial improvement in phrase and dialogue reading. The findings are expected to help both teachers and students gain a better understanding of liaison and the differences between English and Chinese syllables, thus contributing to English teaching and learning.

Non-English Students' English Learning Motivation

English is very important to learn by students in all majors, but students in two non-English majors in Bima town rarely attend English meeting held in campus. Therefore, this research was conducted to find out how non-English students' motivation to learn English is. This research used a qualitative descriptive method using an instrument in the form of a motivation questionnaire. The research results showed that non-English students have high motivation in learning English.

Exploring Academic Writing Proficiency of Tertiary EFL Learners of Bangladesh: A Pedagogical Implication

It is essential that tertiary EFL students become proficient in all key aspects of writing, such as content, arrangement of ideas, usage of appropriate vocabulary, use of language and grammatical precision, and mechanics, in order to improve their formal writing skills. As a result, the current study's objective is to assess the level of writing competency of tertiary EFL students in terms of the key writing components and to provide some recommendations for EFL teachers, syllabus writers, and material designers. This study is qualitative in nature that collected 49 narrative essays from 49 tertiary students. The participants comprised both English and non-English majors from seven private and public universities in Bangladesh. The data were generated from English writing tests where students wrote one narrative essay. The texts were then analyzed on the basis of the analytic writing rubrics proposed by Jacobs et al. (1981) to see students’ writing ability in general. The findings of the analysis indicate that Bangladeshi tertiary EFL learners’ proficiency in all the major components falls in the category of Fair to Poor. The findings also indicate that the most challenging writing skills for the learners are the use of language and the use of vocabulary. The study concludes with some pedagogical suggestions for tertiary EFL teachers, syllabus designers, and material designers. This study stands out as unique and important since little research has previously attempted to evaluate the writing proficiency levels of Bangladeshi tertiary students under the key writing components.

Study on the Cultivation of International High-level Talents for Ph.D. Students of Non-English Majors in Chongqing University Based on the Interdiscursive Competence

Economic globalization imposes substantial demands on China’s talents, necessitating the possession of international awareness, communication skills, and competitiveness. Ph.D. students, as highly educated individuals, play a pivotal role in developing cross-cultural communication skills and gaining international awareness. Not only must they grasp basic English vocabulary and grammar, but they must also apply their knowledge in practice to enhance competitiveness in their respective fields. However, the current English courses offered at universities fall short of meeting their needs. To address this issue, this study examines the English for International Academic Communication course for non-English major Ph.D. students at C University. Employing questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and class observations, the research explores the teaching approach aimed at cultivating interdiscursive competence in high-level international talents. Additionally, it analyzes the effectiveness of interdiscursivity in English learning and investigates the enhancement of students’ interdiscursive competence. Ultimately, the study provides valuable suggestions for educational activities, better catering to the needs of Ph.D. students and preparing them to thrive in a globally interconnected world.