Non-native English Research Articles

Examining the relationship between language proficiency and self-efficacy among Cypriot teachers of English as a foreign language

The field of English language teaching (ELT) has undergone significant changes in the 21st century, evolving into a Lingua Franca and supplanting French as an official diplomatic language. The concept and practice of ELT have shed light on factors affecting the self-efficacy of EFL teachers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of language proficiency on the self-efficacy of non-native English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in English Language Teaching (ELT) in Northern Cyprus. This study utilized a mixed-method approach incorporating the Foreign Language Learning Anxiety scale as a theoretical framework and conducting interviews on teaching self-efficacy. The study was carried out utilizing online questionnaires and interviews and garnered responses from 45 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) educators, 12 of whom participated in the interviews. According to the study, the self-efficacy of EFL Cypriot teachers in ELT is impacted by their level of English language proficiency. Additionally, they demonstrate a favorable understanding of the relationship between language proficiency, self-efficacy, and ELT. The study revealed that misconceptions regarding attaining native-level proficiency have a detrimental impact on the confidence and anxiety levels of non-native educators. This emphasizes the necessity for professional development initiatives and inclusive educational policies to bolster teacher self-assurance and accommodate diverse linguistic backgrounds.

Beyond the Native-Nonnative Speaker Dichotomy: Broadening How We Study Nonnative English Speakers in the AI-powered Workplace

Beyond the Native-Nonnative Speaker Dichotomy: Broadening How We Study Nonnative English Speakers in the AI-powered Workplace

Exploring Phatic Communication Functions among Native and Nonnative English Speakers at Saudi Multilingual Context

English language is the first spoken language around the world, and it is the formal language for communication in my multilingual Saudi context. This paper is to conduct a further investigation to findings of a similar study conducted by Jumanto (2014) exploring the functions of phatic communication among English native speakers. Furthermore, this study aims at exploring phatic communication among native and nonnative English speakers in my workplace to have a healthy distinguished working atmosphere through guiding them to build a solid social relationship at workplace through involving in various communicative situations for the sake of rapport, not to convey information. For instance, to greet or reply to a greeting properly, start or end conversations with native or nonnative colleagues to avoid any inconvenience or misunderstanding due to the likely distinctions related to their different social or cultural backgrounds which may affect negatively on their relationship. To achieve this, an exploratory mixed study will be conducted in two phases using a questionnaire for quantitatively collected data, and then conducting semi-structured interviews for the same population to qualitatively collect data to have reliable findings. Additionally, the findings of this study reflect a great harmony among the phatic expressions used by native and nonnative speakers, especially native English speakers who try speaking the mother language, Arabic, of the nonnative English speakers for the purpose of greeting or starting interaction with each other. Accordingly, further research investigation could be conducted to explore the impact of phatic communication functions among native and nonnative speakers of any other languages on learning a second or a foreign language.

Linguistic Accommodation in English-Medium Instruction: Investigating Adjustments by Non-Native English Speakers

This study explores how non-native English-speaking students and teachers accommodate each other linguistically in EMI classrooms. The research explores the features of these strategies, including language simplification, visual aids, code-switching, and non-verbal cues, in terms of their frequency and types to identify how they impact communication/learning.Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 200 students and 50 teachers. The study found that both students and teachers used simplification in language and visual aids to show what was being discussed.These are also well-documented, underscoring their importance in multilingual classrooms.The Pearson correlation analysis in Table 2 suggests significant positive correlations between the use of simplification and non-verbal cues language proficiency scores, which reveals that more proficient learners can employ these strategies better.This article highlights the importance of linguistic accommodation in EMI. It offers suggestions for targeted intervention programs as well as professional development to improve successful educational outcomes through English medium instruction.

Ethical considerations for treating non-native english-speaking immigrants

ABSTRACT Within the therapeutic setting there have been few ethical considerations deliberated when examining the language barrier between therapists and Non-Native English-Speaking Immigrant (NNESI) clients. The literature reports NNESIs encounter several challenges such as the migration process, experiencing acculturative stress, discrimination, and racism, which in turn impacts their mental health outcomes. These accrued barriers lead NNESI to seek out mental health services. This paper explores the ethical considerations Native-English Speaking and Bilingual Psychologists must consider when providing counseling services to Non-Native English Speakers. These considerations include Third-Party Services, Informed Consent, Cultural Competency, Boundaries of Competency, and Multiple Relationships. For the purpose of this paper, the terms “bilingual” and “multilingual” will be used interchangeably to refer to a person who speaks another language in conjunction with English.

Acoustics of the alignment of narrow focus prosody and lexical stress in native and nonnative English productions.

This study examined the acoustic correlates of the alignment between lexical stress and narrow focus prosody in English and investigated how this alignment is learned by second language learners whose native language is prosodically distinct from English. A production experiment was conducted where native English speakers and Korean learners of English were asked to read aloud sentences with a narrow focus on trisyllabic words with various stress patterns (e.g., ánimal, Novémber, submaríne). In the native English productions, the stressed syllables were characterized by either a rising F0 contour (for word-initial stress) or increased periodic energy (for word-medial and -final stress). The Korean speakers (KSs) produced stressed syllables with a rising F0 contour regardless of stress position, differing from the native speakers, and they exhibited greater periodic energy for word-medial and -final stressed syllables, similar to the native speakers. In addition, the KSs with higher English proficiency showed more native-like patterns by exhibiting a post-focus F0 drop immediately after word-initial stressed syllables. These findings are discussed in the context of existing literature and potential factors contributing to the challenges observed in L2 prosody learning.

Unpacking Evaluative Meaning-Making Resources in Verbal Movie Descriptions: A Comparative Study of Native and Non-Native English Speakers

The present study explored how native speakers (NSs) and non-native speakers (NNSs) of English exploit evaluative meaning-making resources of English when sharing their judgements and opinions on English movie descriptions. To this end, 10 native speakers of Australian English and 10 Iranian non-native speakers took part in on-line informal interviews, based on an approach known as snowball sampling. The study employed a combination of both qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis. The results revealed significant differences in the use of evaluative language between the two groups, with NNSs focusing more on Affect, Judgment and Appreciation respectively, while NSs prioritized Appreciation, followed by Affect and Judgment. The findings are discussed by reference to cultural and linguistic differences in the use of evaluative resources. Moreover, NSs relied more on invoked evaluation whereas NNSs showed a preference for inscribed evaluation. However, both groups utilized a higher frequency of positive descriptions in during their descriptions of English movies. These findings can provide valuable insights for language teaching and research, highlighting the significance of incorporating evaluative language resources into language instruction. The study further brought attention to the interconnectedness of diverse evaluative resources such as reference to emotions and judgements with complex linguistic and cultural domains.

Enhancing orthopaedic surgery research: developing manuscripts using systematic checklists.

Writing and publishing research is important in the fields of orthopaedic surgery, and medicine in general. In recent years, the number of orthopaedic publications has significantly increased, highlighting the value of possessing the ability to write and publish a paper. However, publishing research is not an easy task, especially if English is not a native language. Non-native English speakers have been reported to experience barriers to writing and publishing research in English, the dominant language of scientific publication. This affects not only individual researchers, but also the scientific community in general. To improve reporting in scientific manuscripts, many peer-reviewed guidelines have been published for a variety of study designs and study types. These guidelines are made available through the EQUATOR (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research) Network and have associated checklists that guide authors in the synthesis of their research manuscript. Whether you are a non-native English speaker or a novice research writer, these checklists can ameliorate the process of building your manuscript. The purpose of this paper is to empower orthopaedic researchers, and researchers in general, through an easy-to-follow framework for writing a research manuscript using available checklists and general research knowledge.

One policy, two implementations: probing policy specifications in two EMI courses in a Macao university

ABSTRACT Despite growing literature on EMI policy implementation in higher education contexts, there is a lack of research on how these policies are enacted at the micro-level, particularly in the classroom settings. The present study explores the language beliefs and practices of a psychology professor in two English-medium instruction (EMI) courses which differed in course types and students’ preparedness, in an effort to understand how language policy was enacted in nuanced EMI settings. Drawing on semi-structured interviews, classroom observation, and course artifacts, the study reveals that the non-native English speaking participant held a consistent belief in enforcing a strict English-only policy within the classroom, yet she managed students’ and her own language practices slightly differently (e.g. speak time, pace, vocabulary, L1 proportion) based on specific course objectives. The findings highlight the importance of consistent and mindful language policies that allow for flexible implementation where unique features of individual EMI contexts are accommodated. Through highlighting the agency of EMI teachers as language policy arbiters, we reimagined the original ROAD-MAPPING framework [Dafouz, E., & Smit, U. (2016). Toward a dynamic conceptual framework for English-medium education in multilingual university settings. Applied Linguistics, 37(3), 397–415] to capture the granular and dynamic process of EMI policy enactment and implementation in authentic classrooms. Practical implications are drawn accordingly.

Communication Quality and the Cost of Language: Evidence from Stack Overflow

The transmission of information is crucial for productivity and growth. However, language differences may limit its effectiveness. This is particularly relevant for knowledge platforms that aim to be global, given the cultural diversity of the pool of users. In this paper, I empirically investigate how the exogenous cost of language affects communication quality and the trade-offs faced by knowledge platforms in implementing their website in multiple languages. I exploit the staggered introduction of websites for languages other than English on a question-and-answer platform to demonstrate two main facts. First, nonnative English speakers who contribute in English increase their answers’ quality once able to use their native language, and their answers are more likely to solve the questioner’s problem. The native-language answers drive the effect, which is larger when the question quality is higher and the incentives are stronger. Second, users who participate in their native language but not in English contribute lower-quality answers compared with those who contribute in English. This suggests that lower language barriers allow users with less expertise in the subject to participate. These results show that the platform should adopt multiple languages to maximise the quality of the information collected, although doing so may also result in an inflow of low-quality content from new users. This paper was accepted by Joshua Gans, business strategy. Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.01333 .

AI translated task setup for non-native English speaking students

University classrooms are increasingly populated by students with diverse nationalities and native languages (L1). The growing number of students in English-led classrooms who speak English as a second or lower language (L2) may face added difficulties in understanding the specific task objectives or directions, as explained by native-English-speaking instructors. Emerging generative AI (genAI) technology offers new opportunities for native-English instructors to provide clear task setup in their students' L1. This single-class activity utilizes genAI software to translate English-language task setup into student L1 and enable L2 students to perform a complex and unfamiliar English comprehension task. The post-activity appraisal compares one cohort of students who performed the task with the genAI translated instructions to a cohort who performed the same task with English-language instructions. Courses English as Second Language (ESL), English Conversation, English Comprehension, and any courses in which groups of L2 students are present. Objectives L2 students will be able to perform complex, unfamiliar ESL comprehension tasks with confidence and clarity of direction. Instructors will be able to transfer this strategy to other tasks and communicate objectives and directions to their L2 students more clearly in the students' L1. This strategy may be transferred to any course with L2 learners.

Factors Affecting the Listening Skill of Non-Native English Speakers

Factors Affecting the Listening Skill of Non-Native English Speakers

Translanguaging Dynamics in Non-Native English Classrooms

This research investigates the pragmatic applications of code-switching employed by English language instructors in the pedagogical context, aiming to discern its role during interactions within the English teaching and learning process. The study, conducted in Lalitpur across three educational institutions, observed over 15 classes taught by five different educators. Utilizing interpretive ethnography within a qualitative research paradigm, the methodological framework involved meticulous observation, audio-visual recordings, and subsequent transcription for data collection and analysis. The findings revealed that code-switching in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom serves as a facilitative tool for enhancing interactions during the learning process. The identified purposes of code-switching by teachers during instructional activities include clarification, reiteration, explanation, inquiry, translation, assessment of comprehension, emphasis on linguistic elements, inferential communication, vocabulary development, facilitation of class discussions, provision of feedback, support for memorization, classroom management, and entertainment.

A Revolutionary Approach to Imparting English Language Skills

It is universally acknowledged that a command over spoken and written English is a sinequanon of success, professional or personal. The methods, principles and techniques adopted in schools and colleges in non-native English countries, not to speak of India, have not met the expected success in equipping students with the requisite linguistic skills to express themselves through speaking and writing. So many discussions have taken place among scholarly circles to address the lacunae resulting in the formulation of various methods like the Grammar Translation Method, the Direct Method, The Audio-Lingual Method, the Silent Way, the Bilingual Method, Community Language Learning, Communicative Language Teaching Approach, Structure Approach and Situational Approach. In the luxuriant of these numerous methods, the right approach becomes conspicuous by its absence in other words all these approaches will only help the learner be confused in acquiring English language competence. This rather gloomy picture has made the writer of this paper seek a solution to the problem resulting in his invention of an easy approach on the part of English language teachers in imparting English communication skills.

Beliefs About and Motivation for Chinese EFL Learners’ English Language Learning: A Study Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behaviour

It is widely seen that research in the mainstream of education drew upon the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to examine learners’ beliefs about and intentions/motivations to learn a second or foreign language. However, such research in a Global Englishes (GE) context is scant. This study employed an adapted TPB model to explore the beliefs held by English language learners in China concerning GE and English language learning, and to anticipate the relationships between learners’ beliefs and their L2 (second language) motivation. The data was collected using questionnaires with 460 (N = 460) students at a university in China. Exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis were used for data analysis. The results showed that the students’ beliefs formed five dimensions, namely, attitudes toward native English, attitudes toward China English, attitudes toward non-native English, subjective norm and self-efficacy. Two dimensions: attitudes toward native English and subjective norm were found to occupy a prominent place in students’ beliefs. As for their L2 motivation, three dimensions were identified, namely, integrative orientation, instrumental orientation and international posture. The results of regression analysis showed that learners’ L2 motivation were significantly shaped by some of their beliefs. Particularly, learners’ attitudes toward native English had a significant relationship with every dimension of their L2 motivation. And their normative beliefs (subjective norm) were found to have the most significant influence on their L2 motivation, indicating that the social pressure perceived by Chinese students played an important role in their L2 learning. The employment of Ajzen’s TPB model empirically supported to the validity of the theoretical model in examining learners’ beliefs and motivation.

Structural and Functional Usages of Lexical Bundle in Native and Non-Native English Sociology Academic Writings: A Comparative Study Based on MICUSP

Structural and Functional Usages of Lexical Bundle in Native and Non-Native English Sociology Academic Writings: A Comparative Study Based on MICUSP

Cohesion and Coherence Problems Among Non-Native English Students’ Writing Essays

In order to properly organize ideas and express significant information, non-native students sometimes struggle with cohesion and coherence in their essays. This study examines the body of literature to pinpoint frequent problems non-native writers have while trying to make their writing coherent and cohesive. This study aims to assess the literature on cohesion and coherence issues in essays written by non-native students, with a particular focus on a number of components, including referential and relational coherence, theme and rheme, and grammatical and lexical cohesion. The literature study looks at papers that address problems with coherence and cohesiveness in student writing. It groups the results according to several coherence and cohesion criteria, such as referential and relational coherence, theme and rheme, and grammatical and lexical cohesion. An analysis of the essays shows common problems that non-native students face. Accompanying difficulties with collocation and diction are lexical cohesion faults, like as repetition and restricted vocabulary utilization. Issues with conjunction usage and text arrangement are examples of grammatical cohesion issues. Coherence is an issue that students struggle with; they have trouble coming up with thesis statements, topic sentences, introductions, and conclusion that are all coherent. Recognizing these difficulties emphasizes the necessity of focused interventions to improve non-native students' writing abilities. The development of instruments such as Tool for Automatic Cohesion Analysis (TAACO) presents encouraging paths for methodically evaluating and resolving cohesion concerns. These insights can be used by educators to create coherence and cohesiveness-enhancing tactics for non-native essay writers, which will ultimately result in clearer, more coherent writing.

A Study of Professional Identities of Foreign Non-Native English Speaking Teachers

A Study of Professional Identities of Foreign Non-Native English Speaking Teachers

Closing the computational biology 'knowledge gap': Spanish Wikipedia as a case study.

Wikipedia is a vital open educational resource in computational biology. The quality of computational biology coverage in English-language Wikipedia has improved steadily in recent years. However, there is an increasingly large 'knowledge gap' between computational biology resources in English-language Wikipedia, and Wikipedias in non-English languages. Reducing this knowledge gap by providing educational resources in non-English languages would reduce language barriers which disadvantage non-native English speaking learners across multiple dimensions in computational biology. Here, we provide a comprehensive assessment of computational biology coverage in Spanish-language Wikipedia, the second most accessed Wikipedia worldwide. Using Spanish-language Wikipedia as a case study, we generate quantitative and qualitative data before and after a targeted educational event, specifically, a Spanish-focused student editing competition. Our data demonstrates how such events and activities can narrow the knowledge gap between English and non-English educational resources, by improving existing articles and creating new articles. Finally, based on our analysis, we suggest ways to prioritize future initiatives to improve open educational resources in other languages. Scripts for data analysis are available at: https://github.com/ISCBWikiTeam/spanish.

Interactive Response Systems (IRS) in online English classes: Voices of foreign university teachers in Thailand

Technological advances have introduced English instructors to various ways of delivering successful online classes. Using an Interactive Response System (IRS) as a supporting tool is one of them. This qualitative study investigates the perceptions of foreign English language teachers in Thai universities regarding the use of IRS in online classes. The study involved 10 non-native English university teachers, 7 females and 3 males, aged 27 to 35, with 3 to 6 years of teaching experience in Thailand. They are affiliated with three different Thai universities. Data were gathered through multiple online interviews and observations via Zoom or Google Meet, tailored to each participant’s convenience. The data analysis was conducted using a robust content analysis approach. The findings of this study showed that educators integrated IRS tools to boost engagement, benefiting both students and instructors. Additionally, peer influence encouraged IRS adoption and enhanced teaching methods. IRS tools served various roles, ranging from assessment to promoting motivation and enhancing comprehension. The advantages of IRS tools included increased interactivity, competition, and engagement. They aided in monitoring student attentiveness and comprehension while fostering independent learning. Challenges such as unequal internet access, device limitations, technology literacy, fees, workload, and language barriers existed, along with concerns about potential cheating during IRS activities.