Perceptions Of Language Learners Research Articles

Examining perceptions of utilizing augmented reality in hybrid learning environment: instructors and students perspectives

Purpose This study aims to explore the perceptions of language learners and instructors on using augmented reality (AR) in a hybrid learning environment. Design/methodology/approach Mixed-method research design was used to elicit information from 62 participants on the study’s objective. Data were collected and analyzed to examine the participants’ views on using AR in language teaching in a hybrid environment. Findings This study unveils that while most studies acknowledge AR as an effective instructional delivery, students and instructors perceive some setbacks. Other novel insights provided by this study reveal necessities to consider before implementing AR in classroom settings. Research limitations/implications This study provides insights into the widely reported effectiveness of AR in the English language-teaching domain. This study suggests that considering the dispositions of learners and instructors toward digitally enhanced learning, using AR without good teaching practices and approaches may not yield expected learning outcomes. Originality/value This study advances scientific knowledge on the use of AR in hybrid learning models by providing empirical evidence to show the perceived effectiveness of AR. It further provides a robust understanding of the pedagogical implications of using AR in classroom settings drawing from diverse lenses. This helps ensure that educational settings that integrate AR consider the novel findings of this study before such implementation.

Students’ Perceptions on the Effects of Blogging Sites in Enhancing their Motivation for Foreign Languages Writing and Reading Proficiency

The emergence of web2.0 in language education has ushered in a pedagogical shift in language pedagogy. Blogging sites as one of the web2.0 technology have proven to serve relevant roles in language learning. However, beyond being a platform for sourcing relevant information, blogging sites provide language learners with relevant materials and platform to learn language at ease. Meanwhile, the present study seeks to explore the perceptions of foreign language students on the influence of blogging sites in enhancing their motivation for writing and speaking skill. While focusing on the features found on the blogging sites, the study examines the extent to which these features motivate language learners. Using exploratory research methods, the study seeks to elicit insights, preferences, and perceptions of language learners concerning the functions of these features found in blogging sites in regards to their reading and writing proficiency. Nevertheless, the research identified these features as thus; content, interactive features, multimedia elements, polls and surveys, and search functionality. Nevertheless, an important observation in the study revealed that out of the identified features, the multimedia elements motivate learners more than other features in developing their reading proficiency, while polls and survey feature motivate learners in developing their writing proficiency. While it is crucial for learners to regularly interact with these features when using blog sites for language learning, it is equally imperative to establish a harmonious relationship between blogging sites and conventional classroom instruction, and to guarantee that blogging activities are in accordance with the academic curriculum and the learning objectives of the students.

English language learner perceptions of school climate and teacher–student relationships: role of acculturation and implications for achievement

English language learner perceptions of school climate and teacher–student relationships: role of acculturation and implications for achievement

Is There a Relationship between Communication Strategies and External Causes of Fear?

Oral presentation skills are a universal skill that students need no matter what course they are doing at the universities. Many learners of higher institutions develop fear of oral presentations for many different reasons. The aim of this study is two-fold. Firstly, it is done to explore the external factors that cause learners to fear oral presentations. Next, this study is done to explore the perceptions of language learners on their use of communication strategies. This quantitative study is done to investigate the relationship between external causes of fear of oral presentation and the use of communication strategies. The instrument used in this a survey with three sections. Section A, contains the demographic profile, section B has items on the use of communication strategies while section C has items on external causes of fear of oral presentation. A summary of findings reveal that learners use different type of communication strategies. This study also revealed that there is no association between the use of social affective strategies and external factors. However, the findings also suggest there is also a weak positive relationship between external causes of fear of oral presentation with the use of fluency strategies, the use of negotiation for meaning strategies , the use of accuracy strategies and the use of message reduction strategies. Findings of this study bear interesting implications in the teaching of communication strategies as a strategy to reduce fear of oral presentations.

Getting Through ZPD in Collaborative Writing: The Case for Online Learning

The writing process is a development that progresses as a problem-solving activity by the writer to make the best decisions to convey his/her ideas to the audience. Writing uses both oral and written language to complete. One addition to online writing is collaborative writing. However, transitioning from individual writing to group writing will put the learners in the zone of proximal development. In addition to that, the emergence of online mode has made collaborative work problematic. This study is done to investigate the perception of language learners on online group writing. Specifically, this study is done to explore how online collaborative writing can reduce the zone of proximal development in learning. The sample chosen was undergraduates who attended a semester of academic writing course. They were taught to write collaboratively via online mode. At the end of the semester, they responded to the survey prepared. The survey has 38 items (not including the demographic profile in the survey. Section A has 13 items on Technology and Tools, section B has 13 items on Knowledgeable others section D has 12 items on Interaction. Findings revealed the zone of proximal development (ZPD) is facilitated through the inclusion of technology and tools, the presence of more knowledgeable others and also through interactions. Findings of this study have interesting implications in the teaching of collaborative writing via online.

Beliefs about language learning and context: A case study of Turkish EFL learners at a Northern Cyprus University

Recently, the role of context as a determining force in shaping the beliefs and perceptions of language learners has been brought to the forefront in many studies. Although the language learning beliefs of Turkish students in the context of Turkey have been adequately investigated, lesser attention has been paid to the beliefs of Turkish students studying abroad. Thus, by adopting a mixed-method approach, the current study attempted to examine the learners’ beliefs of Turkish students in the context of Northern Cyprus. For this purpose, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected on a group of 56 Turkish-second language learners in the context under the study. The fındıngs indicated that Turkish students have varying beliefs toward language learning in the context under the study, which also varied from those of the Turkish students in the context of Turkey underscoring the dynamic, complex, and context-dependent nature of beliefs about language learning. Keywords: Beliefs; context; language; language learners; perceptions.

Dual Identity or Identity Duel: EFL Context Duality Force on Identity Aspects Formation Through Learners’ Self-Reflection

Background: The link between context and identity is of paramount importance to language teaching and learning. Yet, less attention has been paid to the identity aspects in various EFL contexts. Purpose: This study examined the identity aspects of EFL learners attending both public and private English language classes through self-reflection.Method: In this mixed-methods design, 128 conveniently chosen EFL learners, including both genders, responded to the Identity Aspects Questionnaire, and 23 of those participants were invited to a follow-up semi-structured interview to triangulate the questionnaire data. The study conducted Paired Samples T-Test for quantitative data, whereas qualitative data underwent thematic analysis to extract and codify the themes.Results: The results revealed no significant differences for personal and relational identity aspects over these two EFL contexts, while collective and social ones reached differences. The qualitative data indicated that the EFL learners synergically adapt and adopt some identities through retention and creation. The shared identity between the two EFL classes mainly occurred in personal and relational aspects, while social and collective ones seemed relatively varied. The participants held both individualistic and collectivistic cultural dimensions in these two EFL classes. However, they were more idiocentric in private English language institutes and more socio-centric in public high schools. The discussion concerning identity issues indicated that EFL contexts affect the socializing process. The individuals position in a context according to their shared identities, while the varied identities lead them to form or adopt new identities. Implication: These findings could help ELT teachers and researchers to expand their perception of language learners’ identities in different EFL contexts.

Broadening Language Learner Perceptions of "Actual, Proper Study" to be More Inclusive of Smartphones in Irish Secondary Schools: ‘‘For Like Actual Like Proper Study, and Schoolwork, I Wouldn’t Use My Phone at All Really’’

New digital and mobile technologies are appearing at an ever-increasing rate, and there are potentially valuable educational applications of many of these smartphone-mediated resources. In Ireland, although the Department of Education and Skills (DES) has long advocated for a role for technology into the classroom, an educational focus on integrating these new mobile resources into the daily practices of language learners remains the exception rather than the norm. This paper aims to describe the findings of a study conducted with third-level learners of modern languages at an Irish university, which involved surveys, case studies, and a group interview, and which revealed the limited and tangential role that smartphones play in the learning habits of the participants. The paper will also describe how interpretation of the data identified a clear perception among learners of a narrow range of resources and practices that constitute "actual, proper study", a perception in which there is little space for the kind of spontaneous, multimodal, autonomous learning afforded by smartphones, with learners instead displaying a clear preference for more traditional practices such as writing out lists of verbs, and traditional materials such as grammar books. This paper will argue that firstly, the teaching practices and the lack of focus on smartphones that exist at secondary school levels play a key role in learners’ developing these attitudes and perceptions towards language learning, and secondly, that there is a clear need to foster a broader perception of what constitutes language learning that encompasses a balanced approach to smartphone-enhanced language learning. This is important not only to help the students as language learners, but also to develop the digital literacy skills which are increasingly important across all aspects of Irish and global society. The paper concludes by providing a series of steps which teachers can take which will help both to broaden perceptions of what constitutes language learning, and to allow for supervised, structured use of smartphones in the classroom to allow learners develop their learning-related smartphone literacy and wider digital literacy.

Challenges in Machine Translation For Teaching Arabic Language/ الترجمة الحاسوبية والتحديات في التعليم اللغة العربية

The study aims to search for syntax errors in machine translation. The study focuses on challenges in English Arabic Machine translation, types of errors in translation software, the most developed technologies in machine translation, and arbitrary Arabic text generating problems generally and in the Arabic language. This study use qualitative research design, qualitative data, drawn from our pragmatic analysis are presented, from perceptions of language learners and tutors in relation of Machine translation. The article discusses the disappointing fact that most intelligent machines are built to produce woodenly literal or paraphrased translations, but in Arabic, the errors are in high numbers. The paper results show an urgent need to build the machine language infrastructure in the Arabic language field to help people achieve accurate translation. To overcome the problems of machine translation, we recommend that we enter enough vocabulary and linguistic texts in the machine.

Investigating EFL teachers’ gender-stereotypical beliefs about learners: a mixed-methods study

ABSTRACT Language education has long been considered a female domain across many countries, with girls outnumbering and outperforming boys. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the nature and structure of gender stereotypes favouring girls among EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers. In the quantitative strand, 60 teachers from six Chinese high schools rated typical boys’ and girls’ affect, achievement and aptitude regarding English in a questionnaire. Meanwhile, in the qualitative strand, another 20 teachers participated in semi-structured interviews about their perceptions of language learners. In both strands, girls were rated more enthusiastic, higher achieving and somewhat more gifted than boys, albeit with descending effect sizes and increasing contention. Additionally, the stereotypical additive connection between affect and achievement appeared stronger than that between aptitude and achievement. The findings highlight the need to tackle gender stereotyping for educators, researchers and policymakers aimed at improving boys’ engagement in language learning.

English language instruction for clip thinkers

The advent of modern technologies has dramatically changed human perception and influenced the development of clip (fragmented) thinking in younger generation. Fragmented thinking reflects various properties of objects without taking into account relations between them. Clip thinking is contrasted with linear model, which is characterized from operational point of view by linear thinking. It helps to put in order the already acquired knowledge and operate with it at a higher level.
 As both ways have their advantages and disadvantages, they have to be taken into account in up-to-date planning and materials development for language teaching. For this materials have to be compiled in a brain-friendly manner as the information has to be constantly reviewed and recycled. The process of learning has to be structured on the cognitive model of knowledge processing, which is based on the four phases of learning – impressing, memorizing, authorization and initiation. They take into account the neurophysiological mechanisms of human perception and allow building robust constructions in the brains of language learners, from where the information can be easily accessed.
 Information has to be presented visually and texts for reading need to be creolized and contain several meaning making models at once. The interaction between visual and verbal parts in creolized texts becomes a basis for the transmission of meaning. Such clip thinking considering teaching tools will greatly enhance the perception of language learners and lead to the development of linear thinking in clip thinkers.

On Language Learner Agency: A Complex Dynamic Systems Theory Perspective

AbstractAgency has attracted considerable attention, especially of late. Nevertheless, perceptions of language learners as nonagentive persist. In this article the Douglas Fir Group's call for a transdisciplinary perspective is heeded in a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory's (CDST) conceptualization of agency. It is suggested that CDST maintains the structure–agency complementarity while bringing to the fore the relational and emergent nature of agency. Coordination dynamics is identified as a possible mechanism for the phylogenetic and ontogenetic emergence of agency. CDST further characterizes agency as spatially–temporally situated. It can be achieved and changed through iteration and co‐adaptation. It is also multidimensional and heterarchical. In this era of posthumanism, an issue that is also taken up is whether it is only humans who have agency. The article then discusses educational practices that could support learner agency. Finally, the article closes with a discussion of agency and ethical action.

Factors Influencing Language Learning: Experiences from Diverse Cultural Backgrounds

As globalization permeates all areas of the society, educational institutes embark on the challenge of providing effective language learning. Although various studies have been conducted on this particular topic, perceptions from diverse learners remain scarce and limited. Available studies often represent the ideas of a particular race, nation, or ethnic group. This study hence, explored the perceptions of language learners from varied cultural backgrounds to provide a better representation of the the multi-cultural environment that characterizes most societies nowadays. Specifically, it endeavored to find out the varied factors that influence language learning. Result showed five important factors as technology, environment, support system, cultural background, and profession to be most influencing among learners in their quest to learn a second or foreign language.

Understanding students’ satisfaction and continuance intention of e-learning: Application of expectation–confirmation model

The evolution of technologies leads to the great significance of e-learning in the domain of education. Recognition of the crucial factors which influence learners’ aims towards continued use of e-learning would guide teachers, learners and e-learning developers to increase e-learning use. To this end, the present study investigates the Expectation-Confirmation Model (ECM) factors of Post-Adoption Expectation (PAE) which is explored via using language learners’ post-adoption experiences in the use of e-learning systems. Learning process, tutor interaction, peer interaction, and course design are the four factors identified used for extending the perception of language learners’ experiences in e-learning. The survey method was used to empirically validate the suggested model (ECM) of the present study. A total sample of 120 Iranian university students participated in the study.In order to investigate the proposed model, structural equation modelling employing Smart PLS 2.0 was run. The findings indicate that learners’ confirmation of using e-learning has a significant effect on the four aforementioned factors. Learning process and course design are the only two factors that have a significant effect on users’ satisfaction and continuance intention. On the other hand, the results showed that tutor interaction and peer interaction do not have a significant effect on predicting learners’ satisfaction and continuance intention of e-learning systems. Keywords: e-learning, students’ satisfaction, students’ continuance intention, expectation-confirmation model, post-adoption expectation

Understanding students’ satisfaction and continuance intention of e-learning: Application of expectation–confirmation model

<p>The evolution of technologies leads to the great significance of e-learning in the domain of education. Recognition of the crucial factors which influence learners’ aims towards continued use of e-learning would guide teachers, learners and e-learning developers to increase e-learning use. To this end, the present study investigates the Expectation-Confirmation Model (ECM) factors of Post-Adoption Expectation (PAE) which is explored via using language learners’ post-adoption experiences in the use of e-learning systems. Learning process, tutor interaction, peer interaction, and course design are the four factors identified used for extending the perception of language learners’ experiences in e-learning. The survey method was used to empirically validate the suggested model (ECM) of the present study. A total sample of 120 Iranian university students participated in the study.</p><p>In order to investigate the proposed model, structural equation modelling employing Smart PLS 2.0 was run. The findings indicate that learners’ confirmation of using e-learning has a significant effect on the four aforementioned factors. Learning process and course design are the only two factors that have a significant effect on users’ satisfaction and continuance intention. On the other hand, the results showed that tutor interaction and peer interaction do not have a significant effect on predicting learners’ satisfaction and continuance intention of e-learning systems.</p><p> </p><p>Keywords: e-learning, students’ satisfaction, students’ continuance intention, expectation-confirmation model, post-adoption expectation</p>

<b>Language learning, identity and globalization: Learners of Brazilian Portuguese in England and learners of English and Spanish in Brazil

This article focuses on language perceptions of language learners in theUK andBrazil. Most participants in theEngland are British but there are also some from different linguistic backgrounds: Chinese, French, Hebrew, Italian, Polish and Spanish. As for the Brazilian participants, they study English or Spanish as FL. This study discusses how these learners’ identity characteristics and the reasons why they have chosen to learn the language impact on their perceptions about language learning. The Brazilian Portuguese learners’ perceptions will be compared and contrasted with those of Brazilian students learning English and Spanish inBrazil. The research data was collected primarily through an adapted version of the BALLI questionnaire answered by all learners in two contexts, complemented by an interview. The results suggest that students have different perceptions about language learning due to their distinct linguistic backgrounds, the context in which they live, their interests (both professional and personal), and their opportunities to interact, among other reasons for choosing to learn each language.

Second language learner perceptions of ICT community to support collaborative knowledge construction in an English writing course

This article discovers second language (L2) learner perceptions of information and communication technology (ICT) community to support collaborative knowledge construction in an English writing course at the University of Hong Kong. Asynchronous communication, being an increasingly common ICT tool, is often portrayed as offering a collaborative community space in which learners create in-depth and meaningful dialogues to construct knowledge collaboratively. This education-oriented experimental study employs a survey-and-interview design to explore L2 learners' experience of online engagement and their learning value. The questionnaire survey involved a group of 49 healthcare undergraduates enrolling on an English enhancement course, while interview subjects included five students of the survey group. Drawing upon survey and interview data as well as on student participation of the asynchronous communication, this study offers practical teaching suggestions for educators who wish to practise knowledge construction in classroom with computer assistance.

Adult beginner distance language learner perceptions and use of assignment feedback

This qualitative study examines perceptions and use of assignment feedback among adult beginner modern foreign language learners on higher education distance learning courses. A survey of responses to feedback on assignments by 43 Open University students on beginner language courses in Spanish, French, and German indicated that respondents can be classified into three groups: those who use feedback strategically by integrating it into the learning process and comparing it with, for example, informal feedback from interaction with native speakers, those who take note of feedback, but seem not to use it strategically, and those who appear to take little account of either marks or feedback. The first group proved to be the most confident and most likely to maintain their motivation in the longer term. The conclusion discusses some of the pedagogical and policy implications of the findings.

Machine translation in foreign language learning: language learners’ and tutors’ perceptions of its advantages and disadvantages

AbstractThis paper presents a snapshot of what has been investigated in terms of the relationship between machine translation (MT) and foreign language (FL) teaching and learning. For this purpose four different roles of MT in the language class have been identified: MT as a bad model, MT as a good model, MT as a vocational training tool (especially in the form of translation memories, pre-editing and post-editing), and MT as a “CALL tool”. Subsequently, some of the implications of the use of MT and of free online MT for FL learning are outlined and discussed along with practical examples for language teaching purposes. Finally, qualitative data, drawn from our empirical investigation are presented as synthesized findings pertaining to the perceptions of language learners and tutors in relation to the use of MT and, in particular, free online MT as a language tool.

Context really matters!—The influence of input types on L2 speakers’ perception of English liquids

This study aims to investigate how different input types can help improve the perception of language learners on L2 sounds. Twenty-four college students of a remedial English class are divided into three groups and are given audio inputs of different types. The first group listens to a wordlist, the second group to a story incorporating all the words on the wordlist, and the third group to a piece of classical music, serving as the control. The wordlist consists of 56 monosyllabic English words with word-initial liquids or liquid-containing clusters. Before the listening task, all three groups are given an online l/r perception test containing all the words on the wordlist (pretest). After the listening task, the same perception test is again administered, including the original 56 words and another 56 phonotactically matched pseudo-V words (posttest). Both accuracy and reaction time are measured for the two perception tests. Preliminary results showed that all participants had significantly higher accuracy and shorter RT for real words in the posttest. The story group showed the biggest improvement for both measures, followed by the wordlist group. The control showed the least improvement.