Practices For English Learners Research Articles

The Influence of High-Stakes English Examinations on Students’ Out-of-Classroom English Learning Practices: A Comparative Study

Exams with high stakes may affect test takers’ learning endeavors. Given the students’ different academic backgrounds, it is not yet clear how much of an effect the tests will have on their out-of-classroom learning practices. This study, thus, aimed to close the knowledge gap by employing a mixed method of embedded research design and collecting data via questionnaire, focused group discussion (FGD), and document analysis. The questionnaire was administered to a stratified random sample of 94 12th grade students. The students with their one-semester academic achievements were selected from two secondary schools found in East Wollega zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, multivariate and one-way ANOVA. The data gathered through document analysis and FGD were to substantiate the questionnaire. The contents of the three consecutive years of past Ethiopian Secondary School Leaving Certificate English Examination (ESSLCEE) questions were analyzed quantitatively. The qualitative method was used to conduct FGD with the selected participants from each school. The recorded data were subsequently transcribed, translated, analyzed, and discussed thematically. The study found significant differences between students of low-achieving groups (“Fair” and “Satisfactory” scorers) and high-achieving groups (“Very Good” and “Excellent” scorers) in studying non-ESSLCEE-related learning activities out-of-classroom. However, no statistically significant differences were observed between low-achieving groups and high-achieving groups regarding practicing ESSLCEE-related language components. The washback of high-stakes ESSLCEE on students’ out-of-classroom English learning practices was observed regardless of the students’ specific academic achievement groups they belonged to. The results suggest that there are differences in the impact of high-stakes exams on the efforts that students from different academic backgrounds make for out-of-classroom learning practices.

Medical English Dictionary Utilization among Contemporary Chinese Tertiary Medical Students: A Needs-Based Analysis

This current research exposes and analyzes the general situation of medical English dictionary utilization among contemporary Chinese tertiary medical students. Eighty medical students from a Chinese medical university took part in the research and they were asked to answer purposefully designed questionnaires. A follow-up interview was also conducted to collect further data regarding medical English dictionary utilization. The results of the current research have shown that there is a strong need of medical English dictionary utilization among contemporary Chinese tertiary medical students as well as a severe lack of guidance for medical English utilization from medical teachers in Chinese medical universities. The current research further suggests that medical teachers should also guide medical students to meet the needs of selecting proper medical English dictionaries sensibly to facilitate them to utilize their own medical English dictionaries as possible as they can in their medical English learning practice.

The Effectiveness of Edmodo as E-learning in English Learning Practice Discussion at Indonesia Senior High School

This research aimed to find out the effectiveness of the use of social networking media Edmodo on class discussions on practical learning of English; and the relationship between the use of social networking media Edmodo and students’ participation in class discussions on practical learning of English. The sample of this research was 32 students of class XI in the 2022/2023 academic year of Kebangsaan senior high school Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. This research was an experimental research type using a factorial design, where the test variable (x1) was the use of Edmodo social media, the control variable (x2) was without the use of Edmodo social media, the dependent variable (y1) consisted of students’ participation in class discussion in the first simulation on practical English teaching materials (y1), and the second simulation on practical English teaching materials (y2). The results of the MANOVA test proved that the effectiveness of using discussion forums using Edmodo to increase students' English learning participation. As a result, there were differences in students’ participation in class discussions in the first simulation on English practice teaching material (y1), and the second simulation on English practice teaching material (y2) with those who did not take part in discussions on the social networking media Edmodo (x2).

L2 Investment and Techno‐Reflective Narrative Interviews

English medium instruction (EMI) can become pantomime in the context of higher education, and such non‐participation can be shaped and explained by learners' refusing to invest in the English learning practices while performing their learner/speaker/user identities. Taking a Bourdieusian stance on this issue, the study discusses techno‐reflective narrative interviews (TRNI) as a retrospective framing tool for investigating L2 learners' English investment by showcasing a tertiary TRNI exemplar and examining the extent to which TRNIs help to (1) investigate how students negotiate and perform multiple and constantly contradictory linguistic, cultural, and role identities; (2) provide a reflective account of students' critical genre and literacy awareness while finishing various tasks; and (3) empower the students by amplifying their voices and positioning and unfold their struggle with ideological notions of English ownership.

Do school status and classroom English learning practices influence Chinese learners’ perceptions of a high-stakes English test?

Learners’ views of a test have been regarded as a crucial source of evidence of a test’s construct validity as well as a measurement of its impact. This study investigates students’ (N = 3105) perceptions of the National Matriculation English Test (NMET), a high-stakes test in China, and explores the influences of school status and classroom English learning practices on their perceptions. The sample was randomly split in half to conduct cross-validations. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, t-test, correlation analysis, standard multiple regression, and structural equation modeling. The survey results demonstrated that students viewed test validity and importance positively and test impact negatively. The results also revealed that school status and classroom English learning practices significantly influenced students’ perceptions of a test. Specifically, those in more prestigious schools held more positive perceptions of NMET validity and importance and more negative perceptions of its impact. Classroom English teaching-related learning practice was more associated with students’ positive perceptions of NMET validity and importance, whereas classroom test preparation was more associated with negative views of NMET impact. This study has important implications for test design, school administration, and learning and teaching.

English Learning Practices

Adequate facilities and infrastructure are not yet ready so that learning cannot run smoothly. The purpose of this study was to analyze the process of learning English. This research is qualitative, descriptive research that tends to use analysis and emphasizes process and meaning more. The approach used in this study is phenomenological. Data collection methods used in this study were interviews, questionnaires, and observation. The instrument used to analyze the data is a questionnaire. The data analysis technique used is descriptive qualitative analysis. The results of this study are that four critical factors support the smooth running of the English learning process: the principal, parents of students, students, and educators. The role of the principal, especially the support of the principal in the form of providing facilities and infrastructure, is an essential factor because, without this learning, it will not be able to run smoothly. The role of parents is also essential because their assistance to students will be able to provide a learning atmosphere. Student motivation is also an essential key to the success of learning English. This research with the results wants to show that various parties pay attention to four main factors for the smooth teaching and learning activities process.

Educating emergent bilinguals: Policies, programs, and practices for English learners. Garcia, Ofelia and Kleifgen, Jo Anne (Eds.). Teachers College Columbia University Press.

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Examining Korean Students’ Self-Directed English Learning Practices in General English Classes at College

This case study examines Korean college students’ self-directed English learning practices performed outside of the classroom. In particular, the current study investigates what learning activities the students choose and carry out for their self-directed learning (SDL) and how they respond to the project as part of a general Englishc ourse. Based on Knowles’ (1975) conceptualization of the process that autonomous learners go through, the self-directed English learning project proceeded in five phases: reflecting on students’ own previous Englishle arning experience, researching information about how to study Englishand what Englishlearning materials to use, designing their own Englishlearning plans, executing the plans, and reflecting on their SDL practices. Students from two general English classes engaged in the SDL project for 13 weeks during the Fall semester of 2019, and a total of 51 students participated in this study. The main source of data was survey questionnaires administered during the project, which consisted of multiple-choice, 5-point Likert scale, and open-ended questions. As supplementary data, the students’ study logs and the instructor's teaching materials were also collected. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze and display responses to the multiple-choice questions and Likert-scale ratings. Qualitative analysis was used for students’ responses to the open-ended questions to identify common themes among students. Analysis of the data revealed that the students most often chose input-oriented activities focusing on listening and reading as opposed to speaking, which was the area of English they most wished to improve. Depending on the area of English, learning materials were chosen differently, and speaking/writing activities were mostly conducted individually. In general, smartphones were preferred, but for those who used English learning sources designed for educational purposes, traditional tools like print books were preferred. The students showed overall positive responses to the SDL project and reported that it allowed them to have a new experience with English learning, to discover various English learning methods, and to improve their English ability. However, some difficulties carrying out the project were mentioned by the students, including the time to make for the project and the overall effectiveness regarding their English learning activities. The findings of the study indicate that the SDL project can positively impact students’ English learning by preparing them to be more autonomous English learners. The findings also suggest that bothi ndividual instructors and institutions should provide students with further assistance and scaffolding to support their self-directed English learning. Instructors are recommended to take advisory roles and offer appropriate assistance and guidance for their students to have successful SDL experiences and develop their SDL capacity in sustainable ways. In addition, institutional level supports such as various Englishlea rning environments, one-on-one consultation services, and extracurricular programs are suggested as effective ways to facilitate students’ self-directed language learning.

TEACHING SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP THROUGH PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING: PEDAGOGY AND PRACTICE IN THE BUSINESS ENGLISH CLASSROOM

This paper introduces the social entrepreneurship project currently incorporated in English for Business course offered by the Centre for Preparatory Studies at Sultan Qaboos University, Oman, in which students identify real world ill-structured problems and acquire knowledge by working together in groups to develop, fund (both through grants/donations and through selling goods and services) and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. In more detail, in addition to discussing the concept of social entrepreneurship and its application in student project work and English learning practice, it also explores the effectiveness of a problem based learning approach that relies on the constructive learning principle when teaching social entrepreneurship. Practical recommendations on anchoring social entrepreneurship teaching in problem-based learning and constructing social entrepreneurship projects are also considered.

Diagnostic evaluation model of English learning based on machine learning

The diagnostic evaluation model of English learning is difficult to judge the subjective factors in student learning, so some diagnostic evaluation models of English learning are difficult to apply to English learning practice. In order to improve the effect of English learning, based on machine learning technology, this study combines the needs of English evaluation to build a diagnostic evaluation model of English learning based on machine learning. Moreover, this study compares the methods of random forest, Bayesian network, decision tree, perceptron, K-nearest neighbor and multi-model fusion, and selects the best algorithm for diagnostic analysis. The diagnostic evaluation model of English studies constructed in this paper mainly evaluates and judges the errors in students’ English learning. In addition, this study validates the methods proposed in this study through controlled experiments. The research results show that the method proposed in this study has a certain effect.

Structural relationship between learners’ perceptions of a test, learning practices, and learning outcomes: A study on the washback mechanism of a high-stakes test

The study aimed to explore the washback mechanism on learning by investigating the structural relationship between learners’ perceptions of a test, learning practices, and learning outcomes via structural equation modeling. The participants in this study included 3105 Chinese senior high school students. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling were used in the analyses of the data. This study found that learners’ perceptions of test validity, impact, and importance affected their learning practices in different ways and to different degrees. The research results also showed that four types of English learning practices had significant, positive, but differential effects on learning outcomes. The effect size was partly associated with the frequency of engagement with each learning practice. Based on the findings, some implications and suggestions were drawn for learners, teachers, test designers, and test authorities.

Promoting Autonomous, Collaborative English learning Practices and Fostering Greater Learner Autonomy among Secondary Students in Hong Kong

Learner autonomy can be referred as an individual’s ability and responsibility to take charge of his or her own learning, which is important to language learning. In Hong Kong, English is more like a foreign language. It is considered as the high variety and speaking the language in a non-required situation is always associated with a negative connotation of being arrogant. To most local people, it is a language learned in a classroom and is seldom used for communicative purposes. Meanwhile, Hong Kong classrooms are featured with teacher-centred, examination-oriented teaching, and passive learning. These factors make the taking up of chances of practising the language with Cantonese-speaking peers in outside of class situations and the development of learner autonomy very difficult. However, out-of-class learning is essential to language learning and learner autonomy. In this multiple-case study, the case participants were asked to reveal their approaches to overcoming challenges, engaging in collaborative English learning practices, and developing greater autonomy. In this paper, their ways to tackle the difficulties of participating in out-of-class English practices with peers and develop learner autonomy, will be discussed.

The Use of Twitter Amongst Female Saudi EFL Learners

Twitter is a popular microblogging site amongst the Saudi population, which means that Saudi EFL learners are now increasingly connected with millions of native English speakers and other EFL/ESL students. This paper shed light on the use of Twitter by female Saudi EFL learners to determine their English learning practices and their perceptions beyond formal learning contexts. Specifically, the research determined the manner by which the participants’ social interactions over Twitter can help with second language (L2) development and the factors that drove them to choose this site to support their L2 learning. To this end, 25 Saudi adult females who were at different levels of study at a local health sciences university in Saudi Arabia were recruited. Underlain by a mixed methods approach, data collection was implemented through survey questionnaires administered to the EFL learners, amongst whom three participated in additional semi-structured interviews. The researcher has provided few recommendations for the future research where use of Twitter in education and its implications for the purpose of teaching.

Case Study on One North Korean Defector College Student’s Journey to Learning English in South Korea

This case study examined one female university-level North Korean defector’s (NKD) identity construction as an English language learner. Grounded in positioning theory, this study aimed to illustrate the modes of positioning the participant took up in different English language learning contexts and their influences on her English learning practices. Data were collected from multiple resources including interviews, reflection notes, and class observation. Qualitative data analysis revealed that the participant positioned herself differently in each English learning setting and displayed different attitudes and participatory behaviors in accordance with the positions she took up. In this process, she was able to reshape her mindset toward English learning as her first order positioning was continuously questioned. She actively took advantage of her role as a student in an effort to adapt to the environment she was exposed to, but her personal traits and perception of the self-other relationship also had a strong influence on her English learning practices. Pedagogical suggestions are offered that may make English education better suited for NKDs’ various needs.

Students' Perceptions of the Impact of the College English Test

Abstract Designed to assess college students' English ability, the College English Test (CET) is regarded as the most influential English test in China. This study investigates students' perceptions of the impact of the CET on their English-learning practices and their affective conditions. A survey was administered to 150 undergraduate students at a university in Beijing. It was found that students perceived the impact of the CET to be pervasive. In particular, the majority of the respondents indicated that the CET had a greater impact on what they studied than on how they studied. Most of the students surveyed felt the CET had motivated them to make a greater effort to learn English. Many students seemed to be willing to put more effort on the language skills most heavily weighted in the CET. About half of the students reported a higher level of self-efficacy in regard to their overall English ability and some specific English skills as a result of taking or preparing for the CET. However, many students also reported experiencing increased pressure and anxiety in relation to learning English. This study provides important evidence about how the CET influences college students' English learning in China, and directions for further research are also suggested.

What Does Research Say about Effective Practices for English Learners?

What Does Research Say about Effective Practices for English Learners?

What Does Research Say about Effective Practices for English Learners?

What Does Research Say about Effective Practices for English Learners?

What Does Research Say about Effective Practices for English Learners?

What Does Research Say about Effective Practices for English Learners?

What Does Research Say about Effective Practices for English Learners?

(2009). What Does Research Say about Effective Practices for English Learners? Kappa Delta Pi Record: Vol. 46, No. 1, pp. 10-16.

Systemic Reform and Superficial Compliance: Teacher Loyalty to Lived Experience

This article examines the implications of educational policies on teachers' beliefs and practices for English learners (ELs) in the context of the California educational reform agenda. By utilizing cultural–historical activity theory, this study paints a personal and pedagogical portrait of how 2 educated and experienced bilingual teachers organized their classrooms in cultural, historical, and ideological ways that shaped how they adapted mandated reforms in their instruction for ELs. The findings show that educational policies are filtered by each teacher's need to strike a balance between compliance to authority and her own autobiography and ethos of what it means to be a teacher, making teacher agency and teacher beliefs important variables in the efficacy of reform.