Language Learning Practices Research Articles

Use of Medical English Corpus among Contemporary Chinese College Medical Students: A Needs-based Analysis

The current research paper attempts to expose and analyze the general situation as well as what the needs of use of medical English corpus are among contemporary Chinese college medical students. At the same time, it makes efforts to uncover how to meet the needs for it. One hundred medical students took part in the research and they were asked to answer questionnaires purposefully designed, so as to collect comprehensive data with regard to the use of medical English corpus. The results of the current research has shown that there is a strong need of use of medical English corpus among contemporary Chinese college medical students as well as a severe lack of guidance of it from medical teachers in Chinese medical universities. Thus, this research further suggests that medical teachers should also guide medical students to meet the needs of selecting proper medical English corpus sensibly in their language learning practice. Keywords: medical English corpus, use, contemporary Chinese college medical students, needs analysis, language learning

Design of a Fuzzy Algorithm-Based Evaluation System for the Effectiveness of International Online Chinese Listening and Speaking Teaching.

With the increasing popularity of online foreign language teaching and learning practice, learners and teachers have developed a high demand for evaluation of teaching effectiveness. When we focus discussion on international Chinese teaching, which has been developed for a relatively short time and not experienced enough, online teaching effectiveness evaluation has become an important obstacle to the development of teaching. This paper introduces a hybrid technique based on fuzzy evaluation method, for determining and suggesting possible types of errors in international Chinese online listening and speaking instruction and giving suggestions for improvement. The system can help learners to identify and determine the types of errors in Chinese listening and speaking learning in a timely manner and make a more objective and comprehensive evaluation of learning performance; at the same time, it helps teachers to trace the effectiveness of teaching design and implementation in a targeted manner and make corresponding scientific decisions. This hybrid technology combines existing language teaching evaluation models, takes advantage of data from online education, and creates corresponding criteria through machine learning fuzzy algorithms and large data sample training, combined with the theory of effective teaching evaluation, which is beneficial for all participants of online Chinese listening and speaking teaching to improve their learning effectiveness.

Between Expert and Novice: Identity Transition from Teacher to Student as Sustainable Agentic Construction

Education for sustainable development in foreign language teaching and learning impacts students’ lives in their current or future endeavours. Despite a wide body of literature elucidating identity navigation of EFL teachers and international doctoral students, a relative scarcity of scholarship casts light on the in-between cohort, namely those who transit from the former to the latter. Via a holistic lens, utilising a qualitative case study based on an Australian university, this research scrutinised how a group of 10 international doctoral students who served as EFL teachers in their home countries enacted agency to navigate the identity transition. The study discusses what generally constitutes sustainable, successful language learning and teaching practices in different social, cultural, and educational contexts. The findings reveal that torn between teaching English as an expert and learning research as a novice, they negotiated the identity transition as a “doing” process subject to different positionings and structural contexts and mediated by various dynamics across a past–present–future trajectory. This study contributes to pertinent literature by shedding nuanced and holistic light on the under-researched topic of teacher-to-student identity transition. It ends with implications for attending to EFL teachers’ complex lived experiences to promote sustainable development in EFL teaching and learning.

Exploring Digital Literacy Skills of Prospective Indonesian EFL Teachers

Understanding EFL students’ levels of digital literacy is a vital step to improve the quality of English teaching and learning. This paper explored the levels of digital literacy skills of prospective Indonesian EFL teachers in the matter of their readiness for the integration and implementation of digital tools in their language learning practices. The respondents were three hundred thirty-six students majoring in the English Language Education department across cultural regions in Indonesia. A questionnaire was distributed online to gather data. The data were then tabulated and interpreted descriptively. The analysis results reported that the prospective Indonesian EFL teachers’ level of digital literacy was moderate. The discussion in this paper focuses on their digital literacy skills in terms of creative, technological, personal security, internet safety, problem-solving, information, communication or netiquette, and navigation. The findings of this study will provide a useful reference to improve learning practices and the integration and implementation of digital tools in English teaching and learning contexts.

DIGITAL TEACHING AWARENESS AND PRACTICE: NARRATIVES FROM INDONESIAN ESP TEACHERS

Research on the integration of digital technology in English language teaching has enormously been conducted. However, studies exploring digital teaching awareness and practice among English for specific purposes (ESP) teachers still remain a paucity of evidence. The present study aims to examine Indonesian ESP teachers’ digital teaching awareness and technology-based classroom activities. To reach the objective, qualitative approach under the procedure of narrative inquiry is applied. Semi-structured interview, observation, and document analysis are employed to obtain the required data from 14 Indonesian ESP teachers teaching at various fields of study. The results reveal that the Indonesian ESP teachers develop their digital teaching competence and awareness through professional training programs (e.g. joining workshop, seminar, and conference) and personal practice (e.g. learning from Youtube and other platforms). The results further depict that they utilize Social Networking Sites (e.g. Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram) and web-based materials (web-blog, Kahoot, Canva, and Edmodo) to assist their digital teaching practices. The results contribute to offering valuable insight and reference for English teachers to conduct interactive technology-based teaching and learning activities. In addition, the results can be used as a reference for school/college policymakers to ensure the efficacy of digital language learning practice.

Towards multilingual turn in language classes: plurilingual awareness as an indicator of intercultural communicative competence

ABSTRACT Multilingualism research has predominantly focused on describing the various factors behind multilingual individuals’ beliefs and practices in language learning and teaching. However, language and culture are intrinsically related and how intercultural communicative competence can contribute to this alliance remains relatively unknown. To address this research gap, the current study examined the relationship between plurilingual awareness and intercultural communicative competence together with their experiences in language classrooms. The study was based on Douglas Fir Group’s (2016. A transdisciplinary framework for SLA in a multilingual world. Modern Language Journal, 100(Supplement 2016), 19–47. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12301) framework and Deardorff’s (2006. Identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of internationalization. Journal of Studies in International Education, 10(3), 241–266) process orientation model, with 265 EFL teacher (pre-service and in-service) participants. In this mixed-method study, data were analysed using several multiple regressions and thematic analyses. Findings indicate that plurilingual awareness is a significant predictor of the relationship between language and culture, and individuals with higher plurilingual awareness have higher intercultural communicative competence. Classroom practices yielded complementary results manifested through a) translanguaging as a motivational practice, b) coping with intercultural tensions, and c) technology in multilingual classrooms. This study has several implications for the multilingual turn in language learning and teaching.

RETRACTED: Multimedia Presentations Through Digital Storytelling for Sustainable Development of EFL Learners’ Argumentative Writing Skills, Self-Directed Learning Skills and Learner Autonomy

The present study explored the impact of online digital storytelling on developing EAP students’ argumentative writing skills, and its impact on improving self-directed learning skills and learner autonomy in language learning. To reach such ends, a standardized pretest and posttest in argumentative writing skills were designed, which depends on the writing tasks of IELTS task 2 and Independent TOEFL test writing tasks. Also, the self-rating scale of self-directed learning and language Learner Autonomy Scale (LAS) have been exploited. The two experimental groups were trained to write using two different types of learning; group A through online storytelling and group B used offline content producing software to produce digital storytelling to promote writing skills. On the other hand, the control group (group C) used a traditional storytelling strategy. Results primarily revealed that the literacy skills of those who produced their stories with the offline software (group B) improved significantly in comparison to the other experimental group which was taught through online digital storytelling (group A). The control group achieved the least of the three groups in developing target skills. Further, the qualitative analysis of experimental group members’ responses in the semi-structured interviews revealed positive attitudes toward learning through blended learning approaches compared with pure online web-based learning. It is, therefore, recommended that blended learning should be used for students from communities with poor digital literacy and technology infrastructure. Also, online learning should be used with care to cope with community needs to fill a real gap in field practices in language learning to improve multiliteracy skills.

The Discourse of Self-learning: An Analysis of Japan’s EPA Programme for Healthcare Workers from Southeast Asia

ABSTRACT Japan signed Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam in 2008, 2009 and 2014 respectively, each of which includes a scheme that encourages the movement of healthcare workers into Japan. This scheme has remained a subject of intense scrutiny as a model of continuous employment of migrant workers from Southeast Asia. Applicants are required to complete one year of Japanese language training prior to working at the host institutions, and are expected to sit the Japanese-language healthcare licensure examination within three to four years of their arrival in Japan. This article examines the policy discourse of language learning practices and environments, which are important parameters for ensuring participants’ ongoing employment under this programme. The major finding is that the excessive promotion of self-learning among migrant workers correlates with a lower level of support from host institutions for their language learning. I argue that the Japanese government has shifted the responsibility for resultant negative consequences – such as the institutional burden of on-the-job training and the low exam pass rate – to the migrant workers by encouraging linguistic entrepreneurship.

Exploration of Malay Language Acquisition and Learning Experience among Orang Asli Students

Orang Asli, the indigenous community in Malaysia, is among minority groups facing difficulties acquiring the Malay language as a second language. Poor achievement and lack of research on the secondary school level among indigenous students have motivated the inquisition for this study. Using an ethnographic case study research design, a qualitative research approach was used to explore indigenous students' Malay language acquisition and learning experience. A total of 13 participants were chosen by purposive sampling technique in this research, comprising eight Orang Asli students from the Temiar tribe, two teachers and three of the students' parents. To acquire an in-depth picture of the phenomena, the data was collected using observation methods, interviews, and field notes at the only secondary boarding school of indigenous people on the Malay Peninsula's west coast. The study findings were analysed using the continuous comparison method to identify the themes and subthemes involved. The findings revealed that the learning and acquisition of the Malay language as a second language were among the skills learned in school, just like any other subjects. This study shows that efforts to cultivate the use of the Malay language were found challenging due to the less conducive school and social environments for a second language acquisition process. Thus, this study contributes to a better understanding of indigenous students perceive their second language, which has implications for improving Malay language teaching and learning practices as a second language, particularly among the Orang Asli community in Malaysia.

Secondary School Teachers’ Perceptions of Mobile Technology Adoption in English as a Foreign Language Learning: Trends and Practices

A review of literature on mobile technology in EFL learning environment has indicated the growth, trends and practices of smartphones and mobile apps adoption both in classroom and outside classroom settings. However, little has been known on how EFL teachers perceived such trends and current practices and how they plan for future teaching. This study attempted to explore teachers’ responses to trends and practices of mobile technology adoption and their future teaching plan. To this end, a qualitative design was adopted with two consecutive research procedures: a systematic review on the selected trends and practices analysis studies on mobile technology for language learning practices and a survey through a semi-structured interview. Five EFL teachers (three females and two males) from secondary school level were interviewed using six open-ended questions. Findings of the study revealed that teachers perceived positively towards the trends and practices of mobile technology in and outside language learning classroom. Teachers perceived motivation as a main driver to incorporate mobile technology. Some of motivations frequently cited in the interviews with the sampled teachers revealed the current trends and practices of blended learning practices among Indonesian teachers, including the perceived benefits of mobile technology adoptions and the effect of mobile technology on teaching and learning practices and students’ characteristics. Three challenges were identified when technology was incorporated for learning namely infrastructure related issues, teacher technological knowledge and education policy.

Systemic functional linguistics as a resource for teacher education and writing development

AbstractThis article provides an illustrative and necessarily selective review of scholarship in systemic functional linguistics (SFL) since the 1960s, examining two major strands of application within the institution of education: teacher education and writing development. We explore properties of SFL that have been significant in this institutional setting, asking: “What are the properties of SFL being applied in research in teacher education and writing development?” Five foundational properties emerged from the review (i.e. language as meaning-making resource, the cline of instantiation, ontogenesis or the process of learning how to mean, the hierarchy of stratification and the spectrum of different metafunctional modes of meaning). From this basis, we explicate how SFL-based pedagogies promote language learning and literacy practices in these educational domains. The article ends by suggesting how further explorations can be undertaken to enhance understanding of the potential of this social semiotic approach and its applied contributions to solving real-world problems.

The Early Bird Gets The Word Games and Play: Creating a Context For Authentic Language Learning

Early foreign language teaching has recently been made compulsory in Finland, making this an area open to development and innovation where policy - makers and teachers play a significant role in creating new kinds of learning environments, operating cultures, and pedagogy for foreign language learning. This article discusses the early foreign language learning landscape in the context of early foreign language learning theory, initial education pedagogy as well as functional foreign language learning. The cornerstone of this study is the Contextual Pedagogical approach to Learning, which creates a bridge between the theory and practice of early foreign language learning, creating an inspiring and stimulating basis for later language learning. Language is a precondition for learning and thinking. Language is involved in all the activities presented in school and every teacher is a language teacher “(the Finnish National Board of Education 2014, 127). In this article we focus on this idea, presented in the core national curriculum. We attempt to explain the learning environments of language teaching, operational culture, and pedagogical solutions within the theoretical frame of reference of learning another language. The challenges of creating learning environments that support authentic learning experiences, have become still more demanding in today's rapidly changing world.

Development of the Cadets’ Regulative Skills at Practical English Classes by a Means of Formative Assessment Technology

The new paradigm of education requires teaching stuff to search for efficient ways of forming of the key competences integral to personal and professional development of future officers of the Russian Army. Due to this reason, the search for the brand new assessment methods and technologies used in measuring cadets’ personal achievements in a military college is a challenging problem of foreign language learning theory and practice. The implementation of the modern assessment techniques involves the development of students’ regulative skills at foreign language classes and meets the requirements of the new federal educational standard to the teaching process in a higher educational institution, provides the sustained personal growth conditions and encourages cadets to conscious learning activities. The present article is devoted to the analysis of the formative assessment didactic potential relating to the field of foreign language teaching. The author proves the effectiveness of its use at the English classes as a means of improving cadets’ monitoring, evaluation and reflexive skills. Formative assessment is considered as a learning technology necessary for cadets’ personal development and improving the quality of foreign language learning through providing the feedback from all the parties involved in the educational process organization. The advantages of formative assessment in comparison with traditional methods of assessment are given. The cadets’ regulative skills developed by means of this technology at the English classes are also listed. The author provides the examples of the main formative assessment techniques implementation (criteria-based assessment, self-report, survey, etc.) at the English practical classes. The article contains the figures and tables which demonstrate the implementation of formative assessment.

Retrieval practice enhances learning and memory retention of French words in Chinese-English bilinguals

Numerous previous studies have indicated that retrieval practice promotes foreign language learning more than repeated studying. However, few studies have investigated whether retrieval practice enhanced a third language (L3) learning and memory retention. Here, we compared the behavioral performance in retrieval practice with that in repeated studying in French (L3) words learning. Sixty-two Chinese-English bilinguals participated in the experiment consisting of three sessions. Session one began with an initial encoding phase with 120 French (L3) – English (L2) translation word pairs, followed by a short distractor task. In session two, the 120 French-English word pairs from session one were studied under retrieval practice condition or repeated studying condition. The final recognition memory test was conducted after a 30-min retention interval. We found that retrieval practice enhanced French words learning more than repeated studying, as reflected by higher recognition accuracy in retrieval practice condition. The results suggest that retrieval practice is a powerful mnemonic enhancer in promoting L3 vocabulary learning, and it is an effective strategy in learning a new language. However, students rarely realize the important role of retrieval practice in foreign language learning.

A Systematic Review of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning Research Trends and Practices in Malaysia

Mobile technology integration in Malaysia’s English language education has a bright future, owing to the many advantages offered by mobile devices. However, there are inadequate studies that systematically review existing work in Malaysia to uncover gaps in the use of mobile technologies for English teaching and learning. Thus, a systematic review was conducted to offer an up-to-date synthesis of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) integration in Malaysia from January 2019 to January 2021. The review followed the PRISMA Statement's guidelines which resulted in the identification of eleven articles that met all the inclusion criteria. Following that, the eleven articles were analysed and synthesised quantitatively and qualitatively using seven codes derived from two earlier systematic reviews of the literature. The codes were: (1) research objectives, (2) research methodologies, (3) educational level, (4) learning context, (5) device types, (6) theories, and (7) research outcomes. The systematic review discovered several significant findings, including the fact that the majority of the studies examined the effect of MALL integration on students' English acquisition and performance, and that MALL was more prevalent in Malaysian higher education institutions than other levels of education, with the lowest prevalence in primary schools. In light of this information, recommendations for future research were proposed. Malaysian academics are encouraged to broaden the scope of their future research and engage students from all levels of education in future MALL practices in order to better understand MALL's usability in English language instruction in Malaysia.

“Exploring a task-based English learning and teaching practice: An integrated approach”

This ethnographic study attempts to find, reveal, and understand the quality of life in a College English classroom for non-English majors in China, where a task-based language learning and teaching practice is conducted under the guide of the principles of Exploratory Practice, aiming at exploring the viability of the practice in this specific instructional context. It takes the perspective of a practitioner’s and researcher’s, and that of an anthropologist’s, to conduct qualitatively the study of the task process. By inspiring students to free themselves from the rationality of instrumental curriculum, and encouraging them to exercise their agency and creativity, through the joint four-stage activities of the task, the study witnesses a harmonious classroom life, in which the students, in the direction of their teacher, engage actively in the activities, creating not only language learning opportunities, but also social and cultural ones, and critical thinking chances. The study confirms the positive effect of this context-sensitive instructional practice which prioritizes quality of life in the task-based language learning and teaching classroom.

The Effects of Spaced Practice on Second Language Learning: A Meta‐Analysis

AbstractThis meta‐analysis investigates earlier studies of spaced practice in second language learning. We retrieved 98 effect sizes from 48 experiments (N = 3,411). We compared the effects of three aspects of spacing (spaced vs. massed, longer vs. shorter spacing, and equal vs. expanding spacing) on immediate and delayed posttests to calculate mean effect sizes. We also examined the extent to which nine empirically motivated variables moderated the effects of spaced practice. Results showed that (a) spacing had a medium‐to‐large effect on second language learning; (b) shorter spacing was as effective as longer spacing in immediate posttests but was less effective in delayed posttests than longer spacing; (c) equal and expanding spacing were statistically equivalent; and (d) variability in spacing effect size across studies was explained methodologically by the learning target, number of sessions, type of practice, activity type, feedback timing, and retention interval. The methodological and pedagogical significance of the findings are discussed.

An Overview of Writing Process Research: Using Innovative Tasks and Techniques for a Better Understanding of L2 Writing Processes in Assessment Contexts

Over the past 40 years, second language educators and assessors have come to the realization that investigating the process of writing can shed light on language teaching, learning and assessment practices (Odendahl & Deane, 2018). What L2 writers do and think while writing can provide links between the task, the related construct and the cognitive mechanisms the learners engage in. In assessment contexts, such information can help language testers to ensure that performance-based score inferences are truly linked to not only the linguistic knowledge of examinees, but also to the functions of mental architecture intended in a specific task (Purpura, 2013). Recent advances in technology have provided the researchers with innovative tools for investigating L2 writing processes in different contexts. This paper provides a brief review of L2 writing process research by presenting the most influential theoretical approaches to the conceptualization and investigation of writing process in L1 and L2, followed by a review of some representative empirical research. Recognizing the need for investigating writing processes under assessment conditions, the paper attempts to delve more deeply into this topic by examining the existing L2 process research in assessment contexts, paying particular attention to the role of technology and assessment techniques.

Assisting Higher Education Learners Online to Acquire Self-Regulated Writing Strategies during COVID-19

Background: The abrupt transition to virtual language learning environments due to the Covid-19 pandemic has brought considerable challenges to educational practices. In the context of foreign/second language learning and teaching, it has become more difficult to ensure that learners have the necessary engagement and motivation levels along with sufficient support and guidance. As educators and researchers report, the adversities in today’s online learning environments need to be challenged.
 Purposes: The study is meant to contribute to language learning and teaching practices by sharing the results of the implementation of a self-supporting tool, namely, Self-Monitoring Chart for Effective Writing Strategies. The chart has been developed by the researchers for an online academic English writing course at higher education level to assist learners their writing improvement and to become self-regulated learners while maintaining their engagement in their writing tasks.
 Methodology/Approach: The study was designed as a qualitative case study and the opinions of the participants on their experiences of using the chart were elicited using semi-structured interviews. The participants were students at English Language Teaching departments of two state universities (N=48). The qualitative data gathered was analyzed using systematic content analysis.
 Findings and Discussion: The results indicate that the learners greatly benefited from using the SMC. In particular, they reported to have become aware of SRL writing strategies, to have learned how to implement them, to be more engaged and more motivated in writing tasks. The implications are meant to contribute to online language learning and teaching contexts.

THE USE OF SPOKEN CORPORA FOR LEARNING FRENCH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (BASED ON ESLO, FLEURON, CLAPI, AND CFPP2000)

The paper deals with the educational and linguistic potential in use of oral corpora for learning French as a foreign language. The paper is divided into three parts. The first part illustrates the contribution of studies based on oral corpora in foreign language acquisition, French in particular. It also analyses the integration of corpora in educational process. The second one gives a brief overview on four speech corpora (the ESLOs, FLEURON, CLAPI, and CFPP2000), shortly describes their specifics, thematic orientation, some peculiarities of working with them. It also gives examples of concrete educational applications for vocabulary learning. The third part looks at some aspects of the use of corpora for language study, highlighting its advantages, difficulties, and challenges of oral corpora employment. Here it is emphasized the use of speech corpora in practice of teaching and learning French language learning is an effective addition to traditional educational technologies. They can be used as supporting material, which allows the teacher to correlate the learning objectives and the teaching methods. The way of working with them requires rethinking the way of teaching and learning: this approach combines empirical adequacy, authenticity, and adaptation, and the possibility of independent learner’s work. It also implies technical, theoretical, methodological, and educational support for both the teacher and the learner. The use of these corpora can be effective and interesting if it bases on a clear program and is gradual, consistent, and systematic.