Level Of English Proficiency Research Articles

Making a case for English for specific purposes in China: listening to stakeholders’ voices

Internationalization in language education has inspired a new look at English for specific purposes (ESP) needs for English as a foreign language (EFL) learning in China. Undergraduate Chinese student-athletes (SAs) currently need to study college English and pass the CET 4 in order to graduate. ESP is postulated as a necessary but hardly exploited approach in China for SAs’ EFL learning. The study is guided by two main research concerns: (1) the SAs’ attitudes towards the current college English course and the inclusion of ESP into the curriculum and (2) stakeholders’ voices on SAs’ immediate needs, future needs, and wants of learning English. Eighteen semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with different groups of stakeholders: students, Sports Science graduates, teachers, and university administrators. They agreed that SAs should not be taught only college English but also Sports English to reach a higher level of English language proficiency to fulfil the students’ wants, necessities, and lacks. The authors argue for the inclusion of ESP elements into the current college English curriculum. This will enable SAs to undergo a more meaningful English language experience to meet their current and future EFL expectations. Specifically, the study contributes to a specific dimension of ESP needs for Sports English, which has been left unattended thus far for SAs in the learning of English at the tertiary level.

Nonverbal Cues in Teaching Foreign Language for Vietnamese Higher Education Learners

This research focuses on how nonverbal signals affect engagement in university English classrooms in Vietnam. The major obstacles that Vietnamese colleges still need to overcome include large class sizes with plenty of students with different English proficiency levels, inadequate teacher preparation, and outdated teaching methods that lower students' engagement. Qualitative data was gathered via document analysis, student interviews, and classroom observations of two classes comprising 40 non-English major students who come from different regions of Vietnam and their instructors at the Foreign Language Center of Nong Lam University. The results indicate that nonverbal cues significantly improve student comprehension and involvement, fostering a more inclusive and dynamic educational atmosphere. Enhancing non-verbal communication provides Vietnamese instructors with an efficient means to impart English and intercultural communication knowledge. This work adds to the domain of foreign language instruction, specifically the English language, and underscores the significance of non-verbal communication in improving pedagogical approaches.

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.

Utilising Artificial Intelligence to Bolster and Refine the Production of Formal Letters in English Tailored for Students of Mechanical Engineering

Over the past decade, advancements in technology, notably Artificial Intelligence (AI), have significantly transformed educational methodologies and shifted the existing educational framework. Innovations like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Gemini have garnered considerable attention, with their groundbreaking features potentially revolutionizing the realm of education, prompting concerns among educators and researchers (Grassini, 2023; Halaweh, 2023). This research endeavours to utilise AI, specifically ChatGPT and Gemini, to bolster and refine formal letter writing and email composition skills among first-cycle undergraduate students enrolled in the English for Engineering module at a Spanish university. Initially, students underwent a pre-test assessing their English proficiency and confidence levels, along with their familiarity with ChatGPT and other AI tools utilised for educational and writing purposes. Subsequently, students engaged in collaborative group tasks using Google Docs within Google Drive. Finally, a post-test was administered to gauge students' perceptions regarding their experience with English for Specific Purposes, particularly English for Mechanical Engineering, and their utilisation of ChatGPT and other AI tools for educational and writing purposes. Findings indicate that integrating AI can enhance students' grasp of written language accuracy in formal letter writing, particularly in inquiries, quotations, and complaint letters, facilitating better organisation and structure in their written correspondence in terms of style, accuracy, and communicative efficacy. This study suggests that investigations like the one presented here enable educators to explore the incorporation of AI, specifically ChatGPT and Gemini, to enrich students' writing proficiency, foster creativity, and cultivate technological aptitude within the classroom setting.

Enhancing university level English proficiency with generative AI: Empirical insights into automated feedback and learning outcomes

This paper investigates the effects of large language model (LLM) based feedback on the essay writing proficiency of university students in Hong Kong. It focuses on exploring the potential improvements that generative artificial intelligence (AI) can bring to student essay revisions, its effect on student engagement with writing tasks, and the emotions students experience while undergoing the process of revising written work. Utilizing a randomized controlled trial, it draws comparisons between the experiences and performance of 918 language students at a Hong Kong university, some of whom received generated feedback (GPT-3.5-turbo LLM) and some of whom did not. The impact of AI-generated feedback is assessed not only through quantifiable metrics, entailing statistical analysis of the impact of AI feedback on essay grading, but also through subjective indices, student surveys that captured motivational levels and emotional states, as well as thematic analysis of interviews with participating students. The incorporation of AI-generated feedback into the revision process demonstrated significant improvements in the caliber of students’ essays. The quantitative data suggests notable effect sizes of statistical significance, while qualitative feedback from students highlights increases in engagement and motivation as well as a mixed emotional experience during revision among those who received AI feedback.

HAS GENERAL ENGLISH KNOWLEDGE OF SERBIAN FRESHMEN STUDENTS PREPARED THEM FOR AN ESP COURSE – A PILOT STUDY

This study delves into the language knowledge of incoming freshmen students at two Serbian faculties, the Department of Criminal Investigation of the University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies and the Faculty of Mining and Geology at the University of Belgrade. The aim of the pilot study was to assess their prior English language proficiency before beginning English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses. Recognizing the challenges of teaching ESP in large, multi-level groups, the study sought to gather initial data on the distribution of Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels within the student sample. A questionnaire was administered, gathering demographic details on English language learning experiences, alongside a Face2Face Written Placement Test to assess proficiency levels from A1 to C1. The study, conducted during the 2022/2023 academic year, involved 152 voluntary participants from two faculties. The findings offer valuable insights into the dynamics of language education and their impact on English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses. The results reveal that while a significant portion of students is expected to have a B level of English proficiency upon completing secondary school, the actual language proficiency among students varies widely. ESP courses face the challenge of accommodating students with varying language skills, as this demands tailored language support and instructional strategies to bridge the proficiency gap effectively.

University students' metacognitive awareness of reading strategies (MARS) in online reading and MARS' role in their English reading comprehension.

Investigation about metacognitive awareness of reading strategies (MARS) has mainly focused on paper-based reading rather than online reading. Gender, reading media preferences, and English proficiency levels (EPL) account for students' differences in MARS. However, existing studies are still debating the predictive power of these variables on MARS. MARS was assumed to influence English reading comprehension even though research that firmly supports this assumption seems rare. Therefore, we examined Indonesian university students' MARS in online reading activities using data from 1412 university students in Indonesia. They were categorized into gender, reading media preferences, and EPL. The One-Way MANOVA results showed students' differences in MARS based on their gender, (F = 20.456, p < 0.05), reading media preferences, (F = 2.82, p < 0.05), and students' EPL, (F = 5.988, p < 0.05). The multiple regression analysis showed that global, support, and problem-solving strategies were simultaneously associated with English reading comprehension scores. This study emphasizes the effect of the variables on students' MARS differences and discloses the association between MARS and English reading comprehension.

FORMATION OF FOREIGN-LANGUAGE COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCIES OF STUDENTS OF PROFESSIONAL PRE-HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

In the article, the author analyzed the pedagogical conditions for the formation of foreign language communicative competences in institutions of professional pre-higher education in the process of teaching students of 121 program subject area – Software Engineering. During the study, a comprehensive approach was used, including a deep analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature: the study of scientific papers, articles and other sources of information on the topic under study. Analytical work with information sources: synthesis and systematization of acquired knowledge, clear formulation of key concepts and aspects of the topic. It has been established that modern employers expect software engineering professionals to have not only deep technical knowledge but also a high level of English language proficiency. This includes the ability to work with English-language technical documentation, communicate effectively in international projects, and write professional documentation in English. This is especially true for professionals studying at institutions of professional pre-higher education. Foreign language training should be aimed at developing the communication competencies necessary to work effectively in an international environment. The author identifies the main pedagogical conditions, in particular, the formation of motivation in future IT specialists to learn foreign languages; systematic use of digital interactive technologies as a means of forming foreign language communicative competences; creation of professionally oriented teaching and methodological support (in particular, workbooks in in English for professional purposes for each semester); readiness of foreign language teachers to use professionally oriented teaching and methodological support.

Students&amp;apos; Perceptions of Lecture-style Classes and Reading Journal Activities in College General English

The purpose of this study is to examine how the self-directed learning of writing a reading journal helps students learn English compared to lecture-style classes and how students perceive these two types of classes. 145 first-year students participated in the study. The class consisted of a lecture with news articles in the first half and activities involving the reading of articles or books and the writing of a reading journal in the second half. In week 15, students filled out a questionnaire to investigate how these two types of classes helped them in their studies. The results showed that lecture-style classes were helpful for 75.86% of the students and that the activities related to reading and writing a journal were helpful for 79.81% of the students. Grammar was mentioned most frequently for lecture-style classes, and improvements in writing, reading, and vocabulary learning were mentioned often at a similar rate for the reading journal activities. Thus, writing a reading journal was found to be a useful activity to improve students’ reading and writing abilities. 71.03% answered that the reading journal activities were more helpful than lecture-style classes, and self-direction was found to be the greatest factor that contributed to the improvement of their English skills. This is because a considerable number of students mentioned keywords such as ‘direct,’ ‘self,’ and ‘alone.’ 26.21% answered that lecture-style classes were more helpful to them. Also, the frequent mention of ‘explanation’ showed that the instructor's explanation helped such students more than when they were learning on their own. The results of this study reveal that self-directed learning of reading journal writing is more beneficial to students' English learning than conventional lecture-style classes. Based on these results, this study suggests that activities involving individual reading and reading journal writing should be properly introduced into college general English courses, and that the ratio of lecture-style classes and self-directed learning should be adjusted in consideration of the students' English proficiency levels.

Assessing the Grammatical Rules Proficiency among Polytechnic and Colleges of Education Students in Anambra State Using Evidence Centered Design Assessment

Language assessment is a broad concern in Applied Linguistics because it focuses on the measurement and judgment of learners’ proficiency, and the efficiency of the learning practice used by the learners as well as the teaching method employed by language teachers. This research paper adopted Evidence Centered Design (ECD) as its theoretical framework to form the bedrock of this study. The ECD methodology is an assessment approach or design which underscores the central sole of evidentiary reasoning in assessment. ECD assessment deisgn is used in this study to explore the efficiency of Evidence Centered Design in the assessment of English language proficiency level of the Igbo speakers of 200 undergraduates from three polytechnics and one college of education in Anambra State, Nigeria. The study adopted qualitative and quantitative research design, primary and secondary source of data to help the researcher make predictions and judge the communicative competence of these learners by using diagnostic model of test to determine their interactive knowledge in the use of parts of speech. The study used simple percentage which is the statistical analysis acceptable in Language studies, to analyze the data collected from the questionnaire and the test. The findings from this study proved the validity of ECD assessment in determining language proficiency.

The Use of Artificial Intelligence Based Technology in English Language Teaching

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a technology that enables computers and machines to simulate learning, understanding, problem-solving, decision-making, creativity, and computer-based human intelligence. AI is also one of the driving forces of the Industry 4.0 revolution to facilitate education in the teaching and learning process. This research aims to understand the role of AI in English Language Teaching (ELT) and to investigate AI technologies in ELT. This is a library research study. The results show that AI offers a conducive learning environment for English language learning. It has significant capabilities to create a personalized environment where learners use their senses to simultaneously practice English skills depending on their current English proficiency level, vocational needs, or interests. AI provides a real-life simulation platform for dialogue, such as spoken English, and enhances practical skills like writing. It increases students' practice capacity and optimizes the impact of English teaching in ELT. Learning English has become easier with the development of technology and platforms. AI technology offers opportunities to enhance English language skills. The availability of various learning technologies makes it easier for students to understand English. There are many AI-based ELT applications available for students to use. This technology, as a smart machine that thinks and behaves like humans, can simulate intelligence and make decisions similar to human reasoning through processes on computers or mobile phones, such as Google Translate, Able Platform, Orai, Elsa, Chatbot, Duolingo, Hello English Apk, and many others.

Linguistic Diversity and Inclusion: Exploring International Students Attitudes Towards Their Own Accents and Those of Native English Speakers

International students studying in English-speaking countries represent a diverse linguistic background and may exhibit varying degrees of accent, which can influence their self-perception and their perception of others. Accordingly, the paper examines the attitudes of international students toward their own accents and those of native English speakers, with particular emphasis on their adaptation processes in academic and social contexts. In this paper, semi-structured interviews were conducted with undergraduate and postgraduate students from China, with varying levels of English proficiency and length of residence in the UK, which aims to elucidate the nuanced attitudes of international students towards accents and their adaptation strategies. The results show that while many students initially perceived British and American accents as prestigious and attempted to imitate them, as they progressed through the language environment they were more inclined to prioritize effective communication and intelligibility over achieving a perfect native accent. This shift is consistent with existing literature, which emphasizes the importance of prioritizing clarity and mutual understanding. Inclusive language policies that prioritize linguistic diversity and communicative effectiveness, thereby fostering learning environments that are conducive to language acquisition.

Development of phonetic skills of students in teaching English in a non-linguistic university

Importance. The topicality of teaching students the right pronunciation is explained by the fact that phonetic aspect is one of the components of the language competence. The problem of necessity of forming a phonetic competence of students studying a foreign language at a non-linguistic institution is considered. The aim of the study is to consider the difficulties of developing students’ phonetic skills when teaching English in a non-linguistic university, as well as the suggestion of measures to eliminate these difficulties.Materials and Methods. Within the framework of the research, referring to modern scientific sources on the problem posed, the basic difficulties have been revealed, the material related to measures on solving the difficulties of students in the development of pronunciation skills has been systematized and generalized, various measures to eliminate errors and improve pronunciation skills have been proposed.Results and Discussion. The examples of traditional phonetic exercises of varying complexity, as well as innovative ones, the use of which is supposed to improve the pronunciation skills of students, are considered; methods for assessing phonetic skills have been defined.Conclusion. Forming of phonetic competence is an important component of the general language competence of students. By means of a variety of teaching materials, active practice and creating a suitable environment, students can improve their phonetic skills and achieve a higher level of English proficiency. The practical application of the results of the research can be used in teaching English at a non-linguistic university.

Investigating the Level and Factors of Speaking Anxiety among High Performing School Students

English is mandatory for Malaysian students from standard one until form five. The subject per se has been one of the prerequisites to pass Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and to attain a high school certificate. Regardless of the long years formally learning and acquiring the language within the classroom walls especially, many still fail to speak fluently. Furthermore, the issue of low English proficiency among Malaysians has been one of the primal causes of unemployment in the country. In terms of an individual’s speaking performance, it is found that anxiety during speaking a particular language can cause mental barriers that will prevent learners from speaking fluently. This quantitative study examined the levels of speaking anxiety of Form 1 students towards the English language and the contributing factors towards English-speaking anxiety. 138 Form 1 students took part and completed an adapted 33-item English Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (ELCAS) questionnaire. The questionnaire was then analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for the mean and frequency values. The results show that 56.5% of the Form 1 students have moderate levels of English-speaking anxiety. It is also found that the highest contributing factor towards the students’ speaking anxiety is Fear of Negative Evaluation (FNE) with a mean of 2.59. In conclusion, English proficiency level, and socioeconomic as well as geographical factors influence the level of speaking anxiety among ESL learners in Malaysia.

FOSTERING VIETNAMESE EFL LEARNERS’ LEARNER AUTONOMY AND READING COMPREHENSION ABILITY THROUGH ONLINE PLATFORMS

The ability of learner autonomy is a prerequisite for many university students in Vietnam. However, it is a daunting task for EFL teachers and learners to achieve that learning outcome. The present study aims to delineate second-year English majors’ perceived learner autonomy and reading comprehension ability in an online reading course at Van Lang University, Vietnam, with two online platforms (synchronous via Microsoft Teams and asynchronous via Moodle). During the ten weeks of this course, different online reading and vocabulary practices were assigned to 65 students in two intact classes. The results were obtained from reading tests, questionnaires, and a follow-up interview. The findings revealed that they could perceive their learner autonomy more positively and statistically remarkably improve their reading comprehension ability after the course. The students’ insights into the course’s effectiveness confirmed several benefits in addition to a few barriers (i.e., technical issues, English proficiency levels, learning motivation, and online self-study skills). The results have specific implications for the practice of English reading instruction at the faculty. Viable online platforms and pedagogical techniques should be applied to foster the students’ learner autonomy and reading comprehension ability.&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/soc/0796/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Engaging Mixed-Age Learners with Personal Interests in ESL Beginners

This study explores the effectiveness of using personal hobbies and daily routines to engage mixed-age learners (ages 12-17) at A1-A2 English proficiency levels over a 34-week course designed to help them progress toward B1 proficiency. The research focuses on how integrating personal interests into lessons increases motivation, participation, and language acquisition. A class of 18 students was divided into sub-groups based on age and proficiency, with activities tailored to meet their developmental needs. The findings show that connecting lessons to students' lives significantly improves engagement, vocabulary retention, and oral communication. Collaborative tasks involving both younger and older students fostered peer learning, creating a supportive and inclusive classroom environment. This approach proves beneficial in mixed-level classrooms and could be adapted for higher proficiency levels and larger class sizes.

&lt;span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Diverse groupings in teaching English-speaking skills&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;

This study aims to investigate the effects of diverse groupings on learners' English-speaking skills. Accordingly, diverse groupings as an intervention procedure were implemented over an English-speaking course. This course lasted 15 weeks and 48 EFL students from a university in Vietnam enrolled in the course. On the completion of the course, quantitative data were collected via a questionnaire surveying the involved students' evaluations of the effects of the intervention procedure. Meanwhile, participants' reflections on the course recorded in audio files served as qualitative data for the study. The obtained results from both quantitative and qualitative data reveal that participants highly valued the course because it facilitated their English speaking skills as well as cognitive and social skills. These positive effects were derived from practicing English speaking with various partners. In addition, qualitative data recorded their perspectives on different preferences for partners in group work. These patterns include partners’ English proficiency levels, sex, partnership selection, and working duration. On these results, pedagogical implications are addressed. Further expanded research in this regard within Vietnam and beyond is also suggested to overcome the present study’s limitations.

The pedagogical effectiveness of the programmed learning of English tenses: A pedagogical experiment

The current study aims to investigate the effectiveness of a programmed approach to teaching English verb tenses. This approach is essential for enhancing grammar instruction in the classroom. A total of 23 first-year students from Toraighyrov University participated in both studies. Before the experiments, the participants were divided into two groups. During the first stage of the experiment (2021–2022), both groups started with a similar level of English proficiency assessed through admission exams. There was a noticeable difference in the initial proficiency between the two groups during the second stage (2022–2023). After completing the learning process, the participants underwent a post-assessment to measure their progress in using tense forms. In a second experiment, the order of events was reversed. In this study, the criterion measures method, statistical method, statistical analysis of the test, and data collection and analysis were employed. Based on the preliminary findings, students experienced enhanced learning and engagement when studying English grammar using programmed learning methods compared to traditional approaches. It was concluded that programmed learning helps students to memorize and comprehend grammar concepts more efficiently through structured progression and immediate feedback, indicating that it is a viable approach to teaching grammar.

Using Mother Tongue in Teaching and Learning Legal English Terminology in a Vietnamese University: Teachers and Learners’ Voices

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach has led to the minimization of the use of the mother tongue (L1) in second (L2/SL)/ foreign (FL) language/ English for Specific Purposes (ESP) settings. Nevertheless, in recent years, there has been an increasingly tendency to use L1 in language teaching and learning, especially in the ESP contexts, for its undeniable efficacy, one of which is terminological standardization (Glušac, 2023, p.100). Accordingly, this paper focuses on investigating the teachers and learners’ perceptions together with their L1 utilization in teaching and learning legal English (LE) terminology in English-for-law classes at a tertiary law education institution. To achieve the aims, a mixed-method approach by dint of a survey questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with the participation of 164 students and five LE instructors. Classroom observations were also conducted to justify the teachers’ practice of using L1. The findings show that there was congruence between learners and teachers’ supportive views on the benefits of L1 in teaching and learning LE terms. LE majors and law majors share similar attitudes in the choice of either L1 or L2, yet statistically significant differences were witnessed as regards their English language proficiency levels in acquiring LE terms. Such findings are hoped to be worthy to both LE instructors and learners in teaching and learning LE terminology process.

Impact of Language Barriers and Age on English Hearing Test App Accuracy for Polish Users.

The development of health applications (apps) includes those for testing hearing, although most of them are available only in English. This study investigates whether poor English language proficiency creates a barrier for Polish users in the accuracy of such an app in measuring self-determined hearing thresholds. The study compared hearing thresholds measured by an English-language app and a professionally conducted reference test, with attention to participants' English proficiency and age. The English-language app "Hearing test, Audiogram," was used to determine hearing thresholds. A reference test was performed by an audiologist using specialized equipment. Participants were 87 nonnative English language speakers aged 16 to 88. They were divided into 3 groups based on their proficiency in English: no knowledge (Group 1), basic (Group 2), and advanced (Group 3). The mean differences between hearing thresholds determined using the app and the reference tests were measured for each group. The accuracy of the results varied according to the level of English proficiency. A statistically significant difference was found between Group 1 (no knowledge) and Group 3 (advanced), with mean differences of 13.6, 9.3, and 6.7 dB for Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively, meaning that discrepancies were larger in the less proficient groups. However, when participant age was considered, language proficiency was less important and was no longer a significant factor. This study revealed that English language proficiency does affect the accuracy of mobile app-based hearing tests, but age of the user is also important.