Level Of English Proficiency Research Articles

PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERIENCES OF INDONESIAN PRE-SERVICE ENGLISH TEACHERS IN DEVELOPING DIGITAL LEARNING RESOURCES

The adoption of the 2022 Emancipated Curriculum in Indonesia has prompted a need for pre-service English teachers to acquire new skill sets. These skill sets entail the integration of technology and pedagogy, aligning with UNESCO's transformative pedagogy approach to learning, which emphasizes a new paradigm of learning with a focus on essential elements of language learning. This qualitative study aims to investigate the perspectives and experiences of pre-service English teachers in Indonesia in developing digital learning resources for English learners that resonate well with the nature of the Emancipated Curriculum. A phenomenological research approach was adopted, and data were collected through a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with 16 pre-service English teachers who had completed their final research project on the development of digital learning resources that promote a holistic English language learning. The data was analysed using both corpus analysis and thematic analysis techniques. The findings reveal that pre-service English teachers in Indonesia encounter substantial obstacles when it comes to developing and utilizing digital resources. These challenges include limited access to technology, resistance from schools to embrace digital learning, and students' inadequate English proficiency levels. Despite these constraints, the pre-service teachers generally express satisfaction and confidence in creating their digital learning materials. They also view digital technology as a valuable resource that can enrich the teaching and learning experience. In conclusion, the paper emphasizes the need to equip preservice English teachers in Indonesia with the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate the digital age and work as curriculum engineers effectively. This study suggests that by integrating digital pedagogy and providing access to digital resources, preservice English teachers can become competent curriculum engineers who can deliver quality English language instruction in the 21st century. Ultimately, this will enhance the quality of English language instruction in Indonesia and ensure that preservice teachers are well-prepared to navigate the digital age and provide quality education to their students.

An Analysis of Grammatical Errors in Chinese EFL Learners' Oral English

Compared with reading, writing, listening, Chinese English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners oral English ability is usually far weaker and ignored in classroom language teaching. In terms of oral English teaching and practicing, most of the emphasis is on pronunciation, vocabulary, intonation, while little attention has been given to the grammatical errors in the oral English. The present research focuses on analyzing grammatical errors in Chinese EFL learners oral English. In order to identify the most prevalent grammatical error types and determine the relationship between grammatical errors and oral English proficiency levels, the study collects recordings of subjects discussing a particular topic and transcribing them for error recognition, classification, frequency analysis, and correlation analysis. It is found that Chines EFL learners commit preposition and article errors most frequently; no obvious correlation between error numbers and English-speaking levels is shown, while two error types omission auxiliary be and noun for adjective have significant positive correlation with learners English-speaking scores as indicators of their oral English levels. Based on that, it is concluded that differences between the mother tongue and English, as well as the complexity of some grammatical rules are main causes for errors, and teachers should be aware that students are likely to commit some certain types of errors more as they make progress and try to use more complicated grammatical patterns.

Exploring self-regulated vocabulary learning strategies, proficiency, working memory and vocabulary learning through word-focused exercises

ABSTRACT This study first validates a survey on self-regulated vocabulary learning strategies. It then examines the effects on the acquisition of new second language (L2) words from a reading text of three word-focused exercise conditions: reading + marginal glosses, reading + gap-fill and reading + sentence writing. It also evaluates the extent to which any effects can be predicted by three learner variables: self-regulated capacity in vocabulary learning, L2 English proficiency level, and working memory. Data were collected from 270 Chinese EFL students. Results confirmed the validity of the survey on self-regulated vocabulary learning strategies. Learners performed the best at learning new words on the immediate post-test for the condition of reading + sentence writing, followed by reading + gap-fill and reading + marginal glosses conditions. The three learner variables predicted the effectiveness of these three conditions for vocabulary learning. Our research thus confirms the benefits of word-focused exercises, particularly sentence writing with target words, for enhancing vocabulary learning, but also highlights that learner-related variables (self-regulated capacity, L2 proficiency, and working memory) need to be considered in order to maximise the effectiveness of word-focused exercises.

Academic achievement of minority home language students with special education needs in English language of instruction and French immersion programs

AbstractThis study explored the academic achievement of students who speak a minority language (ML) at home (i.e., a language other than the official languages of Canada, English and French) and who have special education needs (SEN), in two educational programs that differed in language of instruction: English language of instruction (ELoI), and Early French Immersion (EFI). The proportion of students (n = 131) meeting the provincial standard in reading, writing, and mathematics and the effect of gender, place of birth, socio-economic status, English proficiency level, and program were analyzed. Writing was the strongest domain, followed by reading and mathematics. ML-SEN students were equally likely to meet the provincial standard whether in ELoI or EFI, and there were few significant predictors of achievement. Participating in EFI did not increase students’ risk of academic difficulty. Additional supports may be beneficial to ML-SEN students in ELoI and EFI programs.

Technology-mediated teaching vocabulary: exploring EFL learners’ depth and breadth of lexical knowledge

Drawing on Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, the present study aims to examine the effectiveness of technology-mediated teaching vocabulary in the form of multimedia glosses on EFL learners’ depth and breadth of lexical knowledge. The study was conducted with 91 male and female undergraduate students at a lower-intermediate level of English proficiency in Iran. Participants of the study were randomly assigned into two-variable group contrasts, experimental (text + visual) and control (text-only) groups. They attended 16 reading sessions once a week during which the experimental group practiced computerized reading texts with pop-up text and picture glosses and the control group practiced reading similar texts with pop-up text only. The relative efficacy of teaching activities in vocabulary learning was assessed by using the Word Associates Test for measuring lexical depth and the Updated Vocabulary Levels Test for measuring the lexical breadth before and after the intervention program. To scrutinize the data, ANCOVA and t-test have been done. Results of ANCOVA revealed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in both tests, and the result of the t-test specified that participants kept the scores in the Vocabulary Levels Test significantly higher than the Word Associates Test in the outperforming group. This means that using multimedia glosses in teaching vocabulary has a significant effect on improving both the breadth and depth of lexical knowledge of EFL learners. However, the effect is more significant on breadth than depth of lexical knowledge. The study by analyzing separate measurements of the breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge of EFL learners provided original research in vocabulary teaching and learning and offered pedagogical implications for language teaching.

Empowering active learning: A social annotation tool for improving student engagement

AbstractThis study investigates the impact of Perusall, a social annotation tool, on an online postgraduate course conducted over two semesters at an Australian university. We examine the connection between students' pre‐class engagement and learning outcomes, utilizing both secondary data from Perusall platform and primary data through a survey. The findings indicate that pre‐class social annotations have a positive impact on students' performance on post‐class assessments. Notably, English as an Additional Language students with low English proficiency achieve comparable results in Perusall as those with high English proficiency. Additionally, the study identifies key aspects of social annotation that students highly value, providing insights for future implementation. Overall, this study highlights the potential of social annotation tools like Perusall to improve pre‐class engagement and enhance learning outcomes. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Student engagement with pre‐class activities is critical to their learning outcomes. The integration of social annotation tools for completing pre‐class reading has become progressively prevalent among teachers. The use of social annotation tools for reading and annotating has been found to have a positive influence on students' motivation, interactions, and academic performance. What this paper adds Online social annotation on lecture content has a short‐term positive impact on subsequent assessments, indicating that it is an effective way to engage students in pre‐class learning and improve their understanding and retention of course material. English as an Additional Language (EAL) students of varying levels of English proficiency achieve comparable results in social annotation assignments, highlighting the potential of this tool to provide an equitable learning experience for all students regardless of their language abilities. Social annotation activities promote a strong social presence with cohesive communication, positively impacting online learning's cognitive presence. This highlights the significance of collaborative learning and social interaction in online education, and the potential of social annotation tools to create an engaging and supportive learning environment. Students prefer receiving feedback from teachers within a Community of Inquiry (CoI) rather than through traditional modes of direct instruction or conversation initiation, highlighting the importance of teaching presence in refining their cognitive and social presences, and ultimately enhancing the quality of their learning experience. Implications for practice and/or policy This study provides practical suggestions for designing pre‐class learning activities that build upon pre‐class lessons, helping teachers to optimize students' learning experiences and outcomes. It sheds light on using inclusive and collaborative assessments as an effective way to enhance engagement and performance of EAL students. To cultivate a productive CoI within online educational contexts, teachers need to prioritize personalized feedback to students.

THE EFFECTS OF TRANSLATION IN TEACHING ESP MEDICAL READING FOR IN-SERVICE STUDENTS AT CAN THO UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND PHARMACY, VIETNAM

English for special purposes (ESP) medical English has been offered as a course at Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy (CTUMP), Can Tho City, for several years. Until now, to most of the in-service students, reading in medical English poses a significant challenge due to their proficiency level in English and limited knowledge of vocabulary. They struggle to absorb the medical texts, especially medical terms properly, discouraging them from engaging with medical English documents. There has been a renewed interest in using translation (English-Vietnamese) in medical English classes to support learners. Therefore, the objectives of this paper are to examine the difficulties faced by weaker students in learning medical English and to explore their perceptions of teachers using translation in teaching ESP medical reading. The study also investigates the importance of translation as a pedagogical tool in motivating weak in-service students to learn reading and comprehend terminologies and texts. The research results were computed by employing the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The findings revealed weak in-service students’ significant problems, their positive attitudes towards translation as well as their pedagogical role in ESP medical English classes.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0056/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Students’ Views on the Usefulness of Peer Review Conducted at Two Grade Levels

Peer review is generally regarded as a useful learning tool for students, providing them with opportunities to interact with their peers when engaging in the process of critical reading and critical thinking, thus possibly raising students’ motivation to learn. For peer review to be a manageable task for students, appropriate scaffolding is believed to be pivotal. The present study mainly aims to investigate: 1) how students at two levels of English proficiency will perceive the usefulness of the peer review exercise completed; and 2) whether the scaffolding provided to them is viewed as useful and the reasons behind.The participants involved 76 university students taking two academic writing courses at a university in Hong Kong. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed collectively for the responses to an online anonymous questionnaire. Both groups showed favourable responses to the peer review exercise, including the preference for the retention of the peer review exercise. Several findings, however, differentiated the two groups, e.g., significantly a greater number of higher-ability participants than did the lower-ability students agreed to the benefit of peer review with respect to: a) writing a thesis statement; b) using hedges; c) using in-text citation; and d) building friendship.

Models of assessment in the classroom: a comparative research of CALL-based vs. traditional assessment on vocabulary learning among Iranian EFL learners

There are a few empirical studies on comparative effects of CALL-based assessment and traditional assessment on Iranian EFL students’ vocabulary learning; therefore, the present research tried to fill this gap. To achieve this purpose, the NELT was administered to 89 EFL students, and 58 of them whose level of English proficiency was the intermediate were chosen for the target sample of the current research. Then, they were randomly divided into two groups of control and experimental, and a vocabulary pre-test was given to them. Next, the experimental group (EG) received a CALL-based assessment treatment, and the control group (CG) received a traditional-based assessment instruction. After instructing 100 new words to both groups, a vocabulary post-test was conducted, and an ANCOVA test and a paired samples t-test were utilized to analyze the scores of the pre- and post-tests. The gained outcomes indicated that the EG outstripped the CG on the post-test of vocabulary. It was concluded that using the CALL-based assessment was more useful than the conventional assessment for learning English vocabulary items. The research findings can be beneficial for EFL teachers, learners, and curriculum designers.

Teachers’ receptive and productive vocabulary sizes in English-medium instruction

ABSTRACT Despite the growing popularity of English-medium instruction (EMI), the conditions for and consequences of teaching and learning academic content through English are poorly understood. The ability of teachers in the EMI environment (i.e. disciplinary or ‘content’ teachers) to engage students in English is central in this regard since intelligible interaction between the teacher and the students is a precondition for learning when the medium of instruction is English. Across EMI contexts, concerns have been raised about teachers’ level of English proficiency (their ability to speak, write, read and listen in English), but research measuring their English proficiency attainments is lacking. This paper focuses on a key dimension of teachers’ English proficiency: vocabulary knowledge. Teachers (n = 130) took tests of receptive and productive knowledge of general and academic English vocabulary. The testing revealed significant proficiency variation in the cohorts tested, with some teachers exhibiting very low levels (<3000 words) of receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge. Implications for teaching in EMI are discussed.

Do more proficient writers use fewer cognates in L2? A computational approach

AbstractBilinguals often show evidence of cross language influences, such as facilitation in processing cognates. Here we use computational methods for analyzing spontaneous English texts written by hundreds of speakers of different L1s, at different levels of English proficiency, to investigate writers’ preference for using cognates over alternative word choices. We focus on English, since a majority of its lexicon is either of Romance or Germanic origin, allowing an investigation of the preference of speakers of Germanic and Romance L1s towards cognates between their L1 and English. Results show that L2 writers tend to prefer English cognates, and that this tendency is weaker as English proficiency level increases, suggesting diminishing effects of CLI. However, a comparison of the L2 writers with native English writers shows general overuse of cognates only for the Germanic, but not the Romance, L1 speakers, most likely due to the register of argumentative writing.

Hackathon in Differentiated English for Specific Purposes Instruction of Information Technology Students

The current study aims to check the effectiveness of differentiated ESP instruction using the hackathon. This study used the mixed research method. The participants of the study were 24 Information Technology (IT) students of the Physics and Technology Institute of National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute” who voluntarily took part in the study in 2022-2023. They were divided into two experimental groups and differentiated according to the social roles and the level of English language proficiency. Sensory, interactive and graphic scaffolding as the temporary assistance was integrated in the educational process. As shown by the results of the experimental learning, the second group, where the IT students performed auxiliary roles and the duration of scaffolding use was defined by both students and teachers, demonstrated significantly better results than the first group, where the IT students performed auxiliary roles and the duration of scaffolding use was defined by IT students only. Scaffolding should be regulated by both the teacher and the students. It was concluded that the use of hackathon with a focus on learners’ differentiation helps to diversify ESP learning at technical university and facilitates the development of professional communicative skills (speaking and writing) as well as other soft and hard skills.

The Use of English Pragmatic Markers by Learners of English in Interlanguage Communication

This research examined two interpersonal-centered pragmatic markers, well and you know, used by Thai ESL learners at two levels of English proficiency. It used a quantitative approach to determine the difference in the use of the two pragmatic markers between the two proficiency levels, and it used a qualitative approach to identify each function of the two pragmatic markers. From an examination of the use of the two pragmatic markers by 60 Thai ESL learners, this research found a significant difference of using well between the two proficiency levels, while no significant difference of using you know between the two proficiency levels. This finding indicates a dissimilarity of the use of the English pragmatic markers by Thai ESL learners in interlanguage communication. The analysis of the pragmatic functions used by Thai ESL learners in this research suggested that a more limited range was used compared to previous research. Finally, this research found no significant difference in the use of each function of both pragmatic markers, which can be explained by the rare use of both pragmatic markers and their pragmatic functions by Thai ESL learners. Overall, the findings revealed that Thai ESL learners had a deficiency in the use of the pragmatic markers in interlanguage communication in English, which may lead to a lack of pragmatic competence among Thai ESL learners.

Complex Syntax Production in Informational Writing by Students With Language Impairment From Diverse Linguistic Backgrounds

The primary objective of this study was to compare the syntactic complexity of informational texts produced by fifth-grade students (a) with and without language impairment and (b) with and without native English-speaking proficiency on a curriculum-based reading and writing task. Expository writing samples produced by 114 children enrolled in the fifth grade were analyzed at the utterance level for five features of complex syntax, including the frequency of utterances containing complex syntax and specific clause types (conjoined, subordinate, relative, full complement). For each of the four groups, we report frequency counts, means, standard deviations, and ranges of performance across the five syntax measures. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed there were significant group differences on measures. Specifically, children with typical language development, regardless of English proficiency level, wrote more words, utterances, and different word roots than their peers with language impairment. When productivity (i.e., text length) in the writing samples was controlled, multivariate analysis of variance revealed there was a significant difference between groups in use of relative clauses, but not for the use of conjoined, subordinate, or full complement clauses. In particular, English proficient students with language impairment produced a greater proportion of utterances with relative clauses. A post hoc correlation analysis showed moderate, positive correlations among writing cohesion and variables of complex syntax. We consider multiple implications for clinical practice and further research.

Психолингвистические аспекты китайского иероглифического письма

&lt;p&gt;The work is aimed at clarifying the psycholinguistic mechanism of Chinese hieroglyphic writing acquisition. The psycholinguistic experiment involved a survey and questionnaire among native and non-native speakers of Chinese regarding the perception of texts in two types of writing - hieroglyphic and transcriptional &amp;mdash; according to four criteria: 1) speed of reading texts (subjective evaluation of respondents); 2) time taken to read texts in two different types of recording (objective evaluation); 3) degree of difficulty in perceiving transcribed texts (subjective evaluation of respondents); 4) number of times reading texts in pinyin transcription required to fully understand the content of the text (objective evaluation). Eight different authentic Chinese texts of different discourses with a total of 344 words were selected for the study, with the main group of respondents being native Chinese speakers of different professions, ages and gender, with different levels of English proficiency. A total of 128 respondents took part in the survey, of whom 55 respondents were native speakers of Chinese and 73 respondents were from different nationalities learning Chinese as a foreign language. The second part of the experiment was aimed at investigating the psycholinguistic mechanism of text transcoding from pinyin transcriptional recording to hieroglyphic recording by native speakers of Chinese. The results obtained allow us to say that, on average, reading texts of different discourses in pinyin transcription is 1.7 times longer than reading texts in hieroglyphic recording, reading and understanding texts written in pinyin transcription is more difficult for native speakers than reading and understanding hieroglyphic texts, especially texts of literary (poetic), folklore and ironic discourse, and when writing hieroglyphs, semantic and graphical errors are possible.&lt;/p&gt;

METHODOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES AND STRATEGIES OF THE TEXT-BOOK “ENGLISH FOR NATURAL SCIENCES (A2-B1)” IN THE SYSTEM OF PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE FINAL EXAM IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

The article analyzes the methodological approaches and strategies of the textbook “English for natural sciences (A2-B1)” in the system of preparing bachelors for the certification exam in a foreign language at level B2. The rationale for the structure of the manual and the logic of selecting textual material is given, the principles for developing training tasks and exercises are concretized. The author concludes the relevance of systematic and consistent training of bachelors to fulfill the complex task of improving the level of English language proficiency raising it to the upper-intermediate level (B2) in all types of speech activity, as well as mastering professional vocabulary and scientific discourse skills on specialized topics. Thus, it is required to strictly adhere to the verified logical structure of the manual, to increase the interest and motivation of students for self-education, to calculate the time to complete various types of tasks, to have modern technical equipment, and also to conduct regular testing.

Assessing the Usability of ChatGPT for Formal English Language Learning.

Recently, the emerging technologies have been constantly shaping the education domain, especially the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for language learning, which has attracted significant attention. Many of the AI tools are being used for learning foreign languages, in both formal and informal ways. There are many studies that have explored the potential of the recent technology "ChatGPT" for education and learning languages, but none of the existing studies have conducted any exploratory study for assessing the usability of ChatGPT. This paper conducts an assessment for usability of ChatGPT for formal English language learning. The study uses a standard questionnaire-based approach to ask participants about their feedback for usefulness and effectiveness of ChatGPT. The participants were asked for their feedback after performing series of tasks related to formal English language learning with ChatGPT. A variety of student participants were selected for this study with diverse English language proficiency levels, education levels, and nationalities. The quantitative analysis of the participant responses shed light on their experience with regards to the usability of ChatGPT for performing different English language learning tasks such as conversation, writing, grammar, and vocabulary. The findings from this study are quite promising and indicate that ChatGPT is an effective tool to be used for formal English language learning. Overall, this study contributes to the fast-growing research domain on using emerging technologies for formal English language learning by conducting in-depth assessment of usability for ChatGPT in formal English language learning.

Quantifying the Relationship between Parental Involvement and English Language Proficiency among EFL Learners

This study investigates the correlation between parental involvement and English language proficiency among learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in non-English speaking contexts. Despite the established significance of parental involvement in general academic success, its specific impact on EFL learning remains under-researched. Building on previous studies and theories, this research aims to fill this gap by quantifying the relationship between these two variables in a non-English speaking environment. Guided by the primary research question "Is there a significant correlation between the level of parental involvement and English language proficiency among EFL learners?” the study hypothesizes that higher levels of parental involvement will be associated with greater English language proficiency. By exploring this potential relationship, the study hopes to provide insights beneficial for educators, policymakers, and parents in supporting EFL learners more effectively. The outcomes of this research will contribute to the literature on second language acquisition and parental involvement, broadening our understanding of the dynamics involved in EFL learning.

Online collaborative writing in an online EFL writing class

Most learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) consider writing a challenging task, and they experience difficulties such as organizing thoughts, selecting relevant words to represent their views, and producing rhetorical patterns specific to the target culture. Research into L2 writing suggests that collaboration in the classroom can assist students to set goals, generate ideas, write and edit, and reflect on the task. The effects of collaboration in online classes, however, remain unknown. This quasi-experimental study aims to examine the effect of online collaborative writing (OCW) in an online EFL writing class on students’ writing performance in terms of syntactic complexity, lexical complexity, and fluency. A four-week OCW intervention was carried out with 26 university students enrolled in an online English writing course at A2 level in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Data were collected using writing tasks administered as pre- and post-tests. Fluency, syntactic and lexical complexity were measured and analyzed across tasks. The results showed that OCW in an online EFL writing course improved the lexical complexity and fluency of the writings of students with an A2 level of English proficiency but had no effect on their syntactic complexity. Based on the findings, it is possible to conclude that OCW can be employed to promote students’ writing performance in online EFL classes.

Learning about teaching: the role of reflection in the work of English language teachers

Teachers are pillars of education. Their lifelong learning is a prerequisite for improving their teaching practice. An important aspect of teachers’ learning is the reflection on their own experiences in the classroom, whereby they will acquire new knowledge and gain confidence which is especially important for novice teachers. The paper presents an overview of literature on the role of reflection for teachers in general and teachers of English as a foreign language specifically. The paper also includes the analysis of activities conducted by a group of 10 students, future teachers of English as a foreign language, who were taught the importance of reflection. The students were enrolled in English Phonetics course at English Language and Literature program – the teaching track at International University of Sarajevo. The qualitative method was applied, whereby activities conducted to raise students’ awareness of the importance of reflection for teaching were described and analysed. The approach may be described as action research aimed at examining students’ attitudes on reflection, as well as examples of good practice in teacher education. In order to familiarize future teachers of English as a foreign language with the importance of reflection for teaching, the following activities were conducted: microteaching, reflecting on one’s own microclass, peer review, and writing the reflection log. Firstly, students selected topics for 10-minute classes they held, which were related to English Phonetics. Students were free to choose the topic for their class and the age of students and their level of English proficiency, whereupon they tailored their classes to their students’ needs. The students video recorded their micro-classes with their own mobile phone cameras and were told to watch the video recording of their class prior to writing the reflection log. They commented on the classes they held, and other students in class also provided their feedback on each microclass. Finally, students filled-in a short survey in which they commented on the conducted activities and shared their impressions. The conclusion is that students have recognized the role and the importance of reflection for the teaching profession. Majority of them were happy to take on the teacher’s role and they demonstrated their autonomy, creativity and innovativeness.