Level Of English Proficiency Research Articles

Exploring Turkish EFL pre-service teachers’ perceptions of critical thinking and reading

The process of critical thinking (CT) plays an important role in enhancing English language proficiency levels of learners, especially the reading and writing proficiency levels. Since there are not many studies focusing on the relationship between CT and critical reading (CR), the current study intended to measure Turkish EFL pre-service teachers’ CT disposition levels and CR self-efficacy levels together. 118 students studying at the department of English Language Teaching at a state university participated in the study. 36 of them participated in the semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data were analyzed via descriptive and inferential statistics. The qualitative data were analyzed through inductive content analysis. Findings of the study demonstrated that the students’ CT disposition and CR self-efficacy levels were found to be at moderate level. Results of the relationship between CT disposition levels and CR self-efficacy levels revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between them. As for the results of the semi-structured interviews, the students were aware of the concept “critical”; however, their CT and reading skills needed to be developed. Results of the study overall indicated that more importance should be given to CT and reading skills in the field of foreign language teacher education.

A Quasi-Experimental, Longitudinal Study of Grade Retention on Language Outcomes for English Language Learners

Grade retention, the practice of holding a student back in the same grade, has been a controversial topic in the United States for decades. English learners, a growing population in US schools, are consistently identified for grade retention more often than their English-only counterparts. The purpose of this study is to test the impact of grade retention on a set of language learning outcomes (reading, listening, and writing) for English language learners over a seven-year period. The data was collected in a large urban school district in the south-central region that serves predominantly Spanish speaking natives. Retained students were matched with non-retained students for a quasi-experimental control group using Propensity Score Matching (PSM) techniques. Multilevel growth models, with time (level 1) nested within students (level 2), were applied to these two groups to estimate the effect of grade retention on their longitudinal trajectory for each language learning outcome. We found that after 7 years, matched-promoted students had higher levels of English proficiency than retained peers in all three domains: listening, reading, and writing.

ENGLISH IN THE COMMUNICATION FIELD OF UKRAINIANS AS A NEED FOR THE TRAINING OF THE NEW GENERATION OF TEACHERS

The article substantiates the necessity of training new generation teachers for the effective introduction of the English language into the communicative field of Ukrainians. The significance and importance of the English language as a language of international communication and its influence in the context of the language policy of the world are proved. A number of studies were singled out, which proved that as early as September 2013, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the British Council launched the "New Generation School Teacher" initiative in response to an urgent need in Ukrainian education: reforming both the content and the methodology of the traditional approach to student training, who study abroad. teachers of language schools of Ukrainian higher educational institutions. Focused attention on the need to present the English language with the status of mandatory for government employees, updating teaching in comprehensive secondary education institutions and institutions of higher education. The forecast of scientific intelligence regarding the future teaching of the English language is highlighted. In addition, the level of English proficiency of Ukrainians as of January 2023 is illustrated. The main ways of training new generation teachers for self-development and, at the same time, implementation of achievements in the educational process are described. Using sociological data, a clear relationship between the European and Ukrainian education systems was traced. It has been proven that knowledge of foreign languages is the key to success in today's world, where intercultural communication and processing of huge amounts of information is gaining more and more importance Emphasis is placed on the need to implement the development of planned professional development and educational projects aimed at taking into account European trends in the field of modern philological science. It is noted on the perspective and needs of reforming modern Ukrainian education. The communicative strategies of the English language in the context of professional training of the future specialist are determined. The authors of the article prove the urgency of the process of increasing the level of English language competence of Ukrainians. It is emphasized that teachers of the 21st century provide the role of a teacher who constantly helps people to work together more effectively, focus on the quality of knowledge of the acquirers, develop thinking skills of creative, effective communication and cooperation in a team. It is noted that modern students, as a new generation of teachers, need to take the work of using the portfolio as a system (it can be supplemented throughout life). The method of training English language teachers includes the main principles of the training program, modules and their characteristics, evaluation criteria and sample tasks, sample materials and a glossary. Professional development takes place during the understanding of the peculiarities of practical training, understanding of education by trainee students. It is emphasized that the most important aspect for foreign language teachers is the communicative method of teaching and learning the language.

TEACHING ESL SCIENCE COMMUNICATION IN MULTIDISCIPLINARY MULTILEVEL CLASSROOM SETTINGS

The transformation of modern science from monodisciplinary to multidisciplinary leads to cardinal changes in the methods of teaching English L2 science communication, which is a challenge for non-anglophone researchers who need to share research outcomes in English within and beyond their research-specific community. The paper describes a case study in which the main objective is to understand how immersion of English L2 speaking researchers into a multidisciplinary multilevel classroom setting affect the development of science communication skills needed to reach broader audiences through innovative dissemination channels, making research findings clearly intelligible to both specialists and non-specialists alike. The paper defines the potential of educational reconstruction of multidisciplinary science communication context that involves interaction of researchers with varying English proficiency levels, professional expertise, and research area. Our data demonstrate that metacognitive teaching strategies can assist early-stage researchers to develop their ability to integrate fully into the larger global science community and reap the benefits of science communication.

AN ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH WRITING ERRORS IN EFL LEARNERS’ RECOUNT TEXT

This research discusses the analysis of students' errors in writing recount texts. This study aims to analyze the types of errors made by undergraduate students’ writing scores at the English Language Teaching Department at one of the universities in Cirebon. This study focuses on writing errors taken from three categories of English proficiency levels (low, average, high). This study used the descriptive qualitative method. There were six participants. The data were taken from their recount text writing results. The results of this study show that there are four types of errors based on Surface Strategy Taxonomy by students: Omission, Addition, Misinformation, and Misordering. The result of the total number of student errors is 37 which contains 14 Omission (37.83%), three Addition (8.11%), 19 Misinformation (51.36%), and one Misordering (2.70%). The most errors were made by Misinformation, with 19 errors (51.36%). It can be concluded that the ability of undergraduate students at one university in Cirebon is still low in writing recount text.

In/directness in requests and refusals in EFL by multilinguals with L1 Hebrew or Arabic: A linguistic and textual perspective

This study investigated the linguistic and textual features characterizing direct and indirect speech act productions of requests and refusals in English by two multilingual populations: Arabic native speakers for whom English is their L3 and Hebrew is their L2, and Hebrew native speakers for whom English is their L2. Data were collected using a Discourse Completion Task and a background questionnaire. The findings revealed no statistical differences between the groups in the production of either the direct or the indirect mode of request and refusal: both groups preferred the indirect mode for requests and the direct mode for refusals. However, there were differences in the use of linguistic/textual features between direct and indirect requests/refusals within each language group, and differences in the use of features between the language groups within the directness mode. These findings are discussed in terms of cultural influences as well as differences in English proficiency levels.

INDONESIAN STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF ENGLISH MEDIUM INSTRUCTION

There has been an increasing trend in Indonesian higher education to run international programs. As a result, English for Medium Instruction (EMI) has started to be implemented in several departments at Indonesian universities. To successfully implement EMI classes, lecturers and students do play significant roles. This paper aims to gain insights into students’ perceptions of EMI and the challenges they faced in terms of understanding the subject content. Using convenience sampling, 35 undergraduate students of the International Psychology Program (IPP) at a private university in Indonesia were selected as the participants of the study. We used an explanatory sequential design using questionnaires and interviews as the instruments to collect the data. The findings revealed that the majority of the students have a positive perception of the implementation of EMI in their classes. However, its implementation also posed some challenges such as difficulties in comprehending lectures and the lack of ability in using English to conduct classroom discussions. The findings suggested the need for training before EMI courses that help students increase their English proficiency level as well as lecturers to improve their EMI pedagogic competence.

Differentiated Instruction: Challenges and Opportunities in EFL Classroom

<em>The issue of Differentiated Instruction (DI) has recently attracted the attention of scholars and practitioners because of its immense significance and many opportunities to enhance student learning. In this regard, the current study aims to contribute a small summary of DI in the context of EFL to provide context and illustrate the need to implement DI in the classroom to ensure that students learn languages successfully. Since differentiated instruction puts students at the center of teaching and learning, encourages equality and academic achievement, and acknowledges student diversity, it encourages teachers to be aware of individual needs, interests, skills, English proficiency levels, and students’ preferred learning strategies. Although some challenges may occur such as time-consuming and pressure on teachers in implementing DI, this approach has advantages that can affect students' learning processes, future learning attitudes, and future success. So, the learning process provides many opportunities when the teacher is committed to differentiated instruction.</em>

Content and Language Integrated Learning: An Initial Case Study for Mold Engineering Courses at the Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to assess the applicability and effectiveness of the content and language integrated learning (CLIL) method applied for the mold engineering subject at the Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City (IUH). Given that traditional engineering programs place emphasis on developing the technical knowledge of students while overlooking the critical roles of English skills, engineering graduates tend to lack the wide scope of spoken and written communication skills in English that are necessary for working in a professional environment. In light of the limited length of the curriculum, integrating content and language is likely to be a real solution to the problem. Nonetheless, scant scholarly attention has been paid to the applicability of the CLIL method in engineering courses in Vietnam, notwithstanding that Vietnam has become a dynamic emerging country demanding a highly skilled engineering labor force. Following the quasi-experimental design, students have been assigned into two groups, the treatment group and the control group. A pre-test has beenconducted to assess the equivalence of the levels of English proficiency of students between groups before the intervention, the CLIL method. A post- test has then been performed with both groups to compare their levels of English proficiency after the intervention. Likewise, another post-test has also been performed with both groups to assess the effectiveness of the CLIL method in conveying the subject knowledge. A mini-survey has also been conducted to measure the satisfaction of students with the CLIL method. Implications for academicians and practitioners are provided. Keywords: CLIL, English teaching, Technical English, Mold engineering, Second language (L2), Quasi-experimental design

MP12-10 THE EFFECT OF LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY ON PSA SCREENING RATES IN AMERICAN MEN

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023MP12-10 THE EFFECT OF LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY ON PSA SCREENING RATES IN AMERICAN MEN Benjamin V. Stone, Muhieddine Labban, Dejan K. Filipas, Edoardo Beatrici, Nicola Frego, Zhiyu (Jason) Qian, Sandeep S. Voleti, Stuart R. Lipsitz, Adam S. Kibel, Alexander P. Cole, and Quoc-Dien Trinh Benjamin V. StoneBenjamin V. Stone More articles by this author , Muhieddine LabbanMuhieddine Labban More articles by this author , Dejan K. FilipasDejan K. Filipas More articles by this author , Edoardo BeatriciEdoardo Beatrici More articles by this author , Nicola FregoNicola Frego More articles by this author , Zhiyu (Jason) QianZhiyu (Jason) Qian More articles by this author , Sandeep S. VoletiSandeep S. Voleti More articles by this author , Stuart R. LipsitzStuart R. Lipsitz More articles by this author , Adam S. KibelAdam S. Kibel More articles by this author , Alexander P. ColeAlexander P. Cole More articles by this author , and Quoc-Dien TrinhQuoc-Dien Trinh More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003227.10AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: There exist disparities in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening and prostate cancer outcomes among racial and ethnic groups, but it is unknown how limited English proficiency impacts rates of PSA screening. METHODS: The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey was utilized to identify rates of PSA screening between 2013 and 2016 among men without prostate cancer ≥55 for whom guidelines recommend shared decision-making regarding prostate cancer screening. Men were stratified by self-reported levels of English proficiency (men who speak English very well, well, not well, or not at all). Survey weights were applied, and groups were compared using the adjusted Wald test. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify predictors of ever receiving PSA screening adjusting for patient-level covariates. RESULTS: The cohort included 2,889 men, corresponding to a weighted national estimate of 4,765,682 men. The rates of PSA screening varied significantly according to levels of English proficiency (p<0.0001, Figure 1). 79.6% of men who speak English very well reported receiving at least one lifetime PSA test, compared with 58.4% of men who do not speak English at all (p<0.001). Approximately half of the men who speak English very well reported PSA testing within the prior year (52.0%) compared with 34.5% of men who do not speak English at all. Significant predictors of receiving at least one lifetime PSA test included older age, income >400% of the federal poverty level, and insurance coverage (Table 1). Asian compared to White race was associated with lower rates of PSA screening (aOR 0.35; 95% CI 0.21-0.60; p<0.001). Compared to those who reported speaking English very well, men who reported not speaking English at all had significantly lower rates of PSA screening (aOR 0.55; 95% CI 0.35-0.88; p=0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Limited English proficiency is associated with significantly lower rates of PSA screening. Interventions to mitigate disparities in prostate cancer outcomes need to account for limited English proficiency among the barriers to guideline-concordant care. Source of Funding: None © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e137 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Benjamin V. Stone More articles by this author Muhieddine Labban More articles by this author Dejan K. Filipas More articles by this author Edoardo Beatrici More articles by this author Nicola Frego More articles by this author Zhiyu (Jason) Qian More articles by this author Sandeep S. Voleti More articles by this author Stuart R. Lipsitz More articles by this author Adam S. Kibel More articles by this author Alexander P. Cole More articles by this author Quoc-Dien Trinh More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

The effectiveness of MOOCs in ESP for technical students: A Kazakhstan case study

This study looks at the critical problem of how to use Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) at the Republic of Kazakhstan’s technical universities. Its objective is to study how professional-oriented foreign languages can be taught as MOOCs. As a methodological basis, it uses system-activity and competence approaches. The theoretical side includes the analysis and generalization of foreign and local scientific works to determine the advantages and disadvantages of MOOCs in the development of professional foreign language skills for students with technical specialties. Data on the use of MOOCs was analyzed and summarized at Karaganda Technical University. The quantitative results of the experiment were obtained using mathematical statistics. The authors ran a comparative analysis of the results between groups with traditional and mixed teaching methods in the English for Special Purposes course. A mixed method with MOOC technology integrated delivers better results than traditional education. Empirical results demonstrate that this method improves communication skills in the main areas of speech activity, professional vocabulary expansion, and theoretical knowledge enrichment of students within their specialty. The results indicate that using MOOCs as part of the ESP course leads to better educational results in comparison to traditional education. The use of system-activity and communicative approaches unlocked new opportunities for students, like increasing English proficiency levels, developing critical thinking and time-management skills, solving problems, and advancing their knowledge of their discipline. The authors studied MOOCs in a small data environment using an alternative qualitative research analysis method and came to the conclusion that MOOCs are effective in ESP courses for engineering students.

J’va share mon étude sur les anglicismes avec vous autres!: A sociolinguistic approach to the use of morphologically unintegrated English-origin verbs in Quebec French

ABSTRACTThis study explores variation in the use of English-origin verbs in Quebec French. These lexical borrowings are usually integrated grammatically into the receiving language (Poplack, 2018), as inil vacrasherandelle m’aghostéin Quebec French. However, a new lexical insertion strategy for English-origin verbs has been observed in the past few years: verbal borrowings can lack overt morphological integration, as inil vacrashandelle m’aghost.This article examines the use of English-origin verbs in Quebec French from a variationist perspective by focusing on 1) possible correlations between speakers and how they evaluate the different lexical insertion strategies, and 2) the social factors that constrain the use of morphologically unintegrated English-origin verbs. Results from quantitative analyses based on 675 participants indicate that young Quebecers from Montreal with a high level of proficiency in English are the ones who use this morphologically unintegrated form the most and evaluate it more positively. This unintegrated form poses a theoretical problem according to Poplack’s (2018) theory, for which nonce borrowings are morphologically and syntactically integrated into the receiving language.

The Main Causes of English for Occupational Purposes Students (EOP) Speaking Anxiety

This paper aimed at investigating the main causes of English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) students’ speaking anxiety. The study involved a total of eight students from two different classes with varying levels of English proficiency. It focused on a case study conducted in an Indonesian company and utilized three types of research instruments, namely classroom observation FLCAS (Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale) questionnaires by Horwitz (1986) and semi-structured interviews. The study revealed that experiences in communicating, the kind of students’ occupation and Foreign Language Acquisition (FLA) are the main causes of EOP students’ speaking anxiety.

East Asia and English language speakers: a population estimation through existing random sampling surveys

ABSTRACT Many applied linguists have attempted to quantify the number of English-speaking populations, both globally and in specific countries. However, thus far, those in East Asia have not been estimated through a robust technique. This paucity of estimation can be partly attributed to the lack of censuses or large-scale sociolinguistic surveys; nonetheless, other secondary data can be used for this purpose. This study analyses two nationally representative surveys conducted in China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan – the East Asian Social Survey (conducted in 2008 and 2018) and AsiaBarometer (2003–2008) – and estimates their English-speaking population. The results indicate that English speakers (those who evaluated themselves as having a fair or high level of English proficiency) account for approximately 10% of the population in China and Japan and approximately 20% in South Korea and Taiwan. Furthermore, English proficiency varied according to generation and educational level in all four jurisdictions. Based on these findings, this article discusses cross-national variations of English-speaking populations in the four jurisdictions, the absolute number of speakers, its implications, and possible self-report biases and their assessment.

The Role of Filial Piety in Dyadic Recruitment of Chinese American Parents With Type 2 Diabetes and Their Adult Children.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is prevalent among Asian Americans, yet limited health care studies report on the recruitment and retention of this population. This study focuses on recruiting Chinese American dyads for family support of T2D management. This is a descriptive study using active and passive recruitment strategies. Dyads consist of parents with T2D and their adult children without diabetes. All materials are culturally tailored and available in Chinese. The final sample included 54 dyads. There were characteristic differences among parent participants in English language proficiency and education levels. Filial piety manifested as respect and care for one's parents among Chinese American families contributed to recruitment success. This article shares strategies for recruiting Chinese American dyads to explore family support dynamics for T2D self-management. The findings potentially add to current knowledge about culture, nursing, and health care.

Self-efficacy in a MOOC environment: A comparative study of engineering students in Taiwan and Vietnam

Most previous studies have focused on learners’ self-efficacy in face-to-face learning environments, while few have delved into that of MOOC learners. No research has touched upon the MOOC self-efficacy of engineering students in developed and developing countries. This research compared the self-efficacy levels of engineering students in Taiwan and Vietnam and examined factors predicting their MOOC self-efficacy. An online 11-point Likert scale was sent to 222 students in two sites. An independent t-test was run to compare the MOOC self-efficacy levels of the students. A regression analysis model was used to understand which demographic variables were associated with the students’ MOOC self-efficacy. Focus group discussions were conducted with 30 students. Quantitative and qualitative data helped to converge and corroborate research findings. There were no significant differences (p &gt; 0.05) in the MOOC self-efficacy levels of the students in the two sites. Students in both universities gave the lowest ratings to the English self-efficacy subscale and the highest to the self-efficacy in the independent learning subscale. Mean scores ranged from 5.24 to 6.44. Students in Taiwan and Vietnam were moderately self-efficacious in three dimensions of the MOOC self-efficacy scale. Factors predicting self-efficacy included English proficiency levels, the number of prior MOOCs, age, and self-regulation. Implications for MOOC design and study were also given in the research.

The Effect of a Self-Regulated Intervention on Vocabulary Knowledge and Self-Regulated Learning Skills for English Language Learners

English language learners (ELLs) lack academic vocabulary knowledge, an essential component that explains much of the persistent achievement gap between students who start schools as ELLs and their monolingual peers. This single-subject experimental design study addressed this issue by focusing on self-regulated vocabulary learning that helps ELLs become effective and independent word learners. Nine upper elementary ELLs participated in an intervention for 16 sessions, with about 35 minutes per session. The intervention included the instruction of task-specific cognitive strategies (i.e., morphological and contextual analyses) and metacognitive strategies (i.e., goal-setting and monitoring) in authentic reading texts in social studies. Results indicated positive effects on ELLs’ vocabulary knowledge and self-­regulated vocabulary learning skills. Participants were also able to generalize both cognitive and metacognitive strategies to learning of new words. A lagging effect was observed for participants with low English proficiency levels.

English Proficiency and Academic Performance of College Students

The present study aims to identify the relationship of the Level of English Language Proficiency along Stress/Intonation, Verbal Abilities, Correct Usage, Reading Comprehension, Spelling and Punctuation, Identifying Error and Logical Organization and their Academic Performance of the 251 college students. Moreover, it aims to determine if their is a significant difference of the respondents’ Level of English Proficiency when they are grouped according to their profile: course, age, sex and dialect spoken. The result reveals that in terms of profile course, there is no significant difference in stress and logical organization. However, in Verbal Abilities, Reading Comprehension, Correct Usage, Identifying Errors and Spelling and Punctuation, there is a significant difference. As to profile age,there is no significant difference in Stress/Intonation, Verbal Abilities, Correct Usage, Spelling and Punctuation, Logical Organization. But in Reading Comprehension and Identifying Errors, there is a significant difference. Respondents aging 18 are better than the rest in Reading comprehension and Identifying Errors. Along profile sex, there is significant difference. Female are better than male in Reading Comprehension, Correct Usage and Identifying Errors. In terms of profile Dialect Spoken, there is no significant difference in English Proficiency Level of the respondents. As to the Academic Performance of the respondents, they are within the average level with 176 or 70.1%. The result reveals that there is significant relationship between the respondents’ Level of English Proficiency and their Level of Academic Performance.

The English language textbook for future automotive engineers: a case of assessment and self-assessment

Introduction. Over decades, the profession-oriented foreign language textbook has been in the focus of researchers’ attention. In this regard, we carried out research to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of a previously elaborated concept of the profession-oriented textbook, which was based on the competency approach, taking the example of the author’s textbooks and using procedures of assessment and self-assessment. Materials and methods. Instructors, pre-service teachers and 1st-4th year engineering students of Togliatti State University (the Russian Federation) participated in the testing of pilot versions of English textbooks. For obtaining empirical data, the research adopted methods of interviews and an anonymous Likert scale survey. The data obtained from the procedure of assessment were then processed using analysis of interview recordings and texts of peer-reviews as well as a method of descriptive statistics. A procedure of self-assessment of textbook materials was also carried out to evaluate the realization of the concept of a profession-oriented textbook. Research results. Results of the survey indicate the success of the implementation of the concept of a profession-oriented textbook: 92 % of 56 questionnaires contained only positive responses. At the same time, the survey shows that the content of the textbooks meets students’ expectations (96 %), correlates with the content of their training (98 %) and the level of English proficiency (92 %). 94 % of respondents would like to recommend the textbooks for mastering professional communication. All the instructors and a reviewer also praised the quality of the textbooks. Conclusion. Assessment and self-assessment procedures allowed to effectively evaluate the quality of the textbooks, to receive students’ feedback and to identify ways of improving textbooks for engineering universities. The findings can be used in the development and evaluation of foreign language textbooks for other non-language majors.

Analysis of The Negative Transfer in Chinese Middle School Students Acquisition of English in Lexical Aspect

This paper mainly analyzes the negative transfer issues that Chinese middle school students generally have in their acquisition of English regarding lexical aspect. Data of the research is collected from the designed exercise completed by three middle school students with different English proficiency levels. Concerning all the lexical transfer errors that the students make, collocation and derivation are the two most common types. Regarding collocation, this paper argues that an English word with multiple Chinese equivalents leads to the use of wrong collocations in English. Regarding derivation, this paper finds that the changeable word form of different parts of speech in English causes the wrong use of the word form. In addition, several suggestions are offered to improve the negative transfer in the acquisition of English, which are using English-English dictionary, focusing on the language input, and making contrastive analysis.