General English Research Articles

The Effect of E-Learning on the Future of Language Learning

It’s obvious that E-Learning will be a major factor in how educational materials are delivered in the future. E-Learning has changed education, enabling both students and workers to study at their own pace in a setting that works for them. Nowadays, the major changes affecting communities and the huge use of e- learning have a number of effects on the comprehension of English language learning (ELL) and teaching methods. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of E-Learning on English Language Learners at Sulaimnai Polytechnic University (SPU) in Northern Iraq. It also aims to assess previous research in this area. The university's Technical College of Informatics drew a sample of its student body from the first-year students to conduct the research. The participants were 50 first-year students and 7 ELT teachers from the International English Language Center (IELC) at The University’s Technical College of Informatics. The participants were asked to answer a questionnaire. The study’s results show that E-Learning has effects on the students’ understanding and methods of teaching, and this makes the language learning process easier and the teaching methods harder. Thus, it is suggested that there is a need to change the strategies and the methods of teaching.

Flipped Classroom Instruction Model to Enhance Listening Skills

This study is aimed at delineating the effectiveness of implementing flipped classroom learning models and analyzing the impact of this learning model on students’ listening ability. This study was conducted in the second year BBA class, at St. Mary’s Centenary Degree College, Secunderabad. The participants of this study were 45 students of general English Class. This study is designed as a descriptive qualitative research. The data obtained were based on observation, questionnaire and interview. Initially, observation techniques were used to gain information on how flipped classroom learning models were implemented. Secondly, questionnaires consisting of 15 open-ended statements were given to each participant to gain information about the impact of flipped classroom learning model toward students’ satisfaction. Finally, an interview was administered to strengthen the data of the questionnaire. The results of this study were that the flipped classroom learning model has been well - implemented in teaching the poem “As I grew Older” implicitly enhancing the listening skills. In addition, it was also found that this learning mode broke the physical limitation between students and lecturers. Another important result of this study was the improved motivational level and satisfaction from the end of the students and lecturers. Moreover, it was also found that flipped classrooms were difficult to implement in this classroom. However, it promoted self-directed learning and resulted in improved listening ability of the ESL learners once the learners were motivated.

A Longitudinal Analysis of Informal Digital Learning of English, Willingness to Communicate and Foreign Language Boredom: A Latent Change Score Mediation Model

The present research used a longitudinal framework to test a model of willingness to communicate (L2WTC), informal digital learning of English (IDLE), and foreign language boredom (FLB) in learning English as a foreign language among 325 Iranian university students attending a course in general English for 4 months via a latent change score mediation (LCSM) model. Overall, model indices showed an acceptable model fit for the LCSM model. There was a significant and positive constant growth in IDLE and L2WTC, a negative constant growth in FLB across four measurements, while the proportional change was significant and negative for all three variables. The significant interindividual and intraindividual differences in patterns of growth across time were found for the three variables. Also, moderate and positive cross-system associations were revealed between IDLE and L2WTC across four measurements. Moreover, moderate and negative cross-system associations were revealed between FLB and L2WTC as well as between IDLE and L2WTC. Furthermore, changes in FLB mediated subsequent associations between changes in IDLE and L2WTC. The results highlight the pivotal role of variations in FLB as a mediator for the longitudinal link between IDLE and L2WTC.

Exploring the Relationship between Language Attitude and Language Awareness towards World Englishes: A case of Indonesian pre-service English Teachers

Introduction. World Englishes (WE) is an important topic, especially regarding pre-service English teachers' attitude and awareness towards the plurality of WE in English language teaching (ELT) practices. Many previous studies have discussed language attitude and language awareness separately. In contrast, research into the relationship between language attitude and awareness towards WE, especially in the context of pre-service English teachers, has not been widely explored.
 Purpose. This study aims to fill the gap by researching the relationship between language attitudes and awareness of WE among pre-service English teachers, and its implication for their teaching practice.
 Method. This study employed a mixed-method approach using correlational and interview-based research. The research data was obtained from 62 respondents who filled out questionnaires from three universities in Jakarta and Tangerang, Indonesia. In addition, there were nine interviewees.
 Results. The results showed a weak relationship between Indonesian language attitude and awareness of WE pre-service English teachers. Respondents indicated a positive attitude towards WE but had moderate awareness.
 Conclusion. We concluded that pre-service English teachers view WE as an essential topic, but they tend not to teach WE because they have to obey the school curriculum.

SERBIAN ENGLISH THROUGH THE LENS OF THE ELF RESEARCH PARADIGM

Linguists around the world have been researching international English for a long time, forming three paradigms of thought and research – English as an International Language (EIL), World English (WE) and English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). The aim of this paper is to present a review of the research conducted so far regarding English in Serbia and, thus, to offer insight into the inner workings of Serbian English, all in the light of ELF research. Bearing in mind that research within the ELF paradigm framework is not carried out often in Serbia, all the studies presented in this paper view the Serbian English variety as learners’ language. The elimination of contrastive studies was taken as the basic criterion for literature selection, which made it possible to compare the Serbian linguists’ studies with the ELF paradigm framework. Studies within the scope of phonetics/phonology and pragmatics were found. As regards to phonetics and phonology, papers of only two authors fit in with the established criterion. The findings of their studies confirm that Serbian English speakers have acquired the phonetic features necessary for international communication, i.e. the ELF phonetic core. Nonetheless, it was not possible to compare Serbian English pragmatic studies with ELF research – ELF studies involve spoken corpora, while Serbian English studies encompass questionnaires and interviews. Therefore, there is much to be discovered about the Serbian variety of English. Conducting further research into Serbian English within the ELF paradigm would allow comparison with ELF standards and unveil those linguistic elements which students in Serbia need to acquire in order to participate in international communication more efficiently.

Type Analysis of Speaking Performance Assessment Task in English for Nusantara Textbook

One of the key factors in the success of learning English is the use of textbooks. The English textbook entitled "English for Nusantara SMP/MTs Class VIII" is one of the textbooks used in many schools as a guide for teachers and students in teaching and learning English. Although English for Nusantara textbooks have been widely used, there is no research has focused on the analysis of speaking assessment tasks in this textbook. Therefore this study aims to analyze the task of assessing speaking skills in Nusantara English textbooks. This study use a qualitative approach. The subject of this research is Nusantara English textbooks used in the context of learning English in Indonesia. Data collected through document analysis will include task descriptions, types of assessment, and instructions given for each task. The collected data will be analyzed descriptively to identify the types of assessment included in the speaking tasks. The results of this study show that intensive assessment tasks are the most common in this book. However, this study also found a limited variety of activities in speaking assessment task. The implications of the results of this research are important in the development of textbooks and the improvement of learning speaking skills in the context of English in Indonesia.

IMPORTING AWARENESS AND EXPORTING CULTURE? CHINESE EFL LEARNERS’ BELIEFS ABOUT GLOBAL ENGLISHES AND ENGLISH LEARNING

There is an intensified interest among researchers and practitioners toward English as lingua franca (ELF), World Englishes (WE) and Global Englishes (GE) (Jenkins, 2012; Rose et al., 2021). However, beliefs about Standard English and the ideology of traditional English teaching are rarely studied in a GE context. The current study explores issues related to the student's language beliefs about Global Englishes, China English, Standard English, and English language education in mainland China. Both questionnaire and interview data are collected from students studying at a public university in mainland China. The results give prominence to the prevalence of the belief that English is a global language and that learners should be exposed to different varieties of the English language. Though Standard English grasps a dominant status in the learners’ beliefs, high awareness of and astrong preference for China English are still indicated. The findings also reveal that the current exam-oriented English language teaching in China might impede the students from being competent English users.

Foundations for English for specific purposes: improving student’s vocabulary

The article deals with the problem of development of lexical skills at the lessons of English language and it gives an overview of the experience of teaching General English course as a foundation English course for specific purposes to the first-year Elementary level students of International Information Technology University (IITU). This academic year, there were about 778 students who were enrolled to the General English Elementary course. Students of IITU have to study General English and Academic English courses before studying “English for Specific Purposes” courses in order to improve their levels of English. As we know, the purpose of English language teaching is the ability to communicate. In this process, learning vocabulary plays a vital role in all language skills. Learners cannot understand others or express their own ideas without enough vocabulary. Accordingly, we will outline some activities, tools for teaching vocabulary in this work. The article encompasses the activities for improving the vocabulary of learners. The activities were used in teaching English language to the first-year Elementary level students at International Information Technology University, Almaty. Forty students studied online for four weeks. They studied online using Microsoft Teams, Moodle and other platforms. Students worked with different textbooks which were listed in the syllabus. The aim of this article is to focus on improving students’ vocabulary skill and analyzing what results have been achieved in four weeks. For this purpose, every week students had to work with new vocabulary topics which were indicated in the academic program. As a result, most students have achieved the aim of the syllabus and students were able to recognize familiar words, interpret and understand authentic oral speech on the studied topics and express their opinion on them

EFL Teachers' and Students' Attitudes and Practices Regarding Oral Communication in English Classes: Ethiopian High School Context

This study looked at the attitudes of Ethiopian English teachers and Bonga Mehal Ketema High School grade 10 students about spoken communication in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to determine why oral communication is such an important part of English teaching, what role teachers and students play in making orally active students in the English classroom. Four English teachers were purposively interviewed, and 95 pupils in the tenth grade completed a questionnaire. The findings show that the majority of teachers and students believe that oral communication is an important aspect of the English education process. It is primarily due to the fact that being able to express yourself vocally in English in today's world is extremely important. The findings also reveal that teachers believe assessing students' oral competence is difficult since it is not as concrete as other abilities assessed in the English foreign language course. The challenge of convincing timid or unmotivated students to engage orally, as well as a lack of time, make assessing students a challenging undertaking. Thus, EFL teachers should establish a welcoming environment in the classroom to help students enhance their speaking skills.

FLSP STUDENTS’ ANXIETY AND THEIR LEARNING STRATEGIES IN SPEAKING CLASS

This study investigated the Foreign Language for Specific Purposes (FLSP) students' anxiety and learning strategies in speaking instruction. To gain insight into FLSP students' speaking anxiety and learning strategies, this study applied a descriptive qualitative research design. A Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) questionnaire and a semi-structured interview were used to collect data from 26 FLSP students for the study. The results were described in percentages and elaborated in the description. The results regarding the students' anxiety revealed that 7 out of 26 students (27%) experienced low anxiety, 17 out of 26 students (65%) encountered moderate anxiety, and 2 (8%) students experienced high anxiety. Furthermore, the results regarding the students' learning strategies showed that strategies such as preparation, practicing before speaking, and positive thinking helped students reduce anxiety in FLSP speaking performance. Implementing the appropriate strategies in FLSP speaking is significant as learning FLSP is more complex than general or academic English as it involves numerous foreign terms.

The Efficacy of Using Guided Questions in Teaching Writing Descriptive Text to Indonesian English as Foreign Language (EFL) Students

This research aims at finding out the efficacy of using Guided Questions in teaching writing especially descriptive text to Indonesian English as Foreign Language (EFL) students. The main question of this research: Is the use of Guided Questions effective in teaching writing to Indonesian EFL students? The research can be an addition to the persisting teaching writing in English particularly the descriptive text through the use of guided questions. This research was conducted at the tenth-grade students at SMA Kristen Mercusuar Kupang, an Indonesian High School. The total number of samples was 25 students. The research used a pre-experimental method with a pre-test and post-test design. The pre-test was given to find out the basic ability of the students in mastering writing descriptive text and the post-test given to find out the students’ improvement in mastering writing descriptive text after giving the treatment by using guided questions. The findings show that using guided questions is effective in teaching writing descriptive text to Indonesian EFL students. It is supported by the result of the significance test through SPSS 20 program that the P was 0.00. Therefore, it is recommended to use the guided questions in developing students’ writing descriptive of Indonesian EFL students.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TEACHERS’ CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK (CF) AND SPEAKING PRACTICE ON UNDERGRADUATE LANGUAGE LEARNERS’ SPEAKING ANXIETY (SA)

The number of the English Language users is expanding quickly around the globe due to the irrefutable importance of the English language. This is because of a number of educational and economic benefits associated with it contributing a great deal to World Englishes. Despite English has been taught, till degree level, as a compulsory subject, learners face difficulties in the basic four-fold language skills such as listening, reading, writing and speaking. The present study focuses speaking anxiety of English learners. Investigating the impact of speaking practice and corrective feedback on listening anxiety, it measures levels of speaking anxiety of Pakistani undergraduate students before and after the speaking practice and corrective feedback. One hundred and fifty undergraduate students of a public college participated in this study. Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety Scale (FLSAS)) developed from (Horwitz et al., 1986) by Zulfiqar (2022) was adopted to answer the research questions. Mean scores and effect size were also calculated. Pearson correlation was run to check the correlation of pre and post-speaking data. There was a statistically significant decrease in scores of speaking anxiety (before speaking practice and corrective feedback (M= 3.0762, SD=0.45947) and after practice (M= 2.1885, SD=.41059; t (149) = 19.276. p=.000 (two-tailed). The mean decrease in speaking anxiety score was 0.88.77% with a 90% confidence interval ranging from 0.78 to 0.95. The eta squared statistic 0.69 indicated a large effect size

Designing Research-Based Teacher-Appraisal Forms: A Case Of Effective EAP Lecturers in Swaziland

The main aim of this article is to introduce the steps followed in designing effective teacher-appraisal forms to be completed by the students, and teacher-self-reflection forms to be completed by the teachers. After explaining the steps and the reasons behind taking them, we will report on the findings of the study we have conducted following the same procedures to design the forms. The findings have identified the characteristics of effective EAP lecturers according to the 196 students who participated in the study. for EAP lecturers have also provided their input about the characteristics of effective EAP teachers. The collected data suggest the students seem not to differentiate between the competencies required for teaching and learning general English and EAP. The students considered communicative competence the most essential asset of their EAP lecturers. Accurate interpretation of the data emerging from the ratings is another issue addressed in this article. This can guide the teachers to make better decisions.

교양영어 수업에서 번역기를 사용한 대학생의 경험 및 인식

This study is a case study that investigated the experiences and perceptions of college students after having them use machine translators in a general English class. In this study, university students were allowed to freely use machine translators in listening and speaking classes for one semester, and their experiences and perceptions were investigated using an online questionnaire. The results showed that most of the students used translators to search for unknown expressions when preparing discussions during class and writing scripts for the oral exam outside the classroom. There were only a few students who did not use the translator at all. There was a significant difference in the students’ grammar scores assessed by Grammarly depending on the degree of using the translator. About 80% of students were satisfied with the experience of using the translators in class. More than two-thirds of students agreed to use translators in class. Students actively used the translator to learn English, and the translator positively helped learners learn English. Rather than outright banning students from using translators, it may be better to teach how to use a translator so that students can use the translator properly as a learning tool to increase the learning effect.

Analysis of Satisfaction and Efficiency of Multinational Students’ General English Classes: A W University Case Study

Analysis of Satisfaction and Efficiency of Multinational Students’ General English Classes: A W University Case Study

Language Learning Beyond the Classroom in an Asian Context: Obstacles Encountered

Framed by the notion of Learning Beyond the Classroom (LBC), the study reported here examines the underexplored area of learners’ perceived obstacles to LBC and their locus of control when autonomously engaging in learning or practicing English beyond the classroom. One hundred and seventy-three EFL students from a mandatory General English programme in a Taiwanese university participated in the study by completing a written reflection on their autonomous-learning experiences which included details about the learning affordances they made use of, their successes and struggles, their attitudes, and their motivation. This paper focuses on the obstacles they encountered. Findings show that there were broadly eight types of obstacles reported by the participants, with language difficulties, affect and motivation most frequently mentioned. Although there is no clear-cut pattern of associations between the obstacles participants reported encountering and the language learning affordances they reported using, it is apparent that certain obstacles were more closely related to particular limited uses of affordances.

Most Common English Pronunciation Mistakes for Russian Secondary School Students

Successful communication in a foreign language, for example English, requires the development of numerous skills, including phonetic ones. Clear and correct pronunciation is a prerequisite for understanding the speaker in oral communication, especially in the increasingly popular distant format. However, current school programs in English pay little attention to the development of correct pronunciation skills, even in elementary school where these skills should be primarily developed and supported. It is argued that such a gap in the programs will inevitably lead to persistent pronunciation defects among school students. This idea was tested in a survey of two groups of fifth grade secondary school students. The survey consisted of two stages. First, the students read aloud a text, which allowed the authors to identify three types of defects in their reading skills. At the second stage, it was demonstrated that five English sounds — [θ], [ð], [w], [ɜː] и [r] — were the most difficult ones for the survey participants. Since all state schools work according to the same educational standards, and grading dominantly depends on the results of written tests, this situation can be considered widespread. The authors argue that various pronunciation games should be most effective for correcting the pronunciation mistakes for the students of this age group.

Spelling Variation in Inner-Circle Englishes

English is the language with the largest number of speakers in the world, when both native and non-native speakers are included. With an estimated 1,268 million users around the globe, linguistic variation is bound to occur. Research on World Englishes focuses on the study of this variation, though it has systematically disregarded the linguistic level of orthography. This neglect has operated under the assumption that most contemporary varieties must adhere to British English spelling norms. Nevertheless, recent studies on the Americanisation of English worldwide (Mair 2013; Gilquin 2018; Gonçalves et al. 2018) have brought the question of spelling variation back to the fore. The present paper thus analyses the distribution of the most distinctive spelling variants—i.e. -our/-or, -re/-er and -isation/-ization—in the varieties of the inner circle from a synchronic perspective. By means of a corpus-based investigation of English online, this study will outline the spelling usage patterns for the aforementioned varieties and will analyse the highly-likely Americanisation process in spelling on the Internet.

How Much English Grammar is Needed in the Ship’s Engine Room

At the Faculty of Maritime Studies in Split, marine engineers have the opportunity to attend an ESP (English for Specific Purposes) course as part of the Special Education Program for Seafarers, which is a prerequisite for their career advancement. A series of surveys were carried out to detect their needs, expectations and the ways they perceive ESP teachers, courses and themselves as English language users. The responses referring to teachers were always clear and consistent – they are expected to understand essential ship engine systems and processes, concepts and contexts, etc. to produce a good learning platform. On the other hand, the responses that were supposed to help teachers to strike a balance in the ESP concept (that includes both general and vocational English) were somewhat ambiguous. Most of the respondents think that their overall command of the English language is “good” or “very good”, while their command of grammar is “good” or at least “sufficient”. Nevertheless, 94% admit that, in their case, learning grammar is “very important” or “necessary”. In the most recent survey, featuring another type of questionnaire, where the respondents were asked to break down the 50-hour ESP course into units, they allocated only 12.44 class hours for grammar (less than 25% of the course time). Further research will, hopefully, help ESP teachers to strike a reasonable balance between grammar, general English and vocational content.

The Efficacy of Using Problem Solving Approach in Teaching Speaking to Indonesian English as Foreign Language (EFL) Students

This research aims at finding out the efficacy of using problem solving approach in teaching speaking especially describing to Indonesian English as Foreign Language (EFL) students. The main question of this research: Is the use of problem-solving approach effective in teaching conditional sentences to Indonesian EFL students? The research can be an addition to the persisting teaching speaking in English through the use of problem solving approach. This research was conducted at First semester students of the English Study Program of Nusa Cendana University, Kupang. The population of this research was First semester students of the English Study Program of Nusa Cendana University, Kupang. The number population is 160 in four classes. The research used a pre-experimental method with a pre-test and post-test design. The pre-test was given to find out the basic ability of the students in mastering speaking and the post-test given to find out the students’ improvement in mastering speaking after giving the treatment by using problem solving approach. The findings show that using problem solving is effective in teaching speaking to Indonesian EFL students. It is supported by the result of the significance test through SPSS 20 program that the P was 0.00. Therefore, it is recommended to use problem solving approach in developing students’ speaking of Indonesian EFL students.