Yemeni EFL Research Articles

Yemeni EFL Student Teachers’ Moral Intelligence and its Relationship to their Academic Achievement: الذكاء الأخلاقي للطلاب اليمنيين الدارسين للغة الإنجليزية كلغة أجنبية وعلاقته بأدائهم الأكاديمي

This corelational study aimed at investigating the relationship between the moral intelligence of a group of Yemeni EFL student teachers and their academic achievement. It also aimed at finding out any statistically significant differences between the moral intelligence of the student teachers who are categorized into high and low achievers. One hundred and twelve Yemeni EFL student teachers of a third level in the teacher preparation program at the Department of English in the College of Education at Sana’a University in Yemen participated in this study. Their ages ranged between 21 and 25 years. Data were collected using a literature-based questionnaire. The results of this study show that the mean of the ten categories of the moral intelligence is 4.02 (80.4%) indicating a high degree of moral intelligence. The results show that there is no statistically significant differencesat the 0.05 level between the moral intelligence and academic achievement in the Morphology and Syntax course. The results also indicate that there are no statistically significant differences at the level of 0.05 between high and low achievers on nine categories of the moral intelligence. Furthermore, the results indicate that there are no statistically significant differences at the level of 0.05 between female and male student teachers on nine categories of the moral intelligence, namely: Faith, Honesty, Integrity, Courage, Discipline, Responsibility, Service, Kindness and Courtesy. The study findings confirm the previous studies and present some suggestions for further research.

Pragmatic Failure in the Realization of the Speech act of Responding to Compliments among Yemeni EFL Undergraduates

The purpose of the present study is to investigate into the possibility of pragmatic failure in the L2 production of Yemeni EFL university learners. It, in particular, tackles the L1 negative pragmatic transfer in the speech act of responding to compliments. The participants of the study are thirty Yemeni learners of English representing the target group and two baseline groups: thirty Yemeni Arabic native speakers and thirty American English native speakers. The researchers used a Discourse Completion Task as to collect the relevant data based on six complimenting scenarios. Data were codified into compliment response formulas and analysed statistically via SPSS in terms of the overall frequency counts of the semantic formulas. The results revealed that pragmatic failure is highly evident in the learners’ L2 production. L1 negative pragmatic transfer occurred in the response strategies of 'Comment Acceptance', 'Comment History', 'Praise Upgrade', 'Return', 'No Acknowledgement', 'Offer', 'Promise' and 'Wish'. They nearly represent 50% of the leaners' response utterances. The learners also showed a tendency of positively assimilating their L2 norms in the realization of compliment responses in half of their response utterances. Keywords: p ragmatic failure ; pragmatic t ransfer; Spe ech Acts; Compliment Responses , Yemeni EFL Learners

Exploring Self-Mention in The Yemeni EFL Argumentative Writing Across Three Proficiency Levels

Self-mention used by university-level Yemeni writers is regarded as a challenging task. The overuse use of this feature is often considered as less formal and objective in academic writing. Despite the significance of this feature in academic writing, previous studies were mostly conducted in the Western cultural context. Research on self-mention produced by EFL learners of Arabic cultural background seems to be overlooked. Therefore, this study aimed to explore and compare the use of the first-person pronouns across three proficiency levels in an argumentative paragraph written by 80 third-year undergraduate students. Data were collected, assessed by ELT specialists, and then quantitatively analyzed. The results revealed that Yemeni EFL learners make extensive use of the first-person pronouns in their argumentative paragraphs. Differences were found in the occurrences of the first-person pronouns across three proficiency levels. The results also indicated that learners with a high proficiency level tend to use the first-person pronouns less than learners at low and intermediate proficiency levels. Since low-proficient learners rely more on the use of the first-person pronouns than those at higher levels, learners need to be exposed to a variety of strategies of how they can project their voice appropriately in their written texts.

A Sociolinguistic Study of the Realization of Refusals Among Yemeni EFL Learners

The present paper attempts to study the realization of refusal responses to invitations and requests among Yemen EFL learners in equal, higher and lower social status. It also aims to find out the pragmatic failure resulted from negative pragmatic transfer. In order to do so, refusals of 40 Yemeni EFL (20 high and 20 low proficient) learners were compared with refusals of 20 native speakers of English (ENS) and 20 native speakers of Arabic (ANS). Data were collected using a Written Discourse Completion Test (WDCT) consisting of six refusals to invitations and requests in higher, equal and lower social status. This study finds out that Yemenis and Americans used different refusal strategies when refusing persons of equal and lower social status. ANS also used the adjunct of invoking the name of God which is religiously rooted and culturally specific to assert their excuses. Interestingly, Yemeni EFL learners showed a tendency toward the L1 pragmatic norms in the use of invoking the name of God and also in the use of more Direct strategies when refusing someone equal or lower in status. With respect to the content of refusals, Yemenis used general and vague excuses when refusing someone equal or lower in social status whereas Americans, on the other hand, were found to use detailed and clear excuses with persons of different social status.

Testing Self-Determination Theory in Conflict-Affected Areas: A Case Study of Yemeni EFL Students

This study investigates the impact of Yemeni conflict on EFL students’ motivation from the new conceptualization of Self-Determination Theory. It particularly explores whether EFL students are more influenced by either autonomous or controlled motivation. Data were collected through the use of a questionnaire and interviews from English Department, College of Education, Zabid, Yemen. The Questionnaire was distributed to 60 male and female Yemeni EFL students. Interviews were conducted with five EFL teachers from the same department. The results of the data showed that conflict has negatively affected Yemeni EFL students. Findings also indicated that EFL students tend to be more controlled than to be autonomously motivated and that the students at levels 1 and 2 are more autonomously motivated as compared to those at levels 3 and 4. This showed that level 3 and 4 students have lost some of their idealism due to the seriously deteriorated situation in all the various aspects of life.

Silent Pauses in the Speech of Yemeni EFL Learners

Speaking fluently is characterized not only by the speed of oral delivery but also by the absence of non-fluent pauses. This paper aims at investigating the pausing phenomena in the speech of the Yemeni learners of English. It investigated three aspects of silent pauses, the frequency, the placement and the length. The data were collected from 20 level four students enrolled in the Department English Language, Faculty of Education, Taiz University. The participants were recorded narrating the events of a short silent video immediately after watching it. Data were analyzed quantitatively utilizing the waveform spectrogram software called PRAAT. The findings showed that the Yemeni EFL learners overused non-fluent silent pauses. Additionally, they paused in the middle of the clauses rather than at the clause boundaries. With respect to the mean length of silent pauses, the speech of the EFL learners at Taiz University was full of long silent pauses which took one-third of the total speaking time. Therefore, it is highly suggested that the teachers of English should draw the learners’ attention to the notion of pausing and its effect on speaking fluency in order to lessen or avoid it. Teachers should also vary their activities to help the learners speak fluently without much pausing.

A Blended-Learning Program Based on the Progressive Theory to Develop the Yemeni Teachers' Performance

ملخص الدراسة هدفت هذه الدراسة إلى التعرف على أثر استخدام برنامج تعلم مدمج قائم على النظرية التقدمية في تنمية أداء معلمي اللغة الإنجليزية اليمنيين لغويا و تربويا، و تبنت المنهج شبه التجريبي ذا المجموعة الواحدة، و تکونت مجموعة المشارکين بالدراسة من ستة عشر معلما ومعلمة من أولئک الملتحقين بقسم اللغة الإنجليزية بالمعهد العالي لتدريب و تأهيل المعلمين أثناء الخدمة (الشوکاني)، و قد استخدمت بالدراسة ثلاث أدوات رئيسية لجمع البيانات: بطاقة ملاحظة الأداء، اختبار قياس الأداء، و استمارة التقييم الذاتي، و کشفت نتائج الدراسة عن وجود فرق دال احصائيا عند المستوى (0.000) بين متوسطي درجات مجموعة المشارکين في الدراسة في التطبيقين القبلي و البعدي لکل من بطاقة ملاحظة الأداء و اختبار قياس الأداء لصالح التطبيق البعدي، و أوضحت تلک النتائج أن أثر برنامج التعلم المدمج القائم على النظرية التقدمية فيما يتعلق ببطاقة ملاحظة الأداء و کذلک باختبار قياس الأداء کان کبيرا في تنمية أداء معلمي اللغة الإنجليزية اليمنيين بحسب مقياس کوهين، و في ضوء النتائج أشارت الدراسة الى عدد من التوصيات و المقترحات ببحوث تالية. Abstract A Blended-Learning Program Based on the Progressive Theory to Develop the Yemeni EFL Teachers’ Performance By: Abdul-Razzaq Z. A. Al-Jarmouzi Supervised by: Dr. Asmaa Ghanem Gheith, Dr. Badr Abdul Fattah Abdul Kafi, and Ismael Masaud Naji The present study aimed to identify the effect of using a blended learning program based on the progressive theory on developing the Yemeni EFL teachers’ performance both linguistically and pedagogically. Through the study, the one group quasi experimental design was adopted, and 16 EFL male and female teachers enrolled in study at Al-Showkani Higher Institute for Qualifying and Training Teachers were involved as participants. Data was collected through three main instruments, namely: a performance observation checklist, a performance test, and a self-assessment sheet. Results of the study revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of participants in the pre-post administration of performance observation checklist in favor of the post administration, and there was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of participants in the pre-post administration of performance test in favor of the posttest. In addition, the results showed that the effect size (d) of the blended-learning program based on the progressive theory both in relation to performance observation checklist and performance test was large on promoting the Yemeni EFL teachers’ performance according to Cohen’s criteria. The study ended with some recommendations as well as suggestions for further research in the light of the results obtained.

The analysis of MCQs in a newly developed reading comprehension ability test: a study on Yemeni undergraduate EFL learners

Studies have shown that the best way to test the students' ability in reading comprehension is the multiple-choice questions (MCQs) for its validity and reliability. This paper tries to assess items and test quality in order to explore the relationship between difficulty index (p-value) and discrimination indices (DIs) with distractor efficiency (DE). The study was conducted among 134 second year Yemeni EFL students in Sana'a University, Yemen. Twenty MCQs analysed for p-value, DI and DE. Results indicated that the mean p-value and DI were 61.92 ± 25.1% and 0.31 ± 0.27, respectively. DI was noted to be maximum at p value range between 40% and 60%. Combining the two indices, 19 items could be called 'good' having a p-value from 20% to 90%, as well as a DI ≥ 0.40. Overall 75% items had two non-functional distractors (NFDs), while 20% items had three functional distractors and 5% had only one functional distractor.

Pragmatic Failure in the Realization of the Speech act of Responding to Compliments among Yemeni EFL Undergraduates

Pragmatic Failure in the Realization of the Speech act of Responding to Compliments among Yemeni EFL Undergraduates

Silent Pauses in the Speech of Yemeni EFL Learners

Speaking fluently is characterized not only by the speed of oral delivery but also by the absence of non-fluent pauses. This paper aims at investigating the pausing phenomena in the speech of the Yemeni learners of English. It investigated three aspects of silent pauses, the frequency, the placement and the length. The data were collected from 20 level four students enrolled in the Department English Language, Faculty of Education, Taiz University. The participants were recorded narrating the events of a short silent video immediately after watching it. Data were analyzed quantitatively utilizing the waveform spectrogram software called PRAAT. The findings showed that the Yemeni EFL learners overused non-fluent silent pauses. Additionally, they paused in the middle of the clauses rather than at the clause boundaries. With respect to the mean length of silent pauses, the speech of the EFL learners at Taiz University was full of long silent pauses which took one-third of the total speaking time. Therefore, it is highly suggested that the teachers of English should draw the learners’ attention to the notion of pausing and its effect on speaking fluency in order to lessen or avoid it. Teachers should also vary their activities to help the learners speak fluently without much pausing.

Invitation Strategies as Produced by Yemeni EFL Learners

Invitation Strategies as Produced by Yemeni EFL Learners

Chat and Learn: Effectiveness of Using WhatsApp as a Pedagogical Tool to Enhance EFL Learners Reading and Writing Skills

This study has examined the pedagogical role of WhatsApp as one of mobile-assisted language learning applications in developing motivational levels of Yemeni EFL learners to develop reading and writing skills. Twenty EFL undergraduate students of Aden University joined a WhatsApp English-medium chat group where they chatted, shared and commented on news articles in English for two months. Participants also took a pre-test and a post-test and responded to a questionnaire at the end of the study. Findings revealed that WhatsApp was a very effective application in developing students? motivation to improve their reading and writing skills. It helped them develop vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension and writing. The study also revealed that WhatsApp was positively perceived by students as a pedagogical tool for their learning of English. The study concluded that WhatsApp English-medium groups provide students with opportunities for practising a natural language, especially in written communication, outside the classroom and motivate them to learn mutually. The study therefore recommends EFL teachers to utilize WhatsApp as a pedagogical technique and to encourage their students to create and join WhatsApp English-medium groups for natural interactions and contextualized language use that cannot be easily provided in traditional classrooms.

Pronunciation Of The English Voiceless Postalveolar Affricate /tʃ/ In Yemeni EFL Learners’ Production

<p>Achieving a near-native speaker’s pronunciation is so essential for EFL learners. However, many factors contribute to the challenges faced by EFL learners, mainly due to the difference in the sound system of English Language and that of their first language. For this reason, Arab learners of English Language may mispronounce some English sounds. This paper analyzed one of the few problematic sounds to the Arab Yemeni EFL learners - the pronunciation of the English voiceless postalveolar affricate /ʧ/. The study which has a quantitative case study design uses four Yemeni EFL postgraduate students as its participants. The participants’ pronunciations of /tʃ/ sound in the initial, middle and final word-positions were analyzed using Praat phonetic software. The findings of the study showed that Yemeni EFL learners have difficulties in producing the /tʃ/ sound, especially in the initial and final positions, and deaffrication of /tʃ/ occurred in the pronunciation of the four participants. The current study is expected to be of value, particularly for EFL learners, teachers, as well as material writers.</p><p> </p>

Request Strategies: A Contrastive Study Between Yemeni EFL and Malay ESL Secondary School Students in Malaysia

The aim of this study was to investigate the types of request strategies employed by Yemeni and Malay secondary school students in English language. It also aimed at investigating the influence of social power and social distance on the students’ choice of request strategies. The data was collected through a discourse completion test (DCT) and the analysis used both Blum-Kulk’s et al. (1989) Cross-Cultural Speech Act Realization Patterns (CCSARP), and Scollon and Scollon’s (1995) politeness system. The findings of the study showed that both groups often use non-conventionally indirect request strategies by means of query preparatory. The analysis revealed that both groups do not take into consideration the social power and the social distance between the interlocutors because they always use the same strategies with any person. The students have this sociopragmatic knowledge in their mother tongue; however, both groups are not sensitive to the social power and social distance existing between the interlocutors as they lack the sociopragmatic knowledge in the target language. Moreover, the students almost use the same strategies even though they have different cultural backgrounds, and this might be attributed to their assimilation in the school learning environment which is a positive indicator for conductive learning environment.

The Influence of the Learning Environment on Learner Autonomy: A comparative Study of Polish and Yemeni EFL Undergraduate Learners

The Influence of the Learning Environment on Learner Autonomy: A comparative Study of Polish and Yemeni EFL Undergraduate Learners

Content Analysis of the Pedagogical Content Knowledge in the Curriculum of Yemeni EFL Teacher Education Programme

This study aims to analyse the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in the current curriculum of the English teacher education programme (ETEP) at a Faculty of Education in a Yemeni University. PCK and teaching competencies take shape within the initial preparation of ETEP in which student teachers spenda long time receiving knowledge and understanding the teaching context before they practically experience teaching at schools. During their BA study, students are required to study 49 courses which can be categorised into four main components: skills, linguistics, literature and professional. This study analyses the content of the curriculum courses so as tovisualise the way student teachers translate what they have learned into pedagogical practices during their teaching practices. In this study, the curriculum content of ETEP is qualitatively analysed using the inductive approach. Categories emerged from the analysis demonstrate various aspects of student teachers’ PCK. The analysis reveals that the pedagogical skills courses are not enough to enhance and strengthen the student teachers’ PCK needed to be reflected in their teaching practices. The findings show that the curriculum lacks courses necessary to provide student teachers with basic knowledge and pedagogical principles which are of vital significance to demonstrate their understanding before they are practically engaged in the teaching experience.

Content Analysis of the Pedagogical Content Knowledge in the Curriculum of Yemeni EFL Teacher Education Programme

This study aims to analyse the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in the current curriculum of the English teacher education programme (ETEP) at a Faculty of Education in a Yemeni University. PCK and teaching competencies take shape within the initial preparation of ETEP in which student teachers spenda long time receiving knowledge and understanding the teaching context before they practically experience teaching at schools. During their BA study, students are required to study 49 courses which can be categorised into four main components: skills, linguistics, literature and professional. This study analyses the content of the curriculum courses so as tovisualise the way student teachers translate what they have learned into pedagogical practices during their teaching practices. In this study, the curriculum content of ETEP is qualitatively analysed using the inductive approach. Categories emerged from the analysis demonstrate various aspects of student teachers’ PCK. The analysis reveals that the pedagogical skills courses are not enough to enhance and strengthen the student teachers’ PCK needed to be reflected in their teaching practices. The findings show that the curriculum lacks courses necessary to provide student teachers with basic knowledge and pedagogical principles which are of vital significance to demonstrate their understanding before they are practically engaged in the teaching experience.

Testing Collocational Knowledge of Yemeni EFL University Students at Universiti Utara Malaysia

It is commonly acknowledged that collocations play an important role in the field of ESL/EFL acquisition. Previous seminal studies have reported students’ development of collocational knowledge and use of collocations regardless the difficulties students may encounter in learning collocations, specifically, Arab students. The present study focuses on students’ collocational knowledge, particularly, Yemeni EFL university students who were attending an Intensive English Course (IEC) at UUM/Malaysia. The data was collected from only five Yemeni students (two postgraduate and three undergraduate). Those were the only Yemeni students who were attending the IEC. All of the participants were male students. The participants’ collocational knowledge was tested by a Multiple-choice Collocational Test (MCT). The results of the statistical analysis revealed that participants’ collocational knowledge was less than the expected. Moreover, the results concluded that students’ lack of knowledge of collocations was due to the fact that collocations were not of a focus in teaching English as a foreign language in schools. The study also ended up with recommendations for future research.

Testing Collocational Knowledge of Yemeni EFL University Students at Universiti Utara Malaysia

It is commonly acknowledged that collocations play an important role in the field of ESL/EFL acquisition.Previous seminal studies have reported students‟ development of collocational knowledge and use of collocations regardless the difficulties students may encounter in learning collocations, specifically, Arab students. The present study focuses on students‟ collocational knowledge, particularly, Yemeni EFL university students who were attending an Intensive English Course (IEC) at UUM/Malaysia.The data was collected from only five Yemeni students (two postgraduate and three undergraduate).Those were the only Yemeni students who were attending the IEC. All of the participants were male students. The participants' collocational knowledge was tested by a Multiple-choice Collocational Test (MCT). The results of the statistical analysis revealed that participants' collocational knowledge was less than the expected. Moreover, the results concluded that students‟ lack of knowledge of collocations was due to the fact that collocations were not of a focus in teaching English as a foreign language in schools. The study also ended up with recommendations for future research.

Fostering the Pragmatic Competence of Yemeni EFL Learners : The Need for Instructional and Pedagogical Intervention

Fostering the Pragmatic Competence of Yemeni EFL Learners : The Need for Instructional and Pedagogical Intervention