Poor English language proficiency hinders generic skills development: a qualitative study of the perspectives of first-year medical students

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 462-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle McLean ◽  
Deborah Murdoch-Eaton ◽  
Sami Shaban
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
First Year ◽  
Generic Skills ◽  
First Year Medical Students

scholarly journals Analyzing ‘needs’ for designing a specific English language course for medical students in Bangladesh

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 249-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liza Sharmin
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
English For Specific Purposes ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
English Grammar ◽  
System Concept ◽  
Subject Specific ◽  
Three Components

ESP (English for Specific Purposes) ensures designing courses to meet learners’ needs. Two vital devices of determining the needs are target needs and learning needs. The term target needs refers to what learners need to do in the target situation. It consists of three components- necessities, lacks, and wants. Learning needs are what learners need to do in order to learn. In designing an English course for the medical students, the research has focused on target needs and learning needs along with necessities, lacks, and wants. The medical students are really motivated by their subject specific texts. Most of the students suffer from the lack of adequate vocabulary. Their knowledge in the major areas of English grammar such as tense system, concept of voice, the syntax etc. is not sufficient. Their lack of the knowledge of the language is one of the prime reasons for their not being able to speak and write correctly and smoothly. A specific English language course can solve the problems by bridging their area related knowledge with their English language proficiency. Stamford Journal of English; Volume 6; Page 249-260 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/sje.v6i0.13917

scholarly journals An Analysis of Kenyan Learners’ Proficiency in English Based on Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Logamurthie Athiemoolam ◽  
Agnes Kibui
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Reading Skills ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Development Programme ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Official Language ◽  
Word Analysis ◽  
Interpretive Skills

In Kenya, English is the medium of instruction in schools and the official language of the country, although the majority of the learners are first additional language speakers of English. The study on which this article is based aimed to assess grade 10 Kenyan learners’ proficiency in English by examining their performance in comprehension and vocabulary on the basis of three tests incorporating multiple choice and interpretative questions. The data were collected from 422 grade 10 learners representing 16 schools in four provinces of Kenya. Learners were assessed on three comprehension passages which were selected from different genres. The results revealed that a large percentage of Kenyan learners encountered challenges with comprehension and vocabulary which impacted on their English language proficiency. The implications of the study is that there is a need for a reading skills development programme incorporating word analysis, recognition of the purpose of the text and tone, and the enhancement of inferential as well as predictive and interpretive skills. Journal of NELTA, Vol. 17 No. 1-2, December 2012, Page 1-13 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nelta.v17i1-2.8088

scholarly journals English Language Proficiency As An Indicator Of Academic Performance At A Tertiary Institution

2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. F. Stephen ◽  
J. C. Welman ◽  
W. J. Jordaan
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Human Resources Management ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
First Year ◽  
Tertiary Institution ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Indian Students

The aim of this investigation was to ascertain the impact of English language proficiency on academic success of first-year black and Indian students in human resources management at a tertiary institution. Students enrolled for the period between 1996 and 2002 were included in the study. Statistical tests of differences between means were conducted. Significantly, the Indian group exhibited superior English language proficiency levels, compared to their black counterparts. The hypothesis that English language proficiency is associated with academic success appears to be substantially correct. Opsomming Die doel van die ondersoek was om die impak van Engelse taalvaardigheid op akademiese sukses van Swart en Indiese eerstejaarstudente in menslike hulpbronbestuur aan ’n tersiêre instelling te ondersoek. Studente wat vir die periode tussen 1996 en 2002 ingeskryf was, is in die studie betrek. Statistiese toetse vir verskille tussen gemiddeldes is toegepas. Die Indiese groep het beduidend beter taalvaardigheid as hulle Swart eweknieë openbaar. Die hipotese dat Engelse taalvaardigheid met akademiese sukses verband hou, blyk substantief korrek te wees.

Prerequisites Included in Selection Criteria: A Contribution to Student Success in Nursing

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Onica Mankebe Ndwambi ◽  
Lizeth Roets
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Life Sciences ◽  
Background Knowledge ◽  
Natural Sciences ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
First Year

The low throughput rates of basic nursing students could be indirectly associated with the shortage of nurses in the nursing profession. Various factors could be related to the poor academic performance in tertiary education, with specific reference to nursing students. One of these factors is the selection and recruitment requirements for entry into nursing programmes. The objective of this article is to share the results of a study that was conducted in South Africa to describe whether background knowledge of grade 12 Life Sciences and English Language Proficiency influenced the academic performance in the Biological and Natural Science module of first-year student nurses. A quantitative research study was conducted. Baseline data were gathered by means of a checklist to collect data from first-year student admission records (193), and questionnaires to collect data from second-year students (147). The data demonstrated a positive association between the academic achievement of the Biological and Natural Sciences module and background knowledge of grade 12 Life Sciences and between the academic achievement of the Biological and Natural Sciences module and grade 12 English Language Proficiency. Students, but especially students who comply with specific prerequisites, thus a pass mark of grade 12 Life Sciences and evidence of adequate grade 12 English Language Proficiency, must be recruited to enhance the throughput rates of nursing students to help reduce the nursing shortage.

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