scholarly journals The use of technology in informal English language learning: evidence from Yemeni undergraduate students

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wagdi Rashad Ali Bin-Hady ◽  
Nasser Omer Mubarak Al-Tamimi
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Informal Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Integrating Technology ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Informal Settings

Purpose This study aims to explore the use of technology-based strategies by Yemeni undergraduate students to develop their English as a foreign language skills in informal learning settings. Design/methodology/approach A mixed methods research design was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data from 110 undergraduate students enrolled at the English Departments in two universities in Yemen. In the first phase of the study, 10 students were interviewed to obtain information about their use of technology to develop their English language skills and subsystems in informal settings. Following the analysis of the interview data, a questionnaire was built to collect quantitative data, and the second phase of the study was carried out with 100 undergraduate students. Findings The findings revealed that students developed four technology-based strategies that they used in informal settings. These strategies included using social media, being inspired by someone, accessing social networks and websites. Students reported that these strategies helped them develop their listening, speaking and reading skills, while they also reported that their vocabulary was enhanced over grammar and pronunciation. Research limitations/implications The study findings can be of benefit not only for helping to raise students’ awareness of informal learning strategies to develop their English skills outside the classroom but also for teachers to rethink the importance of integrating technology tools and digital resources in their teaching practice. The results could also guide curriculum designers to augment textbook materials by integrating technology-based informal learning strategies. Originality/value This is the first study on this topic conducted in the context of higher education in Yemen and offers unique insights into informal learning practices of Yemeni students. In addition, the findings of the study open new dimensions for rethinking the classification of language learning strategies to include those that are technology-based and mainly useful for independent informal learning.

British Council’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Students’ Manual: A Critical Analysis of the Coursebook Taught at Pakistani Universities for Academic Purposes (EAP) Students’ Manual: A Critical Analysis of the Coursebook Taught at Pakistani Universities

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Teaching Principles

English for Academic Purposes course focusing on the academic language needs of students is a subfield of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It is a type of specialized course to integrate specific subject matter, language content, and material based on learners’ needs. The study aims to evaluate the British Council’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) coursebook in terms of content, sequencing, learners’ autonomy, motivation, feedback and focus on language skills. Furthermore, the study tries to provide a general perception of the usefulness and effectiveness of the coursebook for undergraduate students. The EAP Students’ Manual coursebook is used as a primary source for the data collection. The researcher has chosen Nation & Macalister (2010) model of language teaching principles to analyze and discuss the data. The study found the coursebook a useful, effective and an appropriate source of English language learning in terms of the investigated aspects of the book. The findings report that the coursebook provides practice and practical usage in all domains of the academically required English language skills. It helps the students to build language competency and to be more independent learners. In addition, it provides an opportunity to the learners to think in the target language, use the language more practically and learn it in a natural type of environment. The study concludes and suggests that the content needs to be supplemented with English language audios and videos presenting the students relevant documentaries and helping material in order to make the coursebook and the learning process more useful, effective, interesting and motivating. Furthermore, the study recommends that while choosing /designing a coursebook for a certain course, it needs to be evaluated following the various criteria and language-teaching-principles suggested by different language researchers.

British Council’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Students’ Manual: A Critical Analysis of the Coursebook Taught at Pakistani Universities

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Teaching Principles ◽  
Language Needs

English for Academic Purposes course focusing on the academic language needs of students is a subfield of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It is a type of specialized course to integrate specific subject matter, language content, and material based on learners’ needs. The study aims to evaluate the British Council’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) coursebook in terms of content, sequencing, learners’ autonomy, motivation, feedback and focus on language skills. Furthermore, the study tries to provide a general perception of the usefulness and effectiveness of the coursebook for undergraduate students. The EAP Students’ Manual coursebook is used as a primary source for the data collection. The researcher has chosen Nation & Macalister (2010) model of language teaching principles to analyze and discuss the data. The study found the coursebook a useful, effective and an appropriate source of English language learning in terms of the investigated aspects of the book. The findings report that the coursebook provides practice and practical usage in all domains of the academically required English language skills. It helps the students to build language competency and to be more independent learners. In addition, it provides an opportunity to the learners to think in the target language, use the language more practically and learn it in a natural type of environment. The study concludes and suggests that the content needs to be supplemented with English language audios and videos presenting the students relevant documentaries and helping material in order to make the coursebook and the learning process more useful, effective, interesting and motivating. Furthermore, the study recommends that while choosing /designing a coursebook for a certain course, it needs to be evaluated following the various criteria and language-teaching-principles suggested by different language researchers.

scholarly journals Technology-Assisted Self-Regulated English Language Learning: Associations With English Language Self-Efficacy, English Enjoyment, and Learning Outcomes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhujun An ◽  
Chuang Wang ◽  
Siying Li ◽  
Zhengdong Gan ◽  
Hong Li
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
English Language ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Target Language ◽  
English Learning

This study investigated Chinese university students’ technology-assisted self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies and whether the technology-based SRL strategies mediated the associations between English language self-efficacy, English enjoyment, and learning outcomes. Data were collected from 525 undergraduate students in mainland China through three self-report questionnaires and the performance on an English language proficiency test. While students reported an overall moderate level of SRL strategies, they reported a high level of technology-based vocabulary learning strategies. A statistically significant positive relationship was noted between the use of technology-based SRL strategies and students’ English learning outcomes. English language self-efficacy and English language enjoyment were both related to technology-based SRL strategies. Furthermore, SRL strategies fully mediated the relationship between English enjoyment and English learning outcomes, but the association between English enjoyment and SRL strategies was only partially mediated by English language self-efficacy. Pedagogically, findings of this study suggest that training and instruction aimed at promotion of modern educational technology among students need to give attention to developing their strategic awareness of motivation regulation in optimizing effectiveness of their technology use in learning the target language.

scholarly journals GOOD LANGUAGE LEARNERS AND THEIR STRATEGIES: AN INSIGHT

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kumaresen Mahalingam ◽  
Melor Md. Yunus
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Language Ability ◽  
Language Learning Strategies

The Malaysian Education Blueprint is aimed to ensure every child is proficient in English Language besides Bahasa Malaysia. Thus the English Language syllabus is geared to mould learners to become successful language learners. However, not all learners are capable of being successful language learners despite years of schooling. Therefore, this study aims to investigate language learning strategies used by good language learners in learning English as their second language. To achieve the aim of the study, a questionnaire was used to collect the quantitative data. 30 pupils with good language ability from a rural primary school in Sabah were selected to participate in this study. The findings of the study indicated that different language learners prefer different learning strategies to improve their second language learning.  The learning strategies also vary based on the language skills they are learning. The findings of the study are hoped to provide significant impact to the pupils, teachers and curriculum planners to integrate language learning strategies in teaching and learning to assist successful language learning.

scholarly journals English Language Learning Strategies used by Science Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-36
Author(s):  
Nur Afni Syamaun ◽  
Usman Kasim ◽  
Asnawi Muslem
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Cognitive Strategies ◽  
Cognitive Learning ◽  
Boarding School ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Social Strategies ◽  
Language Learning Strategies

Learning strategies are ways employed by learners to enhance their learning. An active use of language learning strategies helps learners in control of their own learning by developing language skills, increasing confidence, and motivation in learning process. This study aims to investigate the dominant language learning strategies used by science students. It focused on listening, speaking, reading, and writing strategies that was studied using descriptive qualitative method. The subjects of this study were 56 eleventh-grade science students from the senior high boarding school of Darul Ikhsan. The questionnaire developed by Rubin and Thompson (1994) was distributed and the data was analyzed by looking at the highest frequency of students’ choice. The results indicated that the students employed cognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies, affective strategies, compensation strategies, and social strategies. However, the students used dominantly cognitive learning strategies across the four language skills. The findings recommended that students should be trained to use learning strategies properly. In addition, English teachers should consider the learners’ strategies by asking their intentions and use appropriate teaching methods.

scholarly journals THE ROLE PLAYED BY FACEBOOK IN DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

2020 ◽  
pp. 11-22
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Facebook Use ◽  
Highly Effective ◽  
English Language Skills

This study investigates students’ perceptions about the use of Facebook as a popular forum of social media in relation to learning English as a foreign language. Their approaches while using Facebook and the nature of Facebook have also been examined. Data were collected from sixty-five undergraduate students through the tool of questionnaire. Findings suggest that Facebook use is highly effective in developing students’ different skills and areas of English language. Some of the possible threats to students’ proficiency have also been pointed out. The study concludes that students on the whole are positive about the advantages in English language learning while using Facebook. Facebook is not only use for messages, and talking but get something new for learning.

scholarly journals Academic English is No One’s Mother Tongue: Graduate and Undergraduate Students’ Academic English Language-learning Needs from Students’ and Instructors’ Perspectives

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Shih Huang
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Academic Language ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Academic English ◽  
Support Unit ◽  
Academic Communication

A research project designed to assess English-as-first-language (EL1) and English-as-an-additional-language (EAL) undergraduate and graduate students’ academic language-learning needs in the context of an academic language-support unit was conducted. This paper reports findings pertaining to 370 EL1 students and 88 instructors at the graduate and undergraduate levels. These participants responded to questionnaires, which requested them to rate the importance of academic language skills, to assess their own or their students’ skill status, and to respond to open-ended questions regarding their own or their students’ academic communication challenges. In addition to reporting EL1 students’ perceived needs and assessments of their skills, a comparison of findings between EL1 and EAL contexts is presented. Findings point to a match between instructors and students at both the graduate and undergraduate levels in their perceptions of important academic language skills, but a great divergence in their assessments of students’ competence in those skills. These findings indicate a need to re-examine the divide often made in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programmes regarding divergent needs of EAL versus EL1 learners as well as to determine whether the convergence of their needs can be considered when planning EAP courses or workshops, especially during challenging economic times, when priorities must be set in response to the rise of international EAL student enrolment in English-speaking countries.

scholarly journals Blended-Learning: The Responses from Non-English Students in the Indonesian Tertiary Context

TEKNOSASTIK ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Fatimah Mulya Sari ◽  
Achmad Yudi Wahyudin
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Study Program ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Language Teaching And Learning

The process of language teaching and learning has undergone major changes due to the developments of technology. The use of technology in education field has paved the way for higher education institution to innovatively shape their modern media in a language teaching and learning. Subsequently, the implementation of blended-learning has aroused at the Universitas Teknokrat Indonesia for approximately one and a half year ago to maximize the use of technology. Most lecturers in all study programs have increasingly utilized the social network sites such as Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, etc. for the successfulness of blended-learning. This present study aims at exploring the students’ responses on how blended-learning might be used to develop their language learning and discovering their attitudes towards the implementation of blended-learning as an interactional teaching and learning tool in English for Business course. Employing a qualitative in form of a case study, eighty-two undergraduate students from study program of Informatics Engineering were observed, interviewed, and distributed questionnaires. The data were performed to collect the students’ responses and students’ attitudes toward the implementation of blended-learning in the process of their language learning. The findings were found out that most students from Informatics Engineering major showed their positive responses and positive attitudes using blended learning for the language teaching and learning. They also gained some educational benefits for their English language development. Thus, this blended learning brings us to the new trend for language teaching and learning media in order to motivate the students in enhancing their language acquisition.

British Council’s English for Academic Purposes: A Critical Analysis of the Coursebook Taught at Pakistani Universities

2019 ◽  
pp. 20-28
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Teaching Principles ◽  
Language Needs

English for Academic Purposes course focusing on the academic language needs of students is a subfield of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It is a type of specialized course to integrate specific subject matter, language content, and material based on learners’ needs. The study aims to evaluate the British Council’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) coursebook in terms of content, sequencing, learners’ autonomy, motivation, feedback and focus on language skills. Furthermore, the study tries to provide a general perception of the usefulness and effectiveness of the coursebook for undergraduate students. The EAP Students’ Manual coursebook is used as a primary source for the data collection. The researcher has chosen Nation & Macalister (2010) model of language teaching principles to analyze and discuss the data. The study found the coursebook a useful, effective and an appropriate source of English language learning in terms of the investigated aspects of the book. The findings report that the coursebook provides practice and practical usage in all domains of the academically required English language skills. It helps the students to build language competency and to be more independent learners. In addition, it provides an opportunity to the learners to think in the target language, use the language more practically and learn it in a natural type of environment. The study concludes and suggests that the content needs to be supplemented with English language audios and videos presenting the students relevant documentaries and helping material in order to make the coursebook and the learning process more useful, effective, interesting and motivating. Furthermore, the study recommends that while choosing /designing a coursebook for a certain course, it needs to be evaluated following the various criteria and language-teaching-principles suggested by different language researchers.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document