Their Perspectives: ESL Students' Reflections On Collaborative Community Service Learning

2007 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne M. Crossman ◽  
Stacey L. Kite
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Cultural Sensitivity ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
Community Service Learning ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Collaborative Community ◽  
Pragmatic Communication ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Esl Learners

Our business communication classes will continue to be enriched by students from various cultural backgrounds, many of them ESL learners. Among the numerous benefits of this diversity are oppor tunities for all students to develop essential life skills through course-embedded community ser vice learning (CSL) projects. This study analyzes students' guided reflections in response to qualitative probes regarding CSL projects required for all MBA candidates at the study site. Data were gathered during a 5-year period from 326 reflective repor ts. More than 80% of the reflective question responses were authored by international students; approximately 60% of those were ESL learners. The findings reveal differences not only between ESL learners and native speakers of English but also between ESL students. Key themes discussed include cultural sensitivity, teamwork, contributive roles, conflict resolution skills, and pragmatic communication skills. The findings presented are accompanied by students' comments, corroborating literature, and teaching tips.

scholarly journals Improving Pronunciation of Adult ESL Students

2002 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 83 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Van Loon
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Classroom Teacher ◽  
Dramatic Improvement ◽  
Sentence Structure ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
Parts Of Speech ◽  
Adult Esl ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Esl Learners ◽  
The Relationship

This article describes a classroom technique for improving the pronunciation of adult ESL learners. The technique is based on using stress and pausing in the same manner as native speakers of English. Dramatic improvement in pronunciation may be quickly achieved by showing learners how stress and pause are related to parts of speech and sentence structure. The article describes how a classroom teacher can develop an awareness of the relationship between grammar and pronunciation for learners.

scholarly journals The Pragmatic Functions of Repetition in TV Discourse

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 445-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghaleb Rabab'ah ◽  
Ali Farhan AbuSeileek
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Natural Phenomenon ◽  
Esl Teachers ◽  
Language Functions ◽  
Pragmatic Analysis ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Salient Features ◽  
Esl Learners ◽  
Tv Show ◽  
Interactional Discourse

Since repetition is a natural phenomenon used to perform various functions in interactional discourse, adopting a pragmatic analysis to the discourse of Dr. Phil and his guests on Dr. Phil's TV show, this study attempted to explore the pragmatic functions of such repetitions as used by English native speakers. The data were gathered from conversations between native speakers of English, and based on 7 full episodes of Dr. Phil's TV Show. The researchers watched, and studied these episodes on YouTube. The study revealed that one of the salient features of TV discourse is repetition, which is employed to perform a variety of language functions. Repetition was used to express emphasis, clarity, emotions, highlight the obvious, be questionable, express annoyance, persuasion, express surprise, give instructions, and as a filler in order to take time, when the speaker was searching for a proper word to say what would come next. The study concluded that these findings had significant implications for EFL/ESL teachers and the interlanguage development of EFL/ESL learners.

scholarly journals On the Pedagogical Relevance of Strategic Competence

1986 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tahereh Paribakht
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
Negotiation Of Meaning ◽  
Identification Task ◽  
Strategic Competence ◽  
Adult Esl ◽  
Communication Situations ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Linguistic Material

This paper is a report on a study concerned with the identification of target language linguistic material essential for the learners' use of communication strategies (CS) in survival situations. Subjects were 40 adult ESL students and 20 native speakers of English. A concept-identification task was used to elicit these speakers' CS. Given that the taxonomy of CS developed in the study was based on the type of knowledge utilized by the speakers, it was possible to identify the semantic, as well as the typical syntactic patterns, required for their implementation. These linguistic manifestations of CS can serve as a basis for developing L2 teaching materials with the aim of preparing L2 learners to function successfully in problematic communication situations. An appropriate sequence for the presentation of such material is proposed based on the frequency of their application in the negotiation of meaning by the speakers in this study.

scholarly journals Exploring Metadiscourse Use in Thesis Abstracts: A Cross-Cultural Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ardi Nugroho
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Writing Studies ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
American Students ◽  
Integral Role ◽  
Native Speakers Of English

<p>The use of metadiscourse in academic writing has become a topic of interest in recent years. It can be defined as the words and phrases that writers use in their writing to express their ideas and thoughts to make it easier for readers to process the information presented. It is especially crucial in academic writing since writers are expected to present their arguments in an appropriate and acceptable manner. It has also been said that culture plays a role influencing how arguments and ideas are expressed, especially in academic writing. Although metadiscourse plays an integral role in academic writing, studies have shown how EFL learners often make mistakes in employing this linguistic device. From this, the writer would like to explore the metadiscourse produced by Indonesian EFL learners and compare it with how native speakers of English employ metadiscourse in their writing. In other words, this study is basically an attempt to find out whether the metadiscourse produced by the two groups with different cultural backgrounds are different or similar. The source of data for the current study is the metadiscourse markers from the thesis abstracts of students of the English Language and Culture Department at Bunda Mulia University and American students from a university in the U.S. In order to analyze the metadiscourse markers found in the thesis abstracts of the Indonesian and American students, the writer will make use of the AntConc software version 3.5.6 by Anthony (2018). The result of the study reveals that there are some differences and similarities in the way both group of students employed these markers.<strong></strong></p><strong>Keywords: </strong>metadiscourse, thesis abstracts, Indonesian and American students

scholarly journals Homogenous Representations, Diverse Realities: Assistant Language Teachers at Elementary Schools

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Daniel Pearce
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Schools ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Foreign Language Education ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Language Classes ◽  
Native Speakers Of English

As of 2020, foreign language as a subject has become compulsory for upper grades in Japanese elementary schools, and MEXT recommends the use of assistant language teachers (ALTs) in foreign language classes. While ALTs represent diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, MEXT documents for Japanese teachers portray them as homogenous monolingual native speakers of English. To better understand the linguistic repertoires of ALTs, this study investigates the languages ALTs know. The findings suggest that, contrary to MEXT portrayals, most ALTs have ability in at least one language other than English. With reference to the goals of foreign language education, this paper argues that MEXT should more accurately represent the diversity of ALTs in their literature and actively promote the inclusion of their other languages in classroom practice. 2020年度より、日本の小学校高学年には教科としての外国語が必修化された。文部科学省は外国語の授業における外国語指導助手（Assistant Language Teachers: ALTs）の積極的な導入を勧めている。多くのALTが様々な言語や文化的背景を持っているにもかかわらず、文部科学省の教員向け資料における記述の多くは、未だにALTをモノリンガルの英語母語話者としてのみ想定している。ALTの運用可能な言語について調査した先行研究が不足しているため、本研究は、小学校勤務のALTを対象に、使用言語に関するアンケート調査を実施した。結果として、ALTのほとんどが英語以外に1つ以上の言語を使用できることが判明した。本論文は、外国語科目の目標に照らして、文部科学省のALTに関する資料の更新の必要性を示すとともに、ALTの持つ英語以外の言語の知識をも外国語の授業に取り入れることの重要性を主張する。

scholarly journals Cross-Cultural Classroom Interaction between Native and Non-native Speakers of English

2018 ◽  
pp. 85-101
Author(s):  
Hanaa Alzalouk ◽  
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Classroom Interaction ◽  
Real Life ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Esl Learners

The purpose of this study was to investigate the interactional conversations between the native speakers (NSs) of English and the non-native speakers (NNSs) of English in a culturally mixed classroom. ESL learners need to be exposed to the second language through authentic and face to face interaction when they have opportunities to interact with NSs outside of the classroom (in real-life situations) and inside the classroom (through group work and pair work activities). Data were collected through conducting an ethnographic research in which classroom observation and semi-structured interviews were the primary data collection tools. Participants were eight MA students in the field of English Language Teaching (ELT) in Nottingham Trent University.

Apology strategies in English and Vietnamese

IJOHMN ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thu Lau
Keyword(s):  
Family Member ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Linguistic Competence ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Esl Learners

The paper examined the differences in apology strategies between native speakers of English and advanced Vietnamese ESL learners as well as the factors that might result in those differences through discourse completion tests (DCTs). The data were coded in terms of five apology strategies, and were analyzed according to four situational categories in relation to age, dominance, social distance, and weight of offence. The result indicated that the apologies of the Vietnamese ESL learners showed more politeness and respect for people from higher status, closeness to a friend, less courtesy to an equal and less respect (but greater intimacy) for their kid, a family member. By contrast, the degree of politeness, sincerity and respect of the apologies of the native speakers depended heavily on the weight of offence and the situation itself. The acts of apologizing of the Vietnamese group were significantly influenced by the hierarchical culture of Vietnam, and their restricted linguistic competence as well.

Acquisition of English verb transitivity by native speakers of Japanese

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 322-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomonori Nagano
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Frequency Effect ◽  
Directed Motion ◽  
Native Japanese Speakers ◽  
Grammaticality Judgment ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
L1 And L2 ◽  
Esl Learners ◽  
English Verb

This study is concerned with native Japanese speakers’ acquisition of English lexical causativity. In Japanese, a large number of verbs, including those not participating in the causative alternation in English (e.g., kieru/kesu “disappear/be disappeared” and todoku/todokeru “deliver/be delivered”), are lexically causative, in addition to the prototypical causative verbs such as aku/akeru “open” and ugoku/ugokasu “move”. This asymmetric relationship forms a gap between the L1 and L2 and will cause overgeneralization errors in the L2 utterances. In this study, 44 native speakers of English and 60 Japanese ESL learners participated in the grammaticality judgment tasks in a series of experiments. The data show that the negative transfer exists in the inherently-directed motion verbs and verbs of disappearance, but it is conditioned by the frequency of verbs. The existence of frequency effect on verbs in the asymmetric relationship indicates that certain classes of verbs must be learned from the input.

scholarly journals A Corpus-Based Comparative Study of Malaysian ESL Learners and Native English Speakers in Compliment Patterns

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 232
Author(s):  
Paramasivam Muthusamy ◽  
Atieh Farashaiyan
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Corpus Linguistics ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
Authentic Language ◽  
Learner Language ◽  
Esl Learners

Even though many language learners are concerned with to master target proficiency, owing to years of meticulous studies, immersion in TL environments, access to multimedia and educational amenities, in addition to availability of affluent sources or merely thanks to God-given language talents, many will seldom take off from conspicuous learner-language and might never produce authentic language either in speech or in writing. In recent years, however, with corpus linguistics gaining currency in academia, a new light has begun to glimmer at the end of the tunnel that corpus-based materials and data-driven language instructions can actively and consciously engage learners and acquaint them with what authentic language is rather than what the text books prescribe it to be. Already, a growing body of research has been dedicated to data-driven learning across the world to survey the effectiveness of incorporating corpora in ELT. As such, the purpose of this research is to investigate the patterns of compliments in writings of the Malay ESL students and compare the findings with native English speakers.  The results showed that the Malay ESL learners used a rather different number of syntactic patterns compared to the English native speakers and their frequency of patterns outgrew those of the natives.

scholarly journals The Effect of the Academic Attainment of ESL Teachers on Evaluation of ESL Learners’ Errors: Educational Degree-Based Study

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arab World English Journal ◽  
Wael Abdeen
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Word Order ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Academic Attainment ◽  
Esl Teachers ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Educational Degree ◽  
Esl Learners

This paper analyzes reactions and evaluations of 70 participants, native and non-native speakers of English to 32 errors written by learners of English as a second language, ESL. It investigates the effect of the academic attainment of ESL teachers on the evaluation of ESL error seriousness. The educational attainment of teachers, both native and non-native, include the B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees. Participants in the study include 34 non-native Palestinian ESL teachers, 26 English native speaking ESL teachers, and 10 English native speakers who are not teachers. Errors in this study are taken from compositions written by Arab-Palestinian students. Eight error categories including prepositions, concord, word order, plural, pronouns, spelling, vocabulary, and verb form are used. Four correct sentences are also included. All participants for the study had to underline errors and evaluate them by indicating the points from 0-5 they would deduct for each error; 5 indicates very serious errors; 0 is for error-free sentences; “1” is for errors which can easily be excused; “2”, “3”, and “4” are means to show intermediate degrees of seriousness. Results of the study show that the three academic groups differ in their evaluation of errors. Whereas the Ph.D. groups are the most lenient, the M.A. groups are the least tolerant. The non-teachers are the most tolerant of all groups.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document