scholarly journals Teaching the pragmatics of English as an international language: A focus on pragmatic markers

2021 ◽  
pp. 136216882110649
Author(s):  
Ariadna Sánchez-Hernández ◽  
Alicia Martínez-Flor
Keyword(s):  
Pragmatic Competence ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Pedagogical Intervention ◽  
Common View ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
International Language ◽  
Pragmatic Markers ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
Instructional Group

The current era of globalization and emergence of English as an international language (EIL) has brought about new opportunities for L2 pragmatic learning and teaching. The common view of pragmatic learning as an approximation to native-likeness is changing towards conceiving pragmatic ability as a tool to interact with people of different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, the majority of whom are non-native speakers (NNSs) of English. While such reality is widely acknowledged, few attempts have been made to teach pragmatic competence in EIL. Addressing this concern, the present study investigates the effects that a pedagogical intervention on EIL pragmatics has on the oral use of pragmatic markers (PMs): a key tool for successful communication in the current increasingly multicultural and multilingual society. Seventy-three Spanish EFL students were divided into an instructional ( n = 34) and a control group ( n = 39). The instructional group received 4 interventional sessions that included (1) awareness of the legitimacy of EIL, (2) meta-pragmatic awareness of pragmatic behavior across the world, (3) task-supported instruction on PMs, and (4) strategy-based instruction. Pragmatic competence was assessed by students’ use of PMs in oral academic presentations. The results revealed that the instructional group had more significant changes in the frequency and variety of PMs used than the control one, as they widened the repertoire of PMs uttered in their academic presentations. These findings project the future of pragmatic instruction in EIL and provide directions for reorienting the EIL curriculum towards the integration of L2 pragmatics.

Developing EFL students ’ pragmatic competence: The case of compliment responses

2020 ◽  
pp. 136216882091353
Author(s):  
Zainab Alsuhaibani
Keyword(s):  
Pragmatic Competence ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Consciousness Raising ◽  
Compliment Responses ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Completion Test ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
Pragmatic Instruction

This study investigated the effect of consciousness-raising instruction and corpus-based instruction on EFL (English as a foreign language) students’ development of compliment responses. It employed a quasi-experimental design with 136 EFL university students divided between three groups: control, consciousness-raising, and corpus groups. A discourse completion test (DCT) was used as a pre- and post-test with all the groups to investigate any significant differences between them. Further, a questionnaire with open-ended questions was used to explore students’ perceptions of pragmatic instruction of compliment responses. The results showed the effectiveness of pragmatic instruction of compliment responses through both consciousness-raising instruction and corpus- based instruction. More specifically, significant differences were found between consciousness-raising group and the corpus group on one hand, and the control group on the other. No significant differences were found between the consciousness-raising group and the corpus group. The results also revealed that the students value the importance of pragmatic instruction indicating that it was important, necessary, useful, and enjoyable at the same time. The article ends with some pedagogical recommendations for pragmatic instruction.

scholarly journals The Effects of YouTube in Multimedia Instruction for Vocabulary Learning: Perceptions of EFL Students and Teachers

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raniah Kabooha ◽  
Tariq Elyas
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Control Group ◽  
English As Foreign Language ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Vocabulary Comprehension ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Youtube Videos ◽  
Reading Activities

The present study sought to examine the improvement in vocabulary comprehension and retention of Saudi English as foreign language female students at King Abdul Aziz University as a result of integrating YouTube in their reading classes. The study also investigated the perceptions of both students as well as teachers towards the inclusion of YouTube on the development of vocabulary. One hundred female intermediate level students aged between 18-20 years old participated in the study. Students were divided into two groups: an experimental group who watched YouTube during the reading activities and a control group who was not exposed to the videos. Data were collected using pre-tests and post-tests in addition to questionnaires. The findings of the study reveal that the group who viewed the YouTube clips outperformed the group who was not exposed to YouTube videos in the posttest. The results clearly show that YouTube provided statistically significant effects on the students' vocabulary acquisition. The findings of the study indicate that the participants positively viewed the use of YouTube in their lessons. The findings also revealed significant improvement in the students’ vocabulary achievement. The implications of the findings are discussed within the context of foreign language learning and teaching.

scholarly journals Investigation the Effect of Colloconstructural Corpus-based Instruction on Pragmalinquistic Knowledge of Request Speech Act: Evidence from Iranian EFL Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. 103
Author(s):  
Batoul Sabzalipour ◽  
Mansour Koosha ◽  
Akbar Afghari
Keyword(s):  
Speech Acts ◽  
Speech Act ◽  
Placement Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Mazandaran Province ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
On Line ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
Methods Of Learning ◽  
Experimental Group

The current study investigated the effect of using colloconstructional corpus-based instruction on enhancing the pragmalinguistic knowledge of speech acts of request among intermediate EFL learners. The fundamental idea was that whether providing students with on-line corpora through using colloconstruction had any effects on enhancing their pragmalinguistic knowledge of request speech act. In such doing, 60 intermediate-level subjects from several institutions in Mazandaran province, in Iran, participated in the study. Then, the subjects took a standard Oxford Placement Test (OPT) to demonstrate their English proficiency. Based on the obtained scores, they were randomly administered as two equal groups (N=30). A WDCT pre- test was conducted in each group to examine their ability and knowledge in using speech acts of request.  After 15 sessions of treatment, a WDCT posttest was conducted. The experimental group received corpus-based instruction through colloconstructional practices. In contrast, the control group only practiced learning the same speech act through traditional and old methods of learning speech acts like textbooks, audios and videos. The data were analyzed using paired and independent sample t- test. To boost the results validity, the researcher used observation and interview, too. The results revealed that speech act learning was enhanced by corpus-based instruction. Some theoretical and pedagogical implications of the study were then presented. 

scholarly journals The Impact of Different Instructions on Vietnamese EFL Students’ Acquisition of Formulaic Sequences

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Do Thi Ha
Keyword(s):  
Control Group ◽  
Formulaic Sequences ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Multiword Expressions ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
Teaching Programs ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Lexical Phrases

The paper explores how various teaching methods, namely Phonology-Based Instruction (PBI) and Translation-Based Instruction (TBI), have an effect on students’ acquisition of formulaic sequences. 20 multiword expressions were taught to 48 Vietnamese EFL students from three intact classes as 2 treatment groups (PBI and TBI) and 1 control group. Right after completing the tasks, the three groups were tested on their ability to identify (Form Recognition) and produce (Form and Meaning Recall) the lexical phrases by an immediate post-test. A delayed test was administered two weeks later for better comparsion of their retention. The results showed that PBI and TBI groups significantly outperformed the control one on most of the test levels. Especially, TBI tended to be more effective than PBI in two cases as regards both Repeating and Non-repeating items. It is believed that if the results and the proposed suggestions of this research are taken into consideration, major improvements could occur in language teaching programs, leading to students’ higher vocabulary uptake.

scholarly journals A Video-driven Approach to Promoting Pragmatic Development in the Context of English as a Foreign Language

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nuha Abdullah Alsmari
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Speech Acts ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Pragmatic Competence ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Pragmatic Development ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Experimental Group

While pragmatic competence has proven to be teachable over the past three decades, determining the most appropriate and effective approach to facilitating English as a foreign language (EFL) students’ pragmatic development is still a central concern for researchers of interlanguage pragmatics (ILP). An investigation into the effects of video-driven prompts on less-studied and more complex teaching speech acts, such as complaints, will significantly supplement the inconclusive results of pragmatic interventional studies in foreign language contexts. To this end, the present study aims to investigate the effects of metapragmatic instruction on English complaints through the implementation of video-driven prompts to raise Saudi female EFL students’ awareness of the pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic aspects associated with the production of appropriate and accurate target-like complaints during one academic semester. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data from 62 English majors, assigned to an experimental group (n = 31) and a conventional group (n = 31), at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia. To elicit the required data, a proficiency test and pre-/post-test written discourse completion tests (WDCT) were distributed among participants. The results of the post-test demonstrated significant improvement in participants’ pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic skills in the production of English complaints. The experimental group immensely outperformed the control group due to their exposure to authentic, contextualized video excerpts. The study supports the teachability of complaints as well as the benefits of incorporating metapragmatic awareness tasks based on contextually authentic input, which can, in turn, accelerate EFL students’ ability to produce pragmatically appropriate and accurate target-like complaints.

Developing EFL Students’ Reading Comprehension and Reading Engagement: Effects of a Proposed Instructional Strategy

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Safaa M. Abdelhalim
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Instructional Strategy ◽  
Reading Engagement ◽  
Habits Of Mind ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Reading Practice ◽  
Comprehension Skills ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
Reading Comprehension Skills

This study investigates the effectiveness of a proposed instructional strategy based on habits of mind and shared inquiry in developing reading comprehension and reading engagement among EFL learners at a KSA university. Integral to the study was the use of two main instruments: reading comprehension test and reading engagement survey. The experimental group received reading strategy and reading engagement training activities in addition to general reading practice, while the control group focused only on developing general reading comprehension skills. The data, coded in terms of a range of measures of literal, inferential, and critical reading skills as well as reading engagement, were subjected to t-tests. The results indicate that after the intervention, although some reading comprehension gains were achieved by the CG, the EG achieved higher levels in reading comprehension skills and engagement. Thus, findings revealed support for the proposed strategy. The findings have significant implications for EFL pedagogy, highlighting the effective impact of strategy based instruction on development of reading comprehension.

The Effect of Using Students Peer Teaching on Iraqi EFL Students' Achievement in the Course of Library and Research Work

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (33) ◽  
pp. 693-714
Author(s):  
. Muntaha Sabbar Jebur
Keyword(s):  
Basic Education ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Peer Teaching ◽  
Control Group ◽  
College Of Basic Education ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Experimental Group

          Peer teaching is a strategy that allows the students to teach the new content to each other, and they must be accurately guided by instructors.     The researcher proposes that the use of students peer teaching  may promote students' achievement  and ensure the engagement of all the students in the learning process. Therefore, the researcher employs it as a teaching method aiming at investigating its  effect on Iraqi EFL students' achievement in the course of Library and Research Work .      The study hypothesizes that there is no significant difference between the students' achievement who are taught library and research work by students peer teaching  and that of the students taught by the traditional way. The experimental design of the study is Parallel Groups, Random Assignment, posttest. Each group consists of 35 students, chosen randomly from the Third Year Students at the Department of English in the College of Basic Education. Both groups were matched in terms of their age and parents' education. The experiment was fulfilled in the first course for 15 weeks during the academic year 2016-2017.       The same materials were presented to both groups. This included   units from Writing Research Paper by Lester D. . Post-test was constructed and exposed  The t-test for  independent samples was used to analyze the results and it is found out that there is a statistical difference between the two groups in their achievement because the calculated t- value 2.635 is bigger than the tabulated t- value which is 2.000, and also shown the superiority of the experimental group. The results indicate that the experimental group, who was taught Library and Research Work by peer teaching   was better than the control group, who was taught according to the traditional way. So, the null hypothesis is rejected. Finally, some recommendations and suggestions are presented in the light of the study findings. to a jury of experts to verify its validity and it was administered to both groups.

EFFECT OF WEB BASED INSTRUCTIONS ON ACHIEVEMENT IN SOCIAL STUDIES

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (24) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajwinder Kaur
Keyword(s):  
Social Studies ◽  
Conventional Method ◽  
Traditional Method ◽  
Statistical Techniques ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
Experimental Group

The purpose of the study was to study the Effect of Web based instructions on achievement in Social Studies. The sample consisted of 100 students from Grade 8th of schools affiliated to C.B.S.E of Ferozepur and were randomly split into two groups-control (taught by traditional method) and experimental (taught by Web based instruction) groups. Firstly pre-test was administered on both the groups; then the students in the control group were taught by conventional method while experimental group was taught by Web based instructions. Then post-test was administrated on both the groups. The Statistical techniques were then employed to data collected and analysis and interpretation of the data was done. The result of the study implied that there exists significant difference in achievement in Social Studies based on Web based instructions and conventional method. The study also revealed that there exist significant gender differences in achievement in Social Studies with Web based instructions.

scholarly journals From Instructed Writing to Free-Writing: A Study of EFL Learners

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824402110071
Author(s):  
Saleh Alharthi
Keyword(s):  
Control Group ◽  
Writing Program ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Free Writing ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Structured Writing ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

Writing is an intricate process that encompasses various factors and is a key skill for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. Thus, writing assignments are vital for any curriculum. One of the essential aspects of effective writing includes good grammar knowledge. Advocates of process writing argue that a free-writing journal is a practical approach to teaching EFL students writing. This study is intended to examine the impact of the free-writing journal on EFL learners. This study was conducted on 80 students from a writing course at the University. Thirty-five students were randomly selected to join the free-writing program—the experimental group—and 45 students were kept in their regular structured writing program—the control group. The experimental group selected topics of interest to them and was encouraged to write in English freely without concern for errors, whereas the control group followed a regular structured writing program where the topics were selected for them and they wrote following a clear guideline. Five major areas were investigated to evaluate students’ progress: the number of words written, spelling, capitalization, subject-verb agreement, and punctuation. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 students of the experimental group to elicit their perception of the free-writing program. According to the analysis, students in the free-writing program acquired better grammar acquisition than the control group. The researcher also observed students’ perception of free-writing at the end of the study and found that free-writing improved their writing skills.

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