Negotiating Literary Texts – a Nexus between Different Realms of Competence? Examples of a Qualitative Case Study with Advanced EFL Learners

Examining the theme, plot, and characters of a literary work is a common practice for students of literature so that they can criticize literature. Unlike a non-critical reading which provides readers only with facts, a critical reading also entails depicting how a book or a source illustrates the subject matter. Through various reading procedures including interpretation, inference and examining ideologies embedded in texts, readers can develop critical thinking. This paper aims at examining whether or not there is a relationship between critical thinking and critical reading of literary texts in higher education. To meet the mentioned aim, 121 EFL learners from Arak University were invited to participate in this study. After administrating English proficiency test, total numbers of students were 98 male and female. Data analysis was done through employing ANOVA and T-test.

Download Full-text

EFL LEARNERS � FACED PROBLEMS IN LISTENING COMPERHENSION

Indonesian EFL Journal ◽

10.25134/ieflj.v2i1.637 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 53

Author(s):

Seli Siti Syadiah

Keyword(s):

Learning Strategies ◽

Listening Comprehension ◽

Qualitative Case Study ◽

Private University ◽

Efl Learners ◽

Effective Learning ◽

Efl Teachers ◽

Efl Students

This research focuses on the EFL learners� problems in listening comprehension. The present research attempts to investigate listening problems encountered by a group of low level at seniors of a private university in Kuningan. This qualitative case study involved 10 participants who took TOEFL course in 7th semester. The data was gathered by means of questionnaires and interviews. The result of the research showed that accent, pronunciation, speed of speech, insufficient vocabulary, different accent of speakers, lack of concentration, anxiety, and bad quality of recording were the major listening comprehension problems encountered by EFL students. This research also found that most students (60%) used compensation strategy to overcome the problems by guessing the answer, while the others (30%) used memory strategy by using their knowledge or experiences, and the rest 10% of the students used affective strategy by motivating themselves to try answering the questions. Knowing students� learning difficulties may enable EFL teachers to develop the effective learning strategies and ultimately improve their English listening abilities. Suggestion is made for addressing problems regarding how students can help themselves and the teachers can help their students to overcome the listening comprehension problems encountered by the students.Keywords: EFL Learner, listening comprehension, listening problem

Download Full-text

THE EFFECT OF USING A MOBILE APPLICATION ON EFL LEARNERS’ BELIEFS ABOUT LANGUAGE LEARNING (BALL)

International Journal of Developmental and Educational Psychology Revista INFAD de psicología ◽

10.17060/ijodaep.2017.n1.v2.935 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 229 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rebeca Soler Costa ◽

Turgay Han

Keyword(s):

Focus Group ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Language Learning ◽

Mobile Application ◽

Focus Group Interview ◽

Qualitative Case Study ◽

Efl Learners ◽

Attitudes Toward Learning ◽

Positive Attitudes

Abstract.This qualitative case study aimed to examine the effects of using a mobile application (WhatsApp) on on Turkish EFL learners’ BALL. This study demonstrates that following 4-week WhatsApp EFL classes changed 40 Turkish EFL learners’ BALL. Open-ended questions and a focus group interview were used to collect the data. The findings showed that students’ opinions towards using such mobile devices and applications in classrooms are positive and they changed their BALL. It is implicated that such applications can help students to develop positive attitudes toward learning EFL.Keywords: mobile application, health, qualitative study, education.

Download Full-text

Multiple voices: Learners reflect on literature

Reading & Writing ◽

10.4102/rw.v12i1.304 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jessamy Kromhout ◽

Eileen Scheckle

Keyword(s):

Language Use ◽

Qualitative Case Study ◽

Home Language ◽

Literary Texts ◽

Group Meeting ◽

Informal Group ◽

Multiple Voices ◽

Focus Group Meeting ◽

Model C

Background: Much of the research in literacy focuses on what learners fail to do, especially in the early grades, but it is equally important to research successful readers. In particular learners’ experiences with literature contribute to our understanding of the possibilities literary texts offer. This article focused on learners’ responses to Advanced Programme (AP) English, which was an optional subject offered at an ex-Model C school, to understand how the learners had taken up these literary texts.Objectives: This study explored how matric learners spoke about the literature they had studied, in their AP English, in an informal group meeting.Methods: A qualitative case study was used to explore learners’ responses to literature. A final focus group meeting at the end of their matric year provides the data for this article. The transcriptions were coded using repeated patterns for themes to explore the stances taken in relation to the literature whether efferent or aesthetic.Results: The data showed how learners had incorporated fragments from the literature into their own utterances so that their language use echoed the literature. In addition to an efferent exam focus, the literature and AP English practices were used in both Art and Home Language English examinations.Conclusions: Learners need opportunities to talk about the multiple voices of literature in their lives. This kind of talk offers a different perspective on how literature can enrich, disrupt and extend learners’ thinking about literature and themselves. This research offers a counterpoint to examination results and contributes to building a nation of readers.

Download Full-text

Supervisors’ Perspectives on Graduate Students’ Problems in Academic Writing

European Journal of Educational Research ◽

10.12973/eu-jer.11.1.545 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 545-556

Author(s):

Omar Moh'd ◽

Yasser Al-Shboul ◽

Ibrahim Fathi

Keyword(s):

Foreign Language ◽

Academic Writing ◽

Native Speakers ◽

Qualitative Case Study ◽

Comprehensive Analysis ◽

Writing Apprehension ◽

Efl Learners ◽

Studying Abroad ◽

Theoretical Perspectives

<p style="text-align: justify;">Writing is very important for learners; it is a dynamic and creative skill. Although studies on students’ problems when writing a dissertation among Native Speakers (NS) are widely done, studies on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) are limited, especially those which examine problems faced while writing dissertations among Ph.D. EFL learners, in particular, Jordanian Ph.D. candidates. Studies on the supervisors' perspectives of writing a dissertation are scarce among EFL learners, particularly Arab learners. This study aims at focusing on supervisors' perspectives of writing dissertations among Jordanian Ph.D. students who are studying abroad. This study is a qualitative case study. The researchers interviewed nine Malaysian supervisors who supervised 21 Jordanian Ph.D. candidates. The results show that six main themes emerged from the supervisors' perspectives, and they are grammatical mistakes, lack of vocabulary and verbs reporting, personal effects, lack of motivation, writing apprehension, and the problem with generic thesis structure. This paper contributes with a comprehensive analysis of the theoretical perspectives on problems Ph.D. students face when writing a dissertation. The study also fills in the gap in the field of supervisors' perspectives of writing a dissertation. Based on the results found, the researchers suggest a number of recommendations and further research that might help supervisors understand the reasons behind such difficulties.</p>

Download Full-text

Qualitative Case Study Research Design

Perspectives on Fluency and Fluency Disorders ◽

10.1044/ffd25.1.39 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 39-45 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jennifer Tetnowski

Keyword(s):

Research Design ◽

Real World ◽

Qualitative Case Study ◽

Case Study Research ◽

Study Research

Qualitative case study research can be a valuable tool for answering complex, real-world questions. This method is often misunderstood or neglected due to a lack of understanding by researchers and reviewers. This tutorial defines the characteristics of qualitative case study research and its application to a broader understanding of stuttering that cannot be defined through other methodologies. This article will describe ways that data can be collected and analyzed.

Download Full-text