scholarly journals Smartphone Screen Recording Apps: An Effective Tool to Enhance Fluency in the English Language

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-229
Author(s):  
Catherine Vanessa Pardo Soto ◽  
Cecilia Cisterna Zenteno
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Focus Group Interview ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Group Interview ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Convenience Sampling

This investigation intended to assess the effectiveness of smartphone video recording applications in increasing the speaking fluency of students of English as a foreign language (EFL). The study was conducted on a group of thirty-one 7th grade students aged between 12 and 13 years and enrolled in a subsidised school in Chile. The convenience sampling method was employed to select the participating students and the participants’ manner of communication was analysed through several English speaking sessions in which they used their smartphone video recording applications. Data collection was undertaken through pre- and post-speaking tasks used in this action research. The collected data were examined using a specific analytic rubric and a focus group interview. Data analysis was accomplished via two techniques: a simple percentage analysis and a thematic examination. The findings revealed an increase in the speaking fluency of the participating students, specifically with regard to the ‘pace’ criterion identified in the analytic rubric used to assess improvement in the speaking performance of students as evidenced by video recordings. Also, the results of the focus group interview conducted with the students evidenced the participants’ positive response to the use of smartphone recording video applications in ameliorating their English communication fluency.

scholarly journals Impoliteness and Threat Responses in an Iraqi-Kurdish EFL Context

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shurooq A. Ali
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Focus Group Interview ◽  
Illocutionary Force ◽  
Group Interview ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
Completion Task ◽  
Face Saving

This study shows impoliteness as a form of face-threatening that can be intentionally caused by verbal threats in a particular setting. It investigates: what strategies and mitigators do Iraqi-Kurdish English as a foreign language (EFL) learners use in situations of threat responses? The present investigation paper aims to examine impoliteness strategies and mitigators by these learners when they respond to threatening situations in their context. Thus, it fills a gap in pragmatics literature by investigating the reactions to threats in an Iraqi-Kurdish EFL context. To this end, 50 participants have participated in this study. An open-ended questionnaire in the form of a Discourse Completion Task (DCT) is used to elicit responses from the participants. Besides, a focus group interview is conducted to support the data analysis. The data are coded based on Limberg’s (2009) model of impoliteness and threat responses to figure out the strategies used by the learners. Blum-Kulka, House, and Kasper’s (1989) taxonomy of mitigators is adapted to analyze the mitigators. Overall, the findings reveal that the preferred responses surpass those which indicate dispreference by the learners. They tend to use face-saving acts when they comply with the threatener’s demand and opt for face-threatening acts when they reject that demand indirectly. Moreover, these learners use mitigators to attenuate the illocutionary force of their responses. Finally, this study provides some recommendations and pedagogical implications.

scholarly journals Analysis on English Speaking Performance: Exploring Students’ Errors and The Causes

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 130
Author(s):  
Dayat Dayat
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Group Interview ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
Causes Of Errors ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Data Credibility ◽  
Speaking Performance ◽  
English Students

<p>This study was aimed to analyze students’ errors and the causes during speaking performance by twenty-nine fourth semester English students of in IKIP PGRI Pontianak who had low speaking performance. In collecting the data, video recordings were used to find errors and frequencies, while, focus group interview investigating factors of speaking errors. The data were analyzedby identifying the errors, grouping and tabulating into category codes. To analyze the interview, 1) listening to talking data, 2) shaping talking data, 3) communicating talking data with an interpretative intent, 4) reproducing or (re)constructing data, and building data credibility. The findings showed speaking errors with five categories: 28% of incorrect omissions, 26% of unnecessary words, 24% of misused forms, 19% of confused forms, and 3% of misplaced forms. Furthermore, other findings mostly included the causes of errors that influenced them in speaking were interlingual transfer, intralingual transfer, learning context, and communication strategies.</p>

scholarly journals DEVELOPING LANGUAGE COMPETENCE FOR TOURISM STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES IN A BLENDED LEARNING LANGUAGE COURSE

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ineta Luka
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
English Language ◽  
Formative Evaluation ◽  
Focus Group Interview ◽  
Evaluation Research ◽  
Group Interview ◽  
Professional Literature ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
European Languages ◽  
Key Skills

The paper presents the main findings of the second stage of Erasmus+ project „Key Skills for European Union Hotel Staff” (2014-2016) – the online course designed for A2/B1 level of language competence in 12 European languages and B2/C1 English language course to promote tourism students’ and employees’ language competence and raise their intercultural awareness. It analyses pedagogical, linguistic and field professional literature on course creation and presents the conducted evaluation research containing formative evaluation from three perspectives – provider (document review), recipient (a focus group interview with 14 learners) and wider community (a focus group interview with 7 hospitality industry managers and a survey of 21 language teachers from six countries) to identify the initiative’s consequences and opportunities for modification and improvement. The strengths and weaknesses of the course have been identified and suggestions on how the process could be made more efficient/effective for the organisation, the end users and the community have been provided.

scholarly journals Gender and Supportive Moves of Criticism: Evidence from Iraqi-Arabic and Malay Speech Communities

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (42) ◽  
pp. 27-50
Author(s):  
Shurooq Abboodi Ali ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Focus Group Interview ◽  
Group Interview ◽  
Speech Communities ◽  
Completion Test ◽  
Similarities And Differences

This study aims to reveal the similarities and differences between Iraqi and Malay university learners and their genders in producing the supportive moves of criticism. To this end, 30 Iraqi and 30 Malay university learners have participated in this study. A Discourse Completion Test (DCT) and a Focus Group Interview (FGI) are conducted to elicit responses from the participants. Nguyen’s (2005) classification of criticism supportive moves is adapted to code the data. The data are analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. Overall, the findings unveil that both groups use similar categories of supportive moves, but Iraqis produce more of these devices than Malays in their criticisms. Although both females and males of both groups use identical devices, they differ in their preference for producing particular types. Iraqi and Malay females prefer to produce more supportive moves than Iraqi and Malay males in their criticisms. Finally, the study provides some pedagogical implications for teachers of English as a second and foreign language.

scholarly journals Impoliteness and Threat Responses in an Iraqi-Kurdish EFL Context

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-48
Author(s):  
Shurooq A. Ali
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Focus Group Interview ◽  
Illocutionary Force ◽  
Group Interview ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
Completion Task ◽  
Face Saving

This study shows impoliteness as a form of face-threatening that can be intentionally caused by verbal threats in a particular setting. It investigates: what strategies and mitigators do Iraqi-Kurdish English as a foreign language (EFL) learners use in situations of threat responses? The present investigation paper aims to examine impoliteness strategies and mitigators by these learners when they respond to threatening situations in their context. Thus, it fills a gap in pragmatics literature by investigating the reactions to threats in an Iraqi-Kurdish EFL context. To this end, 50 participants have participated in this study. An open-ended questionnaire in the form of a Discourse Completion Task (DCT) is used to elicit responses from the participants. Besides, a focus group interview is conducted to support the data analysis. The data are coded based on Limberg’s (2009) model of impoliteness and threat responses to figure out the strategies used by the learners. Blum-Kulka, House, and Kasper’s (1989) taxonomy of mitigators is adapted to analyze the mitigators. Overall, the findings reveal that the preferred responses surpass those which indicate dispreference by the learners. They tend to use face-saving acts when they comply with the threatener’s demand and opt for face-threatening acts when they reject that demand indirectly. Moreover, these learners use mitigators to attenuate the illocutionary force of their responses. Finally, this study provides some recommendations and pedagogical implications.

scholarly journals EFL TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS ON USING PEDAGOGICAL MODULES IN ECUADOR: A FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEW

2021 ◽  
pp. 42-56
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
English Language ◽  
Focus Group Interview ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Group Interview ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
State Schools

English language textbooks are widely used as one of the essential resources in education. In Ecuador, local authorities created specific course books for state schools and high schools called pedagogical modules. Hence, the terms pedagogical textbook, course book, and modules will be used interchangeably. This study aims to explore perceptions of Ecuadorian English as a Foreign Language teachers on implementing the pedagogical modules to state schools, which were provided by the Ministry of Education. Besides, participants will provide perceptions on the connection of the mentioned textbooks with the Ecuadorian National Curriculum. The study includes an exploratory qualitative design using a focus group interview with eight EFL teachers from primary and secondary schools. The focus group interview findings indicated that teachers have both positive and negative perceptions towards using these pedagogical textbooks. Teachers agree that these pedagogical modules promote English learning success in a contextualized and authentic way by connecting aspects from the curriculum and current ELT principles. Nonetheless, all of the teachers indicated that integrating the pedagogical modules to state schools was, in many ways, disorganized. Based on the results, this study suggests constructive changes to specialists in charge of creating and editing EFL pedagogical modules.

scholarly journals Mothers' perceptions of children's food behaviors: use of focus group interview study

2008 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young-Mee Lee ◽  
Jung-Hyun Kim ◽  
Yu-Jin Oh ◽  
Min-June Lee
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Group Interview ◽  
Interview Study ◽  
Group Interview ◽  
Food Behaviors
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