scholarly journals Reading Accuracy in EFL Students with a Transparent L1 Background – a Case Study from Poland

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-40
Author(s):  
Monika Łodej
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Regular Instruction ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
L2 Reading ◽  
Reading Accuracy ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
L1 And L2

Research indicates that L2 reading competence is influenced by L1 reading ability, L2 proficiency, and L2 decoding competence. The present study investigates the significance of two variables, regularity and frequency, in relation to English as a Foreign Language (EFL) reading accuracy in students with a transparent L1. Fifteen 6th grade students in their sixth year of regular instruction in English took part in this study. Their mother tongue is Polish whereas English is their foreign language; thus, their language competence in L1 and L2 differs substantially. The research design followed Glusko (1979), Plaut (1996), and Wang and Koda (2007). There are four sets of real words. Two features of real words are manipulated for regularity and frequency. The study reveals that both conditions of script, regularity and transparency, affect reading accuracy in EFL students. However, the dimension of regularity is a stronger predicator of accuracy than the frequency with which the students encounter a word. From the pedagogical perspective, the collected data supports the use of structured reading instructions in the EFL classroom in order to restrain negative transfer of L1 to L2 reading strategies.

scholarly journals Investigating the Needs and Drawbacks of L1 in L2 Education: Students’ Perception

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
AbdulMahmoud Idrees Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Analysis And Evaluation ◽  
L2 Learning ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
L1 And L2

This paper aims at exploring the EFL Students’ Perspective of the Use of the Arabic (L1) in English language (L2) learning. The relevant literature reviewed concerning the development of some fundamental issues in L1 usage shows that this technique plays a vital role in breaking the language barriers, promoting better communication, and contributing to linguistic competence. The statistical analysis and evaluation of the responses of the questionnaire exhibited that the need for (L1) in L2 was rated higher. The students claimed that their mother tongue is effective since it increases their awareness of similarities and differences between (L1) and (L2) and helps in explaining the difficult areas in the foreign language. Likewise, they confessed that L1 has drawbacks. It could be said that (L1) is a helpful technique in (L2) learning process, but it should be handled with care.

scholarly journals Mother Tongue Use in Beginner EFL Grammar Classes in Saudi Arabia: A Case Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 349-365
Author(s):  
Khulud Ali Tubayqi ◽  
Mazeegha Ahmed Al Tale’
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Arabic Language ◽  
Microsoft Excel ◽  
Thematic Content Analysis ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Actual Interaction

Using the mother tongue (MT) in English as a foreign or second language (EFL/ESL) classrooms is indispensable, especially in beginner classes. This paper aims to add to the present literature on this issue by highlighting the attitudes of both students and teachers towards MT use in English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom, the justifications for its use, and some of the actual interaction practices in grammar classes. It investigates the attitudes of 110 Saudi EFL female beginners and their two teachers toward using the Arabic language in EFL grammar classes at Jazan University. It also investigates the students’ reasons for using or avoiding their MT. Moreover, it presents some of the functions that MT serves in EFL grammar classes. To collect the data, the researchers used two questionnaires and classroom observations. For data analysis, they used Microsoft Excel and thematic content analysis. The results indicated that, although both students and teachers generally have positive attitudes toward using the MT in EFL classes, they are also aware of the adverse effects of its overuse. The results also revealed that the teachers and students use MT in EFL classes to serve different classroom functions that ease the teaching and learning processes. Based on these findings, the study provided recommendations for teachers, curriculum designers, and future researchers.

scholarly journals TEACHERS’ VIEW OF LANGUAGE(S) IN (CLIL) SCIENCE EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY IN PORTUGAL

2019 ◽  
Vol 77 (5) ◽  
pp. 636-649
Author(s):  
Valentina Piacentini ◽  
Ana Raquel Simões ◽  
Rui Marques Vieira
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Science Studies ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Teacher Interviews ◽  
Verbal Language

The development of meaningful environments at school for the learning of Science as well as of foreign languages is an educational concern. CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), aimed at the students’ acquisition of both the foreign Language and specific subject Content, is an approach that may promote the learning of English in use during subject classes and could result in the improvement of conditions and practices of Science education. Research, actually, reveals that teaching methodologies aware of language – such as CLIL – and other semiotic modes implied in Science are beneficial for the learning of Science. Studying a CLIL programme (“English Plus” project, EP), in which Science is taught/learnt with/in English, is thus relevant. A case study on the EP project and its participants (English and Science teachers, students involved in different school years) in one lower secondary state school in Portugal was carried out. In the present research, qualitative data collected through teacher interviews are presented and discussed, with the goal of understanding the role of Language(s) (verbal language in the mother tongue or English and other representation modalities) in the teaching of Science for EP teachers, both in conventional and project classes. A greater teacher awareness and use of Language(s), when an additional language (English, here) is also present for Science education, results from this work. This contributes to research on CLIL Science studies and teacher reflections on adopting a language-focused approach for Science education, also when the mother tongue is spoken. Keywords: CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), EFL (English as a foreign language), language-focused science education, qualitative design, reflections on teaching.

To Whom Do We Write?

2015 ◽  
pp. 197-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaker Ali Al-Mohammadi ◽  
Emira Derbel
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Current Level ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
Composition Classes ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Audience Awareness ◽  
The Relationship

Writing is a complex process and used of course for an incalculable range of purposes and audiences. Teaching students to write in their mother tongue is hard, but teaching them to do this in a second or foreign language is even harder. This chapter focuses on the question of audience in teaching and learning writing, arguing that it is vital for students to be aware of an audience that eventually determines what, why, and how they will write. It seeks to provide a thorough understanding of Omani EFL students' conception of audience and their current level of audience awareness and also to explore the relationship between audience awareness and students' performance in composition classes and tests.

Reading Strategies in L1 and L2

2002 ◽  
Vol 135-136 ◽  
pp. 1-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junko Yamashita
Keyword(s):  
Reading Strategies ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Think Aloud ◽  
L2 Reading ◽  
Reading Processes ◽  
English Reading ◽  
L1 And L2 ◽  
Interdependence Hypothesis

Abstract This study compared LI (Japanese) and L2 (English) reading strategies reported by four groups of readers with different reading ability backgrounds. Information on the strategies was extracted by a think aloud method. The following points emerged. (1) Generally speaking, readers tend to transfer their LI reading strategies to their L2 reading. (2) Language independent strategies are more likely to be transferred from LI to L2 than language dependent strategies. (3) High LI reading ability compensates for weak L2 reading ability, but there is a limit to this compensation. These results suggested a stronger relationship between LI and L2 reading processes than is predicted by the linguistic threshold hypothesis. The possibility that we can explain the results by combining the linguistic threshold hypothesis and the linguistic interdependence hypothesis, which have often been treated as conflicting, was discussed.

scholarly journals PRAGMATIC TRANSFER IN REFUSALS REALIZED BY PROFICIENT EFL LEARNERS ENGLISH EDUCATION PROGRAM SRIWIJAYA UNIVERSITY

MABASAN ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-54
Author(s):  
NFN Eviliana
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Research Method ◽  
English Education ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Linguistic Knowledge ◽  
Study Program ◽  
Qualitative Research Method ◽  
Pragmatic Transfer ◽  
Efl Students

This research was aimed at describing the strategies of proficient EFL students’ refusal realization in Indonesian and in English and the occurrences of pragmatic transfer (PT) in their refusal realization. Qualitative research method was employed. As the subsidiary of the qualitative research method, quantitative research method was also employed. The subjects were 18 EFL students of English Study Program Sriwijaya University whose TOEFL prediction scores were 450 above. DCT was used as the instrument of collecting data. Data were analyzed based on combined refusal classification by Wannaruk (2005) and Campillo (2009). The results of this research show that proficient EFL students’ mostly used the indirect strategies in their refusal realization both in English and Indonesian. Nevertheless, differences occurred in term of semantic formula choice and order in the twelve situations of DCT. Thus, PT could be observed. In consequences, it is suggested to foreign language teacher or lecturers should be aware that fluency in a language involves both a mastery of linguistic knowledge and pragmatic knowledge. Foreign language learners should be aware of the fact that social variables play a role when refusing, and that their inappropriate refusals may make them sound rude, vague or abrupt. Due to the limitation of this study, future researchers should also explore the differences between EFL  students’ refusal realization in their mother tongue  and Indonesian, the idiosyncrasies that occur in  the proficient EFL students’ refusal realization, and communication strategies used by EFL students in realizing their refusals.

scholarly journals Item Types: Their Effect on the Sensitivity of Multiple-Choice Cloze Tests

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 98
Author(s):  
Abby Deng-Huei Lee
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Vocational College ◽  
Research Results ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Item Types ◽  
Comprehension Tests

To evaluate the sensitivity of multiple-choice cloze (MCC) tests that use different types of items—syntactic, semantic, and connective—to assess reading ability, 170 English as a foreign language (EFL) students in a vocational college in Taiwan were recruited. The students were divided into two groups (level A and level B) based on their scores on 4 classroom reading comprehension tests. Both groups then took 9 MCC tests that included a total of 50 cloze questions. Connective items were most sensitive for assessing reading ability. Research results and pedagogical applications are discussed.

scholarly journals Reading in English as a Foreign language: Examining differences in reading speed, comprehension, efficacy and L1 cross-linguistic influence across grades

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Àngels Llanes Baró
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Reading Speed ◽  
First Language ◽  
L2 Reading ◽  
English Reading ◽  
Fluency And Comprehension ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
L1 And L2

Reading in a second or foreign language (L2) is a more complicated process than reading in one's first language because it requires additional demands on the reader. Reading can be assessed from various domains. Reading fluency is known to be the most determining domain to identify reading problems (Rasinski, 2000). However, the goal of reading is comprehending a text, so comprehension should not be disregarded either. Despite the importance of reading in an L2, few studies have focused on examining its effects. The goal of the present study is threefold: first, to provide the estimates of L2 English reading rates of L1 Catalan/Spanish students of different ages and grades; second, to examine whether there are significant differences between participants of different grades in terms of reading rates, comprehension and efficacy; and third, to explore whether the students' reading rates in the L1 are correlated with their L2 reading rates and if so, the extent to which L1 reading rates explain L2 reading rates. 790 Catalan/Spanish learners of English participated in the present study. Participants were from 5th grade primary (age 12) to 2nd baccalaureate (age 18). They were asked to read two texts, one in English and the other one in their L1 (they could choose between Catalan or Spanish). They were asked to answer 7 multiple-choice comprehension questions after reading each text. Next, their scores on fluency (words read per minute), comprehension (percentage of comprehended text) and efficacy (a formula that integrates speed and comprehension) were obtained. Results show that reading fluency and comprehension are not linear and that they do not necessarily improve over time. Results also show that L1 and L2 reading fluency rates are highly correlated and that L1 reading rates explain a large percentage of L2 reading rates.

scholarly journals Poetry Writing in EFL Classrooms: Learning from Indonesian Students’ Strategies

2021 ◽  
pp. 59-75
Author(s):  
Rahmah Fithriani
Keyword(s):  
Creative Writing ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Writing Classes ◽  
Personal Story ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Poetry Writing ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Story Sharing

Hanuer’s Meaningful Literacy has been used as a major justification for including poetry writing as part of pedagogical practices in second and foreign language contexts. Unfortunately, within the EFL context, many teachers are still reluctant to include poetry writing in their teaching practices due to the common assumption that writing poems in a second language is too difficult for students to deal with and therefore will be out of their reach and interest. This qualitative study, which collected data through observations, documentation and surveys, investigated how 171 Indonesian EFL students successfully write their poetry books in creative writing classes. Employing an ethnographic case study approach, the findings showed that students use the following strategies in writing their English poems: (1) Using popular poem templates as idea starters; (2) Creating a vocabulary bank for writing rhyming poems; and (3) Building emotions through personal story sharing and later channeling them through poetry writing. This study concludes that EFL students could enjoy poetry writing as expressive pedagogy and thus, debunks the negative assumption related to EFL students’ lack of interest and appreciation in poetry writing. Keywords: Creative writing, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), expressive pedagogy, poetry writing, Indonesian students

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