scholarly journals Students’ Perceptions of ESP Academic Writing Skills through Flipped Learning during Covid-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 107-116
Author(s):  
Salvador Montaner-Villalba
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Learning Strategy ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Flipped Learning ◽  
Business English

Learners studying English for Specific Purposes (ESP) at University regard writing academic papers as a complex process since they have to consider issues about academic writing conventions as well as ethics. This current research examines university students’ perceptions of ESP academic writing within the context of the online learning which emerged due to Covid-19 and, therefore, through the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and, particularly, utilizing the Flipped Learning approach as an active learning strategy to enhance ESP academic written competence. To be more specific, we examined how students, in tertiary education, perceived ESP academic writing skills within the field of Business English. The participants are 28 students doing the Degree in Administration and Business Management in a Spanish polytechnic. A mixed method research has been conducted for this current paper since both quantitative as well as qualitative methods were utilized for data collection. Regarding this study, both a questionnaire and a focus group interview were utilized to analyse the data. The outcomes proved that students’ perceptions towards academic ESP written competence, using Business English, within the Flipped Learning approach was positive. The major results showed students’ awareness of their needs and ESP written requirements. This research concludes with some future research suggestions.

scholarly journals WIKIPEDIA PROJECT TO TEACH ACADEMIC WRITING IN AN EAP UNIVERSITY COURSE

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 406
Author(s):  
Joseph Jack Horgan
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
First Year ◽  
Writing Project ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
University Course

The introduction of modern information and communication technologies (ICT) into the classroom has led to a number of challenges and opportunities for instructors across the field of education. Wikipedia, a collaborative encyclopedia, has proven to be one of the most controversial online platforms throughout academia, with many higher education instructors banning its use outright. Despite the prevailing negative attitude, there has been a recent shift in thought among some in the field regarding its utilization as a teaching tool in a number of applications. One popular use is as the centre of a writing project, most commonly the creation of a new article or the improvement of a pre-existing one.This paper outlines a case study conducted at the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies in the autumn semester of 2019, in which first year international veterinarian medicine students wrote Wikipedia articles as part of a semester-long project in an English for academic purposes course in order to improve academic writing skills such as researching, analysing, summarizing, and editing. Analysis of two questionnaires and the students’ work suggest that despite some challenges, a Wikipedia article writing project can serve as an engaging, rewarding, and effective method to teach academic writing skills. 

The CPS Strategy

2019 ◽  
pp. 110-137
Author(s):  
Diana Carolina Durán-Bautista
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Educational Research ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Learning Strategy ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Flipped Learning ◽  
Online Surveys ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Teachers Perspectives

This educational research-based chapter describes, analyzes, and evaluates the implementation of the class preparation session (The CPS) as a flipped learning strategy in an undergraduate English as a foreign language (EFL) program in Colombia. About 3000 students are enrolled in the EFL program each semester and an average of 40 teachers are in charge of teaching the courses. The chapter describes the process of implementing the CPS strategy and evaluates its efficacy from students' and teachers' perspectives. Participants were requested to take online surveys with the purpose of collecting qualitative and quantitative data about the strengths of the CPS and the challenges encountered its resources. The processes described in this chapter could be adjusted to be used in other institutions. The issues discussed might provide several teaching prospects for teachers and for programs' stakeholders interested in implementing the flipped learning approach.

scholarly journals The Impact of Virtual Writing Tutor on Writing Skills and Attitudes of Omani College Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
Amal Aamir Al Badi ◽  
Mohamed El Tahir Osman ◽  
Abdo, M. Al-Mekhlafi
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Total N ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Writing Tutor ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

The present study aimed to examine the impact of Virtual Writing Tutor (VWT) software on the academic writing skills of Year 1 Omani EFL students in the College of Applied Science, (CAS)-Sohar and their attitudes towards using VWT software to enhance their academic writing skills. The sample consisted of 35 students in the control group and 35 in the experimental group (Total N= 70) who were enrolled in the English for Academic Purposes (ENAP1002) course at CAS-Sohar. The data collection tools included pre-test and post-test for the two groups, and attitude scale for the experimental group. The findings of the study showed a positive large effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.88) of VWT on writing skills. In addition, Year 1 students in the experimental group enjoyed using the VWT software and found it beneficial and helpful in checking the accuracy of their essays including spelling, punctuation, grammar and vocabulary. In light of the research findings, implications and recommendations for future research were outlined.

scholarly journals Accomplishing authentic writing tasks: Ventures into academic publication by Ecuadorian EFL teachers

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 496
Author(s):  
Agnes Orosz ◽  
Marcela Carrasco ◽  
Daniela Jaramillo ◽  
Erzsébet Békés
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
English Language ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Short Article ◽  
Training Course ◽  
Academic Level

Academic writing and subsequent publishing have become an important part of the career advancement and professional development of those engaged in English language teaching worldwide. The aim of this study was to explore a solution to the gap in the academic writing skills of Ecuadorian English teachers in tertiary education. Our survey of 65 Ecuadorian English teachers showed that 92% of teachers had never published. Their reasons for not having done so included lack of self-confidence that they could produce publishable material, lack of English proficiency, lack of academic writing skills and lack of time. The intervention described in the research study involved engaging nine English teachers of an academic writing training course in authentic tasks that required writing academically for five carefully chosen ELT publications. An attainable goal was set: the participants of the training course held in November-December 2016 were invited to write book reviews and short articles on the intervention itself. Till the end of April 2018, altogether seven academic-level texts (four book reviews, one webinar review, one short article, and a concise book) were published. Two of the course participants decided early on that they did not want to participate in the optional academic writing and publishing activity, and a further four did not follow up on their initial steps; nonetheless, as a result of the intervention and its follow-up phase, five of the nine participants (including two that initially abstained) eventually published academic-level texts in recognized ELT publications. The results of the study suggest that tertiary level (non-native) English teachers can start writing academically and achieve success in the competitive world of publishing if realistic tasks are set, the trainees are mentored systematically, and the time frame (18 months) allows the submission, revision, and editing of academic articles to develop organically, leading to polished products.

scholarly journals A Flipped Learning Agile Methodology for teaching in higher education levels

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Vargas Salgado ◽  
Jesús Águila-León ◽  
David Ribó Pérez ◽  
Paula Bastida Molina
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Learning Strategy ◽  
The Self ◽  
Flipped Learning ◽  
Self Regulated Learning ◽  
Agile Methodology ◽  
Education Levels ◽  
Self Learning

This paper presents the results of implementing the Flipped Learning Agile (FLA) methodology as a general framework to manage courses and to encourage proactive learning for students in higher education levels. Flipped Learning is used in combination with Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to encourage the student in the self-learning process. It is proposed the integration of an Agile Methodology that includes the use of Scrum and Kanban methodologies, by means of sprints for task scheduling and using a board for activities status, into a Flipped Learning (FL) environment. The proposed FL environment is composed of applications such as YouTube, Google Classroom, and Google Drive. The Scrum methodology was designed for 4 sprints, each one for a week-long. Before applying the FLA methodology, a Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) was applied in a group of Electrical Circuits students at the University of Guadalajara. To examine the self-regulated learning process, the performance of the students was analysed before applying the FLA methodology; the same MSLQ was carried out after implementing the FLA methodology. The analyses of the last MSLQ show that the implementation of the FLA methodology, by means of the integration of the Agile methodologies of Scrum and Kanban into a flipped learning environment, encourage the self-learning strategy for higher education level students.

A Systematic Review of Using Discipline-Specific Corpora for Lexico-Grammatical Pattern Learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaoqun Wu ◽  
Liang Li ◽  
Ian Witten ◽  
Alex Yu
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Learning System ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Pattern Learning ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Learning Program

This article reports on a language learning system and a program designed to help students with academic vocabulary in the New Zealand university computer science department. The system is a learner-friendly corpus-based tool that allows students to look up lexico-grammatical patterns of a given word in academic writing. The program, based on a data-driven learning approach, comprises tutorials, workshops, and follow-up exercises that help students learn useful formulaic patterns of academic words that are typical in computer science. The authors' results capture students' awareness of language patterns in academic text and their growing confidence in using academic words with the assistance of the tool. Not surprisingly, interpreting and transferring the corpus data into students' own writing requires training and practice. The effectiveness and limitations of the resources and tools used in this learning program are examined, and suggestions are made for further improvement and future research.

scholarly journals The Success of an EAP Programme in Tertiary Education: Using a Student-Centric Approach to Scaffold Materials in an EAP

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. p213
Author(s):  
Misty So-Sum Wai Cook
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Content Development ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Language Writing ◽  
Scaffold Materials ◽  
The Impact

Researchers and practitioners who focus on academic writing in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses have reported on the need to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to deal with academic writing across different disciplines in tertiary education (Rinnert & Kobayashi, 2005; Shi, 2011; Thompson, 2013). Previous research (e.g., Crosthwaite, 2016) has predominantly measured students’ progress in an EAP by comparing students’ pre- and post-course scores of individual language/writing skills. Much less has been reported on the effectiveness of a detailed EAP curriculum design that scaffolds skills in stages. This study contributes to the current EAP research by examining holistically the impact of a 12-week EAP course that adopts a reading-to-write, student-centric approach to scaffold progressively difficult writing skills/knowledge to help students acquire academic writing skills by focusing on three core skills: language, text organisation, and content development. The data of this study show students’ perceptions of their writing abilities and the significant improvement in academic writing skills before and after completing the course.

scholarly journals Improving Arabic Academic Writing Skills Through Contextual Teaching And Learning Approach

ALSINATUNA ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 183
Author(s):  
Muhammad Kamal Abdul Hakim
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
State University ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Contextual Teaching ◽  
Department Faculty ◽  
Academic Year

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of contextual teaching and learning approach to the Arabic academic writing skills students of Education Arabic Department Faculty of Language and Arts State University of Jakarta. The research was conducted at the second semester in 2015/2016 academic year starting from February up June in 2016. The study design used Elliot’s procedure, which comprised seven phases, namely: (a) identifying the initial ideas, (b) finding and analyzing the facts, (c) general planning, (d) Implementing, (e) observing, (f) evaluating, and (g) revising. The data were taken by observation, interview, and test. The results of the study found that the mean of the pre-test was 65,30, the average score results of the test at the first cycle were 73,25, the average score of the test at the second cycle was 77,40, and the average score of the test at third cycle was 84.1. It concluded that contextual teaching and learning approach could improve the student’s skill in Arabic academic writing.

The Use of Peer Assessment as an Inclusive Learning Strategy in Higher Education Institutions

2022 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Eleni Meletiadou
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Alternative Assessment ◽  
Learning Strategy ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Peer Assessment ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Training And Support

Peer assessment (PA) is one of the most popular forms of alternative assessment currently used in higher education institutions worldwide. In the current study, PA was used as an inclusive assessment tool to enhance students' writing skills and motivation towards writing and learning in general. Forty-two undergraduate students attended an academic writing module for one academic semester. The overall aim was to develop their writing skills taking into consideration their individual differences and ensuring all students had an opportunity to succeed. Students received training in PA and were then involved in reciprocal anonymous PA. Findings indicated that learners improved their writing skills considerably and became more independent learners. Their motivation also increased as they could better understand the assessment criteria. However, they confessed that they needed more training and support and they believed that PA should also be used in other modules and courses to enhance student collaboration and reflection.

Nominalization Versus Clause Usage in CALL Technology-Mediated Acquisition of EFL Learners' Writing Skills

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-86
Author(s):  
Duc Huu Pham
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
English Writing ◽  
Level Information ◽  
Writing Tests ◽  
Computerized Writing

To help EFL learners realize the use of nominals and clauses in practicing productive skills of academic writing in English writing tests, experiments have been exploited using the tasks similar to those of internet-based test of English as a foreign language to determine the nominal and clause level information during sentence and paragraph processing. Subjects were placed in two groups (the treatment group and the control group) and comprised English intermediate level students at a university in Vietnam performing compositions that were of lexical and clausal congruence but the congruence with discourse context was manipulated. The results indicated that lexical and clausal processing and discourse congruence have an effect on each other and influence writing skills. The study was undertaken as a basis for improving the technology-linguistics combined intake of learners' knowledge in order to accelerate the acquisition of foreign languages and will benefit future research related to computerized writing and assessment of writing.

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