How Can EFL Teachers Help EFL Learners Improve Their English Pronunciation?

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 967 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abbas Pourhosein Gilakjani ◽  
Narjes Banou Sabouri
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
English Pronunciation ◽  
And Performance

One of the important parts of foreign language teaching and learning is English pronunciation because it impacts learners' communicative competence and performance. Lack of pronunciation skills reduces learners’ self-confidence and limit their social interactions. EFL teachers can help their learners obtain the necessary skills of pronunciation they need for effective communication. In this paper, the researchers define the term pronunciation, explain the importance of pronunciation, declare the goals of English pronunciation, state the aspects of English pronunciation, elaborate the reason of integrating pronunciation in EFL classes, express techniques for teaching English pronunciation, and mention implications for the learning and teaching of English pronunciation. The review of literature indicates that EFL teachers play a vital role in improving the learners’ pronunciation skill.

scholarly journals On the Teaching and Learning of Culture-Loaded Words: The Case of Moroccan EFL Learners

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Driss Benattabou
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Cultural Meanings ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Inappropriate Use ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
University Level ◽  
The University

This paper sets out to investigate an uncharted research area in the field of applied linguistics concerned with the teaching and learning of culture-loaded words among Moroccan learners of EFL at the university level. Relying on a comparative analysis, this study delineates some problematic areas foreign language students may face as a result of their being unaware of the cultural connotative meanings some words may carry in the target language. The inappropriate use of these words may often lead to gross misunderstandings contributing most of the time to the perpetuation of intercultural confusions and conflicts. EFL teachers may do a great disservice to their students if they leave them fully unaware of the extra cultural meanings some words may convey besides their basic denotation. The last part of the paper suggests some implications on how to develop the teaching and learning of these culturally-loaded words.

scholarly journals An Exploratory Interplay of EFL Teachers’ Reflection and Their Teaching and Learning Beliefs

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 78
Author(s):  
Mehdi Dehghayedi ◽  
Mohammad Sadegh Bagheri
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Multivariate Regression ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Beliefs ◽  
Learning Beliefs ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Teachers Beliefs ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Foreign Language Aptitude

The main objective behind this study was to investigate the association between EFL teachers’ reflective behavior and their language learning and teaching beliefs. Accordingly, two respective questionnaires were given to 130 male and female EFL teachers who were conveniently sampled, and the elicited data were analyzed via correlational and multiple/multivariate regression analyses. Five components of teachers’ beliefs such as foreign language aptitude, the difficulty of language learning, the nature of language learning, learning and communication strategies and motivation and expectations were taken into account in the analyses. The results indicated that although there is a significant relationship between teachers’ reflectivity and their beliefs on language learning, teachers’ reflection is not a significant predictor for teachers’ beliefs and its constituting components.

Study of Consonant Pronunciations Errors Committed by EFL Learners

2019 ◽  
pp. 48-56
Author(s):  
Ali Akbar Khansir ◽  
Afsaneh Salehabadi
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Listening Skill ◽  
English Pronunciation ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Knowledge Of Language

As the topic suggests, the research paper presents Study of Consonant Pronunciations Errors Committed by EFL Learners. Error analysis always tries to resolve language learners’ problems in acquiring second or foreign language setting. Learning to English pronunciation is perhaps as important as learning listening skill, speaking, and spelling. Errors in English pronunciation create several problems for English language learners in their works. In other words, most of the English language errors of pronunciation are due to the lack of knowledge of language learners. However, all the students in our sample are of age group (16-25) at Bushehr language institute and they are all Iranian nationals. In addition, all of them were female learners. An English pronunciation (consonant) test was used to get information about the knowledge of the learners in English pronunciation. Findings of this article indicated that the first and second hypotheses of this article were accepted, but the third hypothesis was rejected. However, the findings of this paper showed that the Iranian EFL students have problem to pronounce English sounds correctly.

Research on language teaching and learning in Austria (2004–2009)

2011 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christiane Dalton-Puffer ◽  
Renate Faistauer ◽  
Eva Vetter
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Foreign Language Instruction ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
National Education ◽  
Learning And Teaching

This overview of six years of research on language learning and teaching in Austria covers a period of dynamic development in the field. While all the studies reviewed here illustrate research driven by a combination of local and global concerns and theoretical frameworks, some specific clusters of research interest emerge. The first of these focuses on issues connected with multilingualism in present-day society in terms of language policy, theory development and, importantly, the critical scrutiny of dominant discursive practices in connection with minority and migrant languages. In combination with this focus, there is a concern with German as a second or foreign language in a number of contexts. A second cluster concerns the area of language testing and assessment, which has gained political import due to changes in national education policy and the introduction of standardized tests. Finally, a third cluster of research concerns the diverse types of specialized language instruction, including the introduction of foreign language instruction from age six onwards, the rise of academic writing instruction, English-medium education and, as a final more general issue, the role of English as a dominant language in the canon of all foreign and second languages in Austria.

scholarly journals The influence of a Lesson Study cycle on a 2nd grade EFL picture book-based teaching practice lesson in Norway

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Larssen ◽  
Ion Drew
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Educational Method ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Video Recordings

This study aims to explore the influence of Lesson Study on the teaching of a 2nd grade English as a foreign language (EFL) picture book-based lesson conducted by a group of student teachers during teaching practice in Norway. Lesson Study is an investigative educational method originating in Japan. A group of teachers plan a research lesson which one of them teaches and the others observe, their attention focussing on a few selected pupils. The lesson is reviewed, re-planned and re-taught to a different class. The data presented here was collected through video-recordings of two lessons (a lesson taught and the same lesson re-planned and re-taught) and their corresponding pre-, mid-and post-supervision sessions. Lesson Study appeared to have had an influence on the activities, especially the type and number of questions being asked by the teacher, the timing of activities, and the use of the target language. It also appeared to have had an influence on the attitudes of both the mentors and students to using picture books with young EFL learners. Lesson Study has previously been little used and researched in foreign language teaching. This study demonstrates its potential to enhance teaching and learning in that context.

scholarly journals English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Teacher's Perceptions and Use of Mobile Devices and Applications

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-202
Author(s):  
Elias Bensalem
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Tertiary Level ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Personal Learning ◽  
Efl Teachers

This paper reports on a study of how a group of tertiary level EFL teachers perceived and used mobile devices in their teaching and personal learning. One hundred and fifty teachers (66 female, 84 male) from public universities in Saudi Arabia completed an online questionnaire. Results showed that the majority of participants used mobile devices and applications in their teaching and learning. Survey data showed that the vast majority of teachers had positively perceived and frequently used mobile technologies in their teaching and personal learning. In addition, there was a correlation between teachers’ use of mobile technologies in their teaching and their use in learning. There was also a correlation between how teachers perceived the value of mobile technologies in learning, and how they use them in their teaching.

scholarly journals Task Based Learning (TBL) in EFL Classroom: from theory to practice

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 139-144
Author(s):  
Muhammad Badrus Sholeh ◽  
Sahril Nur ◽  
Kisman Salija
Keyword(s):  
Learning Process ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Learning Framework ◽  
Theory To Practice ◽  
Efl Teachers

Task-Based Learning (TBL) is one of the contemporary approaches, which has attracted a great deal of study in recent decades. It is a language education approach that offers students the opportunity to use authentic target language use by tasks. Task-Based Learning drives skill-based teaching and learning, engages students in the learning process, motivates and enhances student imagination. This paper focuses on some fundamental aspects of TBL in literature: (1) the task-based learning definition, (2) the task-based learning characteristics, (3) the task-based learning framework, (4) the task-based learning benefits, and (5) a proposed task-based learning practice for EFL learners. The paper gives useful suggestions to EFL teachers who have similar teaching strategies to help students meet such learning goals in their classrooms and continue positive TBL patterns in teaching and learning.

scholarly journals CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES FOR TEACHING SPEAKING: VOICES OF INDONESIAN EFL LEARNERS

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Arif Nugroho ◽  
Novrika Nartiningrum
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Classroom Activities ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
The Ideal

<p>Among the four English skills, oral communication becomes crucial for undergraduate students to be more competitive in the work-places. In a foreign language teaching, designing appropriate classroom activities is a prerequisite for the success of a language learning. Therefore, this study sheds some light on 92 EFL learners’ perceptions and insights of classroom activities for teaching speaking. Drawing on the data obtained from questionnaire and focus group discussion (FGD), the findings illustrated that the students held moderately positive perceptions toward the speaking activities in their classroom. In addition, the results of FGD revealed some insights from the students with regard to the ideal classroom activities for teaching speaking. The findings of this study provide insights for EFL teachers in designing appropriate classroom activities to achieve the success of teaching speaking.</p><p><strong>Keywords: </strong>teaching speaking, classroom activities, students’ perception</p>

scholarly journals Exploring the Unknown: The Autonomy of Saudi EFL Learners

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fakieh Alrabai
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
T Test ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Saudi Students ◽  
Standardized Achievement Tests

This study addresses a new area of research in Saudi Arabia. Using a sample of 630 Saudi students, it investigates learners’ level of autonomy and its relationship to academic achievement in English as a foreign language (EFL). Learners’ level of autonomy was measured by a survey, whereas their achievement was evaluated using standardized achievement tests. The data were analyzed using descriptive analyses and a t-test. The findings revealed that learners were non-autonomous, with a mean autonomy score of 2.35 out of 5; and also low language achievers (M = 66 out of 100). Gender had a significant effect on autonomy and achievement. These findings emphasize the vast lack of awareness of the vital role of learner autonomy in the Saudi EFL setting. The study suggests that Saudi learners and teachers alike require increased awareness of the importance of the concept of autonomy and that practical means to promote Saudi EFL learner autonomy should be sought and practiced.

scholarly journals Grammatical Intricacy in EFL Textbooks

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinh To
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Linguistic Complexity ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Lexical Density ◽  
English Textbooks ◽  
Different Levels

Grammatical intricacy is an important concept in charactering complexity of language (Halliday, 2008). However, this concept has not yet been fully investigated in the teaching and learning of English as a foreign language (TEFL), particular in English as a foreign language (EFL) textbooks in higher education. This paper aims to examine grammatical intricacy across textbook levels in a book series used in tertiary education in the Vietnamese context. This is part of a larger research project looking at linguistic complexity of English textbooks in the TEFL setting. The research employed Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) as the main theoretical framework and Halliday’s method as a measure of grammatical intricacy to look at how this language feature was used in reading comprehension texts in four textbooks at different levels including elementary, pre-intermediate, inter-mediate and upper-intermediate. The findings revealed that grammatical intricacy increased in accordance with the book levels. Particularly, the mean scores of grammatical intricacy showed a gradual increase from the elementary to the intermediate book level; though they were not different significantly and the upper-intermediate textbook did not show the topmost grammatical complexity. These findings suggest that the use of grammatical intricacy in the investigated textbooks was appropriate for EFL learners across levels; however, the use of other linguistic features such as lexical density and nominalisation may potentially impact the use of simple clauses in the textbooks at a higher level. Thus, further investigations are recommended to fully explore the complexity of textbook language.      

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