scholarly journals Underachievement in English Speaking Skills among Kuwaiti EFL Students at the College of Basic Education: Possible Causes and Possible Solutions

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 206
Author(s):  
Mohammad A. Almutairi
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
Modern Language ◽  
Spoken English ◽  
College Of Basic Education ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Speaking Skills

The purpose of this study is to investigate the possible causes and possible solutions of the massive underachievement in speaking skills among Kuwaiti EFL (English as a foreign language) students at the College of Basic Education (CBE). This study involved 331 male and female EFL students who are currently studying different bachelor degree programs at CBE. A questionnaire of 12 statements was used to collect their responses, and then the data was analyzed. After the analysis of the data, the findings indicated that the vast majority of students identified their speaking skills as weak or fair. Their answers revealed there are various factors that hinder in developing their weakness in speaking skills. The most obvious ones were lack of motivation, the lack of speaking skills emphasis in EFL syllabus design, and the absence of technology in ELT (English language teaching), including language laboratories and auditory aids. According to the recommendations of this study, this great challenge could be overcome by four central solutions. First, placing spoken English in the EFL syllabus. Second, including spoken English assessment in the coursework and providing a comfortable environment in class to motivate EFL students to use their target language and encourage them to improve it. Third, the study recommends that EFL teachers join special training courses in the Professional Development Center to learn the basic knowledge of how to use technology in ELT, including language labs. Finally, the researcher ends his recommendations by endorsing the administration of the College of Basic Education to provide modern language labs for the Language Center.

scholarly journals Interventionist Dynamic Assessment’s Effects on Speaking Skills Testing: Case of Elt Teacher Candidates

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Zeynep Çetin Köroğlu
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
English Language ◽  
Dynamic Assessment ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Speaking Performance ◽  
Interventionist Model ◽  
Speaking Skills

EFL learners’ oral proficiency plays an important role in the representation of their productive skills. Especially, English language learners’ speaking skills are considered as main reflection of their proficiency in foreign languages. Speaking in L2 is accepted as a vital competence for language teachers as well, who are going to teach the target language in the future. The related literature puts an emphasis on the assessment of speaking skills utilizing various techniques. However, the number of research studies, examining how dynamic assessment (DA), especially the interventionist model of dynamic assessment, can be utilized as a technique in the assessment of L2 speaking performance, is relatively limited. Thus, the main aims of the current research study are both to investigate the efficacy of the interventionist model of DA in the assessment of student teachers’ speaking skills performance and to figure out their attitudes towards dynamic assessment. The participants of the current research were 29 student teachers, enrolled in the English Language Teaching Department of a state university in Turkey. To collect the quantitative data questionnaire survey was adopted and utilized as a checklist due to the number of the participants. On the other hand, to collect the qualitative data, a written structured interview was administered to the participants. The data were analyzed with the SPSS package and through the content analysis method. The findings of the current research revealed that participants were satisfied with the interventionist model and developed positive attitudes towards this assessment type. The participants stated that the interventionist dynamic assessment provided an authentic, creative and relaxing atmosphere, which decreased the level of their speaking anxiety. It can be asserted that DA can be administered to test foreign language speaking performance in language classrooms. Additionally, it was concluded that the interventionist model sustained and boosted the student teachers’ oral skills achievement.

scholarly journals Facebook as a Means for Learning English: the Pros and Cons from the Perspective of Iraqi EFL Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (105) ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Asst. Instr. Aseel Sabeeh
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
English Language ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
College Of Basic Education ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
Academic Year ◽  
Learning English

With increased advance in technology, the need to be in harmony with this advance in the world in order to fulfill the necessities of Iraqi EFL students who have become ambitious for knowledge using technology cannot be ignored. Thus, technology has become a part of teaching tools as well as a support for learning a foreign language. Every day, the students are exposed to the Internet that presents a variety of tools for learning more easily and effectively.         At present, Facebook is one of the most commonly used social web sites that influence students' life in many aspects including education, especially in English language learning. It provides them with more opportunities to be involved in practice English language authentically outside the classroom, to learn consciously and unconsciously and to consolidate their foreign language skills.        The present study aims at identifying the pros and cons of using Facebook as a tool for learning English language based on Iraqi EFL students' perspective.                                     To achieve the aim of the current study, a sample of (30) male and female EFL students were chosen from the 4th year/ College of Basic Education/ Mustansiriyah University during the academic year 2018-2019 and questionnaires were implemented for data collection. The results of the data analysis included their perceptions and pointed out the benefits and criticism related to Facebook and learning English.                In the light of the obtained results, some conclusions are drawn and a number of recommendations and suggestions for future studies are stated.

scholarly journals Overview of “Splendid Speaking” Website

2011 ◽  
pp. 39-42
Author(s):  
Peter Travis
Keyword(s):  
Adult Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Business English ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
Structured Materials ◽  
Spoken English ◽  
Advanced Students ◽  
International English ◽  
Speaking Skills

It is natural for adult learners preparing for upper-intermediate and advanced speaking examinations like the Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE), the Business English Certificate (BEC) or International English Language Teaching System (IELTS) to feel daunted by the Speaking examination. Having their spoken English assessed ‘live’ in a high stakes situation can be quite stressful. To perform at their best in the exam learners need to be able to contribute fully to the various task formats within their spoken exam. Students preparing for these exams need to have regular practice in responding fully to questions, working cooperatively with a partner, and generally taking the opportunity to showcase their use of English. In our experience there was little in the way of freely-available structured materials for advanced speaking skills online. We decided we would like to help learners preparing for their respective exams as well as general upper intermediate to advanced students wishing to develop their speaking skills. We launched splendid-speaking.com in 2006.

scholarly journals A Pragmatic Data Based Evaluation of CLT in the EFL Curricula at Higher Secondary Level in Bangladesh

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Md. Masud Rana ◽  
Md. Mahmud Hasan Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Secondary Level ◽  
Communicative Language Teaching ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Modern Language ◽  
Metropolitan Cities ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Efl Students

This paper evaluates the scope and relative unfeasibility of communicative language teaching (CLT) that was introduced at higher secondary level in Bangladesh to innovate English language teaching (ELT) by replacing grammar translation method (GTM). To substantiate the evaluation, a survey intended to determine the feasibility and relative drawbacks of CLT was made. A total of 100 teachers and 100 students participated in the survey of 10 different colleges of Dhaka and Khulna metropolitan cities of Bangladesh and two different questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from randomly selected teachers and students. The study reveals that most of the EFL students in Bangladesh could not succeed in learning English language through CLT in spite of studying it for twelve years at their secondary and higher secondary levels. The paper also examines multifaceted problems affecting English language teaching and learning through CLT such as most of the classrooms of Bengali medium colleges are not well-furnished with modern language teaching equipment, lack of training and teaching materials, student’s lack of background knowledge, motivation etc. Therefore, the real outcome of CLT in Bangladesh could not meet the initial dream and promise with which it was introduced and eventually became inappropriate and ineffective.This article critically evaluates CLT focusing on multiple barriers and factors instrumental for the failure of the approach at higher secondary level in Bangladesh. Finally, the study concludes with several recommendations to promote English language teaching at higher secondary level in Bangladesh.

scholarly journals Online Learning via Microsoft TEAMS During the Covid-19 Pandemic as Perceived by Kuwaiti EFL learners

2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 132
Author(s):  
Amel AlAdwani ◽  
Anam AlFadley
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
College Of Basic Education ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Achievement Assessment

Covid-19 pandemic made a sudden shift of all ages to online learning and distance learning instructions. However, there is a paucity of research to address the possible impacts of the pedagogical shift integrated into new online platforms on learning, interaction, and assessment, especially in higher education settings from the vantage point of EFL students. Framed in a descriptive quantitative study, the main objective of this study includes two folds: a) to identify the possible effects of online learning via Microsoft TEAMS platform during the COVID-19 pandemic on assessment, interaction, and learning English as a foreign language from EFL students’ perception and b) to reveal the possible significant correlation between learning, interaction and online assessment via Microsoft TEAMs. Data were collected using a developed questionnaire consisting of 30 items focusing on three dimensions: interaction, learning, and assessment among 440 EFL students whose major was English at the College of Basic Education in Kuwait. At the significance level of 0.01, the results revealed the effect of online learning via Microsoft TEAMS during the COVID-19 pandemic on learning of English skills, students’ interaction and achievement assessment as perceived by the EFL students in the English Language Department in the CBE was rather high, moderate and moderate and moderate respectively. There is a strong/high statistically significant correlation between Interaction and Assessing (r = 0.538), interaction and Learning (r = 0.747). There is a statistically significant moderate correlation between Assessing and Learning (r = 0.467). This study is of some pedagogical and assessment ramifications for EFL contexts in the pandemic era.

scholarly journals CONSTRUING EFL STUDENTS’ BELIEFS ON THE INCLUSION OF INNER CIRCLE CULTURES IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
M. Faruq Ubaidillah
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Belief Systems ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Local Culture ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Inner Circle ◽  
Local Cultures

Amidst the vast growth of English language and its teaching in EFL countries, an attentive action needs to be addressed to students (henceforth, participants) of English department regarding their belief systems of the Inner Circle cultures in the teaching of English. This study documented that those students put their preference on the inclusion of the Inner Circle cultures in English language teaching. Out of thirty four participants, 65% of them are of opinion that a language is bond with the culture. Then, the teaching of language per se should include its culture. One participant supported this, stating that the culture of the target language can refine their ability to understand the language well. Unlike those who favor the IC cultures, 21% of the participants disregard the issue. They, under the reason, felt the need of preserving their own local culture in ELT. Lastly, 15% of them, though small in number, put neutral beliefs on the issue. They contended that IC culture should only be introduced as an additional information in ELT as their own local cultures are more appropriate to learn. This paper ends with suggestions for policy makers to reframe the paradigm shift of English language teaching which puts local cultures at the front gate as well as English teachers to assist EFL students lift up their awareness on local culture teaching and learning.

scholarly journals CONSCIOUS USE OF CODE-SWITCHING TO IMPROVE FLUENCY IN SPOKEN ENGLISH OF BANGLADESHI STUDENTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 247-254
Author(s):  
Ehatasham Ul Hoque Eiten ◽  
M Hasan Parvez ◽  
Kaish Q Khan
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Communicative Language Teaching ◽  
Code Switching ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Tertiary Level ◽  
Spoken English ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Three Phases ◽  
Speaking Skills

Purpose: Present-day English language teaching in Bangladesh, despite adopting Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), focuses more on accuracy (i.e. grammar) than fluency which is proved as a weak strategy. Fluency acquisition in speaking includes pronunciation, but focusing on pronunciation first, slows down the process of becoming a fluent speaker. Methodology: As code-switching exists at the tertiary level in Bangladesh and because of the tremendous fascination of Bangladeshi students towards Bengali, code-switching can be utilized as a tool to improve fluency in spoken English. Thus, this research proposes an alternative to existing approaches. Result: Once desired fluency is achieved; grammar and pronunciation will be emphasized respectively to attain proper speaking skills. The success of this process can be studied in three phases. In the first phase, it examines whether allowing code-switching while speaking English helps Bengali students achieve fluency or not. Applications: This research can be used for universities, teachers, and students. Novelty/Originality: In this research, the model of the Conscious Use of Code-Switching to Improve Fluency in Spoken English of Bangladeshi Students is presented in a comprehensive and complete manner.

Error Analysis for English Language Teachingat Primary Level

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Dr. Shreeja Sharma ◽  
Prof. Shubhra Tripathi
Keyword(s):  
Error Analysis ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Primary Level ◽  
Indian Schools ◽  
Prime Concern ◽  
School Teaching ◽  
Linguistic Code ◽  
Global Language

The prime concern of every language teacher, and to some extent every linguist, is to device pedagogical methods and strategies which facilitate language acquisition. The concern of any teacher or applied linguist is, though not explicitly stated anywhere, to equip the learners with “correct” features of the language being learnt. Emphasis on “correctness” is due to the presumption that erroneous structures or deviations from linguistic code will lead to incomprehensibility and impediment in communication.As a result of such convictionsContrastive Analysis (CA) and Error Analysis (EA) focussed their attention on “correct” grammatical, lexical and syntactical features of Target Language (TL), in this case English.Both  Contrastive Analysts and Error Analysts analysed the language and tried to predict areas of ease or difficulty. This was often achieved with ‘some’ degree of success. However, in the present socio-educational milieu of Indian schools, where English language teaching is a significant stake, insights from CA and EA, particularly the latter, are either not taken into cognizance, or found inadequate. CA is taken into consideration, though obliquely, indirectly and cursorily, where English language is taught resorting to bilingualism. EA is usually ignored completely. Even when teachers correct students’ assignments and copies, they point out mistakes/errors, suggest corrections, but neither take into account why these mistakes/errors have occurred, nor how to prevent such cases in future. With the ever growing importance of English as a global language and a second language in India, no stakeholder in education can afford to undermine the significance of ELT.The time is therefore ripe to take a fresh look at Error Analysis (EA) and assess how it can be deployed as a powerful tool in school teaching.

The Effect of Using Students Peer Teaching on Iraqi EFL Students' Achievement in the Course of Library and Research Work

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (33) ◽  
pp. 693-714
Author(s):  
. Muntaha Sabbar Jebur
Keyword(s):  
Basic Education ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Peer Teaching ◽  
Control Group ◽  
College Of Basic Education ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Experimental Group

          Peer teaching is a strategy that allows the students to teach the new content to each other, and they must be accurately guided by instructors.     The researcher proposes that the use of students peer teaching  may promote students' achievement  and ensure the engagement of all the students in the learning process. Therefore, the researcher employs it as a teaching method aiming at investigating its  effect on Iraqi EFL students' achievement in the course of Library and Research Work .      The study hypothesizes that there is no significant difference between the students' achievement who are taught library and research work by students peer teaching  and that of the students taught by the traditional way. The experimental design of the study is Parallel Groups, Random Assignment, posttest. Each group consists of 35 students, chosen randomly from the Third Year Students at the Department of English in the College of Basic Education. Both groups were matched in terms of their age and parents' education. The experiment was fulfilled in the first course for 15 weeks during the academic year 2016-2017.       The same materials were presented to both groups. This included   units from Writing Research Paper by Lester D. . Post-test was constructed and exposed  The t-test for  independent samples was used to analyze the results and it is found out that there is a statistical difference between the two groups in their achievement because the calculated t- value 2.635 is bigger than the tabulated t- value which is 2.000, and also shown the superiority of the experimental group. The results indicate that the experimental group, who was taught Library and Research Work by peer teaching   was better than the control group, who was taught according to the traditional way. So, the null hypothesis is rejected. Finally, some recommendations and suggestions are presented in the light of the study findings. to a jury of experts to verify its validity and it was administered to both groups.

scholarly journals Labels and Realities: The Relevance of Terms like ESL and EFL in a Linguistically Complex World

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Language ◽  
World Englishes ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Complex World ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Expanding Circle ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Efl Students

For a long time, ELT (‘English language teaching’) scholars and practitioners have used terms like ‘ESL’ (‘English as a second language’) and ‘EFL’ (‘English as a foreign language’) unquestioningly to describe the English used by people outside the so-called ENL (‘English as a native language’) circle. For example, ELT practitioners may conveniently refer to students from places like China, Vietnam and Thailand as EFL students. Interestingly, we find counterparts of such terms in ‘World Englishes’ studies; Braj Kachru’s ‘Inner Circle English’, ‘Outer Circle English’ and ‘Expanding Circle English’ essentially refer to ENL ESL and EFL respectively. Despite the popularity of such terms in scholarly circles, the problems associated with their use have not often been explored in depth. Nevertheless, some authors have described such problems. For example, commenting on the distinction between ESL and EFL, Nayar (1997, p. 10) states, “a great deal of referential fuzziness within the two and denotative overlap between the two are making the terminological distinctions unclear, impractical, and ineffective or, worse still, in some cases inauspicious and irrelevant.” This special issue aims to further examine the use and relevance of these terms.

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