The Relationship between Iranian EFL Learners’ Attitudes towards English Language Learning and Their Inferencing Ability in Reading Comprehension

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (12) ◽  
pp. 2512
Author(s):  
Faezeh Azarkia ◽  
Hesamuddin Aliasin ◽  
Robab Khosravi

Accurate pronunciation has a vital role in English language learning as it can help learners to avoid misunderstanding in communication. However, EFL learners in many contexts, especially at the University of Phan Thiet, still encounter many difficulties in pronouncing English correctly. Therefore, this study endeavors to explore English-majored students’ perceptions towards the role of pronunciation in English language learning and examine their pronunciation practicing strategies (PPS). It involved 155 English-majored students at the University of Phan Thiet who answered closed-ended questionnaires and 18 English-majored students who participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that students strongly believed in the important role of pronunciation in English language learning; however, they sometimes employed PPS for their pronunciation improvement. Furthermore, the results showed that participants tended to use naturalistic practicing strategies and formal practicing strategies with sounds, but they overlooked strategies such as asking for help and cooperating with peers. Such findings could contribute further to the understanding of how students perceive the role of pronunciation and their PPS use in the research’s context and other similar ones. Received 10th June 2019; Revised 12th March 2020; Accepted 12th April 2020


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Rogers ◽  
Kristen Weatherby

English is considered by many to be the global language of business and communication and, as such, parents and educators in countries in which English is not a native language are now encouraging children to study English at a young age. Much second language teaching and learning, however, does not take into account the real-world context within which language will be put to use. Little Bridge has developed an English language learning platform for students aged 6−12 years, within which learners acquire English vocabulary and skills and are able to apply what they have learned in real conversations with other English learners around the world. As part of UCL’s EDUCATE research accelerator programme, Little Bridge worked with a mentor to design and conduct mixed-methods research into the relationship between this social aspect of their platform and students’ achievement in learning English. Findings suggested that Little Bridge users who are the most active participants in the platform’s social network also complete more of the platform’s learning activities and achieve better results than those with the lowest social participation rates. The relationship between the academic mentor and Little Bridge enabled the company to develop a research mindset, understand the value of the data that they already have, and improve their understanding of the platform.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Zarrabi

The present study explores the ways in which English is used in public discourse in Tehran-Iran and the motivations of Iranian - English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners and teachers towards English language learning. The paper begins with an overview of different places in which English is used in Iran, such as media, public signs, traffic signs, advertisements, products, people’s ordinary lives, and education. A cohort of 327 participants, including 168 Iranian EFL learners (male and female) and 159 experienced Iranian EFL teachers (male and female) responded to an English language motivation questionnaire. The results revealed that there is an active presence of English in Iran. In addition, the majority of Iranian EFL learners and teachers involved in the study regard English as an important part of their lives for many and various reasons such as being up-to-date, love, education, learning a new skill, being promoted, having a better and more highly qualified job and increased life chances.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sulaiman Alnujaidi

This study investigated the relationship between EFL students’ experience, attitudes, perceptions, and expectations toward the effectiveness of Social Network Sites (SNS), namely, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Flickr, Classmates, Academica, MySpace, English baby, and Google+, in English language learning. A survey of 103 participants from different higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia was conducted. The study’s results revealed that the participants had an average SNS experience. The findings also indicated that participants had overall positive attitudes, perceptions, and expectations toward SNS. In addition, the correlations between experience and attitudes, and experience and expectations were statistically significant. Data analysis also showed that the correlations between attitudes and perceptions, attitudes and expectations, and perceptions and expectations were statistically significant. However, experience did not significantly correlate with perceptions. The findings also indicated that the model of the three variables (attitudes, perceptions, and expectations toward SNS) predicting the variable (experience in SNS) was statistically significant: The significant predictor was expectations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
Tran Quoc Thao ◽  
Nguyen Hoang Chau Long

Reading plays a vital role in improving second/foreign language learning as it can encourage the development of autonomous learners. Furthermore, ESL/EFL learners’ use of reading strategies can be affected by their learning motivation, which can result in the high or low frequent use of reading strategies in reading comprehension. The present study, therefore, investigated the motivation in English language learning and the use of reading strategies among English-majored freshmen at a university in Bac Lieu province, Vietnam. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 180 English-majored freshmen, six of whom took part in semi-structured interviews. The results showed that participants had a high level of motivation in English language learning, and their metacognitive strategies worked better with their reading comprehension than their cognitive and social/affective strategies. The study further unraveled that the more participants were motivated in English language learning, the more they employed metacognitive and cognitive strategies in reading comprehension.


2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
NADIA KIES

This paper reports the results of a research work that has sought to investigate the characteristics of students’ management of their English language learning and has attempted to correlate it with effective, independent, autonomous learning. It stresses the importance of improving students ‘learning how to learn skills’ through implementing an instructional programme based on autonomy fostering. It is undeniable that the ultimate objective of Education is targeting quality assurance and enhancement for facing twenty first century education challenges. Therefore, the primary goal of higher education is to prepare learners to function independently and appropriately into this world in constant motion. It is our role as teachers to equip them with the necessary tools and skills so that they manage both content and the way to learn it and use it for future employability objectives. Major researches in the area of learner autonomy in language learning will be reviewed drawing the characteristics of the autonomous learning behaviour as well as the main variables influencing its practice. The research adhered to a descriptive interpretative type of research, where we have attempted to investigate whether students were able to manage, monitor and self-regulate their learning and make it more self-directed and more successful. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected thanks to a triangulation of research tools used before and after the instruction in learning skills and competencies. Some of the results revealed that while for the majority of learners, autonomy fostering was welcomed and gave significant results, not all students were ready to function independently from a teacher for their language learning.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-37
Author(s):  
Heydy Robles ◽  
Kevin Burden ◽  
Karen Villalba

Mobile devices are increasingly promoted as tools to facilitate ubiquitous and individualized learning, allowing learners to work at their own pace in authentic and meaningful settings. However, in the case of second language learning, there is a paucity of apps and tools related to improving students' reading comprehension in both Spanish and English. Additionally, there are few studies that address the evaluation of applications for reading comprehension and innovation in this field and this is required in order to respond to the needs of transformation in language learning teaching. The authors present an original evaluation of 25 English language learning mobile apps using the iPAC app rubric, which identifies the pedagogical features of mobile learning: personalisation, authenticity, and collaboration. The results indicate that many of the existing apps fail to fully exploit the affordances of mobile learning and collaboration in particular. The findings suggest recommendations for app developers to design comprehension apps that address these shortcomings.


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