scholarly journals Investigating the Interplay between Age Range and Vocabulary Learning among EFL Learners

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 238
Author(s):  
Hamed Barjesteh ◽  
Lida Farsi

The present study aimed to examine the relationship between age range and vocabulary learning among pre-intermediate Iranian EFL learners. To this aim, 50 pre-intermediate Iranian EFL learners, male (N= 20) and female (N=30), were selected from a private language institute based on their performance on the Oxford Placement Test (OPT). They were divided into two groups: teenager and adult learners. Before intervention, a pretest of vocabulary was conducted to determine students’ vocabulary knowledge.  Then, vocabularies were presentenced in dialog, word power and reading texts using a monolingual dictionary in five sessions interval for the both groups. After the intervention, a post-test of vocabulary was administered to examine the possible improvement. The data obtained from the administration of the pre-test and the post-test were analyzed using SPSS software. The results revealed that there was no significant relationship between the performance of teenager and adult groups in their vocabulary learning; and there was no significant difference between the performance of teenager and adult groups in their vocabulary learning. This research potentially has some implications that may help English language teachers, students, EFL learners and educational syllabus designers.

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 213
Author(s):  
Maryam Sharafi Nejad ◽  
Shohreh Raftari ◽  
Lin Siew Eng

<p>Based on the findings of previous studies which highlight the role of vocabulary knowledge  in English as a Foreign Language/English as a Second Language (EFL/ESL) learners’  learning process, this study is aimed at exploring<strong> </strong>the effectiveness of critical thinking on vocabulary learning by Malaysian EFL learners. .To achieve the purpose of this study, 60 male undergraduate EFL learners studying English at Asian EFL Academy Language Institute in Pinang were selected after administering Preliminary English Test.To examine whether there is a significant difference between experimental and control group, two parallel versions of Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (Pribakht &amp; Wesche, 1993) were used as pre-test and post-test. The participants in experimental group were instructed on how to employ critical thinking strategies on vocabulary learning. The results of the post-test showed that the experimental group who received formal instruction based on the critical thinking strategies revealed the prominent <a href="https://www.google.com.my/search?newwindow=1&amp;biw=1366&amp;bih=609&amp;q=define+development&amp;sa=X&amp;sqi=2&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjsxaLZw_nLAhVMFJQKHWTjC10Q_SoIHjAA">development</a> and interest in vocabulary learning. The t-test also indicated a significant difference between the performance of the control and experimental group.</p>


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 98
Author(s):  
Emrah Ekmekci

<p>Assessing speaking skills is regarded as a complex and hard process compared with the other language skills. Considering the idiosyncratic characteristics of EFL learners, oral proficiency assessment issue becomes even more important. Keeping this situation in mind, judgements and reliability of raters need to be consistent with each other. This study aims to compare native and non-native English language teachers’ evaluation of EFL learners’ speaking skills. Based on the oral proficiency scores in the final exam conducted at a state university in Turkey, the study analysed the scores given by native and non-native English language teachers to 80 EFL students attending preparatory classes in the 2014-2015 academic year. 3 native and 3 non-native English language teachers participated in the study. Data were collected through an analytic rating scale and analysed with the help of <em>independent samples t-test</em> and <em>Pearson product-moment correlation test</em>. Pearson product-moment correlation test (calculated as 0,763) indicated that the raters had high inter-rater reliability coefficients. T-test results revealed that there is no statistically significant difference in the total scores given by both groups of teachers. The study also investigated the different components of speaking skills such as fluency, pronunciation, accuracy, vocabulary, and communication strategies with regard to the existence of significant difference between the scores. The only component which created a statistically significant difference was found to be pronunciation, which was expected prior to the research. In line with the overall findings of the study, it can be concluded that native and non-native English language teachers display almost identical rating behaviour in assessing EFL students’ oral proficiency.</p>


2011 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
Ali Derakhshan

<p>The present research investigates the effectiveness of text-message vocabulary learning on EFL freshmen. The results of the pretreatment interview with EFL learners showed that many of them have difficulty learning vocabulary through the traditional paperand-pencil way; therefore, text-message vocabulary learning was hypothesized to be a potential way to help EFL learners consolidate their vocabulary knowledge. To this end, 43 participants from among 85 freshmen studying in Torbat-e-Heydarieh Azad University participated in the study. The participants were divided into two groups of 21 and 22 on the basis of their proficiency. The book Check Your Vocabulary for Academic English by David Porter (2001) was taught to both groups, and they were told to make some sentences in the class to become familiar with these words; they were requested to work cooperatively in small groups of 3 or 4 in order to have the opportunity to talk more about these words. Fifteen to 20 words were introduced and taught to these students on each session. Then, the participants in the experimental group sent the researcher one text-message containing an original sentence for each word covered in the class. They were also asked to send a text-message containing a sentence to their three predetermined partners. The participants in the control group wrote one sentence using each covered word, and they were also asked to write one sentence to exchange with their three partners and bring their assignments to the class next session. The results of independent samples t-test for the post-test and the delayed post-test showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the initial vocabulary learning and the retention of the vocabulary between the two groups.</p>


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-115
Author(s):  
Asma Iranmanesh ◽  
Laya Heidari Darani

AbstractThis study aimed at examining the effect of movies on learning English idiomatic and everyday expressions among Iranian EFL learners. The sample population of this study was English major students of Islamic Azad University, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch. Their first language was Persian and their age ranged between 25 and 45. The participants were 30 male and female students who were chosen based on their scores in a placement test to ensure that they were in the same level of English language proficiency. An experimental design was used in which pre-test–post-test was utilised. After the data were analysed statistically through a paired-samples t-test, the results showed that movies had significant effects on learning English idiomatic and everyday expressions among Iranian EFL learners and improves their English learning. Thus, language teachers and syllabus designers can include movies as an effective and interesting tool in teaching vocabulary in general and idiomatic and everyday expressions


Author(s):  
Endelibu Goa

This study was an attempt to examine the effects of needs- based Continuous Professional Development (CPD) practices on English language teachers’ perceptions. More specifically, the study addressed the following research questions: (1) What CPD activities do ELT teachers need to practice currently? (2)Is there a significant change in EFL teachers’ perceptions following in an intervention design to increase their perceptions about CPD practices? This research work was mainly experimental in design. The purpose of the experiment was to examine the effects of needsbased CPD practices on English language teachers’ perceptions. Pre-test and post-test measures were analyzed using a t-test statistical procedure. In addition, questionnaire, interviews, and FGDs were employed in order to obtain data required for the study. The data gathered through different instruments were subjected to both quantitative and qualitative analysis. The study involved five primary schools in Arba Minch. Fifty-two, randomly selected teachers were filled the pre-test and post-test questionnaire. Moreover, 10 teachers from each primary school were randomly selected for interview. Besides, 12 teachers from each primary school were involved in the FGDs in order to gather the necessary data for this study. Different sources were referred for the preparation of the training materials. The effects of need-based CPD practices on teachers’ perception were examined through the pre-test and the post-test. The results of the pre-test showed that there was no significant difference in the teachers’ perception before and after the experiment. The results of the post-test showed that there was a significant difference before and after the experiment in teachers’ perception (P<0.05). On the basis of the findings of the study, it was concluded that need-based CPD practice could have a great value in improving perception. Based on this, conclusions and recommendations were made.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 52
Author(s):  
Kerim Ünal ◽  
Tuğba Yanpar Yelken

The aim of this study was not only to help pre-service English language teachers (PS-ELTs) to design vocabulary learning materials for a web-supported situated learning (SL) environment but also to have them learn the vocabulary they used to prepare those materials in the web-supported SL environment. Also, the effects of this process on the PS-ELTs&rsquo; academic achievement, self-efficacy beliefs in designing situated learning environments (SEB-SLE), and technological pedagogical content knowledge self-confidence (TPACK-SC) were revealed. One of the advanced mixed-method designs, intervention design, was employed, and 56 PS-ELTs participated in the study. The data were collected via quantitative measurements (two scales, a vocabulary achievement test) and qualitative measurements (student diary, online messaging logs, open-ended interview form, and focus group interview records). For the quantitative data, independent samples t-test, related-samples t-test, and 2X3 repeated measures ANOVA test were used; for the qualitative data, content analysis. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the within-group gain scores and retention test scores in terms of the vocabulary achievement test and the SEB-SLE scale. However, despite a significant difference in the within-group gain scores in terms of the TPACK-SC scale, no significant difference was found between the post-test and retention test scores. Moreover, although both groups revealed no significant differences in the scores of the vocabulary achievement test and the TPACK-SC scale, the scores of the SEB-SLE scale showed a significant difference in favor of the treatment group. Related to the procedure, PS-ELTs highlighted that preparing vocabulary learning materials according to the web-supported SL model had a considerable effect on their vocabulary learning. Besides, the application process supported permanent learning and vocabulary knowledge development. What is more, the procedure helped them gain critical thinking, problem-solving, synthesis, and research skills as well as improving their TPACK.


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 30-38
Author(s):  
Abolhassan Nazari ◽  
Omid Tabatabaei

This paper investigated the effect of PowerPoint Presentation on Iranian EFL learners Vocabulary in Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiari province. To this end, 100 Iranian high school EFL learners were selected based on their performance on PET. Then, the participants were randomly assigned into two groups (experimental and control).A pretest of vocabulary consisting words extracted from their text book was administered to determine their vocabulary knowledge prior to the treatment. Ten categories of word families were selected out of the students’ text book. Afterwards, some PowerPoint presentation slides including synonyms, antonyms, parts of speech, collocations, idioms, inflections, and relevant images were designed. The word categories were taught to the experimental group using PowerPoint slides while the same words were instructed to the control group without using PowerPoint slides. To uncover the effect of treatment, a posttest similar to pretest but in reshuffled order in options and items was administered. An independent- samples t-test was employed for the analysis of the data. The results showed that there was a significant difference between experimental and that of control groups’ performance in that experimental group`s participants outperformed those of the control group. The study provides implications for language teaching pedagogy, curriculum developers, English language teachers and tutors.


Vocabulary learning is one of the problems in language learning skills. Tackling such problems is to provide useful and effective strategies for enhancing students’ VLSs. Therefore, this study aims to survey vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) utilized among English as a Foreign Language learners (EFL) in Baghlan University of Afghanistan, and to study the high and least frequently used VLSs that contributes to the learners’ vocabulary knowledge. This study utilizes a descriptive quantitative research method with 67 EFL learners who participated in the survey questionnaire adopted from Oxford (1990) taxonomy of VLS from different faculties of Baghlan University. The findings indicated that EFL learners preferably utilize VLSs at a medium level, and the highly used vocabulary learning strategies are the social strategies through which they ask the native speakers, teachers, and classmates for the meanings of new words in English language conversation. Determination, cognitive, and memory strategies are respectively followed by the learners. Whereas, metacognitive strategies are the least used strategies among EFL learners, the reason is that they only focus on the materials related to examination; explore anything about the new words for learning, and rarely think of their improvement in vocabulary learning.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Maryam AminAfshar ◽  
Ahmad Mojavezi

EFL learners at all ages and proficiency levels are usually confronted with various problems in vocabulary learning and retention. This study sought to introduce strategies for improvement of vocabulary learning and retention. Therefore, the effects of using aural/visual storytelling on Iranian EFL learners’ vocabulary learning and retention were investigated. To do so, 50 intermediate female EFL learners were randomly assigned to two groups. After the administration of teacher made English Vocabulary Test as the pre-test, aural storytelling method was used for the control group, and visual storytelling method was used for the experimental group. After three months of instruction, the aforementioned teacher made English Vocabulary Test, as the post-test, was given to the students of both groups to assess their improvements. Two weeks after post-test, they were given a delayed post-test to measure their retention of English vocabulary knowledge. The reliability of the English Vocabulary Test using Cronbach's Alpha was estimated equal to 0.80. Finally, Using ANCOVA, the results revealed that, the experimental group’s participants outperformed those of control group in both learning and retention of English vocabulary. So, it can be noted that the training program according to visual could have impressive impact on the learning and retention of vocabulary knowledge.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 24
Author(s):  
Mohammad Davoudi ◽  
Mojtaba Rezaei

<p>The present study aims at investigating the influence of podcasts (POD) on language comprehension of Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners. An Oxford Placement Test (OPT) was administered to 60 male and female university students. The participants were considered as pre-intermediate learners and were divided into two groups (one experimental group and one control group). During the fifteen sessions of the treatment, thirty podcasts were presented to the two groups. The experimental group received just the audio file of the POD, and the control group received a different treatment which was the transcript file of the same audio podcast file of the experimental group. The results of the t-tests revealed that there was no significant difference in language comprehension scores across the posttest between two groups. Based on the interview results after the post-test, all of the participants (100%) agreed that both audio and the transcripts (written texts) were useful for them and claimed that it is a good method of improving language comprehension.</p>


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