scholarly journals The Association between Self-efficacy of Saudi Learners and Their EFL Academic Performance

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 1351
Author(s):  
Fakieh Alrabai
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
English Language ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Efficacy Beliefs ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Learning English

Considering the important impact of individual variables on language learning, this study seeks to highlight the relationship between Saudi learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) sense of self-efficacy about learning English and their academic performance in this language. The self-efficacy beliefs of 221 Saudi EFL undergraduate students whose major is English were explored using a questionnaire, while their academic performance was assessed using final exam scores in four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). The data gathered were analysed quantitatively. The findings demonstrated that EFL participating students hold very low overall self-efficacy beliefs about learning the English language. They were also low achievers in learning English in general. Moreover, students’ English self-efficacy positively correlated with their language attainment, suggesting that learners’ beliefs about language learning affect their language performance. The findings of the study shed light on the crucial association between Saudi EFL learners’ self-efficacy beliefs and their language achievement. We anticipate that these findings will provide guidelines for the different parties involved in language learning/teaching in the country. These guidelines should address how to help students hold correct beliefs about foreign language learning in order to achieve better EFL learning outcomes.

scholarly journals The Importance Of Self-Efficacy And Foreign Language Learning In The 21st Century

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 117-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taghi Jabbarifar
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
English Language ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Cognitive Theory ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
First Century ◽  
The Social

Two decades have now passed since Bandura (1986) introduced the concept of self-efficacy within the social cognitive theory of human behavior. He defined it as "people's judgments of their capabilities to organize and execute courses of action required to attain designated types of performances (1986). Much empirical evidence now supports the idea that self-efficacy touches almost every aspect of people's lives including foreign language learning; However, it has apparently received the least attention compared to other cognitive and affective issues. The present article attempts to shed some light on importance of the concept of self-efficacy, the role it can play in foreign language learning and the pedagogical implications it may have for foreign language teachers and the students of English language in the end of the first decade of the twenty first century.

Effects of Experience Abroad and Language Proficiency on Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Language Learning

2017 ◽  
Vol 120 (4) ◽  
pp. 670-694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyang-Il Kim ◽  
Kyung-Ae Cha
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Efficacy Beliefs ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Efficacy Factors ◽  
Do So

Experience abroad has been recognized as one of the best investments for second or foreign language learning. A lot of research has examined its impact on language learning from linguistic as well as non-linguistic perspectives. Nonetheless, literature on the relationships between and among experience abroad, language proficiency, and self-efficacy beliefs in language learning seems to still be cursory and thus the present study chose to focus on these aspects in more detail. To do so, 259 Korean English as a foreign language students answered the Questionnaire of English Self-Efficacy as well as completed a background questionnaire. Statistical analyses identified two underlying factors of self-efficacy beliefs—production and comprehension—that helped analyze the data from a new perspective. Using this two-factor structure of self-efficacy, it was found that the combination of experience abroad and English proficiency were indeed related to these self-efficacy factors. In addition, the results indicate that students may have benefitted most in self-efficacy formation in production and comprehension aspects when they have four to six months of experience abroad.

scholarly journals Attitudes and Usage of MALL Among Saudi University EFL Students

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 407
Author(s):  
Turki Rabah Al Mukhallafi
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Systematic Sampling ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Northern Border ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
Chi Squared ◽  
Learning English

Possessing distinctive features of mobility, portability, and connectivity, mobile technology has inevitably become an integrated part of everyday instructional practices and activities. Foreign language learning, especially English language, could gain substantial benefits from these advances in technology to enhance learning experiences and respond to learners’ various needs and interests. There is a far-reaching investment in mobile learning projects at many Saudi Arabian universities including King Abdul Aziz University and Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University. Moreover, the Ministry of Higher Education has a long-term plan known as “The Afaq Project” which is examining the current and future challenges for implementing online learning in all universities. Hence, the current study aims to examine students’ attitudes towards and their usage of smart phones when learning English as a foreign language. A questionnaire was designed and distributed among first year university students at the Northern Border University in Saudi Arabia. It included 25 items, each with varies in responses. A systematic sampling approach was adopted to choose the participants for this study.The duration of administering the questionnaire was from November 2017 to December 2017 and it was applied to 205 students.The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) program was used for data analysis of the questionnaire responses.The final data were used to test the hypothesis of the research using the Chi-Squared method applied to a frequency table.Results revealed that students have positive attitudes towards using mobiles phones and that they were very interested in learning English by using technology.

scholarly journals Cultural Understanding In English Language Learning

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-34
Author(s):  
Wuri Syaputri ◽  
Fenny Theresia ◽  
Fatma Yuniarti
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
English Language ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Learning English

Language and culture are two things that are interrelated in human life, especially in learning and langage teaching. The objective of this study is to dercribe the understanding of culture in learning English. This research belongs to qualitative research which applies libraries research to collect the data. The introduction of this culture is especially recommended for foreign language learning which places more emphasis on developing communication skills with the target language. The introduction of culture in learning English process can reduce the potential for misunderstandings to occur during the communication process.

scholarly journals A imagem sobre o ensino de língua inglesa na escola pública: um repetível genérico

2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (36) ◽  
pp. 111-125
Author(s):  
Giovani Forgiarini Aiub
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Language Discourse ◽  
Learning English

A aprendizagem de línguas estrangeiras em escolas da rede pública, em especial a línguainglesa, tem se caracterizado principalmente por sua alta taxa de insucesso. Este trabalho, filiado àAnálise do Discurso francesa, busca saber quais são os discursos que circulam sobre a importância deensinar e de aprender a língua inglesa sob essas condições de produção, e busca saber qual oimaginário que o professor e o aluno da rede pública fazem dessa língua estrangeira. Para tanto, foramquestionados professores e alunos do ensino fundamental e médio, séries regulares e EJA, que já tenhampassado pela experiência de (tentar) ensinar e (tentar) aprender outra língua. Os resultados apontampara discursos de ordem genérica.PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Imaginário – Língua Inglesa – Análise do DiscursoABSTRACT: In public schools foreign language learning, especially English, is characterized mainly bya high failure. Joined to French Discourse Analysis, this work aims to know what discourses arecirculating about the importance of teaching and learning English in this context. This paper alsosearches to know what is the teacher and student’s imaginary about the importance of this foreignlanguage. In order to do that, teachers of high and elementary school and their students (the ones whohave already had the experience of (trying) teaching and (trying) learning this language) werequestioned. The outcomes indicate generic discourses.KEYWORDS: Imaginary – English Language – Discourse Analysis

Machine Translation for EFL

Relay Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 228-235
Author(s):  
Paul J. Moore ◽  
Phil Murphy ◽  
Luann Pascucci ◽  
Scott Sustenance
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Machine Translation ◽  
English Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Technical Developments ◽  
English Language Institute ◽  
Changing Role

This paper reports on an ongoing study into the affordances of free online machine translation for students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) at the tertiary level in Japan. The researchers are currently collecting data from a questionnaire, task performance, and interviews with 10-15 EFL learners in an English Language Institute in a university in Japan. The paper provides some background on the changing role of translation in language learning theory and pedagogy, before focusing literature related to technical developments in machine translation technology, and its application to foreign language learning. An overview of the research methodology is provided, along with some insights into potential findings. Findings will be presented in subsequent publications.

The emergence of a new phonological feature in Pakistan English

English Today ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Nasir A. Syed ◽  
Shah Bibi
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Ruling Elite ◽  
Phonological Feature ◽  
British Colonial ◽  
Country Specific ◽  
Learning English

English is used as a lingua franca in most parts of the world (Ozaki, 2011). However, problems and issues related to learning English are country specific (Nagamine, 2011), because most of the difficulties in foreign language learning arise from L1 interference (Flege, 1995). Since this study focuses on acoustic analysis of a phonological feature of Pakistan English (PakE), we outline the historical background of the issue very briefly. Pakistan is a linguistically rich country. More than 70 languages are spoken in Pakistan (Rahman, 1996). Saraiki, Balochi, Sindhi, Punjabi and Pashto are the major indigenous languages of the country. More than 90% of the total population speaks these languages. Pakistan came into being in 1947. It inherited English as a language of education, law, the judiciary and media from the British colonial masters. The British rulers also used the English language in India for official correspondence. Therefore, English became a very effective tool and symbol of power in the subcontinent. As a result, people of the subcontinent feel pride in learning English. Although the colonial period has ended and the English rulers have departed to their homeland, English still remains the language of ruling elite in Pakistan and India.

scholarly journals Foreign Language Learning Gamification Using Virtual Reality—A Systematic Review of Empirical Research

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 222
Author(s):  
Rafael Darque Pinto ◽  
Bruno Peixoto ◽  
Miguel Melo ◽  
Luciana Cabral ◽  
Maximino Bessa
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Traditional Approaches

Virtual reality has shown to have great potential as an educational tool when it comes to new learning methods. With the growth and dissemination of this technology, there is a massive opportunity for teachers to add this technology to their methods of teaching a second/foreign language, since students keep showing a growing interest in new technologies. This systematic review of empirical research aims at understanding whether the use of gaming strategies in virtual reality is beneficial for the learning of a second/foreign language or not. Results show that more than half of the articles proved that virtual reality technologies with gaming strategies can be used to learn a foreign language. It was also found that “learning” was the most evaluated dependent variable among the chosen records, augmented reality was the leading technology used, primary education and lower secondary was the most researched school stages, and the most used language to evaluate the use of gamified technology was by far the English language. Given the lack of directed investigation, it is recommended to use these technologies to support second language learning and not entirely replace traditional approaches. A research agenda is also proposed by the authors.

An Analysis of Factors Influencing Foreign Language Self-Efficacy Based on C5.0 Decision Tree Algorithm in Data Mining

2014 ◽  
Vol 538 ◽  
pp. 460-464
Author(s):  
Xue Li
Keyword(s):  
Data Mining ◽  
Decision Tree ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Decision Tree Algorithm ◽  
Tree Algorithm ◽  
C5.0 Decision Tree

Based on inter-correlation and permeability among disciplines, the author makes an attempt to apply the information science to cognitive linguistics to provide a new perspective for the study of foreign languages. The correlation between self-efficacy and such four factors as anxiety, learning strategies, motivation and learners’ past achievement is analyzed by means of data mining and the extent to which the above factors affect self-efficacy in language learning is explored in this paper. The paper employs the decision tree algorithm in SPSS Clementine. C5.0 decision tree algorithm is adopted to analyze data in the study. The results are elicited from the researches carried out in this paper. The increased anxiety is bound to weaken learners’ motivation over time. It is obvious that learners have low self-efficacy. It is very important to employ strategies in foreign language learning. Ignorance of using learning strategies may result in unplanned learning with unsatisfactory achievements in spite of more efforts involved. Self-efficacy in foreign language learning may be weakened accordingly. Learners’ past achievement is a reference dimension in measuring self-efficacy with weaker influence.

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