scholarly journals Youth Culture and EFL Students’ Development of Integrative Motivation

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 377-389
Author(s):  
Ranwa Khorsheed

The aim of this study is to examine the role of the habitual use of English mediums (English T.V programs and English websites), being informal learning contexts, in Syrian non-English majors university students’ development of integrative motivation. Furthermore, this study aims at highlighting the importance of integrative motivation in foreign language acquisition whether for teachers, learners or language policy makers. Results showed that the students professed positive attitudes towards learning English in general and a good level of integrative motivation. Furthermore, resorting to correlational formula has proven that students’ habitual use of English mediums do have a role in developing integrative motivation especially viewing English T.V programs. It was also noticed that the students’ integrative motivation did have a positive influence on their achievement in the English language course. The most significant implication of this research is that once learners realize that they could use English for self expression, as a desire brought on by the impacts of the international youth culture, they will be more integratively motivated to learn the language.

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-130
Author(s):  
Ha Ngan Ngo ◽  
Maya Khemlani David

Vietnam represents a country with 54 ethnic groups; however, the majority (88%) of the population are of Vietnamese heritage. Some of the other ethnic groups such as Tay, Thai, Muong, Hoa, Khmer, and Nung have a population of around 1 million each, while the Brau, Roman, and Odu consist only of a hundred people each. Living in northern Vietnam, close to the Chinese border (see Figure 1), the Tay people speak a language of the    Central    Tai language group called Though, T'o, Tai Tho, Ngan, Phen, Thu Lao, or Pa Di. Tay remains one of 10 ethnic languages used by 1 million speakers (Buoi, 2003). The Tày ethnic group has a rich culture of wedding songs, poems, dance, and music and celebrate various festivals. Wet rice cultivation, canal digging and grain threshing on wooden racks are part of the Tày traditions. Their villages situated near the foothills often bear the names of nearby mountains, rivers, or fields. This study discusses the status and role of the Tày language in Northeast Vietnam. It discusses factors, which have affected the habitual use of the Tay language, the connection between language shift and development and provides a model for the sustainability and promotion of minority languages. It remains fundamentally imperative to strengthen and to foster positive attitudes of the community towards the Tày language. Tày’s young people must be enlightened to the reality their Tày non-usage could render their mother tongue defunct, which means their history stands to be lost.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed A. Abuzaifah

Learning English language for the majority of Saudi students has always been considered difficult and rarely successfully achieved. “English poses difficulties for many Saudi students due to the low English levels acquired at secondary schools” (Al-Shami, 2004). Additionally, the overall achievement in English language among the majority of Saudi students, after completing six years of studying EFL extensively, is remarkably low (AL-Karood, 2006; Al Buna’yan, 2003; Al Guaid, 1997; Abuammah, 2002). This research paper will investigate, discuss and analyse the NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) concepts; change and modelling, as well as NLP four principles; outcomes, rapport, sensory acuity and flexibility, in order to specify the actual extent to which these concepts and principles can assist the Saudi EFL students to achieve better, easier and faster performance in learning the English language. By the end of this paper, the researcher intends to highlight the relationship between the NLP principles and the SLA learning strategies (O’Malley, 1990), as well as to attempt to describe some possible ways for applying the NLP principles into SLA.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Pauline Barnes

<p>The focus of this research is teacher professionalism in New Zealand and the possible role of the ‘Standards for the Teaching Profession’ that were released in 2017, in strengthening the quality of teaching. Evidence suggests that the quality of teachers’ work is an important factor in students’ success. So, a challenge for education policy-makers is to create a system that encourages and enables teachers to be high quality and motivated to keep improving. The literature suggests a strategy to enable this is to encourage a mature profession, where teachers take collective responsibility for improvement. Standards for teachers can be a positive influence on improving teacher practice when their use is balanced between regulatory and development functions, so that they are a catalyst for professional development. This research involved 45 teachers in English Medium settings participating in sector specific focus groups for early childhood, primary school and secondary school teachers, a review of policy documents and secondary data from Education Council workshops. The analysis suggests that aspects of organisational professionalism influence the environment, although most teachers did not consciously align themselves to this discourse. There appeared to be some differences between sectors, with those in early childhood aligning more closely to their organisation than other teachers and feeling like they were not accepted as a legitimate part of the teaching profession. Although teachers were generally positive about the new standards, few teachers considered using them for reflection or professional conversations outside of formal appraisal. The aspiration presented in literature of a mature profession that works collaboratively with a mix of stakeholders to combine expertise, ask tough questions to create solutions and grows professional knowledge was not apparent, however teachers identified opportunities to shift the profession towards this discourse.</p>


2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aidan Clerkin ◽  
Katie Gilligan

Numeracy activities in early childhood have been linked to children’s mathematical performance in subsequent years. However, few studies have examined associations between early numeracy play and children’s subsequent attitudes towards mathematics. This study draws on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011 assessment to provide a retrospective snapshot of pre-school numeracy play reported by the parents of 10-year-old children (N = 4560). Most children were found to have engaged frequently in some form of early numeracy activity. However, children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds had less regular engagement with numeracy play, while spatial play (e.g. building blocks) was less common among girls. The extent to which children engaged in pre-school numeracy play was significantly associated with greater confidence and (for children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds) liking of mathematics at age 10, controlling for other factors. The results highlight socioeconomic and gendered differences in children’s early activities about which policy-makers, educators and parents should be aware. They also suggest the potential role of numeracy play in fostering positive attitudes towards mathematics, which should be considered amid efforts to increase participation in science, technology, engineering and maths domains.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 51-61
Author(s):  
Harka Raj Tembe

This research study focuses on the students’ perception on the use of mobile phones in EFL learning in the context of Nepal. It aims to investigate how the students are taking smart phones as a means for EFL learning in their educational experience. The study was carried out among the students of the bachelor level at Dhankuta Multiple Campus. It was largely informed by a phenomenological approach in order to examine the students’ experiences of using mobile phones in EFL learning. The semi- structured interview was held to collect the required data. Results indicate that all participants have positive attitudes on the use of mobile phones in learning English. However, they feel a few difficulties in understanding the text through the mobile phones. They expect supportive guidance and reliable network quality for effective EFL learning. Mobile phones can serve as a useful language learning tool if it is utilized properly for specific purposes. All curriculum developers, syllabus designer and policy makers should consider the space of mobile assisted English language learning in the present curriculum.


Author(s):  
Iman Abbas

This article is a case study that aims to understand and explore a teacher's perspective about integrating Facebook as an informal social platform into the EFL classroom in a higher education context in Oman. The study further aims to identify the attitudes and perspectives of a group of students belonging to the same context. Research data came from semi-structured interviews with a teacher participant and a survey questionnaire with student participants. The study provides a set of findings based on interview data analysis and questionnaire survey analysis. The study's findings revealed the teacher and students' positive attitudes and perspectives towards the role of Facebook in boosting pedagogical practices and increasing English language skills learning. This study contributes to knowledge by providing insights on the integration of Facebook as an informal platform into the formal curriculum-based learning in TESOL. The insights and findings are of value to the teachers and instructors in EFL higher education contexts. Pedagogical implications for ESL (English as a second language) and EFL (English as a foreign language) and researchers are offered in the light of these results.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Areej A. Alsanosi ◽  
Thuraya A. Alabsi

Parental involvement is a key predictor of students’ success in academic and general life. Moreover, the integration of technology has had a massive influence on the learning process and in facilitating parents’ involvement. The current study aims to explore the role of parents in the achievements of English as a foreign language (EFL) learners via Edmodo, which is a platform consisting of three important main components. A descriptive method is used to conduct the research with a sample of 50 parents of female students at the intermediate stage of King Abdul Aziz private school, and using a questionnaire as an instrument. The results indicated a high level of parental involvement in supporting their daughters’ progress. Moreover, parents were pleased when the teachers kept them informed about their daughters’ progress in English. Communication with the school and supervision of homework had a positive effect on the quality of learning. The results revealed that parental involvement enhanced English language skills and increased learners’ motivation to work hard. In addition, the study discovers the positive perception of parents regarding the use of Edmodo.


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.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 293
Author(s):  
Liqaa Habeb Al-Obaydi ◽  
Fatima Raheem Al-Mosawi

Dictogloss is a classroom activity where all the four skills work together. The present study is an experimental one where a group of twelve students was taught by the researchers. The researchers train students to use dictogloss technique for twelve lectures. In each lecture, they used a new authentic text with a new focus on a specific role of grammar. The study aims at; finding out the impact of using dictogloss technique on Iraqi EFL college students&rsquo; knowledge of grammar, determining the impact of using dictogloss technique on Iraqi EFL college students&rsquo; improvement of writing, determining if there is any impact of using dictogloss technique on EFL college student&rsquo;s comprehension of meaning and determining students&rsquo; attitudes toward using dictogloss in English language teaching. Four measurement tools were used in this study; an achievement test, a reflection sheet used at the end of each lecture, a questionnaire, and in addition to the teacher&rsquo;s daily observation. Final results of the study clarify that there is a positive impact of dictogloss technique on the three variables in addition to the positive attitudes of students towards using dictogloss in English language teaching. So, the hypotheses of the study are rejected.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Jung-Tae Kim ◽  
Rusty Barrett

This paper seeks to examine Korean EFL learners&rsquo; perceptions of parental involvement and how their attitudes toward parental involvement are associated with the success of parental involvement. Two hundred fifty four EFL children in South Korea participated in a survey asking the degree of their parent&rsquo;s involvement in seven involvement types and their attitudes towards parental involvement. The results showed that while all types of parental involvement were positively correlated with English proficiency for the group of children with positive attitudes towards parental involvement, no such correlations were found for the group of children with highly negative attitudes. In addition, for the group of children with moderately negative attitudes toward parental involvement, only less direct, autonomy-supportive parental involvement was found to be related to their achievement. These results suggest that learners&rsquo; attitudes toward parental involvement may be a factor that delimits the positive influence of parental involvement on EFL learners&rsquo; achievement.


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