scholarly journals Preparing Future Human Resources in Language Learning: EFL Student Teachers’ Voices’ Academic Stressors

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1655-1661
Author(s):  
Marzul Hidayat ◽  
Dery Mulya Putri ◽  
Fortunasari Fortunasari ◽  
Fridiyanto Fridiyanto ◽  
Akhmad Habibi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
English Language ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Academic Factors ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
English Major

Preparing good and skillful human resources in language learning is avoidable, particularly for the country like Indonesia which is still a developing one. The intent of this qualitative study in the case study tradition was used to explore what the academic factors that made EFL student teachers as future human resources feel stressed in English language learning at one public university in Jambi, Sumatra, Indonesia. We adopted a qualitative case study approach. Using a convenience case strategy, we interviewed EFL student teachers. The primary data for our study were collected through the face-to-face interviews. The interviews were conducted in English, audio-taped, and directly transcribed verbatim. The interviews data were analyzed through reading line by line all the transcriptions to find major themes. We found eight salient and interweaved themes led EFL student teachers as future human resources feel stressed in English language learning  including (1) internal and external factors of choosing English as a major,(2) pleasure and displeasure feeling in studying English in university, (3) positive and negative responses to the lecturers in studying English, (4) positive and negative influences of friends in English major, (5) feeling about academic activities (credits, assignments, subjects and examinations) (6) feeling about discussion or presentations, (7) the most pressure or stress issue during the learning processes, and (8) dealing  with the stressors. The findings of this study shed light on our understanding of the academic factors that made EFL student teachers as future human resources feel stressed in English language learning.

scholarly journals English Language Learning Through Non-Technology Games: A Case Study of International Students at a Lithuanian University

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nagaletchimee Annamalai ◽  
Muhammad Kamarul Kabilan ◽  
Radzuwan Ab Rashid ◽  
Giedre Oleskevicience ◽  
Vilhelmina Vaičiūnienė
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Cultural Sensitivity ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Inductive Thematic Analysis

Research on gamified language learning often involves the use of digital games. Little is known about the use of non-technology games in promoting language learning despite their accessibility. This paper aims to fill in this lacuna by providing insights into international students’ engagement in non-technology gamified English language learning in the context of a Lithuanian university. The research, which used a case study approach as its methodology, involved a total of 30 international students at a Lithuanian university together with their two instructors. They were observed for two weeks, and then interviewed by the researchers. An inductive thematic analysis approach proposed by Braun and Clark was used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that the students’ engagement with the non-technology gamified lessons have impacted them positively as they believe that they have improved English language proficiency and better mastery of the 21-st century learning skills. However, the participants raised several issues related to cultural sensitivity and blurred learning outcomes. This study concluded that non-technology games serve as a useful tool in promoting language learning in the 21st century if it is carefully designed to attract learners’ interests and at the same to time meet the learning outcomes. This study is hoped to encourage practitioners to experiment with non-technology gamified lessons and provide guidelines for them in conducting effective non-technology gamified lessons.

scholarly journals Effects of Pop Culture for Improving Student-Teachers’ Writing Skill (A Case Study at Galuh University)

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
Ratnawati Ratnawati
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
English Language ◽  
Pop Culture ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Teaching Writing ◽  
Authentic Materials ◽  
Descriptive Case Study ◽  
Writing Skill

Writing, one of the four skills which have to be taught by educators in language learning. Starting from classroom observation implied that students confronted the difficulties in writing involving generating ideas, organizing words, and making compositions. This study supposes to explore some effects of pop culture as authentic materials for English language teaching in improving students’ writing skill. Due to pop culture relates to students’ life and experience, it is considered to be a stimulus for gaining students’ ideas, information, motivation, and interest in teaching writing. The students of secondary school were involved in this study and descriptive case study was employed to observe the importance of pop culture in writing class. Also, questionnaires and students’ works are the instruments to measure its effects. Both students’ works and result of the questionnaires pointed out that significantly improvement obtained after applying pop culture. In line with findings, it can be said that pop cultures have significant effects toward students’ writing skill. So, educators need to apply pop culture as their choices in future planning lesson.

scholarly journals Washback of English national exams at ninth-grade level in Thailand and Indonesia

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wachyu Sundayana ◽  
Panusak Meekaeo ◽  
Pupung Purnawarman ◽  
Didi Sukyadi
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Ninth Grade ◽  
Ninth Graders ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Ninth Grade Students

Washback refers to influences of testing on teaching and learning. In Thailand and Indonesia, washback of the Ordinary National Educational Test (O-NET) and Ujian Nasional (UN) inevitably occurs on teaching and learning in classrooms at every level. This present study aims to explore and compare the washback effects of the O-NET and UN on English language learning as perceived by Thai and Indonesian ninth-grade students. It is a multi-case study (Thailand case and Indonesia case) by using triangulation design as the research design. The questionnaires concerning washback effects of national exams on English language learning were distributed to 200 ninth-graders in the two cases. In addition, six students from each case were interviewed. The results reveal that in both cases, the participants focus to learn on contents and skills that were likely to appear in the national exams. The participants learned English harder to perform well in the tests rather than to improve their English ability. Moreover, the students had high anxiety during the test preparations and feared for low O-NET and UN scores. The results of the study contribute to future washback study and improvement of English language teaching and learning at ninth-grade in Thailand and Indonesia.

scholarly journals Autonomous English Language Learning Beyond the Classroom: Indonesian Tertiary Students’ Practices and Constraints

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 194-213
Author(s):  
Daflizar Daflizar
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Autonomous Learning ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
First Year ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
English Major ◽  
Attention To Students

. In response to the interest in learner autonomy in recent years, educational research has been increasingly paying attention to students’ out-of-class autonomous learning activities. This study aims to (1) describe the extent to which Indonesian tertiary students engaged in autonomous English language learning outside the class, (2) explore their perceived constraints in practicing autonomous learning, and (3) examine whether there are any significant differences in the autonomous learning activities between female and male students and between the English major students and non-English major students. Employing the explanatory mixed-method design, a total of 402 first-year students completed a questionnaire, and 30 of whom were interviewed. The questionnaire data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests, and the interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results showed that the students did engage in several out-of-class English learning activities, however many of the activities were more receptive than productive. The interviews echoed the questionnaire results, and the students claimed that they were not autonomous in their learning due to several constraints. The results also revealed that there is no significant difference in the level of practice of autonomous out-of-class activities based on gender but a significant difference was found concerning majors of study. Practical implications for the Indonesian context are put forward.

scholarly journals To Investigate ESL Students’ Instrumental and Integrative Motivation towards English Language Learning in a Chinese School in Penang: Case Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yee Chee Hong ◽  
Malini Ganapathy
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
English Language ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Past Research ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
English Language Acquisition ◽  
Integrative Motivation

Malaysians have long realised the importance of being competent in English as one of the success factors in attaining their future goals. However, English is taught as a second language in Malaysia, and it is not easy to teach under such a foreign context, because authentic input may not exist beyond the classroom, especially in Chinese private schools. In this scenario, English is learnt as a subject with 10 sessions per week, which is considered insufficient for students to master the language effectively. Past research highlights the significance of motivation in English language acquisition. Motivated students tend to put in more effort in their academic endeavours by showing more persistence in their learning process. The purpose of the study was to identify and analyse whether instrumental or integrative motivation plays a more important role in promoting Form Four ESL students’ English language learning. Furthermore, examine the areas of problems that affect ESL students’ motivation towards English language learning. This study was a qualitative case study that used focus group interviews to elicit data from 12 students in a secondary school in Penang. The findings of this research indicate that students are more instrumentally motivated than integratively motivated in ESL learning. Instrumental motivation is found to have a greater impact on students’ English language learning. This research also highlights that vocabulary and grammar are the biggest areas of problems that are encountered by students during their ESL learning process, which further influence their speaking and writing skills.

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