scholarly journals Exploring the use of grammatical metaphor in Indonesian EFL learners’ academic writing

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Afifi
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Academic Literacy ◽  
First Year ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
Academic Texts ◽  
Linguistic Resource ◽  
Grammatical Metaphor ◽  
Strategic Role

Grammatical metaphor is considered to be the key linguistic resource in the creation of academic discourse. In a pedagogical context, identification of grammatical metaphor in students’ writing can be used as a measurement of students’ academic literacy level to determine actions to improve the existing situation. In Indonesian EFL context, students’ grammatical metaphor deployment and development has not been much studied, despite its strategic role in improving students’ academic literacy. This paper presents a first step towards understanding Indonesian tertiary students’ linguistic strengths and weaknesses in academic literacy through the identification of ideational grammatical metaphor deployment and development. Using cross-sectional data from first year and third year students in a State Islamic College in a rural area of Indonesia, the students’ academic writing were analyzed for the deployment of experiential grammatical metaphor. The findings show that the two groups of different levels of participants deployed similar types of reconstrual of experiential grammatical metaphor. Process to Thing transcategorisation was the most frequent type of experiential grammatical metaphor reconstrual across the two groups, while Relator to Process was the most frequent logical grammatical metaphor reconstrual in both groups.  Third-year students surpassed the first-year group in the frequency and proportion of instances of grammatical metaphor deployment. This study has shown that the development of learners’ academic writing was limited. Thus, it was suggested that a more explicit pedagogy to expose students to grammatical metaphor and more basic lexicogrammar teaching to enable the students to write academic texts is warranted.

scholarly journals Academic writing support

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Lönn-Stensrud ◽  
Martina Marcellova ◽  
Ingerid Straume ◽  
Rigmor Soberg ◽  
Anne Gerd Granås
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Pharmacy Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Academic Education ◽  
Transferable Skills ◽  
Academic Texts ◽  
Transferable Skill ◽  
Master Thesis ◽  
The Right

Higher education across Europe is in transition due to professionalization of the traditional academic education. One response to these changes is to focus on transferable skills (1,2). At the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, the vision for the education strategy is that the students shall succeed both scientifically and professionally (3,4). Communication is mentioned as one of the transferable skills important to succeed professionally (4).  Clear and comprehensible communication is a crucial transferable skill for pharmacists. Therefore, pharmacy students are evaluated on written communication throughout a 5-year curriculum, including evaluation of e.g. laboratory reports, essays, exams and a master thesis.   Over the last decade, the proportion of pharmacy students with Norwegian as native language has decreased. A general impression is also that students in general struggle to express themselves in writing. In 2019, the Department of Pharmacy, the Academic Writing Centre and the Science Library initiated a pilot project aiming to strengthen the academic writing of pharmacy students during the first year of study. 8 seminars about assignment interpretation, text evaluation, and structure and compositions of different assignments, were planned. Further, students were to be mentored in small groups by student mentors. The aim was to provide the pharmacy students with the right tools and skills in writing various academic texts.   This presentation will illuminate how University libraries can collaborate with faculties and departments by developing innovative education with the aim for students to gain generic writing knowledge and hands-on skills. We will describe and discuss the series of seminars regarding content, assignments, outcome and progress, from the Science library perspective. The seminars will be evaluated by the students and staff, and the findings will be presented and discussed.

scholarly journals Using Hybrid Problem-based Learning (HPBL) Approach to Enhance Libyan EFL Students’ Engagement with English Language

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Eman Fathi Baresh ◽  
Suraini Mohd Ali ◽  
Ramiaida Darmi
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Problem Based Learning ◽  
First Year ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
Efl Students

This article explores how the Hybrid Problem-Based Learning (HPBL) approach can improve the Libyan EFL learners’ performance in English language speaking. The paper employed the case study research design in which qualitative data through observation and interview were collected and analysed thematically. The participants involved in the study were 30 first-year undergraduate students in one of the Libyan public universities. The study was conducted in the period of 9 weeks. The course was conducted alternatingly between traditional and PBL lessons. The PBL lessons were based on 7 steps of Schmidt, Dauphinee and Patel (1989). At the end of each PBL lesson, students presented their possible solutions for the problem presented in a form of oral presentation (OP). It was found that after undergoing the HPBL process, the speaking ability of the learners improved in fluency, grammar, comprehension, vocabulary, confidence level, intonation skills and pronunciation. It is, thus, concluded the HPBL approach is a worthwhile alternative for English lecturers for the transformation of the stagnant approach to the teaching of English language in the Libyan EFL context.

scholarly journals Högskolans språk och mitt eget. En studie av nyantagna lärarstudenters förhållningssätt till skrivande, skriftspråket på högskolan och den egna skrivkompetensen

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Emilia Sturm Aldrin ◽  
Monica Eklund ◽  
Heike Peter
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Academic Literacy ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
First Year ◽  
Writing Proficiency ◽  
Heterogenous Group ◽  
N 93 ◽  
Writing Identity ◽  
First Year University ◽  
Literacy And Writing

This article explores how a heterogenous group of first year university students perceive writing in general, academic writing in specific, as well as their own writing proficiency. A questionnaire (n 93) was created basing on theories on academic literacy and writing psychology. The results show varying attitudes among the students which highlight questions of the dimensions of writing, identity and group affiliations. Gender was of little importance, whereas age and self-stated writing skills correlated to some extent with the results. The small scale of the study does not permit far-reaching conclusions, but the results indicate attitudes that could have importance for the development of academic literacy. The study can be used as a start of departure for interventions that facilitate for groups with different backgrounds to participate in higher education.

scholarly journals Cross-disciplinary synergy: First-year students’ experiences of learning academic writing through integrated writing support at a University of Technology

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nonhlanhla P. Khumalo ◽  
Sarasvathie Reddy
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Academic Literacy ◽  
Target Population ◽  
First Year ◽  
Academic Literacies ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
University Of Technology

An important role in socialising first-year students into universities is initiating them into different conventions of academic writing. Support programmes, such as writing centres, have been established in several South African universities to help students with this objective and the broader issue of academic literacy. The assumption is that such interventions bridge the articulation gap between basic and higher education phases and expedite academic success. This article draws from a larger PhD study that explored nursing students’ experiences of developing their academic writing skills at the writing centre. The focus of this article is on understanding first-year nursing students’ experiences of learning academic writing through the integrated writing interventions of language and discipline practices at a writing centre based at the Durban University of Technology (DUT). These students were regarded as relevant because their curriculum incorporates a more structured academic writing component with the writing centre. The study adopted the Academic Literacies Model (ALM), which fosters a social view of academic writing and advocates for integrated support to the teaching and learning of academic writing. Guided by the qualitative constructivist paradigm, phenomenography was adopted as a research methodology. Data were analysed according to phenomenographic categories. Whilst the study uncovered various factors influencing the development of academic writing amongst the target population, there was a clear need for shifting from interdisciplinary (at least two disciplines) to a transdisciplinary (more than two disciplines) academic literacy approach to students’ learning experiences. As such, the article recommends the intentional inclusion of various stakeholders (writing centre practitioners, discipline lecturers, clinical and academic support staff) to mitigate students’ writing challenges and develop sustainable and relevant academic literacy practices.

scholarly journals Academic Literacy: The Analysis Of First-Year Ukrainian University Students’ Errors In Essay Writing

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1Sup1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oksana Nikolenko ◽  
Maryna Rebenko ◽  
Natalia Doronina
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Academic Literacy ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
First Year ◽  
Word Choice ◽  
English Grammar ◽  
Word Spelling ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact

Ukrainian undergraduate students face challenges in demonstrating high-level proficiency in most of their academic writing. As an integral part of academic achievement, writing skills are essential for success at the various levels of students’ future career paths. Thus, academic literacy has raised considerable attention to teaching English as a second language. This study explores the writing competence level of 90 first-year students of Computer Science and Cybernetics Faculty at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and analyzes essay errors that are identified, classified and explained. The study describes the main categories of errors and reveals the causes of their production. It is evaluated that the major types of errors committed in students’ writing are: word choice, word spelling, verb tense, articles, and prepositions. We consider that the main reasons for errors are the native language interference, the lack of English academic writing knowledge and insufficient English grammar and functional use practice. Focusing on the importance of encouraging students to develop their academic literacy, we defined the approaches and strategies that can help teachers and language learners to overcome difficulties in writing. After defining the essay errors, the students were given a set of tips on academic writing proficiency and presented with contrastive L1-L2 comparisons, which resulted in significant improvement of the required academic writing skills. Finally, we measured the impact value of error difference aimed at describing the relationships between pre-analysis and post-analysis writing. Learning academic writing literacy may be an appropriate way to arise overall disciplinary literacy with the students.

Akademiese taalvermoë en nagraadse studie – ’n gevallestudie

2021 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-163
Author(s):  
Tobie Van Dyk ◽  
Henk Louw ◽  
Marlies Taljard ◽  
Elsa Meihuizen
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Academic Literacy ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Doctoral Level ◽  
Academic Texts ◽  
Performance Requirements ◽  
Context Specific

Academic language proficiency has a significant impact on students’ academic performance. According to existing literature underdeveloped language competence is a common problem amongst postgraduate students (Bammett, 1989; Grabe, 1991; Ellis, 1994; Cohen, 1998; Tercanlioglu, 2004; Brown, 2008; Young et al., 2013). Reasons for this situation include the fact that postgraduate students often have to write in a language other than their mother tongue or that they lack abilities in critical reading, the handling of sources, academic argumentation, and text structuring. Students at masters and doctoral level therefore often struggle with handling prescribed material and with producing well-written academic texts, and supervisors are challenged to act proactively in order to manage potential risks. This article is a report on the use of the Test of Academic Literacy for Postgraduate Students – TALPS (ICELDA, 2020) to determine the academic literacy needs of postgraduate students for the purpose of course development. TALPS was used in combination with needs reported by supervisors in order to identify performance requirements and gaps in students’ profi ciencies. In combination with guidelines for best practice available in the existing literature this knowledge was used for the creation of a short course in academic writing for postgraduate students. This context specific intervention focused on the writing of a literature review, text structuring, cohesion and coherence, academic argumentation, scholarly identity, and text editing. Exceptionally positive feedback from both students and supervisors and significant improvement in students’ writing testify to the success of this intervention.

scholarly journals Making Suggestions: A Perspective of Perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 191
Author(s):  
Mushtaq A. Sharqawi ◽  
Elizabeth M. Anthony
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Study ◽  
Speech Act ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
Descriptive Approach

The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative study is to explore suggestion strategies as employed by gender in the Iraqi EFL context. It is a pragmatic descriptive approach where the speech act of suggestion is dealt with from the aspect of perspective based on a model developed by Li (2010). The study covers 26 males and 47 females who are asked to complete an open-ended WDCT encompassing 12 suggestion-required situations. The gleaned data are descriptively quantified and then statistically analyzed utilizing SPSS version 22 in addition to MS Excel 2016. Findings revealed a gender discrepancy at types of suggestions in which females are found to make more suggestions with hearer dominance and implicit dominance than males, whereas both genders make an almost equal amount of suggestions with speaker dominance, speaker-hearer dominance, and other dominance. Regardless of gender, it is revealed that Iraqi EFL learners tend to produce suggestions with speaker dominance more than other types of suggestions.

Ice ridges in landfast ice of Shokal'skogo Strait

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 16-26
Author(s):  
Victor V. Kharitonov
Keyword(s):  
Penetration Rate ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
First Year ◽  
Height Ratio ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Landfast Ice ◽  
Thermal Drilling ◽  
Severnaya Zemlya ◽  
Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago

Three first-year ice ridges have been examined with respect to geometry and morphology in landfast ice of Shokal'skogo Strait (Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago) in May 2018. Two of the studied ice ridges were located on the edge of the ridged field and were part of it, because their keels extended for a long distance deep into this field. Ice ridges characteristics are discussed in the paper. These studies were conducted using hot water thermal drilling with computer recording of the penetration rate. Boreholes were drilled along the cross-section of the ridge crest at 0.25 m intervals. Cross-sectional profiles of ice ridges are illustrated. The maximal sail height varied from 2.9 up to 3.2 m, the maximal keel depth varied from 8.5 up to 9.6 m. The average keel depth to sail height ratio varied from 2.8 to 3.3, and the thickness of the consolidated layer was 2.5-3.5 m. The porosity of the non-consolidated part of the keel was about 23-27%. The distributions of porosity versus depth for all ice ridges are presented.

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