scholarly journals Speaking Up without Freaking Out

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 292-300
Author(s):  
Nurul Adillah
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Oral Presentation ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Speaking Up ◽  
Speaking Anxiety ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Presentation Skill ◽  
Esl Classroom

It has been reported that language learners use various strategies in learning a second or foreign language. And a lot of research has been done in this area. However, few studies have explored the impact of using scaffolding impromptu speaking activities in ESL classroom on alleviating speaking anxiety. Thus, the current study is an attempt to investigate whether scaffolding impromptu speech activities could help the students to perform better during oral presentation and reduce their speaking anxiety. At the beginning of the study, the students were asked to answer online questionnaire on speaking anxiety experience while holding an oral presentation tasks or assessment. 38 undergraduate students did the prepared impromptu speaking activities such as they have to do self-video recorded, impromptu speech in group and online discussion. This intervention was carried out for six weeks. After that, another online questionnaire on the effectiveness of scaffolding impromptu speaking activities was distributed. However, we only received 25 responses from the participants. Besides that, participants' views about the impromptu speaking activities were also examined through focus group interview. The results of the study indicated that by scaffolding impromptu speaking activities in ESL classroom, the students were able to reduce their speaking anxiety and enhance their oral presentation skill.

scholarly journals Discovering Factors of Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety and Coping Strategies

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Vahid Rafieyan
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Education ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Speaking Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
And Coping

<p>Feeling of anxiety is commonly expressed by foreign language learners in learning to speak a foreign language. This feeling is considered to have a negative impact on communication in the target language. This study has attempted to investigate the most influential factors in creating this type of anxiety as well as the most commonly used strategies to cope with it. In this respect, a qualitative research methodology, based on interviews and reflective journals, was used to investigate the issue. A total of 10 female freshman undergraduate students of English education in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia participated in the study. The findings suggested that assessing language learners’ speaking performance was the most anxiety provoking factor and creating a fun environment was the most commonly used strategy to cope with anxiety. The pedagogical implications of these findings suggested the significant role of teachers in creating and/or reducing foreign language speaking anxiety in language learners.</p>

scholarly journals Testing young foreign language learners’ reading comprehension: Exploring the effects of working memory, grade level, and reading task

2021 ◽  
pp. 026553222199148
Author(s):  
Tineke Brunfaut ◽  
Judit Kormos ◽  
Marije Michel ◽  
Michael Ratajczak
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Reading Test ◽  
Reading Task ◽  
Young Learners ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Comprehension Accuracy

Extensive research has demonstrated the impact of working memory (WM) on first language (L1) reading comprehension across age groups (Peng et al., 2018), and on foreign language (FL) reading comprehension of adults and older adolescents (Linck et al., 2014). Comparatively little is known about the effect of WM on young FL readers’ comprehension, and even less within testing contexts. Young FL readers are still developing their L1 reading skills and general cognitive skills (e.g., attentional regulation abilities). Completing FL reading tests might be particularly taxing on their WM, and differences in WM capacity – as well as other learner and task characteristics – might create construct-irrelevant variance in test performance. In this study we investigate the effects of WM, grade level, and reading task on young learners’ FL reading test performances. Ninety-four young English language learners (Grades 6–7) in Hungary completed the TOEFL® Junior™ Comprehensive’s reading test and a WM test battery. Our mixed-effects model predicted significantly higher comprehension accuracy among learners with higher WM capacity, and among learners in Grade 7 compared to learners in Grade 6. Reading task differences were not associated with significant comprehension accuracy differences. We discuss the implications of our findings for testing young learners’ FL reading comprehension.

Mobile Phones' Video Recording Tool

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 16-32
Author(s):  
Van Huynh Ha Le ◽  
Huy Ngoc Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Oral Performance ◽  
Speaking Anxiety ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Impact

Foreign language anxiety (FLA) has a debilitating influence on the oral performance of EFL speakers. Over the past decade, most research in MALL has emphasized the use of mobile applications on improving language skills, but little research has explored the impact of using video recording tool to decrease foreign language speaking anxiety (FLSA). Hence, this study examines the effect of using video recording tool on students' EFL speaking anxiety. Twenty-eight pre-intermediate freshmen at Van Lang University, Vietnam, participated in a seven-week project. In this research, mixed method was used in combination with three data collection instruments: questionnaire, observation notes, semi-structured interview. The results indicated that video recording tool significantly lowers EFL speaking anxiety. Therefore, this study makes a major contribution to research on FLA by exploring freshmen's anxiety causes and its impacts on learners' oral performance and offering a technique to help them overcome that phobia: mobile phone video recording.

The potential of using a mobile phone to access the Internet for learning EFL listening skills within a Korean context

ReCALL ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ki Chune Nah ◽  
Peter White ◽  
Roland Sussex
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Listening Skills ◽  
Wireless Application Protocol ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Wireless Application

AbstractInterest in the use of a mobile phone to access the Internet for learning English in general, and listening skills in particular, has been increasing in Korea over the last few years. However, there has been only a small number of studies on this topic in Korea. The present paper investigates the potential of using a mobile phone to browse wireless application protocol (WAP) sites for the purpose of learning listening skills. The study focuses specifically on the attitudes of language learners toward using a mobile phone for this purpose. The study is based on input, interaction, output and sociocultural theories, as well as on collaborative, learner-centred, constructivist and task-based learning approaches. An experiment was carried out with a group of undergraduate students who had enrolled in a required intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) listening course at a Korean university. A WAP site was designed and used as the instrument for the experiment. This study found that the language learners expressed positive attitudes towards the use of the WAP site. It also found that the WAP site can be effective for learning listening skills and for student-centred and collaborative learning. Based on the findings, it is clear that WAP sites can be effective for learning listening skills, since they can enhance opportunities to learn language skills, and encourage language learners to participate actively in the learning process.

scholarly journals The Impact of Oral and Written Feedback on EFL Writers With the Use of Screencasts

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Alvira
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Private University ◽  
Written Feedback ◽  
Oral Feedback ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Promising Strategy ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Positive Results

<p>This article, based on an action research study performed at a Colombian middle-sized private university, proposes specific strategies to provide feedback to English as a foreign language learners and uses a Web 2.0 tool called screencasting. The findings of the study suggest that the use of coded, written, and oral feedback is widely accepted by students and yields positive results in the improvement of their writing skills at the paragraph level, and that the use of screencasting is a promising strategy that is motivational to students and increases the quality of their uptake.</p>

One size fits all? In search of the desirable caption display for second language learners with different caption reliance in listening comprehension

2019 ◽  
pp. 136216881985645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping-Jung Lee ◽  
Yeu-Ting Liu ◽  
Wen-Ta Tseng
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Listening Comprehension ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Transient Nature ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Comprehension Aids ◽  
The Impact

Existing research has established captions as effective second-language (L2) or foreign language (FL) listening comprehension aids. However, due to the transient nature of captions, not all learners are capable of attending to captions in all cases. Previous work posited that to leverage the impact of technologies in learning and instruction, a better understanding of the interplay between technology and cognition is warranted. In this vein, the current study set out to investigate the effects of four different caption modes (full vs. partial vs. real-time vs. control) on the listening comprehension of 95 high-intermediate Taiwanese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) with different caption reliance (i.e. more-caption-reliant vs. less-caption-reliant). The results showed no significant difference between the participants’ listening comprehension outcomes under the four caption conditions when their caption reliance was not considered. However, when this was considered, the differences among the four caption conditions became salient, which was suggestive of the selective effect of captions on L2 learners with different caption reliance. While less-caption-reliant L2 learners had the best listening comprehension outcome under the partial-caption condition and the worst under the full-caption condition, more-caption-reliant L2 learners exhibited the best performance under the full-caption condition yet the worst under the partial-caption condition. The finding underscores the importance of considering L2 learners’ processing profiles when utilizing captioned videos as multimodal instructional/learning materials and speaks to the need of utilizing differentiated video materials for optimal listening outcomes.

scholarly journals Scenario-Based Instruction Design as a Tool to Promote Self-Regulated Language Learning Strategies

SAGE Open ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 215824401668417
Author(s):  
Meral Seker
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Strategy Instruction ◽  
Training Experience ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Instruction Design

The study investigated the impact of scenario-based instruction on language learners’ awareness and use of self-regulated language learning (SRL) strategies to provide an instructional design to successfully promote them. The scenario-based SRL strategy instruction design developed in the study was based on Oxford’s Strategic, Self-Regulation (S2R) Model. Following an experimental design, the data were gathered from foreign language learners ( N = 125) at a state university through three instruments: the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning, whole-class discussions, and semistructured interviews. Although the quantitative data from the inventory helped determine the level of reported strategy use by learners, the additional qualitative data were gathered to elicit learners’ reflections to determine SRL awareness during and following the training experience. Analyzing pre- and posttraining results from the control and the experimental groups indicated significant differences with an increased awareness and a higher reported use of strategies for the experimental group. The results are meant to help guide future directions in strategy instruction for foreign language learning.

PRACTICE IS IMPORTANT BUT HOW ABOUT ITS QUALITY?

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 999-1026 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masatoshi Sato ◽  
Kim McDonough
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Declarative Knowledge ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Initial Stage ◽  
University Level ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThis study explored the impact of contextualized practice on second language (L2) learners’ production of wh-questions in the L2 classroom. It examined the quality of practice (correct vs. incorrect production) and the contribution of declarative knowledge to proceduralization. Thirty-four university-level English as a foreign language learners first completed a declarative knowledge test. Then, they engaged in various communicative activities over five weeks. Their production of wh-questions was coded for accuracy (absence of errors) and fluency (speech rate, mean length of pauses, and repair phenomena). Improvement was measured as the difference between the first and last practice sessions. The results showed that accuracy, speech rate, and pauses improved but with distinct patterns. Regression models showed that declarative knowledge did not predict accuracy or fluency; however, declarative knowledge assisted the learners to engage in targetlike behaviors at the initial stage of proceduralization. Furthermore, whereas production of accurate wh-questions predicted accuracy improvement, it had no impact on fluency.

scholarly journals GENDERED VISIONS OF IDEAL FUTURE SELVES: AN ANALYSIS OF JAPANESE ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNERS’ NARRATIVES

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-65
Author(s):  
Yoko Munezane
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Possible Selves ◽  
Gender Effects ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Future Visions

This study investigates the impact of gender on future visions, using a mixed narrative method; i.e., a “drawing-and-writing-combined” narrative. Previous research shows that learners’ career aspirations have a positive effect on their academic achievement including language proficiency growth (Sasaki, Kozaki, & Ross, 2017). Therefore, it is worthwhile to explore the impact of gender on language learners’ future possible selves by examining their career visions. Qualitative data were collected from 155 Japanese university English as a Foreign Language learners’ drawings and English essays. Statistical results (chi-square test) revealed gender effects in participants’ visualizations of career-focused and career-family balanced ideal selves as well as in the prominence of social interaction in their future visions. Qualitative analysis of participants’ essays suggested that the majority of both male and female learners envisaged their future ideal selves actively pursuing an international career empowered by the essential tool of English. Overall, females considered combining family and career as due responsibilities for women, whereas the majority of males envisioned career-related ideal selves only. The study further assesses the impact of gender on learners’ future visions by taking into consideration the gender equality level in a particular society. Pedagogical implications and future directions are discussed.

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