scholarly journals The Impact of Computer Games on EFL Learners' Spelling: A Qualitative Study

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hossein Shokri ◽  
Seyed Jalal Abdolmanafi-Rokni
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Computer Games ◽  
Literacy Skill ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Overhead Projector ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

<p><em>This is a qualitative study in which video games were applied as one of the basic steps of language learning and literacy skill for specific students i.e. spelling. In this study 40 students from two classes at the age group of 14-16were randomly divided into two groups, control and experimental (each 20). The participants in the control group receive a placebo while the experimental group was presented with original computer games. During the treatment period the experimental group worked with each game by the teacher in the class. The classroom was equipped with the computer, television, overhead projector, etc. Each week they was subjected to one game. At the end of each session, the students were required to play the games and elicit words and spelling of them. After eight sessions of treatment, a questionnaire was filled out by the participants in the experimental group. The results of the study showed that the experimental group outperformed the control group. This finding subscribes to the role and efficacy of video computer games on spelling among students.</em></p>

The effect of second life on speaking achievement

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 236-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serhat Guzel ◽  
Selami Aydin
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Experimental Research ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Learning Tool ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Speaking Performance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

The number of studies that focus on the impact of Second Life (SL) as a virtual language learning tool on speaking achievements of EFL learners is quite limited. Thus, this paper aims to provide insight for SL’s effect on Turkish EFL learners’ speaking achievement levels. Forty-four EFL learners from Balikesir University participated in this experimental research. The participants were divided into two groups as an experimental group of 20 learners and a control group consisting of 24 students. An interview grading their speaking performance was administered to both groups as pre-test and post-tests. While the control group participants took traditional speaking classes, the experimental group did the same speaking activities on SL. Considering the interview scores, results indicated that learners who used SL had a better performance than the ones who participated in traditional activities.  Keywords: english as a foreign language, second life, speaking, achievement.

Teaching Collocations through Web-Based Concordancing

2017 ◽  
pp. 142-156
Author(s):  
Aysel Şahin Kızıl ◽  
Abdurrahman Kilimci
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Final Performance ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Instructional Settings ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
The Web

With the advent of language corpora and concordancing activities, teaching collocations knowledge of which is considered significant for appropriate and fluent language use has gained new dimensions within the context of technology enhanced language learning. The present study investigates the impact of web-based concordancing activities on EFL learners' achievement and retention of verb-noun collocations compared to paper based-activities. A total of 62 EFL learners participated in the study by taking a pre-test and an immediate and a delayed post-test. Results indicated that learners in experimental group outperformed the control group making significant improvement in their knowledge of verb-noun collocation immediately after the web-based practice. Although both groups regressed later, final performance of the experimental group was still better than that of control group. This study, therefore, suggests that EFL practitioners craving for creating variations in their instructional settings employ web-based concordancing activities to raise collocational competence of learners.

scholarly journals From Instructed Writing to Free-Writing: A Study of EFL Learners

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824402110071
Author(s):  
Saleh Alharthi
Keyword(s):  
Control Group ◽  
Writing Program ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Free Writing ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Structured Writing ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

Writing is an intricate process that encompasses various factors and is a key skill for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. Thus, writing assignments are vital for any curriculum. One of the essential aspects of effective writing includes good grammar knowledge. Advocates of process writing argue that a free-writing journal is a practical approach to teaching EFL students writing. This study is intended to examine the impact of the free-writing journal on EFL learners. This study was conducted on 80 students from a writing course at the University. Thirty-five students were randomly selected to join the free-writing program—the experimental group—and 45 students were kept in their regular structured writing program—the control group. The experimental group selected topics of interest to them and was encouraged to write in English freely without concern for errors, whereas the control group followed a regular structured writing program where the topics were selected for them and they wrote following a clear guideline. Five major areas were investigated to evaluate students’ progress: the number of words written, spelling, capitalization, subject-verb agreement, and punctuation. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 students of the experimental group to elicit their perception of the free-writing program. According to the analysis, students in the free-writing program acquired better grammar acquisition than the control group. The researcher also observed students’ perception of free-writing at the end of the study and found that free-writing improved their writing skills.

scholarly journals CAN EFL LEARNERS' LEARNING STYLES IMPACT THEIR PERFORMANCE ON WRITING SKILL UNDER DIRECT AND INDIRECT CORRECTIVE FEEDBACKS?

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 155
Author(s):  
Mojtaba Maghsoudi ◽  
Sahar Saeedi
Keyword(s):  
Learning Styles ◽  
Corrective Feedback ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Skill Scores ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Field Dependent ◽  
Writing Skill ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

This study presents the findings of an investigation of the impact of teacher error corrective feedback on 180 field-dependent/ field-independent (FD/FI) male and female pre-intermediate and advanced Iranian EFL learners writing skill. The participants were separated into two experimental groups and one control group and were asked to write three paragraphs of about 100-150 words around three different topics, each in odd days of a week; then they received direct (in experimental group 1), indirect (in experimental group 2) and no correction feedback (in control group). The results based on Mean Scores, Standard Deviation, Multivariate Analyses and 1-way ANOVA showed that there was not any significant difference between the FD/FI learners' writing skill scores who had received corrective feedback on their errors; however, as indicated by the second finding of the present study it would be better to feedback field-dependent/-independent EFL learners indirectly. It was also indicated that, learners' learning styles had made a significant change in their writing skill scores.

scholarly journals The Impact of Smartboard on Preparatory Year EFL Learners’ Motivation at a Saudi University

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 172
Author(s):  
Waqar Ahmad ◽  
Zuraina Ali ◽  
Muhammad Aslam Sipra ◽  
Imtiaz Hassan Taj
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Saudi Students ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Literature Reviews ◽  
Preparatory Year ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

Smartboards, which are now widely used in the teaching and learning process in Saudi Arabia, have turned the traditional environments of the classrooms, especially the EFL classrooms to be more interesting and encouraging. Literature reviews suggest that Saudi students usually lack motivation for studying English as a foreign language. This study tends to investigate the impact of Smartboards on preparatory year EFL learners motivation at a Saudi university. Two intact groups were selected, in which one was termed as experimental and the second as control group. The experimental group was taught using the Smartboard while the control group was taught with the traditional whiteboard, pen and book method. The treatment was given for seven weeks. A questionnaire was administered to both the groups at the beginning and the end of the study. The data was analysed using the SPSS and the results showed that there was significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of motivation.  

scholarly journals The Impact of Teaching Vocabulary through “Kik” Application on Improving Intermediate EFL Learner’s Vocabulary Learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeedeh Rajayi ◽  
Mahpareh Poorahmadi ◽  
Mahpare Poorahmadi
Keyword(s):  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
Vocabulary Instruction ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Vocabulary Test ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Independent Variable ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Considerable Body ◽  
Experimental Group

A considerable body of research has been conducted on effective vocabulary instruction to improve vocabularylearning. However, no research has been done to empirically document the link between teaching vocabulary through“Kik’ application and vocabulary learning. Thus, this study was conducted to fill this gap in research related to thisphenomenon. To this effect, 61 intermediate EFL learners from Joyandegan language institute were selected throughconvenience sampling and randomly assigned to two groups; experimental and control group. In this pretest, posttestexperimental study, only the experimental group received training through “Kik” application. The comparison of thescores of Teacher Made Vocabulary Test showed that the scores of experimental group were higher than those of thecontrol group. The comparison of the scores of Teacher Made Vocabulary Test showed that the scores ofexperimental group were higher than those of the control group. This provided a statistically significant relationshipbetween the independent variable, teaching vocabulary through “Kik” application, and vocabulary learning which isthe dependent variable. The results of this study point to a probability that on using of “Kik” for teaching vocabularyand the results of this study showed that using “Kik” for teaching can have a significant impact on EFL learners’vocabulary learning.

scholarly journals The Effect of Humor-Integrated Pictures Using Quizlet on Vocabulary Learning of EFL Learners

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 24
Author(s):  
Mehdi Solhi Andarab
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Vocabulary Acquisition ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Teacher Student ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Shed Light

The recent improvements in technology and their integration in language learning have played a facilitating role invocabulary acquisition. Quizlet, an online teacher-/student-friendly tool, is one of the leading applications invocabulary acquisition. Along with the effectiveness of visualization in acquiring vocabulary, humor has been alsoextensively indicated to carry a significant role in language learning. With all its facilitating features, the integrationof technology, humor, and vocabulary can be achieved via Quizlet. In this study, the visual integration of humoraccompanying vocabulary on Quizlet was taken into scrutiny to see to what extent humor-integrated pictures onQuizlet account for the retention of vocabulary acquisition. With this purpose, this study examined the effect ofhumor-integrated pictures on vocabulary acquisition of 45 intermediate English as a foreign language (EFL) learnerson Quizlet. In so doing, the experimental group received a series of unknown vocabulary items for which theintegrated pictures were humorous, while the vocabulary items assigned for the control group were identical, but innon-humorous contexts. At the end, an independent samples t-test applied on the scores achieved from a posttestindicated a significant difference in scores of the control group and that of the experimental group. In fact, thelearners in the experimental group significantly outperformed their counterparts in the control group. The resultsindicated that linking vocabulary items with humorous pictures is more effective than using non-humorous context inlearning vocabulary. Apparently, as the results indicate, the significant effectiveness of technology in vocabularylearning can be boosted with the help of humorous context. The findings shed light on the importance of technologyin language learning and its linking with humor in vocabulary learning.

The Effects of Using Instructional Conversation Method on Oral Autonomy of Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 1191
Author(s):  
Sahar Ghaffari ◽  
Mohammad Ali Fatemi
Keyword(s):  
Proficiency Test ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
T Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Instructional Conversations ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Instructional Conversation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the impact of instructional conversations on oral autonomy of Iranian English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Forty-nine Iranian intermediate EFL learners from three language institutes in Sarakhs were selected as the participants of the study based on their scores in Nelson Proficiency Test. Administering Nelson General Proficiency Test, participants were measured to make sure they are homogeneous. These participants were randomly assigned into to control and experimental groups.  Participants in both groups sat for Learner Oral Autonomy Questionnaire with some modifications from Kashefian's learner autonomy questionnaire (2002). Results of independent samples t-test lack of any significant difference between the two groups in oral autonomy at the outset of the study. Throughout the study which lasted for 12 sessions participants in experimental group received the treatment, instructional conversations, as a tool for teaching speaking materials. Participants in the control group were taught the same materials as those practiced in the former group through such techniques as role playing, peer dialogues, and oral presentations. Finally, the posttest being the same as the pretest was administered. Results of independent samples t-test showed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control one in Oral Autonomy Questionnaire. The present findings provide pedagogical implications for employing instructional conversation in EFL speaking classrooms.

The impact of computer-assisted language learning on Iranian EFL students’ vocabulary learning

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 210-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Rahimi ◽  
Samira Mouri
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Computer Assisted Language Learning ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

This study aimed to explore the impact of computer-assisted language learning on Iranian EFL students’ vocabulary learning. Participants of the study were 76 students – 29 males and 47 females – learning English as a foreign language in Parto, Sadr, Poyesh and Andishe Institutes in Ahvaz who were selected after taking the Nelson English Language Test as a proficiency test. They were randomly divided into two groups. One group was taken as control and the other as experimental group. Both groups participated in the teacher-made test of vocabulary, Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT), and Word-Associates Test (WAT) as pre-test. During class sessions the control group was taught the vocabulary, in the conventional way, through the printed textbook while the experimental group taught by the software version of the same book. Three ANCOVAs were run to compare the performance of experimental and control groups after the treatment period. The results of the ANCOVAs revealed that using vocabulary learning software was more effective than using printed book on vocabulary learning, vocabulary breadth, and vocabulary depth of the participants. The results of the present study could help EFL course book designers, foreign language institutes, educational planners, material developers, teachers, and learners to provide a better context for EFL learning. Keywords: computer-assisted instruction, computer-assisted language learning, information communication technology, vocabulary breadth, vocabulary teaching software.  

scholarly journals The Impact of Immediate and Delayed Corrective Feedback on Iranian EFL Learners’ Willingness to Communicate

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
Mahtab Zadkhast ◽  
Majid Farahian
Keyword(s):  
Corrective Feedback ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Immediate Feedback ◽  
Intermediate Students ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Group 1

The present study investigated the impact of immediate and delayed corrective feedback on Iranian EFL learners’ willingness to communicate. To attain the purpose of the study, 45 females intermediate students that were roughly selected according to their previous grades and their assigned  level in language school were chosen to participate in this study. Then they were divided to three equal groups: Experimental group 1(immediate feedback), Experimental group 2 (delayed feedback) and control group. In the first session, WTC questionnaire (MacIntyre ,2001 modified by Pourya Baghaei and Ali Dourakhshan) was administered to all groups as pretests. In group 1 the students’ errors were corrected by the teacher immediately after committing but in the second group, the students’ errors were written by the teacher and her comments were given to them when they finished their tasks. For the control group, the routine procedure of New Headway intermediate was followed. After about 12 sessions WTC was repeated as posttests. The findings revealed that immediate and delayed corrective feedback have a significant effect on EFL students’ level of WTC. The results, also demonstrated that experimental group 1 (immediate feedback) outweighed the other two groups in relation to their WTC. The findings have implication for pedagogy as well as further research.

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