scholarly journals The effect of flipped learning on EFL learners’ public speaking in Taiwan

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Rachid Bezzazi
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Public Speaking ◽  
Flipped Learning ◽  
Conventional Instruction ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Learning Group ◽  
Convenience Sampling ◽  
Quantitative And Qualitative Methods ◽  
Reflective Essay

<p>This study investigates the effectiveness of flipped learning on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ public speaking. An experimental design was implemented throughout the study, for which the researcher used convenience sampling. Seventy-nine sophomore students, from two intact English Public Speaking classes, were divided into a flipped learning group (FLG) and a conventional instruction group (CIG). This happened over a 12-week period where the focus was to investigate how a language learner’s experience of flipped learning or conventional instruction affected their English public speaking. The author used quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data: a pre- and post-in-class speech and a 250-word post-treatment reflective essay. Both an independent and paired t-test were used to analyze the scores of the speeches, whereas coding was used to specify the themes that emerged from the qualitative data. The results revealed that the FLG significantly outperformed the CIG in the areas of body language and paralanguage. In addition, they did better in the areas of content and organization, and developed other skills as will be detailed later. The findings can be an impetus for EFL instructors to adopt flipped learning in an English public speaking course.<strong></strong></p>

scholarly journals Reverse Transfer Of L2 To L1: The Case Of Code-Switching

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (7) ◽  
pp. 57-68
Author(s):  
Shima Ghobadi ◽  
Mohammad Reza Talebinejad
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Code Switching ◽  
Reverse Transfer ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Convenience Sampling ◽  
And Control ◽  
Academic Year

Issues related to the learners’ use of the foreign language and the mother tongue (code-switching) in the foreign language classroom and their role in language teaching and learning processes have been a common area of research. This study aimed at investigating Reverse Transfer of L2 to L1.To this end, 50 Iranian intermediate EFL learners (25 males, 25 females) at Islamic Azad University, Shahreza Branch studies in the second semester of the academic year 2016-2017 were selected through the convenience sampling method. They were then assigned randomly to the experimental and control groups.

scholarly journals University Students’ Perceptions of Videotaping as a Teaching Tool in a Public Speaking Course

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 102
Author(s):  
Latifa El Mortaji
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Public Speaking ◽  
Major Effect ◽  
Verbal Communication ◽  
Independent Learning ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Freshmen Students ◽  
Speaking Skills

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of videotaping on college students’ public speaking skills development in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) from the learners’ perspective. Twenty Moroccan freshmen students majoring in Engineering, Business, and Humanities at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, participated in the study. Using 60 videotaped extemporaneous speeches, pre and post-videotaping surveys together with self-reflection essays, the researcher reports on students’ perceptions of and attitudes towards the effectiveness of videotaping on their public speaking competence development. Results revealed that the students’ public speaking skills improved over the course of a semester in terms of content, followed by non-verbal communication, verbal communication, organization, and language. In line with some previous research, this study confirms that a combination of videotaping and self-reflection has a major effect on improving students' public speaking skills, developing confidence of EFL learners, and fostering independent learning

scholarly journals Millennials as Dictionary Users: A Study of Dictionary Use Habits of Serbian EFL Students

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 215824402110084
Author(s):  
Ljiljana Knežević ◽  
Sabina Halupka-Rešetar ◽  
Ivana Miškeljin ◽  
Mira Milić
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Digital Competence ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Unknown Words ◽  
Dictionary Use ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Method Approach

The article addresses the use of dictionaries among the new millennium generation of English as a foreign language (EFL) undergraduates. Applying the mixed-method approach (a questionnaire and interviews), the study examines the frequency of dictionary use, the types of dictionaries used, activities initiating dictionary consultation, information searched for, and problems faced in using dictionaries. The findings suggest that the participants are most fond of bilingual online dictionaries and use them mostly for looking up the meaning of unknown words. They also show that despite being high consumers of technology, participants do not benefit much from online dictionaries, as they neglect most of the entry information. The qualitative data reveal that the participants perceive various digital tools of questionable quality as online dictionaries. Overall, the study sheds light on the characteristic behavior of the new generation of EFL learners regarding their dictionary use and points to the necessity of developing their digital competence in the realm of dictionary use.

scholarly journals Foreign Language Enjoyment and Classroom Anxiety of Chinese EFL Learners With Intermediate and Low English Proficiency

2022 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-109
Author(s):  
Huina Su
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Opposite Pattern ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Teacher Factors ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Classroom Anxiety

Driven by Positive Psychology, research on emotions in second language acquisition has moved from The Anxiety-Prevailing Phase to Positive and Negative Emotions Phase (Dewaele & Li, 2020). A growing number of scholars begin to study learners’ emotions from a more holistic perspective. The present study investigated the levels and sources of foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) of 231 Chinese EFL undergraduates with intermediate and low English proficiency. The study found moderate levels of both FLE and FLCA among participants. However, the level of FLE was much lower than the international and domestic samples, while the level of FLCA showed the opposite pattern. There was no significant gender difference emerged for FLE, while female participants reported more FLCA than their male counterparts. Moreover, no significant difference was found in the levels of both FLE and FLCA between intermediate and low English proficiency students. Qualitative data analysis confirmed that FLE was closely related to teacher factors while FLCA was more related to learners themselves. Based on these findings, pedagogical implications were provided for EFL teaching in China.

scholarly journals The Encoding of Field in EFL Learners' Academic Writing in English

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. p14
Author(s):  
Budi Rahayu
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Text Production ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Material Process ◽  
Argumentative Texts

One of the problems in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) is the teachers’ lack of knowledge on the process of the students’ text production, which seems to have not been adequately explored and described. This research aims to describe the process of encoding of Field in EFL learners' academic writing in English, especially argumentative texts, focusing on how students produce the texts and why they produce the texts as they do. A Mixed method is applied in this research; Qualitative data is collected from interviews and quantitative data is compiled from the texts produced by a group of 25 Indonesian university students, who become the subject of this research. The findings show that Indonesian students, when writing English argumentative texts, use mostly Material process, Relational process, and Mental process. Furthermore, the students mostly use Circumstance of Reason, Time and Circumstance of Degree. These types of Processes and Circumstances are encoded in the text for the reasons of elaborating, explaining, and expressing opinions, based on the question asked. In other words, the encoding of Field seems to be influenced by the question or prompt given. This has given an idea of how foreign language teaching should be conducted.

scholarly journals SOURCES OF TURKISH EFL LEARNERS’ FOREIGN LANGUAGE READING ANXIETY

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Cemre Isler ◽  
Ozgur Yildirim
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
English Language ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Figurative Language ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Foreign Language Reading ◽  
Reading Anxiety

The purpose of this study was to investigate possible sources of reading anxiety experienced by Turkish EFL learners. The participants of the study were 50 first year university students studying at the English Language Teaching program of a public university in Turkey. The study employed the explanatory sequential mixed methods design. First, the quantitative data were collected through Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale (FLRAS), and then the qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews for the purpose of better understanding quantitative data findings. For analyzing the quantitative data, each participant’s mean score from FLRAS was computed. As for the qualitative data, the transcribed interviews were analyzed using the constant comparison method, for which the researcher identified the recurring themes through coding, prioritizing and connecting the pieces of data. Results indicated that the participants of the study, in general, experience a moderate level of FL reading anxiety. The following three main categories of FL reading anxiety sources were identified with their ten sub-categories: (1) personal factors (inappropriate reading strategy use, lack of self-confidence, high expectations), (2) features of the reading text (topic familiarity, unknown vocabulary, complex reading structure, text length, figurative language), and (3) reading course (compulsory reading, exam). Key Words: foreign language anxiety, foreign language reading anxiety, the sources of foreign language reading anxiety

scholarly journals In-Service Primary School Teachers’ Account of Phonetically Difficult Words in English as a Foreign Language

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 297-315
Author(s):  
Oleksandr Kapranov
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Primary School ◽  
English Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Initial Position ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Primary School Teachers ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
English Spelling ◽  
Reflective Essay

This article presents and discusses a mixed-method study that seeks to establish a set of words in the English language that in-service primary school teachers consider difficult to pronounce by young learners of English whose first language (L1) is Norwegian. In the study, 26 in-service primary school teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) are asked to write a reflective essay with a list of phonetically difficult words (henceforth PDWs) in English that they think are difficult to pronounce by young EFL learners. Additionally, the in-service primary school teachers (further – participants) are requested to reflect and comment on PDWs, and explain the reasons why they think they are phonetically difficult. The participants’ individual lists of PDWs are compiled into a corpus which is processed in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) in order to calculate the frequency of PDWs. The participants’ comments and reflections are subsequently analysed qualitatively in order to establish the sources of PDWs. The results of the investigation reveal that the corpus of PDWs is comprised of 257 lexical items. The most frequent PDWs are associated with those sounds of the English language that are absent in the young EFL learners’ L1, Norwegian, e.g., /θ/ in birthday, /ð/ in this, /z/ in zoo, etc. Other frequent PDWs are related to English spelling conventions (e.g., fruit), the word-initial position of affricates (e.g., chocolate), and word stress (e.g., window). These findings and their linguo-didactic implications are further discussed in the article.

scholarly journals Communication challenges: Saudi EFL Speaking Skills and strategies to overcome speaking difficulties

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-61
Author(s):  
Hayat Ahmad Kashmiri
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
English As Foreign Language ◽  
English Class ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Communication Challenges

The purpose of this study to present the findings of research conducted to challenges faced by Saudi English as foreign language (EFL) learners and to formulate some strategies to overcome their speaking difficulties. In Saudi Arabia, there is a widely held perception that it is possible for the EFL learners to attain the high levels of proficiency in writing reading and listening, but they cannot speak English as compared to their peers from around the globe. This is quite concerning as these students have selective and compulsory English courses that run through their almost ten years of compulsory school education. The challenges to speaking by these students had formerly been addressed by sorting out the challenges of deficiencies in teacher development and teacher education, learners’ autonomy lack of material and technology in the EFL classes and anxiety in learning a foreign language. The purpose is to seek answers to the challenges of speaking English from the Saudi speaking EFL students themselves. In order to do that a sample of 66 students who have enrolled in year one of intensive preparatory English class will be used. A mixed method research design will be used in the triangulation of the findings for higher validity. Quantitative data will be analyzed with software for data analysis while qualitative data will be analyzed by making use of descriptive analysis. The findings will help to identify the reasons why speaking English is a challenge for Saudi EFL students which will help in the formulation of strategies to overcome such challenges.

scholarly journals The Use of Project-based Learning Focusing on Drama to Promote Speaking Skills of EFL Learners

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawarn Sirisrimangkorn
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Affective Factors ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Communicative Context ◽  
Speaking Skills

This study focuses on the use of project-based learning focusing on drama to promote the speaking skills of EFL learners. It also aims to investigate how the use of project-based learning focusing on drama is beneficial to learners’ speaking skills. The participants of this study were EFL learners majoring in English who were enrolled in Learning English through Drama course. The data of the current study was collected quantitatively and qualitatively. Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis revealed that learners’ speaking skills were improved as a result of the use of project-based learning focusing on drama. Moreover, the principles of project-based learning and drama are advantageous for learners’ language learning and speaking skills. Hence, the use of project-based learning focusing on drama is recommended for promoting speaking skills and affective factors. The present study also highlights the advantages of using project-based learning focusing on drama as an effective teaching method as it provides learners with opportunities to speak English and is seen as an enjoyable way for learners to learn a foreign language. Finally, the study recommends the use of project-based learning focusing on drama in the language classroom as it provides learners with opportunities to speak a foreign language in a communicative context.

scholarly journals Reducing speaking anxiety in EFL classrooms: An explanatory mixed-methods study

2021 ◽  
pp. 249-261
Author(s):  
Elçin Ölmezer Öztürk ◽  
Gökhan Öztürk
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Speaking Anxiety ◽  
Communication Course ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Analysis Scheme ◽  
Explanatory Mixed Methods ◽  
The Impact

This study outlines the impact of a process enriched with mini-speeches, presentations, and scaffolded feedback on EFL learners’ foreign language speaking anxiety. The participants included 52 university freshman students and the data were collected during an oral 14-week communication course. For quantitative data, the foreign language speaking anxiety scale (FLSAS) was administered as pre and post tests and the qualitative data included reflection reports and a focus group interview at the end of the semester. The data derived from the scale were analyzed through a paired-sample t-test and the qualitative data were analyzed using a content analysis scheme. The findings revealed a significant impact of the aforementioned activities, leading to around thirty percent reduction in participants’ EFL speaking anxiety. Highlighting the effectiveness of feedback sessions, the participants suggested that the major gains of this process were a) increased self-confidence, b) increased opportunities to speak, and c) learning from their own mistakes, all of which helped them become less anxious learners. In line with these findings, the study offers several suggestions for both practitioners and research purposes.

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