scholarly journals Discourse markers in academic and non-academic writings of Thai EFL learners

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1209-1226
Author(s):  
Sumit Choemue ◽  
Barli Bram
Keyword(s):  
Learning Community ◽  
Discourse Markers ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
Spoken Discourse ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Writing Course ◽  
University Level ◽  
The University

The ability to use discourse markers (DMs) to create cohesion and coherence of a text is essential for EFL learners at the university level to express ideas and thoughts in various types of writing assignments, such as academic papers and reflections. Hence, this study attempted to shed more light on the use of DMs in academic and non-academic writings of Thai EFL learners. The main objective was to investigate the types, overall frequency, and differences, and similarities of discourse markers in both styles of writing. Sixty essays, consisting of 20 academic essays and 40 non-academic ones, were selected as the primary data. Academic essays were selected from the Critical Reading and Writing course of Xavier Learning Community (XLC), Thailand, while the non-academic ones were selected from the XLC English Newsletter. The data were analyzed based on Fraser’s taxonomy (2009). The results showed that 2.521 DMs distributed in five types, namely contrastive discourse, elaborative discourse, inferential discourse, temporal discourse, and spoken discourse markers, were identified in the 20 academic and 40 non-academic essays.  The most frequently used DM was elaborative discourse markers (EDM), F=1,703. This study concluded that raising awareness of DMs would assist Thai EFL learners in producing an effective and coherent piece of writing. 

The Effect of Using Flipped Classroom Model to Improve Iraqi EFL Learners’ Pronunciation in English at University Level

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (40) ◽  
pp. 631-654
Author(s):  
Khaldoon Waleed Husam Al-Mofti
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
English Pronunciation ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
University Level ◽  
The University ◽  
And Control ◽  
Experimental Group

For Iraqi EFL learners who are studying English pronunciation in a traditional instruction method often requires more effort and hard work. Thus, using new methods of teaching such as the flipped classroom model (FCM) is necessary to facilitate learning and improve performance. Hence, this study reports on explanatory research that investigates the effect of using the FCM in the teaching of English pronunciation for Iraqi EFL learners at the university level. The study implemented mixed research methods for data collection in a quasi-experimental analysis. Therefore, two tests were conducted on the assigned groups to measure the effect of the FCM before and after the intervention. Besides, a questionnaire and interviews were used on the experiment group students to collect data about their perceptions of the FCM. The study length (lasted)  was 15 weeks and is comprised of 60 students from the department of English, College of Arts at the University of Anbar. The students were divided into two groups, experimental, and control with 30 students in each group. The findings revealed that there was a significant statistical difference between the two groups in favour of the experimental group with better performance, indicating that the FCM has considerably assisted the Iraqi EFL learners to improve their English pronunciation. Moreover, the students expressed their positive feedback and satisfaction on the use of the FCM in their responses to the questionnaire and the interviews. As such, the current study recommends further research to study the effect of applying the FCM in areas and disciplines other than language learning.

scholarly journals The Impact of Discourse Marker Instruction on Fluency, Accuracy, and Complexity Improvement of Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 152
Author(s):  
Ghader Asadzadian ◽  
Rashid Saad ◽  
Fereshteh Asadzadian
Keyword(s):  
Explicit Instruction ◽  
Corrective Feedback ◽  
Discourse Markers ◽  
Discourse Marker ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Writing Courses ◽  
English Major ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of discourse marker (DM) instruction on fluency, accuracy, and complexity improvement of Iranian intermediate EFL learner’s writing. To this aim, among the two hundred forth year English major learners in Dezful university, Iran, fifty of them who were in the intermediate level, based on the scoring system of the university, were recruited. They were given a topic to write before intervention. Then, the fifty participants passed through twenty-hour instruction on micro and macro DMs, based on Belles-Furtuno’s (2004) classification of discourse markers. The mentioned classification included both sentential and supra sentential markers. In the process of explicit instruction (EI) of DMs, they were given various exercises and activities to apply DMs and learn the function and usage of these units and input flood (IF) was performed along with corrective feedback (CF) with the help of the teacher with their mistakes and misunderstandings of DMs. After intervention, they were given another topic to write to examine if EI+IF of DMs could help them improve fluency, accuracy, and complexity of their writing. To quantify the results the Wolfe-Quintero (1998) method was used and it was unveiled that all the three components of writing improved after intervention, which practically means instruction of DMs could enhance learner’s writing in the three aspects. The findings can be used by teachers and syllabus designers to consider DMs as one of the most crucial components in writing courses.

scholarly journals THE ANALYSIS OF BRAINSTORMING STRATEGY ON TEACHING WRITING IN THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Elia Puspitasari ◽  
Titik Lina Widyaningsih
Keyword(s):  
Short Story ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Teaching Writing ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
Writing Class ◽  
University Level ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
The University ◽  
Academic Year

This research was aimed to analyze a brainstorming strategy on teaching writing, especially in writing a short story for the second-semester students of the English Department in (STKIP) PGRI Tulungagung in the academic year 2017/2018. This research was conducted using qualitative methodology. The researcher observed and analyzed the writing class where the lecturer was applying a brainstorming strategy. Qualitative data had been collected from observation of the teaching-learning process, interview with the lecturer and the students, and also questionnaire given to twenty students in that class. The data was in the form of observation, interview transcripts, and the results of the questionnaire. In this research, the researcher involved twenty participants to fill the questionnaire. There were six students from those twenty students and the lecturer who were involved in the process of interview. The result of the research showed that implementing a brainstorming strategy in writing class could improve student's skills in writing, especially writing a short story. The brainstorming strategy helped students to generate their ideas and express the ideas into a systematic paragraph. The students also felt that this strategy could improve their writing. When the lecturer applied a brainstorming strategy, the students could do their writing assignments better and also got good results. Thus, the researcher suggested that the lecturer and the students to apply a brainstorming strategy in ordered that the students’ writing skills could be improved.

scholarly journals How Well Can Arab EFL Learners Adequately Use Discourse Markers?

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Discourse Markers ◽  
The Other ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Written Compositions ◽  
The University

Discourse markers are words or phrases used in both speech and writing to signal relationships between discourse segments, including clauses, sentences and even larger portions of texts such as paragraphs. Their proper use in writing effectively contributes to textuality standards, particularly cohesion and coherence. On the other hand, learners’ misuse, underuse or overuse of these markers may negatively impact the quality of the texts that these learners produce. This paper examined the ability of a group of Arab learners of English as a foreign language (ALEFL) from the University of Sharjah to recognize and produce discourse markers in written compositions. Using two elicitation techniques, the researchers collected data for this research from a sample of one hundred Arab learners studying English at the University of Sharjah. A test consisting of four parts was specially designed to evaluate participants’ ability to recognize and produce discourse markers in context. In addition, two hundred compositions written by ALEFL were analyzed to investigate their ability to produce discourse markers. The data analysis revealed that the participants’ ability to recognize and produce discourse markers was relatively low and their ability to recognize the functions of discourse markers in context was below expectations.

scholarly journals Factors Making the Change in Current Academic Performance of Business Students at the University Level

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Hafiz Muhammad Naveed ◽  
Hafiz Amar Yaqoob ◽  
Shoaib Ali ◽  
Jan Muhammad Sohu ◽  
Yao Hongxing
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Regression Test ◽  
University Level ◽  
The University ◽  
Robustness Check

The key objectives of current empirical research study to examines the Factors making the change in the current academic performance of business students at the University level as a mediators role of Curriculum, English competency, Students Facilities, Faculty quality and Fee Remission. For this key purpose, primary data was collected by respondents via self-administrative questionnaire. Following econometric models have entertained to expose actual phenomenon: Reliability test was taken to test the consistency among the questions; descriptive statistics were used to determine the data visualizing and data normality; a correlation matrix was applied to quantify individual significance; the linear regression model was used to examine the per-unit and overall volatility in the model; mediation regression test was used for diagnosing the mediation effect and sobal test was used for robustness check of the mediation effect. The result indicates that the previous academic performance of students and the current academic performance of students have positively associated. Moreover, the consequences have acknowledged that the partially mediation effect of curriculum, English competency, Student facilities, Faculty quality and fee remission. This research study will be supported to the university administration for creating novel-legislation concerning uplift the academic performance of students.

scholarly journals On the Teaching and Learning of Culture-Loaded Words: The Case of Moroccan EFL Learners

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Driss Benattabou
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Cultural Meanings ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Inappropriate Use ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
University Level ◽  
The University

This paper sets out to investigate an uncharted research area in the field of applied linguistics concerned with the teaching and learning of culture-loaded words among Moroccan learners of EFL at the university level. Relying on a comparative analysis, this study delineates some problematic areas foreign language students may face as a result of their being unaware of the cultural connotative meanings some words may carry in the target language. The inappropriate use of these words may often lead to gross misunderstandings contributing most of the time to the perpetuation of intercultural confusions and conflicts. EFL teachers may do a great disservice to their students if they leave them fully unaware of the extra cultural meanings some words may convey besides their basic denotation. The last part of the paper suggests some implications on how to develop the teaching and learning of these culturally-loaded words.

scholarly journals The Iraqi EFL Learners’ Use of Conversational Maxims at the University Level

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. p43
Author(s):  
Mohammed Jasim Betti ◽  
Karrar Salim Yaseen
Keyword(s):  
Recognition Test ◽  
College Of Education ◽  
The Other ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Gricean Maxims ◽  
University Level ◽  
Recognition Level ◽  
The University

The current study is an attempt to measure the Iraqi EFL learners’ use of conversational maxims at the recognition level. The study aims at testing whether the Iraqi EFL learners observe or flout the Gricean maxims, assessing the Iraqi EFL learners’ mastery of the conversational maxims, and identifying which maxim(s) is/are frequently flouted. The study hypothesizes that the Iraqi EFL learners flout all the maxims of conversation, the maxim of relation is the least flouted one, the Iraqi EFL learners find the maxims difficult to adhere to, and the maxim of quantity is mostly flouted. The subjects of the study are a hundred Iraqi EFL learners at the fourth-year, Dept. of English, College of Education for Humanities, University of Al-Muthanna. The data elicitation toolis a recognition test designed in accordance with nature of the study. The study brings forth the conclusions that the subjects have a difficulty in utilizing the maxims altogether, they flout all the conversational maxims in relatively different degrees, and the learners are mostly abided by the maxim of relation more than the other ones.

scholarly journals Difficulties of Understanding English Breaking News Headlines by Iraqi EFL Learners at the University Level

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Abdulqader Talib Naeem ◽  
Juma’a Q. Hussein
Keyword(s):  
College Of Education ◽  
Passive Voice ◽  
Breaking News ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Research Instrument ◽  
University Level ◽  
The University ◽  
News Headlines

Understanding breaking news necessitates a special attention, since they are written with a special style. The study aims at identifying the difficulties faced by the Iraqi university EFL learners in comprehending English breaking news. The study included 10 fourth year students enrolled at the Department of English, College of Education for Humanities, University of Anbar. Thus, a questionnaire as a research instrument, was sent online to the students. The questionnaire points were related to the identification of difficulties faced by the learners in comprehending English breaking news. The data of the study were (10) headlines selected purposively from Euronews website. The data were qualitatively analyzed based on quantifying the quality procedure. The findings showed that (54%) of the total number of the students stated that the headlines are difficult to understand, and (46%) considered them easy. Based on these findings, the study has concluded that students faced four main difficulties: neologism, difficult vocabulary, ellipsis, and passive voice when reading news headlines. Neologism has scored the highest percentage (32.4324%), while passive voice has been the lowest (5.4054%).

scholarly journals COGNITIVE DIVERSITY AMONG EFL LEARNERS: IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHING IN HIGHER EDUCATION

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 44
Author(s):  
Tariq Elyas ◽  
Bayan AlHashmi ◽  
Fan Fang
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Cognitive Diversity ◽  
Cognitive Profiles ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
University Level ◽  
The University ◽  
Teaching In Higher Education

With a theory-driven interest in the factors that make some language learners more successful than others, this study attempts to measure the cognitive diversity level of EFL learners at a Saudi university. To achieve this purpose, the Ehrman and Leaver’s questionnaire of learners’ cognitive profiles (Ehrman & Leaver, 2003) was adapted, translated into Arabic, and then randomly distributed to foundation year students taking English as a Foreign Language as a main course. The overall results reveal that the cognitive diversity among students is considerable. It ranges between moderate to high, according to the Simpson Diversity Index (Simpson, 1949). On this account, several implications are suggested to improve the quality of EFL teaching at the university level. These implications and recommendations are mostly directed to the committees concerned with qualification assurance or professional development.

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