The Japanese EFL Learners' Self-Regulated Language Learning and Proficiency

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-87
Author(s):  
Akiko Fukuda

Accurate pronunciation has a vital role in English language learning as it can help learners to avoid misunderstanding in communication. However, EFL learners in many contexts, especially at the University of Phan Thiet, still encounter many difficulties in pronouncing English correctly. Therefore, this study endeavors to explore English-majored students’ perceptions towards the role of pronunciation in English language learning and examine their pronunciation practicing strategies (PPS). It involved 155 English-majored students at the University of Phan Thiet who answered closed-ended questionnaires and 18 English-majored students who participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that students strongly believed in the important role of pronunciation in English language learning; however, they sometimes employed PPS for their pronunciation improvement. Furthermore, the results showed that participants tended to use naturalistic practicing strategies and formal practicing strategies with sounds, but they overlooked strategies such as asking for help and cooperating with peers. Such findings could contribute further to the understanding of how students perceive the role of pronunciation and their PPS use in the research’s context and other similar ones. Received 10th June 2019; Revised 12th March 2020; Accepted 12th April 2020


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (40) ◽  
pp. 631-654
Author(s):  
Khaldoon Waleed Husam Al-Mofti

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.


Relay Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 228-235
Author(s):  
Paul J. Moore ◽  
Phil Murphy ◽  
Luann Pascucci ◽  
Scott Sustenance

This paper reports on an ongoing study into the affordances of free online machine translation for students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) at the tertiary level in Japan. The researchers are currently collecting data from a questionnaire, task performance, and interviews with 10-15 EFL learners in an English Language Institute in a university in Japan. The paper provides some background on the changing role of translation in language learning theory and pedagogy, before focusing literature related to technical developments in machine translation technology, and its application to foreign language learning. An overview of the research methodology is provided, along with some insights into potential findings. Findings will be presented in subsequent publications.


Vocabulary learning is one of the problems in language learning skills. Tackling such problems is to provide useful and effective strategies for enhancing students’ VLSs. Therefore, this study aims to survey vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) utilized among English as a Foreign Language learners (EFL) in Baghlan University of Afghanistan, and to study the high and least frequently used VLSs that contributes to the learners’ vocabulary knowledge. This study utilizes a descriptive quantitative research method with 67 EFL learners who participated in the survey questionnaire adopted from Oxford (1990) taxonomy of VLS from different faculties of Baghlan University. The findings indicated that EFL learners preferably utilize VLSs at a medium level, and the highly used vocabulary learning strategies are the social strategies through which they ask the native speakers, teachers, and classmates for the meanings of new words in English language conversation. Determination, cognitive, and memory strategies are respectively followed by the learners. Whereas, metacognitive strategies are the least used strategies among EFL learners, the reason is that they only focus on the materials related to examination; explore anything about the new words for learning, and rarely think of their improvement in vocabulary learning.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parastoo Alizadeh Oghyanous

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of brain-based teaching on the self-efficacy of young EFL learners. The initial participants of the study were 90 learners within the age range of 13-16 who were selected based on convenience sampling. Theses 90 young EFL learners were given a Flyers test the scores of which were used to choose 60 homogeneous learners whose scores fell within the range of +/- one standard deviation from the mean. The 60 selected learners were then divided into an experimental and a control group. A Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C), developed by Muris (2001) was administered to the participants in both groups before and after the treatment after being translated into Persian and piloted for reliability check. To implement brain-based teaching in the experimental group, the researcher taught the lessons based on the three techniques of Brain Based Teaching Approach (BBTA). The three techniques used were Relaxed Alertness (RA), Orchestrated Immersion (OI) and Active Processing (AP) in line with Thomas and Swamy (2014). The results of statistical analyses indicated that brain-based teaching approach had a significant effect on students’ self-efficacy. The findings of the study can have implications for both students and EFL teachers in the realm of foreign language learning and teaching.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Made Frida Yulia

Due to the minimum language exposure that EFL learners have, one recommended way to promote interest in foreign language reading is through Extensive Reading. This kind of reading has gained popularity over the years, ever since it was introduced to the realm of foreign language learning. Extensive Reading has been shown to bring a lot of benefits for L2 learners in many respects, and, consequently, it has been implemented in a variety of contexts. This paper aims at revisiting Extensive Reading along with its pertaining principles. In addition, it attempts to scrutinize a number of recent studies conducted in the area of Extensive Reading to discover current trends and possible areas which are open for further exploration. 


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