scholarly journals Using Pixton for Teaching EFL Writing in Higher Education during the Covid-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 102-115
Author(s):  
Paola Cabrera-Solano ◽  
Paul Gonzalez-Torres ◽  
Cesar Ochoa-Cueva
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Private University ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Efl Writing ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Southern Ecuador ◽  
Writing Course ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Technological Tool ◽  
The Common

The study examined the use of Pixton to support the teaching of English as a foreign language (EFL) writing to students at a private university in southern Ecuador. For this purpose, 52 EFL students (male and female, aged 19–24 years old) who were enrolled in a writing course participated in the study for a period of five months. At the start, most of these students had an A1+ proficiency level, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The study employed an action research design. A diagnostic test was applied at the beginning of the instruction period, and, at the end, a final exam and a perceptions questionnaire were administered. The findings indicate positive perceptions about Pixton, and students’ online writing skills improved due to the pedagogical use of this technological tool. Furthermore, Pixton increased students’ engagement, motivation and dynamic work to a remarkable extent. Finally, an improvement was observed in aspects of students’ writing, such as grammar, vocabulary, coherence and cohesion.

scholarly journals The Effect of Blended Learning in Enhancing Female Students’ Satisfaction in the Saudi Context

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Al LHassan ◽  
Nadia Shukri
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Level Of Satisfaction ◽  
The Future ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Students Satisfaction

The present study intended to investigate the effect of utilizing Learning Management System (LMS), Blackboard® on enhancing English as a Foreign Language (EFL) female students’ satisfaction in the Saudi context. It is found that the effectiveness of utilizing the supplementary materials on Blackboard® is leading up to EFL students’ satisfaction. Since, Blended Learning (BL) model could stimulate a classroom setting with activities that are carried out under flexible and engaging manner. The sample consisted of ninety-eight students from proficiency level -104. The data of the study was collected using a questionnaire to identify students’ level of satisfaction. The results revealed that students’ satisfaction was apparent as their positive responses outweighed their negative responses mainly in terms of richness of learning resources, opportunity to interact in foreign language, appropriateness and variety of content, and ease of using Blackboard®. Based on the results, the study recommends considering the positive assets and challenges to plan the future of both teaching and learning English language effectively. The study suggested several areas to be investigated in the future such as examining the motivational behavior of both the teachers and the students and finding out the factors that will affect the environment of BL in EFL.

scholarly journals Using Digital Games for Enhancing EFL Grammar and Vocabulary in Higher Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (20) ◽  
pp. 116
Author(s):  
Luz Castillo-Cuesta
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Southern Ecuador ◽  
English Major ◽  
Frame Work ◽  
The Common ◽  
Method Approach ◽  
Analyze Data

The purpose of this study is to analyze the use of digital games to enhance English as a Foreign Language (EFL) grammar and vocabulary in the English Major of Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, in southern Ecuador. A total of 68 students from B1 level, according to the Common European Frame-work of Reference for Languages (CEFR), participated in this study. All the par-ticipants were enrolled in two different classes of a Communicative Grammar course. A mixed-method approach was used to collect and analyze data in this study. Pre and post-questionnaires as well as writing rubrics were applied as in-struments. Digital games were implemented throughout an academic term of 5 months in which students received permanent feedback. The results show that digital games were useful to improve learners´ grammar in aspects concerning the use of modals, gerunds, and infinitives; also, students showed an improvement in their vocabulary knowledge, especially in topics related to jobs and education.

scholarly journals In-Class versus Out-of-Class Flipped Classroom Models in English as a Foreign Language Writing

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (SPE1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatma SENGUL ◽  
Hanife BENSEN BOSTANCI
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Class Versus ◽  
Foreign Language Writing ◽  
Writing Course ◽  
Language Writing ◽  
Writing Models ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Students Attitudes

As a consequence of these, EFL educators should use an out-of-class flipped classroom model for writing, if they give priority to their EFL students’ attitudes towards the writing models on account of having an effective writing course.

scholarly journals Saudi Arabia EFL university students’ voice on challenges and solution in learning academic writing

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Abdullah Alharbi
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Efl Writing ◽  
Writing Courses ◽  
Writing Improvement ◽  
Writing Course ◽  
Before And After

The present study aims to investigate the difficulties faced by 74 English as a foreign language (EFL) undergraduate students in developing a well-written paragraph in academic writing by designing a writing course based on the students’ voices. The self-report survey (5-point Likert scale) was used as the pre- and post-questionnaire, and pre- and the post-tests task was used to track students’ writing improvement before and after taking a writing course. Pre-questionnaire and pre-tests showed that participants had difficulties in using the mechanics of writing (punctuation, spelling, grammar, topic sentences, and supporting sentences). The majority of the students’ responses in the post-survey shows that they believed their writing improved and encountered fewer difficulties in writing as compared to their views in the pre-questionnaire. The result of the post-tests indicates improvements in students’ writing samples. The study concludes that EFL writing courses should be designed on the basis of challenges faced by the students in order to get the best outcome from the course.

scholarly journals Exploring Academic Writing Needs of Indonesian EFL Undergraduate Students

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ratnawati ◽  
Didih Faridah ◽  
Syafiul Anam ◽  
Pratiwi Retnaningdyah
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Private University ◽  
Writing Courses ◽  
Need Analysis ◽  
Writing Course ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
General Skills ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
The University

Academic writing is noteworthy competence to be accomplished for English as a foreign language (EFL) students to fulfill their academic needs at the university. To do so, Indonesian tertiary universities accommodate and foster this competence using academic writing course. The study, therefore, sought to look into: 1. what undergraduate EFL students’ perceptions of the importance of academic writing to their current study and future career, 2. what the students’ perceptions of the difficulties of academic writing, 3. what the students’ attitudes towards their previous and future academic writing courses. The present study investigates students’ needs emerging in academic writing during classroom practices to gain insightful and profound perspectives for forthcoming needs of the course. Data were collected through a five scaled questionnaire of need analysis distributed to thirty-four EFL students from a private university, and a focus group interview involving nine participants. Results indicate 61% (Mdifficulties=3.05) of students faced difficulties in both general skills and language problems of academic writing and a new course was expected to provide moves/steps for writing the sections in a research article. The present study then suggests that e-database resources are needed for academic papers models and references hence its efficiency and flexibility in prospective academic writing.

scholarly journals The effects of face-to-face and computer-mediated peer review on EFL writers’ comments and revisions

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei-ching Ho
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Peer Review ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Chat Room ◽  
Online Chat ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Efl Writing ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Writing Course

<p>This study investigates the use of face-to-face and computer-mediated peer review in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing course to examine how different interaction modes affect comment categories, students’ revisions, and their perceptions of peer feedback. The participants were an intact class of 13 students at a Taiwanese university. The computer-mediated peer review involved <em>OnlineMeeting</em>, software specifically designed for peer review activities and featuring a split screen protocol, document sharing, and chat room functions. The results of chi-square tests show that overall students offered more revision-oriented comments than non-revision-oriented ones among different writing tasks in either mode. Also, peer review mode affected some types of peer comments to a certain extent. There were significantly more global alteration comments and fewer local alteration comments in face-to-face than computer-mediated mode. While the participants liked comments via <em>Word</em>’s annotation features over handwritten comments, they felt face-to-face discussions to be more effective than online chat via <em>OnlineMeeting</em> due to the affordance of face-to-face talk (e.g., immediacy and paralinguistic features), that cannot be easily replaced by electronic chat. Pedagogical implications regarding the balanced use of computer-mediated and non-computer-mediated writing activities are discussed, along with suggestions for future research.</p>

scholarly journals Learning from home environment: Academic writing course for EFL undergraduates through Google Classroom application

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 710-725
Author(s):  
Amrina Rosyada ◽  
Hanna Sundari
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Home Environment ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Education Program ◽  
English Education ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
Writing Course ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
English Speaking

Learning academic writing seems to be a great challenge for most English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in non-native English-speaking countries, including in Indonesia. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue appears to be more challenging where teachers are persuaded to learn from their home environment (LHE). Several online applications are freely available, and one of the most common applications is Google Classroom. However, the use of such application towards the students’ performance and perception remains understudied. This research aimed at exploring the practices of Google Classroom in facilitating the Academic Writing course of EFL undergraduates. Engaged by 96 participants of third-year students in the English Education Program, the research conducted an explanatory sequential research design by correlating the results data on writing assignments and a set of questionnaires. The findings indicated a significant correlation between using Google Classroom and the students’ writing performance. Moreover, most students expressed their satisfaction with Google Classroom’s practical features to get involved in the academic writing course. The students were satisfied with Google Classroom’s features that were easy to be recognized and easy to be operated. The Google Classroom features also provide clear instructions, practical directions, and the most valuable feature, that is assignment reminders for the students. It can be said that using Google Classroom in the EFL academic writing course at higher education is a great experience and brings great advantages to students’ outcomes.

scholarly journals APPLYING VIDEO-STIMULATED REFLECTION AS A LEARNING STRATEGY TO ENHANCE EFL STUDENTS' SPEAKING PERFORMANCE

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Dian Safitri ◽  
Ferawati Ferawati ◽  
Herri Mulyono
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Learning Strategy ◽  
English Education ◽  
Private University ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Voice Control ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Speaking Performance ◽  
Control Body

This qualitative study aimed to examine video-stimulated reflection as a learning strategy to enhance English as a foreign language (EFL) students' speaking performance. The data from six students majoring in English Education, in a private university in Indonesia were collected through students' reflection journals and semi-structured interviews. The results were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings of the current study indicate that video-stimulated reflection has encouraged students to improve their speaking ability. More specifically, the key targets for enhancing the performance of students' in speaking to others on a daily basis were voice control, body language, and effectiveness.

scholarly journals Sources and Levels of Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety of English as a Foreign Language University Students with regard to Language Proficiency and Gender

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emre Debreli ◽  
Seren Demirkan
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Speaking Anxiety ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Turkish Cypriot

<p>Although foreign language anxiety is a widely explored subject in the area of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), studies that focus on the speaking anxiety in EFL, as well as the gender and language proficiency level–anxiety relationship, are rare. The present study investigates the phenomenon in an EFL context and analyzes the levels of EFL students’ speaking anxiety and the sources that make them anxious. It also explores whether there is any relationship between anxiety and students’ language proficiency level and gender. Data were gathered from 196 Turkish and Turkish Cypriot students through questionnaires (Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale), as well as through semi-structured interviews with 10 students who participated in the questionnaires. The findings indicated that the students generally had low level of speaking anxiety, although students with a higher level of language proficiency had a higher level of anxiety compared with that for students with a lower level of language proficiency. No statistically meaningful difference was observed with regard to students’ gender and anxiety levels. Factors that caused anxiety—such as difficulty in pronunciation, being asked immediate questions by the teacher, not understanding the question asked by the teacher—not found in the current literature also emerged from the present study. Implications for teacher education are also discussed.</p>

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