Global-mindedness Through the Eyes of EFL Learners: Gender and Level of Proficiency in Focus

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-54
Author(s):  
Джавад Агмаді Фаталакі ◽  
Рунган Жанґ
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
International Education ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
International Schools ◽  
Doctoral Dissertation ◽  
Cluster Sampling ◽  
Global Mindedness ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

The major aim of the present study is to find connections between global-mindedness and some important factors such as gender  and level of proficiency. To this end, 182 language learners, 92 females and 90 males, participated in the study. These students were selected and categorized based on one-stage cluster sampling from 16 branches of different language centers, namely Safiran, Shoukoh, and Kish. The main phase of the study was conducted through the use of Google Docs platform that provides the researchers with the well-organized data. Language learners were asked to answer all the demographic information by considering their anonymity during the process of data collection. The result of the study, through t-test, showed that there was a significant difference between male and female language learners regarding their level of global-mindedness. The result also showed that the level of proficiency of the female language learners does not influence their level of global-mindedness. References Byram, M., Zarate, G., & Neuner, G. (1997). Sociocultural competence in languagelearning and teaching: Studies towards a common European framework of reference forlanguage learning and teaching. Strasbourg, France: Council of Europe. Deardorff, D. K. (2011). Assessing intercultural competence. New Directions forInstitutional Research, 149, 65–79. DeMello, M. A. (2011). The impact of study tours in developing global-mindedness amongPK-12 educators in Southeastern Massachusetts (Doctoral dissertation, NortheasternUniversity, Boston) Duckworth, R. L., Levy, L. W., & Levy, J. (2005). Present and future teachers of theworld’s children How internationally-minded are they?. Journal of Research inInternational Education, 4(3), 279–311. Earley, P. C. and Ang, S. (2003). Cultural Intelligence: An Analysis of IndividualInteractions Across Cultures. Palo Alto (CA): Stanford University Press. Fantini, A. E. (2009), Assessing Intercultural Competence: Issues and Tools. In Deardorff,D. K. (ed.), The SAGE Handbook of Intercultural Competence. Thousand Oaks (CA):Sage, 456–476. FitzGerald, H. (2003). How Different Are We? Spoken Discourse in InterculturalCommunication. Clevedon – Buffalo – Toronto – Sydney: Multilingual Matters Ltd. Gaudelli, W. (2003). World class: Teaching and learning in global times. Mahwah, NJ:Erlbaum. Giddens, A. (1991) Modernity and Self-Identity. Cambridge: Polity. Gillian, K. J. (1995). A measure of global-mindedness at the University of NorthernColorado: An assessment of students, faculty, and administrators (Doctoral dissertation,University of Northern Colorado, 1995). Dissertation Abstracts International, 5,08. Hett, E. J. (1993). The development of an instrument to measure global-mindedness(Doctoral dissertation, University of San Diego). Hill, I. (2007). International education as developed by the International BaccalaureateOrganization. The SAGE handbook of research in international education, 25–37. Johnson, J. P., Lenartowicz, T., & Apud, S. (2006). Cross-cultural competence ininternational business: Toward a definition and a model. Journal of International BusinessStudies, 37(4), 525–543. Kehl, K., & Morris, J. (2007). Differences in global mindedness between short-term andsemester-long study abroad participants at selected private universities. Frontiers: TheInterdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 15(1), 67–79. Lakoff, R. (1973). Language and woman's place. Language in society, 2(01), 45–79. Muller, G. C. (2012). Exploring characteristics of international schools that promoteinternational-mindedness (Doctoral dissertation, Teachers College, Columbia University). Olsen, M.E., Lodwick, D.G., & Dunlap, R.E. (1992). Viewing the World Ecologically.Boulder: Westview. Sampson, D. L., & Smith, H. P. (1957). A scale to measure world-minded attitudes. TheJournal of Social Psychology, 45(1), 99–106. Sercu, L. e.a. (2005). Foreign Language Teachers and Intercultural Competence. AnInternational investigation. Clevedon–Buffalo–Toronto: Multilingual Matters Ltd. Smallman, S. C., & Brown, K. (2011). Introduction to international & global studies.Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. Wardhaugh, R. (1992). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. USA: Blackwell PublishersLtd. Zhai, L., & Scheer, S. (2004). Global perspectives and attitudes toward cultural diversityamong summer agriculture students at the Ohio State University. Journal of AgriculturalEducation, 45(2), 39–51.

Without Crossing a Border: Exploring the Impact of Shifting Study Abroad Online on Students’ Learning and Intercultural Competence Development during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingjie Liu ◽  
Thomas Shirley
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Cultural Exchange ◽  
Competence Development ◽  
Study Abroad Programs ◽  
Online Study ◽  
Curriculum Redesign ◽  
Online Format ◽  
The Impact

While all higher education was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, study abroad programs were uniquely challenged by the associated restrictions and limitations. This case study integrates a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) pedagogy approach and virtual reality (VR) technologies into the curriculum redesign process to transform a business study abroad course into an online format. Using VR technology, U.S. students and their international partners in Germany, Brazil, and India created and shared cultural exchange virtual tours. The redesigned online study abroad course engaged students in active learning activities and cultivated students’ intercultural competence development.

Deciphering the rising attractiveness of Asian countries as destinations for Vietnamese students seeking international education: The effect of desire for studying abroad on Vietnamese students' career planning and decision-making processes in Taiwan

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuo Chen
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
International Education ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Career Planning ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Studying Abroad ◽  
Planning Factor ◽  
The Impact

Nowadays, Vietnamese students choose to study abroad in Asian countries, with Taiwan being one of the most appealing locations so far. The purpose of this research is to explain the planning process used by Vietnamese students to study abroad (the host country is Taiwan), as well as to suggest an appropriate model for students' decision-making once the desire to study abroad is established, in which the impact of career path on school selection is clarified and the importance of motivation to study abroad is emphasized.This research used a mixed-methods approach. In-depth interviews with 30 Vietnamese students studying in Taiwan are conducted using a qualitative methodology. The data gathered during those interviews is utilized to build questionnaires that will be sent to over 300 samples for quantitative study.The research findings demonstrate the primary elements influencing students' desire to study abroad, career planning, and decision-making in Taiwan, as well as the model of students' decision-making process. It is obvious that students' desire to study abroad has a direct effect on their career-planning factor, while this factor acts as a mediator between the aforementioned motivation and the students' decision-making factor.

One size fits all? In search of the desirable caption display for second language learners with different caption reliance in listening comprehension

2019 ◽  
pp. 136216881985645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping-Jung Lee ◽  
Yeu-Ting Liu ◽  
Wen-Ta Tseng
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Listening Comprehension ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Transient Nature ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Comprehension Aids ◽  
The Impact

Existing research has established captions as effective second-language (L2) or foreign language (FL) listening comprehension aids. However, due to the transient nature of captions, not all learners are capable of attending to captions in all cases. Previous work posited that to leverage the impact of technologies in learning and instruction, a better understanding of the interplay between technology and cognition is warranted. In this vein, the current study set out to investigate the effects of four different caption modes (full vs. partial vs. real-time vs. control) on the listening comprehension of 95 high-intermediate Taiwanese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) with different caption reliance (i.e. more-caption-reliant vs. less-caption-reliant). The results showed no significant difference between the participants’ listening comprehension outcomes under the four caption conditions when their caption reliance was not considered. However, when this was considered, the differences among the four caption conditions became salient, which was suggestive of the selective effect of captions on L2 learners with different caption reliance. While less-caption-reliant L2 learners had the best listening comprehension outcome under the partial-caption condition and the worst under the full-caption condition, more-caption-reliant L2 learners exhibited the best performance under the full-caption condition yet the worst under the partial-caption condition. The finding underscores the importance of considering L2 learners’ processing profiles when utilizing captioned videos as multimodal instructional/learning materials and speaks to the need of utilizing differentiated video materials for optimal listening outcomes.

scholarly journals Exploring the Impact of VAK Learning Style on Teenager Level Language Learners in Indonesia

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 807
Author(s):  
Rina Asrini Bakri ◽  
M. Asfah Rahman ◽  
Baso Jabu ◽  
Jassruddin Jassruddin
Keyword(s):  
Learning Styles ◽  
Learning Style ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Learning Capability ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Speaking Skills

This study aims at finding out whether Visual Auditory Kinesthetic (VAK) learning styles improve the It presents pre experimental design  to see the impact of  VAK learning style with one group pre-tested and post-tested, employing oral testing. The target group of this study was teenager level language learners at a school in Makassar Indonesia in the 2015/2016 academic year. Twenty nine students with average speaking ability participated in this study. A purposive sampling technique was used to recruit participants.  The data was collected through an oral proficiency. The results of the data analysis indicated that there was a significant difference in the students’ English speaking skills before and after being trained using the VAK learning style. Results indicated that post-test was greater than pre-test in accuracy, fluency, comprehensibility. Based on the result of analysis can be concluded that the adoption of the VAK learning style can improve the English speaking skills and the methodology can be used as a preliminary strategy to assess students’ learning capability.

scholarly journals Development and Validation of the Wesleyan Intercultural Competence Scale (WICS): A Tool for Measuring the Impact of Study Abroad Experiences

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Stemler ◽  
Toshie Imada ◽  
Carolyn Sorkin
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
External Validation ◽  
Developmental Theory ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Study Abroad Programs ◽  
Competence Scale ◽  
Study Abroad Program ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

One of the most frequently cited aims of higher education institutions is to help students develop intercultural competence. Study abroad programs are a primary vehicle for helping to achieve this goal; however, it has been difficult to quantify their impact as most existing measures of intercultural competence rely on subjective self-report methods that are easy to fake and that suffer from ceiling effects when attempting to measure change over time. Building on Bennett’s (1986) developmental theory, the current paper describes a new test–the Wesleyan Intercultural Competence Scale (WICS)–that uses a situational judgment testing approach to measure the development of intercultural competence within the context of a study-abroad experience. A total of 97 study-abroad students from Wesleyan took the WICSalong with eight external validation measures and a background questionnaire. Thirty participants took the test at two time points–once at the beginning of a study-abroad program and once at the end. The results indicate that the WICShad strong evidence in support of its content, construct, and criterion-related validity. In addition, the WICSwas capable of detecting changes in the development of intercultural competence over time in a way that none of the other validation measures were. The substantive findings revealed that the amount of time spent speaking the local language and the number of different situations experienced were strong predictors of the development of intercultural competence. Implications and future directions are discussed.

scholarly journals Intercultural Competence and Study Abroad Programs-A Mixed Method Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Liqin Tang ◽  
John Matt ◽  
Patty Kero
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Intercultural Sensitivity ◽  
Developmental Model ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Mixed Method Study ◽  
Study Abroad Programs ◽  
Significant Difference

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate the intercultural competence (IC) level of college students, explore whether there is a statistically significant difference in the IC level between students with study abroad (SA) experience and those without SA experience, and examine their attitudes, ideas and experiences about SA programs and intercultural communication. Data collected from online questionnaires and Zoom interviews were examined through the lens of Hall’s the Iceberg Analogy of Culture and M. J. Bennett’s Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS), which were also used as the conceptual framework in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative results indicated the IC level of college students was high, reaching up to the acceptance stage or/and adaptation stage of Bennett’s DMIS. Quantitative study showed that the IC level of students who participated in SA programs was higher than those who didn’t.

scholarly journals Intercultural Competence in Short-Term Study Abroad

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
International Education ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Document Analysis ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Study Abroad Programs ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Intercultural Effectiveness ◽  
Intercultural Competency ◽  
Short Term Study

            Assessment is growing for short-term study abroad as the majority of students (63.1%) continue to choose this option (Institute of International Education, 2016). This study examines possible gains and factors influencing such gains in students’ overall intercultural competency following participation in a short-term program. Using the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale (IES) survey distributed before, after, and three months following the study abroad experience, data was analyzed for fifty-five students across eight different short-term programs at three distinct institutions within the state of Texas. Document analysis of program syllabi also looked at connections to structured activities and assignments. The results demonstrate the potential for short-term study abroad programs ranging from two to five weeks to have significant impacts on students’ self-perceived intercultural competency that appear most affected by intentional structures. These findings support recommended practices of using well-defined activities and assignments, incorporating opportunities for meaningful local interaction, and providing planned re-entry.

Blue Zone of Ikaria, Greece: An education abroad program for nursing and health-related disciplines

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Naber ◽  
Grace Phelps
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
International Education ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Student Response ◽  
Education Abroad ◽  
Studying Abroad ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Study Abroad Program ◽  
Different Cultures ◽  
The Impact

International education is growing among American students. In the past two decades, the number of students studying abroad has more than tripled. Research has provided evidence that students who participate in study abroad are more likely to have a variety of career prospects and are more aware socially and culturally. In a world where nurses will be providing care for an increasingly diverse population, cultural awareness and improved interaction with people of different cultures is invaluable. A faculty member with education abroad experience at a mid-size university in the southern United States developed a study abroad program for the summer of 2019 to Ikaria, Greece. This program centered around the concept of Blue Zones, areas of the world identified as having the largest population of centenarians, or people that have lived for longer than 100 years. This article outlines the process of development of the program and the course associated with the program. There is information about course description, course objectives, grading procedures, course activities, and a schedule of activities that students participated in while abroad. Student response to this education abroad experience was very positive. Students have reported that they attempt to implement the nine concepts into their everyday lives since returning, and the impact that this program and other education abroad programs has had, is profound.

scholarly journals USING GOOGLE SEARCH FOR ENGLISH GRAMMAR LEARNING

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 318-339
Author(s):  
Mona Tavakoli
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
The Body ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
English Grammar ◽  
Grammar Learning ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Google Search ◽  
The Impact

Background/Purpose: Second/foreign language learners face problems in different areas such as correct word usage, grammatical accuracy, and pronunciation fluency. This paper responds to one of these problems by investigating the impact of strategic Google Search on Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ grammar learning.   Methodology: Sixty Iranian intermediate EFL learners from a private English language institute in Isfahan, Iran were selected and randomly divided into two groups. To find which areas of grammar are most problematic among the participants, a multiple-choice grammar pretest which was validated by five English experts was given to them. Then 10 questions that most participants answered wrongly were selected as the most challenging ones. During 10 class sessions, the participants were taught how to select the correct choice through Google Search. In fact, each participant in the class had a laptop connected to the internet. The researcher taught them how to search on Google strategically and the participants found out that in Google sites there are some sentences which are grammatically wrong and they should not trust them. They learned how to search strategically for the correct choices. At the end of the sessions they answered a posttest containing different questions but in the same grammatical areas. The pretest and posttest both were conducted while the participants were connected to internet sites.   Findings: Data analysis was done through running t-test using SPSS software and statistically significant difference was revealed. The findings showed that those participants who were taught how to strategically use Google Search performed better in the posttest. Therefore, the results revealed that correct Google Search had improved the Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ grammar knowledge.    Contributions: This study has several implications for both language learners and teachers regarding the use of Google platform for English grammar learning. In addition, it contributes to the body of knowledge that strategic Google Search does not only improve the Iranian EFL learners’ English grammar but also make them less dependent on teachers thus promoting autonomous learning.   Keywords: Google search, EFL learners, grammar learning, intermediate EFL learners, Iran, web-based instruction.   Cite as: Tavakoli, M. (2021). Using Google search for English grammar learning. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 6(2), 318-339. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol6iss2pp318-339

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