scholarly journals Student’s Ability and Factors to Use Gerund and To Infinitive Case Study: Indonesian EFL Learners in University Level

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 145
Author(s):  
Rina Husnaini Febriyanti
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
First Language ◽  
Research Result ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
University Level ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Descriptive Method

<p>Mastering grammar seems very challenging for English foreign language learners. Learning grammar constructions that they do not find or have different system to their first language bring some consequences. One of them is on learning about gerund and to infinitive. The objectives of this study are to describe the ability on mastering gerund and infinitive form and to analyze the factors affecting them to learning its form. This study used descriptive method. The respondents of this research were the students who took English Structure subject on second year of Indraprasta PGRI University Jakarta. Moreover, the data was collected through the instruments, and they were test and questionnaire. The data was analyzed descriptively, and it was tabulated and calculated. Next, it was presented in percent form. After analyzing the data descriptively, the research result is the ability of the students on mastering the using of gerund is on very poor range that is 41.82% (23 out of 55), in other words, it can be said that more than half respondents were still in low understanding of gerund, in the same time, mastering the using to-infinitive form is on very poor range that is 36.36% (20 out of 55), or it can be said that the respondents were still low in understanding of to infinitive. The factors affecting them were being passive, lack of motivation, slow learning, less practice in doing exercises, poor of literature, and not learning from the mistakes. These findings may encourage the lecturer of English Structure to find out more ways to improve student’s ability especially on using gerund and to infinitive for Indonesian EFL Learners in<strong> </strong>University level.</p>

scholarly journals The Role of Language Proficiency in Willingness to Communicate: A Case Study of Saudi EFL Learners

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hassan S. Alqurashi ◽  
Haitham A. Althubaiti
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Efl Students

This study’s principal aim revolves around expanding comprehension of the facets affecting people’s readiness to use foreign languages. To achieve that, the study investigates the various elements of verbal interaction between undergraduate English as a Foreign Language learners and their instructors in the classroom. Linguistic skills are of particular interest, especially their connection to learners’ readiness to speak during classes. The research aims to answer the question ‘How does language proficiency affect the willingness to communicate among Saudi EFL students in the classroom?’ Qualitative data was gathered through the implementation of a triangulation strategy that incorporated focus-group discussions and individual interviews. Moreover, the research takes inspiration from the work of MacIntyre (1994) and MacIntyre and Charos (1996), who focused on learners’ readiness to speak as the conceptual basis for their studies. The study shows that learners exhibit an unwillingness to speak in EFL settings due to perceived linguistic inadequacies, a limited lexicon and concerns that they may make mistakes when attempting to speak English, which would, in turn, prompt further misunderstandings. The study concludes with recommendations for further studies in similar institutions to investigate other factors that may influence students’ willingness to communicate.

scholarly journals Pragmatic Transfer in the Speech Act of Compliment among Chinese EFL Learners

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
pp. 60-65
Author(s):  
Yue Lin
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Negative Transfer ◽  
Speech Act ◽  
First Language ◽  
Positive Transfer ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Pragmatic Transfer ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Research Questions

This article reviews the notions of transfer and its subcategories of positive transfer as well as negative transfer. This article also considers the research on pragmatic transfer in the speech act of compliment in first language as well as second and foreign language contexts. In addition, it further explores three research questions concerning pragmatic transfer in compliment among Chinese EFL (English as a foreign language) learners.

scholarly journals Foreign-Language Phonetic Development Leads to First-Language Phonetic Drift: Plosive Consonants in Native Portuguese Speakers Learning English as a Foreign Language in Brazil

Languages ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 112
Author(s):  
Denise M. Osborne ◽  
Miquel Simonet
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Native Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
A Minor

Fifty-six Portuguese speakers born and raised in Brazil produced Portuguese words beginning in one of four plosives, /p b k ɡ/. Twenty-eight of them were monolinguals (controls), and the rest were learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). The learners were also asked to produce English words beginning with one of four plosives, /p b k ɡ/. We measured the plosives’ voice onset times (VOT) to address the following research questions: Do foreign-language learners, whose exposure to native English oral input is necessarily limited, form new sound categories specific to their additional language? Does engaging in the learning of a foreign language affect the phonetics of one’s native language? The EFL learners were found to differ from the controls in their production of Portuguese voiced (but not voiceless) plosives—prevoicing was longer in learner speech. The learners displayed different VOT targets for voiced (but not voiceless) consonants as a function of the language they were speaking—prevoicing was longer in Portuguese. In EFL learners’ productions, English sounds appear to be fundamentally modeled on phonologically similar native sounds, but some phonetic development (or reorganization) is found. Phonetic development induced by foreign-language learning may lead to a minor reconfiguration of the phonetics of native language sounds. EFL learners may find it challenging to learn the pronunciation patterns of English, likely due to the reduced access to native oral input.

scholarly journals A Corpus-based Study of Collocation Production of Chinese EFL Learners

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 66
Author(s):  
Bowen Gao ◽  
Lin Zhu ◽  
Lin Zhu ◽  
Ziyan Luo ◽  
Ziyan Luo
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
First Language ◽  
School Students ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Chinese Learners ◽  
Language Influence

It is of great difficult for EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners to acquire collocation. This research investigated V + N collocation production of Chinese middle school university EFL learners based on TECCL (Ten-thousand English Composition of Chinese Learners) corpus, aiming at discovering the difficulties in collocation usage. In the study, collocations in the writing samples were identified manually and evaluated by dictionaries, corpus and native speakers as right or wrong. Collocation accuracy was figured out and errors were examined. Therefore, difficulties in collocation usage were discovered. The data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively to yield the following three findings: first, middle school students and university students respectively produced 79% and 83% correct collocations among their collocation production. Second, collocation accuracy did not improve significantly as overall L2 (second language) proficiency increases. Third, wrong choice of verb and noun was the largest problem for Chinese EFL learners. The results also suggested that L1 (first language) influence and deficiency in L2 knowledge affected collocation usage. Based on these findings, pedagogical implications were discussed.

scholarly journals The Role of Language Proficiency in Willingness to Communicate: A Case Study of Saudi EFL Learners

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 469-478
Author(s):  
Hassan S. Alqurashi ◽  
Haitham A. Althubaiti
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Efl Students

This study’s principal aim revolves around expanding comprehension of the facets affecting people’s readiness to use foreign languages. To achieve that, the study investigates the various elements of verbal interaction between undergraduate English as a Foreign Language learners and their instructors in the classroom. Linguistic skills are of particular interest, especially their connection to learners’ readiness to speak during classes. The research aims to answer the question ‘How does language proficiency affect the willingness to communicate among Saudi EFL students in the classroom?’ Qualitative data was gathered through the implementation of a triangulation strategy that incorporated focus-group discussions and individual interviews. Moreover, the research takes inspiration from the work of MacIntyre (1994) and MacIntyre and Charos (1996), who focused on learners’ readiness to speak as the conceptual basis for their studies. The study shows that learners exhibit an unwillingness to speak in EFL settings due to perceived linguistic inadequacies, a limited lexicon and concerns that they may make mistakes when attempting to speak English, which would, in turn, prompt further misunderstandings. The study concludes with recommendations for further studies in similar institutions to investigate other factors that may influence students’ willingness to communicate.

scholarly journals Inappropriateness in Iraqi EFL Learners’ E-mail Requests to Professor

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shurooq Abboodi Ali ◽  
Ambigapathy Pandian
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Speech Act ◽  
First Language ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Request Strategies ◽  
Authentic Data ◽  
Pragmatic Knowledge ◽  
E Mail

<div><p><em>This study investigates the use of the speech act of request by </em><em>Iraqi EFL (English as a foreign language) learners </em><em>in student-professor e-mail communication. It aims to examine request strategies and internal modifications in academic requests in e-mail. There has been little investigation of the issue of an academic request made by Arab EFL learners to a higher status person via an authentic data. Thus, this study intends to provide more investigation of the strategies and internal modifiers that are produced by Iraqi EFL learners when they interact with their professors via e-mail. However, this study adapts the CCSARP (cross-cultural speech act realization project) originally suggested by [12] and modified by [8] in terms of strategies and internal modifications. Findings uncover that Iraqi EFL learners have a pragmatic problem when they issue their requests to a higher authority by e-mail. They mainly produce direct requests to higher status individuals. Such types of request require conventional indirectness to be appropriate pragmatically. These learners have limited pragmatic knowledge of conventional indirectness when they produce their requests to their professors. Moreover, Iraqi EFL learners are influenced by their L1 (first language) as they resort to direct sub-strategies that are customary forms in their Iraqi Arabic. This research unveils that Iraqi EFL learners have pragmalinguistic knowledge in syntactic downgraders and a pragmalinguistic deficiency in lexical devices due to the structurally oriented approach used to teach these learners. </em></p></div>

scholarly journals An Exploratory Study into Trade-off Effects of Complexity, Accuracy, and Fluency on Young Learners’ Oral Task Repetition

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn Sample ◽  
Marije Michel
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Task Repetition ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
De Se ◽  
The Difference

Studying task repetition for adult and young foreign language learners of English (EFL) has received growing interest in recent literature within the task-based approach (Bygate, 2009; Hawkes, 2012; Mackey, Kanganas, & Oliver, 2007; Pinter, 2007b). Earlier work suggests that second language (L2) learners benefit from repeating the same or a slightly different task. Task repetition has been shown to enhance fluency and may also add to complexity or accuracy of production. However, few investigations have taken a closer look at the underlying relationships between the three dimensions of task performance: complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF). Using Skehan’s (2009) trade-off hypothesis as an explanatory framework, our study aims to fill this gap by investigating interactions among CAF measures. We report on the repeated performances on an oral spot- the-difference task by six 9-year-old EFL learners. Mirroring earlier work, our data reveal significant increases of fluency through task repetition. Correlational analyses show that initial performances that benefit in one dimension come at the expense of another; by the third performance, however, trade-off effects disappear. Further qualitative explanations support our interpretation that with growing task-familiarity students are able to focus their attention on all three CAF dimensions simultaneously.Au sein de la littérature relative à l’approche fondée sur les tâches, on évoque de plus en plus d’études portant sur la répétition des tâches pour l’enseignement de l’anglais langue étrangère aux jeunes et aux adultes (Bygate, 2009; Hawkes, 2012; Mackey, Kanganas, & Oliver, 2007; Pinter, 2007b). Des études antérieures semblent indiquer que les apprenants en L2 profitent de la répétition de la même tâche ou d’une tâche légèrement différente. Il a été démontré que la répétition des tâches améliore la fluidité et qu’elle pourrait augmenter la complexité ou la précision de la production. Toutefois, peu d’études se sont penchées davantage sur les relations sous-jacentes entre les trois dimensions de l’exécution des tâches : la complexité, la précision et la fluidité. S’appuyant sur l’hypothèse du compromis de Skehan (2009) comme cadre explicatif, notre étude vise à combler cette lacune en examinant les interactions entre les mesures de ces trois éléments. Nous faisons rapport du rendement de six jeunes âgés de 9 ans qui apprennent l’anglais comme langue étrangère alors qu’ils répètent une tâche impliquant l’identification de différences. Nos données reproduisent les résultats de travaux antérieurs en ce qu’elles révèlent une amélioration significative de la fluidité par la répétition de tâches. Des analyses corrélationnelles indiquent que l’amélioration d’une dimension lors des exécutions initiales se fait aux dépens d’une autre; cet effet de compromis disparait, toutefois, à la troisième exécution. Des explications quali- tatives supplémentaires viennent appuyer notre interprétation selon laquelle la familiarité croissante que ressentent les élèves avec une tâche leur permet de se concentrer sur les trois dimensions (complexité, précision et fluidité) à la fois.

scholarly journals An investigation of Semantic Interlingual Errors in the Writing of Libyan English as Foreign Language Learners

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arab World English Journal ◽  
Abdalmonem S. Rajab ◽  
Saadiyah Darus ◽  
Ashinida Aladdin
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
First Language ◽  
English As Foreign Language ◽  
Lexical Choice ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
L1 Influence ◽  
Semantic Errors ◽  
L1 And L2 ◽  
Insufficient Knowledge

The aim of this paper is to investigate some semantic interlingual errors in the writing performance of Libyan English as Foreign Language Learners (LEFLLS). The study seeks to analyze these errorsthat appear in the learners’ written production. The data was gathered from 25 essays written by 25 Libyan postgraduates majoring in different fields. It was collected and organized according to the errors committed. Errors taxonomy adapted from James’ (1998) and Al-Shormani and Al-Sohbani’s (2012) was used in identifying and analyzing these errors. Semantic errors were classified into five categories namely formal mis-selection, formal mis-formation, lexical choice, collocation and lexico-grammatical choice. The semantic errors identified were 346. These errors were classified into four categories namely, formal misformation (46.7%), distortion due to spelling (32.4%), lexical choice (40.6%) and lexicogrammatical choice (2.4%). The results show that direct translation from the first language (L1), assumed synonym and misselection of letters sub-categories score the highest number of the errors, i.e.14.2%, 13.08% and 12.08% respectively. While the sub-category, both collocations incorrect error was the lowest (0.52%). The other errors take the form of paraphrase (11.5%) and Idiomacity (8.5%). Two main sources have been found to be the cause behind these errors namely, L1 influence and insufficient knowledge about the second language (L2). Moreover, cultural differences between L1 and L2 had its impact in the written products of Libyan students.

scholarly journals The Long-term Effects of Instruction on EFL Learners' Use of Complaining Formulas

10.29007/5xsb ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Martínez-Flor ◽  
Esther Usó-Juan
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Over Time

Studies analysing the positive role of pragmatic instruction in formal settings have increased over the last decades. Within this area of interventional pragmatics, some studies have particularly examined whether the effectiveness of the instruction implemented is sustained over time. In order to shed more light on the long-term effects of instruction, this research investigates English as a Foreign Language learners’ use of complaining formulas not only after immediately receiving instruction, but also two months later. Results show that learners keep using a variety of appropriate complaining formulas two months after having participated in the instructional period. These findings are discussed and directions for future research suggested.

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