scholarly journals Involvement in Extracurricular Activities and Overcoming High Levels of Communication Apprehension among Saudi EFL Majors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lubna Alnaeem
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Extracurricular Activities ◽  
Communication Apprehension ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Teaching Materials ◽  
Classroom Activities ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
The Relationship

This study attempted to examine the relationship between participation in extracurricular activities and levels of Communication Apprehension (CA) among English as a foreign language (EFL) students and explore the students’ perspectives of how extracurricular activities affect their communication skills. The study addressed the following two questions: a) what is the relationship between EFL students’ involvement in extracurricular activities and their level of Communication Apprehension?, b) What are the EFL students’ perspectives regarding the effect of extracurricular activities on their communication skills?. The participants were 40 EFL students among 80 who participated in extracurricular activities at the College of Languages and Translation at Imam Mohammed bin Saud Islamic University in Riyadh. The participants were asked to complete a Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24) to examine their levels of CA as well as a questionnaire about their attitudes toward extracurricular activities. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 participants to explore their perspectives in depth. The findings showed that most participants had moderate levels of CA and that 100% of the participants agreed that participation in extracurricular activities helped them reduce CA and improve their communication skills. The study also showed that extracurricular activities were more helpful than classroom activities in improving communication skills. This study is significant in that it shed the light on the importance of involvement in extracurricular activities and their role in improving EFL students’ communication skills and lowering CA levels. Thus, it is recommended to encourage EFL students to participate in extracurricular activities and consider including such activities in course requirements and teaching materials.

scholarly journals Involvement in Extracurricular Activities and Overcoming High Levels of Communication Apprehension among Saudi EFL Majors

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-208
Author(s):  
Lubna Alnaeem
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Extracurricular Activities ◽  
Communication Apprehension ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Teaching Materials ◽  
Classroom Activities ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
The Relationship

This study attempted to examine the relationship between participation in extracurricular activities and levels of Communication Apprehension (CA) among English as a foreign language (EFL) students and explore the students’ perspectives of how extracurricular activities affect their communication skills. The study addressed the following two questions: a) what is the relationship between EFL students’ involvement in extracurricular activities and their level of Communication Apprehension?, b) What are the EFL students’ perspectives regarding the effect of extracurricular activities on their communication skills?. The participants were 40 EFL students among 80 who participated in extracurricular activities at the College of Languages and Translation at Imam Mohammed bin Saud Islamic University in Riyadh. The participants were asked to complete a Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24) to examine their levels of CA as well as a questionnaire about their attitudes toward extracurricular activities. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 participants to explore their perspectives in depth. The findings showed that most participants had moderate levels of CA and that 100% of the participants agreed that participation in extracurricular activities helped them reduce CA and improve their communication skills. The study also showed that extracurricular activities were more helpful than classroom activities in improving communication skills. This study is significant in that it shed the light on the importance of involvement in extracurricular activities and their role in improving EFL students’ communication skills and lowering CA levels. Thus, it is recommended to encourage EFL students to participate in extracurricular activities and consider including such activities in course requirements and teaching materials.

scholarly journals Sprachnormbezogene Akkommodation in der Hochschullehre

2020 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-62
Author(s):  
Philip C. Vergeiner
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Group Membership ◽  
Language Attitudes ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Sociocultural Context ◽  
Standard Variety ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Rule Analysis ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractThis paper examines the relationship between accommodation processes and social norms in varietal choice within tertiary education in Austria. The investigation consists of (a) a content analysis of metalinguistic statements in semi-structured interviews and (b) a variable rule analysis of actual language variation in university lectures.The findings show that there are norms prescribing that listeners must have at least be able to comprehend a particular variety, whereas accommodation to actual language use does not appear to be required to the same extent. However, the norms depend strongly on group membership: while there is a norm prescribing the use of the standard variety in the presence of speakers of German as a foreign language, there is no such norm for Austrians vis-à-vis people from Germany, although speakers from both groups may lack the ability to understand the respective nonstandard varieties. This difference can be explained by the sociocultural context and differing language attitudes.

scholarly journals The Relationship Between The Male And Female Language Performance And The Level Of Anxiety Among Iranian EFL Students

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 397-401
Author(s):  
Abusaied Janfaza ◽  
Yousof Rezaei ◽  
Afshin Soori
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
English Class ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Class Test ◽  
The Relationship

This study tries to investigate the relationship between the male and female language performance and the level of anxiety among Iranian EFL students. The participants of the current study were 26 Iranian EFL students studying English in Islamic Azad University, Larestan, Iran who were selected in terms of the administering of an Oxford Placement Test. Then, the students were given The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale. Finally, they were given an English class test which consisted of 40 multiple-choice items. The researcher calculated the correlation between the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale and the performance of both Iranian male and female students on English Class test. The findings indicated that there was a negative correlation between the level of anxiety and the students' performance on English Class Test scores. Moreover, Iranian male students were more anxious in learning English than female students.

To Whom Do We Write?

2015 ◽  
pp. 197-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaker Ali Al-Mohammadi ◽  
Emira Derbel
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Current Level ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
Composition Classes ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Audience Awareness ◽  
The Relationship

Writing is a complex process and used of course for an incalculable range of purposes and audiences. Teaching students to write in their mother tongue is hard, but teaching them to do this in a second or foreign language is even harder. This chapter focuses on the question of audience in teaching and learning writing, arguing that it is vital for students to be aware of an audience that eventually determines what, why, and how they will write. It seeks to provide a thorough understanding of Omani EFL students' conception of audience and their current level of audience awareness and also to explore the relationship between audience awareness and students' performance in composition classes and tests.

scholarly journals Saudi EFL Students’ Use and Perceptions of Blackboard before and during Online Learning Amid COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zainab Alsuhaibani
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Learning Management Systems ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Institutional Policies ◽  
Technical Problems ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Three Phases

Online learning becomes the means of education during COVID-19. Blackboard is one of the learning management systems that has been widely used before and during the pandemic. This study focuses on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ use and perceptions of Blackboard. It explores and compares EFL students’ use and perceptions of Blackboard considering three phases: before COVID-19 in 2019, during online learning in 2020, and during online learning in 2021. A questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. A total of 381 Saudi EFL students participated in the study. The results show that there are statistically significant differences in EFL students’ use of Blackboard between the three phases. EFL students’ use of Blackboard increased during online learning in 2020 compared to 2019, especially concerning the frequency of visiting Blackboard and the time students spent using it. Further, EFL students’ use of Blackboard increased significantly during online learning in 2021 compared to 2019 with regard to visit frequencies, time spent, and Blackboard tools used. Considering perceptions, the results indicate that there are statistically significant differences in students’ perceptions of Blackboard in terms of easiness and usefulness between the three phases. Interestingly, students had more positive perceptions of Blackboard before COVID-19 in 2019 and during online learning in 2021. The technical problems that students faced while using Blackboard during 2020 might have affected their perceptions. The study results of students’ use and perceptions of Blackboard are discussed in light of institutional policies and support.

scholarly journals Raising Student Consciousness About Machine Translation

2021 ◽  
Vol 2020 (1) ◽  
pp. 386
Author(s):  
Tim Newfields ◽  
Ivan Botev
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Machine Translation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Consciousness Raising ◽  
Learning Framework ◽  
Language Classes ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
Translation Services

With the rise of virtual assistants and the proliferation of digital translation software, such as Google Translate and Weblio that speed up the translator’s work, it is time to question what role, if any, machine translation services should have in foreign language classes. In this paper, the authors describe some activities designed to raise awareness about the use and misuse of machine translation within a task-based learning framework. Inspired by Sharwood-Smith’s 1981 notion of “consciousness-raising”, we outline three activities highlighting the benefits and problems of machine translation. An analysis of two translation exercises by 86 tertiary students in Japan indicated how many felt uncertain of the quality of their translations. Moreover, semi-structured interviews with six respondents following these activities underscored how students felt ambivalent about their translations. We conclude the paper with a discussion of some resources for EFL students seeking to improve their translation skills. デジタル翻訳ソフトの普及に伴い、外国語の授業で機械翻訳サービスが、もしあるとしたらどのような役割を担うべきかを問う時期にきている。本稿では、タスクベース学習の枠組みの中で、機械翻訳の使用と誤用についての認識を高めるためにデザインされたいくつかの活動について説明する。 本稿では、機械翻訳の利点と欠点を強調する三つのアクティビティーを概説する。日本の高等教育機関で学ぶ86人の学生によるふたつの翻訳演習の分析から、多くの学生が自らの翻訳の質に不安を感じていることがわかった。、さらに、これらのアクティビティーの後に実施した6人の学部生への半構造化面接から、多くの学生が翻訳の質を判断するのに苦労していることが明らかになった。締めくくりとして、翻訳スキルの向上を目指すEFLの学生向けのリソースについて考察した。

scholarly journals Classroom enjoyment and anxiety among Saudi undergraduate EFL students: does gender matter?

2021 ◽  
pp. 9-34
Author(s):  
Elias Bensalem
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Recent Interest ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
The Relationship

The current study was motivated by recent interest in the effect of positive and negative emotions in the context of foreign language learning resulting from the rise of the positive psychology movement (Dewaele & MacIntyre, 2016; MacIntyre & Mercer, 2014). It examines the construct of foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and its relationship with foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) among a group of 487 English as a foreign language (EFL) students (340 females, 147 males) enrolled in public universities in Saudi Arabia. A measure of FLE based on Likert scale ratings of ten items (Dewaele & MacIntyre, 2014), and a measure of FLCA based on eight items extracted from the FLCAS (Horwitz et al., 1986) were used. Male and female students had the same levels of FLE and FLCA. Correlation analysis showed that the relationship between students’ FLE and FLCA was significantly negative. Qualitative analysis of the participants’ learning experiences revealed the causes of FLCA and FLE among Saudi EFL learners.

scholarly journals On The Relationship between Listening and Speaking Grades of AL-Balqa Applied University English as a Foreign Language Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 130
Author(s):  
Tamador K. Abu-Snoubar
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
T Test ◽  
Positive Relation ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
On Line ◽  
Language Students ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Listening And Speaking ◽  
Foreign Language Students

This paper aims at exploring the relation between the two skills of listening and speaking. In addition, it tries to investigate the presence of any gender differences in this relation. To achieve these ends, the listening and speaking exams marks of (122) EFL students registered in the English 102 on-line compulsory course were analyzed using SPSS. The findings proved the existence of a positive relation between the two skills (r=0.433). The Independent Sample T-Test also proved that there were significant statistical differences at (α ≤ 0.05) level due to gender differences in the correlation between the listening and speaking abilities among Al-Balqa Applied University EFL students in favor of the females.

scholarly journals A Neurodidactic Model for Teaching Elementary EFL Students in a College Context

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 42
Author(s):  
Edwin Y. Barbosa
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Alpha Reliability ◽  
Data Collection Instrument ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Cross Sectional Design ◽  
The University ◽  
Very High

The purpose of this study was to propose a neurodidactic model for the development of primary communication skills in 1st year students of English as a Foreign Language at the University of Pamplona. Conceptually, the variables were supported upon relevant educational theories, language acquisition theoretical constructs and recent neuroeducational tenets. This was a descriptive, explanatory field, and projective research, which used a non-experimental cross-sectional design. 102 students formed the population, while the sample was randomly and representatively conformed by 62 individuals. The data collection instrument consisted of a modified Likert scale survey with 45 items. As for the reliability and validity, they were determined by expert judgment, discriminant analysis by item, as well as Cronbach's α reliability coefficient of 0.873 for the first and through a pilot test of 20 individuals; the second being a coefficient of 0.880. The results indicated an averagely high didactic methodology against a very high neurodidactic methodology, obtaining a relationship between the two approaches that endorses the implementation of brain-based strategies to enhance the learning of a foreign language.

scholarly journals Elements Hindering Vietnamese Tertiary Students’ Participation in Group Activities: A Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Lien Thi My Tong
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
First Year ◽  
International Studies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Group Activities ◽  
National University ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
Efl Students

Plenty of meticulous research has been conducted to investigate the entire process for implementing group activities in language classrooms. Nevertheless, few detailed empirical investigations have been pursued in the sub-area of what influences the participation of English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) students in group discussions. Thus, the present study was conducted to examine the elements impacting the group-work participation of first-year EFL students at University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS), Vietnam National University (VNU). Ten EFL freshmen and four teachers of English participated in the study over a four-week period by attending semi-structured interviews. The findings highlighted a variety of elements discouraging the learners’ participation related to themselves, pedagogy, and culture and also revealed internal elements as the most significant.

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