The Effectiveness of Using Films in the EFL Classroom: A Case Study Conducted at an International University in Thailand

Films have always been seen as an entertainment and its power since birth has had strong impact on people’s lives. Today, films are no longer thought of as simple entertainment media but rather educational tools as well. Globalization has contributed greatly to the availability of English-language films and that enriches the source of English learning material dramatically. This research paper explores the effect of using English films in English as foreign language (EFL) classroom. It reveals the effect on developing students’ motivation, comprehension as well as communication skills. The study was carried out on a sample of two groups: an experimental group using films alongside their course book and a control group taught in a conventional way. The participants were classified as pre-intermediate level. The findings of this study have shown that those in the experimental group significantly outperformed their control group counterpart in terms of motivation and language production. Also, this study offers pedagogical implications for EFL teachers to use films in their classrooms to enhance students’ listening and speaking skills which as a result improved students’ learning.

The Impact of WhatsApp on Learners’ Achievement: A Case Study of English Language Majors at King Khalid University

International Journal of English Language Education ◽

10.5296/ijele.v6i2.13743 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 69 ◽

Author(s):

Abdulkhaleq Q. A. Hassan ◽

Sayed Salahuddin Ahmed

Keyword(s):

Content Knowledge ◽

Mobile Application ◽

English Language ◽

Traditional Classroom ◽

Control Group ◽

E Learning ◽

Additional Support ◽

The Impact ◽

To investigate the effectiveness of e-learning by using a particular mobile application, namely WhatsApp, an empirical study was conducted on sixty undergraduate English language majors at King Khalid University in Saudi Arabia. The objective of the study was to determine whether the levels of motivation, content knowledge and grades of the students (who took the course “Syntax”)-, developed after receiving additional support through WhatsApp apart from traditional classroom lectures. The results showed that the experimental group that got extra support from fellow students and the course teachers through WhatsApp outperformed the students of the control group who studied the course only through traditional method. Moreover, the gap of success rate between the experimental group and the control group is about eighty nine percent with zero failure in the experimental group. The study proved that WhatsApp can be effectively used for providing supplementary support to motivate students to study properly and to get higher grades.

Reflecting Translanguaging in Classroom Practices: A Case Study

Journal of English Language and Culture ◽

10.30813/jelc.v7i1.1019 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Magdalena Kartikasari Tandy Rerung

Keyword(s):

Language Learning ◽

Language Production ◽

English Language ◽

Classroom Practices ◽

First Language ◽

Language And Culture ◽

Speaking Skill ◽

Listening And Speaking ◽

Bahasa Indonesia

Strategies comes from Greek word “strategia” which means the art of planning and directing. Regarding to language learning, a strategy is used to achieve their goal depends on the skill they obtain. Specifically speaking skill is one of the productive skills that can be a challenging thing for university students who majored in English. Besides vocabulary, other element that support their language production is motivation. Avoiding in using Bahasa Indonesia can make them unmotivated sometimes. If this is the case, therefore the students might be passive learners in the classroom. Translanguaging is a strategy in language learning that can motivate students keep learning the language by combining their first language with the foreign one. The following case study is intended to observe how do students use translanguaging. The study was a class observation involving four students majored in English Language and Culture Program at Bunda Mulia University. They were in fourth semester and enrolling in the Listening and Speaking Class. Apparently the result shows that students who use their first language in the speaking task help them in delivering information and telling stories. Keywords: translanguaging strategies, speaking skill, language learning

English language teaching and assessment in blended learning

Journal of Teaching and Learning with Technology ◽

10.14434/jotlt.v3n2.5043 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 67-82 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Sejdi Sejdiu

Keyword(s):

Blended Learning ◽

English Language ◽

English Language Teaching ◽

Control Group ◽

Face To Face ◽

Study Approach ◽

The Face ◽

Face To Face Instruction ◽

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of blended learning vis-à-vis face-to-face instruction. In order to achieve this aim, three research questions including were raised. The study was conducted using the case study approach which was supported by the collection of qualitative and quantitative data. The study involved two teachers, one who taught the experimental group using blended learning, and another one who taught the control group using face-to-face instruction. The results showed that the blended learning instructor executed instruction better and used more effective methods of assessment than the face-to-face instruction teacher. This is supported by differences in students’ performances which show that the experimental group performed better by scoring higher means and recording lower variances.

Motivation and Autonomy in Learning English as Foreign Language: A Case Study of Ecuadorian College Students

English Language Teaching ◽

10.5539/elt.v10n2p100 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 100 ◽

Author(s):

Jorge Cevallos Bravo ◽

Eder A. Intriago ◽

Jhonny Villafuerte Holguin ◽

Gustavo Molina Garzon ◽

Luis Ortega Arcia

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Language Learning ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Quantitative Research ◽

English Language ◽

English As Foreign Language ◽

Learning Attitudes ◽

Correct Pronunciation ◽

Different Levels

This quantitative research aims to examine how different levels of motivation relate to frequency of occurrence of autonomous language learning activities undertaken by undergraduate students. Eight hundred and sixty-two college students from 10 vocational training programs of a public university located in Ecuador, South America, participated in this study. Spratt’s questionnaire that regards ‘autonomy and motivation’ as a cyclical interaction in the language learning process, was updated by the researchers, adding digital education elements. The data were analyzed using the program SPSS v24.0.0 The results showed that there was a significant relationship between: the language learning stimulation generated by professors and the participants’ learning attitudes. In addition, it was determined that the most frequent language practices in which the participants showed greatest autonomy were: listening to songs in English language, worrying about the correct pronunciation, and noting down interesting words or expressions in English.

The effect of prosody teaching on developing word recognition skills for interpreter trainees: An experimental study

JOURNAL OF ADVANCES IN LINGUISTICS ◽

10.24297/jal.v7i1.5158 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 1101-1107 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Mahmood Yenkimaleki ◽

Vincent J. van Heuven

Keyword(s):

Word Recognition ◽

English Language ◽

Native Speakers ◽

Theoretical Explanation ◽

Male Students ◽

Control Group ◽

State University ◽

Prosodic Features ◽

Instruction Time ◽

The present study investigates the effect of the explicit teaching of prosodic features on developing word recognition skills with interpreter trainees. Two groups of student interpreters were composed. All were native speakers of Farsi who studied English translation and interpreting at the BA level at the State University of Arak, Iran. Participants were categorized into two groups at random, but with equal division between genders (9 female and 9 male students in each group). No significant differences in English language skills (TOEFL scores) could be established between the groups. Participants took a pretest of word recognition skill before starting the program. The control group received exercises in listening comprehension, while the experimental group spent part of the time on theoretical explanation and practical exercises developing conscious knowledge of prosodic features of English, such as word stress. The total instruction time was the same for both groups, i.e. 8 hours. Students then took a posttest of word recognition skills. The results show that prosodic feature awareness training did yield a statistically significant improvement of word recognition skills. The result has pedagogical implications for researchers in the field of second language teaching, instructors, curriculum designers, conductors of interpreting programs for training future interpreters, material producers and all who are involved in language study and pedagogy.

Rob Roy: Britain’s First Feature Film

Early Cinema in Scotland ◽

10.3366/edinburgh/9781474420341.003.0007 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Caroline Merz

Keyword(s):

Language Production ◽

English Language ◽

Film Production ◽

Feature Film ◽

Study Approach ◽

Feature Films ◽

Production History ◽

History Of ◽

Film Making

What was the potential for the development of a Scottish film industry? Current histories largely ignore the contribution of Scotland to British film production, focusing on a few amateur attempts at narrative film-making. In this chapter, Caroline Merz offers a richer and more complex view of Scotland’s incursion into film production,. Using a case-study approach, it details a production history of Rob Roy, produced by a Scottish company, United Films, in 1911, indicating the experience on which it drew, placing it in the context of other successful British feature films such as Beerbohm’s Henry VIII, and noting both its success in Australia and New Zealand and its relative failure on the home market faced with competition from other English-language production companies.

Integrating Online Tools to Motivate Young English Language Learners to Practice English Outside the Classroom

Explorations of Language Teaching and Learning with Computational Assistance ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-1855-8.ch012 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 184-192 ◽

Author(s):

Shelly Sanchez Terrell

Keyword(s):

English Language Learners ◽

Language Learners ◽

English Language ◽

Older Learners ◽

Young Learners ◽

Online Tools ◽

Study Results ◽

Web Space ◽

Listening And Speaking

Recent research shows that online tools such as: games, wikis, speaking avatars, and interactive stories can be a positive force for English Language Learners (ELLs). It also shows that when ELLs have access to online tools, they are motivated to practice English outside the classroom (Aydin, 2007; Colombo & Colombo, 2007; Son, 2007). Most of this research is undertaken with older learners. This case study attempts to determine if young learners are motivated to practice English outside the classroom if provided with access to various online tools managed via a wiki. A wiki is a free educational web space, which allows a number of people to work together collaboratively on documents with embedded elements and linking. The teacher interviewed parents and kept observational notes. The study results suggest that the online tools improve the listening and speaking skills of young learners.

Learners’ Summarisation Skills and Their Achievement in Reading Comprehension: A Case of Vihiga County, Kenya

International Journal of English Language Education ◽

10.5296/ijele.v8i2.17126 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 77

Author(s):

Mary Susan Anyiendah ◽

Paul A. Odundo ◽

Agnes Kibui

Keyword(s):

Reading Comprehension ◽

Null Hypothesis ◽

English Language ◽

Language Teachers ◽

Primary Data ◽

Control Group ◽

Group Design ◽

Lesson Delivery ◽

English Language Teachers ◽

Learners in Vihiga County perform poorer in English language examinations than their peers in neighbouring counties; and their performance seems to be weaker in comprehension compared to grammar sections. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of summarisation skills on learners’ achievement in reading comprehension in Vihiga County. The Solomon Four-Group Design was applied to obtain primary data from 279 primary school learners and 8 teachers in 2017. Multiple linear regression was also applied to generate two models, one for the experimental group and one for the control group. In both models, summarisation skills influenced learners’ achievement in reading comprehension positively, and the effect was significant at 90% confidence level; thus, leading to rejection of the null hypothesis. However, the effect seemed to be stronger in the experimental than in the control group, which suggests that training English language teachers on how to correctly apply summarisation skills impacted on learners’ achievement in reading comprehension. Based on the findings, it’s concluded that: training teachers of English language on the correct procedures for activating learners’ summarisation skills is likely to add value by making them more effective in lesson delivery. Such training is likely to inspire teachers to go an extra mile in their efforts to activate learners’ summarisation skills.

The Effect of Comparative FonF Structure on Learning L2 Verb Components

World Journal of English Language ◽

10.5430/wjel.v8n1p8 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 8

Author(s):

Gholam Reza Parvizi

Keyword(s):

English Language ◽

Explicit Knowledge ◽

Judgment Task ◽

Control Group ◽

Perfect Form ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

Grammatical Judgment ◽

L1 And L2 ◽

The Impact ◽

This study focuses on the impact of the type of form-focused instruction (FFI) on its efficiency in mastering L2forms. The hypothesis that FFI, which induces structural and metalinguistic salience on the basis of contrastiveanalysis of the learner’s L1 and L2, would be particularly effective at facilitating the acquisition of difficult L2 formswas tested in a quasi-experimental study comparing the effectiveness of two types of FFI, one with and one without acontrastive component. The contrastive FFI explicitly drew learners’ attention to the cross-linguistic differences inthe tense-aspect systems of their L2 and L1 while the non-contrastive treatment only focused on the tense-aspectsystem of the L2. The effects of these two types of FFI were assessed by analyzing the learners’ pre-test and post-testperformance on two tasks differing in the extent to which they involve the activation of explicit and implicitlinguistic knowledge: a grammatical judgment task and a controlled translation task. The subjects of the studycomprised of 43 students majoring in English language in the Iranian capital university, Tehran, 22 were selected asfor experimental group and 21 for control group randomly. The results of the study revealed that the quantitativeanalysis of the Grammatical Judgment Test (GJT) data indicated no significant effect of CFFI due to the novelty ofthe translatory technique, or the potential individual differences in the learning orientation of the learners. On thecontrary, the qualitative analysis indicated differential effects of this type of FFI according to the nature of targetform, i.e. CFFI was beneficial in raising the grammatical judgment of Persian Learners of English (PLE) regardingpresent perfect form but not effective in their judgment of ungrammatical progressive forms. In terms of translationtask, the CFFI appeared to be effective in the correct use of the target structures by PLE. This may be mainly due tothe fact that Translation Test (TT) needed explicit knowledge which was presented in CFFI and that translation is acontrastive activity in nature.

The Effect of the Mind Mapping Strategy on the L2 Vocabulary Learning of Saudi Learners

Education and Linguistics Research ◽

10.5296/elr.v6i1.16425 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 54

Author(s):

Nesreen Saud Alahmadi

Keyword(s):

Language Proficiency ◽

English Language ◽

Vocabulary Learning ◽

Control Group ◽

Mind Mapping ◽

Mapping Strategy ◽

Post Test ◽

The Mind ◽

L2 Vocabulary ◽

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of using the mind mapping strategy on learning vocabulary for Saudi Learners. Fifty female students from the English Language centre at Taibah University in Saudi Arabia were selected to participate in this study. All students were homogenous in terms of their English language proficiency. The students were performing at the intermediate level of the English language. Their level of English language proficiency was determined by the Oxford Placement Test. Participants were divided into two groups: the experimental group and the control group. Twenty-five students in the experimental group were taught vocabulary using the mind mapping strategy for six weeks. The control group was taught using traditional methods of vocabulary teaching, such as memorising. To test the effectiveness of the mind mapping strategy, two types of tests were applied for both groups: a pre-test and a post-test. At the end of the treatment, the results of the post-test showed a significant improvement in Second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition by Saudi learners in the experimental group. The findings of this study indicate some important implications for L2 learning, such as that mind mapping facilitates vocabulary learning by increasing the knowledge and the acquisition of the meanings of the vocabulary words used. It also helped with the vocabulary learning process by increasing the level of the motivation of Saudi students in learning new words.