scholarly journals Informal Digital Learning of English Vocabulary: Saudi EFL Learners’ Attitudes and Practices

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghazwan Mohammed Saeed Mohammed ◽  
Jamal Kaid Mohammed Ali
Keyword(s):  
Digital Technology ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Productive Activities ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
The University ◽  
Informal Settings

Because of the widespread use of digital technology, many EFL students access various types of technologies that help them acquire English vocabulary beyond formal classroom learning. This paper aims to explore Saudi EFL learners’ attitudes towards informal digital learning of English vocabulary (IDLEV) outside the academic requirements as well as their practices of IDLEV beyond the classroom. To answer the research questions of the study, the researchers recruited 80 Saudi EFL students from the University of Bisha, Saudi Arabia, to respond to a self-reported questionnaire. The study found that Saudi EFL students have positive attitudes towards informal digital learning of English in improving their vocabulary. Results also reveal that the participants tend to use different technologies to learn English vocabulary in informal settings. The study found that receptive activities are more commonly used than the productive activities. The study found a significant correlation between learners’ attitudes and practices. The implications of the study and recommendations were presented accordingly.

scholarly journals Informal Digital Learning of English Vocabulary: Saudi EFL Learners’ Attitudes and Practices

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 345-358
Author(s):  
Ghazwan Mohammed Saeed Mohammed ◽  
Jamal Kaid Mohammed Ali
Keyword(s):  
Digital Technology ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Productive Activities ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
The University ◽  
Informal Settings

Because of the widespread use of digital technology, many EFL students access various types of technologies that help them acquire English vocabulary beyond formal classroom learning. This paper aims to explore Saudi EFL learners’ attitudes towards informal digital learning of English vocabulary (IDLEV) outside the academic requirements as well as their practices of IDLEV beyond the classroom. To answer the research questions of the study, the researchers recruited 80 Saudi EFL students from the University of Bisha, Saudi Arabia, to respond to a self-reported questionnaire. The study found that Saudi EFL students have positive attitudes towards informal digital learning of English in improving their vocabulary. Results also reveal that the participants tend to use different technologies to learn English vocabulary in informal settings. The study found that receptive activities are more commonly used than the productive activities. The study found a significant correlation between learners’ attitudes and practices. The implications of the study and recommendations were presented accordingly.

scholarly journals Exploring PechaKucha in EFL Learners’ Public Speaking Performances

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roza Flurovna Zhussupova ◽  
Sholpan Zharkynbekova ◽  
Shynar Suleimenova
Keyword(s):  
Public Speaking ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Experimental Teaching ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Scoring Rubrics ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
The University ◽  
And Control ◽  
Experimental Group

The purpose of the study is to examine PechaKucha helps EFL Learners’ to enhance their Public Speaking Performances and to explore useful information regarding the PechaKucha implementation as a learning tool. This study was conducted with sixty students at the University level. They were assigned into two groups randomly as experimental and control. The experimental teaching put into practice  PechaKucha in accordance with public speaking  activities. Meanwhile, the control group was given conventional speaking lessons only. To assess the performance the initial and post-testing by means of analytic scoring rubrics were used. In addition, a survey questionnaire was administrated to experimental group to examine their attitudes towards using Pecha Kucha in improving public speaking skills. The results showed that themost number of students in the experimental group scored higher points  than the control group. It can be concluded that the average performance of experimental group on the speaking public presentation skills posttesting increased in 10% comparing with that of the control group. Questionnaire’s results reported that EFL learners in the experimental group mostly conveyed positive attitudes. This study recommended that EFL students need to be familiarized and trained with the use of PechaKucha technology into their EFL teaching.

scholarly journals The Application of E-learning in English Teaching at Dong Nai Technology University

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 544
Author(s):  
Lien Cam
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
Learning Programs ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Learning Platforms ◽  
The University

Many colleges and universities in Vietnam have employed e-learning platforms in teaching English with the hope to better students’ English proficiency. Recently, e-learning programs such as DNTU-LMS and Canvas have been implemented at Dong Nai Technology University. With their features of flexibility and efficiency, they have been being used as crucial tools for teaching and learning in various faculties in the university especially during the widespread of Covid-19 pandemic. The present study aimed at identifying the views of the EFL learners from Faculty of Foreign Languages on the application of e-learning platform. A group of 100 EFL students was chosen randomly to participate in this study. Data was collected using questionnaire. After analyzing student’s responses, the results proved that the introduction of e-learning was effective. E-learning also stimulates students to learn English and brings them comfort and joy.

scholarly journals A Qualitative Study: Investigating EFL Learners’ Self- Confidence To Decrease The Reticence In Speaking Ability

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ikrar Genidal Riadil
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Research Result ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Learning Language ◽  
Speaking Skills

Language is a pivotal aspect of human being. By learning, language people can communicate with each other, get information from one to another and interact. Unfortunately, in the real condition, it is still difficult for Indonesian students to practice their English ability in daily conversation. This study deals to increase the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students' confidence in English speaking. This research used qualitative analysis by distributing questioner. This study suggest that EFL teachers should seek ways to increase students' collaboration in the classroom to help them gain confidence in speaking. The study involved the students in the fifth semester in the English Department at Tidar University. The researcher compared the gathered data with other relevant researches and theories involved in the study. Based on the research questions, the research result shows that students’ perceptions of self-confidence have a significant to decrease reticence in speaking skills. However, lecturers need to push the students in practice speaking English in front of a class, especially to improve the self-confidence when the students are communicating in English. Two research questions were formulated in this study. There are: (1) what are the factors of the EFL students’ reticence in speaking? (2) Do the students have high self-confidence in speaking skills? In conclusion, this article showed the results that EFL Learners’ self-confidence can be decreased the reticence in speaking ability or not. keywords: Self-confidence, speaking ability, EFL students, qualitative study

scholarly journals Attitudes toward English phonetics learning: a survey on Indonesian EFL learners

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 197-217
Author(s):  
Sri Ayu Istiqomah ◽  
Alies Poetri Lintangsari ◽  
Widya Caterine Perdhani
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Phonetic Learning ◽  
The Social ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Attitudes Toward English ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
English Literacy

Indonesian EFL learners face challenges in comprehending English phonemes as it becomes one of the significant predictors of English literacy. Hence, the English Phonetics subject is considered one of the most difficult ones, making the teaching and learning process less effective. Addressing Indonesian EFL learners’ attitudes toward English phonetics teaching is significant to improve phonetics teaching, yet, research on this has not received much attention. This present study was conducted to explore EFL learners’ attitudes toward English phonetic learning. A quantitative approach with survey design was employed involving 112 Indonesian EFL students. The researchers identified students’ attitudes using an adapted questionnaire from Lintunen and Mäkilähde (2015). Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 was utilized to analyze the data. The results indicate that Indonesian EFL students perform positive attitudes toward English phonetic learning, although they confess that phonetics is challenging. It implies that phonetics learning is potential and promising to support their English fluency; hence, lecturers need to make phonetics Learning more enjoyable, easier and participating in drawing the students' full engagement by considering their preferences and attitude toward phonetics learning.

scholarly journals Students’ Perspectives toward Virtual Classes Effectiveness on EFL Learners’ Communication Skills at Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luluh Abdullah Alkathiri ◽  
Alanoud Abdulaziz Alkulaib ◽  
Bashaer Saleh Batays ◽  
Khulud Mohammed Awdah ◽  
Norah Rashed Bin Muwayni
Keyword(s):  
Communication Skills ◽  
Virtual Education ◽  
Virtual Classrooms ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Virtual Classes ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Science Classes ◽  
The Impact

The study explores students’ perspectives towards virtual classes and the impact of such classes on EFL learners’ communication skills. Such study is valuable due to the lack of research works that investigate EFL students’ attitudes towards the effectiveness of such classes. Also, the findings can substantially improve the Saudi virtual education. Regarding the questions of the study, it answers two main questions: What are EFL learners’ attitudes towards virtual classes? What is the impact of virtual classes on EFL learners’ communication skills from students’ perspectives? To achieve the objectives of this study, a questionnaire was administered to 50 EFL students of levels seven and eight in English Department at the College of Sciences and Humanities at Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University. The findings indicated that students had positive attitudes toward virtual classrooms. Such classes could enhance their communication, and improve their technical and self-learning skills. Based on these results, some recommendations were suggested that could be taken into consideration in future studies. First, further studies should be done to investigate the impact of virtual classes on other science classes such as Chemistry and Medicine in the COVID- 19 period. Second, such study should be conducted with a different sample of students (male). Finally, the same research can be applied to faculty members to explore their attitudes toward virtual education and its effect on communication skills.

scholarly journals Engaging Saudi EFL Students in Online Peer Review in a Saudi University Context

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talal Waleed Daweli
Keyword(s):  
Peer Review ◽  
Corrective Feedback ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Prior Beliefs ◽  
Google Docs ◽  
Writing Courses ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
The University ◽  
The Given

This study focuses on a Saudi English as a foreign language (EFL) context. It employs Google Docs as an educational tool to engage Saudi EFL students in online peer review to address some challenges faced instructors when they implement peer review in class. The main goals of the study are examining what kinds of corrective feedback that Saudi EFL students provide when they edit their peers’ texts in Google Docs, how they can improve their texts based on the collaborative online peer review, and what their attitudes are toward using Google Docs as an online peer review tool. The study utilizes Google Docs, an online questionnaire, and an interview as research tools; after thematic analysis, the results show that Saudi EFL students focus on local and global writing issues and provide different types of corrective feedback that aid them to improve their writing. They have positive attitudes toward using Google Docs in peer review. This tool allows them to engage in an online social environment outside the classroom, feel as critical editors, adjust their writing, and avoid embarrassment. The results also suggest that hierarchical power in the classroom and students’ prior beliefs and experiences can impact their responses to the given feedback from teachers and peers. This study recommends instructors to integrate online peer review as a genre and move beyond low-stakes genre in EFL writing courses at the university level.

scholarly journals An Investigation into Practices and Perceptions of Saudi University Learners of English towards Their Dictionaries’ Use for Learning Purposes

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
Sultan Samah A Almjlad
Keyword(s):  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Bilingual Dictionary ◽  
Saudi Students ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
Paper Format ◽  
Dictionary Use ◽  
Target Words

This study investigates the dictionary use practices of Saudi students. Twenty Saudi postgraduate students from both genders (12 males and 8 females) participated in the study. All participants were postgraduate students at the University of Salford in the UK. Questionnaire and interview were the instruments used to collect data. The study discovered a number of results regarding the research questions. The findings indicated that most of the Saudi learners used their dictionaries for finding the meaning of the target words followed by checking the pronunciation of the same word. The study discovered three serious problems that face Saudi EFL learners while using their dictionaries namely the difficulty in understanding the phonetic symbols, difficulty of finding the correct words and, in addition, insufficiency of illustrative examples given in the dictionary. Moreover, the study explored that the Arabic bilingual dictionary was the single most preferred dictionary in its paper format for their educational purposes. The study concluded with emphasising the prime importance of training in dictionary use, indicating that most of the Saudi learners did not receive any form of training on the use of dictionary.

Am I bilingual? Reporting on the self-reflections of Japanese EFL learners

2021 ◽  
pp. 136700692110194
Author(s):  
Blake Turnbull
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Emergent Bilingual ◽  
Bilingual Speakers ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Emerging Themes ◽  
Linguistic Approach ◽  
Insight Into

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions: Through use of a written questionnaire, this article examines the personal opinions of tertiary-level Japanese intermediate EFL students regarding the definition and process of becoming bilingual. Design/methodology/approach: This article takes a critical applied linguistic approach to examining the perspectives of emergent bilingual Japanese EFL learners regarding their own status as bilingual speakers in Japan. Data and analysis: This study employed a questionnaire involving both Likert and open perspective questions. The subsequent data analysis involved quantitative analysis of the Likert questions and qualitative analysis of the open-ended questions, according to emerging themes. Findings/conclusions: The results suggest that most of the Japanese emergent bilingual participants did not view themselves as being bilingual, and instead considered the notion of bilingualism to be an out-of-reach goal at their current level. This article suggests the need to educate foreign language (FL) learners of their emergent bilingual status so they may dismiss the idea of attaining native-like competence and embrace their status as competent emergent bilinguals. Originality: Whereas many studies examine (emergent) bilingualism from the perspective of minorities learning a majority language, this article has expanded upon the current body of bilingualism literature by investigating the perspectives of bilingualism from speakers of a majority language learning a minority language, as is the case in all FL education environments. Significance/implications: This article provides an insight into the issue of FL learners’ lack of recognition of their own emergent bilingualism. It brings attention to the need for FL teachers to inform students of their emergent bilingual status to leverage their bilingual languaging strategies so that they can make meaning, express themselves, and learn in their ever-increasing bilingual worlds.

Iranian EFL Learners’ Attitudes toward Correction of Oral Errors

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-118
Author(s):  
Ali Sorayaie Azar ◽  
Somaiyeh Molavi
Keyword(s):  
Error Correction ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Teaching Process ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Learner Centered ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Different Types ◽  
University Level ◽  
The University

The correction of learner's oral errors in classroom has always been the main concern of many researchers and educators. Based on the ideas of learner-centered approach toward language teaching process, it needs to consider learners' reactions and feelings toward error correction as we do in other aspects of learning. This study discusses the findings of a questionnaire administered to 13 EFL learners at the university level in Iran. The study tries to answer to the questions about 1) EFL learners’ attitude toward error correction, 2) their preferences about the correction of different types of errors, and 3) their preferences about different methods of correction. The results showed that EFL learners have strongly positive attitudes toward correction of all errors by their teacher and they prefer correction of phonology and grammar errors more than others and they would rather self-correction among methods.

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