scholarly journals The Impact of Topic Selection on Writing Fluency: Making a Case for Freedom

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 31-40
Author(s):  
Joshua Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
University Students ◽  
Significant Influence ◽  
Writing Fluency ◽  
Free Writing ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
Second Year ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Writing Task ◽  
Writing Activity

This study sought to test the hypothesis that topic-selection control influences fluency in writing. A total of 29 second-year university students (9 men, 20 women) in two separate classrooms engaged in a free writing activity using different topics (both teacher-selected and self-selected) in order to determine which approach was more likely to increase writing fluency. Participants’ written output was then textually analyzed for fluency using a type/token formula. A total of 116 samples written by participants over four weeks were examined to measure their writing fluency by counting the total number of unique words produced in a free writing task. Participants’ writing samples were then analyzed by conducting a correlated-samples t-test. The results showed the effect of topic-selection had a statistically significant influence on increasing students’ writing fluency. The results also support the claim that fluency development deserves a prominent role in second and foreign language classrooms and curriculums. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nelta.v18i1-2.10328 Journal of NELTA, Vol 18 No. 1-2, December 2013; 31-40

scholarly journals Measuring the Impact of Online Translation on FL Writing Scores

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Errol M. O'Neill
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
University Students ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Prior Training ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Writing Scores ◽  
Writing Task

Online translation (OT) sites, which automatically convert text from one language to another, have been around for nearly 20 years. While foreign language students and teachers have long been aware of their existence, and debates about the accuracy and usefulness of OT are well known, surprisingly little research has been done to analyze the actual effects of online translator usage on student writing. The current study compares the scores of two composition tasks by third- and fourth-semester university students of French who used an online translator, with or without prior training, to the scores of students who did not use OT. Students using an online translator did not perform significantly worse those not using the translator on either task. In fact, students who received prior training in OT outscored the control group overall on the second writing task. Additionally, students using the online translator received higher subscores on one or both writing tasks for features such as comprehensibility, spelling, content, and grammar. The results of the current study are discussed in detail; implications for the foreign language classroom are presented; and avenues for future research are proposed.

scholarly journals Working University Students in Riau Archipelago: Dual Role and Depression

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 123
Author(s):  
Nurul Retno Nurwulan ◽  
Gjergji Selamaj
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Dropout Rate ◽  
Dual Role ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Depression Prevention ◽  
Working Students ◽  
High Dropout Rate ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Riau Archipelago ◽  
The Impact

<p style="text-align: justify;">University students working and studying at the same time for various reasons. The aim of the study is to review the impact of students’ dual role as students and workers on the depression rate of working university students in Batam, Indonesia. A comprehensive review of the literature revealed that working while studying does not necessarily affect students’ academic performance. However, depression is the most common health problem in university students. However, working students tend to have higher depression rate than non-working students. Depression in students may be the cause of the high dropout rate in Batam. It is important to administer depression-prevention intervention as early as possible, since the first- and second-year students are the most likely to get depressed</p><p> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><em>Beragam alasan melatarbelakangi mahasiswa bekerja selama berkuliah. Penelitian ini mengulas dampak peran ganda sebagai mahasiswa dan pekerja kecenderungan depresi pada mahasiswa bekerja di Batam, Indonesia. Ulasan komprehensif dari literatur dan observasi langsung menunjukkan bahwa bekerja sambil berkuliah tidak mempengaruhi kinerja akademis mahasiswa. Meskipun demikian, mahasiswa bekerja cenderung memiliki tingkat depresi yang lebih tinggi daripada mahasiswa yang tidak bekerja. Depresi pada mahasiswa dapat menjadi penyebab tingginya tingkat dropout di Batam. Melakukan intervensi pencegahan depresi pada mahasiswa sedini mungkin merupakan hal yang sangat penting dikarenakan mahasiswa tingkat pertama dan kedua adalah yang paling rentan terhadap depresi.</em><em></em></p>

scholarly journals Community, Connections and Innovation in Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning

2021 ◽  
pp. 141-168
Author(s):  
Sandra Healy ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
University Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
First Year ◽  
Academic English ◽  
Community Connections ◽  
First Year University ◽  
The Impact

The emergence of the Covid-19 virus had an enormous impact on all of our lives and significantly affected the lives of first-year university students in Japan who began their tertiary education during the initial lockdown. This chapter examines the impact the move online had on these students by analysing videos created by them as part of their academic English as a Foreign Language (EFL) coursework. The videos were analysed, and 12 themes emerged which were used as a foundation for new practices focusing on the development of community and connections in online courses, particularly the use of e-mentors.

University Spanish Heritage Language Coursework: Meeting the Needs of All Heritage Learners

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly M. Torres ◽  
Meagan Caridad Arrastia ◽  
Samantha Tackett
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Heritage Language ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Heritage Language Learners ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Heritage Learners ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
University Settings ◽  
The Impact

The structure and instruction of foreign language classrooms have changed to meet the needs of the growing number of Hispanic heritage language learners (HLLs) entering university settings. To understand the impact of these reforms, interviews were conducted with 11 HLLs about their experiences in Spanish classrooms designed for their unique learning needs. Although participants were divided in their beliefs of heritage coursework offered, all the students valued being within a community of shared life experiences.

scholarly journals Language Learning Shifts and Attitudes Towards Language Learning in an Online Tandem Program for Beginner Writers

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constanza Tolosa ◽  
Claudia Lucía Ordóñez ◽  
Diana Carolina Guevara
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Language Writing ◽  
Language Data ◽  
Attitudinal Changes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Writing Activity

We present findings of a project that investigated the potential of an online tandem program to enhance the foreign language learning of two groups of school-aged beginner learners, one learning English in Colombia and the other learning Spanish in New Zealand. We assessed the impact of the project on students’ learning with a free writing activity done as pretest and posttest and used a semi-structured interview to explore their attitudes towards language learning and their perceived development of their native language. Data analysis indicated statistically significant gains in foreign language writing and positive attitudinal changes toward foreign and native language learning.

scholarly journals Question Formation Problems Encountered by Students of English as a Foreign Language: A Case Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 12-16
Author(s):  
Fatima Elnaeem Mohammed
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
University Students ◽  
Significant Influence ◽  
Word Order ◽  
English Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Past Tense ◽  
Parts Of Speech ◽  
Question Formation

This study aims at identifying the problems that face Sudanese university students in forming questions for communicative purposes in the English language; It is an investigation of the difficulties the students find in constructing questions correctly and accurately. Types of errors were analyzed on different linguistic levels. The results have shown that the area of confusion includes the use of the verb ‘be’, present and past tense, parts of speech and word order. The methodology used in this study was based on the students' feedback; linguistic analysis of the questions they formed. The main findings proved that the students face difficulties in forming questions resulting from the fact that their first language has a significant influence on learning English as a foreign language in general and forming questions in particular.   

scholarly journals A Sentence a Day – How to Engage University Students in an Online Daily Writing Task

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi James Sutcliffe de Moraes
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
University Students ◽  
Participation Rates ◽  
Peer Communication ◽  
Online Activity ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Daily Writing ◽  
Writing Task

This article describes a case study of the use of a social network to engage university students learning English as a foreign language in an online sentence-a-day writing task. The research was carried out with A2- and B1-level English as a foreign language (EFL) students at a Brazilian university. The specific objectives included promoting the daily use of the type of language used for peer communication and providing some feedback. An analysis of student participation rates, overall and for each type of online activity, is presented.

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