scholarly journals On the Role Played by Project-Based Learning in Teacher Training Online

Author(s):  
Silvia Sánchez Calderón ◽  
María Ángeles Escobar Álvarez

This work investigates the perceptions on the role played by Project-Based Learning (PBL) in English as a second language (L2 English) participants who are receiving teacher training online. The participants in this study were enrolled in the Psycholinguistic Analysis of English Acquisition module at xxx-removed for blind review. They were given the choice of two projects: (a) an L2 English learner linguistic profile and (b) a grammatical structure analysis and its L2 English teaching application. The participants’ opinions about PBL were then collected in a questionnaire that included the following variables: motivation and attitude towards L2 English learning before and after the project, perception of the development of English language proficiency skills, content acquisition, and other issues related to PBL such as L2 learning reflection; and, autonomy and real language use. They reported having learned by doing and, as a consequence, believed that they had learned autonomously because they were responsible for their own learning. Likewise, they claimed PBL facilitated critical thinking, creativity, language awareness, and professional development through the project completion. They also showed a positive attitude towards the integration of the four language skills and the building of content knowledge by gathering and planning information using authentic resources.

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magaly Lavadenz ◽  
Elvira Armas ◽  
Rosalinda Barajas

<p>In this article the authors describe efforts taken by a small southern California school district to develop and implement an innovative, research-based English Language Development program to address a growing concern over long-term English Learners (LTELs) in their district. With support from the Weingart Foundation this afterschool program served 3<sup>rd</sup> and 7<sup>th</sup> grade LTELs between 2008–2011 to accelerate language and literacy acquisition and prevent prolonged EL status. Program evaluation results indicated that the intervention was associated with improved English language proficiency as measured by the California English Language Development Test. Results also showed a heightened awareness of effective practices for LTELs among the district’s teachers and high levels of satisfaction among the participants’ parents. This intervention program has implications for classroom-based intervention including project-based learning for LTELs, for targeted professional development, and for further research for the prevention of LTEL status.</p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (3.1) ◽  
pp. 182-203
Author(s):  
Noemi Mercedes Remache Carrillo ◽  
Gabriela Alejandra Robayo Dávalos ◽  
Viviana Vanessa Yanez Valle

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the application of project-based learning on the development of oral production (speaking) of the English language in fifty-two students who attend to Unidad Educativa Pelileo in the elementary level A.1.2 according to the Board of Ecuadorian education. The qualitative-quantitative method was used in the research; qualitative because the performance of students in class and quantitative was observed because the grades obtained in the pre and post-test were statistically analyzed. The population for this research was divided into two groups: control with twenty-seven students and the experimental group with twenty-five students. Furthermore, the research was quasi-experimental, bibliographic and field, since the experimental group was observed and submitted to an intervention plan with a project-based learning treatment. The instrument used to evaluate the independent variable was the Key English Test (KET) (MOCK) test that was applied before and after the intervention plan. The data obtained were tabulated, analyzed, interpreted and subjected to a T-student test in order to verify the hypothesis and conclude that the null hypothesis was rejected and the alternative hypothesis was accepted. It means that the treatment with project-based learning contributed to a significant improvement in oral production performance, reflected in the parameter scores of: grammar and vocabulary, pronunciation, and interactive communication established in the assessment instrument. Therefore, teachers are suggested to apply project-based learning in the development of oral production.


10.28945/2812 ◽  
2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanafizan Hussain

The focus of this research is to determine whether the exposure to e-learning materials enables students to improve their English. Test scores before and after being exposed to e-learning material have been compared to discover whether there is any appreciable improvement in students’ English Language proficiency levels. Students’ profiles on the computer-assisted learning are studied to determine the effectiveness with some recommendation for developing better elearning material especially in blended technology widely used in Malaysian institutions. The paper shows that students learn by doing, not only by sitting in the classroom or listening to a lecture. Furthermore, students learn from failure, because mistakes stimulate questions, and it is only when students have a question that they are receptive to advice. Students learn from stories if delivered on a ‘just-in-time’ basis, as the remediation of some failure or in answer to students’ question.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 134
Author(s):  
Luluk Iswati

Kegiatan Program Kemitraan Masyarakat (PKM) ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kompetensi Bahasa Inggris siswi-siswi Tata Busana SMK Muhammadiyah Bangunjiwo dengan memberikan pelatihan TOEIC (Test of English as an International Communication). TOEIC merupakan standar alat ukur kemampuan Bahasa Inggris siswa-siswi lulusan SMK yang telah diterapkan oleh pemerintah melalui Kemendikbud. Sebagai jurusan yang baru dibuka di tahun ajaran 2017/2018, Jurusan Tata Busana SMK Muhammadiyah Bangunjiwo belum pernah mengadakan pelatihan maupun tes TOEIC untuk meningkatkan serta mengukur kemampuan Bahasa Inggris para siswanya. Pelatihan ini dilaksanakan selama 17 pertemuan, dimana 2 pertemuan diantaranya digunakan untuk pre-dan post-test TOEIC bagi para peserta. Sebanyak 13 peserta tercatat sebagai peserta pelatihan ini. Pre-test dan post-test dilaksanakan untuk mengukur capaian skor peserta sebelum dan setelah pelatihan. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa dari 13 peserta pelatihan, 3 peserta tidak masuk selama pelatihan dan tidak mengikuti pre dan post-test (tidak aktif), 4 peserta hanya mengikuti post-test, 3 peserta mengalami kenaikan skor, 2 peserta mengalami penurunan skor, dan 1 peserta skornya tetap. Secara keseluruhan dapat disimpulkan bahwa meskipun hasilnya tidak signifikan, ada sikap dan hal positif yang ditunjukkan para peserta. Indikatornya adalah jumlah peserta post-test yang meningkat (10 orang) dibandingkan pada saat pre-test (6 orang) sehingga dapat dikatakan bahwa motivasi peserta naik, dan jumlah peserta yang mengalami kenaikan skor (3 orang) lebih banyak daripada peserta yang mengalami penurunan skor (2 orang), sehingga bisa dikatakan bahwa pelatihan ini cukup efektif untuk menaikkan kompetensi Bahasa Inggris para peserta. �Kata kunci: TOEIC; kompetensi Bahasa Inggris; SMK�Abstract This Community Partnership Service activity aimed to improve the competence of English students at SMK (Vocational High School) Muhammadiyah Bangunjiwo by conducting TOEIC (Test of English and International Communication) training. TOEIC is a standard of English language proficiency measurement for SMK graduates who have been set by the government through the Ministry of Education and Culture. As a new department opened in the 2017/2018 school year, the Department of Clothing of SMK Muhammadiyah Bangunjiwo has never held a TOEIC training nor TOEIC test to improve and measure the English language skills of its students. In this program, the training was held for 17 meetings, of which 2 meetings were used for the TOEIC pre-and post-test for the participants. A total of 13 participants were listed as participants in this training. Pre-test and post-test were carried out to measure participants' scores before and after training. The results showed that out of 13 training participants, 3 participants did not participate in the training nor did they �participate in the pre and post-test (inactive), 4 participants only followed the post-test, 3 participants got an increased score, 2 participants got a decreased score, and 1 participant got a constant score. Overall, it can be concluded that even though the results are not significant, there are positive attitudes and things shown by the participants. The indicator is the increasing number of post-test participants (10 people) compared to the pre-test (6 people) so that it can be said that the participants' motivation rises, and the number of participants who got an increased score (3 people) is more than the participants who got a decreased score (2 people,) so that it can be said that this training is quite effective in increasing the English competence of the participants.�Keywords: TOEIC; English competence; vocational school


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (27) ◽  
pp. 411-418
Author(s):  
Anastasiia Syzenko ◽  
Yana Diachkova

In contemporary changing and innovative academic and working environment, tertiary schools need to rethink their approach to teaching and learning by gearing it towards the skills in most demand. Innovation in any sphere becomes more and more dependent on the collaboration between actors from very different backgrounds who combine their own expertise to create something new. This happens both on an individual- as well as on an institutional level. The organizations of the future will be forced to work more and more closely with people and institutional partners from all over the world in order to bring as many different perspectives and areas of expertise together as possible. This means that cross-cultural competence becomes one of the crucial factors in building a competitive profile of a prospective specialist. Therefore, this paper explores approaches to building cross-cultural competence using the English language as a tool and presents the findings of a pilot training on experimental collaborative cross-cultural project implemented with Master level Economics students in Ukraine. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect the data and examine participants' language proficiency. The findings suggest that participation in collaborative technology-enhanced cross-cultural projects has a significant positive effect on learners’ language proficiency and develops their cross-cultural competence facilitating development of productive skills on the basis of receptive ones.


ReCALL ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence Vincent-Durroux ◽  
Cécile Poussard ◽  
Jean-Marc Lavaur ◽  
Xavier Aparicio

AbstractFrench learners at university meet difficulties in the comprehension of oral English. Being in a formal context of language learning, they need to develop language awareness to compensate for insufficient exposure to the English language.To meet the students’ needs, data was collected in order to pinpoint the main errors made by French learners in listening tasks. The errors were then analyzed and put into perspective with the system of oral English; a connection clearly appeared between the errors and what is barely heard or cannot be heard in reference to written English, hinting at what could cause poor oral comprehension. Three areas of knowledge appeared to be missing in the students’ background: the links between morpho-syntax and phonology, the mastery of phonological data found in dictionaries and the possible recourse to strategies in order to compensate for what has not been heard properly. These issues were addressed in an on-line program designed for non-beginners of English at university.This paper deals with the assessment of the progress made by users of the program in a formal learning situation. Two groups of learners were considered: students whose major is English, and students for whom the study of English is optional. Two series of tests were implemented, before and after the use of the program. The tests focused on the ability of learners to read IPA transcription, to count syllables in oral English, and to pronounce auxiliaries and prepositions in different contexts.The results to be discussed establish that the two groups of learners significantly improved their knowledge of oral English. Of particular interest is the fact that, even if the two groups had significantly different knowledge of oral English before using the program, with non-specialists of English having poorer knowledge, the two groups obtain similar results on the post-test, showing greater progress on the part of the non-specialists. All learners appear to improve dramatically their knowledge of IPA and their ability to use it.The progress measured by the tests was corroborated by other modes of assessment: a survey on the students’ judgment as regards the usefulness of the program, and individual interviews focusing on what the students recall from the content of the program. In the latter, the students used relevant meta-linguistic and meta-cognitive expressions, showing their ability for further progress in developing listening abilities in English as a Second Language (ESL).


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 61-70
Author(s):  
Nicole Yiu ◽  
◽  
Ibukun Oluwadara Famakin ◽  

Senior year students of BSc (Hons) in Environmental and Occupational Safety and Health (EOSH) are trained to be future environmental and safety practitioners. However, they usually show relatively weak English ability when proceeding with their study in articulation degree programmes. Their ability to communicate fluently in English is pivotal to the advancement of their career, particularly for numerous international opportunities. All the EOSH students are Chinese and are expected to communicate in English at work, which indicates the importance of English proficiency. Therefore, a trial course perfectly tailored to meet the professional needs of senior year students with job-related examples was developed to improve their confidence level in communication, particularly the syntax, semantics and lexis of English language. The intended objectives were assessed by reviewing students’ performance and feedback. A pre-test and a post-test were conducted to ascertain the English language proficiencies of the students before and after the English bridging course respectively. Further, a pre-designed questionnaire survey was distributed to the senior year students before and after the English bridging course to collect information about their confidence level with four identified areas, including overall language proficiency, specific writing skills, specific listening skills and specific speaking skills. The results showed that the confidence level of senior year students was low before the English bridging course, while the confidence level was moderate after the English bridging course. There was also significant improvement in their confidence level after the English course for all the identified areas. The results suggest that an English bridging course should be conducted in English by native speakers and supplemented with Cantonese from non-native speakers to enhance the understanding and confidence level of the senior year students.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3.21) ◽  
pp. 395
Author(s):  
Bayatee Dueraman ◽  
Kanasin Tunsakul ◽  
. .

Particular interests in English language teaching practices have been given much attention recently. This study attempts to examine whether trained English majors can help teach English to students in a primary school where there is short of English teachers. Two English instructors, twenty English majors and ninety-four students participated in the study. Theoretical and practical training sessions were organized for twenty English majors before they start teaching the students.  English lesson plans were designed relative to four major content areas found in the standardized national English test include vocabulary, reading, conversation, and public signs were used as a guideline for both training and teaching sessions. Pre and post-tests were administered to primary school students before and after the teaching intervention accordingly. Data collected through participant observations were also used to support data collected from the interviews and tests. Results show that our trained English majors could help improve the students’ English language proficiency in spite the unavailability of qualified English teachers at their school. Findings offer some insights on possible alternatives to teaching English to primary school students who face similar problems.  


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