scholarly journals EXPLORING THE EFFECTS OF IMPLEMENTING GUIDED READING APPROACH TO ENHANCE THE READING PROFICIENCY OF ENGLISH SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNERS IN SOUTH AFRICA

2021 ◽  
Vol 79 (6) ◽  
pp. 971-992
Author(s):  
Esther Molebogeng Thage ◽  
Patricia Namayammu Mokgosi ◽  
Jane Tozama Mthembu
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Guided Reading ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Reading Tests ◽  
English Second Language ◽  
Fluency And Comprehension ◽  
Esl Learners

Guided reading (GR) approach has been shown to have positive effect on reading fluency and comprehension. However, most studies on GR have focused on primary schools, specifically the Foundation Phase. Therefore, this study employed the GR approach to examine its possible effects on the reading proficiencies of Grade 9 English Second Language (ESL) learners in Gauteng province. Social and cognitive constructivism underpinned the study, which employed action research to determine the possible effects of implementing GR on the reading proficiencies of a sample of eight Grade 9 ESL learners who were purposively selected to participate in this study. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and reflection cards, oral and written reading tests. Results indicated that GR approach had caused a significant improvement in these learners’ reading fluency and comprehension because of collaborative learning and scaffolding. In addition, GR also developed a sense of ownership in their learning, a sense of community and innovative and inquisitive minds. The study recommends that learners who struggle with reading be identified early, and GR intervention strategies be implemented and monitored. Every school needs to have a reading policy and the Education Department should ensure that it is implemented and monitored. Keywords: guided reading, reading proficiencies, reading fluency, reading comprehension, second language

scholarly journals Voicing up in Debate Competition: Oral Development of Two Malaysian ESL Learners

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 90
Author(s):  
Farzaneh Amiri ◽  
Moomala Othman ◽  
Maryam Jahedi
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Linguistic Resources ◽  
Communicative Strategies ◽  
English Second Language ◽  
Oral Development ◽  
Esl Learners ◽  
The Impact

This research used a qualitative approach to focus on the classroom debate between Malaysian English second language learners (ESL). Since debate has been often perceived as not a suitable activity for low proficiency students due to their limited linguistic resources, there has not been much emphasis on the impact of debate on incompetent ESL learners; however, this study was an attempt to concentrate on two students who were not competent in English to investigate their oral development via debate. The study observed the communicative strategies employed in this challenging task during the five debate rounds. Although the progress made was quite limited, the study showed that debate competition can be a relevant and meaningful practice for speaking activity among low proficiency students. Moreover, it showed that debate can be used to scaffold students’ practice in speaking.

scholarly journals Assessment of English Oral Reading Fluency Rates for Grade seven English Second Language Learners in Tanzania

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 150
Author(s):  
Sadiki Moshi Feruzi
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Oral Reading ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Difficulty Level ◽  
Non Fiction ◽  
English Second Language ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Study Context

This study aimed at assessing reading rates for learners in grade seven English second language (ESL) in Morogoro region, Tanzania. A total of 220 participants were randomly selected and assigned two grade appropriate English texts to read so as determine their reading rates. Fluency scale test was used to assess pupils’ reading fluency rates and the data was statistically analysed using SPSS software. It was necessary to asses pupils’ reading rates in the study context because there are no established fluency rate norms set for grade seven pupils in the country. In this case the current study serves as a reference for improvement. Results show that grade seven pupils in Morogoro region had an average reading fluency rate of 101words per minute (WPM) for fiction text and 95WPM for non-fiction text. The difference in the two texts can be due to the length of words and difficulty level in non-fiction text against fiction text. The scored rate is below the adopted benchmarks which implies that these pupils are at risk in reading fluency, consequently, calling for immediate interventions.  

scholarly journals Reading strategies used by Grade 9 English Second Language learners in a selected school

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Madoda Cekiso ◽  
Nophawu Madikiza
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Reading Strategies ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Strategy Use ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
English Second Language ◽  
Esl Learners

Knowledge of the reading strategies used by English Second Language learners can help teachers to plan appropriate lessons and apply relevant methods of teaching reading in order to enhance learners’ reading comprehension. The main objective of this study was to investigate the reading strategies used by Grade 9 English Second Language (ESL) learners and also to establish if there was any significant difference between perceived strategy use and gender. The respondents (192) were all ESL learners in Grade 9 in 2011 in a selected school. The study employed a quantitative research method. The study used convenience sampling on a group of 192 Grade 9 learners. The data collected through questionnaires was analysed by means of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The findings revealed that the learners did not employ a wide range of reading strategies. The results further indicated that there was no significant difference between boys and girls in terms of strategy use. Based on the above findings several suggestions were made to help teachers improve their teaching and help learners improve their reading comprehension and also about possible areas for future research.

scholarly journals Reading comprehension and strategy awareness of Grade 11 English second language learners

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Madoda Cekiso
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Reading Instruction ◽  
Reading Strategies ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Strategy Instruction ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Group Design ◽  
English Second Language ◽  
Grade 11

The aim of this study was to examine the reading strategies used by Grade 11 English Second Language (ESL) learners and the possible effects of reading instruction on their reading comprehension and strategy awareness. A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test control group design was used. The participants included a total of 60 Grade 11 learners from a high school. The results of this study indicate that (1) learners who received reading strategy instruction scored both statistically and practically significantly higher marks on the reading comprehension test than those in the control group and (2) explicit instruction in the use of reading strategies was essential to bring about the increased use of reading strategies of learners in the experimental group. The study has implications for learners, teachers, university students and lecturers.

scholarly journals “Reduced Forms” Influence on Second Language Learners’ Listening Input-Intake Conversion

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 194-199
Author(s):  
Yueyang Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Empirical Study ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Listening Comprehension ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
Input Hypothesis ◽  
Esl Learners ◽  
Reduced Forms

This article analyses the factors influencing the process of input-intake conversion and focuses on the effect of “reduced forms” on English as a Second Language (ESL) learners’ listening comprehension. The Input Hypothesis, the Noticing Hypothesis, the input-intake relationship, and the factors influencing the input-intake relationship are critically reviewed and analyzed. The empirical study of Brown and Hilferty [1] is reviewed and discussed to show reduced forms’ influence on ESL learners’ listening comprehension. The results prove that integrating reduced forms into ESL lessons is both necessary and meaningful for improving students’ listening comprehension ability.

scholarly journals Examining oral reading fluency among Grade 5 rural English Second Language (ESL) learners in South Africa? An analysis of NEEDU 2013

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Draper ◽  
Nic Spaull
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Oral Reading ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Oral Reading Fluency ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
Grade 5 ◽  
English Second Language

The ability to read for meaning and pleasure is arguably the most important skill children learn in primary school. One integral component of learning to read is Oral Reading Fluency (ORF), defined as the ability to read text quickly, accurately, and with meaningful expression. Although widely acknowledged in the literature as important, to date there have been no large-scale studies on ORF in English in South Africa, despite this being the language of learning and teaching for 80% of ESL students from Grade 4 onwards. We analyze data provided by the National Education and Evaluation Development Unit (NEEDU) of South Africa, which tested 4667 Grade 5 English Second Language (ESL) students from 214 schools across rural areas in South Africa in 2013. This included ORF and comprehension measures for a subset of 1772 students. We find that 41% of the sample were non-readers in English (<40 Words Correct Per Minute, WCPM) and only 6% achieved comprehension scores above 60%. By calibrating comprehension levels and WCPM rates we develop tentative benchmarks and argue that a range of 90-100 WCPM in English is acceptable for Grade 5 ESL students in South Africa. In addition we outline policy priorities for remedying the reading crisis in the country.

Gestures by advanced Spanish-English second-language learners

Gesture ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jody Sherman ◽  
Elena Nicoladis
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
English Second Language ◽  
Symbolic Gestures ◽  
L1 English

We examined the role of deictic (i.e., point) and symbolic (i.e., imagistic) gestures in advanced Spanish-English second-language learners to determine whether the role of gestures is consistent with that of intermediate second-language learners (i.e., Gullberg, 1998). Participants (10 L1 Spanish and 10 L1 English) watched two short cartoons and re-told the stories in both of their languages to native-speaking listeners who had never seen the film. Gestures were coded and analyzed in relation to word types from the verbal narratives. We found that participants used more deictic gestures in their second language, similar to the trend noted in previous research. Contrary to research with low or intermediate proficiency participants, however, symbolic gestures did not appear related to proficiency. Possible reasons for the differences in gesture use by proficiency are discussed.

scholarly journals READING INTEREST AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH READING PERFORMANCE: A STUDY OF ENGLISH AS SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNERS IN MALAYSIA

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 1154-1161
Author(s):  
Siti Normala Muhamad ◽  
Mohd Nazri Latiff Azmi ◽  
Isyaku Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
English As Second Language ◽  
Reading Interests ◽  
Esl Learners ◽  
Reading Interest

Purpose of the study: This study aims to specifically examine reading interest among English as a Second Language (ESL) learners and determine its relationship with their performance in ESL classrooms. Methodology: This study is based on cross-sectional survey design, comprising a randomly selected sample of 351 ESL learners from the state of Terengganu. The questionnaire was used as a data-gathering instrument, consisting of pre-test and post-test items using Know Want Learn (KW Leading method). Main Findings: The findings revealed that most of the ESL learners read English materials for academic purposes rather than news and entertainment. Also, there is a significant relationship between ESL learners’ reading interests and their performance in ESL classrooms. Applications: This study consists of empirical evidence regarding students’ reading interests and their correlation with their performance in the ESL classroom. This could help ESL teachers to rectify the students’ problems in reading English materials. Novelty/Originality: This study provides valuable information on the importance of reading interests in determining students’ performance, particularly in ESL classrooms.

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