scholarly journals USING ENGLISH MOVIES AND TV PROGRAMS FOR DEVELOPING LISTENING SKILLS OF EFL LEARNERS

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rastislav Metruk

The skill of listening has always been regarded as one of the primary skills in foreign language teaching. The article attempts to investigate the effects of employing ICT, namely extensive viewing of movies and TV programs, on listening skills of EFL (English as a foreign language) learners. A total of 18 students of Teaching English Language and Literature study program were targeted for this preliminary study. Based on the data acquired by a questionnaire, they were divided into three groups: those who watch movies and TV programs in the original in English on a daily basis 1 hour a day, 2 hours a day, and 3 and more hours a day. Afterwards, all the participants took a listening test, and the obtained data were subsequently analyzed using the Friedman ANOVA non-parametric statistical test and a post-hoc test. The preliminary results illustrate that despite the fact that some differences in the mean scores were observed, no statistically significant difference was detected in the listening test scores between the three groups (p = 0.31). In a similar way, the post-hoc test yielded the same results (p = 0.68; p = 0.22; p = 0.22). Thus, the amount of daily exposure to watching English movies and TV programs in the original did not seem to occupy a substantial role in relation to listening skills of EFL learners. It is vital that further research, on a larger sample of respondents, be conducted, also due to the fact that the exploration of this field of English language teaching and learning is still in its infancy. Extensive listening (extensive viewing) represents a useful and popular way of improving listening skills, which requires attention of teachers and students, and this preliminary study explores whether higher exposure to viewing movies and TV programs results in better listening skills of EFL learners.

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Zahra Banitalebi ◽  
Ali Akbar Jabbari ◽  
Shouket Ahmad Tilwani ◽  
Mohammad Hasan Razmi

Fluency is one of the most important components of oral proficiency, which can be affected by a number of variables including frequency, duration, and place of pause phenomena. The present study aimed at investigating the effect of bilingualism on learning a foreign language from the angle of fluency and pausing patterns by comparing the pausing patterns of monolingual (Persian speakers) and bilingual (Iranian Turkish speakers; L1: Turkish and L2: Persian) EFL learners. To this end, a sample of 40 male and female advanced EFL learners were selected from Yazd University and several English-language institutes. An English reading passage test was used to measure students’ fluency in terms of their pausing patterns in prepared mode of speech. As learners started to read the passage, their speeches were recorded. The collected data were analyzed by Praat software. The statistical analyses revealed a significant difference between monolingual and bilingual learners in the frequency, duration, and placement of the pauses they had produced while they were reading the English passage. The results showed that bilingual learners outperformed monolingual participants, suggesting the superiority of bilinguals in their pausing patterns. The implications are discussed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mustapha Hajebi ◽  
SeddiQ Taheri ◽  
Farhad Fahandezh ◽  
Hosain Salari

This research is done to prove the effect of web-based language learning on the vocabulary improvement of the subjects of the study and to seek the attitudes of the learners on the use of web-based approach in the language class. In order to ensure the homogeneity of the students, a modified Michigan test (version1997) was presented and students were divided into one experimental group (n1=33) who learned their course vocabularies making use of free vocabulary learning sites of IELTS English language learning site every day for 8 weeks and one control group (n2=33) who received ordinary classroom instructions each session. The result appeared to manifest that learners’ perception improve by incorporating web based instruction in language learning classroom. It also indicated a significant difference between experimental and control group with regard to their vocabulary knowledge. WBL instruction enhanced EFL learners' vocabulary knowledge. The findings of this study may offer some implications for language teaching and learning. To begin with, these findings can be beneficial for language learning curriculum designers to present tasks that enrich both the language of the students and their motivation to apply on-line web sites for autonomous learning of language.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-28
Author(s):  
Gusti Yarmi

The purpose of this study was to find out the information whether the whole language approach can improve the speaking ability for third-grade students’ elementary school. The subjects of this study were 22 of the third-grade students of elementary school Rawamangun, East Jakarta. The method of the study was action research conducting using model of Kemmis and Taggart. Data collection and analysis using data triangulation techniques. The results of the study show that speaking ability is one of the important skills used to communicate so it needs to be developed for grade 3 elementary school students. The result showed that the whole language approach can be applied as a method in improving students' speaking ability for third-grade elementary school. Therefore, teachers need to develop a whole language approach to language learning. So that it, can improve students' speaking ability. Keywords: Elementary student 1stgrade, Speaking ability, Whole language approach References Abu-Snoubar, T. K. (2017). On The Relationship between Listening and Speaking Grades of AL-Balqa Applied University English as a Foreign Language Students. International Education Studies, 10(12), 130. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v10n12p130 Bayat, S. (2016). The effectiveness of the creative writing instruction program based on speaking activities (CWIPSA). International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 8(4), 617–628. Buckingham, L., & Alpaslan, R. S. (2017). Promoting speaking proficiency and willingness to communicate in Turkish young learners of English through asynchronous computer-mediated practice. System, 65, 25–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2016.12.016 Chen, L., Cheng, J., & Chou, M. (2016). Literacy Development in Preschool Children: a Whole Language Curriculum. European Journal of Language Studies, 3(1), 24–49. Goodman, K. (1986). What‟s whole in whole language. Portsmouth: NH: Heinemann. Goodman, K. (2014). What’s Whole in Language in The 21 st Century? New York: Garn Press. Harmer, J. (1991). The Practice of English Language Teaching. The 3th Edition. London and New York: Longman Inc. Herbein, E., Golle, J., Tibus, M., Schiefer, J., Trautwein, U., & Zettler, I. (2018). Fostering elementary school children’s public speaking skills: A randomized controlled trial. Learning and Instruction, 55(October), 158–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2017.10.008 Kemmis, S., & McTaggart, R. (1988). The action research planner (3rd ed.). Geelong, Australia: Deakin University Press. Khodadady, E., & Shamsaee, S. (2012). Formulaic sequences and their relationship with speaking and listening abilities. English Language Teaching, 5(2), 39–49. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v5n2p39 Leong, L., & Ahmadi, S. M. (2017). An Analysis of Factors Influencing Learners ’ English Speaking Skill. International Journal of Research in English Education, 2(1), 34–41. https://doi.org/10.18869/acadpub.ijree.2.1.34 Macintyre, P. D., Clément, R., Dörnyei, Z., & Noels, K. A. (2011). Conceptualizing Willingness to Communicate in a L2: A Situational Model of L2 Confidence and Affiliation. The Modern Language Journal, 82(4), 545–562. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1998.tb05543.x Marzuki, M., Prayogo, J. A., & Wahyudi, A. (2016). Improving the EFL Learners’ Speaking Ability through Interactive Storytelling. Dinamika Ilmu, 16(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.21093/di.v16i1.307 Moghadam, J. N., & Adel, S. M. R. (2011). The Importance of Whole Language Approach in Teaching English to Intermediate Iranian EFL Learners. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 1(11), 1643–1654. https://doi.org/10.4304/tpls.1.11.1643-1654 Ngalimun, & Alfulaila. (2014). Pembelajaran Keterampilan Berbahasa Indonesia. Yogyakarta: Aswaja Pressindo. Nunan, D. (2018). Teaching Speaking to Young Learners. In The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching (First Edit). John Wiley & Sons, Inc. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118784235.eelt0715 Park, Hyesook & Lee, A. R. (2014). L2 learners’ anxiety. Comp. Educ., 50(1), 45–57. https://doi.org/10.1080/03050068.2013.871832 Phadung, M., Suksakulchai, S., & Kaewprapan, W. (2016). Interactive whole language e-story for early literacy development in ethnic minority children. Education and Information Technologies, 21(2), 249–263. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-014-9318-8 Saepudin, E., Sukaesih, S., & Rusmana, A. (2018). Peran Taman Bacaan Masyarakat (Tbm) Bagi Anak-Anak Usia Dini. Jurnal Kajian Informasi Dan Perpustakaan, 5(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.24198/jkip.v5i1.10821 Schwarzer, D. (2001). Whole language in a foreign language class: From theory to practice. Foreign Language Annals, 34(1), 52–59. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2001.tb02802.x Seong, Y. (2017). Assessing L2 Academic Speaking Ability: The Need for a Scenario-Based Assessment Approach. Working Papers in Applied Linguistics & TESOL, 17(2), 36–40. Stark, H. L., Snow, P. C., Eadie, P. A., & Goldfeld, S. R. (2016). Language and reading instruction in early years’ classrooms: the knowledge and self-rated ability of Australian teachers. Annals of Dyslexia, 66(1), 28–54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-015-0112-0 Tarigan, & Guntur, H. (1981). Berbicara Sebagai Suatu Keterampilan Berbahasa. Bandung: Angkasa. Tuan, N. H., & Mai, T. N. (2015). Factors Affecting Students’ Speaking Performance at Le Thanh Hien High SchoolTuan, N. H., & Mai, T. N. (2015). Factors Affecting Students’ Speaking Performance at Le Thanh Hien High School. Asian Journal of Educaitonal Research, 3(2), 8–23. Asian Journal of Educaitonal Research, 3(2), 8–23. Ur, P. (1996). A course in Language Teaching. Practice and Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge. University Press. Walter, C. (2010). Teaching ESL/EFL Listening and Speaking,. System, 38(1), 144–146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2009.11.002 Weaver, C. (1990). Understanding Whole Language from Principles to Practice. Toronto: Irwin Publishing. Wood, C., Fitton, L., Petscher, Y., Rodriguez, E., Sunderman, G., & Lim, T. (2018). The Effect of e-Book Vocabulary Instruction on Spanish–English Speaking Children. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 61(8), 1945–1969. https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_jslhr-l-17-0368 Yegani, H. (2017). The Effect of Task-based and Topic-based Speaking Activities on Speaking Ability of Iranian EFL Learners, 85–93.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 318-339
Author(s):  
Mona Tavakoli

Background/Purpose: Second/foreign language learners face problems in different areas such as correct word usage, grammatical accuracy, and pronunciation fluency. This paper responds to one of these problems by investigating the impact of strategic Google Search on Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ grammar learning.   Methodology: Sixty Iranian intermediate EFL learners from a private English language institute in Isfahan, Iran were selected and randomly divided into two groups. To find which areas of grammar are most problematic among the participants, a multiple-choice grammar pretest which was validated by five English experts was given to them. Then 10 questions that most participants answered wrongly were selected as the most challenging ones. During 10 class sessions, the participants were taught how to select the correct choice through Google Search. In fact, each participant in the class had a laptop connected to the internet. The researcher taught them how to search on Google strategically and the participants found out that in Google sites there are some sentences which are grammatically wrong and they should not trust them. They learned how to search strategically for the correct choices. At the end of the sessions they answered a posttest containing different questions but in the same grammatical areas. The pretest and posttest both were conducted while the participants were connected to internet sites.   Findings: Data analysis was done through running t-test using SPSS software and statistically significant difference was revealed. The findings showed that those participants who were taught how to strategically use Google Search performed better in the posttest. Therefore, the results revealed that correct Google Search had improved the Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ grammar knowledge.    Contributions: This study has several implications for both language learners and teachers regarding the use of Google platform for English grammar learning. In addition, it contributes to the body of knowledge that strategic Google Search does not only improve the Iranian EFL learners’ English grammar but also make them less dependent on teachers thus promoting autonomous learning.   Keywords: Google search, EFL learners, grammar learning, intermediate EFL learners, Iran, web-based instruction.   Cite as: Tavakoli, M. (2021). Using Google search for English grammar learning. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 6(2), 318-339. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol6iss2pp318-339


Author(s):  
Mohamad Yahya Abdullah ◽  
Supyan Hussin ◽  
Kemboja Ismail

Learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) face various challenges which impede their efforts to achieve English proficiency, especially in speaking performance. In response, this study sets out to use the Flipped Classroom Model (FCM) as a teaching method to investigate the effective-ness of the FCM on EFL learners’ anxiety in English speaking performance. A mixed-methods research design was utilized whereby 27 Omani under-graduate students majoring in English as a foreign language at Buraimi Uni-versity College (BUC), Sultanate of Oman were selected purposively as the subjects of the study. The collected data involved the Anxiety in English Speaking Performance Questionnaire (AESPQ) that was distributed in three stages: pre, midway and post the implementation of FCM. Another set of da-ta was elicited in the focus group interviews and students’ reflective jour-nals. Findings indicated that after twelve weeks of using FCM, a considera-ble improvement occurred on EFL learners’ anxiety in English speaking per-formance across time. The results of the One-way ANOVA showed that there were significant differences among the EFL learners’ levels of anxiety in speaking English, F (₂, ₅₂) = 111.492, P<0.001, η2= 0.811), and MANOVA results revealed that there was a significant difference between the four di-mensions of AESPQ over time (Wilks Lambda =0.017, F= 134.718, 2=0.983). FCM was found to be appropriate to all the students in this study since it satisfied their needs and suited their learning styles. Essentially, the findings reported in this research would contribute to advancing English language teaching, not only in instructional design but also in promoting EFL instructors to be more interested in using FCM.


2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gong Zhiqi ◽  
Jiang Hui

AbstractThis study investigated the relationship between situation-bound utterances (SBUs thereafter) and formulaic competence, focusing on the acquisition of three subcategories of SBUs among early intermediate and early advanced Chinese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). A group of native English speakers also participated in this study to provide baseline data. One-way ANOVA analysis and post hoc tests confirmed that linguistic competence usually preceded formulaic competence for EFL learners. The findings also showed no statistically significant difference existing between the three groups of participants in the use of plain SBUs, and this could be attributed to the low degree of cultural-embeddedness and high semantic transparency of plain SBUs. It was further argued that a threshold has to be reached for EFL learners to go through a movement from rules to wholes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reza Kafipour ◽  
Nooreen Noordin

Teachers are the core component of teaching and learning a second or foreign language; therefore, they should know what the learners consider as the most effective teachers’ characteristics which may enhance their learning. Accordingly, the main aim of the present study was to compare field dependent and field independent Iranian learners in terms of their perceptions about effective language teaching. Fifty intermediate Iranian learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) participated in this study and three instruments were utilized to collect the data. The first instrument was Oxford Placement Test (OPT, 2001) to test the homogeneity of the EFL learners. The second instrument was Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) to classify field dependent learners from field independent ones and the third instrument was an effective EFL teaching questionnaire to record the participants’ perceptions of effective EFL teaching. The obtained results revealed that field dependent and field independent learners had different expectations in class. That is, for field dependent learners, confidence and open-mindedness in class were important characteristics of an effective teacher while for field independent learners, teachers’ knowledge and proficiency were important. Indeed, there was no significant difference between the perceptions of field dependent participants and the field independent EFL learners about the overall characteristics of an effective teacher. Knowing EFL learners’ cognitive styles can open new insights in the second language (L2) domain and lead to more influential teaching.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arab World English Journal ◽  
Nasrin S. Altuwairesh

The last two decades have witnessed a growing interest in vocabulary items consisting of more than a single word in the field of English language teaching (ELT) (Nation &amp; Meara, 2002, p. 36; Schmitt, 2000, p. 96). Researchers in the area came to notice that language is produced by native speakers as 'chunks' rather than single words (Schmitt, 2000, p. 42; Read, 2000, p.20). This entails that if language instructors wish English as a foreign language (EFL) learners to attain native-like proficiency, they should be trained on the use of chunks of language and equipped with a large number of them. Such multiple-word items, Schmitt (2000) explains, constitute a rather high percentage of the English language and are drawing more attention. Thus, these chunks of language are worth spending time on in any language course. The purpose of the following paper is two-fold: on the one hand, the researcher intends to get ELT instructors aware of the concept of collocations and its significance, for those who are not already aware of this aspect of language. On the other hand, the researcher aims at suggesting ways to help learners develop collocational knowledge.


Author(s):  
Ali Akbar Khansir ◽  
Afsaneh Salehabadi

As the topic suggests, the research paper presents Study of Consonant Pronunciations Errors Committed by EFL Learners. Error analysis always tries to resolve language learners’ problems in acquiring second or foreign language setting. Learning to English pronunciation is perhaps as important as learning listening skill, speaking, and spelling. Errors in English pronunciation create several problems for English language learners in their works. In other words, most of the English language errors of pronunciation are due to the lack of knowledge of language learners. However, all the students in our sample are of age group (16-25) at Bushehr language institute and they are all Iranian nationals. In addition, all of them were female learners. An English pronunciation (consonant) test was used to get information about the knowledge of the learners in English pronunciation. Findings of this article indicated that the first and second hypotheses of this article were accepted, but the third hypothesis was rejected. However, the findings of this paper showed that the Iranian EFL students have problem to pronounce English sounds correctly.


Relay Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 228-235
Author(s):  
Paul J. Moore ◽  
Phil Murphy ◽  
Luann Pascucci ◽  
Scott Sustenance

This paper reports on an ongoing study into the affordances of free online machine translation for students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) at the tertiary level in Japan. The researchers are currently collecting data from a questionnaire, task performance, and interviews with 10-15 EFL learners in an English Language Institute in a university in Japan. The paper provides some background on the changing role of translation in language learning theory and pedagogy, before focusing literature related to technical developments in machine translation technology, and its application to foreign language learning. An overview of the research methodology is provided, along with some insights into potential findings. Findings will be presented in subsequent publications.


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