scholarly journals Stress Misassignment in the Pronunciation of English by Arabic-speaking Learners: Erratic Practice or Crosslinguistic Influence?

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
English Proficiency ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Stress Assignment ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Multiple Stress ◽  
Auxiliary Verbs ◽  
Crosslinguistic Influence ◽  
Arabic Speaking ◽  
Different Levels

The role of L1 interference in English stress assignment produced by Arabic-speaking EFL learners has received little research attention. This study aims to investigate whether faulty stress assignment by Arab learners is arbitrary or systematic. It also attempts to discover a linkage, if any, between Arabic phonotactic rules of stress placement and stress misplacement in English by Saudi learners. 120 learners from Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University were randomly chosen from 3 different levels of English proficiency (lower-intermediate, upper-intermediate, advanced); they were asked to pronounce 72 stimulus words that covered all morpho-syllabic word structures that the learners often mispronounced. The recordings were analysed using WASP spectrogram software and also by two independent raters. Results strongly indicated that crosslinguistic influence may have caused the learners to consistently a) place the stress on a specific syllable in a word even when this word has multiple stress assignments with a difference in meaning, b) stress the second item in a compound noun instead of the first, c) place the stress on the penultimate syllable of most polysyllabic words, d) place the stress on the second syllable of contracted negative auxiliary verbs , and e) misplace stress irrespective of their level of English proficiency.

scholarly journals The Role of Learners’ Attitudes Toward Parental Involvement in L2 English Learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Jung-Tae Kim ◽  
Rusty Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Parental Involvement ◽  
South Korea ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
English Learning ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Korean Efl Learners

This paper seeks to examine Korean EFL learners’ perceptions of parental involvement and how their attitudes toward parental involvement are associated with the success of parental involvement. Two hundred fifty four EFL children in South Korea participated in a survey asking the degree of their parent’s involvement in seven involvement types and their attitudes towards parental involvement. The results showed that while all types of parental involvement were positively correlated with English proficiency for the group of children with positive attitudes towards parental involvement, no such correlations were found for the group of children with highly negative attitudes. In addition, for the group of children with moderately negative attitudes toward parental involvement, only less direct, autonomy-supportive parental involvement was found to be related to their achievement. These results suggest that learners’ attitudes toward parental involvement may be a factor that delimits the positive influence of parental involvement on EFL learners’ achievement.

scholarly journals The Comprehension of English Relative Clauses by Arabic-Speaking EFL Learners

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 192
Author(s):  
Sofia Sabahat Khan ◽  
Lubaba Abdul-Salam Al-Namer
Keyword(s):  
Relative Clauses ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Syntactic Structure ◽  
Choice Test ◽  
Relative Pronoun ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Arabic Speaking ◽  
English Relative Clauses

This study investigates the extent to which 50 Arabic-speaking EFL learners comprehend English relative clauses (RCs). It also aims to test which relative pronoun among the seven pronouns we are investigating is the easiest to comprehend and which is the most problematic. Furthermore, it aims to measure whether the English proficiency level of the participants affects their performance on the test. Therefore, a multiple-choice test was administered in order to examine their comprehension of this complex syntactic structure.  The participants were asked to choose the correct answer out of four choices. The results demonstrate that Arabic-speaking EFL learners may not be fully aware of English relative clauses (total percentage= 48.5%). The t-test shows that the English proficiency level affected the participants’ performance on the test. Consequently, there is a significant difference between the answers of the advanced learners (ALs) (61.3%) and those of the intermediate learners (ILs) (35.6%). Moreover, the results reveal that the easiest relative pronoun to comprehend is the pronoun when, and the most difficult one is the pronoun whom. This study accounts for these difficulties and concludes with pedagogical implications and recommendations for further research. 

scholarly journals Concurrent Group-dynamic Assessment of Intermediate EFL Learners’ Receptive and Productive Vocabulary Size

2021 ◽  
pp. 119-137
Author(s):  
Mostafa Azari Noghabi ◽  
Seyed Mohammad Reza Amirian ◽  
Gholamreza Zareian
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Dynamic Assessment ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Group Dynamic ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Experimental Group

Although research studies on dynamic assessment (DA) yielded promising results to the field of language teaching, scant research attention has been paid to examining the effectiveness of group dynamic assessment (G-DA) in relation to vocabulary development. To this effect, the present mixed-methods study was designed to inspect the potential of concurrent G-DA in enlarging receptive and productive vocabulary size of 56 Iranian intermediate EFL learners. The study used two modalities: the control group, which was taught the selected lexical items through traditional procedures such as using word lists; and the experimental group, which was offered group-based supportive prompts for doing vocabulary exercises within the G-DA framework. The results of a series of independent-samples t-tests indicated the significant effect of G-DA in enhancing receptive and productive vocabulary size of EFL learners. The qualitative data underscored the role of group mediation in increasing learners’ motivation to increase vocabulary uptake within the G-DA framework and maintaining their positive attitude toward G-DA.

scholarly journals The Acquisition of the English Plural Morphemes by Arabic-Speaking EFL Learners

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Safaa M. Altarawneh ◽  
Maram H. Hajjo
Keyword(s):  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
American English ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Grammaticality Judgment ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Al Ain ◽  
Arabic Speaking

This research paper analyzes the extent to which Arabic-speaking EFL learners are aware of the English plural morphemes and whether they are able to recognize them in context. The study also investigates whether the participants’ English proficiency level may play a role in their ability to recognize these morphemes. For the purpose of the study, we designed a Grammaticality Judgment Task (GJT), which was by sixty students from Al Ain University of Science and Technology, Al Ain, The United Arab Emirates (UAE), to elicit data. The sentences used in the test were adapted and modified from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) in order to suit the students’ English proficiency level. The results revealed that there is a little awareness of the English plural morphemes among Arabic-speaking EFL learners. In addition, the participants’ English proficiency level had a little effect on the participants’ use of English plural morphemes. Finally, the paper concluded with some pedagogical implications and recommendations for further research.

scholarly journals On the Production of Synonyms by Arabic-Speaking EFL Learners

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Majed Alanazi
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Placement Test ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Advanced Learners ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Arabic Speaking ◽  
Lack Of Knowledge

This study examines the productive knowledge of synonyms in English by 40 Saudi EFL learners. It also tests whether the participants’ English proficiency level plays a role in their production of English synonyms. To this end, the researcher designed a translation test to measure Saudi EFL learners’ ability to produce the correct synonym in contextualised English sentences. In order to test whether the English proficiency level of the participants influenced their production of English synonyms, the participants were divided, on the basis of their scores on the Oxford Placement Test, into two groups: 20 Advanced Learners (ALs) and 20 Intermediate Learners (ILs). The answers of the two groups on the translation test, i.e., the ALs and ILs were compared to check whether their English proficiency level played a role on their answers. A Chi-square test was employed to determine whether the differences between the ALs and ILs on the test were statistically significant. The results show that the number of correct answers provided by ALs was higher than that provided by ILs, suggesting that their English proficiency level may have played a role in their answers. The study suggested that the main sources of error were L1 interference, lack of focus on the acquisition of vocabulary in schools in Saudi Arabia, lack of knowledge of some English lexical items, lack of awareness of the different nuances of meaning between the synonyms in English and lack of knowledge with English collocations. Finally, the study concludes with some recommendations for further research. 

scholarly journals Effects of Peer Feedback on EFL Student Writers at Different Levels of English Proficiency: A Japanese Context

2006 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taeko Kamimura
Keyword(s):  
English Proficiency ◽  
Peer Feedback ◽  
Efl Writing ◽  
Student Writers ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Different Levels

A study was conducted to explore the nature and effectiveness of peer feedback in EFL writing classrooms. High- and low-proficient Japanese EFL learners participated in the study where they exchanged comments with peers after receiving training in peer feedback. The two groups were compared in terms of their pre and post-tests, original drafts and rewrites, peer comments, and responses to the comments. It was found that peer feedback had overall positive effects on the compositions for both the high- and low-proficient students, with different patterns observed in the relationship between the comments and revisions that characterized the two groups.

Reliable predictors of reduced redundancy test performance: The interaction between lexical bonds and test takers’ depth and breadth of vocabulary knowledge

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafa Janebi Enayat ◽  
Esmat Babaii
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Contextual Cues ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
High Bond ◽  
Redundancy Test ◽  
Moderating Role ◽  
Different Levels

The present study intended to investigate whether test takers’ breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge can contribute to their efficient use of lexical bonds while restoring damaged texts in reduced redundancy tests. Moreover, the moderating role of general language proficiency was investigated in this interaction. In so doing, Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT), Word Associates Test (WAT), and a series of C-tests with high and low lexical bonds were administered to two groups of 85 upper-intermediate and 50 lower-intermediate EFL learners. Results of multiple regression analyses indicated the following: (a) breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge played dissimilar roles for test takers with different levels of language proficiency; (b) depth of vocabulary knowledge was a better predictor for high-bond texts; and (c) test takers with higher levels of language proficiency made more efficient use of lexical bonds as contextual cues. The findings point to the necessity of improving learners’ depth of vocabulary knowledge, especially at lower levels of language proficiency where vocabulary knowledge is mostly a matter of size rather than quality.

scholarly journals On the Awareness of English Polysemous Words by Arabic-Speaking EFL Learners

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sulafah Abdul Salam Alnamer
Keyword(s):  
English Proficiency ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Arabic Translation ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Primary Meaning ◽  
Arabic Speaking ◽  
Polysemous Words

This study measures the extent to which Arabic-speaking EFL learners are aware of polysemy in English. It also investigates whether the English proficiency level of Arabic-speaking EFL learners plays a role in their ability to distinguish between the various meanings of English polysemous words, and whether they face problems when they encounter these words in unusual contexts (i.e. the contexts that employ the extended meanings of the target polysemous words). To these ends, a translation test in which the participants were asked to give full Arabic translation for fifteen English sentences was designed. The words open, run, and make were the target polysemous words in this study. The Results show that Arabic-speaking EFL learners have little awareness of polysemy in English, and their English proficiency level does play a role in their ability to distinguish between the different meanings of English polysemous words. It was also found that Arabic-speaking EFL learners have no problems guessing the primary meaning of the English polysemous words. However, they face difficulty guessing the extended meanings of polysemous words in unusual contexts. Moreover, some Arabic-speaking EFL learners can guess the extended meanings of the polysemous words they encounter in familiar contexts, or when they understand some cues provided to disambiguate these words. This study concludes with some pedagogical implications and recommendations for further studies.

scholarly journals Arab EFL Learners’ Perspectives on L1 Influence: Factors and Constraints

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 155
Author(s):  
Elham Salem Al-makatrah
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Influence Factors ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Structural Differences ◽  
L1 Influence ◽  
L1 And L2 ◽  
Arabic Speaking

This paper aims at examining the factors that cause L1 influence from the perspectives of adult native-Arabic speaking learners of English. It also reports on the possible constraints on L1 influence and further delves into the role of Psychotypology. Despite the recognition of the importance of L2 learners’ perspectives regarding the influence of their L1 and the factors contribute to such influence; this topic is an understudied area in the context of native-Arabic speaking learners of English. A semi-structured interview and a rewrite test were conducted with 40 undergraduate students at a public university, Jordan, where they were classified into two groups of 20 students each: beginner group and advanced group. The findings indicate that there are various causes of L1 influence including the peculiarity and complexity of some L2 structures/features as well as L1 –L2 structural differences. Learners’ psychotypological assessment of what is a similar, different, marked and unmarked structure across L1 and L2 is one of the restrictions on L1 influence. Moreover, Learners’ psychotypological assessment also varies depending on the learners’ L2 proficiency levels. The findings of this study can provide important insights into the research that considers various factors of the overall process of second language acquisition.

Nonword Repetition Skills in Gulf Arabic–Speaking Children With Developmental Language Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (11) ◽  
pp. 3700-3713
Author(s):  
Saleh Shaalan
Keyword(s):  
Phonological Processing ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Nonword Repetition ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Developmental Language Disorder ◽  
Gulf Arabic ◽  
Arabic Speaking ◽  
Phonological Complexity

Purpose This study examined the performance of Gulf Arabic–speaking children with developmental language disorder (DLD) on a Gulf Arabic nonword repetition (GA-NWR) test and compared it to their age- and language-matched groups. We also investigated the role of syllable length, wordlikeness, and phonological complexity in light of NWR theories. Method A new GA-NWR test was conducted with three groups of Gulf Arabic–speaking children: school-age children with DLD, language-matched controls (LCs), and age-matched controls (ACs). The test consisted of two- and three-syllable words that either had no clusters, medial clusters, final clusters, or medial + final clusters. Results The GA-NWR distinguished between the performance of children with DLD and the LC and AC groups. Results showed significant syllable length, wordlikeness, and phonological complexity effects. Differences between the DLD and typically developing groups were seen in two- and three-syllable nonwords; however, when compared on nonwords with no clusters, children with DLD were not significantly different from the LC group. Conclusions The GA-NWR test differentiated between children with DLD and their ACs and LCs. Findings, therefore, support its clinical utility in this variety of Arabic. Results showed that phonological processing factors, such as phonological complexity, may have stronger effects when compared to syllable length effects. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12996812

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document