Introducing EMI instruction in an EFL context: Can the integration of content and language in higher education improve students’ English proficiency?

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Efl Context

EXTERNAL INDEPENDENT EVALUATION IN ENGLISH AS A CRITERION FOR ADMISSION TO MASTER`S DEGREE PROGRAMS IN UKRAINE: PROBLEMS AND PERSPECTIVES

2020 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-50
Author(s):  
Л. Е. Бєловецька
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
Independent Evaluation

The problem of external independent evaluation in English for admission Master`s degree programs in Ukraine is considered in the article. The perspective for further improvement of English teaching and learning standards at Ukrainian universities has been found. The correspondence to the CEFR basic levels and English proficiency has been identified. Conceptual Principles of State Policy on the Development of English in the Field of Higher Education are considered. The study included 1546 participants. The age of students, who studied to gain the first higher education, was between 17 and 20. The students were not familiar with the structure of External Independent Evaluation and they have never passed it. The research was carried out during the period 2018–2019. The relevance of English language competence in the professional context is noted emphasized as a key point of the presented research. The necessity to provide a sufficient competitive level for Ukrainian graduates through improving correspondent English language training has been considered. The study is based on a study of reports by British experts and contemporary scientific publications presented international researchers have focused on the problems of internationalization and perspectives for Ukrainian universities in the English language dimension. The relevance of studying and adaptation of the UK higher education successful practice has been highlighted. The problems and potential ways of improving students` English language proficiency in the given context are identified. In particular, the study contains important recommendations regarding the number of contact hours and the required levels of English proficiency for the main groups of participants in the educational process in higher education according to international standards.

Enhancing students’ English proficiency by co-teaching between native and non-native teachers in an EFL context

2019 ◽  
pp. 136216881987393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenhui Rao ◽  
Huijun Yu
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Team Teaching ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Teaching Model ◽  
Traditional Teaching ◽  
English Teacher ◽  
Teaching Behaviors ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Native Teachers

This study examines the effects of co-teaching between native and non-native English teachers on English as a foreign language (EFL) students’ English proficiency in China, and then explores the students’ perceptions of the collaborative form of teaching. Based on the co-teaching schemes created by the previous researchers, this experiment adopted three co-teaching models: (1) one teaching/one assisting model, (2) team teaching model, and (3) station teaching model. By comparing the effects of co-teaching with those of traditional teaching, the study found that the students who were co-taught by a native and a non-native English teacher made more gains in English proficiency than those who were taught by one teacher alone. The findings from the attitudinal survey indicate that the students generally held a positive attitude towards co-teaching and that they attributed the success of this experiment to three benefits in co-teaching: ideal linguistic environment, complementary teaching behaviors, and favorable cultural atmosphere.

scholarly journals English and International Students’ Adjustment in Indonesian Higher Education: A Teacher’s Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamamah ◽  
Yulia Hapsari
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Effective Interaction ◽  
Language Barrier ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Academic Life ◽  
Academic Leader ◽  
Academic Adaptation

International students at higher education in Indonesia encounter an extent of situations amid their adaptations in academic life. These experiences contribute to their satisfaction. As handful of studies within Indonesian context were conducted to identify the international students’ difficulties in adapting to academic life, teacher’s point of view toward the issue is barely available. This study centers at a teacher’s experience in dealing with the international students. Highlight is given to language barrier, not only encountered by the international students but also the teacher. A narrative inquiry was employed involving an academic leader who is also a teacher knowledgeable in internationalization agenda in higher education in Indonesia. Results of the study reveals that the academic adaptation of international students, with the focus of language barrier, was compounded by the absence of roadmap of internationalization policy in national and organizational levels, less-ideal classroom setting, and not effective interaction within classroom with the diversity of people involved. It is suggested that the policy on the proficiency of English language should be regulated to be mastered by students and teachers in international program.  HIGHLIGHTS: The lack of policy regulating standard of English proficiency level as entry requirement for international students becomes one of the causes of the language barrier problem that might hurdle the academic adaptation of international students. The composition of domestic and international students in a class as well as the lack of English proficiency of both the teacher and the students has contributed to the difficulties in academic adjustment.  

scholarly journals El nivel de dominio del inglés de los docentes de las Instituciones de Educación Superior ecuatorianas: estudio de requerimientos nacionales y del Marco Común Europeo

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Gabriela María De la Cruz Fernández ◽  
Andrea Sofía Ribadeneira Vacacela ◽  
Magdalena Inés Ullauri Moreno ◽  
Washington Gustavo Mancero Orozco
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Global Analysis ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Educación Superior ◽  
Educacion Superior ◽  
Palabras Clave ◽  
The Common

El propósito del estudio es el determinar el nivel de dominio de inglés de los docentes de inglés de las Instituciones de Educación Superior (IES) del Ecuador. Para su realización fue necesario conocer los requerimientos nacionales sobre el nivel de dominio del idioma inglés, para lo cual se hace una revisión de la literatura de lo establecido en el Reglamento de Régimen Académico sobre el requisito de conocimiento del idioma inglés y se analiza en conjunto con lo estipulado en el Marco Común Europeo. Para conocer el nivel de dominio de la lengua de los docentes de los centros de idiomas de las IES parte de este estudio, se realiza una encuesta a los docentes. Para la caracterización de las IES se hace una entrevista a los coordinadores de los Centros de idiomas. De acuerdo con los resultados obtenidos, el 26,92% de los docentes de inglés que avalaron su conocimiento de la lengua con certificaciones internacionales, cuentan con un nivel B2 de dominio de la lengua y un porcentaje representativo (17,30%) tiene un nivel C1. Sin embargo, todavía existe un porcentaje alto de docentes que no avalaron su nivel de dominio de la lengua con ninguna certificación lo cual corresponde al 38,46%. En conclusión, es necesario conocer el nivel de dominio de la lengua de todos los docentes de inglés de los centros de idiomas con el fin de establecer un análisis global y de ahí tratar de alcanzar los objetivos comunicacionales B2, C1 o C2 según Marco Común Europeo. PALABRAS CLAVE: dominio; idioma; inglés; docentes; requisito. The level of English proficiency of teachers in Ecuadorian Higher Education Institutions: a study of national requirements and the Common European Framework ABSTRACT The purpose of the study is to determine the level of English proficiency of the English teachers of the Higher Education Institutions of Ecuador (HEI) of Ecuador. To carry it out, it was necessary to know the national requirements on the level of proficiency in the English language, for which a review of the literature is made of the provisions of the Academic Regime Regulations about the requirement of knowledge of the English language and it is analyzed together with the provisions of the Common European Framework. To know the level of domain of the language of the teachers of the language centers of the HEIs part of this study, a survey of the teachers is carried out. For the characterization of the HEIs, an interview is made to the coordinators of the Language Centers. According to the results obtained, 26.92% of the English teachers who endorsed their knowledge of the language with international certifications, have a B2 level of domain of the language and a representative percentage (17.30%) have a level C1. However, there is still a high percentage of teachers who did not guarantee their level of the language with any certification, which corresponds to 38.46%. In conclusion, it is necessary to know the level of mastery of the language of all English teachers in language centers to establish a global analysis and hence try to achieve the communicational objectives B2, C1 or C2 according to the Common European Framework. KEYWORDS: domain; language; English; teachers; requirement.

scholarly journals The Efficacy of Song Education to Develop English Proficiency for Chinese EFL Majors

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 166
Author(s):  
Mai Xiaomei ◽  
Mai Quansheng
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Effective Strategy ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
Culturally Informed ◽  
English Majors

This paper intends to examine the efficacy of song education to develop English proficiency in China’s EFL context. By conducting a comparative study between two parallel classes and analyzing the results of forty-eight questionnaires, the paper reveals the following: 1) song education can help improve pronunciation and intonation skills to a great extent; 2) only carefully selected songs can be evidently helpful with the acquisition of vocabulary and grammar; and 3) song education makes it possible for students to be more culturally informed and culturally interested. Thus this paper casts some light on how song education can be employed as an effective strategy to develop English proficiency for English majors in China.

scholarly journals Evaluating the English Proficiency of Faculty Members of a Higher Education Institution: Using Results to Develop Responsive Professional Development Program

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 52
Author(s):  
Joel C. Meniado
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Higher Education Institution

Current literatures reveal that English proficiency of Filipino workforce has declined through the years. The untrained and non-proficient teachers are heavily blamed on this pressing concern. With the aim of addressing the leading cause of the problem, this study investigated the level of English proficiency of faculty members of a higher education institution in the Philippines and proposed a program that could reverse the alarming trend. Utilizing mixed methods research design with 41 full-time faculty members as samples, this study found that majority of the teachers are in B1 and B2 levels (Intermediate and Upper Intermediate). In terms of specific language skill, writing is the lowest with majority of the teachers placed in A1 and A2 levels (Basic Users). Results of the study suggest that faculty members need to undergo several language enhancement courses such as Effective Communication, Academic and Professional Communication, Academic Writing with Research, and Effective Business and Report Writing, while the higher education institution involved in this study needs to support teachers in their formal higher studies, participation in workshops and trainings, publishing in scholarly journals, and serving as speakers or presenters in various academic forums. Discussion points that arise include implications of the findings and required actions from stakeholders. The study concludes with its limitations and important recommendations.

scholarly journals Analysis of Reasons for Chinese College Students’ Lack of Oral English Proficiency

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. p63
Author(s):  
YANG Fan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
College Students ◽  
Teacher Knowledge ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
Chinese Higher Education ◽  
Chinese College Students ◽  
College English ◽  
English Teaching

Chinese college students’ lack of oral English proficiency has aroused many attentions during the College English Reform in recent years. The purpose of this article is to (a) summarize findings from the literature of challenges existed in oral English teaching in Chinese higher education and (b) find reasons for Chinese college students’ lack of oral English proficiency. The overarching question of this article is what are reasons for Chinese college students’ lack of oral English proficiency. Several reasons for Chinese college students’ lack of oral English proficiency including teacher knowledge, students’ willingness to communicate, assessment factors, and contextual constraints have been identified from the literature. This study hopes to provide references to the development of Chinese College English Reform in respect to oral English teaching.

scholarly journals Internationalization and Language Assessment in Brazil: Exploring the Interface between Language Proficiency and Rankings at UFES

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 139
Author(s):  
Kyria Rebeca Finardi ◽  
Gabriel Brito Amorim ◽  
Cláudia J. Kawachi-Furlan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Internationalization Of Higher Education ◽  
Proficiency Levels

<p><em>The study is based on the assumption that knowledge of English is an important factor in the internationalization of higher education and that the English without Borders program has positively affected the overall level of proficiency in English as well as internationalization levels in Brazil. So as to verify this hypothesis, the study analyzed the interface between English proficiency levels measured with the TOEFL ITP test and internationalization scores measured in terms of rankings in a federal university in Brazil. Results of the study suggest that during the period analyzed these two variables remained stable, thus confirming the hypothesis raised.</em><em></em></p>

scholarly journals Time limits and English proficiency tests: Predicting academic performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Opperman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Time Limit ◽  
First Year ◽  
Proficiency Tests ◽  
Time Limits ◽  
Cloze Procedure ◽  
Entering Students ◽  
Management Students

English is the primary language of instruction in South African higher education, but entering students of first year are often not sufficiently proficient. Therefore, a need is evident for proficiency testing to guide intervention initiatives. International proficiency tests are lengthy and expensive, but Cloze procedure and vocabulary tests have been used as effective alternatives. However, time limits may affect observed reliability and predictive validity in the context of higher education. The present research assessed a cohort of first-year tourism management students using versions of the English Literacy Skills Assessment (ELSA) Cloze procedure and Vocabulary in Context tests under three time-limit conditions: normal, double and no time limits. Students in double and no time-limit conditions performed significantly better than the normal time-limit group. Group scores were correlated with, and significant predictors of, academic subject first-test scores. Better performance and more accurate prediction under extended time limits may be related to students attempting more questions. As the ELSA Vocabulary in Context was the better predictor in this research, the importance of non-technical vocabulary, as opposed to semantic and contextual understandings in Cloze procedure, is highlighted. Therefore, screening the English proficiency levels of students admitted to higher education institutions may be useful to flag likelihood of success and guide interventions.

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