scholarly journals Britain’s new language testing powerhouse: An interview with Professor Anthony Green, University of Bedfordshire

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Daniel Dunkley
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Collaborative Research ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Language Testing ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Assessment Literacy ◽  
Learner Corpus ◽  
The University ◽  
Learner Language

In this interview Professor Green explains the work of CRELLA (the Centre for Research in English Language Learning and Assessment at the University of Bedfordshire), and its role in the improvement of language testing. The institute contributes to this effort in many ways. For example, in the field of language education they are partners in English Profile (EP: www.englishprofile.org), a collaborative research programme directed towards a graded guide to learner language at different CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) levels, based on the 50 million word Cambridge Learner Corpus. Among other things, the EP has helped to inform the development of the CEFR-J in Japan. In this interview, Professor Green also outlines his own work, especially in the areas of washback and assessment literacy.

scholarly journals PREFERENCE IN LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES (LLS) OF THE STUDENTS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MUHAMMADIYAH JEMBER

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-72
Author(s):  
Taufik Hidayah
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
English Language ◽  
Learning Strategy ◽  
Cognitive Strategies ◽  
Language Education ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Language Learning Strategies ◽  
English Language Education ◽  
The University

          The present study aims at investigating the patterns of language learning strategy use employed by the sixth semester students of English language education program at the University of Muhammadiyah Jember. To achieve this objective, Oxford’s Strategy Inventory of Language Learning (SILL) (1990) along with a background questionnaire (a modified version of Oxford’s background questionnaire) were administered to the participants. The findings indicate that the research participants use language learning strategies at a high rate (more than 60%), but with differences in type and frequency of the individual learning strategies. The students reported a high frequent use of metacognitive and cognitive strategies. Other types of language learning strategies are also used by the students, although the frequency is lower than the previous two strategies. Based on the findings of the present study, some pedagogical implication were suggested to encourage students to reflect on their own strengths  and weaknesses in skills and content courses  and self-regulate learning so as to make progress with teachers’ assistance. Keywords:  language learning strategies  (LLS);  Strategy Inventory of Language Learning (SILL);  memory strategies; cognitive strategies; metacognitive strategies; socio-affective strategies; compensation strategies.  

scholarly journals Developing Autonomy Through Student-Centered English Language Learning Process for Engineering Students

2018 ◽  
pp. 34-58
Author(s):  
Marian Lissett Olaya
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
English Language ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The University

This article focuses on how the incorporation of autonomy into university students’ learning process improves their English language performance. The participants of this study were 25 students of engineering programs in a public university. Data collection was done through observation, a survey, and a group interview. Two categories that emerged after the data analysis supported the main finding that technology-based activities can be conceived as a starting point for the incorporation of autonomous learning in the English language education at the university.

scholarly journals An Interview with Henry Widdowson

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Chantal Hemmi ◽  
Graham Mackenzie ◽  
Katsuya Yokomoto
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Applied Linguistics ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Associate Professor ◽  
Communicative Language Teaching ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
English Medium Instruction ◽  
The University

Welcome colleagues! For the last issue of 2019, we present a very special interview with Professor Henry Widdowson, an acclaimed authority in the field of applied linguistics who has made great contributions to the development of communicative language teaching. In this conversation, Professor Widdowson discusses English Language Learning in Japan in the context of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), English Medium Instruction (EMI), and English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). Professor Widdowson is Emeritus Professor at the University of London, was Professor of Applied Linguistics at Essex University and is currently Honorary Professor at the Department of English and American Studies at the University of Vienna. He has published extensively on English language teaching and applied linguistics. Here he was interviewed by Chantal Hemmi, an Associate Professor, Graham Mackenzie, a Project Associate Professor, and Katsuya Yokomoto, a Lecturer at the Center of Language Education and Research at Sophia University.

scholarly journals Finding the sweet spot: Learners’ productive knowledge of mid-frequency lexical items

2021 ◽  
pp. 136216882110204
Author(s):  
Ben Naismith ◽  
Alan Juffs
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Lexical Development ◽  
University Of Pittsburgh ◽  
Learner Corpus ◽  
Word Families ◽  
Lexical Items ◽  
The University

Research into vocabulary knowledge often differentiates between breadth (how many words a person knows) and depth (how well the words are known). Both theoretical categories are essential for understanding language learners’ lexical development, but how the different aspects of vocabulary knowledge interconnect has not received the same attention as each individual dimension, especially in terms of productive knowledge. This study analyses lexis from mid-frequency lemmas in the K3–K9 frequency bands from the learner corpus PELIC (The University of Pittsburgh English Language Corpus). Critically for learners, mastery of lexis in this frequency range is essential for achieving the English proficiency required for university study. From these mid-frequency items, a dataset of 7,554 tokens were collected from word families with multiple derivations and manually annotated. The findings showed high rates of collocational and derivational accuracy for the forms learners opted to use. However, compared to expert speaker texts in the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), learners overused the verb forms and underused the noun forms of these lexical items. These patterns provide evidence of the interplay between breadth and depth in learners’ productive vocabulary usage, suggesting that increased lexical depth will naturally lead to greater lexical breadth and vice versa. Pedagogical implications reaffirm the importance of developing learners’ explicit morphological awareness and collocational accuracy. Suggestions for mid-frequency lexical items to prioritize in language learning are also provided, with a view to helping learners achieve academic readiness.

scholarly journals WhatsApp: An Online Platform for University-Level English Language Education

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mufleh Salem M. Alqahtani ◽  
C. Vijaya Bhaskar ◽  
Kesavan Vadakalur Elumalai ◽  
May Abumelha
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Online Platform ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
Language Courses ◽  
University Level ◽  
Meaningful Experiences ◽  
The University

Technology has developed immensely and its role in the aspects of learning a language has grown bigger and bigger. Among the university level students, WhatsApp at present is getting into the frontline as one of the most widespread online social networking platforms concerning to language learning. The research work undertaken tries to understand if university level students consider WhatsApp as a significant learning platform that can develop and support their language learning skills. Moreover, , the research work focuses on the routine practices or use of WhatsApp by students. The outcome of the survey data reveals that students consider that WhatsApp may be utilized as a teaching cum learning online platform to assist them in the process of language learning. They also highlighted the necessity of imitating language courses associated with WhatsApp, integration of technology through WhatsApp for the access of class materials with a set of objectives and outcomes explicitly focused on learning language to create meaningful experiences for students. Pedagogically, the study concludes by emphasizing the efficacy and prospective role of WhatsApp in improving the capability of students with regard to learning a language at university level.

scholarly journals Intensifying Language Learning Through Practice: Role-Play and The Perceptions of Japanese Medical- Related Profession Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Faramarz Samifanni
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Language Study ◽  
The University

This article presents a descriptive mixed study regarding the perceptions of university medical-related profession students towards role-playing and their confidence in communication. Students' perception towards role-playing was determined by an open-ended questionnaire while their most important consideration in language study was measured through a seven-point Likert scale. Thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data while descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data. Out of the 144 students from all the classes, 117 medical-related profession students participated in the study. Results showed that role-playing helped the students gain confidence through frequent practice of the target language. Moreover, role-playing showed improvement in the medical-related students’ oral communication skills including their non-verbal communication skills. Furthermore, the students consider practicing the target language as the most important consideration in language study. The results indicate that this study can provide substantial data towards a new approach and a paradigm shift in English language education at the university level; from grammar focused instruction to communicative approach.

Tertiary English-majored Students’ Perceptions toward the Role of Pronunciation in English Language Learning and their Practicing Strategies

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 264-279
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
The University

Accurate pronunciation has a vital role in English language learning as it can help learners to avoid misunderstanding in communication. However, EFL learners in many contexts, especially at the University of Phan Thiet, still encounter many difficulties in pronouncing English correctly. Therefore, this study endeavors to explore English-majored students’ perceptions towards the role of pronunciation in English language learning and examine their pronunciation practicing strategies (PPS). It involved 155 English-majored students at the University of Phan Thiet who answered closed-ended questionnaires and 18 English-majored students who participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that students strongly believed in the important role of pronunciation in English language learning; however, they sometimes employed PPS for their pronunciation improvement. Furthermore, the results showed that participants tended to use naturalistic practicing strategies and formal practicing strategies with sounds, but they overlooked strategies such as asking for help and cooperating with peers. Such findings could contribute further to the understanding of how students perceive the role of pronunciation and their PPS use in the research’s context and other similar ones. Received 10th June 2019; Revised 12th March 2020; Accepted 12th April 2020

The University Student’s Motivation Level on Learning English

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 130
Author(s):  
Esmira Mehdiyev ◽  
Celal Teyyar Uğurlu ◽  
Gonca Usta
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
T Test ◽  
University Graduates ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Personal Use ◽  
Motivation Level ◽  
Motivation Scale ◽  
The University

This study aims to determine the university students’ level of motivation in terms of different variables. A study group of this research has been designed through one of the non-random sampling methods, Using appropriate sampling, 606 students from Faculty of Education of C.U. have been involved in this study. Motivation scale in English Language Learning developed by Mehdiyev,Usta,Uğurlu (2015) was used as an instrument of data collection. T-test and one - way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to resolve problems of this research. As a result of the research the motivation level of university students hasn’t been revealed significantly different regarding to the gender variable. However, considering the t-test results of motivation scale dimensions, confidence, attitude and personal use, significant difference is seen in favour of women in personal use dimension. The level of language learning motivation of female students is higher than men’s regarding to personal use dimension. However, men’s and women’s views don’t differ significantly in attitude and confidence dimensions. University students don’t present significant differences in terms of birth place, parent’s education level, total motivation scores and confident, attitude and personal dimensions. Students’ motivation levels are seen not to be influenced by the places such as village, provision or city where they have spent the most of their lifetime. At the same time the findings revealed that parental status variable in terms of primary, secondary and university graduates has no effects on students’ motivation.

The “other(ing)” costs of ESL

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ena Lee
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Secondary English ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Student Identities ◽  
Global Language

While the commodification of English as a global language may give rise to varying degrees of political and economic benefits for language learners, a simultaneous “cost” of this return may be a continued perpetuation of various forms of hegemony. In this vein, this one-year case study investigated a Canadian post-secondary English as a Second Language (ESL) program that analyzed the interconnections between language and culture through a critical dialogic approach. Classroom observations, however, revealed that disjunctions existed between the pedagogy as it was conceptualized and the practices of the instructors teaching there and suggested that the “critical” discourses mediated within the language classrooms essentialized culture and, subsequently, the identities of the students. This paper presents the voices of students from Mainland China as they attempted to negotiate their local and global identities within the larger sociopolitical contexts of the English language, generally, and English language education, in particular. I argue that classroom discourses can (re)create subordinate student identities, thereby limiting their access not only to language-learning opportunities, but to other more powerful identities. This paper thus highlights how ESL pedagogies and practices might address and contest hegemonic discourses and concomitantly reimagine student identities in more emancipatory ways.

Analysis of EFL Learners’ Integrative and Instrumental Motivation Factor at English Language Education Undiksha

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-62
Author(s):  
Made Surya Mahendra ◽  
Ni Luh Putu Eka Sulistia Dewi ◽  
Ida Ayu Made Istri Utami
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Education Students ◽  
English Language Education ◽  
Motivation Factors ◽  
Integrative Motivation ◽  
Language Attitude ◽  
Learning English

This study aimed (1) to analyze motivation’s factor that affects English Language Education Students in achieving learning English both in instrumental and integrative motivation; (2) to analyze the major factor of motivation that affect students; and (3) to analyze how the major factor of motivation influence the students in achieving their goal in learning English. The survey was employed as a method of data collection through questionnaires and interviews. Both instruments consisted of instrumental and integrative motivation, which each dimension involves three factors of motivation. The results showed that English Language Education students were affected by six motivation factors. Those are academic, social, economic, attitude toward learning the target language, attitude toward the target language community, and desire to learn the target language. Among those motivation factors, the academic and attitude toward learning the target language were the major factor that affects students in achieving their goal in language learning.

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