Meaningfully Engaging EFL Students in the Digital School

2021 ◽  
pp. 92-118
Author(s):  
Stamatia Savvani
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
State Schools

Technology is an integral part of our daily and professional lives and is gradually and steadily being introduced into state schools. As for the Greek context, the Digital School project was initiated in 2010 in state schools; digital platforms and materials were made available to teachers and students for the teaching of English. This study follows a mixed-methods approach and employs questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to explore English language teachers' beliefs and practices regarding the use of technology in state schools. The research focuses on how teachers use technology to maximise student engagement. The findings show a tendency from educators to embrace technology despite certain shortcomings found regarding the resources available, content- and technology-wise. Drawing from interview findings and teachers' practices, this chapter proposes educational practices that could be employed to foster student engagement and meaningfully integrate technology in English language classes.

scholarly journals Teacher and Student Perspectives on Written Feedback

2019 ◽  
Vol 2018 (1) ◽  
pp. 333
Author(s):  
Kent Jones ◽  
Kevin Tang
Keyword(s):  
Classroom Practice ◽  
English Language ◽  
Feedback System ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Feedback Systems ◽  
Metalinguistic Feedback ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
English Language Teachers

The results of teacher and student surveys regarding beliefs about feedback on student writing are examined. 57 English language teachers in Japan and 317 EFL students at a Japanese university were surveyed to answer the following: (a) How much time do teachers spend explaining their feedback systems and are students satisfied with it? (b) What types of feedback (Ellis, 2008) do teachers and students prefer and why? and (c) Do students believe their teachers’ feedback helps them avoid similar mistakes in future pieces of writing? Results showed the majority of students felt teachers spent enough time explaining their feedback system, but a sizeable minority wanted more explanation. Both teachers and students preferred metalinguistic feedback, but students preferred explanations to correction symbols. Despite their teachers’ corrections, most students felt that they would make the same mistakes in later pieces of writing. Implications for both classroom practice and further research are discussed. 本稿は、ライティングにおけるフィードバックに対する考えについて英語教員 （57名） と大学生 （317名） を対象に調査した結果である。調査された質問項目は、1） 教員がフィードバックの方法について説明した時間及び説明に対する学習者の満足度、2） 教員と学習者がどのようなフィードバック (Ellis, 2008) を好むかとその理由、3） 学習者はフィードバックが同じ誤りを防ぐことにつながると考えているか、の3点である。結果、1) に関しては、多くの学習者が現状で十分だとする一方、更なる説明を求める者も少数いた。2) は両者とも、メタ言語でのフィードバックを好む傾向にあるが、学習者は訂正記号よりも説明を好む傾向にある事がわかった。また教員の訂正にも拘らず、学習者は同じ誤りを繰り返しそうだと感じている事も明らかとなった。本調査をふまえ、ライティング授業での効果的なフィードバック方法についても言及する。

scholarly journals Pronunciation Errors of Letter “G” in English Language Made by Saudi Undergraduate Students

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huda Alqunayeer
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Loan Words ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Academic Year

The primary goal of the present study is to identify the problematic areas in the pronunciation of the letter “g” in English written words made by Saudi female learners of English as a foreign language, and the reasons for the weakness associated with mispronunciation of English written words which contain this letter. The population of the study was the female students (90 students) and their English language teachers (12 teachers) at the Qassim University during the academic year (2014-2015). There were two types of instruments used in this study. The first was a pronunciation test for the student participants in order to investigate the problematic areas of pronouncing “g” in different environments in different words; and the second a questionnaire for the teacher participants to provide comprehensive data about the causes of these errors of pronouncing “g” committed by EFL female students at Qassim University. Ninety female students were included for the pronunciation test and 12 teachers were asked to answer the questionnaire. Simple percentage was used for analyzing the data of recording words (pronunciation test). Results of the students’ recording words revealed that the participants mispronounced “g” before nasals (68%). According to the results of the teachers’ responses to the questionnaire suggested many factors that can cause difficulties for students in terms of pronouncing “g” in English written words. According to them, these difficulties are concerned with reading difficulties, nonstandard spellings, letters that follow “g” (many of them may become combinations), loan words, orthography (no correspondence between the English alphabets and their sounds). The researcher offers recommendations that might help teachers and students to overcome and reduce these mispronunciations of this letter in English written words.

scholarly journals Autonomy Perceptions from Teachers of English as a Foreign Language in Diverse Colombian Public Teaching Settings

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 148
Author(s):  
Dr. David Wealthy Guerrero
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Research Question ◽  
General Purpose ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Research Production ◽  
English Language Teachers

<p><em>This qualitative descriptive case study reports the features in autonomy dynamics of three Colombian English language teachers in public schools in the District in Bogota Colombia. Three semi-structured interviews and reflective journals were used for data collection. The research question that guided this study was: What perceptions about autonomy do the three Colombian English language teachers have? The general purpose of this investigation was to identify the main features in teachers’ perceptions related to Autonomy. The specific objective was to identify the strategies that promoted autonomy in Teachers of English as a Foreign Language -TEFL- in different public schools in Bogota, Colombia. The study is, therefore, particularly significant as it can play a role in encouraging Colombian English as a Foreign Language -EFL- teachers to relate the factors needed to get a high quality in Education dynamics. Data indicated that the process heightened the teachers’ awareness of ‘self’ and practice. Autonomy also activated both the teachers’ ability to critically reflect on their context as well as focus on positive aspects of their practice through the willingness to improve their academic abilities and research production. Taken together, the findings serve as baseline data to further professional development in language assessment. </em></p><em></em><em></em>

scholarly journals English Language Learning Demotivating Factors for Saudi High School EFL Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Raneem Alyousif ◽  
Zainab Alsuhaibani
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Extrinsic Motivation ◽  
English Language ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Efl Students

Demotivating factors are one of the sources that can reduce students&rsquo; motivation toward language learning. This study investigated language learning demotivating factors among high school EFL students. It also explored the educational implications and recommendations for promoting EFL students&rsquo; motivation from teachers&rsquo; perspectives. A total of 365 Saudi high school EFL students and 18 secondary English language teachers from six public schools participated in the study. The data of the study were collected via two research instruments: a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with students and teachers. The results revealed that subject- related and teacher-related demotivating factors were the most reported demotivating factors for Saudi high school EFL students. The results also showed that lack of interesting topics, lack of activities for practicing English, overemphasis on grammar, and incompetence of teachers were the most demotivating factors for EFL students toward English learning. Moreover, several recommendations for promoting students&rsquo; motivation have been suggested by teachers such as technology use, extrinsic motivation and encouragement, and competitive and collaborative work.&nbsp;

Effects of Teacher Portfolio Construction on English Language Teachers' Perceived Teaching Competencies

2017 ◽  
pp. 185-207
Author(s):  
Ece Zehir Topkaya ◽  
Handan Çelik
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Portfolio Construction ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Teaching Competencies ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Native Teachers ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Teacher Portfolio

This study investigates the effects of teacher portfolio construction upon in-service English language teachers' perceived teaching competencies. With the participation of six non-native teachers, data were collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews conducted before and after a sixteen-week teacher portfolio construction program. Analyses of the data through descriptive statistics and inductive content analysis revealed that the teachers' perceptions related to their teaching competencies were quite high prior to the portfolio construction process. After the process, however, decrease was observed in the teachers' perceived competencies. Findings also showed that the portfolio construction program was effective for the teachers' in that the process led them to become more self-evaluative, thus reflective and realistic about their competencies.

scholarly journals Should teachers use L1 in EFL classroom?

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 25-39
Author(s):  
Shahnaz Mahmud
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
English Classroom ◽  
Method Approach ◽  
Rule Out

English language teachers customarily rule out the use of mother tongue for teaching English. Reflecting on the theoretical underpinnings and empirical research on the use of mother tongue (L1) in English classroom and its ongoing debate the present study aims to explore teachers’ and students’ perceptions of it. A mixed method approach using questionnaire and interview is employed to analyze Bangladeshi university teachers’ and students’ belief and perceptions of teaching English with the help of L1. The study also attempts to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using L1. Results indicate that both teachers and students perceive the necessity of judicious use of L1 to facilitate learning and acquisition of English as a foreign language (EFL).

scholarly journals Teachers' and students' attitudes towards reading and writing: Do they correlate to students' achievement in English?

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-156
Author(s):  
Titus Terver Udu
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Senior Secondary ◽  
Attitudes Towards Reading

This survey tested the null hypothesis that teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards reading and writing do not simultaneously predict students’ achievement in the English language. The researcher utilized a sample of 38 teachers and 492 senior secondary school students from 12 schools in Benue State, Nigeria, for the study. The researcher developed and utilized the English Language Students’ Attitude Scale (ELSAS), English Language Teachers’ Attitude Scale (ELTAS), and Reading and Writing Achievement Test (RWAT) for data collection. An estimate of internal consistency was obtained through Cronbach’s Alpha and Kuder Richardson’s reliability methods and found to be 0.76 for ELSAS, 0.68 for ELTAS, and 0.81 for RWAT. Data analysis was by multiple regression statistics. The findings revealed that both English language teachers and students have a positive attitude towards reading and writing (F3, 492 = 0.160, p0.05) implying that teachers and students’ attitudes towards reading and writing jointly predicted students’ achievement in the English language in senior secondary schools. To conclude, learning would be facilitated if both teachers and students hold positive attitudes towards reading and writing, and this, in turn, could impact the students’ achievement in the English language. It was recommended that teachers should plan reading and writing instruction that can help students develop positive attitudes to these skills and parents should help in the development of these skills at home.

scholarly journals Native-speakerism and professional teacher identity in L2 pronunciation learning

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharif Alghazo ◽  
Mahmoud Zidan
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Effective Teaching ◽  
Teacher Identity ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Professional Teacher ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Global Language ◽  
L2 Pronunciation

Many studies in different contexts have examined both English as a second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL) students’ convictions about the connection between nativeness in English and professional teacher identity; however, very few studies solely focused on that connection in second language (L2) pronunciation teaching. This paper explores EFL university students’ experiences in learning English pronunciation from ‘native’- and ‘nonnative’- English-speaking teachers (NESTs and NNESTs). Based on an empirical study of undergraduates-prospective English language teachers-at the University of Jordan, the paper finds that most students still view ‘nativeness’ as the main descriptor of effective teaching, strongly believing NESTs to be the ‘authority’ and source of ‘correctness,’ both of which convictions are emblematic of native-speakerism, which in turns leads to both cultural panic and voicelessness on the part of NNESTs and learners. The study concludes with calling for the need to raise awareness among EFL students of the various manifestations of English as a global language-particularly the irrelevance of nativeness to effective teaching-and incorporating NNESTs into teaching L2 pronunciation and rejecting their marginalisation in teaching pronunciation in EFL contexts.

scholarly journals The Role of Counselling in English Language Teaching

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 48-55
Author(s):  
M. John Britto
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Remarkable Change ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
English Language Teachers

Counselling plays a significant role in bringing out a remarkable change in an individual’s personal and professional life. It has entered a number of domains including education. As human problems are mushrooming day by day in this hi-tech world, there is a dire need for finding solutions to those problems. It is counselling that comes to one’s aid to solve one’s problems that are psychological and personal. In English language teaching and learning too, there are multiple problems encountered by teachers and students as well. This paper discusses how counselling is indispensable to English Language Teaching (ELT) for finding solutions to problems faced by English language learners. Exploring the relevance of counselling to ELT, it also seeks to highlight the benefits of integrating it with ELT. It brings out the need for introspection of English language teachers to provide counselling to students. It enumerates various counselling skills, and presents an account of problem-solving method in ELT and eight approaches to counselling.

scholarly journals L2 Learners’ Problems in Speaking English of Rural Background Engineering Students in Ap

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 5942-5946
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Rural Area ◽  
English Language ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Time To Learn

In Indian education system, learning English language is a second language (L2) which is unavoidable and undividable apart from their mother tongue (L1). An intellectual, physical and emotional contribution is necessary to learn a second language successfully and to communicate a linguistic message. Especially, the rural area of engineering students used L1 (Telugu) as a way of communication tool in some of the engineering colleges as they are facing many challenges while speaking English as a second language (L2). The present study would investigate the causes, problems and difficulties faced by the rural area students who came to study engineering courses in VIIT (A) College in Visakhapatnam, AP. The researcher has used a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews for 40 students includeing 32 male and 8 female rural area students for data collection. The collected data analyzed statistically and graphically. In the data analysis, the results revealed the reasons for failure like due to less time to learn English in the classroom, inadequate encouragement from teachers, family and friends. It is also found that the Teaching of English language in bilingual method and late foundation of English medium studies in previous academics. This piece of writing also facilitates the researchers who aim to investigate similar problems in speaking skills for rural area engineering students. The study also presented some of the suggestions and recommendations to overcome the struggle for the language teachers and students.

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