The Impact of Weblog on Omani Learners' Writing Skills in the English Language

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 33-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yahya Ashour Mohammed Alkhoudary

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of utilizing weblog on facilitating teaching writing at Buraimi University College (BUC) and to explore the extent to which a blog as a computer-mediated tool enhances learners' writing skills in English as a foreign language e(EFL), English as a second language (ESL). Vygotsky's model will be adopted in this study. Furthermore, a process approach is employed to involve students in writing. A mixed-method of qualitative and quantitative was embraced. Three instruments were used to answer the research questions of the study. The participants consisting of 60 students, were placed into two groups: 30 students for experimental group (Ex.G.) and 30 for the controlled group (Cont. G.). Also, 30 EFL teachers (15 males and 15 females) were selected randomly. Pre-and post-tests were assigned to both groups before and after incorporating weblog as a teaching tool. Questionnaires were distributed to (Ex. G) to check the effect of using a weblog on students' writing quality. Interviews were also conducted with both teachers and students. The findings reveal that the students of weblog group significantly outperform their counterparts. This study concludes that integrating weblogs in teaching is of paramount importance to language learners and a promising tool in higher education.

Author(s):  
Mohamad Ahmad Saleem Khasawneh

This study investigated the attitudes of teachers of learning disabilities in English toward the use of virtual classrooms and e-learning in teaching writing skills to students with learning disabilities. The study adopted the descriptive approach and was applied to a sample of 65 teachers from Irbid city, Jordan. A questionnaire was developed to achieve this purpose after being checked for validity and reliability. The results showed that teachers’ attitudes toward virtual classes varied between high and moderate. For the realm of e-learning in general, the attitudes were high while for the realm of the effect of virtual classes in teaching writing skills were moderate. The study recommended providing intensive training to teachers of LDs in English language on the usages of e-learning and supporting teachers and students with the appropriate tools


Author(s):  
Sasi Sekhar Mallampalli ◽  
Shriya Goyal

<p>Developing writing skills in a foreign language is one of the demanding tasks for both teachers and students. It not only demands extensive reading and intensive practice in writing both inside and outside the classroom but also timely feedback and error-correction. The experimental study aimed at studying the impact of collaborative writing tasks using mobile applications like <em>WhatsApp</em>, <em>Google Docs</em>, and <em>Google Slides</em> on enhancing the writing ability at the pre-intermediate level of Common European Frame of Reference (CEFR). The participants were tertiary level students of Cihan University who were randomly divided into two equal groups (n=28). One group used <em>WhatsApp</em> and the other group used the <em>Google Docs</em> and <em>Google Slides</em> apps on their mobile devices. The comparative study analyzed the impact of each application on improving the writing skills of the students with pretest and posttest results and semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that the participants who used <em>Google Docs</em> and <em>Google Slides</em> apps have performed better than the participants in the <em>WhatsApp</em> group. The results have implications for teachers teaching writing skills and students who write using mobile applications.</p>


2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 155
Author(s):  
Oksana I. Ivanova

This paper discusses the findings of a research study concerning the use of e-portfolios to develop learners' autonomy and independence, from the perspectives of teachers and students participating in this study. The findings demonstrate many of the benefits of e-portfolio practice regarding learners’ increased sense of ownership, teacher and peer feedback, enriched learning experience at both individual and technological levels, enhanced opportunity for self-improvement and increased awareness of the learning process. Despite many positive aspects of e-portfolios use, the study reveals some challenges facing students, teachers and support staff, mainly connected with technical problems and Internet access, and the necessity for teachers and learners to change their roles to become more independent in the learning process. The author concludes that e-portfolio is a promising tool to stimulate and challenge students to become independent and self-regulated learners that should be implemented in English language learning at higher educational institutions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Khalid Mohammed Alwahibee

This study investigated the extent to which scaffolding techniques improve Saudi English-language students&rsquo; speaking abilities. The study&rsquo;s main aims involved determining why most Saudi students do not want to participate in communication tasks and activities and identifying other ways to encourage teachers and students to be more active during speaking classes. A mixed-methods technique, a special rubric, and an attitude questionnaire to collect this study&rsquo;s data were used. The participants included 50 students from Level 3 in the Department of English Language and Literature at the College of Languages and Translation at Al-Imam Mohammed Bin Saud Islamic University. The experiment lasted for 7 weeks. A teacher met with each group for 2 hours per week. The participants were divided into two groups and experimental and a control group of 25 students each. The experimental group used various scaffolding techniques in each session&mdash;which allowed the learners to use their existing knowledge, skills, and strategies in several contexts and for many purposes when speaking. The control group received standard speaking instruction, in which the teacher gave the students time to speak freely without intervention. An independent-sample t test for was used of the analysis. The posttest results showed that the experimental group&rsquo;s speaking ability improved after the pretest. Moreover, the posttests&rsquo; overall results indicated that the experimental group outperformed the control group. This result emphasized the usefulness of using new techniques to teach speaking to nonnative speakers.


Author(s):  
Asiya Tabassum

Flipped classroom approach is the most sought after neoteric pedagogical approach in the present times. This approach is clinching prodigious recognition as it employs a blend of techniques and technologies. The present study compared flipping a traditional class and a virtual class. The study aims to weigh the effects of flipping writing skills course in a traditional class and virtual class on the performance, attitudes and perceptions of English Language Learners’. The research used a quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test with a control group. The group consisted of 24 English language learners attending the level four foundations program at Nizwa College of Technology. The same group was given instructions by flipping traditional class for 3 weeks and virtual class for 3 weeks. Independent and paired sample t-tests were implemented for interpreting the pre-test and post-test data. The results showed a statistically significant difference between the writing skills course's traditional flip and virtual flip. It was evident that the students in traditional flip surpassed the students in virtual flip in performance. Students in both modes showed positive attitudes towards the approach. This study would benefit educators in Oman in general and at NCT, particularly in adapting a very effective approach that would help them improve students’ performance by involving them and making them responsible for their learning. The limitations of the study were absenteeism, limited sample size. There was also a little reluctance from students towards this approach. Studies on flipped classroom approach in language learning classrooms are limited, but studies on flipping a virtual class are even more limited. Very few researchers investigated the impact of flipping a virtual class. More research is needed in this aspect. More long-term research is needed with different skills and a larger sample size to uncover the efficacy of flipping both traditional and virtual class.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
Tanya Manning-Lewis

One of the defining markers of Jamaican students’ academic success (for teachers and students) is their ability to speak Standard Jamaican English (SJE) fluently. However, SJE fluency is challenging for many majority-speaking Jamaican Creole (JC) boys who experience language conflicts within their social and educational contexts. Consequently, this study sought to investigate the impact of systemic negative perceptions of JC and its speakers on four inner-city adolescent boys (14-17 years old), who were dominant & JC-speaking—their perceptions of self, language ability, and attitudes toward English Language Learning (ELL). The study embraced a social constructivist approach, via use of multiple case studies, anchored within a narrative inquiry, over a period spanning three months. Within this period, the boys' lived language experiences were documented, through interviews, video diaries, and graphic novels. The study revealed that the boys experienced language complexities that left them feeling inadequate and disenfranchised, with systemic language practices that positioned them as deficit language learners. The study aimed to construct new knowledge to assist policymakers and educators in developing more inclusive language practices that can provide opportunities for all students to thrive.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 159
Author(s):  
Tungga Pramudya Utama

The portfolio system appears as one alternative answer for such a challenge encountered by an English teacher. The research about the portfolio system that focused on students' perception is quite necessary since it helps the teachers and students of the English language find a proper way of learning writing skills. This study aimed to investigate the students' perception of using a portfolio system to improve writing ability in teaching writing skills in English as a foreign language to high school students. The participants of this research were four students of high school. In conducting this case study, the researcher collected data from the interview. This research found that the students favored implementing a portfolio system to improve their English writing skills. This research stands as a contribution to teaching English writing skills. This study suggests that a portfolio system is a useful tool for teaching English writing skills in secondary education. It can use the teacher to facilitate the students by giving feedback on their writing to encourage their writing performance.


Author(s):  
Nina Surya Rahman Nasution ◽  
Masitowarni Siregar

Writing, regarded as a thinking process enables language learners to explore and transform their ideas into words in accurate and appropriate ways. Although it has been taught from the Elementary school level up to the higher level of education, English teachers and students encounter various challenges. For students, they still get difficulties in writing a text even after being taught. For teachers, correcting students’ writing increases their workload. Therefore, how to reduce the load of teaching writing and to decrease students’ difficulties in writing have become important problem to solve. Through applying a technique in teaching writing, this research aimed to explore whether the application of peer review technique can improve students’ achievement in writing recount text. The method applied in this research was a classroom action research. The subject of the research was X-4 class SMA Negeri 21 Medan. The instruments of collecting the data were writing tasks as quantitative data while observation sheet, questionnaire sheet, diary notes and interview as qualitative data. The finding showed that Peer Review Technique gives contribution to improve students’ achievement in writing recount text. Keywords: Achievement, Writing, Recount Text, Peer Review Technique


Author(s):  
Sri Mures Walef

This research is motivated by problems in the learning process, namely students have difficulty in expressing their ideas into writing or essays. The formation of words or sentences used by students is inaccurate or inappropriate, as well as the use of punctuation and spelling. In learning activities writing the teacher is more likely to apply teaching writing by prioritizing the results of the process. This study aims to improve narrative writing skills using the scientific method of class VI SDN 07 VII Koto Talago, Guguak District, Lima Puluh Kota Regency. The method used in this study is qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative research is research that intends to understand phenomena, about what is experienced by research subjects such as behavior, perceptions, motivations, actions and others. The results of the study describe learning using the Scientific method can improve student learning outcomes which initially in pre-cycle only reached 64 who are in sufficient qualifications. In the first cycle increased to 74 who were in qualifications more than enough, after the second cycle, the students' scores increased again being an average of 90 who are in excellent qualification. The increase includes three indicators, namely (1) narrative characteristics, (2) use of punctuation, (3) capital letters. Third, improving narrative writing skills using the Scientific method of class VI SDN 07 VII Koto Talago District of Guguak, Lima Puluh Kot Regency can be achieved due to several factors including teachers and students. Based on the results above it can be concluded that the narrative text writing skills using the scientific method increased, from sufficient qualifications to more qualifications until they were in excellent qualifications. Thus it can be concluded that, through the cooperative method the type of make a match improvement in students' essay writing skills increased significantly from stage to stage.Key Words: escritura de narrativas, métodos científicos


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