scholarly journals Developing an Interactive Storybook Application ‘Jack and the Dirty Smelly Beast’ for English Language Proficiency among Children

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Indah Fakhrani Arpin ◽  
Maizatul Hayati Mohamad Yatim
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Instructional System ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Instructional System Design ◽  
Education Policies

The high percentage of students who are still struggling with the English language is worrisome, even though there are many well-planned strategies and education policies that are developed to resolve this problem. It is a universal belief that learning a foreign language at a young age through reading plays an important role. Accordingly, the aim of this research is to design, develop and evaluate an interactive storybook application combined with suitable multimedia elements and features to encourage children to read. The interactive storybook entitled 'Jack and the Dirty Smelly Beast' was developed using Instructional System Design (ISD) and Rapid Prototyping model. An experimental study was conducted with 17 respondents between the ages of 6 – 8 years to test the effects of the multimedia elements and features in improving children’s learning. Their responses were recorded and analysed using descriptive analysis. The findings showed that respondents agreed that learning experience improved significantly and attracted children to read when using this application. In conclusion, by using correct multimedia elements and suitable features in the interactive storybook application, it is envisaged that the children’s comprehension in learning a foreign language can be expanded. This research foresees there is enormous opportunity for literacy development in foreign language learning in the early ages through the creation of an interactive storybook application with suitable multimedia elements and features for children.

scholarly journals Listening Skill Requires a Further Look into Second/Foreign Language Learning

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hossein Bozorgian
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
Listening Skill ◽  
Reading History

Current English-as-a-second and foreign-language (ESL/EFL) research has encouraged to treat each communicative macroskill separately due to space constraint, but the interrelationship among these skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) is not paid due attention. This study attempts to examine first the existing relationship among the four dominant skills, second the potential impact of reading background on the overall language proficiency, and finally the relationship between listening and overall language proficiency as listening is considered an overlooked/passive skill in the pedagogy of the second/foreign language classroom. However, the literature in language learning has revealed that listening skill has salient importance in both first and second language learning. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of each of four skills in EFL learning and their existing interrelationships in an EFL setting. The outcome of 701 Iranian applicants undertaking International English Language Testing System (IELTS) in Tehran demonstrates that all communicative macroskills have varied correlations from moderate (reading and writing) to high (listening and reading). The findings also show that the applicants’ reading history assisted them in better performing at high stakes tests, and what is more, listening skill was strongly correlated with the overall language proficiency.

scholarly journals A study of retrospective and concurrent foreign language learning experiences: A comparative interview study in Hungary

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 225-246
Author(s):  
Kata Csizér ◽  
Csaba Kálmán
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
English Language Teachers

Despite the fact that the influence of learning experiences on foreign language learning motivation has been widely acknowledged and emphasised, there are hardly any studies concentrating on these learning experiences. Hence, the aim of this study is to map the language learning experiences of former and current language learners in order to provide a detailed account of the possible components of the foreign language learning experience. Data were collected with the help of a qualitative interview schedule involving 22 language learners in two subsamples. Ten participants are English language teachers as former foreign language learners, while 12 students, current learners of English, have also been recruited. The most important result of our study is that foreign language learning experience seems to be a complex construct including immediate and present aspects as well as self-related components and attributions. Language learning success, the teacher’s personality, contact experiences, as well as attitudes towards the L2 seem to stand out as important components for both groups of learners. Apart from discussing the differences and similarities between retrospective and concurrent experiences, we will provide pedagogical and research-related implications as well.

scholarly journals A CREATIVE ALLIANCE BETWEEN LEARNER AUTONOMY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING: PAKISTANI UNIVERSITY TEACHERS’ BELIEFS

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Musarat YASMIN ◽  
Ayesha SOHAIL
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Target Language ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
University Teachers

Learner autonomy has been a focus of research for last three decades. Not only the nature of phenomenon was investigated but also its role in foreign language learning attracted researchers’ interests. The present paper examines the mutual creative relationship between learner autonomy and target foreign language acquisition. Following an interpretive paradigm, this qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to explore the beliefs of 16 university teachers of English language teaching in four public sector universities of province Punjab, Pakistan. Results revealed a close creative connection between learner autonomy and English language learning. Teachers believed that autonomy in learners accelerates language learning. Major aspects of learner autonomy were reported fulfilling the perceived needs of foreign language learning. The study implied that fostering of autonomy in learners accelerates target language proficiency.

scholarly journals CBM language measures as indicators of foreign-language learning: Technical adequacy of scores for secondary-school students

2021 ◽  
pp. 42-57
Author(s):  
Laura Hoefnagel ◽  
Christine A. Espin ◽  
Ralph Rippe
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Progress Monitoring ◽  
Reading Aloud ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
English Word ◽  
School Students

Students with and without learning disabilities often struggle to learn a foreign language (FL). Teachers could benefit from a measure designed to screen and identify students at risk for FL learning difficulties. In this study, we examined the reliability and validity of scores from four curriculum-based measures (CBM) as potential indicators of English FL learning: reading aloud, maze selection, and English-to-Dutch and Dutch-to-English word translation. Participants were 133 Dutch students in Grade 8. Criterion variables were English course grades and scores on a standardized achievement test (Cito-VAS). Alternate-form reliability ranged from r = .77 to .87. Correlations between CBM and criterion measure scores ranged from r = -.04 to .65. Scores from maze selection and reading aloud alone predicted English-language proficiency better than a combination of scores from the four measures, explaining 29.7% and 23.6% of the variance, respectively. Implications for the use of CBM for FL screening and progress-monitoring are discussed.

scholarly journals RELATION OF EXTRAVERSION/INTROVERSION AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY IN THE EFL CLASSROOM

2020 ◽  
Vol XI (33) ◽  
pp. 253-266
Author(s):  
Biljana Radić-Bojanić
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Second Grade ◽  
Final Grade ◽  
Second Grade Students ◽  
Foreign Language Proficiency ◽  
Novi Sad

Due to the fact that extraverted and introverted personalities are rather different, especially in the context of foreign language learning, teachers and learners often believe that these two personality types have different learning habits and require different learning environments. Moreover, teachers and learners often believe that extraverts are more successful at foreign language learning because they easily communicate in the foreign language and overcome their anxiety without much difficulty. For that reason we aim to determine whether there is a difference between extraverted and introverted students in terms of their foreign language proficiency and in order to establish that we rely on the EPQR-S to determine the students’ personality type and the final grade from the previous semester, the grade from the previous English test and the score from the Language and Skills Test to determine the participants’ foreign language proficiency. The participants who took part in this research were N=60 first and second grade students from a medical high school in Novi Sad aged 15 to 17. The results from this research were analyzed quantitatively and, based on the results, we can conclude that introverts are slightly more proficient than extraverted students, but taking into consideration the manner of assessment of English language proficiency, this result must be taken with caution and serves as an indicator of deeper issues that point to the need for a relatively individualized classroom approach in which teachers pay attention to their students’ personality and modify their approach to learning and assessment accordingly.

scholarly journals Out-of-class English Practicing

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-15
Author(s):  
Zhakaw H. Ahmed ◽  
Wrya I. Ali
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Activity Type ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
University Level

Research in Second/Foreign language learning indicates that using English outside of the classroom is an essential part of the language learning process. However, certain studies have been cared out on university-level EFL students indicate that students use English minimally when outside of the classroom. This study furthers the research on English use outside of the classroom to more fully understand out-of-d all types of language learners and the link between language proficiency and out-of-class English language use. For methodology, three private universities in Erbil are concerned. The tools that are used in this study is a questionnaire and also interview. Validity and reliabilities are regarded here. The aims are to investigate the use of of-out-of class activity type that promotes using English and even their attitudes toward the benefits of using English outside of class. Research explores some recommendations to English language departments in the three universities which are helpful for the students’ language proficiency, the research also provides some suggestions for further studies.

Machine Translation for EFL

Relay Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 228-235
Author(s):  
Paul J. Moore ◽  
Phil Murphy ◽  
Luann Pascucci ◽  
Scott Sustenance
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Machine Translation ◽  
English Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Technical Developments ◽  
English Language Institute ◽  
Changing Role

This paper reports on an ongoing study into the affordances of free online machine translation for students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) at the tertiary level in Japan. The researchers are currently collecting data from a questionnaire, task performance, and interviews with 10-15 EFL learners in an English Language Institute in a university in Japan. The paper provides some background on the changing role of translation in language learning theory and pedagogy, before focusing literature related to technical developments in machine translation technology, and its application to foreign language learning. An overview of the research methodology is provided, along with some insights into potential findings. Findings will be presented in subsequent publications.

Education of undergraduate: Epistemic and cultural beliefs as obstacles to technology

2021 ◽  
pp. 002072092098431
Author(s):  
Fahad SS Alfallaj ◽  
Ahmed AH Al-Ma'amari ◽  
Fahad IA Aldhali
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
English Learning ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Language Curriculum

This study aims to identify the epistemological and cultural beliefs that act as barriers in English learning by Saudi undergraduate learners. English is a compulsory component of education from the early school years in Saudi Arabia, and the Ministry of Education invests a great deal of workforce and financial resources in this sector in a concerted effort to ensure that Saudi students attain language proficiency. The study employed a mixed-method research design and was conducted with 85 undergraduate learners at Qassim University. It used a questionnaire and interviews to obtain insight into the factors that inhibit the English learning experience. Results revealed that the respondents' resistance to the learning of others' culture stems mainly from the epistemic and cultural barriers embedded in English language learning. Implications of the study will provide the basis to policymakers, educationists, institutions, and learners for contextualizing the English language curriculum of Saudi Arabia.

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