scholarly journals Evaluating ‘Q: Skills for Success’ from Students’ and Teachers’ Perspectives at the English Language Institute- Yanbu (YELI)

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 60
Author(s):  
Huda Khalid Alshehri
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
English Language ◽  
Royal Commission ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Preparatory Year ◽  
English Language Institute ◽  
Teachers Perspectives

This article aims to evaluate ‘Q: Skills for Success’ 1 and 2 from teachers’ and students’ perspectives in the English Language Institute (YELI), the Royal Commission Colleges and Institutes (Yanbu). One of the goals of this study is to check whether this newly introduced coursebook is fairly appropriate for the preparatory year at YELI by comparing the results of evaluating this coursebook with findings of evaluating similar coursebooks in similar contexts. In order to answer the research questions, two questionnaires are administered to convenience samples from both teachers and students in YELI. The data are then statistically analyzed with the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) are used. The study findings indicate that both teachers and students have highly positive attitudes towards both ‘Q: Skills for Success’ 1 and 2. Moreover, the findings shows that there is no significant difference between the participants’ perspectives according to gender difference. However, the results ofANOVA indicate that there are some significant differences between 001 and 002 students in their perspectives and attitudes towards the coursebook evaluated. Broadly, the study findings coincides with those of several similar/parallel studies in similar contexts. 

scholarly journals Teachers and Students’ Perceptions on the Effectiveness of the Writing Task in the Foundation Year at the ELI

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 360
Author(s):  
Reem Alsanie ◽  
Wafa’a AlRezqi ◽  
Danyah Al-Sayeud ◽  
Nadia Shukri
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Writing Classes ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
King Abdulaziz University ◽  
Negative Perceptions ◽  
Preparatory Year ◽  
English Language Institute ◽  
Writing Task

<p><em>The current study investigated the perceptions of Saudi female teachers and their preparatory year students on the Writing Task (WT) used in the English Language Institute (ELI) at King Abdulaziz University (KAU) in Jeddah, KSA. To obtain a deeper insight, mixed methods were used through quantitative questionnaires and qualitative semi-structured interviews. While quantitative data were analysed using a descriptive SPSS analysis, qualitative data were analysed using a thematic analysis by NVivo. The sample consisted of 50 students (mean age: 19) and 6 teachers with different qualifications and years of experience. First, a questionnaire was distributed to elicit student’s perceptions</em><strong> </strong><em>on the WT then the 6 teachers were interviewed. The results indicated that the students had negative perceptions towards the effectiveness of the WT and that it was not beneficial in developing their writing skills, unlike some of the teachers who expressed positive views towards the WT. The findings offer future instructional implications that will help in enhancing the WT of the ELI. Some of these implications indicate that extensive writing classes must be given to students to improve their writing skills and that the writing topics must be contextualised and taken from the students’ daily life to keep them interested.</em></p>

scholarly journals Using Movies in EFL Classrooms: A Study Conducted at the English Language Institute (ELI), King Abdul-Aziz University

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raniah Hassen Kabooha
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Reflective Journals ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Preparatory Year ◽  
English Language Institute

<p>The present study sought to examine the attitudes of Saudi English as a foreign language (EFL) learners as well as teachers towards the integration of English movies in their classes as a tool to develop students’ language skills. Fifty female intermediate level students studying English in their Preparatory Year Program (PYP) in the English Language Institute (ELI) at King Abdul-Aziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, participated in the study. Questionnaires were administered to the students to investigate their perceptions towards the integration of English movies in their classes to develop their language skills. The researcher also conducted semi-structured interviews with both students and teachers to explore their perceptions towards the use of movies in their classes. In addition, teachers were required to write reflective journals regarding the use of movies in their classes. The findings of the study indicate that both students as well as teachers had positive attitudes towards the use of movies in their classes to improve students’ language skills. The study offers pedagogical implications for EFL instructors with respect to the integration of films in their classrooms to improve students’ language learning. Well-selected movie materials could enhance students’ language learning process and increase their motivation to learn the target language.</p>

scholarly journals An Inquiry into Saudi EFL Teachers and Students’ Perceptions of EFL Virtual Classes and Its Relation to Learner Autonomy

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
Abrar Khalawi ◽  
Maha Halabi
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Virtual Classes ◽  
King Abdulaziz University ◽  
English Language Institute ◽  
Academic Year

The purpose of this research paper is to explore Saudi foundation-year teachers and students’ perceptions of the use of virtual classes for teaching or learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at the English Language Institute (ELI) in King Abdulaziz University (KAU). The data for this study was collected through questionnaires from a total of 20 teachers and 22 students. The survey was conducted during the second semester of the academic year 2019-2020, and the data was analyzed quantitatively. The overall results of the questionnaires demonstrate that the majority of teachers and students held positive attitudes towards EFL virtual classes, however, they prefer face-to-face classrooms. Additionally, some participants admitted the huge role virtual classes play in improving learners’ autonomy.

scholarly journals Saudi EFL Learners’ Perceptions of the Benefits of ICT Integration into English Learning

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
Nada H. Gamlo
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Research Area ◽  
English Learning ◽  
Authentic Materials ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Preparatory Year ◽  
English Language Institute

<p><em>This study focuses on exploring the benefits perceived by Saudi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students of integrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into English learning and teaching. It also aims to determine their use of ICT and their attitudes to its use in learning and teaching. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey from 120 female preparatory year students studying at an English Language Institute (ELI) at a University in Saudi Arabia. The quantitative data obtained were analysed through statistical descriptive analysis. The findings of the study reveal positive attitudes among students on the use of ICT in English learning and teaching. The majority of the students used ICT to access English learning resources to learn English. Students also perceived ICT as a useful tool that could be used to access authentic materials. In addition, students strongly agreed that ICT can improve their English learning and helps increase learning autonomy. The findings of the study were discussed and compared with the findings of related literature. This study provides valuable insights on how students perceive ICT as a tool of learning and teaching that can help provide a better English learning experience. Moreover, this study contributes to the research area of ICT use in EFL learning in the Arab higher education context. </em></p>

Attitudes toward the use of TELL tools in English language learning among Vietnamese Tertiary English majors

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 581-596
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Guided Learning ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
English Majors ◽  
Very High ◽  
Different Levels

Technology plays a crucial role in the self-guided learning of a second language in general and English in particular. Nevertheless, many students in different contexts still ignore the application of technology-enhanced language learning (TELL) tools in enhancing their foreign language proficiency. Therefore, this study is conducted to investigate the attitudes towards the use of TELL tools in English-language learning (ELL) among English majors at one university in Vietnam. To collect data, 197 English majors participated in finishing the questionnaire, and 20 students were invited to join the interviews. The findings are that the majority of students have positive attitudes towards the use of TELL tools and the frequency of using these tools is very high. In addition, the results also reveal that there is no significant difference in attitudes towards and frequency of using TELL tools in learning English in terms of the year of study. However, students of different levels of academic achievements have different attitudes towards using TELL tools and use TELL tools to learn English differently. Received 2nd May 2019; Revised 16th July 2019, Accepted 20th October 2019

scholarly journals English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Learners’ Perceptions on the Effectiveness of the Internet to Enhance their Learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Ziad Abdulrahman Al-Muwallad
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
English Language ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
The Internet ◽  
King Saud University ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Preparatory Year

This study attempted to investigate the vital role of the internet in enhancing the learning of reading. In addition, the study aimed to measure the students’ attitudes towards the internet and to identify to what extent the internet was employed in their reading classes. Moreover, the study aimed to explore the challenges that they encountered while using the internet in their learning of reading. In order to achieve these goals, the researcher used the descriptive analytical approach and used the questionnaire as the main data collection tool. The study sample comprised 50 Saudi EFL male students in the preparatory year at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia. The findings of the study showed that students perceived that the internet is important in the process of reading comprehension learning and teaching with positive attitudes towards the internet. Results showed that the top challenges of using of the internet for reading learning/teaching are lack of students’ knowledge to know what to read on the internet, the short time of the class, and the students’ lack of the skills and knowledge to use the internet for academic purposes. Furthermore, the results showed that the students mostly used the internet for playing games, social networking, and learning vocabulary. It is recommended that English language teachers should be encouraged to use the internet in their language classes as it is valuable for their students to enhance their reading comprehension skills.

scholarly journals Explicit Instruction of Memory vs Cognitive Strategies and Reading Comprehension: An Empirical Study with IELTS Candidates

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 134
Author(s):  
Jahanbakhsh Nikoopour ◽  
Roozbeh Kargar ◽  
Nadimeh Esfandiari
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
English Language ◽  
Cognitive Strategies ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Moderator Variable ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Memory Strategies ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
English Language Institute ◽  
The Impact

<p><em>Research in reading comprehension associates the assumption that readers’ attributes may influence reading comprehension; different readers may process the same text in different ways, depending on their purposes, motivation, attitudes, interests, background knowledge, and the strategies they use. The present study attempted to investigate the impact of teaching cognitive and memory strategies on male and female IELTS candidates’ reading comprehension. To carry out the study, the researcher selected a sample of 88 male and female EFL learners, who attended IELTS preparation classes in Afarinesh English Language Institute regularly. The participants were randomly assigned into three groups; namely, two experimental groups and a control group. Eight memory and cognitive strategies were taught explicitly in the two experimental groups respectively during the treatment, whereas the current usual techniques were being used in the control group. The results showed that the experimental groups outperformed the control group in reading comprehension. The difference between the mean scores of the two experimental groups was not statistically significant. That is, instructing cognitive and memory strategies have had somehow similar impact on the IELTS candidates’ reading comprehension. Finally, the participants’ gender as a moderator variable did not make a significant difference in their reading comprehension.</em></p>

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 An Investigation of Instructors' Approaches in Teaching Pronunciation: A Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 185
Author(s):  
Bakheit Mohamed Abdelgadir Elnagar
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teaching Approach ◽  
Language Skill ◽  
Cognitive Content ◽  
Pronunciation Instruction ◽  
The Social ◽  
English Language Institute ◽  
Teaching Pronunciation

This study aimed to investigate how instructors teach pronunciation based on the pronunciation training they received. This study involved instructors from King Abdul Aziz University, who were teaching at the English Language Institute (ELI). The data were collected through a questionnaire given to (50) instructors at (ELI). The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) program. The results displayed that instructors used cognitive-content of teaching pronunciation and most of them focused on it as a valuable teaching approach. Furthermore, the findings revealed that the instructors had a constructive trend in teaching pronunciation. Most instructors pointed out that they taught pronunciation in their classes; in many cases they spent a considerable amount of time in pronunciation instruction. The lack of the pronunciation equipment and technological resources stands as a stumbling- block problem to teaching this language skill. In addition, the findings showed most of the language instructors did not receive any specific pronunciation training. Recommendations are given to provide suitable teaching pronunciation training which prepares the instructors to use powerful technology to boost teaching of this essential skill.

scholarly journals Exploring the present and target academic English language needs of Iranian undergraduate students: a case at the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-123
Author(s):  
Simin Sattarpour ◽  
Assef Khalili
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Needs Analysis ◽  
Medical Sciences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Teachers And Students

Background: The content for courses for English for specific purposes (ESP) has been largely determined on the basis of the intuitive judgments and personal preferences of syllabus designers and teachers rather than a standard needs analysis. The present study was an attempt at assessing the current English language abilities of undergraduate students majoring in the medical sciences and identifying their target needs for academic success through quantitative and qualitative methods. Methods: The participants included 197 undergraduate students, 12 Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) teachers, and 15 content teachers from the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Data were collected through a target needs analysis, self-assessment questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. Results: Pronunciation, technical and general vocabulary knowledge, and use of bilingual dictionaries were regarded as ‘important’ and ‘very important’ target needs by the participants, though some significant differences in perceptions were found between content teachers and students. Writing skill, listening comprehension, and speaking were perceived as the weakest points in the students’ current level of ability. There was also a significant difference between the perception of TEFL teachers and students in assessing the students’ linguistic abilities. Furthermore, both students and TEFL teachers voiced their dissatisfaction with certain areas of ESP courses, such as an inadequate number of credits and heterogeneity of classes. Conclusion: To improve the outcome of ESP courses, they should be designed on the basis of a realistic appreciation of all stakeholders’ perceptions in the field, and they should be taught through the cooperation of both TEFL teachers and content teachers working together.

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