Achieving Flex in the Inflexible: Dealing with Individual Differences in Highly Structured EFL Preparatory College Courses

This study explores a field-motivated concern among English as a Foregin Language (EFL) teachers at a college preparatory English language program. The course syllabus for this program is fixed and systematically paced over four, seven-week modules. Despite formal assessment measures that result in placing the learners into four levels of English language proficiency, it has been reported by teachers, that inside the classrooms, the learners are of varying degrees of language proficiencies and attitudes. This study utilized a focus group approach and case-study classroom observations to explore the extent to which teachers take any measures to address these variations in proficiency and affect in the classroom. Focus-group participant teachers showed a great deal of awareness of variations amongst students and expressed tendencies towards using teaching strategies that would address these variations. However, limitations of time and material, they reported, tend to hinder such efforts. Likewise, when observing two classrooms within the same context, the researchers identified some individual differences among teachers in terms of strategies that account for student individual differences in the classroom, but these strategies were limited in number and variation. It was concluded that in highly-structured courses, with fixed material and unified learning outcomes, there remains room for creating dynamic classroom practices that are sensitive and reactive to students’ needs and interests. The study calls for a larger scale investigation of this topic and advocates teaching approaches that have the potential to compensate for the unified syllabus and structured pacing of the courses.

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Critically Examining Perceptions of Different Englishes in the IELTS Speaking Section: Who Decides What is Acceptable?

Journal of World Englishes and Educational Practices ◽

10.32996/jweep.2021.3.4.2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

pp. 08-15

Author(s):

Colin Michell

Keyword(s):

Focus Group ◽

Language Proficiency ◽

English Language ◽

Native Speakers ◽

Language Testing ◽

English Language Proficiency ◽

Testing System ◽

Native Speakers Of English ◽

Fit For Purpose ◽

International English

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) has become the worldwide benchmark for evaluating English language proficiency. However, the IELTS exam is not without its critics. It has been accused of being elitist and unaccommodating of test-takers who are not users of the prestige varieties of English, even though these people may need to take the exam for employment or immigration purposes. This study involved a focus group of experienced IELTS examiners who were given a number of listenings from non-standard yet still ‘native speakers’ of English to evaluate using the IELTS speaking bands. The focus group found that the IELTS speaking descriptors are not fit for purpose when dealing with non-standard or regional varieties of English. This study makes a case for the creators of the IELTS exam to adjust their grading criteria and examiner training to be more inclusive of all English varieties.

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Needs Analysis of English Language for Geoscience Undergraduates of Bamyan University

Applied Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences ◽

10.47721/arjhss202101025 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Yasin Hamdard

Keyword(s):

Language Proficiency ◽

English Language ◽

Main Tool ◽

Intermediate Level ◽

Needs Analysis ◽

Language Program ◽

English Classes ◽

Student Questionnaire ◽

Language Needs ◽

Vital Effect

The purpose of this investigation was to identify the English language needs of the students currently studying at the Geoscience faculty of Bamyan University in Afghanistan. Total number of 306 under-graduates of Geoscience students from the second and third-year classes took part in this investigation. The main tool for data collection was a student questionnaire used to evaluate learners’ perceptions and needs of the English language. The results of the study show that when students come to the University, the English language proficiencies are quite low. The finding of the research shows that 20 per cent of the students’ level are beginner, 30 per cent of the students’ level are in pre-intermediate, 30 per cent of them are intermediate level and 15 per cent of them are in the upper-intermediate level and 5 per cent of them are in advance level. And most of the students’ study English for academic purpose and for their future profession. Likewise, the students believe that their English language proficiency has a vital effect on their academic performance in content subjects. Furthermore, the current English language program and classroom resources do not fulfil their needs as they prefer to have a class with lots of activities or more student-centred. Moreover, a majority of the students were not satisfied with the amount of time allocated for English classes. In addition, the majority of the students believe that if we don’t know English well, we can’t find a handsomely paid job. It is hoped that the findings of this study would be the basis for designing a suitable course that would meet students’ needs. Keywords: Needs analysis, English language needs, language proficiency

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The Impact of Individual Differences on Students' Perception of Writing Practice in Blogosphere

Handbook of Research on Individual Differences in Computer-Assisted Language Learning - Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-8519-2.ch011 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 251-270 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Fatemeh Nami

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Language Learning ◽

Language Proficiency ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

English Language ◽

Educational Values ◽

English Writing ◽

Present Case Study ◽

The Impact ◽

Writing Practice

Over the past few decades, weblogs have widely made their way into English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching and learning. Despite this growing research on the educational values of weblogs, the impact of individual differences on students' perception toward blogging has been rarely explored. In an attempt to fill this gap, the present case study reports on the impact of individual differences on 28 BA level, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology major students' perceptions of English writing practice in blogosphere. Data was collected from participants' responses to a post-course written interview. Adopting qualitative and quantitative data analysis procedures, it was observed that English language proficiency significantly influenced students' perceived effectiveness of writing practice in the classroom blog. The findings of this study offer several practical implications for research on weblog-enhanced language learning.

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The Impact of Individual Differences on Students' Perception of Writing Practice in Blogosphere

Computer-Assisted Language Learning ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-7663-1.ch030 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 648-668

Author(s):

Fatemeh Nami

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Language Learning ◽

Language Proficiency ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

English Language ◽

Educational Values ◽

English Writing ◽

Present Case Study ◽

The Impact ◽

Writing Practice

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Improving Instructions to Stop the Bleed

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/1541931213601631 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 61 (1) ◽

pp. 588-592 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Katherine L. Forsyth ◽

Bethany R. Lowndes ◽

Erik Prytz ◽

Carl-Oscar Jonson ◽

Matthew D. Sztajnkrycer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Focus Group ◽

Homeland Security ◽

Training Session ◽

Focus Group Participant ◽

Instruction Set ◽

Department Of Homeland Security ◽

Instruction Sets ◽

Group Participant ◽

Reduction Strategies ◽

Key Steps

The Stop The Bleed initiative was developed by the Department of Homeland Security to educate lay providers in bleeding reduction strategies. The current study evaluated: (1)three tourniquet instructions using a simulated tourniquet task and (2)participant confidence levels in tourniquet use and lay provider training. Thirty participants with limited clinical experience applied a tourniquet to a simulated limb using one of three instruction sets. Twelve of these participants (40%) participated in a tourniquet training session and focus group to discuss each instruction set. Participants preferred the most simple and pictoral instruction set, and identified opportunities for improvement in each set. Participant confidence in tourniquet use increased significantly following the task and the focus group. After the focus group, participant confidence in instructing lay providers on proper tourniquet use significantly increased. Adding key steps, contextual pictures, and indicators of success to instructions could support lay providers stop the bleed in life-threatening situations.

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A Study on the Effect of Multilingual Repertoire on Speaking in Three Universities in Metro City, Lampung – Indonesia

Pedagogy Journal of English Language Teaching ◽

10.32332/pedagogy.v6i2.1232 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 87

Author(s):

Nurul Aini

Keyword(s):

Focus Group ◽

Focus Group Discussion ◽

English Language ◽

Group Discussion ◽

Language Program ◽

Grammatical Errors ◽

The World ◽

Speaking Skill

In the whole part of the world, some people could speak more than two languages. This phenomenon is called by Multilingual Repertoire.Multilingual Repertoire in the students of PBI in IAIN Metro, Muhammadiyah University, and IAIM NU Metro greatly effects to the students’ speaking, especially in pronunciation, style, grammar, and vocabularies. Therefore, this research attempt to know the effect of students’ multilingual repertoire in speaking English. The learners’ subject in this research are 15 students in English language program from three universities in Metro. The data will be achieved through Focus Group Discussion (FGD), interview, and observation. The examination of the collected data reveals that 40% of the students are able to speak English, but they speak in Javanese dialect and style, 20% of the students speak in Sundanese style, 13% of the students speak in Lampungnese style,13% of the students speak in Padangnese style, 7% of the students speak in Melayu style, and the rest is 7% of the students speak in Balinese style. Meanwhile, some of the students need a repetition in speaking skill to make it clear and with makes some grammatical errors. In this regard, the students should be careful in grammatical of each language when they are speaking.

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Language Proficiency and Assessing Classroom Achievement: A Literature Review

Issues in Language Instruction ◽

10.17161/ili.v2i3.6933 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 9-16

Author(s):

Parul Sood

Keyword(s):

Literature Review ◽

Language Proficiency ◽

English Language ◽

Target Language ◽

Placement Tests ◽

Intensive English ◽

Language Program ◽

Language Programs ◽

Class Assignment ◽

English Language Programs

The goal of placement tests in language programs is to divide students into homogenous groups for the purpose of class assignment. In most intensive English language programs such as the AEC, the most typical criterion for dividing students into classes is proficiency in the target language (English). Accurate and reliable placement tests are crucial to the successful functioning of any English language program. This literature review discusses the concept of language proficiency and ways to measure it.

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