scholarly journals A Sage on a Stage, to Express and Impress: TED Talks for Improving Oral Presentation Skills, Vocabulary Retention and Its Impact on Reducing Speaking Anxiety in ESP Settings

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 146
Author(s):  
Ashraf Atta M. S. Salem

This study explores the impact of using TED Talks on improving oral presentation skills of Business English students and vocabulary uptake/retention. It also assesses the impact of improving such hard cognitive skills on increasing Business majors’ speaking anxiety level. Sequential explanatory mixed method was used, which includes both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analyses. Business students’ oral presentation skills were assessed through Oral Presentation Skills Sheet (OPSS), vocabulary retention was assessed through Vocabulary Uptake/Retention Test (VURT), and speaking anxiety level was assessed through Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA) (Mörtberg, Jansson-Fröjmark, Pettersson, & Hennlid-Oredsson, 2018). Participants in the study consist 49 students, who were divided into two groups; experimental group consisting of 24 students, and control group that includes 25 Business English majors. Findings of the study revealed that oral presentation skills and vocabulary uptake/retention levels were improved due to the use of TED talks as an ICT tool. Also, it was revealed that Business majors in the experimental group are more enthusiastic, energetic and motivated to give killer presentations as they became more confident and free of anxiety and tension.

Author(s):  
Haisen Zhang ◽  
Wei Song ◽  
Ronghuai Huang

The purpose of this study was to explore whether the use of mobile technology could better enhance students' business English vocabulary learning than the employment of traditional print material. A group of sophomores (N=43) from a Chinese university in North China were randomly assigned to two groups: the experimental group (N=23), who worked on a given list of business vocabulary via SMS, and the control group (N=20), who studied the same list of vocabulary via paper print material. The results of the posttest reveal that the experimental group did significantly better than the control group. However, the results of the delayed test show that the two groups were not significantly different from each other in term of vocabulary retention rates. The study concludes that a blended use of mobile technology such as SMS and paper print material could better give rise to students' business English vocabulary learning. The limitations and suggestions for future research are also discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 104-118
Author(s):  
Meihua Liu

This research study explored the changes in and effects of TED talks on Chinese postgraduate students’ English speaking performance and speaking anxiety over a period of 10 weeks. In this research, TED talks were used as a learning mode to provide a quasi-realistic sociocultural context for speaking English. 166 students from the experimental group using TED talks and 156 in the conventional mode participated in the quasi-experiment. They made eight-minute oral presentations and answered the 12-item English Speaking Anxiety Scale prior to and after the experiment. Analyses of the data revealed three major findings: 1) both the experimental and control groups did significantly better in English speaking performance and became significantly less anxious about speaking English over the 10-week period, 2) the experimental group did significantly better in move structure and were significantly less anxious about speaking English than the control group at the end of the 10-week period, and 3) the learning modes had a significant effect on students’ move structures of oral presentations but had no effect on their oral presentation performance and English speaking anxiety. These findings support the benefit of supplementing EFL (English as a foreign language) teaching and learning with TED talks and other similar virtual situated learning. Thus, the present study not only contributes to the current literature, which is short of studies on the effects of technology on SL/FL teaching and learning and the dynamic characteristic of the emotions associated with SL/FL learning, but also suggests that virtual situated learning like TED talks should be incorporated into SL/FL teaching and learning.


Author(s):  
Omar Haydar Mohsen Alsuhaymi

This study aimed to discover the impact of using pictures on English vocabulary retention and recall by primary stage students. The participants of this study included thirty-six male students with an average age of 11 from an elementary school in Al-Mikhwah province, Saudi Arabia. They were randomly divided into two homogenous groups: a semi-experimental group which was taught the target words with visual aids, using pictures, and a control group which was taught the target words traditionally through translation. Both groups were taught thirty English words during two sessions. All participants did a preliminary test before the treatment to assign the target words to be taught in the sessions. They also did three similar tests: a pre-test to make sure that the two groups are homogenous, and two post-tests, immediate and delayed, to measure participants' ability of vocabulary retention and recall immediately after the treatment and after two weeks from the treatment. The results revealed that the semi-experimental group participants scored higher marks than the control group participants in both the immediate and delayed post-tests. That is, English vocabulary meanings can be recalled better when they are taught by using pictures rather than by translation method. According to these results, the researcher recommends that pictures should be exploited by teachers in teaching vocabulary for primary stage learners.  


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haytham M. Badr ◽  
Emad A. S. Abu-Ayyash

The present paper aimed to compare the influence of two vocabulary teaching strategies on students’ vocabulary retention—roughly used in this paper to refer to the process of acquisition and memorisation. In particular, the strategies of semantic mapping and rote memorisation were compared and contrasted within a trail of evidence-based data gathered systematically from two ESL classes in an international school in the Emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The participants of the study were 30 male students who were in grade 12, the last stage of high school in the UAE educational system. The participants were randomly divided into two groups: a control group and an experimental group. In order to measure the impact of the two strategies under investigation on the students’ vocabulary retention, the two groups sat for a pre-test and a posttest. The intervention that took place between the two tests lasted for three weeks. The results showed that the students’ retrieval of the target vocabulary words improved as a result of implementing both strategies, but that the improvement which resulted from the use of semantic mapping overrode that which ensued from rote memorisation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 177
Author(s):  
Ashraf Atta M. S. Salem

The current study aims to investigate the impact of using flipped classroom approach on improving functional writing skills of business majors. Also, it aims to enhance some Higher Order Thinking (HOTs) skills including analysis, evaluation, and creation. Additionally, the study may help in eliminating writer’s block of the study sample. A standardized functional writing skill Pre and Posttest, Higher Order Thinking (HOTs) skills test and writer’s block questionnaire have been used to assess the target gains of students at the end of the study. The Quasi-experimental research design was used to investigate progress achieved by the sample of the study which included (51) business majors; (26) business students for the experimental group and (25) for the control group. The findings revealed large gains in functional writing skills, HOTs in favor of experimental group compared with the control group with minimized writer’s block based on the T-test differences in scores. Also ANOVA statistics among the quizzes targeted individual skills during the experiment showed on-going progress in both targeted skills and reduced writer’s block. It is recommended that flipped learning approach should be used in language learning practices.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Tariq Elyas ◽  
Budor S. Al-Zahrani

This experimental study aimed to investigate the impact of a critical thinking based pedagogical approach on learners� retention ability of EFL vocabulary.� There were two groups in the study: an experimental and a control group. The experimental group received vocabulary instruction with a critical thinking-based approach whereas the control group was taught in the conventional methods of vocabulary teaching. The treatment consisted of seven lessons delivered over 12 weeks. At the end of the treatment, the immediate posttest was administered and two weeks after the immediate posttest, the delayed posttest was administered. The resulting data were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistical analysis using SPSS software. The results showed that the experimental group outperformed the control group. Based on these results, the researchers concluded that the adopted critical thinking-oriented language instruction to EFL vocabulary has a positive effect on vocabulary retention, with implications for policy-makers, teacher trainers and teachers.


2015 ◽  
pp. 1736-1755
Author(s):  
Haisen Zhang ◽  
Wei Song ◽  
Ronghuai Huang

The purpose of this study was to explore whether the use of mobile technology could better enhance students' business English vocabulary learning than the employment of traditional print material. A group of sophomores (N=43) from a Chinese university in North China were randomly assigned to two groups: the experimental group (N=23), who worked on a given list of business vocabulary via SMS, and the control group (N=20), who studied the same list of vocabulary via paper print material. The results of the posttest reveal that the experimental group did significantly better than the control group. However, the results of the delayed test show that the two groups were not significantly different from each other in term of vocabulary retention rates. The study concludes that a blended use of mobile technology such as SMS and paper print material could better give rise to students' business English vocabulary learning. The limitations and suggestions for future research are also discussed.


Author(s):  
Laetitia Idier ◽  
Aurélie Untas ◽  
Nicole Rascle ◽  
Michèle Koleck ◽  
Maider Aguirrezabal ◽  
...  

Introduction:Psychological impact of Therapeutic Patient Education (TPE) for dialysis patients is rarely evaluated since the focus of many studies is on medical variables (i.e., adherence).Objectives:The aims of this study were: 1) to estimate the impact of a TPE program on knowledge, depression and anxiety, 2) to examine change in knowledge as a mediator of the effects of a TPE program on mental health.Method:This study was conducted in three hemodialysis units and comprised two groups: an experimental group with education and a control group with routine care. The program was based of 5 educative sessions. Knowledge, depressive and anxious symptoms were assessed with self-reported outcomes measured before and 3 months after the program.Results:The sample comprised 125 patients. Knowledge about vascular access and nutrition (p < 0.01) and depressive symptoms increased in the experimental group (p < 0.01). Analysis of mediation showed that changes in knowledge about vascular access were a significant mediator of the effects of the program on depressive symptoms (F = 4.90;p = 0.01).Discussion:Knowledge acquired during an educational program could lead to an emotional change. Improving knowledge often leads to an awareness of the risks that can modify the psychological state of patients by reminding them of their vulnerability. This study shows that it is required to be attentive to the way of transmitting knowledge. It’s necessary adapting this transmission to the needs of patients and promoting the acquisition of psychosocial competence too.Conclusion:This study shows that knowledge acquired during an educational program can lead to an emotional change in the short term. A long-term follow-up of the population should be interesting to observe these emotional effects.


2020 ◽  
pp. 15-18
Author(s):  
Inna R. Kilmetova ◽  
◽  
Igor A. Rodin ◽  
Nazira I. Khayrullina ◽  
Nikolay G. Fenchenko ◽  
...  

Summary. The disbalanced feeding and the uneven distribution of micro- and macroelements in the environment leads to a trace element, in particular hypomelanosis. To accelerate the growth and preservation of young farm animals include in the diet of various biological additives and drugs, which include selenium. For stimulation of weight gain in the livestock industry, as well as for the prevention and treatment of pathological processes in addition to micro - and macrouse amino acids, primarily methionine. The aim of this work was to study the influence of composition of DAFS-25+Polizon on morpho-biochemical parameters of blood and functional state of the liver in fattening bulls of black-motley breed in the conditions of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Experiments using were conducted on bull-calves of black-motley breed of the properties in the properties age from 6 to 15 months. The first experimental group during the experiment was additionally given the composition of DAFS-25+Polizon at a dose of 2 mg/kg, the animals of the control group received a standard diet. To assess the impact of the composition DAFS-25+Polizon on metabolism cattle studied morphological and biochemical indicators of blood and conducted histological examination of the liver. It is established that the use of the composition of DAFS-25+Polizon at a dose of 2 mg/kg increases the number of erythrocytes and hemoglobin in the experimental group and reduces the amount of white blood cells. The serum content of total protein, phosphorus and calcium increases in the group of experimental animals. Microscopic examination of the liver revealed no changes in the structure of the organ and hepatocytes in the experimental group, whereas in the control group hemodynamic disorders and dystrophic changes in liver cells were observed. Thus, the use of the composition DAFS-25+Polizon at a dose of 2 mg/kg of live weight in fattening bulls black-and-white breed contributes to the increase of redox processes in the body, stimulation of metabolism, prevent the development of liver disorders of cellular mechanisms of metabolism, optimizes the structure of the liver, which generally provides higher productivity.


SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824402110035
Author(s):  
Aziz İlhan

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of geometry instruction activities conducted in nature based on modeling, game-based, and cooperative learning methods on achievement, mathematical motivation, and visual mathematical literacy perceptions of third-grade elementary school students. The present study is a quantitative study conducted with a pre-test/post-test experimental design with a control group. The study was conducted with 61 students (35 students in the experimental group and 26 students in the control group). Modeling-, game-, and collaborative learning-based activities were conducted with the students in the experimental group. It was determined that the achievements of students who were instructed with modeling-based activities in geometry were high when compared to that of the students instructed with collaborative learning- and game-based methods, and those in the control group where no intervention was applied. This group was followed by the game-based and collaborative learning groups. Based on the variable of motivation, the mean motivation of the students in the modeling group was higher when compared to that of the students in the collaborative learning, game-based, and conventional instruction groups. This group was followed by the collaborative and game-based learning groups. Also, based on the visual mathematical literacy perception variable, the mean visual mathematics literacy perception of the students in the collaborative learning group was higher when compared to that of the students in the groups where the modeling, game-based, and conventional instruction methods were used. This group was followed by the modeling and game-based learning groups.


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