scholarly journals The Effect of Form versus Meaning-Focused Tasks on the Development of Collocations among Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reza Pishghadam ◽  
Ebrahim Khodadady ◽  
Naeemeh Daliry Rad

This study attempts comprehensively to investigate the effect of form versus meaning-focused tasks on the development of collocations among Iranian Intermediate EFL learners. To this end, 65 students of Mashhad High schools in Iran were selected as the participants. A general language proficiency test of Nelson (book 2, Intermediate 200A) was used to measure their general language ability. Moreover, a teacher-made collocation test was implemented to examine the participants’ collocation knowledge. Participants were divided into: form-focused instruction group (FFI), meaning-focused instruction (MFI) group, and a control group. The FFI group performed dictogloss task (DT) which focused on both target items and meaning. The MFI group assigned communicative task (pair /group discussion task) which did not required attention to the target items. The control group is designated as the Conventional Group, simply to reflect the fact that they did not receive focus-on-form instruction but rather received combination of explaining collocation or new vocabulary and reading a text silently to mention its main idea or answer to comprehension questions. The results revealed the fact that FFI group (dictogloss task) significantly outperformed the other two groups on the collocation test.

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 1136
Author(s):  
Zohre Asgari Rad ◽  
Andisheh Saniei

The present study is an attempt to investigate the effective of using projected visuals, pictures in the form of slides displayed through projectors, in teaching English collocations on students’ learning. To this end, 60 Iranian EFL learners were selected out of 90 based on their performance on a language proficiency test, PET, and were assigned randomly into two homogeneous groups of control and experimental. Both groups took a 40-item researcher-made, validated pretest of collocations whose reliability was calculated as 0.74 through KR-21. 130 collocations were presented to each group in ten sessions through ten tables which consisted of 10 to 15 collocations with their L2 definitions and L1 (Persian) equivalents. The control group was required to make sentences, including the newly instructed collocations following the examples provided by the instructor, while the experimental group was shown a set of slides related to the newly-instructed collocations and was asked to determine the intended collocation related to each picture. After receiving ten treatment sessions, both groups took the posttest. The collected data were analyzed through ANCOVA and the results indicated that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group. Therefore, the use of visuals as instructional aids in teaching English collocations is proved helpful and recommended to those EFL instructors who are seeking for enhancing their students’ learning through more effective materials.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haleh Mojarrabi Tabrizi ◽  
Mahnaz Saeidi

<p>This study investigated the interrelationships among<strong> </strong>EFL learners’ self-efficacy, autonomy and listening comprehension ability. Ninety female learners of intermediate level participated in the study. They were between 16 and 24 years old. In order to obtain the required data on the three variables (i.e., self-efficacy, autonomy, and listening comprehension ability), the researchers, after administering a standard language proficiency test to ensure the participants’ homogeneity, used<em> </em>Listening Self-efficacy Beliefs Questionnaire, Listening Autonomy Questionnaire, and Listening Proficiency Test, respectively. First, the participants were asked to complete the two self-report scales, after which they were given a listening comprehension test to attain their listening comprehension ability. The data were analyzed using three Pearson’s Product-moment correlation coefficients to assess the relationships among the research variables. The findings revealed that there was a positive correlation among Iranian EFL learners’ listening self-efficacy beliefs, listening autonomy, and listening comprehension ability. Accordingly, it is suggested that building self-efficacy and autonomy in listening comprehension is crucial to ensure the success of EFL learners in listening comprehension.</p>


2010 ◽  
Vol 107 (3) ◽  
pp. 822-832 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyyed Ayatollah Razmjoo ◽  
Sina Neissi

The relationship between identity processing styles and language proficiency in English as foreign language (EFL) was investigated among the Persian EFL learners. 266 Persian candidates taking part in a Ph.D. examination at Shiraz University took part. The Language Proficiency Test was used to measure language proficiency in English. The Identity Styles Inventory was used to measure normative, informational, and diffuse-avoidant identity processing styles. Relationships between normative and informational styles and language proficiency and its subscales (grammar, vocabulary, and reading) were positive and significant. Negative relationships between diffuse-avoidant style and language proficiency and its subscales (grammar, vocabulary, and reading) were observed. There were significant sex differences for diffuse-avoidant style and for vocabulary.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boumediène BENRABAH

The global aim of the present research paper is an attempt to reach a threshold level of the learning of a foreign language (English) through the development of vocabulary. Observing the very limited rate of use of English in the Algerian community, English as Foreign Language (EFL) students, actually, need to progress in the mastery of that language by reading and/or listening to texts or messages intensively. To achieve this goal, subsequent procedures should take place by giving the foreign language a rather more appreciable position in the community such as the one held by a second language. To be down-to-earth, a brief survey on the linguistic situation in Algeria is exposed where neat clarification of second-foreign language status in the community is laid out to show that the more a (foreign) language is explicitly exposed in its manifold forms, the more are learners, in that community, likely to acquire it as a second language. However, the assumption of presenting the receptive skills (reading and listening) as the most appropriate means for the growth of foreign language vocabulary is supported by Krashen’s input theory where any input to be understood, should come at EFL learners’ capacity to read/listen and decode easily the meaning. In due course, First year EFL students have been subject to a language proficiency test-‘a pre-test then a post-test’. This typical experimental design is an intervention study which contains two groups: ‘the treatment or experimental’ group which receives the treatment, or which is exposed to some special conditions of intensifying vocabulary learning through a varied, comprehensible input; and a second group of EFL learners- the control group- whose role is to provide a baseline. The findings showed better scores among the experimental group compared to the other group. Actually, the results proved the adequacy of the adopted theory.


Author(s):  
Leila Ashegh Navaie

Oral communication is one of the main reasons language learners attend language classes. As pronunciation is among the most significant aspects of oral communication, this study attempted to see how learning-oriented assessment (LOA) could affect pronunciation learning of Iranian EFL learners. To this end, 64 language learners in a private language institute in the city of Amol, Iran, were given NELSON language proficiency test as homogeny test. A total of 40 learners were selected and assigned to two groups. Both groups were given a researcher-made pronunciation test at the beginning and two pronunciation tests (immediate and delayed tests) at the end of the treatment. The control group participants followed the conventional curriculum of the language center and the experimental group learners went through LOA treatment. The findings of the study revealed that LOA can positively affect pronunciation learning of Iranian EFL learners. In addition, it was observed that LOA has a significant effect on the participants’ retention of pronunciation knowledge. This study can have pedagogical implications for language teachers and teacher trainers.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Sharafi-Nejad ◽  
Shohreh Raftari ◽  
Shaik Abdul Malik Mohamed Ismail ◽  
Lin Siew Eng

<p class="1">Reading<em> </em>comprehension<em> </em>is a<em> </em>flexible and ongoing cognitive and constructive<em> </em>process. There are different pre-reading methods that can influence positively on EFL learners’ reading comprehension. Thus, this research investigated the impact of brainstorming as a pre-reading strategy on reading comprehension ability of Malaysian EFL learners. The study used an experimental design with fifty students who were between 12 to 18 years of age at intermediate level were considered homogenized. In order to have homogenized participants a language proficiency test was run. It was given to 70 students at Asian EFL Academy Language Institute in Pinang, Malaysia. The results of the proficiency test confirmed the homogeneity of the participants regarding their reading comprehension ability. Then, the researcher divided the students into two groups, control and experimental. An immediate- delayed test was administered to both groups before and after the implementation of the proposed technique on the experimental group. Experimental group received treatment for a given period of the time. At the end of the specified period of treatment both groups received a delayed test. None of the groups had any previous experience in brainstorming strategies. An immediate test was covered having 10 reading comprehension questions carrying out every two session at the end of each reading comprehension lesson. The last session was devoted to conduct the delayed tests including 50 questions at the end of treatment. The participants in the experimental group were instructed how to use brainstorming strategies before reading passages in 10 sessions for 20 minutes at Asian EFL Academy Language institute in Pinang, Malaysia. A statistical comparison of the results indicated that brainstorming strategies have a positive significant effect on reading comprehension ability of the participants. </p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (S1-May) ◽  
pp. 74-80
Author(s):  
Mohammadreza Valizadeh

This study, using pretest-intervention-posttest, investigated whether instructing English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ in the use of reading strategies when they read English passages affects their English reading performances. The participants were 51 Turkish learners of English, who were at elementary level of language proficiency,based on the results of the Oxford Quick Placement Test. The whole treatment/control period lasted for 20 sessions during 10 weeks on a Reading course. The experimental group (n = 26) received instruction in reading strategies (i.e., previewing, finding the main idea, scanning, identifying examples, identifying definitions, identifying time and sequence words, reading numerical tables, making inferences, reading statistical tables, distinguishing fact from opinion) and the control group (n = 25) received instruction based on traditional teaching methods (i.e., reading, paraphrasing, translating, and answering the exercises).Data were collected via a reading proficiency test. The result of the independent samples t-test showed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control one.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 147
Author(s):  
Elvina Syahrir

This study was motivated by the low score of the students‘ Indonesian language in national examination that were certainly correlated with the Indonesian language teachers‘ competences. The Indonesian language techers‘ competences can be observed in doing the Indonesian language proficiency test. This study was aimed to determine the Indonesian language teachers‘ capabilities indoing UKBI and to describe about it. The data obtained describe that the Indonesian language teachers of Senior High School (SMA) have the highest scores, then the Indonesian language teachers of Junior High School (SMP), and the last ones were the teachers of elementary school (SD). Moreover, among the Indonesian language techers‘ capabilities of SMA, SMP, and SD in doing UKBI have not shown the significant differences.AbstrakPenelitian ini dilatarbelakangi oleh rendahnya nilai Ujian Nasional (UN) bahasa Indonesia siswa yang tentunya berkorelasi dengan kompetensi guru bahasa Indonesianya. Kompetensi guru bahasa Indonesia dapat terlihat dari Uji Kemahiran Berbahasa Indonesia (UKBI). Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui kemampuan guru bahasa dan sastra Indonesia di Pekanbaru dalam menyelesaikan soal UKBI dan untuk mendeskripsikan kemampuan guru dalam menyelesaikan soal UKBI. Dari penganalisisan data diperoleh temuan bahwa nilai rerata UKBI guru SMA memperoleh skor paling tinggi, nilai rerata UKBI guru SMP memperoleh skor sedang, sedangkan nilai rerata UKBI guru SD memperoleh skor paling rendah. Akan tetapi, kemampuan guru bahasa dan sastra Indonesia dari ketiga tingkatan sekolah tersebut (SMA, SMP, SD) dalam menyelesaikan soal UKBI tidak menunjukkan perbedaan yang berarti (tidak signifikan) pada taraf kepercayaan 5 %, hal ini terlihat dari nilai Fhitung lebih kecil dari Ftabel (Fhitung = 0,11 < Ftabel = 4,35)


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-68
Author(s):  
Ahmad Rossydi ◽  
Bayu Purbo Wartoyo

Bagi seorang ATC penguasaan bahasa Inggris adalah hal yang sangat berperan terhadap pekerjaannya. Sebelum menjadi seorang ATC, calon ATC harus mengikuti tes kecakapan berbahasa Inggris (ICAO English Language Proficiency Test) dan diwajibkan memperoleh level yang telah ditentukan oleh International Civil Aviation Organisatiton (ICAO), yaitu organisasi internasional yang mengatur penerbangan di dunia. Level yang ditentukan untuk seorang ATC sesuai dengan Annex 1 tentang Personnel Licensing yang menyatakan bahwa level minimum untuk persyaratan menjadi seorang ATC adalah level 4. Dalam penelitian ini, penulis membagi menjadi enam bagian, yaitu metode dan desain penelitian, populasi dan sampel, instrument penelitian, prosesedur pengumpulan data, dan teknik analisa data. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah korelasi. Korelasi antara kecerdasan emosi, gaya belajar, dan prestasi akademik bahasa Inggris taruna tingkat III ATKP Makassar. Tujuan Penelitian ini adalah untuk Memberikan informasi deskriptif tentang korelasi antara kecerdasan emosional, gaya belajar terhadap prestasi akademik bahasa Inggris, taruna tingkat III ATKP Makassar.  Hasil penelitian diperoleh hasil yang signifikan antara antara kecerdasan emosional, gaya belajar terhadap prestasi akademik bahasa Inggris, taruna tingkat III ATKP Makassar.


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