scholarly journals Exploring the Use of Video-clips for Motivation Building in a Secondary School EFL Setting

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yujong Park ◽  
Eunsu Jung
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
English Language ◽  
School Context ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
News Reports ◽  
Video Clips ◽  
Tv News ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
English Program

<p>By employing an action research framework, this study evaluated the effectiveness of a video-based curriculum in motivating EFL learners to learn English. Fifteen Korean EFL students at the secondary school context participated in an 8-week English program, which employed video clips including TED talk replays, sitcoms, TV news reports and movies as its main study material. Results from the motivation surveys (adapted from Gardner, 1985) and interviews with students showed that 1) after taking the class, students became more motivated, especially in terms of gaining a positive attitude for the English language and culture, and 2) competitive group activities that followed the watching of video materials positively influenced student participation. Implications for EFL classrooms with low student motivation are discussed.<strong></strong></p>

scholarly journals Identifying the Problems EFL Students Encounter in Translating Adverbs from English into Arabic

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eman Abdulsalam AL Khalil
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Basic Category ◽  
Undergraduate Level ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
English Grammar ◽  
Sentence Meaning ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Contextual Meaning ◽  
Sentential Meaning

While discussing the grammatical problems EFL learners confront in translating between languages, especially in translating adverbs as a basic category in English Grammar, it is significantly highlighting the difficulties these learners encounter and justifying the errors they make when translating adverbs and adverbial phrases from English into Arabic. Obviously, the errors are due to the fact that both languages at hand belong to two sharply distant language families and systems. In other words, language is culture-specific; what might be in one, might not be the same in the other, this leads to the ambiguity and misunderstanding of adverbs real contextual meaning, resulting the displacement of adverbs within sentences. Besides, Arab learners of English are sufficiently competent of English language and culture, thus English adverbs system and adverbial order, and their counterparts in Arabic which in turn affect their translation into their native. The study, therefore, suggests some strategies to be employed by Arab learners when translating English adverbs into Arabic. However, it is hypothesized that EFL students at the undergraduate level have confusion in understanding the adverbs contextual meaning or in other words their sentential meaning, thus err when translating these adverbs from English into Arabic. To prove the hypotheses of the study, two tests, of five sentences each, are set for fifty randomly chosen students at the undergraduate level to do; the first test is set to re-place the adverbs properly within sentences; whereas the second is set to translate English adverbs into Arabic contextually. Then the data of the study are analyzed and the results of the tests are evaluated to show how sentence meaning is affected by the misplacement and mistranslation of adverbs and adverbial phrases. In addition, to prove that the deficiencies in translation are due to the dissimilarities between English and Arabic adverbs meaning and order, and Arabic learner

Study of Consonant Pronunciations Errors Committed by EFL Learners

2019 ◽  
pp. 48-56
Author(s):  
Ali Akbar Khansir ◽  
Afsaneh Salehabadi
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Listening Skill ◽  
English Pronunciation ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Knowledge Of Language

As the topic suggests, the research paper presents Study of Consonant Pronunciations Errors Committed by EFL Learners. Error analysis always tries to resolve language learners’ problems in acquiring second or foreign language setting. Learning to English pronunciation is perhaps as important as learning listening skill, speaking, and spelling. Errors in English pronunciation create several problems for English language learners in their works. In other words, most of the English language errors of pronunciation are due to the lack of knowledge of language learners. However, all the students in our sample are of age group (16-25) at Bushehr language institute and they are all Iranian nationals. In addition, all of them were female learners. An English pronunciation (consonant) test was used to get information about the knowledge of the learners in English pronunciation. Findings of this article indicated that the first and second hypotheses of this article were accepted, but the third hypothesis was rejected. However, the findings of this paper showed that the Iranian EFL students have problem to pronounce English sounds correctly.

scholarly journals A Review of Studies on Cognitive and Metacognitive Reading Strategies in Teaching Reading Comprehension for ESL/EFL Learners

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 94
Author(s):  
Aziza M. Ali ◽  
Abu Bakar Razali
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Reading Strategies ◽  
English Language ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Written Information ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Correct Reading ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Metacognitive Reading Strategies

Being able to read well is important for English language learners. Through the process of reading, the learner becomes an active participant in producing an interaction with the writer of the text through predicting, analyzing, summarizing and using other types of reading strategies. However, building such a connection between the reader and the written information of the text is complex and for English as a second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL) students, it can be quite difficult for them to apply different types of reading strategies. This article provides a review of literature on 27 studies on the teaching of reading strategies (particularly cognitive and metacognitive reading strategies) for ESL/EFL learners, which reveals that ESL/EFL teachers need to keep updating their teaching methods to meet the ESL/EFL students&rsquo; needs, particularly in the use of correct reading strategies. The authors also highlight some of the main issues that prevent ESL/EFL students from improving and developing their reading comprehension. Furthermore, the authors discuss and conclude the article by suggesting to ESL/EFL teachers some teaching strategies to be applied in the reading lesson to improve the ESL/EFL students&rsquo; use of reading strategies.

scholarly journals The Relationship between Morphological Awareness and Vocabulary Knowledge of Thai EFL Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Sarunya Tarat
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Morphological Awareness ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Identification Test ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Unknown Words ◽  
The Relationship

This study focuses on the relationship between morphological awareness and vocabulary knowledge of English among Thai EFL university students. All participants are taking English language as their major field in the universities situated at the lower northern region of Thailand. The morphological awareness identification test was employed to identify the linkage between morphological awareness and vocabulary gain Thai EFL learners. The test was divided into 2 parts: self-checking and morpheme identification. Fifty English vocabularies in intermediate and upper-intermediate level were used in the test in which the participants were requested to check whether they have seen the vocabularies in the test and also asked to break those vocabularies into morphemic units. The results showed that the participants possessed an adequate level of morphological awareness to break words into morphemes correctly even though they were unknown words of the participants. Additionally, the findings also revealed that there is no significant difference between male and female in acquiring morphological awareness of English and gaining English vocabularies.

scholarly journals “How the Furby Coming is…”: Interference of First Language and Culture in Thai EFL Learners’ Paragraph Writing

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Sakulrat Worathumrong
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Target Language ◽  
High Exposure ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
English Writing ◽  
Low Exposure ◽  
Analysis Models

This study investigated features of first language and cultural interference in Thai EFL learners&rsquo; English paragraph writing on popular culture. Drawing from theoretical grounds of interlanguage, language interference, and rhetorical interference, the sample of 30 English paragraphs of Thai EFL undergraduate learners was examined quantitatively and qualitatively. The English writing included 15 paragraphs from the Thai learners with high exposure to English language (TEH) group, and 15 paragraphs from those with the low exposure to English language (TEL) group. Using analysis models of metadiscourse markers and topical progressions, the findings revealed the preference of both groups in the use of interactive and interactional devices as well as SP, PP, and EPP types of topical progressions. The preference highlights the feature of oral-based, inductive, or reader-responsible writing orientation with a possibility of writing development, especially among the TEHs to reach expectation of the target language readers. The findings encourage assessing the Thai EFL learners&rsquo; writing as a process and raising frequent awareness of both language and rhetorical interferences when writing English texts. As the introductory stage during COVID-19 remote learning, writing to express learners&rsquo; interests could be used as an effective communication strategy for a positive instructor-learner relationship which assists the learners to further engage in the class in a more meaningful way.&nbsp;

scholarly journals Bring a Foreign Language and Its Cultures to Saudi EFL University-Level Classrooms

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 83
Author(s):  
Ali Ayed S. Alshahrani
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
English Language ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Psychological Variables ◽  
Language Classes ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Actual Learning ◽  
English Program

This study aims to investigate the effects Twitter has as a social networking platform on the development of Saudi EFL psychological variables (attitude, confidence, motivation, interest in L2 culture, social interaction and engagement), actual learning outcomes and the relationship between these psychological variables and their results. Twitter provides a valued accessible window to the target culture and promotes cross-cultural competence and comprehension that is focused on meaning rather than form, as well as repeated exposure to L2 cultural products, practices, perspectives and the target language. A sample of 39 students enrolled in an English course during the second semester of the 2014-2015 academic year, as well as two non-native English speakers (NNSs) working at the English Program, agreed to participate in the study. It adopts a combined inductive-deductive research approach to fulfil the research purpose and answer the research questions. The findings of this study underscore the latent use of the Twitter microblogging platform in EFL classes, as well as revealing the positive impact upon Saudi EFL students’ social interaction (engagement), enthusiasm and interest in learning more about L2 culture in English language classes.

scholarly journals Why should we care about sound symbolism in EFL learning?: Two pilot studies

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Amanda Roig-Marín
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
English Language ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Sound Symbolism ◽  
Educational Settings ◽  
Pilot Studies ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Approach To Learning ◽  
The University

Given the importance of the phonological and lexical components of the language in L2 learning, this article discusses an innovative, holistic approach to learning these two components of the language based on the existence of “sound symbolism”—the interrelation between sound and meaning—in English. In particular, it describes how and why the study of sound symbolism can be advantageous to EFL learners. This claim is grounded in empirical data gathered from two pilot studies carried out in two educational settings (a secondary school and the University of Alicante). The results suggest that knowledge of sound symbolic principles underlying the English language can enhance lexical storage and semantic prediction

scholarly journals Exploring Metadiscourse Use in Thesis Abstracts: A Cross-Cultural Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ardi Nugroho
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Writing Studies ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
American Students ◽  
Integral Role ◽  
Native Speakers Of English

<p>The use of metadiscourse in academic writing has become a topic of interest in recent years. It can be defined as the words and phrases that writers use in their writing to express their ideas and thoughts to make it easier for readers to process the information presented. It is especially crucial in academic writing since writers are expected to present their arguments in an appropriate and acceptable manner. It has also been said that culture plays a role influencing how arguments and ideas are expressed, especially in academic writing. Although metadiscourse plays an integral role in academic writing, studies have shown how EFL learners often make mistakes in employing this linguistic device. From this, the writer would like to explore the metadiscourse produced by Indonesian EFL learners and compare it with how native speakers of English employ metadiscourse in their writing. In other words, this study is basically an attempt to find out whether the metadiscourse produced by the two groups with different cultural backgrounds are different or similar. The source of data for the current study is the metadiscourse markers from the thesis abstracts of students of the English Language and Culture Department at Bunda Mulia University and American students from a university in the U.S. In order to analyze the metadiscourse markers found in the thesis abstracts of the Indonesian and American students, the writer will make use of the AntConc software version 3.5.6 by Anthony (2018). The result of the study reveals that there are some differences and similarities in the way both group of students employed these markers.<strong></strong></p><strong>Keywords: </strong>metadiscourse, thesis abstracts, Indonesian and American students

scholarly journals EFL Students’ Coherence Skill in Writing: A Case Study of Third Year Students of Bachelors in English Language

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 120
Author(s):  
Enas Abdelwahab Eltom RahmtAllah
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Writing Test ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Undergraduate Programs

Writing is considered an essential learning tool for all content areas. However, to master and have excellent writing skills for EFL students of undergraduate programs is challenging. Cohesion and coherence are both crucial textual elements to master writing. The present study examined coherence in English essays written by 46 female Saudi EFL third year at Unaizah College of Sciences and Arts, Qassim University. Examination of essays by the subject group designed to answer the research question. 1.) To what extent are EFL students competent in achieving coherence in writing skills? Each student was asked to write two essays (a writing test that included two essay questions). The data were analyzed through SPSS. The study results demonstrated that learners are not competent in achieving coherence in their writing tasks. In light of these results, recommendations are presented. The results also recommend further studies to investigate coherence and action research to improve this crucial skill among undergraduate Saudi EFL learners.

scholarly journals Investigation the attitudes of secondary school students towards the use of saying and words of wisdom in learning English at secondary level in Gaza

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-199
Author(s):  
Wafaa Ibrahim Alnajjar ◽  
◽  
Reem Yahya Mahmoud Shehadh
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Secondary School Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Cultural Knowledge ◽  
School Students ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Secondary Female ◽  
Learning English

This paper examined the attitudes of secondary school students towards the use of saying and words of wisdom in learning English as a foreign language in secondary schools in Gaza. Saying and words of wisdom play a significant role in language learning as a part of gaining cultural knowledge. In addition, this study attempted to find out whether they could motivate students to learn English then improve language acquiring through time. 40 secondary female EFL learners were assigned in questionnaires and interviews. Through observation, the researcher convinced that saying and words of wisdom is an important segment in the English Language, and it is a useful piece that has been used to spread wisdom and truths about life. The study reveals the effectiveness and higher rate of retaining of learning vocabulary through the strategy of sayings and words of wisdom compared to the traditional method.

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