scholarly journals Classroom Sources of English Language Anxiety: A Study of Fresh Engineering Students at Mehran UET, Pakistan

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Illahi Bux ◽  
Rafique A. Memon ◽  
Shabana Sartaj ◽  
Jahangir Bhatti ◽  
Abdul Sattar Gopang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Negative Evaluation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Language Difficulties ◽  
English Classroom

The current study investigated anxiety-provoking classroom sources among undergraduate engineering students at Mehran UET, Pakistan. In this study, the participants (female 105 male 116) participated. The data were collected via questionnaire FLCAS and semi-structured interviews. The objective of this study was to identify classroom sources of anxiety quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings of study suggested some main sources of anxiety among fresh engineering students: (1) test anxiety; (2) apprehension in communication; (3) fear of negative evaluation; (4) presentation in English; (5) English language instructor; (6) competitiveness in English language; (7) negative self-evaluation; (8) individual tasks in classroom; (9) fear of making errors in English classroom; (10) English language difficulties. The participants have self-reported the main sources of anxiety in English language learning. These sources also confirm previous research on anxiety-causing sources among foreign language learners.

scholarly journals A study of retrospective and concurrent foreign language learning experiences: A comparative interview study in Hungary

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 225-246
Author(s):  
Kata Csizér ◽  
Csaba Kálmán
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
English Language Teachers

Despite the fact that the influence of learning experiences on foreign language learning motivation has been widely acknowledged and emphasised, there are hardly any studies concentrating on these learning experiences. Hence, the aim of this study is to map the language learning experiences of former and current language learners in order to provide a detailed account of the possible components of the foreign language learning experience. Data were collected with the help of a qualitative interview schedule involving 22 language learners in two subsamples. Ten participants are English language teachers as former foreign language learners, while 12 students, current learners of English, have also been recruited. The most important result of our study is that foreign language learning experience seems to be a complex construct including immediate and present aspects as well as self-related components and attributions. Language learning success, the teacher’s personality, contact experiences, as well as attitudes towards the L2 seem to stand out as important components for both groups of learners. Apart from discussing the differences and similarities between retrospective and concurrent experiences, we will provide pedagogical and research-related implications as well.

Considerations for Online English Language Learning

2018 ◽  
pp. 709-733
Author(s):  
Evriklea Dogoriti ◽  
Jenny Pange
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
English Language ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Ict Tools ◽  
Collaboration And Communication

This chapter examines the influence of Facebook (FB) in formal and informal learning in the language classroom. The theoretical framework of Web-based language teaching is first introduced. A selection of studies concerning the use of Social Networking Sites in the teaching of English (ELT) and conclusions drawn from the literature follow suit. The studies have been selected on the grounds of discussing students' engagement, motivation, collaboration, and communication through the use of SNS and, for the most part, Facebook in ELT. The studies also focus on the attitudes of higher education, foreign language learners towards FB, as well as the potential of FB as an academic teaching medium that may support other Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools like Learning Management Systems. The review of the studies indicates that Facebook may reinforce communication skills and engagement in the learning process and support participation and collaborative learning in formal learning environments.

scholarly journals Analyzing Capital to be Developed In Language Learning Among Graduates: A Case Study to Employ Bourdieusian Stances

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Ngoc Tung Vu
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Multiple Identities ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Social Fields ◽  
Field Data Collection ◽  
Capital Construction

Language and culture are indispensably inseparable in language learning. The development of capital during language learning is of growing importance in Vietnam’s sociocultural context. However, there are very few studies that have explored Vietnamese learners of English use of capital to enhance their employability skills. This qualitative study examined five selected language learners who were graduates with various degrees from higher education institutions and were employed in different jobs. We sought to examine the reflections of participants from different disciplines regarding their capital construction and development, which occurred during English language learning. Drawing on Bourdieu’s (1986) stances on capital and field, data collection primarily concentrated on semi-structured interviews that were thematically analyzed. Findings suggested that students utilized various forms of learning in order to negotiate their capital and think that field acts as a driver force behind their use of certain strategies. Language learners were observed as cultural-beings able to make informed decisions on how to develop certain types of capital, based on their sense of agency and formation of multiple identities available in their academic, professional, and social fields. The findings are discussed and implications are presented.

scholarly journals Causes of Language Anxiety in an ESL Classroom: Towards a Mentally Healthier Learning Environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 452-460
Author(s):  
Salina Sabri ◽  
Zulaikha Khairuddin ◽  
Syafiqah Johan Amir Johan ◽  
Khairunnisa Mohd Daud ◽  
Fatin Fatinah Shamshul Bahrn
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Negative Evaluation ◽  
Learning Anxiety ◽  
Perceived Success ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Esl Classroom

In a typical English language classroom, learners are expected to produce written sentences that are grammatically correct, and they are expected to sound native-like in their pronunciation. However, such expectations may cause anxiety and could potentially hinder the success of creating functional and successful language learners. This study aimed to understand undergraduate students’ language learning anxiety and their perceived success in an ESL classroom in the hopes of creating a mentally healthier language learning environment. Through a quantitative approach, the results of the questionnaire showed that reasons that led to undergraduate students’ anxiety in an ESL classroom were fear of tests, fear of comprehension, and fear of negative evaluation by peers. The results also showed that undergraduate students felt less anxious when lecturers provided non-threatening or mentally healthier environment for students to learn in their classroom. It can be concluded that a lecturer’s teaching styles and strategies affected students’ level of anxiety and can help ensure a mentally healthier language learning environment. From the findings, it is recommended that lecturers create a less formal and friendlier classroom atmosphere by providing psychological support and making students aware of the possible channels to seek help when needed.

Self-Regulation in Language Learning

2017 ◽  
Vol 124 (2) ◽  
pp. 531-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-Ta Tseng ◽  
Heidi Liu ◽  
John-Michael L. Nix
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Self Regulated Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Regulatory Capacity

Self-regulated learning has been a widely researched subject for decades in educational psychology. Different instruments have been developed to understand learners’ self-regulated learning in a specific subject domain. This study developed a measurement scale to assess English-as-a-foreign-language learners’ self-regulatory capacity in English language learning and further examined the effects of gender on English-as-a-foreign-language learners’ self-regulatory capacity. A series of psychometric analyses including exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and full structural equation modeling were undertaken to answer the research questions raised. The findings suggest that the scale can attain high reliability and strong validity in two different samplings, and the underlying construct of self-regulation in English language learning is shown to be multidimensional with a significant impact by gender. Theoretical and pedagogical implications are further put forward in light of the research findings.

scholarly journals EFL Learners’ Perspectives on the use of Smartphones in Higher Education Settings in Slovakia

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rastislav Metruk
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Smart Devices ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Mobile Assisted Language Learning ◽  
Positive Attitudes

MALL (Mobile assisted language learning) affords new opportunities for EFL (English as a foreign language) learners and teachers. Research on MALL is still in its infancy in Slovakia, and this paper attempts to fill in this gap by examining students’ perception and attitudes towards the use of smartphones for the purposes of learning and practicing English. The target population of this study constituted of the Slovak university EFL learners whose major was Teacher Training of English Language and Literature (n = 77) at a Slovak university. The research method employed to achieve the objectives of this study was a 5‑point Likert scale questionnaire, comprising of two sets of statements: general and out‑of‑the‑classroom statements with a total of 29 items. The research results for both sets of statements imply that the participants display moderately positive attitudes towards smartphones in the context of EFL learning. However, the findings also reveal some issues surrounding the perception and potential use of smartphones such as the inability to plan students’ language learning appropriately and effectively, general underuse of smartphone apps, or problems related to practicing speaking skills. The results further suggest the immediate need to develop and enhance the awareness of smartphones and their potential in the process of teaching and learning English so that the EFL learners can utilize considerable opportunities these smart devices offer. Finally, the limitations of this study are recognized, and it is emphasized that conducting further research in this area is urgently needed.

scholarly journals Self-efficacy and Online Language Learning: Causes of Failure

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1319
Author(s):  
Phuttharaksa Yantraprakorn ◽  
Pornapit Darasawang ◽  
Pamararat Wiriyakarun
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
English Language ◽  
Learning Performance ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Online Learners ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Foreign Language Learners

The study reported in this article examined why some highly efficacious learners failed in an online foreign language course based on Bandura's theory of self-efficacy. The study was conducted as part of a project investigating the self-efficacious foreign language learners in an online writing course. The motivation behind the study was that the success rate of online learning in Thailand is low. The learning performance of six highly efficacious distance language learners at a recognised English language tutorial school in Bangkok, Thailand was analysed. The data collection included an online questionnaire and individual telephone interviews. The findings suggested that goal setting, shift of attribution and insufficient feedback are factors that might decrease the efficacy of online learners’ and affect their decision to withdraw from a program. The implications of this study provide recommendations on support to help online language learners succeed.

scholarly journals Emotional experiences of Mexican language learners: A qualitative study of their effects on motivation

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 809-837 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariza G. Méndez López
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Personal Narratives ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
State University ◽  
Emotional Experiences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Electronic Journals ◽  
Teaching Programme

This article reports on the emotional experiences of Mexican language learners in their second year of an English language teaching programme at a state university. The aim was to identify the effects of emotions on the motivational behaviour that the students displayed in their daily classes. The instruments employed were personal narratives, electronic journals and semi-structured interviews. The results demonstrated that emotions are a source for students' development and that meta-emotions can help students to become more motivated. The study revealed that emotions, both positive and negative, can help students develop awareness, responsibility and commitment to their language learning process.

Considerations for Online English Language Learning

2018 ◽  
pp. 1047-1071
Author(s):  
Evriklea Dogoriti ◽  
Jenny Pange
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
English Language ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Ict Tools ◽  
Collaboration And Communication

This chapter examines the influence of Facebook (FB) in formal and informal learning in the language classroom. The theoretical framework of Web-based language teaching is first introduced. A selection of studies concerning the use of Social Networking Sites in the teaching of English (ELT) and conclusions drawn from the literature follow suit. The studies have been selected on the grounds of discussing students' engagement, motivation, collaboration, and communication through the use of SNS and, for the most part, Facebook in ELT. The studies also focus on the attitudes of higher education, foreign language learners towards FB, as well as the potential of FB as an academic teaching medium that may support other Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools like Learning Management Systems. The review of the studies indicates that Facebook may reinforce communication skills and engagement in the learning process and support participation and collaborative learning in formal learning environments.

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