scholarly journals Acquisition of English Tense and Aspect Translation Competence by Behdini Students: An Experimental Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shivan Toma ◽  
Mahdi Saddiq
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
English Language ◽  
Present Perfect ◽  
Main Hypothesis ◽  
Tense And Aspect ◽  
Test Items ◽  
Mixed Effects Modeling ◽  
Parameter Resetting ◽  
Syntactic Differences ◽  
Complete Translation

This study is an attempt to investigate the acquisition of translation competence of the English tense and aspect system by Behdini learners who are students at the Translation Department at the College of Languages in the University of Duhok. This paper is an experimental study that adopts the Translation Competence Acquisition model. There are many morphological and syntactic differences between English and Behdini tense and aspect and there are differences in terms of the usage of the tense and aspect between the two mentioned languages too. A Judgement Elicitation Task is employed as a tool to collect data in this study. 4o English sentences with their translations into Behdini are included in this task. Behdini learners are asked to make their judgements on each translated sentence. These test items are a mixture of four tenses: present continuous, present perfect, past continuous, and past perfect. Two subgroups of learners are involved in this study: the senior subgroup and the fresher subgroup in an attempt to investigate the effect of participants’ English language level and proficiency. Mixed-effects modeling has been used for analysing the data statistically. The lmer package (version is 3.3.1) has been employed with logit link function and binomial variance for the judgement data in R, which is an open-source language and environment for statistical computing. The main hypothesis of the study is that Behdini learners are not expected to attain a complete translation competence regarding the English tense and aspect system due to the differences between the two languages. The main results of the study show that while Behdini learners were able to attain a good translation competence in terms of accepting the grammatical translations, they failed to reject the ungrammatical translations. These findings implicate that Behdini learners’ acquisition of translation competence is not attained fully. It is also shown that Behdini students at lower proficiency levels employ their L1 grammar as the first stage of their translation process, but at later stages of proficiency parameter resetting becomes more possible.

Importance of Video Aids’ Usage in Teaching and Learning Process of English Language Classes

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eriselda Vrapi ◽  
Xhevdet Zekaj
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Main Hypothesis ◽  
Communicative Skills ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
9Th Grade ◽  
8Th Grade

This study aims to explore the use of video in English language teaching (ELT) elementary school (grades 8 to 9)... In addition, the thesis aims to find out how videos in English lessons helped to achieve the goals of English curriculum. The main hypothesis was that teaching with video would develop pupils’ communicative skills and, therefore, was appropriate for the communicative approach to ELT. The study addressed five research questions regarding the use of videos in English lessons in the case study school: why the teachers used videos in ELT, what kinds of videos were used in English lessons, how and how often videos were used, what was taught and learned through the use of videos and, finally, what the teachers’ and pupils’ attitudes to lessons with videos were. The research was performed as a case study at an Elbasan elementary school. The data for the research was obtained through the use of mixed methods: qualitative, in the form of interviews with four English teachers and observations of three of the interviewed teachers’ lessons with videos, and quantitative, in the form of a pupil questionnaire answered by 105 pupils from two 8th grade and two 9th grade classes.

The Language of New Terrorism: Differences in Psychological Dimensions of Communication in Dabiq and Inspire

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo Vergani ◽  
Ana-Maria Bliuc
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
English Language ◽  
Terrorist Attacks ◽  
Al Qaeda ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Terrorist Groups ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Psychological Dimensions ◽  
New Terrorism

We investigate differences in the psychological aspects underpinning Western mobilisation of two terrorist groups by analysing their English-language propaganda. Based on a computerized analysis of the language used in two English-language online magazines circulated by ISIS and al-Qaeda (i.e., Dabiq and Inspire), we found significant differences in their language - the ISIS’ language being higher in authoritarianism and its level of religiousness. In a follow-up experimental study, we found that being high in religiousness and authoritarianism predicts more positive attitudes towards the language used by ISIS, but not towards the language used by al-Qaeda. The results suggest that ISIS’ propaganda may be more effective in mobilising individuals who are more authoritarian and more focused on religion than that of al-Qaeda. These findings are consistent with the behaviour observed in recent homegrown terrorist attacks in the USA and Europe.

Language and the Performance of English-Language Learners in Math Word Problems

2008 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 333-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARIA MARTINIELLO
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Word Problems ◽  
English Language ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Linguistic Complexity ◽  
Test Items ◽  
Math Test ◽  
Math Proficiency

In this article, Maria Martiniello reports the findings of a study of the linguistic complexity of math word problems that were found to exhibit differential item functioning for English-language learners (ELLs) and non-ELLs taking the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) fourth-grade math test. It builds on prior research showing that greater linguistic complexity increases the difficulty of Englishlanguage math items for ELLs compared to non-ELLs of equivalent math proficiency. Through textual analyses, Martiniello describes the linguistic features of some of the 2003 MCAS math word problems that posed disproportionate difficulty for ELLs. Martiniello also uses excerpts from children's think-aloud transcripts to illustrate the reading comprehension challenges these features pose to Spanish-speaking ELLs. Through both DIF statistics and the voices of children, the article scrutinizes the appropriateness of inferences about ELLs' math knowledge based on linguistically complex test items.

scholarly journals Utilizing test items analysis to examine the level of difficulty and discriminating power in a teacher-made test

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 256
Author(s):  
Sayit Abdul Karim ◽  
Suryo Sudiro ◽  
Syarifah Sakinah
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Test Item ◽  
English Language ◽  
Item Analysis ◽  
Quality Level ◽  
Test Items ◽  
Discriminating Power ◽  
Level Of Difficulty

Apart from teaching, English language teachers need to assess their students by giving a test to know the students� achievements. In general, teachers are barely conducting item analysis on their tests. As a result, they have no idea about the quality of their test distributed to the students. The present study attempts to figure out the levels of difficulty (LD) and the discriminating power (DP) of the multiple-choice (MC) test item constructed by an English teacher in the reading comprehension test utilizing test item analysis. This study employs a qualitative approach. For this purpose, a test of 50-MC test items of reading comprehension was obtained from the students� test results. Thirty-five students of grade eight took part in the MC test try-out. They are both male (15) and female (20) students of junior high school 2 Kempo, in West Nusa Tenggara Province. The findings revealed that16 items out of 50 test items were rejected due to the poor and worst quality level of difficulty and discriminating index. Meanwhile, 12 items need to be reviewed due to their mediocre quality, and 11 items are claimed to have good quality items. Besides, 11 items out of 50 test items were considered as the excellent quality as their DP scores reached around 0.44 through 0.78. The implications of the present study will shed light on the quality of teacher-made test items, especially for the MC test.

scholarly journals When-questions and tense in Inquisitive Semantics

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Jos Tellings
Keyword(s):  
Present Perfect ◽  
Inquisitive Semantics ◽  
Tense And Aspect ◽  
Semantics Of Questions ◽  
Present Tense

Temporal questions with when and their counterparts in other languages display tense restrictions: they are incompatible with the present tense that is interpreted as 'currently ongoing', and English when-questions are incompatible with the present perfect. The existence of tense restrictions is one of the reasons why a theory of the semantics of questions should include an account of tense and aspect. I first propose an explanation of the tense restrictions based on the pragmatics of questions and partial answers. Then, I discuss how tense and aspectual operators can be added to Inquisitive Semantics (Ciardelli, Groenendijk & Roelofsen 2018).

scholarly journals Olympiad in the English Language as a Form of Alternative Language Assessment

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 6-12
Author(s):  
Evgeniya Bolshakova
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Alternative Assessment ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Distinctive Features ◽  
Test Items ◽  
Language Competition ◽  
Intellectual Abilities ◽  
Task Types

Although a variety of the English language written olympiads (language competitions) exist, fairly little is known about how they are different from traditional forms of language assessment.  In Russia, olympiads in the English language are now gaining currency because they provide an opportunity to reveal creative thinking and intellectual abilities of pupils.  The present study examined major differences between language olympiads and traditional forms of language assessment.  A comparison of five main olympiads in the English language in terms of their levels, assessed skills and task types is made and their distinctive features are outlined.  The results of a testing of a new written olympiad of the Higher School of Economics “Vysshaya proba” (Highest Degree) in the English language are analyzed.  A set of test items was developed for 120 secondary school pupils in Moscow to find out whether they can easily cope with non-traditional form of assessment, which is language olympiad.  The results indicate that language competition as a form of alternative assessment may be introduced at schools to encourage better learning.

scholarly journals ENGLISH PERFECT IN COGNITION OF SLOVAK ISCED3 LEARNERS OF ENGLISH – PRELIMINARY EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomáš Hlava
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Proficiency Test ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Procedural Knowledge ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Declarative Knowledge ◽  
Present Perfect ◽  
The Past ◽  
English Language Instruction ◽  
Different Types

In English language instruction in Slovakia, a strong preference for declarative knowledge at the expense of procedural knowledge development has been reported over the last two decades. However, the cognitive aspects of language attainment predict no impact of instructional efforts, since mental representations of language to be attained are told to be supported by different cognitive systems than associative learning develops. Language variation materializes differences among languages based on differences in digitalizing the experience and thus understanding the world. For Slovak learners, the English present perfect is one such anomaly in categorization. This paper aims to answer what the specific interactions between past simple and present perfect are and how the predicted cognitive aspects of language attainment influence the use of different types of knowledge. A proficiency test focusing on declarative knowledge and language use without context and in context was distributed to 600 Slovak learners of English at the ISCED3a level. In Past simple conditions, students proved highly proficiency in all 3 types of tasks. In present perfect conditions, declarative knowledge strongly dominated over language use in context. In Present perfect conditions, substitutions by past simple were significantly more frequent than substitutions of present perfect by past simple. Cognitive funneling was recognized as a process inhibiting fast proceduralization of the English present perfect compared to fast and reliable proceduralization of the past simple.

scholarly journals Assessment and Feedback Practices in the English Language Classroom

1970 ◽  
Vol 16 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 97-106
Author(s):  
Md Fazlur Rahman ◽  
Rasel Babu ◽  
Md Ashrafuzzaman
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Head Teachers ◽  
Test Items ◽  
Junior Secondary Schools ◽  
Pull Out ◽  
Junior Secondary ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Listening And Speaking

The study mainly focused on exploring the nature of English language classroom assessment and feedback practised within Junior Secondary schools of Bangladesh. A qualitative approach was used to collect data by using classroom observation checklists, English teachers' and head teachers' interview schedules and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with students. Thematic analysis was conducted to pull out the findings of the study which showed that teachers assessed the students learning through questioning and the questions were closed-ended by nature. Most of the students liked written assessments. Students had contradictory opinions about liking speaking skills. In the classroom, teachers provided only verbal feedback to the students and in the observation it was found that teachers gave feedback on few occasions. Teachers recommended that listening and speaking test items be included within the national assessment system. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nelta.v16i1-2.6133 NELTA 2011; 16(1-2): 97-106

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